Settle the Spirit



Lóng Gǔ

Fossilia Ossis Mastodi

"Dragon Bone"

Usually fossilized vertebrae and extremities of mammals; fresher bones would be more alive and hot to tonify yang (like Tiger Bone)

 


Taste:        Sweet, astringent
Temp:        Neutral
Channels:    Heart, Liver, Kidney

Actions:    
RAW

Settles and calms the spirit – heart disturbed due to Yin Xu
Calms the liver and sedates the Yang – Liver Yin Xu; useful for facial paralysis and deviation

PREPARED (DUAN) (calcined)

• Prevents leakage (all three jiaos) – fortifies sperm, night sweats, bloody vaginal discharge, bedwetting, uterine bleeding,
• Topically for chronic nonhealing sores and ulcers

Dose:        15-30 grams, unprocessedContra:        Any minerals are contra in weak spleen
Cooking:    Pre-decoct 30 minutes

Raw to settle and calm spirit
Calcined (duan) as astringent
Related herbs:
Dens Draconis (fossilized teeth) have the same properties but are especially effective for palpitations and anxiety, dream-disturbed sleep – stronger to calm shen, no action to astringe


Modern: Standard formula for drug addiction: Long Gu, Mu Li, Chai Hu, etc.
Identification:    Whole (raw) in chunks or powder; Calcined (duan) is powdered

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Mǔ Lì

Ostreae Concha

Taste:        Salty, astringent

Temp:        Cool

Channels:    Liver, Kidney

 Actions:    

• Raw: Everything Long Gu does, plus:
• Raw: Softens hardnesses (salty) – lumps in the neck, nodules (combine with Xuan Shen, Xia Ku Cao and Bei Mu)
• Calcined: Absorbs acidity and stops pain (for stomach pain with sour taste); pair with other shells, such as Shu Jue Ming, Hai Piao Xiao

Dose:    15-30 grams

Contra:    

Cooking: Use Calcined to absorb acidity and astringe leakages; Pre-decoct 30 minutes

Identification:    Powdered, raw versus powdered, calcined: calcined looks more uniform, and a little browner

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Cí Shí

Magnetite

Fe₃O₄

Ferriferous Oxide

Taste:        Pungent, salty
Temp:        COLD
Channels:    Kidney, Liver

 Actions:    

Anchors and calms spirit: yang-rising dizziness, vertigo, childhood convulsionNourishes Kidney, augments Liver to improve hearing and visionAids Kidney to grasp the Qi: chronic wheeze, fatigue


Dose:        9-30 grams
Contra:        Caution in weak stomach/spleen; may antagonize Mu Dan Pi
        Protect spleen with Shen Qu (Massa Fermentata)


Cooking:    Pre-decoct 30 minutes; or use powdered

Identification:    Black or dark grey, shiny, attracts iron

Formula:    "Er Long Zuo Ci Wan" -- Liu Wei Di Huang Wan plus Chai Hu and Duan Ci Shi for hearing loss due to old age, tinnitus; available in patent form

Why is Chai Hu included? It goes to the GB channel; raises Qi up to the head; smoothes the liver and moves stagnant liver qi

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Zhū Shā

Cinnabar

"Vermillion Sand"

Red Mercuric Sulfide 99%

Taste:        Sweet, toxic
Temp:        Cool
Channels:    Heart

 Actions:    

• Depending on combinations, can treat excess heart fire, or deficient yin or blood disturbing the heart
• Sedates heart and calms spirit – muddled shen, severe heat
• Expels phlegm and clears heat – rattling phlegm in throat
• Clears heat, relieves toxicity (topical for sores, boils, sore throat) 

Dose:        0.3 to 2.7 grams

Contra:    Can cause mercury poisoning if heated; take as powder or pill only

Cooking:    usually administered in pills, powder
        DO NOT HEAT    
Other uses:    Fu Ling and others were sometimes coated in cinnabar
Modern:     Considered obsolete now due to toxicity

Identification:        Bright red, shiny, clean, translucent to transparent

                No sample available L

Formula:        Zhu Sha An Shen Wan

                Patent: An Shen Bu Xin Wan (now illegal)

Hand-carved cinnabar-lacquered box from China

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Zhēn Zhū

Margarita (Pearl)

Taste:        Sweet, saltyTemp:        COLDChannels:    Heart, Liver
 Actions:    

• Sedates the heart, settles tremors and palpitations – easy fright or anger
• Clears liver and benefits the eyes – blurred vision, superficial visual obstructions (used topically as eyedrops)
• Promotes healing, generates flesh, non-healing ulcers
• For burns, use alone as a powder
• Use with cinnabar and amber for shen; use with Bing Pian and Niu Huang for eye and throat heat

Dose:        0.3 – 0.9 g in pills or powderCooking:    Pearl used as pill or powder

Other uses:    Pearl powder is used for the face, to absorb oil, impart a luster to the skin – stinks, though

    For eye pain or pterygium, combine with Qing Xiang Zi, Huang Qin, Ju Hua, Shi Jue Ming; cook the herbs and let the steam enter the eyes

Identification:    

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Zhēn Zhū Mǔ

(Mother of Pearl)

Calcium Carbonate

Commonly used; same properties as pearl, but $2.50/pound

Calms liver, anchors yang, brightens vision

Decoct first 30 minutes

Dosage: 15-30g or even 60

Combinations: use with amber and cinnabar for shen

Use with Bing Pian and Niu Huang for eye and throat problems, topically

Use with Yu Jin, Huang Lian and Gou Teng for heart fire

Identification:    Zhen Zhu Mu is the lining of the shell in which the pearl was grown

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Hǔ Pò

Succinum – Amber

"Tiger Soul"

Taste:        Sweet    
Temp:        Neutral
Channels:    Heart, Liver, UB

Actions:    

• Calm shen, for tremor, palpitation
• Invigorate blood, dispel stasis, for coronary heart disease, angina – similar to sandalwood (use with Tan Xiang, Dan Shen, San Qi) in its action on the heart
• Promote urination – for blood lin syndrome, kidney stones
• Reduce swelling, promote healing
• Combine with Cinnabar for childhood convulsions due to fear
• Myth said when tiger dies, soul enters the earth and is transformed into stone, this stone (amber); hence the name Hu Po
• This herb is the fossilized resin of pine trees, underground for years
  
  
  Dose:    1.5 – 3 grams    

Caution:    Can cause drowsiness; potentiates the effects of barbiturates
Cooking:    Do not heat or decoct; powder and roll into pills with honey
Identification:     Raw, unprocessed: bright cross section; easy to crush, red

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Dài Zhě Shí

Haematite

"Red Stone from Dai County"

Red ochre/brown iron oxide

Taste:        Bitter
Temp:        COLD
Channels:    Heart, Pericardium, Liver

 Actions:    

• Subdues liver yang rising (headache, dizziness)
• Cools blood and stops bleeding (reckless blood from heat manifesting as nosebleed, hemoptysis, hematemesis, uterine bleeding)
• Strongly lowers rebellious qi (asthma, vomiting, nausea) – for hot, emotional asthma reactions, bronchodilator

Dose:        9-30 gramsContra:        Caution in pregnancy
        Caution in deficient spleen/stomach – bloating can be extreme
        Do not use long term due to mild chronic toxicity
Cooking:    Pre decoct 30 minutes
Identification:    Dark red stone, compare to cinnabar

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Zǐ Shí Yīng♥

Fluorite

"Purple Stone Radiance"

Calcium fluorite/silicon dioxide

Taste:        Sweet
Temp:        Warm
Channels:    Heart, Liver (some say lung)

 Actions:        ♥Sedates the heart, settles tremors    ♥Warms the lung and lowers rebellious qi – wheeze with copious sputum – compare to Dai Zhe Shi's action on wheezing    ♥Warms the womb and stops bleeding or infertility due to cold

Dose:        6-15 grams
Cooking:    Pre-decoct 30 minutes

Other uses:    Bensky says used more in clinic because of its being more economical than amber, pearl and cinnabar (cinnabar is completely unavailable due to poison nature)

Identification:    Pale purple crystals; can also be golden/green/blue