Lignum Sappan (Sumu)

Naming
Su Mu (Lignum Sappan)-Xin Xiu Ben Cao (Newly Revised Materia Medica)

Origin
The dry heartwood of tree or bush Caesalpinia sappan L. of family Pulse.

Location
Guangxi, Guangdong and Taiwan provinces in China.

Harvest
Collected in autumn.

The actual smell and taste
Light smell and lightly astringent.

Best quality
Big, firm, red and yellow.

Processing
Planed into thin chip or split into small piece or smashed into rough powder.

Property
Sweet, salty, pungent, neutral; heart and liver meridians entered.

Actions
Activate blood and cure trauma, dispel stasis and dredge meridians.

Indications
A. Traumatic injuries, bone fracture and soft tissue injuries, stagnant swelling and pain

This herb can activate blood, cure trauma, resolve swelling and alleviate pain. For traumatic injuries, bone fracture, soft tissue injuries, swelling and pain due to stasis, it is used internally and externally. It is one of the most commonly used herbs in traumatology. It is usually combined with blood-activating and trauma-curing analgesics orally. For instance it is combined with Ru Xiang, Mo Yao and Zi Ran Tong, etc. in Ba Li San from Yi Zong Jin Jian. It is also made decoction with blood-activating and swelling-resolving analgesics such as Liu Ji Nu and Ze Lan, etc. to fumigate the affected region.

B. Amenorrhea due to stasis, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal stagnant pain, abscess, sore and abscess.

This herb can dissolve blood stasis, resolve mass, dredge menstruation and alleviate pain indicated for amenorrhea due to stasis, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal stagnant pain, heart and abdomen stagnant pain as well as mass. For gynecological menstrual and partal diseases caused by stasis such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal stagnant pain and so on, it is decocted singly or combined with blood-activating and stasis-dispelling herbs and menstruation-regulating analgesics such as Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Danggui), and Hong Hua. For abscess, sore and abscess resulted from internal stagnation of heat-toxin and accumulation of qi and blood, it is also used to move blood and dispel stasis, resolve swelling and alleviate pain. For instance it is usually combined with heat-clearing and toxicity-relieving herbs and swelling-resolving analgesics such as Flos Lonicerae (Jinyinhua), Fructus Forsythiae (Lianqiao), and Bai Zhi.

Dosage and Administrations
Decoct 3~10g. Proper dose for external application.