gui ban

龟板·Plastrum Testudinis

Fresh-Water Turtle Plastron

About gui ban

Gui Ban (龟板) is the plastron, the underside of the shell, of a freshwater turtle, recorded as Plastrum Testudinis. It is salty and sweet in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Liver, Kidney and Heart channels. The catalogue files it among the substances that tonify Yin.

Names

Pinyingui ban
Chinese龟板
Latin NamePlastrum Testudinis
English NameFresh-Water Turtle Plastron·tortoise plastron
Japanesekiban
Koreankwipan

Classification

Category
Tonify Yin
Channels
Heart, Kidney, Liver
Flavour
Sweet, Salty
Temperature
Cold
Part used
Animal
Family
Testudinidae
Species
Chinemys Reevesii
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Nourishes Yin and anchors Yang

  • Yin deficiency with rising Yang or Fire: low-grade fever, night sweats, dizziness and vertigo, ringing in the ears, steaming bones
  • Internal Wind stirred up by deficient Liver and Kidney Yin, with facial twitching and trembling hands and feet

Benefits the Kidneys and strengthens the bones

  • Kidney Yin or Jing deficiency: an aching lower back and weak legs, or in children slow bone growth and a fontanel that is slow to close

Nourishes Blood, enriches Yin and stabilises the Chong and Ren vessels

  • Uterine bleeding, or vaginal discharge that is red and white

Cools the Blood and stops uterine bleeding

  • Heavy or irregular periods, or uterine bleeding, when Heat (including deficiency Heat) drives Blood out of the vessels

Nourishes Blood and tonifies the Heart

  • Deficient Heart Yin or Blood with anxiety, poor sleep, forgetfulness and palpitations

Heals chronic sores (topical)

  • Sores and ulcers that refuse to heal

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any9-45 g

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with

Drug interactions

Prepared forms (1)

gui ban Cu Zhi

龟板·Plastrum Testudinis

Gui ban cu (龟板) is the vinegar-processed form of gui ban, the plastron of a freshwater turtle supplied as Plastrum Testudinis. The catalogue files it among the substances that tonify Yin, and records it as entering the Liver, Kidney and Heart channels.

The catalogue records no separate actions, dose or cautions for this preparation. Unless noted above it follows gui ban.