Koshiita no mushi – [Yokai|KanNoMushi]

• About: A parasitic worm with a thin white body and slick black bird-like beaked face, it infests the hosts kidneys, where it pecks at the hosts muscles causing all sorts of excruciating pain throughout their lower back! The back begins to feel heavy and in some severe cases; the patient becomes utterly immobile; completely & entirely unable to move!

• Treatment: It can be eliminated by ingesting the medicinal roots of dried thistle; Mokkō (Saussurea costus.)

[Note: This cure is shared between several of the others mushi including the back-bending “Sori No Kanmushi” & the dangerously fatal “Tonshi No Kanmushi.” – Although these are seemingly fictional parasites, the herbs, plants & treatments are all very real! – Perhaps it’s a testament as to how useful thistle roots are in reality! (Incidentally, some types of costus have also been found to be useful in treating real world parasites!) The roots have been used in South Asian medicine, perfumes, homeopathics & essential oils since ancient times and still are to this very day!]

• History: Yet another One of 63 ‘Kan No Mushi’ 疳の虫 (germ/parasitic Yokai) from the “Harikikigaki” 針聞書 or “the book of needles” – A mysterious 16th century book about acupuncture & other medical knowledge written in 1568 by a resident of Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan!

[Image source, Kyoto National Museum collection] 

[Art Sticker by Samkalensky part of my yokai collection follow & support for many more]