Mu Li (牡蛎) is the oyster shell, recorded as Concha Ostreae. It is salty and astringent in flavour and cool in temperature, entering the Liver and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the heavy substances that anchor, settle and calm the Spirit.

Pinyin

mu li

Chinese

牡蛎

Latin Name

Concha Ostreae·Concha Ostracae

English Name

Oyster Shell

Japanese

borei

Korean

moryeo

Actions and indications

Settles and calms the Shen with its weight

Palpitations with anxiety, restlessness and poor sleep from an agitated Heart and Shen

Calms the Liver, benefits Yin and anchors floating Yang

Restlessness, irritability, palpitations and spontaneous sweating from Liver Yin deficiency with rising Liver Yang, or Yin deficiency with internal Heat
Yin deficiency with Yang rising: dizziness, headache, a red flushed face, irritability, blurred vision and ringing in the ears

Prevents leakage of fluids

Unremitting sweating after a febrile illness or with steaming bone disorder
Leakage from deficiency: spermatorrhea or nocturnal emissions, vaginal discharge, uterine bleeding, and night or spontaneous sweating

Softens hardness and dissipates nodules

Lumps of many kinds, above all in the neck, such as goiter, scrofula and swollen lymph nodes

Absorbs acid and relieves pain (calcined)

Acid stomach pain with sourness in the mouth

Combinations

hu po + suan zao ren

Insomnia.

long gu + gui zhi

Floating Yang with palpitations, irritability, restlessness and spontaneous sweating

long gu + bai shao + gui ban

Palpitations, anxiety, insomnia and dream-disturbed sleep. Yin Deficiency with Yang rising, with headache, dizziness, tinnitus and related symptoms

long gu + bai shao + qian shi + lian xu

Spermatorrhea.

long gu + bai shao + e jiao + chi shi zhi + hai piao xiao + shan yao

Uterine bleeding that is excessive, and vaginal discharge

gui ban + bie jia + bai shao

Liver Wind stirring after a febrile illness, with tremors and spasms

sheng di huang + bie jia

Deficiency with Wind stirring internally

huang qi + fu xiao mai + ma huang (gen)

Night sweats and spontaneous sweating

qian shi + sha yuan zi + lian xu

Spermatorrhea with soreness of the lower back and limbs

jin ying zi + yi zhi ren

Urinary frequency or incontinence.

shan zhu yu + shan yao

Vaginal discharge or irregular uterine bleeding

xuan shen + xia ku cao + zhe bei mu

Scrofula and lymphadenoma.

chai hu + dan shen + chi shao

Swelling and pain below the ribs

dan shen + ze lan + bie jia + san leng + e zhu + yu jin + chai hu

Organomegaly.

shi jue ming

Epigastric pain and acid regurgitation, calcined and taken as a powder

hai piao xiao + zhe bei mu

Epigastric pain and acid regurgitation, taken as a powder

shan zhu yu

Sweating.

tian hua fen

Lung and Stomach Yin Deficiency with Heat rising, causing thirst, irritability and mental disorientation. Clumped Phlegm-Heat with goiter

ye jiao teng

Insomnia.

fu pen zi + yi zhi ren

Enuresis.

hai piao xiao + bai ji + yan hu suo + pu gong ying + bai hua she she cao

Duodenal or peptic ulcer.

wu zhu yu + huang lian + zhe bei mu

Acid reflux.

Age

Raw

Granule

Tincture

Concentrate

Frequency

Any 9-30g cook first when used in decoction

9-30 g

—

Cautions

contraindication High fever of Excess type without sweating

contraindication Deficiency patterns with Cold

contraindication Kidney deficiency without Fire

contraindication Spermatorrhea

contraindication Damp-Heat

caution Overdose may bring indigestion and constipation

caution Weak digestion: as a heavy shell it can injure Stomach Qi, with indigestion or poor appetite; use carefully and not long-term

Interactions

Antagonistic with

ma huang Antagonistic with Ma Huang (ephedra)
wu zhu yu Antagonistic with Wu Zhu Yu (evodia fruit)
xi xin Antagonistic with Xi Xin (asarum)

Drug interactions

Medicines whose absorption calcium can reduce: the shell is mostly calcium carbonate, so space the doses (theoretical; no interaction documented)

Prepared forms (1)

mu li duan Duan

牡蛎·Concha Ostracae

Mu li duan (牡蛎) is oyster shell, the shell of an Ostreidae bivalve supplied as Concha Ostracae and held here in its calcined form. The catalogue files it among the substances that anchor and settle the spirit, on the Liver and Kidney channels.

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

Used in 1 formula: tu si zi wan

mu li

About mu li

Names

Classification

Actions and indications

Settles and calms the Shen with its weight