☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates the Blood and alleviates pain; Detoxifies, stops bleeding and cools the Blood and generates flesh
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bai Jiao Xiang, also called Feng Xiang Zhi (Resina Liquidambaris), is the aromatic oleoresin of Liquidambar formosana (Chinese sweetgum). Bitter and pungent with a neutral nature, entering the Spleen, Liver, and Lung channels, it invigorates the Blood and relieves pain, stops bleeding, cools the Blood, resolves toxicity, and generates flesh to close wounds.
It is used mainly externally, applied to non-healing sores, carbuncles, bleeding wounds, and traumatic injury, and internally in small amounts for stasis pain, toothache, and bleeding. It is commonly incorporated into medicated plasters and topical powders. Typical internal dose is small (about 3-6 g in pills or powder), with the pounded resin used topically as a paste.
Botanical Description
Liquidambar formosana is a large deciduous tree of the Altingiaceae, native to the warm-temperate to subtropical forests of central and southern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam, reaching 25–40 m. The grey, longitudinally fissured bark exudes a fragrant balsamic gum when injured. The alternate, long-petioled leaves are characteristically three-lobed (occasionally five-lobed in vigorous shoots), 8–15 cm across, palmately veined, turning brilliant red and orange in autumn. The monoecious flowers are inconspicuous: greenish male spikes and pendulous spherical female heads. The aggregated fruit (the medicinally distinct Lu Lu Tong, drug record 3213) is a hard spiny ball about 3 cm across. The medicinal organ here, Bai Jiao Xiang, is the dried resin tapped from the trunk: irregular yellowish-brown to amber translucent lumps with a sweet balsamic odour, softening on warming.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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