The benefits and effects of abalone shell (Shijueming) are mainly reflected in calming the liver and improving eyesight.

Shijueming (abalone shell) is a commonly used animal-derived medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine, obtained from the shells of various marine shellfish in the Haliotidae family; the common Haliotis diversicolor and Haliotis discus hannai can both be used as medicine. After collection, the shellfish meat and impurities must be removed, then the shells are washed and dried in the sun; they can be used either raw or calcined. It is salty in taste and cold in nature, entering the liver meridian. The shell is slightly ear-shaped and hard in texture, making it highly recognizable among many medicinal materials.

In terms of effects, Shijueming mainly has two major actions: calming the liver and subduing yang, and clearing the liver and improving eyesight. Calming the liver and subduing yang mainly targets dizziness, headache, and restlessness caused by liver yang rising; clearing the liver and improving eyesight is often used for eye problems such as red eyes with corneal opacity, blurred vision, and night blindness. The character "ming" (bright) in its name derives from this.

In practical application, Shijueming is often combined with herbs such as chrysanthemum, mulberry leaf, cassia seed, and goji berry, used according to different syndrome patterns to clear the liver or nourish the liver. It should be noted that Shijueming and cassia seed are not the same medicinal material; the former is a shell, while the latter is a plant seed. Although both have eyesight-improving effects, their sources and medicinal properties differ, and they must not be confused in use.

Regarding usage, because Shijueming is hard in texture and its active ingredients are not easily extracted by decoction, it usually needs to be crushed and decocted first when used in decoctions. Since its medicinal nature is cold, those with spleen-stomach deficiency cold, susceptibility to diarrhea, or poor appetite should use it with caution, and pregnant women and those with special constitutions are advised to take it under a physician's guidance. Overall, Shijueming is a liver-calming and eyesight-improving medicine with a long history of use, and only through reasonable use based on syndrome differentiation can its due value be brought into play.