Maple resin, also known as white glue incense, maple resin, and yunxiang, is a dried resin of the Liquidambar formosana Hance, a plant in the Altingiaceae family. It is collected by cutting the tree trunks in July and August to allow the resin to flow out, and then harvested from October to April of the following year before being dried in the shade.
[Processing method] According to "Brief Ji Zhong Fang": "Grind it into powder." According to "Chuan Xin Shi Yong Fang": "Boil it in water and grind it finely." According to "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Boil it in water for twenty times, put it into cold water, knead and pull it for dozens of times, and then dry it in the sun." According to "Complete Collection of Surgical Treatment": "Boil it in water three times, wait for the soup to cool down, pull out the oil with your hands, whip it when it's cold, and grind it into powder." Currently, the original medicinal materials are taken and impurities are removed. It should be crushed before use.
[Characteristics of the medicinal slices] It is irregularly fragmented or in block form, with a light yellow to brownish-yellow color on the surface, and is semi-transparent or opaque. It is brittle, easily broken, and has a glossy fracture surface. It has a fragrant smell and a mild taste.
[Processing function] Maple resin has a pungent and slightly bitter taste, and is neutral in nature. It belongs to the liver and spleen meridians. It has the functions of promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, detoxification, eliminating muscle tension, and cooling the blood. After being processed and purified, it is used for injuries from falls, abscesses and swelling, vomiting blood, nosebleeds, and external bleeding. For example, it is used for treating scrofula and all types of malignant ulcers (as mentioned in "Confucian Family Matters"); for treating painful malignant ulcers, it is used as Bai Xiang San (as mentioned in "An Lao Huai Yao Shu"); for treating fractures, it is used as Bai Jiao Xiang Gao (as mentioned in "Ji Feng Jiang Ji Fang"); for treating persistent coughing and hemoptysis due to consumption, it is used as Du Sheng San (as mentioned in "Sheng Ji Zong Lu"); for treating unbroken scrofula, it is used as Po Jian San (as mentioned in "Yang Ke Xuan Cui"). Processing improves the cleanliness of the medicinal material, facilitates the dissolution of effective components, and is convenient for compounding and formulation.
