mu li san

Name: mu li san
Creator: Bencao Index

Oyster Shell Powder

About mu li san

Mu Li San, Oyster Shell Powder, is Mu Li, Huang Qi, Ma Huang Gen and Fu Xiao Mai. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that stabilise the Exterior and the Lungs, and records it as tonifying Qi to consolidate the Wei Qi.

Ingredients

Herb	Amount
mu li	15 g
huang qi	9 g
ma huang (gen)	3 g
fu xiao mai	15 g

Actions and indications

Stabilises the Exterior and stops sweating

Unstable Exterior from deficiency, letting sweat escape both by day and at night
Spontaneous sweating from Qi deficiency, sweating by day without exertion or heat
Night sweats from Yin deficiency, sweating in sleep that stops on waking
Sweating from combined Qi and Yin deficiency, worse at night, that has become chronic or keeps returning

Anchors floating Yang

Palpitations, being easily startled, irritability, and a restless, uneasy feeling during sweating episodes

Tonifies Qi and consolidates the Wei Qi

Shortness of breath, general debility, tiredness and lethargy
Catching colds easily from a weak Exterior

Clears mild Deficiency Heat

Tongue pale red with a white, scant or absent coat; pulse thready and weak, or thin and frail

Modern uses

Spontaneous sweating
Night sweats
Excessive sweating after childbirth
Lochiorrhoea
Autonomic dystonia
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Palpitations
Dyspnoea

Symptoms

Easily startled
Fatigue
Frequent colds
Irritability
Night sweats
Palpitations
Restlessness
Shortness of breath
Spontaneous sweating
Sweating
Weakness

Modifications

Stronger effect: + wu wei zi
Strengthening Ying Qi: + bai zhu, + ren shen
Blood deficiency: + he shou wu, + shu di huang
Strengthening Yang: + bai zhu, + zhi fu zi
Insomnia: + suan zao ren, + bai zi ren
Marked Yin deficiency: + bai shao, + sheng di huang
Spleen deficiency: + bai bian dou, + shan yao
Alternative pair listed after the entry above: + bai shao, + shu di huang
Irritability with insomnia: + zhi mu, + huang bai

Cautions

contraindication Profuse, oily sweating from collapse of Yin or Yang
contraindication Sweating that comes with an unresolved external illness such as an acute cold or fever: astringing now can lock the pathogen inside
contraindication Night sweats driven by marked excess Heat (high fever, strong thirst, deep red tongue), which need Heat-clearing treatment instead
caution Huang Qi is traditionally used with care when there is an active excess condition of the Exterior or pronounced Heat
caution Ma Huang Gen (the root) stops sweating, while Ma Huang (the stem) promotes it and carries the restricted stimulant alkaloids; take care not to mix up the two when buying
caution Sweating that is severe, persistent, new, or unexplained, especially with fever or weight loss, needs a medical assessment

Preparation

Classically a powder, with the oyster shell calcined before grinding, taken stirred into warm water; now often decocted, with Mu Li simmered first and longer

Names

Pinyin	mu li san
English Name	Oyster Shell Powder

Classification

Category: Stabilize the Exterior and the Lungs

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