Storax (Suhexiang)
Liquidambar orientalis Mill. (Fam. Hamamelidaceae)
Pharmaceutical Name: Styrax Liquidis
Botanical Name: Liquidambar orientalis Mill. (Fam. Hamamelidaceae)
Common Name: Storax.
Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu.
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:
Purified balsam from the tree trunk.
Styrax Liquidis is grown mainly in west Asia and east Africa. It is collected in autumn, dried in the shade, and stored in airtight containers.
Properties & Taste: Pungent and warm.
Meridians: Heart and spleen.
Functions: 1. To open the orifices and clear the mind; 2. To stop pain.
Indications & Combinations:
1. Sudden coma caused by qi stagnation or unconsciousness due to windstroke. Storax (Suhexiang) is used with Cloves (Dingxiang), Musk (Shexiang) and Benzoin (Anxixiang) in the formula Suhexiang Wan.
2. Stifling sensation and pain in the chest.Storax (Suhexiang) is used with Sandalwood (Tanxiang), Borneol (Bingpian) and Cloves (Dingxiang) in formulas such as Guanxin Suhexiang Wan and Su Bing Diwan.
Dosage: 0.3-1 g used in pill or powder, not to be decocted in water.
Precautions: None noted.
