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Bie Jia Jian Wan (鱉甲煎丸) softens hardness and breaks up blood stasis, transforms phlegm and clears heat while supporting the qi and blood; for chronic abdominal masses, including the malarial mass (‘mother of malaria’).
English Name
Soft-Shelled Turtle Shell Decocted Pill
Classical Source
Jin Gui Yao Lue, c. 220 CE
Ingredients
- Bie Jia (soften hardness) – chief; with a large, complex group of blood-breaking, phlegm-transforming, heat-clearing and qi/blood-supporting herbs
Actions & Functions
- Softens hardness and breaks up blood stasis
- Transforms phlegm, clears heat and supports the qi and blood
Indications
Chronic abdominal masses with deficiency: a palpable, fixed mass below the ribs (e.g. an enlarged spleen/liver), emaciation, alternating chills and fever, and a sallow complexion.
Tongue & Pulse
Tongue: dark or purplish. Pulse: wiry, thin or choppy.
Modifications
Taken as pills over a long period for gradual reduction.
Cautions & Contraindications
Contraindicated in pregnancy; for chronic masses under supervision.
