Sappanwood (Su Mu)
蘇木
Sappan wood (Sumu)
Pharmaceutical Name: Lignum Sappan
Botanical Name: Caesalpinia sappan L.
Common Name: Sappan wood
Source of Earliest Record: Xinxiu Bencao
Part Used: The heart wood is sawn into pieces or steamed and cut into slices.
Natural Properties & Taste: Sweet, salty, slightly pungent and neutral
Meridians: Heart, liver and spleen
Therapeutic Effects:
1. To invigorate blood and promote menstruation.
2. To stop pain and reduce swelling.
Indications:
1. Blood stagnation manifested as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea and postpartum abdominal pain. Sappan wood (Sumu) is used with Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Red peony (Chishao) and Safflower (Honghua).
2. Swellings and pains caused by external injuries. Sappan wood (Sumu) is used with Frankincense (Ruxiang) and Myrrh (Moyao).
Dosage: 3-10 g
Cautions & Contraindications: This herb is contraindicated during pregnancy.
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Written by : Grace Chen
Hi, I'm Grace Chen. I’m enthusiastic about Traditional Chinese Medicine, natural healing including Chinese Medicinal Herbs, Acupressure, Qi-Gong, foot massage and more. My passion for herbs had been a lifelong journey beginning as a young girl always been fascinated by my grandfather’s Chinese Herbal Medicine chest, full of amazing goodies helping people get well. To chase my dreams, I created a website, HerbalShop.com to share my passion, my grandfather Dr. Chen’s herbal recipes, interesting new and the translation of the classical Chinese herbal formulas with the world. Hope you enjoy it!
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