The Actions and Benefits of Shijueming (Abalone Shell): A Common Chinese Medicinal Herb for Calming the Liver and Improving Eyesight

Shijueming is not actually a stone, but the shell of an abalone-family animal; common sources include the varied abalone and the wrinkled disk abalone, among other marine abalone species, whose shells are taken, washed clean, dried in the sun, and then used as medicine. Because the ancients believed it could improve eyesight and remove eye opacities, it came to be known as "Jueming," and it is a traditional, commonly used animal-based medicinal material.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Shijueming is salty in taste and cold in nature, and it enters the liver meridian. Its main actions are to calm the liver and subdue yang, and to clear the liver and improve eyesight. It is often used for dizziness and headache, irritability and easy anger caused by ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang, as well as for red, swollen, painful eyes and blurred vision caused by liver fire flaming upward. It is a commonly seen medicinal material in ophthalmology and liver-system patterns of disease.

Shijueming is hard in texture, and its active ingredients are not easily extracted by decoction, so when used in a decoction it usually needs to be decocted first, meaning it is placed in the pot and boiled ahead of the other medicinal materials for a period of time. On the market there is also a distinction between the raw form and the calcined form; after calcination the texture becomes crisp and brittle, making it easier to crush and to extract the ingredients. Specific usage and dosage vary from person to person, and it is recommended to use it under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.

It should be noted that Shijueming is rather cold in nature, so people with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach, those prone to diarrhea, or those with weak digestive function should use it with caution, and special groups such as pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor first. When purchasing, you can check whether the shell is intact and whether the inner surface has a pearly luster; for daily storage, simply keep it dry and protected from moisture.