Su Mu苏木
Sappan Lignum · Sappanwood
Overview
The dense red heartwood of the sappan tree, which stains its decoction a deep wine colour — a dye as much as a medicine along the old southern trade routes. Sweet, salty and slightly acrid with a neutral temperature, it moves blood, disperses stasis, reduces swelling and stops pain, and its main home is trauma medicine and postpartum stasis. Dose decides its character: a small amount harmonizes and moves the blood, while a larger one frankly breaks stasis.
Nature & Flavor
Sweet, salty, acrid · NeutralChannels
Heart · LiverTypical Dosage
3–10 g in decoctionActions
2 core actions
- Invigorates blood, breaks stasisTraumatic injury with dark swelling, bruising and fixed pain; postpartum abdominal pain with retained lochia; amenorrhea and clotted, painful periods from stasis.
- Reduces swelling, relieves painGiven internally and also decocted as an external wash over bruised, swollen tissue, where the sappan red is easy to see on the skin.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Su Mu
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Traumatic injury with bruising, swelling and fixed pain
- Postpartum abdominal pain with retained lochia
- Amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea with dark clots
- Chest and abdominal pain attributed to blood stasis
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Not for blood deficiency where there is no genuine stasis, and not to be used through heavy menstrual bleeding or any active bleeding — it moves blood and will make bleeding worse. Use it with medical supervision alongside anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs such as warfarin or aspirin, and stop it before planned surgery. Because it stains, it can discolour the stool and urine, which is harmless but worth warning the patient about so a red stool is not mistaken for bleeding.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy — it breaks blood stasis and is avoided from conception through delivery.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Xin Xiu Ben Cao《新修本草》(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》.
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.