Shell Powder
Aliases：Bangge Hui, Shen Hui, Bangke Fen, and Bangke Hui. (These are alternative names for Bangfen, i.e., Shell Powder made from freshwater mussel shells.)
Bangfen (Shell Powder) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is a powder made from the shells of freshwater mussels, including Cristaria plicata (Leach), Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea), and Anodonta woodiana (Lea), all belonging to the family Unionidae. It was first recorded in Rihuazi Bencao (Materia Medica of Rihuazi).
Efficacy & Actions
Transforms phlegm and disperses accumulations, clears heat and eliminates dampness.
Indications
Phlegm‑fluid retention with cough, vomiting and retching, infantile malnutrition (gan accumulation), leukorrhea, eczema, miliaria (prickly heat), and scalds.
Modern Pharmacology
Modern pharmacological research has shown that the shells of Bangfen (freshwater mussel shells) contain trace amounts of strontium. When Bangke powder was fed to rats and mice, no weight‑gain effect was observed. Its absorption rate was 14.45%, with an absolute absorption of 12.67 mg, which was higher than that of the dicalcium phosphate group and the control group. X‑ray examination of the femurs and calcium content analysis indicated good bone calcification, suggesting that the calcium in Bangfen powder has certain utility. The effect of strontium is similar to that of calcium, though weaker and with lower toxicity. The previous belief that it was toxic may have been due to the presence of barium in the shells. Strontium is poorly absorbed (mainly in the stomach) and is rapidly excreted from the blood; its excretion can be promoted by concurrent calcium injection. Once absorbed, it is mainly stored in the skeleton and can inhibit bone calcification. In clinical application for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, specially processed Bangke powder was administered 12–14 times daily, and the course of treatment showed a pain relief rate of approximately 85%.
Ingredients
The shells of various freshwater mussels often contain trace amounts of strontium.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: used in pills or powders, 3–6 g. For topical application: appropriate amount, applied dry; or mixed with a suitable base for external application.
Contraindications
According to Bencao Huiyan (Compendium of Herbal Discourses): "This herb must be contraindicated in all diseases that are characterized by deficiency-cold of the Spleen and Lungs without the presence of heat (fire)."
Selected Formulas
For phlegm‑rheum cough (Neijing Leibian Shixiao Fang) Take true clam powder (stir‑fried on a new tile until red), add a little Qingdai (Indigo), mix with a few drops of sesame oil in light vinegar water, and take 2 qian. For accumulations of phlegm and saliva forming masses between the heart and abdomen, causing stabbing pain, prolonged illness, or dry vomiting with reduced appetite (Shiyi Dexiao Fang, Chaofen Wan) Take 1 liang of clam powder and 7 pieces of Badou (Croton seed, shell and membrane removed). Stir‑fry the two ingredients together until red. Remove the croton seeds and discard them. Use only the powder, form into vinegar‑paste pills the size of waxberry seeds. For umbilical abdominal pain in men, take 20 pills with stir‑fried fennel wine; for women with blood‑qi disorders, take with stir‑fried ginger wine; for blood rushing to the heart, take with children's urine and Angelica wine; for regular use, take with ginger wine. For gastric reflux (Shiyi Dexiao Fang) Take true clam powder, 2 qian each time, mixed with ginger juice and rice water. For infantile malnutrition (gan) (Puji Fang, Fenlong Wan) Take Longdancao (Gentiana) and clam powder, grind into powder. Take 0.5 qian each time with rice water. For red carbuncles and swellings with pointed tips (Qianjin Yaofang) Mix vinegar with clam shell ash and apply. Replace when dry. For heat rash (Weisheng Yijian Fang) Take 4 liang of clam powder, 2 liang of mung bean powder, and 1 liang of talc. Grind into powder and apply dry to the affected area. For scrotal eczema (empirical formula) Take calcined clam shells, grind into fine powder, and sprinkle over the affected area. For eczema (empirical formula) Take 9g of calcined clam shells and 15g of Huangbai (Phellodendron). Grind into fine powder and sprinkle over the affected area, or mix with oil and apply. For severe hematemesis due to injury, excessive bleeding from bending after heavy eating or drinking, or reckless bleeding from both mouth and nose, with the voice still present (Yixue Rumen, Bangshuang San) Take equal parts of clam powder and Baicaoshuang (soot from cooking pots). Grind into powder. Take 1–2 qian with glutinous rice water; using fresh Platycladus branch juice is especially effective. For epistaxis, lingual bleeding, or bleeding from moxa burns, apply the powder directly to stop bleeding immediately.
Medicinal Parts
Store in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and insects.
Selection & Storage
Store in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and insects.
