Saiga Antelope Horn Classic Formulas

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Extinguishes Liver Wind and stops spasms — the principal Liver Wind-extinguishing drug; febrile convulsions in children, epilepsy, eclampsia, and high fever with tremor and altered consciousness; one of the most powerful anti-convulsant herbs in the TCM pharmacopoeia alongside Gou Teng and Tian Ma
Clears Liver Fire and brightens the eyes — red painful eyes, severe headache, and dizziness from Liver Fire or Wind-Fire ascending; the classic treatment for acute Liver Fire eye conditions combined with exterior-dispersing herbs
Calms the Liver and descends Yang — Liver Yang Rising with hypertension, severe headache, tinnitus, and irritability; the cold-sinking action of Ling Yang Jiao brings down ascending Liver Yang
Clears Heat and resolves toxicity — Ying and Xue level Heat in warm-febrile disease with high fever, delirium, loss of consciousness, and manic behavior; enters both Liver and Heart to clear deep heat

Ling Jiao Gou Teng Tang (羚角钩藤汤) — classical Liver Wind formula for febrile convulsions; Ling Yang Jiao combined with Gou Teng, Bai Shao, Di Huang, Sang Ye, Ju Hua, Fu Ling, Zhu Ru, and Chuan Bei Mu; treats high fever with spasms and tremor in warm-febrile disease; from Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Wu Jutong); the foundational formula for heat-induced Liver Wind
Zi Xue Dan (紫雪丹) — classical emergency formula for high fever, delirium, and convulsions in children and adults; Ling Yang Jiao combined with Xi Jiao (rhino horn — now substituted), She Xiang, and multiple cold minerals; treats Lock-up of Orifices and Liver Wind simultaneously
Ling Yang Jiao San (羚羊角散) — for Liver Fire eye conditions with headache; Ling Yang Jiao combined with Zhi Zi, Huang Qin, Sang Bai Pi, and Long Dan Cao; classical ophthalmic formula for acute inflammatory eye disease from Liver Fire

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: lists Ling Yang Jiao in the upper grade — 'salty, cold; clears Liver Heat, extinguishes Wind, stops convulsions, calms the Spirit; treats febrile delirium, malaria, and children's febrile convulsions'
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen): 'Ling Yang Jiao (羚羊角) enters the Liver and Heart blood aspects; extinguishes Liver Wind, calms convulsions, clears febrile toxins, brightens the eyes — it is the foremost remedy for febrile convulsions in children and for Wind-Fire stirring within'
CONSERVATION NOTE: Ling Yang Jiao is derived from the Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List following a 95% population collapse in the late 20th century. International trade is regulated under CITES Appendix II. Unlike pangolin (removed ChP 2020), Ling Yang Jiao remains in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 on the basis of regulated harvest from wild Russian Saiga populations and some Chinese domestic farming. Sourcing transparency and regulatory compliance are essential; practitioners should prioritise validated clinical substitutes (Shan Yang Jiao — domestic goat horn; Gou Teng; Tian Ma) for non-critical applications.