Medicinals
sōng xiāng / 松香 / 松香 / rosin;
Latin pharmacognostic name: Pini Resina
Alternate English names: colophony
Alternate Chinese names: 松脂香 sōng zhī xiāng; 沥青 lì qīng; 松脂 sōng zhī
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: External medicine agents / Toxin-drawing, putridity-transforming, and flesh-engendering agents
Properties: Bitter and sweet; warm; nontoxic*.
Channel entry: liver, spleen, and channels.
Indications:
- Dries dampness and kills worms:
Scab and lichen with damp itching. - Draws toxin and engenders flesh: Toxin swelling of
sores and welling-abscesses. - Dispels wind and relieves pain:
Wind-damp impediment (fēng shī bì) pain.Dosage & Method:
Topical: Grind and sprinkle on or apply mixed. Oral: Use in pills, powders, or medicinal wines.
Product Description:
This resin takes the form of semitranslucent irregular lumps of differing sizes. The exterior surface is golden yellow, and often has a lighter yellow powder sticking to it. It becomes harder when subjected to a steady low heat. It is brittle, and the fractures are shiny like glass. When subjected to high temperatures it melts, and burns, giving of a thick brown smoke.
Quality:
The best quality comes in neat lumps and is semitranslucent, oily and has a strong smell.
Product Area:
Guǎngdōng, Guǎngxī, Fújiàn, Húnán, Jiāngxī, Zhèjiāng, ānhuī.
Etymology:
The name sōng xiāng 松香, literally ""pine scent,"" reflects the smell of this product.
See also: