Draconis Sanguis
Aliases：Qí Lín Jié, Qí Lín Jié, Xuè Jié Huā, Xuè Lì Huā, Xuè Jié, Xuè Nǜ, Hǎi Là, Qí Lín Xuè, Mù Xuè Jié, Kě Liú, Xuè Jié, Hǎi Zhī Shí, Zhuǎ Er Xuè, Jiā Gōng Xuè Jié, Yà Dīng Xuè Jié, Zhū Xuè Jié.
Xuè Jié is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the processed resin exuded from the fruit of Daemonorops draco Bl., a plant belonging to the genus Daemonorops of the family Palmae. The product appears as irregular lumps with a reddish-brown or dark red surface, displaying a lustrous sheen. It is hard and brittle, with a red fractured surface, and when ground into powder, it turns blood-red. Dragon‘s Blood was included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2015.
Efficacy & Actions
Promotes blood circulation and relieves pain; removes blood stasis and stops bleeding; promotes tissue regeneration and astringes sores.
Indications
Traumatic injuries: Used for fractures, sprains, and internal stasis pain. It is considered an essential herb for traumatic injuries and other stasis pain syndromes. Epigastric and abdominal stasis pain: Used for stasis-induced heart and abdominal pain, postpartum stasis abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea. External bleeding: It both disperses stasis and stops bleeding without retaining stasis, making it suitable for unrelenting external bleeding. Non-healing sores: Applied externally to astringe sores and promote tissue regeneration, treating chronic, non-healing ulcers.
Modern Pharmacology
Promotes wound healing: Promotes skin wound healing. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic: Exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Antiplatelet aggregation and antithrombotic: The water-alcohol extract inhibits platelet aggregation and prevents thrombus formation. Cardiovascular protection: Provides protective effects on the cardiovascular system. Antibacterial activity: The aqueous extract shows varying degrees of inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus albus, and various pathogenic fungi. Antioxidant: Exhibits antioxidant activity. Antitumor: Possesses antitumor effects.
Ingredients
Flavonoids: Flavanoids, chalcones, flavonoid dimers and trimers, etc. Phenolic compounds: Dihydrochalcones such as loureirin A, loureirin B, and loureirin D. Terpenoids: Diterpenic acids, etc. Steroids and steroidal saponins. Draco-rubins: Draco-rubin, dracorhodin, nordraco-rubin, and nordracorhodin. Others: Volatile oils, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, stilbenoids, lignans, alkaloids, polysaccharides, etc.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: grind into powder and take, or make into pills or powders, 1–2 g each time. It should not be used in decoctions; it should be taken as powder. For external use: apply an appropriate amount of powder to the affected area, or incorporate into plasters for topical application.
Contraindications
Use with caution or avoid in patients without blood stasis. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Use with caution or avoid during menstruation. Avoid cold, raw, and greasy foods. Use with caution in children.
Selected Formulas
For traumatic injuries and sinew-bone pain (Liangfang Jiyi, Qili San) Take Xuejie (Dragon's blood) together with Ruxiang (Frankincense), Moyao (Myrrh), and Ercha (Catechu). Grind into fine powder. Take 1.5–3g each time with warm wine or boiled water. For postpartum blood rushing upward with chest fullness and wheezing (Yilin Jiyao) Take 1 qian (approx. 3g) each of Xuejie and Moyao. Grind finely and take with children's urine and wine. For new or chronic beriberi (Bencao Gangmu, citing Sheng Hui Fang) Take equal parts of Xuejie and Ruxiang, grind together. Hollow out one Mugua (Chaenomeles fruit), place the powder inside, wrap with dough, and cook in a clay pot until soft. Mash and form pills the size of waxberry seeds. Take 30 pills each time with warm wine. For acute mastitis (empirical formula, Xuejie Gualou Tang) Take 10g of Xuejie, 15g each of Ruxiang, Moyao, Qingpi (green tangerine peel), Pugongying (dandelion), and Danshen (Salvia), 50g of Gualou (Trichosanthes fruit), 25g of Jinyinhua (honeysuckle flower), and 10g of Chaihu (Bupleurum). Decoct in water and drink. For chronic non-healing sores (Shengji Zonglu, Xuejie San) Take Xuejie alone, grind into powder and apply externally, or combine with Ruxiang and Moyao.
Daily Consumption
Dragon‘s Blood is a resinous medicinal material. It is not generally consumed directly as a daily dietary ingredient, but is primarily used for medicinal purposes: Powder for oral use: Take 1–2 g of Dragon’s Blood powder with warm wine or warm water. Pills or powders: Prepare into pills or powders according to prescription and take accordingly. External use: Grind into powder and apply topically to wounds or sores.
Medicinal Parts
It is the processed resin exuded from the fruit.
Selection & Storage
Store in a dry container in a cool, dry place, and protect from heat. After being crushed into granules or ground into fine powder, it should be kept in sealed containers to avoid moisture.
