Xue Jie – Dragon’s Blood – Sanguis Draconis

Xue Jie

English Name: dragon’s blood, resinous discharge, calamus gum

Pharmaceutical Name: Sanguis Draconis

Medica Category: Substances for Topical Application

Properties: Xue Jie enters the Heart and Liver channels; it is sweet and salty in nature and neutral in temperature.

What is Xue Jie?:

The Chinese Herb Xue Jie is the dried sap from the sangre de drago tree, a native of South America (Daemonorops draco Bl.) which produces a red, resinous sap when the trunk is cut into. The tree is commercially raised for this sap in Guangdong province and in Taiwan (as well as other regions in Southeast Asia); it is collected in the autumn and dried into cakes for use as medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Xue Jie:

Xue Jie is used topically in TCM for its ability to stop bleeding due to acute trauma as well as to promote the generation of flesh and prevent the spread of ulcerations once the acute phase has passed.

Xue Jie is used internally activate blood circulation and break blood stasis as well as to relieve the pain associated with this condition. Clinically, it may be used to address amenorrhea, menstrual pain, and external or traumatic injuries with severe pain.

–safety/clinical notes:

Contraindicated internally during pregnancy; use with caution during menses.

Contraindicated for those with bleeding due to deficiency heat.

Contraindicated in the absence of blood stasis.