This product is the fossilized bones of ancient mammals such as elephants, rhinoceroses, cattle, and three-toed horses, or the fossilized incisors of elephants. The former is commonly referred to as "Fossil Bone," while the latter is commonly referred to as "dragon's bone." It is mainly produced in provinces such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Hebei. It can be collected throughout the year. Since it is extremely fragile when exposed to air after excavation, impurities such as soil should be immediately removed during collection, and then it should be pasted with rough paper.

Dragon's bone is also known as Qinghua Fossil Bone or Hua Fossil Bone. It appears as irregular lumps, cylinders, or semi-cylinders of varying sizes. The entire piece is pale grayish-white, pale yellowish-white, or pale yellowish-brown, interspersed with blue-gray and reddish-brown patterns of varying shades and thicknesses. The surface is smooth, with occasional small cracks. It is hard and brittle, easily peeling off in flakes, and the cross-section shows a network pattern. It has strong hygroscopicity, and when licked with the tongue, it feels adhesive. It is odorless and tasteless. The best quality is characterized by being crisp, layered, having Wuse patterns, and strong hygroscopicity.

Fossil Bone is also known as White Fossil Bone. The main difference from dragon's bone is that it appears as skeletal fragments or irregular lumps, without patterns, though some may have textures, cracks, or brown stripes and spots. It is hard and not easily broken, with no flaking, and the cross-section is flat, with honeycomb-like pores visible at joints. It is generally considered inferior to dragon's bone. The best quality is characterized by being hard, white, and having strong hygroscopicity.

Sweet and astrigent neutral. Act on heart, liver and kidney meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Raw oyster shell subdues yang and calms the spirit, used for yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity, dysphoria, irritability, palpitation, insomnia, dizziness, blurred vision, manic and depressive psychosis, and fright. After calcination, its function leans towards astringency and consolidation, commonly used for seminal emission, premature ejaculation, leukorrhea, menorrhagia and metrostaxis, chronic diarrhea, eczema, pruritus, non-healing sores, and traumatic bleeding. Additionally, when calcined and ground for external use, it can dry dampness and heal sores, and is also used for eczema with persistent discharge that does not heal over time.

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

15-30 grams. Should be decocted first. For external use, apply an appropriate amount.

bubble_chart Processing and Storage

Raw Fossil Bone: Take the original medicinal material, remove impurities, brush off the soil, and crush into small pieces of about 0.45cm.

Calcined Fossil Bone: Take the cleaned Fossil Bone and place it on a smokeless stove or in a calcining furnace, calcine with strong fire until it turns red throughout, then take it out and let it cool, and crush into small pieces of about 0.45cm. The calcination time should not be too long to prevent ashing.

Store in a dry place.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

It mainly contains calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and small amounts of iron, magnesium, aluminum, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfate, etc.

Blood calcium accounts for less than 0.1% of the body's calcium, but it has a significant impact on nerves, myocardium, bones, and other tissues. A decrease in blood calcium levels can lead to increased neuromuscular excitability, causing convulsions in the hands and feet, seizures, delirium, etc.; excessively high blood calcium levels can cause neurological symptoms or muscle weakness. After calcium enters the bloodstream, it promotes blood coagulation and increases the density of blood vessel walls to prevent white blood cells and serum from leaking out of blood vessels, while also reducing the excitability of skeletal muscles. Therefore, Fossil Bone has calming, astringent, and antidiarrheal effects. Additionally, calcium deficiency is related to the occurrence of intestinal cancer. Research results also indicate that severe calcium deficiency not only affects bone calcification but can also lead to bleeding and paralysis, starting with paralysis of the lower limbs.