INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Concha Ostreae
Common English: Oyster Shell
Substances that Calm the Spirit: Substances that Anchor, Settle and Calm the Spirit (Substances that Calm the Liver and Extinguish Wind)
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Salty
Astringent
Cool
Liver
Kidney
(Gallbladder)
(Heart)
9-30g cook first when used in decoction
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Heavily settles and calms the Spirit

Agitated Heart and Spirit with palpitations with anxiety, restlessness and insomnia

Calms the Liver, benefits Yin and anchors Floating Yang

Liver Yin Deficiency with Liver Yang Rising or Yin Deficiency with internal Heat with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and spontaneous sweating

Prevents the leakage of fluids

Continuous sweat after febrile disease or in patients with steaming bone disorder

Loss of fluids due to Deficiency with night sweats, spontaneous sweating, nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea or vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding

Softens hardness and dissipates nodules

Various kinds of lumps particularly neck lumps such as goiter or scrofula

Absorbs acidity and alleviates pain (calcined)

Excessive Stomach pain with a sour taste in the mouth
CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with high fever due to Excess with an absence of sweat.
  • Contraindicated for those with Deficiency disorders with Cold.
  • Contraindicated for those with Kidney Deficiency without Fire.
  • Contraindicated for those with spermatorrhea.
  • Contraindicated for those with Damp-Heat.
  • Overdose may lead to indigestion and constipation.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Succinum
Hu Po
Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae
Suan Zao Ren

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
(Plastrum Testudinis)
(Gui Ban
)

Insomnia.

Restlessness, irritability, palpitations and spontaneous sweating due to Floating Yang.

Anxiety, palpitations, insomnia, and dream disturbed sleep.

Headaches, dizziness, tinnitus and other symptoms associated with Yin Deficiency with Yang Rising.

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao

Sm. Euryales
Qian Shi
Stamen Nelumbinis
Lian Xu

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao

Colla Corii Asini
E Jiao
Halloysitum Rubrum
Chi Shi Zhi

or

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Endoconcha Sepiae
Hai Piao Xiao
Rz. Dioscoreae
Shan Yao

Plastrum Testudinis
Gui Ban

Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia

(Rx. Paeoniae Alba)
(Bai Shao
)

Spermatorrhea.

Excessive uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge.

Movement of Liver Wind after a febrile disease manifesting as tremors and spasms.

Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Fr. Tritici Levis
Fu Xiao Mai
(Rx. Ephedrae)
(Ma Huang Gen)

Sm. Euryales
Qian Shi
Sm. Astragali Complanati

Sha Yuan Zi
(Stamen Nelumbinis)
(Lian Xu)

Internal stirring of Wind from Deficiency.

Spontaneous sweating and night sweats.

Spermatorrhea and sore lower back and extremities.

Fr. Rosae Laevigatae
Jin Ying Zi
Fr. Alpiniae Oxyphyllae
Yi Zhi Ren

Fr. Corni
Shan Zhu Yu
Rz. Dioscoreae
Shan Yao

Rx. Scrophulariae
Xuan Shen
Sp. Prunellae
Xia Ku Cao
Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii
Zhe Bei Mu

Urinary frequency or incontinence.

Irregular uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge.

Scrofula and lymphadenoma.

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen
Rx. Paeoniae Rubra
Chi Shao

Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen
Hb. Lycopi
Ze Lan
Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia

(Rz. Sparganii)
(San Leng)
(Rz. Curcumae)
(E Zhu)
(Rx. Curcumae)
(Yu Jin)
(Rx. Bupleuri)
(Chai Hu)

Concha Haliotidis
Shi Jue Ming
or
Egg Shell

Sub-costal pain and swelling.

Organomegaly.

Calcined as a powder for epigastric pain with acid regurgitation.

Endoconcha Sepiae
Hai Piao Xiao
Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii
Zhe Bei Mu

Fr. Corni
Shan Zhu Yu

Rx. Trichosanthis
Tian Hua Fen

As a powder for epigastric pain with acid regurgitation.

Sweating.

Irritability and mental disorientation due to Lung and Stomach Yin Deficiency and ascending Heat with thirst.

Goiter from clumping of Phlegm-Heat.

Caul. Polygoni Multiflori
Ye Jiao Teng

Fr. Rubi
Fu Pen Zi
Fr. Alpiniae Oxyphyllae
Yi Zhi Ren

Endoconcha Sepiae
Hai Piao Xiao
Rz. Bletillae
Bai Ji
Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo
Hb. Taraxaci
Pu Gong Ying
Hb. Hedyotis Diffusae
Bai Hua She She Cao

Insomnia.

Enuresis.

Duodenal or peptic ulcer.

Fr. Evodiae
Wu Zhu Yu
Rz. Coptidis
Huang Lian
Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii
Zhe Bei Mu

 

 

Acid reflux.

 

 

  1. This herb works synergistically with Bul. Fritillariae Chuan Bei Mu or Zhe Bei Mu, Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao, Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae Niu Xi and Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi.
  2. This herb is better a dispersing Phlegm than Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu.
  3. It is combined with Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu to treat insomnia, neurosis, epilepsy and other disorders requiring stronger sedative agents.
  4. This herb is produced by an animal, but the material is basically a mineral. It must be crushed for use in decoction.
  5. This herb has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
  6. It is said that it eliminates the sense of fullness and rigidity of the hypochondrium, scrofula and all types of furuncles.
  7. It relieves Heart and Spleen pain due to Qi Stagnation, leukorrhea with a reddish discharge, goiter and tuberculosis.
  8. For ulcerous paronychia and phalangeal polyps with pus, grind the thick head into a powder and take 6g each time with an alcohol decoction of Flos Carthami Hong Hua. Take three times a day orally and apply to the lesion topically.
  9. To draw out pus from a painful swelling without festering, blend the powder in water and apply to the affected area frequently.
  10. For carbuncle, apply the powder to the area and put egg white around it. Do this frequently.
  11. It is said that the cooked meat of this herb regulates the Middle Jiao, cures consumptive and inflammatory diseases and menoxenia. When taken raw with ginger, it can cure inflammatory diseases and relieve thirst and irritation caused by drinking.
  12. The cooked meat treats consumptive diseases, inflammatory diseases, menoxenia and regulates the Middle Jiao
  13. The meat taken raw with ginger and vinegar treats inflammatory diseases and relieves thirst and irritation caused by drinking.
  14. One source says that this herb softens hard lumps, dispels Phlegm, eliminates scrofula, relieves hiccups, restores sperm and cures metrorrhagia and leukorrhagia.
  15. 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.
  16. Calcined Oyster Shell Duan Mu Li has an enhanced ability to bind and an added ability to dry so that it astringes sweating and Jing and stops vaginal discharge. It secures the Lower Jiao, expels turbid Dampness and inhibits Deficiency sweating.