Succinum, Amber, Hu Po 琥珀

Hu Po (TCM)
Kahruba (Unani)
Trinakanta, Kaharva (Ayurveda)
Sbur len སྦུར་ལེན་ (Tibet)

Hortus sanitatis, 1491

A selection of Amber inclusions
Metallotheca Vaticana Opus Posthuman, 1719

Two types of Amber available on the Chinese market (Adam, 2022)

Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION

Amber is semi-fossilized (actually cross-polymerized) ancient tree resin. It has a long history of use in Traditional Medicine, and appears in all traditions. It calms the Heart, Mind and Spirit, stops Spasms, moves the Blood, clears Stasis and relieves Pain, and promotes Urine. It is regarded in the Western tradition as being especially beneficial for the Uterus. It is used for Childhood Convulsions, Palpitations, Anxiety, Insomnia, excessive Dreaming, and painful or obstructed Menstruation. It is finely powdered to be taken orally in pills or powders, or may be dissolved in alcohol.

Mineralogical name:

Succinum, Succinite

Parts Used:

Prepared Stone

Temperature & Taste:

Neutral. Sweet

Properties:

Hardness: 2–2.5
Specific Gravity: 1.1

Constituents:

Resins, volatile oil; Camphor, boneol, isoborneol, camphane, camphene
Succinic acid (3.3–8%); the weathered crust on the outside of amber has twice as much succinic acid as the inner amber.
Other organic acids: diabietinolic acid, succinosilvinic acid, succoxyabietic acid, succinoabietinolic acid
Organic alcohols: succinoresinol, succinoabietol, and their esters: fenchylbornyl succinate, fenchylisobornyl succinate, dibornylsuccinate, bornylisobornylsuccinate, and diisobornyl succinate
Aromatic hydrocarbons: p cymene, dehydroabietane, simonellite, retene
Traces of Na, Sr, Si, Fe, W, Mg, Al, Co, Ga

Classifications:

2B ATTENUATERS 2M. DRAWING    2P. HEMOSTATICS    2S. STRENGTHENING MEDICINES
3C. ALEXIPHARMICS    3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS    3E. DIURETIC    3F. LITHONTRIPTIC   3G. EMMENAGOGUE
4a. CEPHALIC    4c. CARDIAC    4e. STOMACHIC    4i. UTERINE
Preparers and Purgers of Phlegm
TCM:
G. Sedate the Heart, Mind and Spirit
H. Nourish the Heart
K. Move the Blood
L. Stop Bleeding

Uses:

1. Calms the Mind and Spirit, Calms Fright: (TCM, West)

-Palpitations with Anxiety

2. Strengthens the Brain and Nerves: (TCM, West)

3. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Benefits the Womb: (TCM, West)

-strengthens and benefits the Womb

4. Moves the Blood, Clears Blood Stasis: (TCM, West)

-Coronary Heart Disease

5. Stops Bleeding: (TCM, West)

-styptic to stop bleeding

6. Benefits Kidneys, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones: (TCM, West)

-painful or deficient Urination (Pliny)

7. Benefits the Lungs, Stops Cough and Wheezing: (TCM, West)

-Cough, Asthma

8. Strengthens the Stomach and Bowels:

-strengthen the Stomach and Bowels

9. Externally:

-promotes Healing of Trauma

Dose:

… available in PRO version

Correctives:

… available in PRO version

Substitutes:

… available in PRO version

Adulterants:

The most common adulterants are Pine resin and Copal. Fake Amber jewellery is usually resin and should not be consumed. Fake Amber has been a problem since Antiquity.

Preparation:

… available in PRO version

Comment:

… available in PRO version

Main Combinations:

Often combined with Pearl and/or Red Coral. This combination calms the Mind and Spirit, clears Heat, settles the Heart and calms Wind to stop Spasms.

Head, Brain, Spirit:

Heart:

12. Strengthen the Heart, Palpitations, Arrhythmia:
i. Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
13. Palpitations:
i. from Heat, Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
14. Warm and strengthen the Heart, Amber with … available in PRO version
15. Cardiac, Cool the Heart, benefits Heart Yin:
i. Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
16. Melancholy affecting the Heart, Amber with … available in PRO version
17. Chest Pain and Tightness, Shortness of Breath, Angina Pectoris, Arrhythmias:
i. Amber, … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iv. from Qi and Blood stagnation with an intermittent pulse, Amber with … available in PRO version
v. Amber, … available in PRO version
18. Coronary Heart Disease:
i. Amber, … available in PRO version
ii. Amber, … available in PRO version
19. High Cholesterol, Amber, … available in PRO version

Fever, Epidemic Disease:

20. Epidemic Fever:
i. Spotted Fever, especially in Children, Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iv. Amber, … available in PRO version

Gynecology:

21. To cleanse the Uterus and remove obstruction to conception:
i. Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber, … available in PRO version
22. Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea:
i. cold and blood stasis, Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Qi and Blood stagnation, Amber, … available in PRO version
iii. Amber, … available in PRO version
iv. Amber, … available in PRO version
v. Amber … available in PRO version
23. Menstrual disorders, metrorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, delayed menstruation:
i. Amber, … available in PRO version
ii. from deficiency: Amber with … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
24. Spasms of the Uterus, Suppressed Menstruation, Amber with … available in PRO version
25. Excess Menstrual Bleeding:
i. Amber with … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iv. Amber with … available in PRO version
v. Amber with … available in PRO version
26. Hysteria, Amber with … available in PRO version
27. Blood Stasis in women, Amber, … available in PRO version

Obstetrics:

Move the Blood:

Bleeding:

35. Stop Bleeding:
i. Amber, … available in PRO version
ii. Amber … available in PRO version
iii. Amber with … available in PRO version
iv. Amber with … available in PRO version
v. Amber with … available in PRO version
36. Hemoptysis, Amber with … available in PRO version
37. Bleeding of the Stomach, Amber with … available in PRO version
38. Hematuria:
i. Amber powder … available in PRO version
ii. Amber with … available in PRO version

Urinary:

Other

45. Phthisis, Lung Ulcers:
i. Amber … available in PRO version
ii. Amber, … available in PRO version
46. Spleen weakness, Amber with … available in PRO version

Major Formulas:

Powder of Amber (Unani)
Troches of Amber (Galen)
Troches of Amber (Trochisci de Succino) (Mesue)
Warming Pearl Powder (Diamargariton Calidum) (Mesue)
Warming Powder of Gems (Mesue)
Powder of Coral and Amber (Gabelhover)
Powder of Crabs Claw (Countess of Kents Powder)
Powder of Haly (Haly)
Powder of Lord George of Elt (Gabelhover)
Powder of Optimal Nutrition (Nicholas)
Powder of Rose and Hematite
Powder Against Abortion (France)
Powder Against Apoplexy
Powder Against Incontinence
Powder to Cool the Heart
Powder to Promote Menstruation (Riverius)
Powder to Strengthen the Heart (Wirtzung)
Powder to Suppress Hemorrhage (Unani)
Powder to Warm the Heart
Powder for After-pains (Midwife to the Queen of France)
Powder for Apoplexy (Wirtenberg)
Powder for Bleeding from the Stomach (Serapion)
Powder for Bruises (Lemery)
Powder for Childhood Epilepsy (Riverius)
Powder for Childhood Convulsions
Powder for Excess Menstruation (Serapion)

Cautions:

1. Not used for Deficient Heat (Heat from Yin deficiency). However, combining with Pearl will correct this.
2. Some Chinese texts warn to avoid overdose or excessive consumption.
3. Studies on the allergenicity of Baltic amber.

Drug Interactions:

Amber could potentiate sedative effect of sedatives and barbituates.

Main Preparations used:

Spirit, Oil, Tincture etc.

Extra Info
History
Research
Comment

Salmon, Seplasium:
“It is called Chashemal and Chashemalah in Hebrew; Electron in Greek; Succinum, Ambra, Electrum, Carabe in Latin; in English, Amber.

‘It is found on the shores of Denmark, Finland, Lativa, Germany and elsewhere, especially from the Baltic sea. It is sometimes found in pieces the size of a man’s head. Pliny spoke of a piece weighing 13 lbs being brought to Rome.’

GENERAL / REVIEW:
–Amber
–Amber: the organic gemstone
–Amber, a stone of sun for ancient medicines
–Baltic Bernstein amber. Its use in medicine, historical review and current prospects.
–Baltic amber teething necklaces: could succinic acid leaching from beads provide anti-inflammatory effects?
–BALTIC AMBER IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE OF TIME, GDAŃSK, 18 MARCH 2016
–An outline of the history of research on succinic acid in Baltic amber
–The Chemistry of Amber – Facts, Findings and Opinions
–Amber in antiquity
–Amber from the Baltic
ANTI-BACTERIAL
–Effect of Succinic Acid on Elimination of Salmonella in Chicken Meat
–Bioactivity of Baltic amber–fossil resin
–Antibacterial activity and GC-MS analysis of baltic amber against pathogenic bacteria
ANTIPHLOGISTIC
–Bioactivity of Baltic amber–fossil resin
ANTIOXIDANT
–Bioactivity of Baltic amber–fossil resin
CHOLESTEROL
–Effect of jian yan ling on serum lipids, apoprotein and lipoprotein-a
LIPOLYTIC
–Amber extract reduces lipid content in mature 3t3-l1 adipocytes by activating the lipolysis pathway
SEDATIVE
–Exploratory cortex metabolic profiling revealed the sedative effect of amber in pentylenetetrazole-induced epilepsy-like mice
ANTISTRESS
–Stress Buffering and Longevity Effects of Amber Extract on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)
LONGEVITY PROMOTING
–Stress Buffering and Longevity Effects of Amber Extract on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans)
NEUROPROTECTIVE
–Protective Effect of Amber Extract on Human Dopaminergic Cells against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Neurotoxicity
CARDIOPROTECTIVE
–Protective effect of succinic acid on primary cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation injury
ANTI-HYPERTENSIVE
–Fumaric acid and succinic acid treat gestational hypertension by downregulating the expression of KCNMB1 and TET1
ANTI-THROMBOTIC
–Anti‐Thrombotic Effect of a Novel Formula from Corni Fructus with Malic Acid, Succinic Acid and Citric Acid
ENCEPHALOPATHY
–Effect of silimarin, succinic acid, and their combination on bioenergetics of the brain in experimental encephalopathy
ENZYME INHIBITION
–Succinic acid inhibits the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes
EFFECT ON IRON ABSORPTION
–Effect of succinic acid on iron absorption.
DIABETES
–Effects of silymarin (hepatoprotector) and succinic acid (bioenergy regulator) on metabolic disorders in experimental diabetes mellitus
–Succinic Acid Treatmentof Diabetic Ketosis
–Oleic Acid and Succinic Acid Synergistically Mitigate Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.
INHIBITS COLONIC CELL PROLIFERATION
–Inhibitory effect of succinic acid on epithelial cell proliferation of colonic mucosa in rats
CANCER.
–The apoptotic efficacy of succinic acid on renal cancer cell lines
–InáVitro Inhibitory Effect of Succinic Acid on T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Lines
–A new target for the treatment of endometrium cancer by succinic acid
–The Role of Succinic Acid Metabolism in Ovarian Cancer.
–Succinate in the cancer-immune cycle.
COSMETIC
–Study of the structure and cosmetic properties of Baltic amber

Succinum, Amber, Hu Po 琥珀

Hu Po (TCM)Kahruba (Unani)Trinakanta, Kaharva (Ayurveda)Sbur len སྦུར་ལེན་ (Tibet)

Mineralogical name:

Parts Used:

Temperature & Taste:

Properties:

Constituents:

Classifications:

Uses:

1. Calms the Mind and Spirit, Calms Fright: (TCM, West)

2. Strengthens the Brain and Nerves: (TCM, West)

3. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Benefits the Womb: (TCM, West)

4. Moves the Blood, Clears Blood Stasis: (TCM, West)

5. Stops Bleeding: (TCM, West)

6. Benefits Kidneys, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones: (TCM, West)

7. Benefits the Lungs, Stops Cough and Wheezing: (TCM, West)

8. Strengthens the Stomach and Bowels:

9. Externally:

Dose:

Correctives:

Substitutes:

Adulterants:

Preparation:

Comment:

Main Combinations:

Head, Brain, Spirit:

Heart:

Fever, Epidemic Disease:

Gynecology:

Obstetrics:

Move the Blood:

Bleeding:

Urinary:

Other

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

Drug Interactions:

Main Preparations used:

Hu Po (TCM)
Kahruba (Unani)
Trinakanta, Kaharva (Ayurveda)
Sbur len སྦུར་ལེན་ (Tibet)