Turtle shell is the carapace of the soft-shelled turtle. Unlike turtles, soft-shelled turtles only have a dorsal shell and no ventral shell. Nowadays, they are mostly artificially raised. After slaughter, the dorsal shell is removed, cleaned of residual meat, and dried in the sun. It is commonly processed by stir-frying with sand or by vinegar processing.
I. Efficacy of Turtle Shell:
Turtle Shell tastes salty and is cold. It enters the Liver Meridian. Its functions areNourish Yin and Subdue Yang, Soften Hardness and Dissipate NodulesIt is an essential medicine for treating hypochondriac pain and malaria with splenomegaly.
Commonly used inYin deficiency causing fever, bone-steaming consumptive fever, yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity, dizziness and blurred vision, internal stirring of deficient wind, amenorrhea and abdominal masses, chronic malaria with malaria lumpsTreatment of conditions such as
Summary of Famous Works by Renowned Authors:
"Ben Jing": "It mainly treats abdominal masses and accumulations, cold and heat, removes lumps and polyps, genital erosion, hemorrhoids, and malignant flesh."
Bie Lu: "Treats warm malaria, blood stasis, lower back pain, and firmness under the ribs in children."
"Treatise on Medicinal Properties": "It eliminates bone heat, heat in the joints due to overwork, and resolves solid accumulations and blockages. It treats women's leukorrhea of five colors and dispels stagnant blood."
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Eliminates chronic malaria and malaria with splenomegaly."
Compendium of Materia Medica: "Turtle shell is a medicinal herb that eliminates yin deficiency and heat malaria, and relieves consumptive fever and bone steaming."
Changsha Materia Medica: Turtle Shell dissolves blood stasis and stagnation, disperses abdominal masses, and expels pus and blood. Its various therapeutic effects include: descending running piglet qi, calming intestinal abscess, treating sand strangury, managing uterine bleeding, regulating lower back pain, applying to cracked lips, healing non-healing mouth sores, and reducing swelling and pain of the glans.
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Treats consumptive emaciation and bone-steaming fever, alternating chills and fever, warm malaria and malarial masses, lower back pain and hard lumps in the flanks, blood stasis masses and hemorrhoids, menstrual obstruction and difficult childbirth, intestinal abscesses and sores and swellings, fright epilepsy and macules and pox, diseases of the blood aspect of the Jueyin."
II. Compatibility and Application of Turtle Shell:
1. Used for heat disease damaging yin, internal stirring of deficient wind, and other syndromes. Turtle shell can nourish yin and subdue yang. For treating internal stirring of deficient wind due to yin damage, dry tongue and black teeth, finger twitching, and even convulsions and syncope, it is often combined with oyster shell, raw rehmannia root, donkey-hide gelatin, etc., namelyErjia Fumai Decoction。
Li Shizhen said, "Shellfish are yin in nature, thus they all nourish yin."
2. For yin deficiency with fever. Turtle shell can nourish yin and clear heat. Its ability to nourish yin is not as strong as tortoise plastron, but its heat-clearing effect is stronger than tortoise plastron. For symptoms such as early evening fever, emaciation, rapid pulse, red tongue with little coating caused by febrile disease damaging yin, it is often combined with Artemisia annua, Rehmannia glutinosa, Moutan bark, and Anemarrhena asphodeloides, namelyQinghao Biejia Decoction。
If treating bone-steaming tidal fever, it is often combined with Stellariae Radix, Lycii Cortex, Artemisiae Annuae Herba, and Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, namelyQinggu Powder。
3. Used for chronic malaria, malaria with splenomegaly, amenorrhea, abdominal masses, and other syndromes. Turtle shell is particularly effective in softening hardness and dissipating nodules, making it an essential medicinal substance. For treating chronic malaria, malaria with splenomegaly leading to hepatosplenomegaly, pain in the hypochondrium and ribs, and other syndromes, it is often combined with Bupleurum root, ground beetle, tree peony bark, rhubarb, and cinnamon twig, namelyTurtle Shell Decoction Pill。
If treating amenorrhea, abdominal masses, and similar conditions, it is often combined with rhubarb, amber, and other herbs, namelyTurtle Shell Pill。
Zhu Liangchun treats chronic hepatitis with hepatomegaly and early-stage liver cirrhosis by using the concept of Biejiajian Pill, combining turtle shell with ginseng, ground beetle, notoginseng, human placenta, turmeric, curcuma, and chicken gizzard, namedLiver Restoration PowderThe curative effect is remarkable and worth learning.
Zhang Zhongjing said, "When it forms into abdominal masses, it is called malaria nodule, and it should be urgently treated with Turtle Shell Decoction Pills."
Wang Ang said, "Malaria is always caused by summer-heat evil, often in people with yin deficiency. If malaria persists and does not heal, the primordial qi becomes weak and deficient, and the evil sinks into the middle energizer, forming a malaria nodule. Turtle shell can nourish yin, clear heat, and dissipate nodules, making it an essential herb for treating malaria."
4. Other Compatibility Applications.
For the treatment of infantile malnutrition, turtle shell can be combined with tortoise plastron, chicken gizzard lining, and other ingredients, ground into powder and taken together.Sanjia Powder。The processing method for its turtle shell and tortoise shell involves soaking in vinegar for 1 hour, then placing in charcoal fire until yellow, and grinding into powder.Worth referencing.
For the treatment of psoriasis, turtle shell can be combined with arnebia root, rehmannia root, Chinese angelica, white peony root, and Szechuan lovage rhizome, namelyZicao Biejia Siwu Decoction。
In the treatment of conditions such as thrombocytopenic purpura, urticaria, allergic purpura, rheumatic fever, etc., which are accompanied by maculopapular rashes, it is often combined with Shengma, Danggui, Chuanjiao, Gancao, Jiangcan, and Chantui.Shengma Biejia Decoction with modifications。
Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief: "For treating hemorrhoids, with mouse-nipple-like polyps growing around the anus, causing qi stagnation and pain, one can use three liang of vinegar-fried turtle shell and two liang of betel nut, grind them together into powder. Take two qian each time before meals, mixed with porridge."
III. Dosage and Administration of Turtle Shell:
Turtle shell can be used in decoctions but is more suitable for making pills or powders. The usual dosage in decoctions ranges from over ten grams to several tens of grams; it needs to be decocted first.
It is generally believed that raw use is suitable for nourishing yin and suppressing yang, while vinegar processing is suitable for softening hardness and dissipating masses. For pills and powders, it should be processed before being used in medicine.
Huang Yuanyu said: "Vinegar-fry until charred, grind finely for use."
Wang Ang said: "Those with green color, nine ribs, and weighing seven liang are considered superior. They are stir-fried with vinegar. For treating consumptive diseases, they are stir-fried with child's urine, and can also be decocted into paste."
IV. Application Notes for Turtle Shell:
Turtle shell is good at clearing heat and dissipating masses, but it easily depletes healthy qi, thereforeSpleen and stomach deficiency cold, reduced food intake and loose stools, and pregnant women should avoid taking it。
"Ben Cao Jing Shu": "Contraindicated during pregnancy, it is also contraindicated for conditions such as yin deficiency with weak stomach, yin deficiency with diarrhea, postpartum diarrhea, postpartum indigestion, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting."
The book "Depei Bencao" states: "Individuals with cold labor and abdominal masses should not take it."
Similar to tortoise shell, turtle shell often contradicts the "Fu Yang thought" in traditional Chinese medicine. In clinical application, careful consideration is essential, and it should not be taken indiscriminately as a general yin-nourishing substance.
