Summary of Modern Studies on Shixiang Baixiao Oil (Multiple-Effects Oil™)

Chinese Use: Sleepiness, angina, rheumatic arthralgia, injuries from falls, cold, headache, snuffle.

This product has wider therapeutic scope, including cold pathogen, filthy pathogen, blockade of qi circulation to cover the sensory organs, and disturb mental status, coagulated coldness, insect bites, manifesting lassitude, syncope, precordial pain, rheumatic arthritis, etc.

In the recipe, storax is pungent and with strong smell, capable of opening the orifices, expelling filthy materials, warmly dredging and penetrating, resolving turbidity, eliminating cold, arresting pain. Camphora, pungent and heat, pertains to the heart-spleen channels. When administered orally, it ventilates the orifices, avoids filths; when applied locally, it eliminates dampness, kills worms, warmly disperses and arrests pain. Borneol, pungent-bitter-warm, pertains to the heart-spleen-lung channel, ventilates orifices, stimulates consciousness, clears heat and arrests pain. Artificial muskone is capable of ventilating the orifices, stimulating consciousness, activating blood flow, dredging collaterals, and arresting pain. The above four are aromatic medicines for ventilating orifices and resuscitation, and are served as the monarchal ingredients. Camphora is an aromatic seasoning with special smell. When applied locally, one feels heat, followed by cool sensation. Eugenol yields a smell like clove itself, is pungent with numb taste, and is a local analgesics. Oil of Folium Eucalypti yields special, aromatic smell, similar to camphora, is pungent-cool, and is an irritant to the skin, with actions of arresting pain, dispersing wind and penetrating property, anti-inflammation, arresting itching. Myrrha, Olibanum are all pungent-bitter. The former is plain, the latter warm, all pertain to the heart-liver-spleen channels, capable of activating blood flow, activating qi, arresting pain, resolving swelling and promoting granulation. Lignum Aquilaria Resinatum is pungent-bitter-warm, pertains to the spleen-stomach-kidney channels, capable of activating qi, arresting pain, warming the interior, arresting vomiting. Lignum Santali albi is pungent-warm, pertains to the spleen-stomach-lung channels, capable of activating qi, arresting pain, dispersing cold, regulating the interior. The above 7 are used to strengthen the action of the monarchal’s effects of resuscitation, dredging the collaterals, arresting pain, eliminating wind, and arresting itching and are served as adjuvant ingredients.

Modern pharmacological studies show that storax yields marked action of anti-angina pectoris. Its compound form protects mice from anoxia, restores or partially recovers the decreased blood flow to the coronary sinus, decreases the difference of oxygen pressure in artery and vein in animal with cardiac infarction. It also ameliorates local inflammation. The camphora, borneol, olibanum and eugenol are all analgesics. Camphora also arrests itching. Myrrha, Lignum Santali albi, oil of Folium Eucalypti all yield bacteriostatic action. Among them, myrrha shows inhibition, to different extent, on trichomyces nigro, trichophytum concentricum, achorion schoenleini. The α-santalol and β-santalol in Lignum Santali albi all possess rather strong bacteriostatic action. Artificial muskone yields anti-inflammation, especially markedly effective on poly-arthritis. Camphora is a new promoter for penetrating the skin, the camphol contained inside strengthens the above medicines to be absorbed through the cutaneous route, so as to bring their effects into full play.

Excerpt from A Guide to TCM Products, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003

This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.