Ancient texts reveal how burned-to-ash human nail clippings applied to breasts of nursing mothers can treat infant stomach swelling.
A Chinese woman who has been collecting her fingernail clippings since childhood to sell for 150 yuan (US$21) per kg has sparked curiosity online.
The woman from northern China’s Hebei province was selling her fingernails as an ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Called jin tui in TCM, human fingernails are said to be effective in clearing heat and toxic elements from a person’s system. They also help wounds heal.
The Chinese medical text by Tang dynasty doctor Sun Simiao (581-682), Qianjin Yaofang, or Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand in Gold for Emergencies, included human fingernails as an ingredient to treat children’s abdominal bloating.
