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Wax, Cera

La 蜡 (TCM)
Madhuchista (Ayurveda)
Shehad ke chattay ka mom (Unani)

Picture
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Picture
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563

Pharmacetical name:
Cera from Apis, the Bee.

Parts used:
Clarified Beeswax

Temperature & Taste:
"Moderate in temperament" (Avicenna)

Classification:
T. External Medicines

Uses:
1. Softens Hardness, Soothes Irritation:
-mildly softening and dissolvent (Avicenna)
-softens hardness of the tendons, ligaments and nerves
-applied to the chest (or licked or taken internally) for "roughness of the chest" (Avicenna)
-prevents coagulation of Milk in nursing mothers. (Avicenna)
-it has been taken internally for Hard Swellings


2. Resists Poison, Stops Leakage:
-"It is said that wax absorbs the poisons" (Avicenna)
-
internally Diarrhea and Dysentery with Blood or Mucus
-applied to poison arrow wounds to absorb the poison.
-bleeding during Pregnancy


3. Strengthens the Body:
-prevents Hunger and slows up Senility (TCM)
-regarded as a strengthening tonic for the organs, strengthening the body (TCM, West)
-also for Threatened Miscarriage with bleeding. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-"all kinds of Beeswax soften, warm and also regenerate the Human body, fresh wax being the most useful". (Pliny)
-"Increases Sexual desire" (Avicenna)
-"Ingested over a long time, it relieves the body of its weight, and prevents hunger". (Ben Cao Gang Mu)


4. Used in Pharmacy:
-important for the formation of Ointments and Plasters
-pills covered with melted wax can last much longer.
-it is an effective preservative


5. Externally:
-applied to all type of hardness
-used to fill hollow teeth
-for burns, scalds, fractures and wounds, and is also applied to Frostbite
-The fumes from burning wax was inhaled for coughs and to stop hiccups
-Grey Hair: "
It also serves to eliminate white hair. Remove the white hair, dissolve white wax and drip it into the pores. This will cause the growth of black hair". (Zhen Quan)


Dose:
Used topically in Ointments, Plasters etc.
It has been taken internally by forming into pills the size of millet and taking 10 pills as a dose.


Preparation:
It is heated an strained to remove foreign matter.

Main Combinations:
Used with Oil (Olive, Sesame etc.) as a basis for Ointments and Plasters
Used with Honey to form an ointment (Ceromel) for Wounds and Ulcers

1. Intestinal Ulcers, take 10 small pills of Wax (the size of a millet seed) with Rice water.
2. To prevent Hunger:
i. in ancient times during famines, Beeswax was mixed with Chinese Dates (Da Zao) and chewed together to prevent hunger. 
ii. Beeswax, Pine resin, Apricot kernel (Xing Ren), Chinese Dates (Da Zao), Poria Fu Ling (equal parts), prepare pills. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
3. Threatened Miscarriage: "
When the fetus moves in a pregnant woman, with unending bleeding and impending death, boil a piece of wax of the size of a chicken egg three to five times to bubbling, drop it into half a sheng of good wine, and have [the woman] ingest this. This results in an immediate cure". (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
4. Indolent Ulcers, prepare a plaster of Honey with Wax (Ceromel)
5. Lupus, apply a plaster of Honey with Wax (Ceromel)


Major Formulas:

Cautions:
None noted

Main Preparations used:


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Chinese researchers isolated 3 blood-lipid lowering compounds from the Beeswax of Apis mellifera and A. cerana

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