Library

Non-toxic.

Oyster shell (originating from *Shennong Bencao Jing* [Divine Farmer's Materia Medica]) primarily treats chills and fever associated with cold damage (*Shanghan*), warm malaria, characterized by shivering, fright, anger, and qi stagnation; eliminates spasmodic stiffness, scrofula (tuberculous lymphadenitis of the neck); treats leukorrhea (red and white vaginal discharge) in women; long-term consumption strengthens bone joints.

Exorcises evil spirits and ghosts, prolongs life. (The text in red characters above is from *Shennong Bencao Jing*).

Clears residual heat in the joints; clears deficiency heat of Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive qi) manifesting as alternating chills and fever, vexation, and fullness; stops sweating; treats heart pain, qi knotting; quenches thirst; eliminates old blood stasis; unblocks constipation or difficulty in urination/defecation; treats spermatorrhea; treats bi-syndrome of the throat (sore throat/swollen throat), cough; treats epigastric/hypochondriac stuffiness and heat. (The text in black characters above is recorded by famous physicians of later generations).

[Names] Ligai, Muha, Lifang, Zhenhai, Muli, Shanpu, Shimuli, Shiyuli.

[Origin] *Tujing Bencao* records: Grows in ponds and marshes of the East Sea. Currently found along all sea coasts, but particularly abundant in the South Sea, Fujian, and between Tongzhou and Taizhou. This creature grows attached to stones, connecting like houses, hence named "Lifang" (oyster house). When first born by the seaside, it is only the size of a fist-sized stone, gradually growing on all sides to one or two zhang high, steep and rugged like mountains. Inside each house is a piece of meat, the size of which varies with the house. Large houses are like horse hooves, small ones like human fingertips. When the tide comes, all houses open, allowing small insects to enter, then close to fill their bellies. Sea people harvest them by forcing them open with fierce fire, picking out the meat. The shells facing left are male, those facing right are female. Some say the pointed head facing left defines it. Generally, larger ones are prized. Southerns consume the meat as food; its taste is very delicious, beneficial, refining the skin, beautifying the complexion, and is the most precious among marine creatures. *Yanyi Bencao* records: *Shennong Bencao Jing* does not mention "facing left," only following Tao Hongjing's interpretation. *Youyang Zazu* states that "Mu" in Muli does not mean male, just as Mudan (Peony) does not imply there is a Pin Dan (female peony). Combining this with geography, if a person faces Wu (South) and positions the top of the oyster towards Zi (North), the opening on the left is considered "facing left." This creature has no eyes originally, so how can it have looking/glancing?

[Season] [Growth] No fixed time. [Harvest] No fixed time. [Usage] Those facing left are used in medicine.

[Color] Cyan-white.

[Taste] Salty.

[Nature] Neutral, slightly cold.

[Qi and Flavor] Thin Qi, strong flavor; Yang within Yin.

[Odor] Fishy.

[Primary Action] Astringes night sweats, stops spermatorrhea.

[Meridian Tropism] Foot Shaoyin Meridian.

[Complementary Pairings] Works well with Fritillaria bulb (Beimu); good combination with Licorice root (Gancao), Achyranthes root (Niuxi), Polygala root (Yuanzhi), Cnidium fruit (Shechuangzi).

[Incompatibilities] Adversely affected by Ephedra stem (Mahuang), Evodia fruit (Wuzhuyu), Magnolia flower (Xinyi).

[Processing] *Leigong Paozhi Lun* says: For every twenty pieces to be processed, use one liang of salt, boil in flowing water from the east for one fu-shi (approx. 2 hours), then roast in fire until thoroughly red, then grind into powder using a mortar.

[Therapeutic Applications] [*Yaoxing Lun* says] Treats metrorrhagia in women, stops night sweats, dissipates wind-heat, relieves pain, expels warm malaria. [*Chen Cangqi says*] Grind into powder and dust it to treat night sweats in adults and children. [*Haiyao Bencao says*] Removes vexation and heat, treats pediatric convulsions and epilepsy. [*Tangye Bencao says*] Can soften masses of accumulated qi and drain fluid accumulation. [*Mingyi Bielu says*] White variety ground into powder, mixed with water and applied topically, is effective for treating all carbuncles and sores before suppuration.

[Combination Therapies / Guiding Drugs] Guided by Bupleurum root (Chaihu) to remove hardness under the hypochondrium; guided by Tea to dissipate tubercles; guided by Rhubarb root (Dahuang) to remove swelling in the groin; combined with Rehmannia root (Dihuang) as an assistant drug to benefit essence, astringe, and stop frequent urination; long-term consumption strengthens bone joints, exorcises evil spirits, and prolongs life; combined with Ephedra root (Mahuanggen), Cnidium fruit (Shechuangzi), and Dried ginger (Ganjiang) into powder to remove sweat from the yin organs; raw meat eaten with ginger and vinegar treats erysipelas, post-drinking vexation and heat, and thirst; combined with Eucommia bark (Duzhong) to stop night sweats; taken as honey pills (30 pills) to make the face radiant and white, preventing seasonal epidemic diseases, treating ghost intercourse and seminal emission (add Rehmannia root and Xiaocao); combined with Gypsum (Shigao) in a ratio of 10 parts to 5 parts, ground into powder, taken with wine (Fangcunbi dose), 3-4 times daily, or as honey pills the size of Sophora seeds, to treat epistaxis after minor exertion following recovery from major illness; on the day of La Festival or Dragon Boat Festival, wrap in yellow mud, calcine until red, grind into powder, mix with decoction of live crucian carp, take 1 qianbi (adult) or half qianbi (child) to treat all types of thirst; calcine 4 liang to remove fire toxicity, combine with 3 liang of Scrophularia root (Xuanshen), grind into powder, make pills with paste the size of Sophora seeds, take 30 pills after meals and before bed with wine, most effective for treating scrofula in men and women; calcine 2 liang, combine with 1 liang of roasted dried ginger, grind into fine powder, mix with cold water and apply topically to treat water blisters of varying sizes and painful locations.

[Resolution] [Meat] Resolves erysipelas.