Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors: Shi Jue Ming (abalone shell)

Shi Jue Ming - abalone shell

"Working deeply to anchor fire and yang."
"When the liver channel is deficient, one definitely cannot do without it."

石决明 concha haliotidis

"stone unhampered clarity"

COLD (from the sea) SALTY (from the sea)

Liver & KIDNEY (the abalone shell kind of looks like a Kidney?)

Shi Jue Ming is a substance used to treat wind-fire blazing upward from a blood deficient liver. Symptoms will be dizziness/vertigo/headaches and loss of vision.

High dosage: 15 to 30 grams

1. Drains Liver Fire / Anchors & Sedates Liver Yang

* headache/dizziness
* red eyes
* hypertension
2. Improves vision

* superficial visual obstruction
* photophobia
* blurry vision
* red eyes

3. Reduces Gastric Acidity

4. Reduces bleeding due to trauma (powdered)

Extinguish Wind Stop Tremors: LIng Yang Jiao (antelope horn)

Ling Yang Jiao (antelope horn)

Cold and Salty

Liver & HEART

Endangered - on the CITES list

FOR EXTREME HEAT STIRRING UP LIVER WIND (clears heat - LYR, childhood convulsions, splitting headaches, red/swollen eyes, high fever, delirium, "heat in the PC")

small dose: 1 - 3 grams (decocted by itself for 2+ hours);
0.3-0.6 g ground into a powder


CI: Chronic convulsions from Spleen deficiency (this substance is for excess!)

羚羊角 jiao cornu antelopis saiga-tataici

Ling Yang Jiao is used for liver wind generated warm-heat pathogen disorders creating excessive heat which creates movement of wind leading to spasms, impaired consciousness, convulsions (wind-stroke or epilepsy). Ling Yang Jiao is also used for wind caused by blazing liver fire giving rise to headaches, red eyes, and dizziness; it is also used for heat toxins that bring out "spots" or "measles sinking interiorly."

Specific Indications:

1. DRAINS LIVER HEAT / Calm Liver / Extinguish Wind / Control Spasms & Convulsions

* childhood convulsions & seizures
* stubborn high fevers & stirring of wind due to intense heat

2. Calms the Liver / Anchors the Yang

* dizziness/vertigo
* irritability
* restlessness
* splitting headaches
* hypertension

3. Clears the Liver / Improves Vision

* headache
* red and swollen eyes / photophobia due to blazing Liver fire

4. Drains Heat / Resolves Fire Toxicity (warm-heat pathogen disease - "HEAT IN THE PC")

* high fever
* delirium * mania
* LOC

5. Clears Damp-Heat

* wind-damp-heat painful obstruction

Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors: SUMMARY

Adapted from Bensky, Chen, and Von Elgg notes....

Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors

The wind pathogen can be generated from the outside (as in wind-heat or wind-cold), or from the inside (Liver wind stirring within). External wind is dispelled by herbs that release the exterior. Internal wind is expelled by the herbs in this category: Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors.

Internal wind can be an excess or deficient condition and can be generated in a number of ways:

DEFICIENCIES:

Liver Yin Deficiency leading to Liver Yang Rising leading to Liver Wind

Liver Blood Deficiency leading to Liver Wind

EXTREME HEAT GENERATING WIND:

Liver fire surging upward

Symptoms include headache, dizziness, numbness, tinnitus, blurry vision, palpitations, anxiety, vomiting, muscles twitches, fever, convulsions, tremors, spasms, LOC, paralysis, hemiplegia, aphasia.

The tongue can be deviated, stiff, and /or trembling.
The pulse is often floating, very deficient at the blood level, and rapid and full if due to heat.

Wind-stroke is one diagnosis for liver wind progressing to the extreme. It includes tremors, spasm, LOC, paralysis, aphasia. Treatment includes extinguishing the wind, stopping the tremors, and transforming the phlegm.

Childhood convulsions or opisthotonos can occur from extreme heat / fever and CNS infections. To treat, the heat is cleared and the convulsions are stopped.

Wind produced from a blood deficiency will cause dizziness, blurry vision, tinnitus, numb limbs, and if severe convulsions or LOC. To treat, the wind is extinguished and the blood is nourished.

Most of the wind-extinguishing substances come from animal sources (and therefore many are not included in the herb kit) and many cold, though some are warm and drying. Caution must be used with the cold substances (Spleen cold from deficiency) and warm and drying substances (blood and yin deficiencies). Thus, proper diagnosis is important (is the wind from excess or deficiency? is it of hot or cold nature?).

These herbs treat:

* spontaneous movement
* seizures
* heat
* mood disturbances
* problems of the head, face, and eyes

They enter the Liver.

Many are anti-seizure, anti-hypertensives, anti-pyretics (reduce the body temp), and analgesics

Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremor Substances:

1. Ling Yang Jiao (antelope horn) - COLD & salty; Liver & HEART

2. Shi Jue Ming (abalone shell) - COLD & salty; Liver & KIDNEY

3. Mu Li (oyster shell) - COOL & salty & astringent; Liver & KIDNEY

4. Dai Zhe Shi (haematitum) - COLD & bitter; Liver & HEART/PC

5. Gou Teng (gambir vine) - COOL & sweet; Liver & HEART/PC

6. Tian Ma (gastrodia) - NEUTRAL & sweet; LIVER ONLY

7. Bai Ci Ji Li (caltrop fruit) - WARM & acrid & bitter; Liver & LUNG

8. Quan Xie (scorpion) - NEUTRAL & salty & acrid; LIVER ONLY; TOXIC

9. Wu Gong (centipede) - WARM & acrid; LIVER ONLY; TOXIC

10. Bai Jiang Can (silkworm) - NEUTRAL & salty & acrid; Liver & LUNG; TOXIC

11. Di Long (earthworm) - COLD & salty; Liver & LUNG, SPLEEN, UB

Aromatic Substances that Open the Orifices: Shi Chang Pu (reed)

shi chang pu

石菖蒲 rhizoma acori graminei

"flourishing reeds" ("sweetflag" or "calamus")

ACRID
BITTER
AROMATIC

WARM

HEART & STOMACH

dosage healthy: 3 - 9 grams

The least interesting of this group of herbs and also the least harmful, as it does not require any dead deer or cattle (well, neither does the camphor "Bing Pian"). Shi Chang Pu is deemed to be "gentle and harmonious." Maybe that's why it's the only open orifice herb included in our kits? Because we can't accidentally kill somebody with it! The plant, acorus or calamus, is the sole genus of the oldest line of monocots. Calamus is a tall, grassy wetland plant, named for the Greek figure who turned into a reed while grieving for his drowned young male lover. Aw. Sweet. Or rather, aw, acrid, bitter, and aromatic. I cannot find concrete evidence, but I think that calamus is the source of calamine, which is the basic ingredient in Calamine Lotion, used for itchy bug bites. And Shi Chang Pu does treat eczema, carbuncles and boils topically. Calamine Lotion is also said to be drying, and Shi Chang Pu "disseminates and transforms turbid dampness and phlegm." Sounds like the same thing to me...

However, the benefits to skin sores are only a minor indication for Shi Chang Pu. Its primary functions are:

1. Opens the Orifices / Dislodges Phlegm/ Removes Filth / Quiets the Spirit

* deafness
* dizziness
* forgetfulness
* dulled sensorium
* seizures
* stupor

2. Transforms Turbid Damp / Awakens the Spleen / Promotes Movement of Qi

* SP Qi - symptoms: chest and epigastric fullness, abdominal distension and pain due to dampness and turbidity obstructing the middle burner

3. Promotes Blood Flow / Reduces Swelling (internally and topically)

* wind-cold-damp painful obstruction, trauma, sores
* hoarseness w/ sputum


Caution in yin deficient heat or irritability with excess sweating, vomiting blood, spermatorrhea.

Not for long term use -- the volatile oils are carcinogenic.

Aromatic Substances that Open the Orifices: Niu Huang

niu huang

牛黄 calculus bovis

"cattle yellow"

bezoar (cattle gallstone)

There is a big market out there for the purchase of cattle gallstones. Ew.

BITTER

COOL

HEART & LIVER

Pretty tiny dosage: 0.2 - 0.5 grams

CI: Pregnancy
Not for deficient heat, or patients with SP/ST deficiency (for excess heat cases ONLY)

The cattle gallstones are ground into a powder and travel the liver channel to cool the liver; travel the heart channel to clear the heart,


meanwhile opening the orifices, dislodging phlegm, cooling the blood, and resolving toxicity. Kind of like a cow with a fan moving through your system and your blood, but instead of the fan creating wind, it is extinguishing wind.

The little cool cow will dislodge or remove anything toxic or phlegm balls that are gumming up the works.

Specific Functions:

1. Clears Heart / Opens Orifices / Awakens Spirit / Dislodges Phlegm
* delirium / coma d/t to warm-heat pathogen or hot diseases
* hot phlegm obstructing the PC
* wind-stroke, convulsions, seizures

2. Clears the Liver / Resolves Toxicity / Extinguishes Wind / Stops Tremors
* spasms, tremors, convulsions with high fever d/t heat entering liver

3. Drains Heat / Resolves Fire Toxicity
* red, painful, swollen, ulcerated throat
* sores, carbuncles, boils, hot swellings

Aromatic Substances that Open the Orifices: Bing Pian (Borneol)

bing pian (borneol) "Ice Slice"
冰片 borneolum

Borneol is a chemical that can be derived from trees and is used in the making of camphor and turpentine oil. It is a natural insect repellent. Medicinally, Bing Pian travels through the whole body, opening all orifices, disperses constrained fire, and clears turbid filth. Used for loss of consciousness (fainting w/ summerheat stroke); and applied externally for toxic sores.

ACRID (disperses) & BITTER (drains)
COOL (though historically it has also been said to be hot and toxic)

HEART, LUNG, SPLEEN

Very tiny dosage: 0.01 - 0.3 grams (do not expose Bing Pian to heat)

CI: Qi or blood deficiency

Caution: Pregnancy

SPECIFIC INDICATIONS:

1. Opens Orifices / Awakens the Spirit / Unblocks Closed Disorders
* impaired consciousness - fainting & convulsions; delirium d/t fever

2. Clears Heat / Drains Fire / Resolves Toxicity / Clears Eyes / Removes Superficial Visual Obstructions / Stops Pain

* heat causing headaches, red & swollen eyes, superficial visual obstructions, mouth sores

3. Clears Heat / Alleviates Pain / Dissipates Nodules / Alleviates Itching

* topically for pain and swelling of throat
* skin diseases: sores and scabies
* eye diseases: photophobia, excessive tearing
* regenerates flesh

Aromatic Herbs that Open the Orifices: She Xiang (musk)

she xiang (musk)

麝香 secretio moschi moschiferi

she = musk deer
xiang = fragrance

Teeny tiny dosage: 0.03 - 0.1 grams

WARM
Acrid and aromatic

Heart, Spleen, Liver

CI: Pregnancy; yin deficient heat

WHAT IS MUSK and WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Bensky has an informative section about how musk is obtained and what exactly it is. The musk deer is not from the same family as the deer we see commonly. Musk deer are from a more ancient time and they live mainly in the Himalayas. Musk deer differ from "true deer" in that they don't have antlers, possess just two nipples, and the males have a musk gland which -- it is guessed -- is used to attract mates (and probably to mark territory?).

The musk is so highly coveted that it is worth 2 to 3 times the price of gold. As Bensky writes, the musk is present after the male musk deer reaches one year and is found in a "walnut-sized gland located very close to the male deer genitals."

Traditionally, the musk was obtained after killing the male musk deer -- and often, for some reason, after killing the rest of the members of his family as well. "Since 1958, methods to remove the musk without killing the deer have been under development in China." Musk is also "collected" from musk deer in Russia. From my knowledge of Russians and their methods of obtaining Lu Rong (deer antler), I'm guessing that there are many instances where no anesthetic is used.

Musk is currently on the CITES II list, meaning that the species are not protected, but are being watched.

According to the Wikipedia entry about musk, The grain of musk will distinctly scent millions of cubic feet of air without any appreciable loss of weight, and its scent is not only more penetrating but more persistent than that of any other known substance.

There are also synthetic sources of musk (which are not all very safe substances) commonly used in perfumes. Reportedly, real musk is now used only in Chinese medicine.

WHAT ARE THE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF SHE XIANG?

She Xiang's acrid nature disperses, its warmth unblocks, and its aroma travel through and pierces-- a combination that places it squarely in the "Aromatic Herbs that Open the Orifices" category. Though She Xiang officially travels to the Heart, Liver, and Spleen, it is said to mobilize and unblock all twelve channels. It is the primary herb in formulas designed to revive consciousness due to high fever, wind-stroke, and phlegm collapse -- all excess conditions. Since it opens every orifice, it is not to be used in cases of collapse from deficiency.

SPECIFIC INDICATIONS:

1. Vigorously opens the orifices / Revives the Spirit / Unblocks Closed Disorders

* problems of impaired consciousness - hot or cold:
- heat entering the PC due to warm-heat pathogen disease (convulsions, delirium, stupor, fainting)
- closed disorders
- tetanic collapse
- phlegm collapse
- seizures

2. Invigorates Blood / Dissipates Clumps / Reduces Swelling / Alleviates Pain
* problems due to blood stasis:
- fixed masses
- toxic sores & carbuncles
- traumatic injuries
- painful obstruction
- amenorrhea

3. Hastens Delivery / Facilitates Passage of Stillborns