Chinese Herbs: Mistaken Identity:
降真香
Jiang Zhen Xiang
Acronychia pedunculata ( NOT Dalbergia Odorifera)
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Left: Acronychia pedunculata Right: Dalbergia Odorifera
There are no coincidences. I never considered this event worthy of sharing or making it known to the public. In fact, I deemed it highly unlikely that a mistaken identification of a herb could ever happen to me, given the small likelihood in the bigger picture. Despite seemingly a small mistake, it could have grave repercussions for the treatment outcome for the patient.
As all of us who are trained in herbs know: There are sometimes more than species of herb falling under the umbrella of one Chinese name.
It all began with me typing up neatly a simple formula from my teacher Li Shi Fu from White Horse Mountain for medical incense with the purpose to expel mosquitoes and clear a space for meditation. Needless to say that the majority of the plants were aromatic such as sandal wood [tan xiang檀香] and eaglewood [chen xiang沉香].Also the third ingredient incoporated the word ‘Incense’ in its name, being called Jiang Zhen Xiang [降真香]. A quick research revealed it to be identical to Jiang Xiang [降香], literally ‘Incense [which had been] Descended’. Since this formula was orally transmitted by a reliable Daoist renunciate and doctor, there was little reason for me to question the formula, or this specific herb. When I looked up the Latin name, Dalbergia Odorifera came up in several dictionaries and websites (also known as Chinese rosewood), but the function really did not match the action of the formula. First of all it was categorizes as herb that stopped bleeding and as secondary function it invigorated blood and circulated Qi.
I was left with three options to proceed; firstly accept the mismatch in action and desired effect in the formula, secondly scrap the herb from the formula’s herb list, or thirdly ask my teacher for clarification, which in hindsight would have led to a major error on my part (simply because you cannot ask a Chinese which the Latin name is for a certain Chinese herb. It would be like asking a Western biologist for the Chinese name).
The day was saved when I stumbled across an article whose author, Subhuti Dharmananda, I owe my gratitude to, since his investigation cleared up the fog and provided all the answers [1]. It turned out that there were two herbs, with different Latin names, classified under the same Chinese name. Such as, Acronychia pedunculata being the alternative, less commonly used herb for Jiang Zhen Xiang, besides Dalbergia Odorifera.
Furthermore, in the Complete Essentials of the Materia Medica [ben cao bei yao本草备药] from 1694 it clarifies Acronychia pedunculata; it is acrid and warm, and also called Zi Jin Teng [紫金腾], Purple-Golden Vine, which is namely the optimal Jiang Chen Xiang [降真香], Descending True Incense. In the source it states that apart from dispelling evil-qi it also has the function of dispelling strange phenomena [bi e qi guai yi辟恶气怪异], insinuating its ability to clear spaces of supernatural powers:
焚之能降諸真，故名。宣，辟惡，止血生肌。
When burning [it as incense] one is able to descend or call upon all the Realized [Ones], which is the reason for its name. It is diffusing, expels evils, stops bleeding and generates flesh.
Admittedly due to time constraints, I was in no urge to prioritize the write up of this mistaken identity case. But when I first-hand witnessed a TCM doctor using it for a ‘Fragrant Pouch’ [xiang bao 香包] to prevent COVID-19, I more than was shocked to see on the plastic bag labelled in big letters: Dalbergia Odorifera, which robbed the formula of one of its designed ingredients. I have composed this article in the hope of preventing others from repeating the very same mistake.
Dalbergia Odorifera
[1] More information can be found on the following link:
https://www.itmonline-updates.org/…/1008277…/jiang_xiang.pdf
