Ru Xiang - 乳香 - Olibanum - Frankincense - Mastic
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Gummi Olibani Olibanum |
| Common English: | Boswellia Frankincense Gum Olibanum Mastic |
Category
Herbs that Regulate the Blood: Herbs that Invigorate the BloodProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid Bitter | Warm | Heart Liver Spleen | 3-10g Large doses: up to 15g Tincture: 1-4ml Essential Oil: 2 drops in a gel cap with olive oil |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
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 |
Relaxes the sinews, activates the channels and alleviates pain | Wind-Damp-Bi with rigidity and spasms |
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 |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Myrrh | Myrrh | Moschus |
Traumatic injury pain. Blood Stasis obstructing the channels with epigastric, flank, abdominal and joint pain. Abdominal pain during menstruation. Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with numbness throughout the body and unresponsive extremities. Chronic, ulcerated and non-healing sores. Topically as a powder for skin lesions and ulcerations. | Unopened carbuncles and ulcerations. Topically for chronic non-healing wounds and ulcers. | Pain from trauma. |
| Fr. Toosendan | Caul. Sargentodoxae | Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii |
Stomach and epigastric pain due to Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis. | Intestinal abscess from Heat and Blood Stagnation clogging the Intestines. | Joint pain due to Wind-Cold-Damp Bi. |
| Pheretima | Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae | Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Wind-Stroke with spasms and rigidity. Wind-Damp-Cold-Bi. | Flank pain due to acute sprain. | Amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. |
Rz. Corydalis | Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii | Myrrh |
Chest and abdominal pain. | Wind-Damp Bi. | Traumatic injury with severe pain and bruising. |
Flos Lonicerae | Flos Lonicerae | Myrrh |
Initial stage of abscesses or sores with redness, swelling and pain. | Ulcerated sores or abscesses. | Topically as a powder for sores and abscesses where the pus has been completely cleared. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | ||
Sores that are flat and without redness and pain. |
Notes
- It is commonly paired with Myrrh Mo Yao to invigorate Blood and break up Blood Stasis, and it works very well for sharp, colicky pain.
- It invigorates the channels, whereas Mo Yao is more effective at breaking up obstruction.
- It is the resin of the Boswellia Carteri (olive) tree.
- Damaged tissue with swelling and pain responds very well to this herb.
- It also serves as incense and as a deodorant.
- According to some sources, it controls bleeding.
- Ru Xiang and Myrrh Mo Yao both invigorate the Blood, disperse Stasis, stop pain, reduce swelling and generate flesh. Ru Xiang is warm and piercingly aromatic; it stops pain powerfully, acts more on Qi, invigorates the Blood more strongly and relaxes the sinews. Mo Yao is neutral and bitter; it powerfully breaks up Stagnation, drains and disperses Blood, and acts more on the Blood.
- Unprepared Frankincense Sheng Ru Xiang is usually applied externally.
- Vinegar-prepared Frankincense Zhi Ru Xiang is gentler on the digestion and tastes better, and it is more effective at invigorating the Blood, stopping pain, restraining and inhibiting, and generating flesh. It acts particularly on the Liver channel and is often used for chest and flank pain, mobile and fixed abdominal masses, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea.
From Class
- Blood movers: Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Mo Yao, Ru Xiang, Yu Jin: Pericardium-affinity blood invigorators; resins (myrrh, frankincense) help heal wounds inside the vessels. (Gioioso)
- Frankincense (Ru Xiang) and myrrh (Mo Yao): For dying people who can't let go/rigid — moving blood; can be blended. (Yuen)
- Myrrh (Mo Yao) + Frankincense (Ru Xiang) over the Dai Mai: Myrrh and frankincense, base-note resins for unhealing wounds, go into fat and scar tissue; in the Yin Chen carrier over the Dai Mai they break up stubborn adipose tissue. (Yuen)