long gu

龙骨·Os Draconis

dinosaur bone

About long gu

Long Gu (龙骨) is fossilised bone, recorded as Os Draconis. It is sweet and astringent in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Heart, Liver and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the heavy substances that anchor, settle and calm the Spirit. Its Chinese name reads as dragon bone.

Names

Pinyinlong gu
Chinese龙骨
Latin NameOs Draconis·Os Draconis; Fossilia Ossis Mastodi·Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
English Namedinosaur bone·dragon bones·dragon bones; dinosaur bone; keel·keel·Dragon Bone
Japaneseryukotsu
Koreanyonggol

Classification

Channels
Heart, Kidney, Liver
Flavour
Sweet, Astringent
Temperature
Neutral
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Settles and calms the Shen

  • An agitated Heart and Shen with emotional distress, restlessness, insomnia, and palpitations with anxiety
  • Seizures, or mania and withdrawal, from severe agitation

Calms the Liver and anchors floating Yang

  • Liver Yang rising on deficient Liver Yin: irritability, restlessness, dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision and bad temper
  • Yang stirred up by Blood deficiency or Heat

Prevents leakage of fluids

  • Loss of fluids from deficiency: spermatorrhea, nocturnal emission, night sweats, spontaneous sweating, vaginal discharge or uterine bleeding

Applied topically, generates flesh and astringes sores

  • Chronic sores and ulcers that will not heal
  • Eczema and weeping skin lesions, calcined and powdered

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 15-30g cook first when used in decoctions15-30 g

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with

Drug interactions