Sepia, Cuttlefish, Cuttlebone, Hai Piao Xiao 海螵蛸

Cuttlefish Bone
Hai Piao Xiao (TCM)
Samandar-Jhag, Samandar-Phen (Unani)
Zabdul Behar (Arabic)
Picture Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

Picture SEPIA
Shaw, G. Zoological Lectures delivered at the Royal Institution, 1809
Zoological name:
Sepia officinalis, S. esculenta; Sepiella maindroni.

Parts used:


White, sun-dried ‘bone’ (internal shell)

Temperature & Taste:


Slightly Cool, Dry. Salty

Uses:


1. Clears Heat, Stops Bleeding (West, TCM):
-various types of Bleeding including that coming from Heat and Deficiency. (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-all types of Uterine bleeding and Leukorrhea depending on the medicines it is used with.
-powder can be used topically as a Hemostatic for injuries etc.
-Given with wine to ‘newly married women for painful vagina’ (TCM, Ben Cao Gang Mu)
    
2. Stops Leakage, Astringes Essence, Benefits the Kidneys:
-Seminal Emission, Premature Ejaculation and Chronic Leukorrhea from Kidney weakness. (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Spermatorrhea and Urinary Incontinence (West)
-especially effective for all types of Vaginal Discharge.
-Chronic Diarrhea or Dysentery-like problems.
-“the bone calcined is useful to be given in a Bloody Flux [Dystentery]”. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)
-used in ‘Pills to Induce Chastity’
-Ricket’s in children associated with deficiency. (TCM)
-Given for a long time it was said to increase the Semen in Men and to promote Fertility in Women.
-long-term use nourishes Essence (Jing) (TCM)

3. Clears Heat and Phlegm, Resolves Masses:
-Cough, Asthma and Bronchitis.
-“helps to cure the Asthma and other Pectoral disorders“. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)
-helps resolve Phlegm Nodules, Scrophula etc. (Salmon)

4. Clears Heat, Reduces Acid, Alleviates Pain (West, TCM):
-Gastric pain with acid regurgitation (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Stomach Pain, Gastritis, Sour Belches, and regurgitation of sour fluid.
-In modern times it is especially used for Gastro-duodenal Ulcers with pain.
    
5. Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
-difficulty Urinating and Gravel. (Salmon)
-“Schroder saith, that the said powder taken to the quantity of a scruple expels the stone, and provokes Urine”. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)

6. Malaria:
-Traditionally used for Malaria. (TCM)    

7. Externally:
i. Ashed and mixed with honey for use in Eye medicines (TCM, Ayurveda, Galen); a thin paste with Rock Salt made in Rose water a used for Conjunctivitis; used for irritation, corneal opacity and other affections.
ii. a little of the powder is put in the ear for Otitis; the powder is boiled in sesame oil for similar purposes in Unani. Mixed with a little Lemon juice it is useful for earache (Ayurveda, TCM, Unani).
iii. powder is applied to chronic non-healing Ulcers, Burns and Scalds, and bleeding Wounds (TCM)
iv. the Ebers Papyrus also used it for Wounds and Burns, and also in an ointment for Blisters.
v. a paste made with Lemon or Lime juice is applied to Itching, Vitiligo, leukoderma, freckles, pigmentations and other similar skin diseases
vi. a paste made with Rose water is applied to Prickly Heat and various hot skin diseases, especially with itching.
vii. In Europe, it was commonly used in Tooth powders.


Dose:


Decoction: 5–9 grams (up to 12 grams)
Powder: 1–3 grams
Appropriate amount of the powder topically

Purification of Cuttlebone. (Ayurveda)
  The external coating of the shell is to be carefully removed; it is then triturated in a mortar with Lemon juice until a very fine powder is formed. It is used for eye diseases, ear diseases including Otitis Media, as well as a obstinate skin diseases including Leprosy.

Preparation:


1. Some toasted it until slightly yellow before powdering.
2. Some burnt it or ashed it to increase the hemostatic effects.

Substitute:


Armenian (Red) Earth (Unani)

Main Combinations:


1. Gastric Ulcers, Cuttlefish bone with Licorice
2. Urinary incontinence, Cuttlefish bone with Red Coral, and Gum Tragacanth. (West)
3. Strangury with Hematuria:
i. take Cuttlefish bone powder with juice of Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang. (Jing Yan Fang, TCM)
ii. Cuttlefish bone, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang. Poria rubra (Chi Fu Ling). (Jing Yan Fang, TCM)
4. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding:
i. Cuttlefish bone with Madder
ii. Cuttlefish bone with Red Coral
5. As a tonic to the Womb, Cuttlefish bone with Dang Gui and Amber
6. Scrofula, Cuttlefish bone with Burnt Sponge, Sponge stone and Pumice
7. Spermatorrhea /Gonorrhea:
i. Amber with Angus Castus  and Cuttlefish bone (Ettmuller)
ii. Cuttlefish bone (2 scruples), Red Coral, Hematite, Amber (1 scruple each), distilled oil of Calamus, of Amber (5 drops each). Powder. (Gazophylacium Medico-Physicum, Woyts, 1746)
8. Chronic Asthma in children from Phlegm, give 3 grams of Cuttlefish bone powder with Rice soup. (Ye Shi Zhai Xuan Fang)
9. Night-blindness, Cuttlefish bone powder is taken with Pork Liver.

Major Formulas:


Powder of Madder and Cuttlebone
Powder of Burnt Sponge (Wirtzung)
Medicine to Defend the Base from all Danger
An Chong Tang

Cautions:


1. Used for too long, Cuttlefish bone may result in constipation.
2. Not used for Cold and weak digestion

Main Preparations used:


Levigated Powder