Pinyin: Ru Xiang  Chinese: 乳香
Pharmaceutical: Olibanum
Taxonomy: Boswellia serrata
English: Frankincense

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver, Heart and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood and promotes the movement of Qi
   Pain due to Blood Stasis from traumatic injury
   Early stage toxic sores, carbuncles, swellings and pain
   Blood Stasis with chest, epigastric or abdominal pain
2. Relaxes the sinews, activates the channels and alleviates pain
   Wind-Damp Bi with rigidity and spasms
3. Reduces swelling and generates flesh
   Topically as an ointment or powder to reduce swelling, generate flesh, alleviate pain and promote healing of sores, carbuncles, and traumatic injury
   Pain, redness and swelling of the gums, mouth and throat

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: This herb is drasticly pungent with strong stimulation to stomach and easily causes nausea and vomiting. So it should not be taken by large dose or for a long time. Use with cautions for patients with weak stomach; prohibited for pregnant women.

Pinyin: Mo Yao  Chinese: 沒藥
Pharmaceutical: Resina Commiphorae
Taxonomy: Commiphora mukul
English: Myrrh

Tastes: Pungent, Bitter, Neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis, alleviates pain and reduces swelling
   Blood Stasis with pain from trauma, sores, carbuncles, swellings, fixed abdominal masses, painful obstruction, chest pain, abdominal pain and amenorrhea
2. Generates flesh and promotes healing
   Chronic non-healing sores

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decocotion.
Cautions: Like Ru Xiang this herb is drastically pungent with strong stimulation to stomach and easily causes nausea and vomiting. It should not be taken by large dose or for a long time. Use with cautions for patients with weak stomach; prohibited for pregnant women.

Pinyin: Er Cha  Chinese: 儿茶
Pharmaceutical: Pasta Acaciae
English: Catechu / Black Cutch Paste / Brown Cutch Paste

Tastes: Bitter, astringent, lightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Drains Dampness and absorbs suppuration
   Sores that are filled with purulent fluid, chronic, syphilitic sores, non-healing sores and sores of the oral cavity
2. Stops bleeding and generates flesh
   Topically for bleeding due to external trauma Internal bleeding with epistaxis, hematemesis, hemafecia and irregular uterine bleeding
3. Clears Heat, clears the Lungs, transforms Phlegm, generates fluids and stops diarrhoea
   Cough due to Lung Heat Thirst due to Summerheat Bloody diarrhoea, dysenteric disorders These uses are now rare
4. Relieves Food Stagnation in children and promotes digestion
   Indigestion or Food Stagnation in children

Standard Dosage: 1-3g in decoction, wrapped in cloth.
Cautions: This herb is prohibited from use in the UK under the banned and restricted herbal ingredients list issued by the MHRA.

Pinyin: Xue Jie  Chinese: 血竭
Pharmaceutical: Sanguis Draconis
Taxonomy: Calamus draco seu rotang seu didymophyllus seu Dracaena draco seu cinnabaris seu cochinchinensis seu Croton lechleri seu draconoides seu palanostigma seu perpecosus seu rimbachii seu sampatik seu erythrochilus seu Pterocarpus officinalis
English: Dragon's Blood / Calamus Resin / Dracaena Resin / Croton Resin

Tastes: Sweet, salty, neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Invigorates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis and alleviates pain
   Pain from Blood Stasis, especially due to traumatic injury such as injury from falls, fractures, contusions and sprains
2. Stops bleeding
   Applied topically for bleeding due to external injury
3. Protects the surface of ulcers, prevents decay and generates flesh
   Chronic non-healing ulcers and cancers

Standard Dosage: 1-2g in pill or powder for internal use.

Pinyin: Zhang Nao  Chinese: 樟脑
Pharmaceutical: Camphorae
Taxonomy: Cinnamomum camphora
English: Camphor

Tastes: Pungent, hot, slightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Heart and Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Expels Wind and Dampness and kills parasites
   Wind-Damp skin lesions
   Scabies, tinea and itching sores
2. Opens the Orifices and expels turbidity
   Delirium and loss of consciousness due to Hot disorders
3. Invigorates the Blood, Disperses Cold and alleviates pain
   Topically for Blood Stagnation due to traumatic injury (injuries from falls, fractures, contusions, sprains pain and swelling)
   Toothache

Standard Dosage: 0.06-0.15g as powder or pills. It should not be decocted.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for qi deficiency and pregnant women. It should be used very carefully for people with skin allergy. It should not be overdose for qi deficiency when taking orally.

Pinyin: Bing Pian  Chinese: 冰片
Pharmaceutical: Borneolum
Taxonomy: Dryobalanops aromatica
English: Borneol Camphor

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Aromatically opens the Orifices, revives the Spirit and unblocks closed disorders
   Impaired consciousness fainting and convulsions
2. Clears Heat, drains Fire, resolves toxicity, clears the eyes and removes superficial visual obstructions
   Heat leading to headache, red and swollen eyes, superficial visual obstruction and sores in the mouth
3. Clears Heat, alleviates pain, dissipates nodules and alleviates itching
   Topically for pain and swelling of the throat, skin diseases such as sores and scabies, and eye diseases such as photophobia and excessive tearing

Standard Dosage: 0.1-0.3g in powder or pills for internal use. Should not be decocted.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for pregnant women.

Mineral products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. While natural Bing Pian is a crystalised tree resin, the Dryobalanops aromatica is critically endangered making genuine Bing Pian expensive and morally questionable. Most Bing Pian is therefore synthetically made and not suitable for consumption. It is generally substituted with Shi Chang Pu and Yuan Zhi where possible.

Pinyin: Feng La  Chinese: 蜂蜡
Pharmaceutical: Cera Flava
English: Beeswax

Tastes: Sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen

Actions & Indications:

1. Arrests discharges, promotes healing of wounds, promotes tissue regeneration and alleviate pain
   Ulcer which is difficult to heal, wounds, burns and scalds, ecthyma erosion, ulcerated trauma
2. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of animal products which can boost the Qi, make one free from hunger, and siow aging. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生) but is not recommended for protracted taking like many other superior class products.

Standard Dosage: Melted into Ma You in approx 1:3 - 1:9 ratio to make external ointments.

Pinyin: Zhu Zhi Gao  Chinese: 猪脂膏
Pharmaceutical: Lardum
English: Lard

Tastes: Sweet, cool

Actions:
Tonify deficiency, moisten dryness and remove toxicity.

Indications:
Dry cough, constipation, chapped skin

Standard Dosage:
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of loose stool and exogenous disease. Avoid eating with plum.