hai piao xiao

海螵蛸·Endoconcha Sepiae

Cuttle Fish Bone

About hai piao xiao

Hai Piao Xiao (海螵芖) is the cuttlebone, the internal shell of the cuttlefish, recorded as Endoconcha Sepiae. It is salty and astringent in flavour, slightly warm, and enters the Liver, Kidney and Stomach channels.

Names

Pinyinhai piao xiao
Chinese海螵蛸
Latin NameEndoconcha Sepiae·Sepiae Endoconcha
English NameCuttle Fish Bone·cuttlebone
Japaneseuzokukotsu
Koreanhaepyocho

Classification

Channels
Stomach, Kidney, Liver
Flavour
Salty, Astringent
Temperature
Slightly Warm
Part used
Animal
Family
Sepiidae
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Restrains leakage and stops bleeding

  • Bleeding of many kinds, particularly from deficiency
  • Uterine bleeding (Beng Lou), classically with Qian Cao Gen
  • Vomiting of blood and nosebleed
  • Bleeding wounds, dusted on as a powder

Secures Jing and stops discharge

  • Kidney deficiency with nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation or vaginal discharge
  • Vaginal discharge from a wide range of causes

Controls acidity and relieves pain

  • Excess stomach acid with epigastric pain, sour belching or reflux; paired with Zhe Bei Mu as Wu Bei San

Dries Damp and promotes healing of sores (moves Blood)

  • Chronic ulcers that will not heal, long-standing Damp rashes, eczema and weeping sores, applied as a fine powder

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 6-12g; Powder: 2-6g6-12 g

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with

Drug interactions