Knowledge Base/Herbs/Abalone Shell
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平肝息风药 · Liver-wind calming

Abalone Shell shí jué míng · 石决明

Haliotis spp. (shell; Concha Haliotidis)

Nature and flavour. Salty and cold; Liver system.

Classed as calming the Liver and anchoring yang, and as clearing the Liver and brightening the eyes. It is a shell, and in the classical framework that weight is the point: it is used where Liver yang is understood to be rising, with the headache, dizziness and red painful eyes of the classical descriptions. Among the herbs recorded for the eyes it is specifically the one for presentations the tradition reads as Liver fire or rising Liver yang rather than as depletion.

性味归经。咸，寒；归肝经。

归类为平肝潜阳、清肝明目。它是贝壳类药材，在传统框架里「质重」正是其要点：用于肝阳上亢所致的头痛、眩晕、目赤肿痛。在治目疾的药材中，它专属于传统判为肝火上炎或肝阳上亢的一类，而不是虚证的一类。

Classical category · no formulas, no dosages, no herb-drug combinations are given.
Safety. A cold, heavy shell: the tradition itself cautions against it where the Spleen and Stomach are cold and weak with loose stool, and against it where there is deficiency cold. Traditional practice has specific requirements for it — the shell is broken up and decocted before the other materials — which is one reason it is not a kitchen ingredient. Human safety data in pregnancy and breastfeeding are insufficient. Not for self-directed use.

咸寒质重之品：传统本身即指出脾胃虚寒、食少便溏者不宜，虚寒证亦不宜。传统用法对其有专门要求 —— 打碎先煎，再下其它药，这也是它不是食材的原因之一。妊娠期与哺乳期的人体安全性数据不足。不得自行使用。

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Other Liver-wind calming herbs

6 related entries.

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