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Chen Xiang沉香

Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum · Agarwood · Aloeswood · Chinese Eaglewood

Herbs that Regulate the Qi 理气药《名医别录》

Overview

Resin-saturated heartwood that forms only where an Aquilaria tree has been wounded and infected — which is why it is scarce, costly and heavily adulterated. Acrid, bitter and slightly warm, entering the Spleen, Stomach and Kidney, it is the qi-regulating herb that works downward: it moves stagnant qi and stops pain without drying, settles a rebellious Stomach, and grasps the qi back down to the Kidney in deficiency wheezing. Its active constituents are volatile, so it is added at the end of the decoction or taken as powder. Sourcing is part of prescribing it responsibly — see the cautions.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid, bitter · Slightly warm

Channels

Spleen · Stomach · Kidney

Typical Dosage

1.5–4.5 g in decoction
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Actions

3 core actions

  • Moves qi, stops painCold with qi stagnation in the chest and abdomen: distending pain, a stuffed feeling below the heart, discomfort that shifts.
  • Warms the middle, stops vomitingStomach cold with rebellious qi — vomiting, hiccup and belching that will not settle.
  • Grasps the qi, calms wheezingDeficiency wheezing where the Kidney fails to grasp the qi: breathlessness worse on exertion, easier inhalation than exhalation.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Chen Xiang

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Distending pain of the chest and abdomen from cold with qi stagnation
    - Vomiting and hiccup from Stomach cold
    - Wheezing and breathlessness where the Kidney does not grasp the qi
    - Fullness below the heart with poor appetite

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Functional dyspepsiaNauseaHiccupDyspneaAbdominal pain

Contraindications

Cautions

CITES Appendix II. All Aquilaria species (and Gyrinops) are listed on Appendix II of CITES, so international trade requires permits and undocumented agarwood may be illegal to import or dispense. Buy only from suppliers who can show cultivated, permitted origin; wild-harvested agarwood is the reason the genus is listed at all, and adulteration with resin-soaked ordinary wood is common at this price point. Clinically: not for yin deficiency with rising fire, and not for qi deficiency with sinking — it moves and directs downward. Do not boil it with the other herbs; long cooking drives off the volatile fraction that carries the effect.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: A downward-moving, qi-regulating herb; not established as safe in pregnancy — use only under the direction of the treating practitioner.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Ming Yi Bie Lu《名医别录》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》(2020 edition).
    4. 《中药学》(新世纪第二版), chapter on herbs that regulate the qi.
    5. CITES Appendices — Aquilaria spp. and Gyrinops spp., Appendix II.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.