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| Latin: |
Concha Haliotidis |
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| Origin: |
Abalone shell is the shell of the marine snail Haliotis diversicolor Reeve (variegated abalone), Haliotis gigantea discus Reeve./Haliotis discus hannai Ino (disk abalone), Haliotis ovina Gmelin (goat abalone), Haliotis australis Gmelin (Australian abalone), Haliotis asinina Linnaeus (donkey's ear shell), or Haliotis sorenseni Bartsch (white abalone), of the family Haliotidae. The shell has a row of holes on its outer surface.
Abalones are one-shelled snails found in warm seas worldwide. The dishlike shell is perforated near one edge by a single row of small holes that become progressively filled during the animal's growth. The last five to nine holes remain open to serve as outlets for the snail's waste products.
Depending on the species, abalones range from 10 to 25 cm across and up to 7.5 cm in depth. The shell's lustrous, iridescent interior is used in the manufacture of ornaments. The large muscular foot of the abalone is eaten as a delicacy in several countries. Commercial fisheries for abalones exist in California, Mexico, Japan, and South Africa. The largest abalone is the 30-centimetre red abalone (H. rufescens) of the western coast of the United States.
In China, abalones are distributed in coastal areas of the provinces Guangdong, Fujian, Liaoning, Shandong, etc. Abalone is caught in summer and autumn, with the shell washed clean after pulling off the meat, attached impurities are then removed and the shell dried in the sun for use when raw or after being calcined. It is pounded for use.
See also Food, Seafood, Abalone. |
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| Properties: |
| Salty in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the liver channel. |
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| Functions: |
| Calms the liver and suppresses yang hyperactivity of the liver as well as removes intensive heat from the liver and improves visual acuity. |
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| Applications: |
1. Treats dizziness and blurred vision due to hyperactivity of liver yang:
Clearing away heat with its saltiness and cold, suppressing yang hyperactivity of the liver with its heaviness and specially entering the liver channel, abalone shell can calm liver-yang and remove intensive heat from the liver, so it is a major liver-cooling and liver-yang-suppressing drug.
a) Dizziness due to yin-deficiency of the liver and kidneys and hyperactivity of liver-yang:
Abalone shell is often used in combination with yin-nourishing and liver-calming drugs such as raw rehmannia, herbaceous peony root (Radix Paeoniae Alba), oyster shell, etc.
b) Dizziness and headache as well as restlessness and irritability due to hyperactivity of liver-yang and flaring-up of liver-fire:
Abalone shell can be used together with heat-clearing and liver-calming drugs such as selfheal spica (Spica Prunellae), gambirplant (Ramulus Uncariae cum Uncis), chrysanthemum, etc.
2. Treats conjunctival congestion, cataract and nebula and blurred vision:
As the eye is the orifice to the liver, abalone shell can remove fire from the liver to improve vision and remove nebula, so it is a common drug for eye disorders.
a) Conjunctivitis due to flaming-up of liver-fire:
Abalone shell can be used in combination with selfheal spica (Spica Prunellae), cassia seed, chrysanthemum, etc.
b) Conjunctival congestion and nebula due to wind heat:
Abalone shell can be used in combination with cicada slough, chrysanthemum, horsetail (Herba Equiseti Hiemalis), etc.
c) Blurred vision, night blindness and dim eyesight due to yin-deficiency and blood insufficiency:
Abalone shell is always used in combination with prepared rehmannia, Chinese wolfberry (Fructus Lycii), Chinese dodder seed (Semen Cuscutae), etc. |
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| Dosage and Administration: |
15-30 g.
Decoct for oral administration.
It should be pounded finely for decocting first. It should be used when raw to calm and remove heat from the liver, and used after being calcined and refined with water for external use and as eye drops. |
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| Cautions on Use: |
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| Reference Materials: |
Other Medical Records of Famous Physicians : "Cataracts, nebula and optic atrophy."
Records of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Combination : "Slightly salty in taste and slightly cool in nature, abalone shell is a major liver-cooling and liver-yang-suppressing drug. As the eyes are the windows of the liver, this drug is good at improving vision. It can be used to treat external cataracts when it is ground finely and refined with water for local application, while it can be used to remove internal cataracts when it is orally administered as pills or powder. As it can both remove heat from the liver and suppress hyperactivity of liver-yang, it is good at treating headache or dizziness due to blood congestion in the brain for such ailments as result from the uprush of liver-qi or liver-fire with blood." |
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| Toxic or Side Effects: |
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| Modern Researches: |
Abalone shell contains 90% calcium carbonate and 3.67% organic materials. It also contains small amounts of magnesium, iron, phosphates, chlorides and a very tiny amount of iodine. After calcination, the carbonate decomposes to produce calcium chloride while the organic materials are destroyed.
Abalone shell has a tranquilizing effect and can neutralize any excessive gastric juice in the stomach. |
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