Parts Most Frequently Used: Shell, Mineral Extracts

Flavors/Temps: Slightly Salty, Cold to Neutral, Heavy

Caution: Non-toxic, but use with care if suffering from indigestion due to lack of stomach acid.

History/Folklore: Abalone shells are not used in Western herbology. They have been used by Traditional Chinese Medicine as a medicine and by Native Americans as sacred containers used for holding sage and other sacred herbs for smudging an environment.

The Chinese name, “Shi Jue Ming,” derives from the shells ability to treat eye diseases (“ming” means “bright”) and the designation “shi” helps define the substance as a mineral and clearly identifying it as different from cassia seeds (Cassia obtusifolia /Jue Ming Zi). Like abalone shell, cassia seeds are often called “Jue Ming” for short, as they too can help treat eye conditions caused by Liver Heat. The herbs are otherwise entirely different.

The Chinese have long used abalone shells as a medicine to treat conditions associated with Liver Heat, especially all sorts of irritable eye conditions. It is often combined with oyster shell (Ostrea gigas/Mu Li) to help treat headaches due to Yin deficiency.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, raw abalone shell is considered best at treating Liver Heat. Calcined abalone (the shell is refined in water) is preferred for treating eye conditions.