- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- Asia (Northeast India, Southeast Asia)
- Sanskrit
- Agaru
- Other names
- Adelaarshout
Asia · Herb · № 418
Aquilaria agallocha
Herb · Asia
Agarwood
Aquilaria agallocha
Traditionally attributed effects: stimulating, strengthens the heart, tonic, carminative, promotes bile; for skin diseases, gout and rheumatism, vomiting, snake bites, pain from wounds, bronchitis in children, headache, dizziness.
Safety notes
Do not take the oil internally yourself. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Cautions by tradition (2)
- Ayurvedic materia medica: Do not take the oil internally yourself.
- Chinese materia medica: Not with prolapse from qi deficiency or yin deficiency with heat. Wild agarwood is endangered (CITES).
Preparation
Resin 1.5–4 g; paste on chest or head; as incense.
Use in traditions
Described in the Ayurvedic materia medica. Sanskrit name: Agaru. Agarwood forms when the Aquilaria tree defends itself against a fungal infection with dark, fragrant resin. It is one of the most expensive natural products in the world: oud in the Middle East, chen xiang in China and a ga ru in Tibetan medicine. Wild trees are on the CITES list.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Ayurvedic materia medica
Attributed effects
Stimulating, strengthens the heart, tonic, carminative, promotes bile; for skin diseases, gout and rheumatism, vomiting, snake bites, pain from wounds, bronchitis in children, headache, dizziness.
Preparation and amount
Resin 1.5–4 g; paste on chest or head; as incense.
Caution: Do not take the oil internally yourself.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- pungent, bitter, warm, aromatic
- Meridians
- spleen, kidney, lung, stomach
Attributed effects
Chen xiang moves the qi and relieves pain in stagnation from cold, helps the kidneys hold the lung energy in asthma and wheezing, and makes the qi descend in vomiting, belching and hiccups from cold.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 1–3 g a day, usually in a decoction.
Combinations
- With lindera and mu xiang for a cold, bloated abdomen
- With prepared rehmannia, fu zi and cinnamon bark for asthma from kidney deficiency
Caution: Not with prolapse from qi deficiency or yin deficiency with heat. Wild agarwood is endangered (CITES).
- Ways to prepare herbs
- DecoctionCompress, poultice and paste
- Formulas
- Zi xue dan