by Eric Brand

Long Gu and Long Chi are heavy, settling, spirit-quieting medicinals that are called dragon bone and dragon tooth in English. According to legend, the Chinese people are descended from dragons, and dragons play an important role in Chinese mythology. In ancient times, fossilized mammal bones probably were thought to be remnants of dragons, but let's face it, they probably came from some other creatures.

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According to the Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian (Great Encyclopedia of Chinese Medicinals), Long Gu is fossilized bones of various mammals including rhinoceros, antelope, deer, pig, and bovines.

Long Chi: Fossilized canine teeth or molars from various animals. The whole or broken fossils of canine teeth or molars come in two colors, white or blue-gray. These are known respectively as bái lóng chǐ (白龙齿white dragon tooth) and qīng lóng chǐ (青龙齿green-blue dragon tooth); the latter is considered superior.

Here is a fascinating tidbit about Long Gu. In the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 CE) someone discovered Chinese characters inscribed into the Long Gu that they purchased at a pharmacy. As it turns out, this writing was actually a relic of an ancient civilization. These carvings are now known as "oracle bones," they are the oldest extant examples of Chinese writing.

Oracle bones refer to shells and bones that were inscribed with writing and were put into a fire for purposes of divination- the direction of the lines after the shell cracked from the heat indicated the answer to the question posed. As a TCM side note, they contain the first references to infertility in Chinese history. Anyway, some guy discovered that his Long Gu actually had writing on it and they started searching around for more of these lost treasures from ancient history. Over time, they collected many specimens, which are now preserved in Chinese museums. Unfortunately, Long Gu had been crushed to a powder and decocted for at least 1400-1600 years before oracle bones were discovered, so we have no idea how many ancient records of Chinese history were lost due to people cooking up dragon bone as a medicine.

Long Gu and Long Chi have many grades and qualities. Premium quality Long Gu and Long Chi are incredibly expensive, but their shelf life is unbeatable.