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Home » Sunday » Now and Then
TCM Treasures - Musk 麝香
By Zhang Qian |
March 16, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EDITOR'S Note:
In this biweekly column, we introduce a medicinal ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine, along with prescription and usage instructions. By providing basic knowledge of TCM, we aim to acquaint readers with China's profound heritage of traditional and natural healing.
MUSK is an legendary perfume ingredient and traditional Chinese medicine herb derived from the musk gland of the musk deer, today an endangered animal.
"Shexiang" (musk), literally musk deer scent, was used to scent clothing and rooms. Scholars added it to ink or paint to complete works with a beautiful scent.
The word musk comes from the Sanskrit word for testicle, but it doesn't come from the testicle but from the separate musk gland in the abdomen of the male deer. It is a pheromone, a male sexual scent believed to be an aphrodisiac. It cannot be obtained without killing the deer. Synthetics are used today in perfumery, but TCM only uses the real thing.
It is a warm-energy yang herb that helps activate blood circulation, refresh the mind, revive someone who has fainted, relieve pain and expedite childbirth.
The story goes that musk was discovered by a hunter and his son. The boy was injured and unable to move. But he inhaled a scent carried on the breeze and began to heal. The father discovered an egg-sized fur-covered sac and took it home, healing the boy and treating poor people.
Word of the magic scent bag spread. A county official stole the scent bag and gave it to his pregnant concubine, who miscarried. Musk also causes uterine contractions.
Prescriptions & Usage:
For painful menstruation
? Grind "shexiang tongjing gao" (musk painful menstruation herbal plaster), angelica (10g), the rhizome of chuanxiong (10g), wuzhuyu (medicinal evodia fruit, 10g), cinnamon (6g) and xixin (asarum, 3g) into powder and divide it into 10 packs.
? Clean the belly around navel.
? Mix one pack of herb powder with warm water and a few drops of white wine. Stir and apply on navel. Cover with the musk plaster.
? Warm the belly with hot water bag for about 30-60 minutes. Start five days before menstruation; change herb once a day; keep it for 10 days.
Benefits: Helps warm meridians, dispel pathogenic coldness, and relieve menstruation pain.
In this biweekly column, we introduce a medicinal ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine, along with prescription and usage instructions. By providing basic knowledge of TCM, we aim to acquaint readers with China's profound heritage of traditional and natural healing.
MUSK is an legendary perfume ingredient and traditional Chinese medicine herb derived from the musk gland of the musk deer, today an endangered animal.
"Shexiang" (musk), literally musk deer scent, was used to scent clothing and rooms. Scholars added it to ink or paint to complete works with a beautiful scent.
The word musk comes from the Sanskrit word for testicle, but it doesn't come from the testicle but from the separate musk gland in the abdomen of the male deer. It is a pheromone, a male sexual scent believed to be an aphrodisiac. It cannot be obtained without killing the deer. Synthetics are used today in perfumery, but TCM only uses the real thing.
It is a warm-energy yang herb that helps activate blood circulation, refresh the mind, revive someone who has fainted, relieve pain and expedite childbirth.
The story goes that musk was discovered by a hunter and his son. The boy was injured and unable to move. But he inhaled a scent carried on the breeze and began to heal. The father discovered an egg-sized fur-covered sac and took it home, healing the boy and treating poor people.
Word of the magic scent bag spread. A county official stole the scent bag and gave it to his pregnant concubine, who miscarried. Musk also causes uterine contractions.
Prescriptions & Usage:
For painful menstruation
? Grind "shexiang tongjing gao" (musk painful menstruation herbal plaster), angelica (10g), the rhizome of chuanxiong (10g), wuzhuyu (medicinal evodia fruit, 10g), cinnamon (6g) and xixin (asarum, 3g) into powder and divide it into 10 packs.
? Clean the belly around navel.
? Mix one pack of herb powder with warm water and a few drops of white wine. Stir and apply on navel. Cover with the musk plaster.
? Warm the belly with hot water bag for about 30-60 minutes. Start five days before menstruation; change herb once a day; keep it for 10 days.
Benefits: Helps warm meridians, dispel pathogenic coldness, and relieve menstruation pain.
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