Properties: Salty, cold
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Heart
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Drains Liver Heat, calms the Liver, extinguishes Wind and controls spasms and convulsions
Childhood seizure and convulsion disorder especially due to high fever Ying and Xue Stage Heat with stubborn high fevers
Extreme Heat Generating Wind
Liver Wind
- Calms the Liver and anchors Yang
An important substance for Liver Yang Rising with dizziness, vertigo, irritability, restlessness and splitting headaches
- Clears the Liver and improves vision
Headache, red and swollen eyes or photophobia due to Blazing Liver Fire
- Drains Heat and clears Fire toxicity
Heat Attacks the Pericardium with high fever, delirium, manic behavior and, in extreme case, loss of consciousness
- Clears Damp-Heat
Wind-Damp-Heat Bi
- Aids fasting
Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of animal parts which can, with protracted taking, fortify the sinews and bones and make the body
light. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).
Suggested Daily Dosage: 1-3g in decoction.
Appears in 7 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, has been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
