INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Os Draconis Stegodon |
| Common English: | Dragon Bone Fossilized vertebrae and bones of the extremities of mammals |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet Astringent |
Neutral (Cool) |
Heart Liver Kidney (Gallbladder) (Large Intestine) |
15-30g cook first when used in decoctions |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Settles anxiety and calms the Spirit |
Agitated Heart and Spirit with emotional distress, restlessness, insomnia, palpitations with anxiety, seizures or withdrawal mania |
Calms the Liver and anchors and preserves Floating Yang |
Irritability, restlessness, dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision and a bad temper due to Liver Yin Deficiency with Liver Yang Rising |
Prevents leakage of fluids |
Loss of fluids due to Deficiency with spermatorrhea, night sweats, spontaneous sweating, nocturnal emissions, vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding |
Topically generates muscles and astringes ulcers |
Chronic non-healing sores and ulcerations |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Rx. Polygalae |
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae |
Arisaema cum Bile |
Palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia and dream disturbed sleep. |
Disturbance of the Spirit leading to palpitations with insomnia and generalized anxiety. |
Internal rise of Phlegm-Heat with seizures and convulsions. |
Concha Ostreae |
Fr. Corni |
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Insomnia, dizziness, irritability, and blurred vision associated with Liver Yin Deficiency with Liver Yang Rising. |
Spermatorrhea, diarrhea, irritability, vaginal discharge and excessive uterine bleeding due to Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency. Low back and leg pain, dizziness, and fatigue with tenderness and throbbing below the navel due to Deficiency Cold. |
Night sweats due to Yin Deficiency. |
Sm. Astragali Complanati |
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Profuse sweating as found in Devastated Yang with Collapsed Qi. |
Spontaneous sweating due to exterior Deficiency. |
Spermatorrhea due to Kidney Deficiency. |
Rx. Astragali |
Ootheca Mantidis |
Alumen |
Irregular uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge due to unstable Chong and Ren vessels. |
Urinary frequency and incontinence due to Heart and Kidney Deficiency. |
Topically as a powder for chronic non-healing sores and ulcers. |
Concha Ostreae |
Cinnabaris |
Rx. Ephedrae |
Topically for for Damp rashes with itching, such as those affecting the groin. |
Sedative and tranquilizer. |
With Duan Long Gu, for pathological sweating due to Deficiency causing disharmony between the Ying and Wei. |
Ootheca Mantidis |
Concha Ostreae |
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii |
Powerfully astringes and tonifies for enuresis, urinary frequency, premature ejaculation, nocturnal emissions and vaginal discharge due to unstable Kidney Yang. |
Dizziness, vertigo, irritability and a short temper. |
Restless Shen. |
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata |
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae |
Sm. Astragali Complanati |
Schizophrenia. |
Restless Shen due to Heart Deficiency. |
Spermatorrhea, low back pain or tinnitus. |
Concha Ostreae |
Concha Ostreae |
Rz. Atractylodis |
Spermatorrhea with Kidney Yin Deficiency. |
Hypermenorrhea or uterine bleeding. |
White vaginal discharge. |
Ootheca Mantidis |
Halloysitum Rubrum |
Rx. Astragali |
Enuresis. |
Chronic diarrhea or dysentery. |
Spontaneous or night sweating. |
- Dens Draconis Long Chi 龙齿 “Dragon’s Teeth” or fossilized teeth are astringent and Cool, and have basically the same functions as Long Gu, however the “teeth” are especially effective for palpitations with anxiety, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, convulsions and delirium. It is also used to treat arthritis, osteomyelitis and gastralgia. The dosage is 9-16g. For restlessness or night crying in children, use with Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao, Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong, Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang and Rz. Cimicifugae Sheng Ma.
- This herb is a mineral not an animal part. It is the fossilized remains of various animals which are rich in a variety of calcium salts and other minerals.
- It can be used alone topically for non-healing sores, ulcers eczema or rashes.
- Some sources say that this herb settles fright and stabilizes Liver Wind.
- This herb treats disorders of the Dai channel.
- Both this herb and Concha Ostreae Mu Li have astringent properties. Mu Li also softens hardness and dissipates nodules, while Long Gu is better at calming the Spirit. They are often used together to enhance their ability to subdue Rising Yang.
- Both Long Gu and Concha Ostreae Mu Li are similar in many of their qualities and are often used together. Long Gu is sweet, astringent enters the Heart and Liver channels and is better at stopping abandonment, suppressing fright calming the Spirit. It does not soften hardness or disperse clumping and has much less Yin -nourishing ability so is less used when Yin Deficiency causes night sweats. Mu Li is salty, astringent, enters the Kidneys to soften hardness, transform Phlegm and cool Heat.
- Calcined Dragon bone Duan Long Gu has an enhanced ability to restrain, inhibit and bind to stop sweating, astringe Jing, stop bleeding, bind up the Intestines and generate flesh. It is primarily used to treat night sweats, spontaneous sweating, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge, continuous uterine bleeding, chronic diarrhea or dysenteric disorder and is applied externally to assist the closure of non-healing sores.