Source Turtle Shell is the carapace ofTrionyxsinensis Wiegmann, (Fam. Trionychidae).
Producing Areas Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang, etc.
Properties Salty, Slightly Cold
Channels Liver, Kidney
Action
- Nourishes the yin,clears heat, and anchors the yang
For longstanding febrile disorders where blood and yin have been damaged, with symptoms such as afternoon or low grade fever, steaming bone syndrome, thirst, night sweating, nocturnal emissions, muscle spasms, and consumption. - Invigorates the blood, softens hardness and dissipates nodules
For amenorrhoea and masses in the lower abdomen due to blood stagnation oryin and blood deficiency. - Also for malarial disorders characterized by nodules and masses.
For cough with saliva due to shrinking and function-damaged lungs, hectic fever due to asthenia of viscera, haempotysis due to tuberculosis.
Usage and Dosage
10 – 30g is used in decoction for oral use, broken and decocted first or in pills or powder. The crude, 15 – 30g, is foryin-deficiency with fever, involuntary spasms of limbs. The roasted, 10 – 20g, is for amenorrhoea and malarial disease. It can be ground or decocted for external use.
Notes Contraindicated for pregnant women or those with asthenic coldness of the spleen and stomach.
It is oval in shape, 10 – 15cm long, 9 – 14cm wide. The back sticks out. Its outside surface is black brown or dark green, with netted wrinkles or greyish white spots, a longitudinal edge in the middle and 8 symmetrical crosswise grooves on the two sides. If the covering is peeled the zigzag joint lines can be seen. The internal surface is white with inward-curling neck bone, a spine sticking out in the middle and 8 ribs stretching out respectively to the edges of the two sides. It is hard and broken easily along the joint lines. It is light in nature, with slightly fishy smell.
Storage
Keep in a dry place. Protect it from moths.
Description of Quality Herb
Good Biejia is big and thick in size, without meat residue.
Pork Soup with Laminaria and Turtle Carapace
Effects
Prevents cancer
Ingredients
Laminaria japonica 120g, turtle carapace 60g, pork 200g, spring onion, ginger to taste.
Preparation
- Crush the turtle carapace into pieces; clean and slice the pork, scald it with boiling water and use cooking wine to remove smell. Rinse the laminariaand cut it into shreds; slice the ginger and cut the spring onion into sections.
- Place the pork in a pot with boiling water; add laminaria, ginger, spring onion and turtle carapace.
- Bring to a rolling boil for 15 minutes and simmer over a low fire for one and a half hour. Add seasonings and serve.
Turtleshell and Dates Soup
Effects
Nourishesyin and moistens yang, eases hardening of the tissues and dispels congestion. It is suitable for patients in the early stages of liver cirrhosis.
Ingredients
Turtle carapace 15g, dates 10, vinegar 5g, white sugar to taste.
Preparation
- Break the turtle carapace into small pieces. Rinse the dates thoroughly.
- Place both ingredients in a pot with a suitable amount of water and stew over a low fire for 1 hour.
- Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to stew for several minutes before serving.