Calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematics, mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizati ...

bovis'', ''niu-huang'' (牛黃) or ox

bezoar A bezoar is a mass often found trapped in the gastrointestinal system, though it can occur in other locations. A pseudobezoar is an indigestible object introduced intentionally into the digestive system. There are several varieties of bezoar, ...

s are dried

gallstone A gallstone is a stone formed within the gallbladder from precipitated bile components. The term cholelithiasis may refer to the presence of gallstones or to any disease caused by gallstones, and choledocholithiasis refers to the presence of ...

s of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

used in

Chinese herbology Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature (journal), Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience ...

. In China and Japan it has been long used to treat various diseases, including high fever,

convulsion A convulsion is a medical condition where the body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term ''convulsion'' is sometimes used as a ...

and stroke. In Asian countries, calculus bovis are sometimes harvested when steers (''Bos taurus domesticus'' Gmelin) are slaughtered. Their

gall bladder In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, althoug ...

s are taken out, the

bile Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), or gall, is a dark-green-to-yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver b ...

is filtered, and the stones are cleaned and dried. The bezoars may also be surgically removed by

veterinarians A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

when working cattle become ill. In western countries, they are usually discarded. Its equivalent in

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

culture is

Gorochana Gorochana or gorocana (transliterated from sa, गोरोचन "cattle-light"; also bo, (?) ''gi-wang'') refers to a stone or 'bezoar' found in cattle ( sa, गो ''go''), such as the bull, cow, ox, and yak. Its presence in the animal is rep ...

. Calculus bovis have a color varying from golden yellow to brownish yellow. The shape of a stone is variable and depends on how it was formed, becoming spherical, oval, triangular, tubular, or irregular. Since natural calculus bovis are scarce, they can be very expensive. There are artificial calculus bovis or ''bovis calculus artifactus'' used as substitutes. In China, these are manufactured from cholic acid derived from bovine bile combined with dry bovine bile powder, porcine

ursodeoxycholic acid Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as ursodiol, is a secondary bile acid, produced in humans and most other species from metabolism by intestinal bacteria. It is synthesized in the liver in some species, and was first identified in bile of ...

taurine Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic compound that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. It ...

bilirubin Bilirubin (BR) (Latin for "red bile") is a red-orange compound that occurs in the normal catabolic pathway that breaks down heme in vertebrates. This catabolism is a necessary process in the body's clearance of waste products that arise from the ...

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell membr ...

, etc. Chinese regulations forbid the use of artificial calculus bovis in 42 drugs. Calculus bovis can cultivated (induced) ''

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...

'' by implanting a foreign object and microbials into bovine biles. It can also be cultivated (precipitated) ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology and ...

'' from bovine bile by adding ursodeoxycholic acid, cholic acid, and calcium bilirubinate, producing ''calculus bovis sativus''. Unlike artificial calculus bovis, either type of cultivated calculus bovis can fully replace calculus bovis under Chinese regulations.

References

External links

Niuhuang
*

Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China A pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia, or pharmacopoea (from the obsolete typography ''pharmacopœia'', meaning "drug-making"), in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of compound medicines, and published by ...

2015 entries for calculus bovis: *
Bovis calculus
≥ 5% cholic acid, ≥ 25% bilirubin by dry wright. *
Bovis calculus artifacus
artificial replacement produced from dry bovine bile. ≥ 13% cholic acid, ≥ 0.63% bilirubin by dry wright. *
Bovis calculus sativus
''in vitro'' cultivated replacement produced from bovine bile. ≥ 6% cholic acid, ≥ 35% bilirubin by dry wright. Traditional Chinese medicine Animal glandular products Cattle {{Pharm-stub