• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2002

Thirty six patients, female 21(58.4%), male 15(58.4%), with centipede bite visited emergency room of Gimcheon Medical Center, from September 1998 to August 1999. The number of patients accompanying the seasons were increased once in June and were high in August and September; peaked in September, which conforms to the habitude that centipede likes the warmer climate. Frequency accompanying the time was high after sunset(from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. next morning) than before sunset, which conforms to the habitude that centipede is nocturnal. Distribution of the bite sites was finger(30%), neck(28%), foot(25%) and hand(14%) as same as the previous researches showed. In case of finger and hand, patients got bitten while they were wearing gloves or doing works; foot, wearing shoes. They got bitten the neck while sleeping. Among the localized symptoms were localized pain: 36 patients(100%), swelling: 36 patients(100%), erythema: 26 patients(72.2%), paresthesia: 5 patients (13.9%). Systemic symptoms were dizziness 2 patients(5.6%) and nausea 1 patient(2.8%). Mostly the localized pain was improved within 48 hours, swelling in 48 hours and within 72 hours in case of paresthesia. Systemic symptoms such as dizziness and nausea were improved within 24 hours. Treatment and prognosis of scolopendra have similarity in many countries. We suggest that Korean standard treatment manual is needed so that the localized symptom, systemic symptom and external wound can be cured soon.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.203-217
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• 2015

Scolpendra subspinipes (centipede) is pungent in flavor, activates the channels to stop pain, and, removes toxins and resolves masses. So it has been used as a folk remedy. We researched folk remedies which used centipede as a single medicine and results of its prior clinical and experimental study, and figured out that centipedes are effective on ulcerative disease, herpes zoster, clavus, insect bite, inflammatory disease, furunculus, pain disease by external therapy, and oral administration is effective on anti-cancer such as hepatoma and uterine cancer, cerebrovascular disease, inhibition of atherosclerosis, sedation of central nervous system, antipyretic action, and anti-inflammation, and centipede Herb-Acupuncture is effective on inflammatory disease and pain disease. Centipede preparation materials for external therapy were sesame oil, perilla oil, vinegar, salt, and, burnt alum. Fumigation of centipede treated paronychia, pertussis, and hemorrhoids. For the external therapy, the way of centipede powder mixing with other materials has been used. It is needed that we use dusted powder to make skin absorb its ingredients more easily, and we study intensely minor ingredients to make centipede components absorbed more effectively and do pharmacological action. Also, fumigation, a kind of another external therapy, is considered to be effective treatment of upper respiratory infection like pertussis, so it needs an in-depth study on centipede fumigation.