Individual Herbs Notebook

Mu Li

Pharmaceutical: Concha Ostreae

Other names: Oyster Shell

Category: Substances that Calm the Spirit



Properties: Salty, astringent, slightly cold

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Kidney
Extraordinary Vessels: Yang Wei, Dai


Traditional Actions/Indications:
  1. Heavily settles and calms the Spirit
    Agitated Heart and Spirit with palpitations with anxiety, restlessness and insomnia
  2. Calms the Liver, benefits Yin and anchors Floating Yang
    Liver Yin Deficiency with Liver Yang Rising or Yin Deficiency with internal Heat with restlessness, irritability, palpitations and spontaneous sweating
  3. Prevents leakage of fluids
    Continuous sweat after febrile disease or in patients with steaming bone disorder
    Loss of fluids due to Deficiency with nightsweats, spontaneous sweating, nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea or vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding
  4. Softens hardness and dissipates nodules
    Various kinds of lumps particularly neck lumps such as goiter or scrofula
  5. Absorbs acidity and alleviates pain (calcined)
    Excessive Stomach pain with a sour taste in the mouth

Suggested Daily Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.


Cautions: The high mineral content of this medication may prevent the oral absorption of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics.

Caution should also be taken due to the possibility of heavy metal absorption from the oysters' environment. If decocting it is advisable to leave the dregs at the bottom as heavy metal particles will naturally sink. It is still probably advisable to avoid for long term use unless the source is known to be clean.

Animal products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It is generally substituted with Xuan Shen, Bai Shao and Wu Wei Zi or Tian Ma.

If viewed from a western perspective as a source of calcium which may cause sleep disturbances, then supplementation or inclusion of high calcium/magnesium content herbs (e.g. Kun Bu which is also salty and softens nodulation) could be considered, especially if other signs such as oesteoporosis or muscle cramps are present and the risk of side effects from calcium/magnesium supplements are low (stones, calcified arteries, GI issues). However, this assumes a mechanism which does not match many of the traditional patterns for which it is prescribed.


Appears in 29 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
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