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Turtle shell;

鳖甲 〔鱉甲〕biē jiǎ

Latin pharmacognostic name: Trionycis Carapax

Alternate English names: soft-shelled turtle shell; fresh-water turtle shell

Alternate Chinese names: 上甲 shàng jiǎ; 鳖壳 biē ké; 鳖盖子 biē gài zǐ; 鳖甲尖 biē jiǎ jiān; 土鳖甲 tǔ biē jiǎ

Origin: Animal

Use: medicinal

Category: Supplementing agents / Yīn-supplementing agents

Properties: Salty; cold.

Channel entry: liver and kidney channels.

Indications:


Dosage & Method: Oral: 9–24g in decoctions); or boil to make a paste; or use in pills and plasters. Mostly used in prepared form (usually stir-fried with sand and quenched with vinegar). Topical: Grind to a powder and sprinkle on or apply mixed.

Warnings: Use with care in pregnancy and in spleen-stomach yáng vacuity with reduced eating and sloppy stool.

Product Description: The complete dried shell is ovate or elliptical, 10–20 cm long, 7–15 cm wide, and about 5 mm thick. It grayish-brown or blackish green, bulges slightly on the dorsal side and has wrinkles and protuberant spots. There are distinct protuberances over the ribs, between which are serrated transverse sutures. The inside is white, with the spine running down the middle, and eight ribs transverse ribs that project beyond the edge of the shell. The shell is hard but is easily broken at the sutures. It gives off a slightly fishy smell.

Quality: Large thick shells without any flesh or putrid odor are best.

Product Area: Produced mainly in Húběi, ānhuī, Jiāngsū, Hénán, Húnán, Zhèjiāng, and Jiāngxī; also produced in Sìchuān, Fújiàn, Shǎnxī (Shaanxi), Gānsū, and Guìzhōu.

Etymology: The name biē jiǎ 鳖甲, literally ""turtle shell."" 鳖 is said to come from 蹩 meaning bié sǎ 蹩躠, to walk with an awkward or wobbly gait, describing this animal's clumsiness on land.

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