Ark shell (Walengzi)

Pharmaceutical Name: Concha Arcae.
Zoological Name: 1. Arca granosa L.; 2. Arca subcrenata Lischke; 3. Arca inflata Reeve.
Common Name: Ark shell.
Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu.
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The shells are collected from the sea when the tide is out. After the flesh is removed, the shell is dried and ground into powder.
Properties & Taste: Salty and neutral.
Meridians: Lung, stomach and liver.
Functions: 1. To resolve phlegm and stagnation; 2. To soften hardness and disperse nodules
Indications & Combinations:
1. Scrofula and goiter: Ark shell (Walengzi) is used with Seaweed (Haizao) and Laminaria (Kunbu).
2. Stomach pain and acid regurgitation: Ark shell (Walengzi) is used with Cuttlefish bone (Wuzeigu).
3. Subcutaneous nodules: Ark shell (Walengzi) is used with Burreed tuber (Sanleng), Zedoary (Ezhu) and Turtle shell (Biejia).
Dosage: 10-30 g
Cautions & Contraindications: The raw substance is used for nodules; the baked substance is better for treating acid regurgitation and pain.