The efficacy and function of purple shellfish

Purple shellfish is a very familiar medicinal material with unusual effects and functions. It is the key to cure many diseases. Let's have a deeper understanding of purple shellfish!

[Other names] Wenbei (Nanzhou Yiwuzhi), Lulu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Zibeichi (Chinese Medical Dictionary).

[Source] The shells are those of the snake-head eye shells, bobcat shells or clams of the family Cyprinidae. Catch them between May and July, remove the meat, wash and dry them.

[Original form] ① Snake head eyeball shell

[Habitat distribution] Produced in Hainan, Taiwan, Fujian and other places.

[Properties] The whole body is slightly oval, with a flat ventral surface, a slightly wider front end, and both the front and back ends are concave and round-mouthed. There are many fine teeth around the two lips of the shell. The shell surface is smooth and has a beautiful luster. Purple, brown or tan, with many dark purple-brown and white alternating markings or small round spots. It is hard in texture, has no odor and a light taste. The best ones are purple, thick-shelled, complete and clean.

[Chemical composition] The shell of the clam contains more than 90% calcium carbonate and about 0.47% organic matter; it also contains small amounts of magnesium, silicates, sulfates, phosphates and chlorides. After calcination, carbonates decompose to produce calcium oxide and the like, while organic matter is destroyed.

[Preparation] Purple clam: wash, dry and crush. Calcined purple clam teeth: Take the washed purple clam teeth, put them in a crucible, calcine them in a low-fire furnace until they turn red, take them out, let them cool, and crush them. Or grind into fine powder.

【Nature and flavor】Salty, neutral.

【Meridian】 "Ben Cao Qiu Zhen": "enters the spleen and liver."

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat, soothes the liver, calms the mind, and improves eyesight. It is used to treat eye opacities caused by heat and toxins, rashes in the eyes of children, and insomnia.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 2 to 5 qian; or grind into powder. For external use: apply water drops into eyes.

[Additional prescription] To treat smallpox in children's eyes: grind one purple clam (used raw) into powder, split it with sheep liver, add one qian of ginseng powder, wrap it with thread, cook it with rice water, put it in a small bottle, fumigate it while it is hot, take it out when it is cold, expose it under the stars and moon for one night, and take it on an empty stomach in the morning. (Zibei powder from "100 Questions about Infants and Children")

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Tang Materia Medica"; "Tang Materia Medica": Purple clam, shaped like a shell, round, two to three inches in size. Out to the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Purple spots and bone white.

The above is the relevant knowledge about purple clams introduced to you. Through the above article, you can clearly understand that purple clams have many benefits and functions to the human body, so you can use purple clams to treat some diseases.