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Zi Bei Chi紫贝齿

Mauritiae Concha · Cowrie Shell · Arabian Cowry Shell

Herbs that Pacify the Liver and Extinguish Wind 平肝息风药《新修本草》

Overview

The polished shell of several cowrie molluscs, and one of the shell minerals of the yang-subduing group — the same family of medicinals as Shi Jue Ming, Zhen Zhu Mu 珍珠母 and Mu Li 牡蛎. Salty and neutral, entering only the Liver, it weighs down yang that has risen to the head, settles a startled spirit, and clears Liver heat from the eyes. It is the least used of the four in practice, and is chosen mainly when dizziness or headache from rising yang comes together with red, blurred or filmed-over eyes.

Nature & Flavor

Salty · Neutral

Channels

Liver

Typical Dosage

10–15 g in decoction
紫贝齿Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Pacifies the Liver, anchors rising yangDizziness, a throbbing head and irritability where Liver yang has floated upward.
  • Settles fright, calms the spiritPalpitations with fright, restlessness and poor sleep, in the same manner as the other heavy shell medicinals.
  • Clears the Liver, brightens the eyesRed, painful or gritty eyes, blurred vision, and the corneal opacity the classics call — the action that gives it its niche.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Zi Bei Chi

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Dizziness and headache from rising Liver yang
    - Palpitations with fright, restlessness, disturbed sleep
    - Red painful eyes, photophobia, blurred vision
    - Corneal opacity and visual obstruction, with other eye herbs

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

VertigoHypertension-related headacheConjunctivitisInsomnia

Contraindications

Cautions

A hard shell mineral: break it up and decoct it first, or little of it reaches the cup. Like the other heavy shells it is slow to digest and can blunt the appetite, so it is not for patients with a weak, cold Spleen and Stomach or loose stools, and it is used in defined courses. The shell is largely calcium carbonate, but it is animal material and traces of mollusc protein remain, so patients with a severe shellfish allergy should be assessed before it is dispensed. Sourcing matters: the pharmacopoeial material comes from specific cowrie species, and some cowries — the tiger cowrie among them — are protected in China and are not legitimate medicinal material.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — no classical pregnancy prohibition, but it is a heavy, downward-settling mineral and should be used only on a practitioner's prescription.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》 and provincial materia medica standards.
    3. 《中药大辞典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.