Knowledge Base/Herbs/Soft-shelled Turtle Carapace
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补阴药 · Yin-nourishing

Soft-shelled Turtle Carapace biē jiǎ · 鳖甲

Pelodiscus sinensis (Carapax Trionycis)

Nature and flavour. Salty, slightly cold; Liver and Kidney systems.

Classed as nourishing Yin and anchoring yang, as clearing deficiency heat, and as softening hardness and dispersing masses. The classical texts pair it with 龟甲 with a division of labour: where 龟甲 is the heavier blood-nourishing material, 鳖甲 is the one described for clearing deficiency heat and for masses below the ribs.

性味归经。咸,微寒;归肝、肾经。

归类为滋阴潜阳、退热除蒸、软坚散结。传统文献常将它与龟甲并提而分工不同:龟甲偏于质重养血,鳖甲则被描述为长于清虚热、散胁下癥瘕。

Classical category · no formulas, no dosages, no herb-drug combinations are given.
Safety. Animal-derived, with the same CITES and provenance questions as other wildlife materia medica. The tradition is explicit that it is avoided in pregnancy — it is a softening herb, and classical sources treat that as the reason — and it is not for cold, weak digestion with loose stool. Human safety data in breastfeeding are insufficient.

动物来源药材,与其它野生动物来源药材一样存在 CITES 与来源问题。传统明确记载孕期禁用——因其软坚,古典文献以此为理由;脾胃虚寒、食少便溏者亦不宜。哺乳期的人体安全性数据不足。

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