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Gum Lacca with one of the source tress
Museum Museorum, Valentini, 1704
Museum Museorum, Valentini, 1704
Aromaticum et Simplicium Aliquot, de Orta, 1579
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Lacca; Lacca on stick (top); interior of Lacca showing eggs (second from top) (Chengdu Medicine Market, Adam, 2016)
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Close-up of the raw Lacca containing Egg chambers.
(Adam, 2016)
(Adam, 2016)
Entomological name:
Female insect of Laccifer lacca (syn. Carteria lacca, Coccus lacca, Kerria lacca) produce the resinous stick-lac around the branches of certain trees.
A number of other species are used including Tachardia lacca, although the abovementioned species is primarily cultivated.
Typically collected from the trees of Ziziphus marutiana, Butea monosperma, Schleichera oleosa, Ficus religiosa, Mimosa spp. etc.
Parts used:
Secreted stick-lac which has been purified
Stick lac is the raw product; Seed Lac, Grain Seed Lac, Shellac, Button Lac and Sheet Lac are all names of the purified product after different processing.
Three main products on the market are as follows:
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. (some called it Warm). Sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, slightly toxic
Constituents:
Resin (70–80%), proteins, sugars, pigments, anthraquinone, traces of essentail oil
Female insect of Laccifer lacca (syn. Carteria lacca, Coccus lacca, Kerria lacca) produce the resinous stick-lac around the branches of certain trees.
A number of other species are used including Tachardia lacca, although the abovementioned species is primarily cultivated.
Typically collected from the trees of Ziziphus marutiana, Butea monosperma, Schleichera oleosa, Ficus religiosa, Mimosa spp. etc.
Parts used:
Secreted stick-lac which has been purified
Stick lac is the raw product; Seed Lac, Grain Seed Lac, Shellac, Button Lac and Sheet Lac are all names of the purified product after different processing.
Three main products on the market are as follows:
- Stick Lac: whole pieces of raw lac, deep red, often in big pieces where the branch is either still attached, or containing bark.
- Seed Lac: fragments of Lac; broken Stick Lac; usually regular-sized grains
- Shell Lac (Shellac): thin sheets or scaled of purified Lac; melting, strained and dipped onto plates to give sheets of deep red lacca.
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. (some called it Warm). Sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, slightly toxic
Constituents:
Resin (70–80%), proteins, sugars, pigments, anthraquinone, traces of essentail oil
Uses:
1. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Eases Pain (West, TCM, Tibetan, Ayurveda):
-promotes Menstruation, used for Amenorrhea, Menstrual Pain;
-Hematoma, Blood Clots, Bruises
-fixed pain from internal Blood Stasis
-Scrofula and Lymphatic Swellings.
-clears the complexion
2. Clears Heat and Toxin (West, TCM, Tibetan, Ayurveda):
-Salmon said it ‘Purifies the blood, Provokes Sweat’
-Measles, Small Pox, Pestilence and Plague (Salmon);
-used to promote the expression of Small Pox and Measles in TCM;
-Fever due to derangement of the 3 Dosas. (Ayurveda)
-Boils, Eruptions, Acne, Leprosy, and Toxic Swellings.
-major medicine for Blood disorders in India and Tibet; blood disorders caused by Kapha/Phlegm and Pitta/Bile (Damp-Heat) or Heat and Toxin.
3. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine (West, TCM, Tibetan, Ayurveda):
-Edema, Gravel and Stones; also used for Ascites
-Dysentery
-regarded as extremely effective for Obesity. (Ayurveda and Unani)
-"It is the most effective weight-reducing drug" (Avicenna)
-a good drug for Edema (Avicenna)
4. Opens the Liver, Clears Heat and Damp:
-Yellow Jaundice
-"It is a good drug for Jaundice, Dropsy and Hepatalgia". (Avicenna)
-"useful and strengthening for the Liver" (Avicenna)
5. Moves the Blood, Eases Pain, Strengthens the Bones:
-Astanga Hrdaya (a traditional Ayurvedic text) said Lacca is the best drug in the healing of Fractures.
-Regarded as potent for Joint diseases including Rheumatism, Arthritis, Myalgia, Lumbago etc.
-Osteoporosis
6. Aphrodisiac:
-according to some Ayurvedic and Unani sources;
-‘I have found it to be very Aphrodisiac’ (Taleef Shereef or Indian Materia Medica, Playfair, 1833).
-Premature Ejaculation.
7. Strengthens the Heart:
-regarded as a Heart tonic (Ayurveda, Unani)
-"Lac is useful in palpitation" (Avicenna)
-Epilepsy, Hysteria
8. Anti-Fertility:
-significant Anti-Fertility effect has been demonstrated
9. Clears Heat, Stops Cough:
-Regarded as effective for Cough and Asthma. (Unani, Tibetan)
10. Externally:
-used for Diseases of the Teeth and Gums-sponginess of the gums, dental caries and other teeth and gum diseases. It is said to be a specific for Caries and diseased Teeth, when used topically. (Ayurveda, TCM, West, Unani)
-powder is applied to Scabies, wet Eczema, Boils, Eruptions and Acne
-applied to Bleeding Wounds to stop bleeding and promote healing.
-applied topically to old, indolent, scrofulous and scorbutic Ulcers.
Dose:
Powder: 500mg–3 grams, best taken with Honey, Milk or Ghee (Ayurveda)
Preparation:
As with other gums, it is softened or dissolved by boiling in water, then strained and decocted until as thick as syrup, then dried.
1. The raw Lacca is heated by a lamp flame and the melted resin falls into a basin of hot water. The pure Lacca falls to the bottom, while waste products and impurities float. It is then removed, dried and kept for use.
2. To prepare it is boiled in a decoction of herbs that enhance it effects such as Rhubarb; sometimes in Lemongrass and Rhubarb; sometimes in Birthwort and Lemongrass; sometimes in a decoction of Hartwort and Fenugreek seed. When melted, it is strained and poured out into thin sheets to dry.
Correctives:
1. Mastic
2. Licorice
3. Indian Spikenard corrects adverse effects on the Brain (Unani)
Substitutes:
1. Dragons Blood
2. Madder
3. Tabasheer (Unani)
4. "Lac is similar in properties to yellow amber in many respects" (Avicenna)
5. Seeds of Chenopodium aristatum are reportedly used by Tibetans in Russia (Buryar).
Powder: 500mg–3 grams, best taken with Honey, Milk or Ghee (Ayurveda)
Preparation:
As with other gums, it is softened or dissolved by boiling in water, then strained and decocted until as thick as syrup, then dried.
1. The raw Lacca is heated by a lamp flame and the melted resin falls into a basin of hot water. The pure Lacca falls to the bottom, while waste products and impurities float. It is then removed, dried and kept for use.
2. To prepare it is boiled in a decoction of herbs that enhance it effects such as Rhubarb; sometimes in Lemongrass and Rhubarb; sometimes in Birthwort and Lemongrass; sometimes in a decoction of Hartwort and Fenugreek seed. When melted, it is strained and poured out into thin sheets to dry.
Correctives:
1. Mastic
2. Licorice
3. Indian Spikenard corrects adverse effects on the Brain (Unani)
Substitutes:
1. Dragons Blood
2. Madder
3. Tabasheer (Unani)
4. "Lac is similar in properties to yellow amber in many respects" (Avicenna)
5. Seeds of Chenopodium aristatum are reportedly used by Tibetans in Russia (Buryar).
Main Combinations:
Lacca is regularly combined with Madder, often also with Rhubarb. Together, they clear Heat and Toxin from the Blood, clear Blood stasis and Resolve Masses and have a general cleansing and regulating effect on the Blood. Also combined for Stones and various other Obstructions.
1. To open obstructions, move the Blood, promote Urine and Break stones, Lacca with Rhubarb, Madder, Indian Spikenard, Wormwood, Agrimony and Bitter Almond (as in Powder of Gum Lacca)
2. To open the Lungs, Liver, Stomach, Spleen, Womb, Kidneys and Bladder, Lacca with Licorice juice, Wormwood, Barberry, Rhubarb, Costus, Asarabacca, Bitter Almonds, Madder, Annis (as in Troches of Gum Lacca)
3. Lung Ulcer with Cough:
i. Lacca boiled in Milk. (The Bower Manuscript, Ayurveda)
ii. Tabasheer, Lacca, Galls, Licorice, Raisins, Asparagus racemosa, Long Pepper (equal parts), Sugar (twice the weight of all the rest), mix with Honey and Ghee to form a linctus. (The Bower Manuscript, Ayurveda)
4. Obesity:
i. Lacca with Black Pepper and Fennel seed
ii. Lacca with Ajowan and Caraway
iii. Lacca with Cyperus rotundus, Ginger, Long Pepper
5. Blood stagnation:
i. Lacca with Red Earth, Rhubarb and Madder
ii. Lacca with Dragon's Blood, Myrrh and Saffron
iii. Lacca, Myrrh, Saffron (2 drams each), Fenugreek (half dram), Red Earth (3 drams), powder and take with wine.
6. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, take the powder with warm milk.
7. Cervical Erosion, Lacca, Motherwort, Rose, Dang Gui, Licorice
8. Anti-implantation (Contraceptive), Lacca with Saraca indica, Areca catechu (Ayurveda)
9. To strengthen Bones and promote Healing of Fractures:
i. Lacca, Bdellium, Triphala, taken with Milk
ii. Lacca, Shilajit, Triphala, Long Pepper
10. Jaundice from Damp-Heat: Lacca, Artemisia Yin Chen Hao, Corn Silk, Paeonia Bai Shao, Imperatae Bai Mao Gen, Licorice
11. Toxic Sores:
i. in children, Lacca decocted with Tangerine peel (Chen Pi)
ii. Lacca, Madder, Rhubarb
12. Hives, Lacca, Forsythia Jin Yin Hua, Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi), Pulsatilla Bai TYou Weng, Cicada slough (Chuan Tui), Licorice (TCM)
13. Allergic purpura Lacca, Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang, Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying), Licorice (TCM)
14. Psoriasis, Lacca, Dictamnus Bai Xian Pi, Pulsatilla Bai Tou Weng, Plantain (Che Qian Cao), China root (Tu Fu Ling) (TCM)
15. Bleeding Gums, Lacca, Frankincense, Alum used as a tooth powder
Major Formulas:
Electuary of Lacca (Andrezeos)
Troches of Gum Lacca (Trochisci de Lacca) (Mesue)
Powder of Gum Lacca Greater (Dialacca Majores) (Mesue)
Powder of Gum Lacca Lesser (Dialacca Minor) (Mesue)
Powder of Amber (Unani)
Powder for Ascites (Isaac)
Powder for Bruising Lesser (Renodeus)
Powder for Congealed Blood in the Chest
'Powder for Those who Fall from their Horse'
Medicament Strong to Promote Urine
Troches of Amber (Trochisci de Succino) (Mesue)
Troches of Annis (Nicholas)
Troches of Rhubarb Lesser (Unani)
Troches of Rhubarb Greater
Pills of Rhubarb (Greater) (Pil. de Raved Sceni) (Mesue)
Electuary of Frankincense (Zenon)
Electuary of Rose (Unani)
Electuary of Rhubarb (Zenon)
Electuary of Rhubarb (Unani)
Electuary of Aloeswood (Egyptian?)
Expert Electuary for Old Fever (Catilina)
Electuary to Strengthen the Liver (Catilina)
Electuary to Strengthen the Internal Members (Azaricon)
Amomum 11 (Ko la 11) (Tibetan)
Antelope Horn 14 (Rgya ru bcu bzhi) (Tibetan)
Antidotal 18 (Gnyen po bco brgyad) (Tibetan)
Betel nut 28 (Go yu nyer brgyad) (Tibetan)
Bright Red Decoction (Dmar chen thang) (Tibetan)
Chebula 10 (A Ru 10) (Tibetan)
Chebula 18 for Urinary Incontinence (Gcin snyi a ru 18) (Tibetan)
Eliminator of All Lung Imbalances (Khrugs glo bcu gsum) (Tibetan)
Madder Pill (Tibetan)
Podophyllum 25 ('Ol se nyer lnga) (Tibetan)
Possessor of Ruby Color (Pad rag mdog ldan) (Tibetan)
Red Pony (Rta zi dmar po) (Tibetan)
Rhodiola 4 Decoction (Sro lo bzhi thang) (Tibetan)
Rhododendron 18 (Tibetan)
Pills of Lacca and Bdellium (Laksa Guggulu)
Thlaspi 13 (Bre ga bcu gsum) (Tibetan)
Three Reds Decoction (Tibetan)
Women's Universal Decoction (Mo nad spyi thang) (Tibetan)
Cautions:
1. Not used during pregnancy.
2. Large doses can irritate the Stomach
3. "It must be used with caution". (Avicenna)
Toxicity:
1. Assessment of the carcinogenic potential of a proposed food coloring additive, laccaic acid, using short-term assays.
2. Statement on the safety and efficacy of Shellac for all animal species
Main Preparations used:
Purified Gum Lacca
1. Not used during pregnancy.
2. Large doses can irritate the Stomach
3. "It must be used with caution". (Avicenna)
Toxicity:
1. Assessment of the carcinogenic potential of a proposed food coloring additive, laccaic acid, using short-term assays.
2. Statement on the safety and efficacy of Shellac for all animal species
Main Preparations used:
Purified Gum Lacca
Click the Tabs above for more information on this Medicine
GENERAL / REVIEW:
–Structural identification and biological activity of six new Shellolic esters from Lac.
ANTIBACTERIAL:
–Antimicrobial Efficacy of Methylated Lac Dye, an Anthraquinone Derivative.
CONTRACEPTIVE / ANTIFERTILITY:
–Research on plants for fertility regulation in India.
–Study of Antifertility Effect of Luk Maghsool (Laccifer lacca Kerr) in Albino Rat with Reference to its Antiovulatory and Oestrogenic Activity
OSTEOARTHRITIS:
–Clinical study on Laksha Guggulu, Snehana, Swedana & Traction in Osteoarthritis (Knee joint)
CHOLESTEROL:
–The effect of Luk magsool (processed Lac) on diet induced hyperlipidemia in albino rats. Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine 6 (2): 155-165.
OBESITY:
–Antiobesity effects of seedlac and shellac in rats fed with a high-fat diet.
PROTECTS DNA FROM DAMAGE:
–Preventive effects of anthraquinone food pigments on the DNA damage induced by carcinogens in Drosophila.
CANCER:
–Lac dye as a potential anti-neoplastic agent.
–Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of Lac Dye Fractions against MDA-MB-231 and SiHa Cell Lines.
–Lac color inhibits development of rat thyroid carcinomas through targeting activation of plasma hyaluronan-binding protein.
–Lac water extract inhibits IFN-γ signaling through JAK2-STAT1-IRF1 axis in human melanoma.
WOUNDS:
–Vranaropaka effect of Laksha Churna with Madhu on wound after removal of Danta Sharkara.
–Structural identification and biological activity of six new Shellolic esters from Lac.
ANTIBACTERIAL:
–Antimicrobial Efficacy of Methylated Lac Dye, an Anthraquinone Derivative.
CONTRACEPTIVE / ANTIFERTILITY:
–Research on plants for fertility regulation in India.
–Study of Antifertility Effect of Luk Maghsool (Laccifer lacca Kerr) in Albino Rat with Reference to its Antiovulatory and Oestrogenic Activity
OSTEOARTHRITIS:
–Clinical study on Laksha Guggulu, Snehana, Swedana & Traction in Osteoarthritis (Knee joint)
CHOLESTEROL:
–The effect of Luk magsool (processed Lac) on diet induced hyperlipidemia in albino rats. Hippocratic Journal of Unani Medicine 6 (2): 155-165.
OBESITY:
–Antiobesity effects of seedlac and shellac in rats fed with a high-fat diet.
PROTECTS DNA FROM DAMAGE:
–Preventive effects of anthraquinone food pigments on the DNA damage induced by carcinogens in Drosophila.
CANCER:
–Lac dye as a potential anti-neoplastic agent.
–Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of Lac Dye Fractions against MDA-MB-231 and SiHa Cell Lines.
–Lac color inhibits development of rat thyroid carcinomas through targeting activation of plasma hyaluronan-binding protein.
–Lac water extract inhibits IFN-γ signaling through JAK2-STAT1-IRF1 axis in human melanoma.
WOUNDS:
–Vranaropaka effect of Laksha Churna with Madhu on wound after removal of Danta Sharkara.