Dragons Blood Extract - History and Facts

The Ming dynasty medical scholar Li Shizhen, one of the great pharmacologists of China, in his Herbal Foundation Compendium (Ben Cao Gang Mu), written in 1578 and published in 1593, renamed this herbal medicine, Long Xue Jie, what is now known as Dragon’s Blood.  He later referred to Dragon’s Blood as the “quicken blood miracle elixir”.   In this medical classic he ascribes to Dragon’s Blood the following functions; break accumulations of blood, alleviate pain, engender flesh, eliminate pathogenic qi of the 5 viscera, supplement vacuity, boost yang essence, disperse various malign sores and scab sores, and dissipate static blood pain.

The Dragon Blood tree is called, “the botanical symbol of longevity” in China.  In 1968, Feng Daode, the widely known geography scholar went to the African island of Madagascar.  During his research of the island, he discovered a tree that had its trunk broken in a storm.  Its height was 18 meters (49.4’) and almost 5 meters (13.7’) in diameter.  Counting the age rings of the trunk revealed the tree’s incredible age of at least 8,000 years.  In the botanical world, it is one of the oldest trees.  This tree was blown down in 1861 by a tropical storm.

Prior to 1972, China was completely dependent on imported Dragon’s Blood; therefore, it was expensive and primarily used in the manufacture of patent herbal medicines.  In 1972, Cai Xiyao, a famous Chinese botanist discovered the precious Dragon’s Blood trees in a thick rainforest in the Xishuanbanna prefecture of Southern Yunnan province.  These trees provided the raw material for the development of Dragon’s Blood in China.

In China, Yunnan Baiyao, or “Yunnan province white medicine” has long been renowned for it’s effectiveness in the treatment of pain, swelling, and bleeding of traumatic injury.  It’s formula is a trade secret, however most know that Notoginseng (san qi) is it’s chief medicinal.  It also has quicken blood, transform stasis, staunch bleeding, and stabilize pain functions.  Unbeknownst to many, Dragon’s Blood is also known as Yunnan Hongyao, or “Yunnan province red medicine”.

Uses for Dragons Blood:

• Shrinking Ovrian cysts
• Treating various trauma (bone fracture, sprains)
• Coronary heart disease
• Ulcerative colitis