Spirifer Fossil Shell … Classic Formulas
Shi Yan · Fossilia Spiriferis
Primary Actions
- Clears damp-heat and promotes urination ... Shi Yan is used in older materia medica for difficult urination, hot strangury, sand-like urine, and lower-burner damp-heat.
- Helps stone and gravel-type urinary obstruction ... the fossil shell is grouped with other downward-directing, stone-focused materials.
- Appears in older internal and external traditions for leukorrhea, hemorrhoidal bleeding, and superficial clouding of the eye.
Classic Formulas
- Stone-strangury pairings with Hai Jin Sha and Hua Shi ... the main traditional urinary lane.
- Lower-burner damp-heat combinations for leukorrhea and painful urination ... practical materia medica use more than famous named formulas.
- External eye-powder or wash traditions for superficial opacity ... an old but now uncommon use.
Classical Text References
- Traditional summaries describe Shi Yan as a cool salty fossil shell entering the Kidney and Bladder to clear damp-heat and facilitate urination.
- Older texts also record external ophthalmic use, which helps explain why the herb was remembered for both urinary and eye indications.