mu li

牡蛎·Concha Ostreae

Oyster Shell

About mu li

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.

Names

Pinyinmu li
Chinese牡蛎
Latin NameConcha Ostreae·Concha Ostracae
English NameOyster Shell
Japaneseborei
Koreanmoryeo

Classification

Category
Anchor, Settle and Calm Spirit
Channels
Kidney, Liver
Flavour
Salty, Astringent
Temperature
Cool
Family
Ostreidae
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

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

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 9-30g cook first when used in decoction9-30 g————

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with

Drug interactions