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:

    sōng jié (松节 Pini Nodi Lignum, knotty pine wood)

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