Tan Xiang – Sandalwood – Lignum Santali Albi

Tan Xiang

English Name: sandalwood, santalum

Pharmaceutical Name: Lignum Santali Albi

Medica Category: Qi-Regulating Herbs

Properties: Tan Xiang enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Lung channels; it is acrid in nature and warm and aromatic in temperature.

What is Tan Xiang?:

The Chinese Herb Tan Xiang is wood from the sandalwood tree (Santalum album L.). It is the volatile oils within the wood that have the medicinal properties described below.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Tan Xiang:

Tan Xiang regulates qi and disperses cold and in this regard is best at relieving stagnation constricting the chest that manifests in such symptoms as feelings of fullness and oppression in the chest, angina, and dyspnea.

Tan Xiang regulates qi in the diaphragm– and its aromatic quality helps harmonize the middle (“wakes up the Spleen”) to address epigastric or abdominal pain and bloating and vomiting up of clear fluids.

**safety note—Tan Xiang should be used with caution during pregnancy due to potential abortifacient effects.