Medicinals

mǔ lì / 牡蛎 / 牡蠣 / oyster shell

Latin pharmacognostic name: Ostreae Concha

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 蛎蛤 lì gé; 古贲 gǔ bēn; 左顾牡蛎 zuǒ gù mǔ lì; 牡蛤 mǔ gé; 蛎房 lì fáng; 蚝莆 háo fǔ; 蚝壳 háo ké

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Liver-calming wind-extinguishing agents / Liver-calming yáng-subduing agents

Properties: Salty; astringent; slightly cold.

Channel entry: liver and kidney channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 10–30g in decoctions; it should be crushed and predecocted. Mǔ lì should be used crude except when employed for securing and astringing, when the calcined form is preferred. Some sources say that it should be used with care in pregnancy.

Product Description:

This shell is ovate in shape and made up of two halves that have undulating edges. The top shell is relatively flat, while the bottom shell is trough-shaped. The grayish-yellow exterior surface shows the layered structure of its substance. The interior is smooth and shiny and is cream or yellowish white in color. This shell is hard and not easy to break. It has no smell. It is ground to a very fine powder to facilitate decoction.

Quality:

The best quality is large and neatly shaped, with a shiny inside.

Product Area:

Coastal areas of Jiāngsū, Fújiàn, Guǎngdōng, Héběi, Liáoníng, Shāndōng.

Etymology:

The name mǔ lì 牡蛎, ""male oyster,"" reflects a belief that all oysters are male. The alternate name háo ké 蚝壳, reflects the large size (háo 豪) of this shell ( 壳).

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