☯ TCM Properties
Dries Dampness, dispels Wind and alleviates pain; Discharges pus, removes toxins and generates flesh; Expels worms and other parasites
Traditional Chinese Uses
Song Xiang (Resina Pini) is the hardened rosin (colophony) tapped from pine trunks, chiefly Pinus massoniana. Sweet, bitter and warm, entering the Liver and Spleen channels, it is used mainly as an external-application medicinal. It dries Dampness, dispels Wind and alleviates pain, being applied to Wind-Damp rheumatic joint pain, scabies, ringworm (tinea) and weeping, itchy skin lesions. It also discharges pus, resolves toxin and generates flesh, so it is compounded into plasters and ointments for chronic non-healing sores, boils, abscesses, anal fistula and traumatic wounds; it can additionally expel parasites.
Song Xiang is primarily for external use, powdered into pastes, plasters or medicated oils. Internal use is small (roughly 0.5–1 g) and cautious, as the resin is warming and can irritate; unprocessed rosin is not swallowed in quantity.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Song Xiang is the hardened resin (rosin) tapped from the trunks of several Chinese pines (Pinaceae), chiefly Pinus massoniana and P. tabuliformis. The source trees are evergreen conifers 15–30 m tall with reddish-brown plate-fissured bark and bundles of two or three needles 8–25 cm long. Resin is collected by V-shaped scoring of the trunk, allowing the viscous oleoresin to flow into cups; upon distillation of the volatile turpentine fraction, the residue (colophony or rosin) sets as a translucent, brittle, glassy mass ranging from pale yellow to deep amber-brown. The fracture is conchoidal and lustrous; the substance is insoluble in water, soluble in ethanol, and softens readily on warming. It bears a faint terebinthine odour.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| poultice | As needed | 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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