Musk is the secretion from the musk gland of male deer from the deer family. It has the functions of opening the orifices, promoting blood circulation, and dispelling stasis. It is an excellent product for treating stroke, sprains, and other injuries. Musk has a wide range of applications but is scarce in resources, so some unscrupulous individuals use fake musk to deceive consumers. Therefore, when purchasing musk, you can initially identify it from the following aspects.
【Identification of Musk and Common Counterfeit Products】
Musk has different names depending on its location: the whole dried musk with fur and shell is called "musk with fur and shell" (whole musk). When the musk sac is opened and the furred shell is removed, "musk seed" is obtained. When the fine hair and peeling epidermis (commonly known as "silver skin") in the musk seed are removed, the larger particles are called "Dang Men Zi", which has the best quality.
Musk is a precious Chinese herbal medicine produced in China, and there are often counterfeit products on the market. They are mixed with genuine musk to deceive consumers. In order to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medication, the methods for identifying genuine and fake musk are introduced as follows:
(I) Identification of Genuine Musk
1. Observe the product under natural light. "Musk seed" is brownish-brown in color. "Dang Men Zi" is deep brown to purplish-black, with a slightly irregular texture and a shiny surface. The cross-section is dark brown to yellowish-brown, with the best quality being uniform in color and clear in texture. Occasionally, there may be sand hair (musk sac hair) and silver skin (musk sac epidermis). It has an extremely strong and even suffocating aroma that lasts for a long time. When consumed, it is initially bitter and then sweet. It tingles the tongue and has a stimulating sensation (commonly known as "tongue drilling"), and the fragrance reaches the back of the tongue. When chewed, it dissolves without residue, with a pure and refreshing taste. Once you have experienced genuine musk, the feeling will be unforgettable!
2. The product is slightly soft when pinched, and it bounces back when released, and resumes its original shape. When kneaded, it forms a ball and can be easily dispersed with gentle rubbing or adding a few drops of water. When mixed with water in the palm of the hand, it does not discolor, stick to the hand, or form lumps.
3. Place the product in a hot crucible and ignite it. At first, it bursts and then melts and expands into a bubble. The fragrance is strong and bursts out, and then it turns into ashes, which are white or grayish-white residue.
4. If conditions permit, further microscopic examination and physicochemical analysis can be performed. Microscopically, when drops of ethanol or acetone are added, most of the irregularly shaped particles form a translucent mass, which is yellow or light brown. If there are foreign substances in the mass, it is a counterfeit product. Under microscopic examination, the sand hair cells appear hexagonal and are arranged neatly. The silver skin is composed of 5-8 layers of mucous membranes, which are transparent. Each layer has secretory glands and yellow secretions can be seen.
5. Physicochemical identification: When the product is ground into powder and mixed with antimony pentoxide, the fragrance disappears; when further ground with ammonia water, the fragrance gradually recovers, and the more it is ground, the stronger the fragrance becomes. Counterfeit products do not have this property.
(II) Identification of Counterfeit Products
1. The color is irregular and the external sensation is poor. According to the specified dry weight loss method, the weight loss should not exceed 30%. If it is too soft when pinched, it indicates a high moisture content. Counterfeit products can be identified by careful observation of their appearance, such as having a wrapped edge or attached meat.
2. Place the product powder in a triangular bottle and vigorously shake it with water. If there are floating substances, it indicates the presence of decayed wood or animal feces. After soaking in water for an hour, the water extract of genuine musk is colorless or extremely pale yellow; the water extract of counterfeit musk is darker in color.
3. There should be no sparks or burnt meat smell after burning. If it smokes and produces sparks, and the ashes are black, it indicates the presence of plant impurities; if there are more ashes and they are blackish-gray and have a fishy smell, it indicates the presence of animal impurities; if the ashes are reddish-brown, it indicates the presence of mineral impurities. This identification is very obvious. It can also be wrapped in filter paper, lightly pressed, and if there are oil stains on the filter paper after releasing, it indicates the presence of grease.
【Identification of Musk】
Musk is the dried secretion from the musk gland of male deer from the deer family. After capturing adult male musk deer, the gland sac with skin is cut off, the fur and impurities are removed, and it is air-dried, commonly known as "musk with fur and shell" or "whole musk". When the gland sac is cut open and the musk is scooped out, it is called "musk seed" or "loose musk". Fresh musk is a thick black-brown ointment, and it becomes a powder or granular after drying. The granular and blocky musk is called "Dang Men Zi". Musk has a strong and distinctive fragrance, a slightly bitter and spicy taste. The empirical methods for identifying genuine and fake musk are as follows:
First, sniff with the nose.
Genuine musk has an extremely strong and rich fragrance that lasts for a long time, without the feeling of being strong at first and weak later or losing its fragrance after a long time. Fake or mixed musk does not have a strong and lasting fragrance, and the scent disappears shortly after sniffing, and even has a smell of blood.
Second, taste with the tongue.
Genuine musk has a slightly bitter and spicy taste, with a tingling sensation and a cool taste that quickly reaches the back of the tongue. Fake musk does not have this feeling.
Third, wipe with the hand.
Musk has an expanding property when pressed with the hand. When placed in the palm and rubbed with the fingers, it becomes smooth and does not stick to the hand or clump.
Fourth, soak in hot water.
Genuine granular musk remains compact, and genuine powdered musk slightly dissolves in water, which appears slightly yellow and clear without turbidity. Counterfeit musk completely dissolves, and adulterated musk has fibrous impurities in the water at a certain temperature. Fifth, burn with low tin.
Genuine musk bursts when burned, then melts, boils, and expands into bubbles like pearls, with a strong fragrance and no burnt meat smell. The ashes are white and have a fragrant aroma. If it does not have a fragrance when burned and has an unusually foul smell, or if black residues are present, it is a counterfeit product.
