The symbolic meaning of these gifts from the three wise men or magi or kings can be explained to a representative of the Christian community. TCM specialists see the meaning of these gifts in their many medicinal benefits. Frankincense and myrrh are not original to China. They were imported by traders from the Near East, India, East Africa and Arabia.
Krippe bei der Kirche San Giorgio, Carona, Tessin
But what about gold? After all, you can't eat it. Or can you? Gold leaf as shards in alcoholic drinks or as gold dust on desserts or as a decadent wrapping on a steak (hello Franck Ribéry!) is edible and listed on the list of additives as number E175. But it is indigestible.
In Western medicine, gold therapies were commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (= chronic polyarthritis) until some time ago.
One interpretation of the gift of gold is that it could have been turmeric, which was regarded as the gold of the Orient due to its excellent medicinal properties.
Are you interested in the medicinal use of frankincense and myrrh? Our Compleweb tool contains the information you need:
At www.compleweb.ch you will find the basic information on all the products in the compendium , as described in the standard textbooks.
Die Basisinformation zu Weihrauch im Kompendium auf www.compleweb.ch
The two resins look similar and confusion is common, as is deliberate deception.
Myrrhe (links) und Weihrauch (rechts): zum Verwechseln ähnlich
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia specifies Boswellia sacra (synonyms: Boswellia carterii, Boswellia bhaw-dajiana) as the parent plant for frankincense (Ru Xiang, Olibanum, Frankincense). However, it is doubtful whether the merchandise always corresponded to this parent plant. As the resin is imported from distant countries, its true identity may not have been readily recognisable to TCM specialists in China, at least in the past. Today's Western phytopharmaceutical companies are also dependent on reliable suppliers. Frankincense products are also offered in abundance on the Internet, and it is doubtful whether some suppliers are properly identified and qualified.
Complemedis commissioned the Phytax laboratory www.phytax.ch to analyse frankincense products. Complemedis suspected that many products did not correspond to what the label claimed.
The experts at Phytax clarified a number of things:
According to specialist literature, there are 24 types of Boswellia. In the medical field, the two species Boswellia serrata and Boswellia sacra are mentioned most frequently.
Boswellia serrata is commonly referred to as Indian frankincense, Boswellia sacra as Arabian.
Boswellia serrata has several synonyms: Boswellia glabra, Boswellia hirsuta and others.
Boswellia sacra is also known synonymously as Boswellia carterii and Boswellia bhaw-dajiana.
The boswellic acids, which are known as resin acids, are considered important in the medical field. Boswellia species also contain essential oils and mucilage.
In 2023, the Phytax laboratory presented a 141-page report covering all aspects of the identification and qualification of frankincense and can therefore recommend itself as a reference laboratory for this topic.
Assessing the quality of a batch of frankincense begins with a macroscopic examination. The time of harvest is indicated by the colour. The first harvest is darker in colour than a later one, which has historically been regarded as an inferior product.
verschiedene Arten und Qualitäten von Boswellia
This is followed by a so-called organoleptic test, in which a distinction is made between taste and odour.
This is followed by microscopic examination with the aid of various reagents, which allow certain structures to be better recognised.
The analysis continues with thin-layer chromatography, in which the coloured bands indicate certain ingredients in terms of their position on the running strip and their intensity.
Dünnschichtchromatogramme von verschiedenen Boswelliaarten
In the next step, things get really expensive: the HPLC method is used to record the suspected ingredients more precisely and measure them quantitatively. A few milligrams of reference substances cost hundreds of francs and are only sufficient for a few samples. Added to this are hundreds of francs for the so-called columns in which the sample runs and these also only have a short lifespan. With the money for an HPLC device without the above-mentioned consumables, you could buy a sleek sports car in the six-figure price segment. The annual maintenance of the HPLC device is similar to that of a luxury car.
Eine typische HPLC-Kurve
Die Auswertung von HPLC-Kurven
Aus Hunderten von Stunden Untersuchungen kann sich die Crew von Phytax nun interessierten Kreisen anbieten, ihre Weihrauchprodukte qualifizieren zu lassen. Phytax-Analysenzertifikate sind weltweit anerkannt.
Boswellic acids of the beta type are considered by Western pharmacologists to be effective anti-inflammatory ingredients that are used to treat rheumatic processes, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma and skin problems. Boswellia is apparently able to reduce cerebral oedema in brain tumours. TCM is known to mention other indications, such as its calming effect.
The pharmacologically active ingredients are found in different concentrations in the many boswellia species, but not only that, they also vary depending on when the resin is harvested. The first harvest is considered to be of inferior quality and the last one of particularly high quality.
Due to all these facts, it is difficult to determine which type of incense product is offered on the market.
From a TCM perspective, focussing solely on a maximum content of beta-boswellic acids contradicts the holistic approach of TCM, which focuses on the totality of the ingredients and their interactions in a plant.
It has been observed that frankincense resin has not only been confused or mixed with myrrh, but also with other resins such as styrax, the resin of Liquidambar orientalis (Su He Xiang) or amber = amber (Hu Po) and the latter has been replaced by cheap rosin (violin resin). (violin resin).
Styrax – auch Benzoeharz genannt. Sowohl in der TCM als auch als Räucherharz im Einsatz
Amber – Hu Po – Bernstein: fossilisiertes Harz. Gute (= reine) Qualität von Bernstein schwimmt im (Meer-)Wasser.
Geigenharz – Kolophonium
By the way: the supplier of the resin Styrax, Liquidamber orientalis is not also the supplier of Fructus Liquidambaris (Lu Lu Tong) used in TCM.
Lu Lu Tong – Fructus Liquidambaris. Sieht ähnlich aus wie Platanenfrüchte, aber botanisch nicht mit diesen verwandt.
Lu Lu Tong supplies Liquidambar formosana. A third type of amber tree is the American amber tree: In Switzerland, the American amber tree (LIquidambar styraciflua) is often planted as an ornamental tree. It tolerates cold, wetness, heat and drought well and is likely to become even more common in the future as the climate warms up. To the untrained eye, it appears to be a maple because of its leaves. There are only four species of amber trees (Liquidambar), but there are many varieties of the American amber tree, namely around 35.
Amerikanischer Amberbaum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Now I wish you the best of luck that you win today, Epiphany, and that you can steer the course of the world in a positive direction for at least one day in the role of Queen or King.
Krippe bei der Kirche San Giorgio, Carona, Tessin
Severin Bühlmann
6 January 2024
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