This product is the dried secretion from the mature male scent glands of the forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii Flerov), the alpine musk deer (M. sifanicus Przewalski), or the Siberian musk deer (M. moschiferus Linnaeus). It is mainly produced in Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and other regions. Wild musk deer are typically hunted from winter to early spring. After hunting, the scent glands are removed and dried in the shade, commonly referred to as "hairy musk." When used, the scent gland is opened, and the glandular shell is removed, leaving the musk kernel. For artificially bred musk deer, surgical methods are often used to directly extract the musk kernel from the scent gland, which is then dried in the shade. This product should be stored in a sealed container, protected from light.

Recent studies have shown that civet oil can be extracted from the small Indian civet (Viverricula indica Desmarest.), which has similar effects to musk and can be used both externally and internally. Additionally, synthetic musk, which has nearly identical properties and functions to natural musk, is now widely used in clinical settings as a substitute for natural musk, addressing the shortage of natural resources.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, warm, act on heart and spleen channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Resuscitation, invigorating the blood to unblock meridians, relieving pain, and inducing labor.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for syndrome/pattern of obstruction unconsciousness. Musk is pungent and warm, with an extremely fragrant aroma and a strong dispersing nature, possessing a powerful effect of opening orifices and unblocking blockages to revive consciousness. It is a key medicinal for reviving consciousness and restoring alertness, most suitable for syndrome/pattern of obstruction unconsciousness, whether due to cold block or heat block, it is effective in both cases. For treating warm disease with heat invading the pericardium, phlegm-heat clouding the heart orifice, infantile convulsion, and apoplexy phlegm syncope, etc., which are heat block unconsciousness, it is often combined with medicinals Cow-Bezoar, borneol, Cinnabar, etc., to form cooling-opening formulas, such as Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar Pill, Supreme Treasured Pill, Cow-Bezoar Dragon-Embracing Pill, etc.; for treating apoplexy with sudden unconsciousness, attack of noxious factor with chest and abdominal distension and fullness pain, etc., which are cold turbidity or phlegm-dampness blocking qi movement and clouding mental activity, it is often combined with medicinals Storax, sandalwood, benzoin, etc., to form warming-opening formulas, such as Styrax Pill.
2. Used for sores and ulcers, swelling and pain in the throat, this product is pungent and fragrant, dispersing and moving, with a good effect of invigorating blood to dissipate bindings and subduing swelling to relieve pain, effective both internally and externally. For treating sores and ulcers, it is often used with Realgar, frankincense, myrrh, namely Wake-Up Subsiding Pill, or with Cow-Bezoar, frankincense, myrrh; for treating swelling and pain in the throat, it can be combined with Cow-Bezoar, Toad Venom, pearl, etc., such as Miraculous Pill of Six Ingredients.
3. Used for blood stasis amenorrhea, abdominal mass, sudden pain in the heart and abdomen, traumatic injury, wind-cold-dampness impediment, etc. This product is pungent and fragrant, opening and dispersing, can move blood stasis, open meridian blockages, to unblock meridians, dissipate bindings, and relieve pain, once a week, two weeks as a course, with satisfactory results; for treating Bi disease pain, stubborn and unhealed, it can be used with Pubescent Angelica, Chinese Clematis Root, Chinese Taxillus Herb, etc., wind-damp-dispelling medicinals.
4. Used for difficult delivery, dead fetus, retention of placenta. This product invigorates the blood to unblock meridians, has the effect of promoting delivery and expelling the fetus. Often used with Cassia Bark as a powder, such as Zhangshi Yitong Xiang Gui San; also used with musk and Abnormal Chinese Honeylocust Fruit, Snakegourd Root, made into pills with scallion juice. Applied externally for effect, such as the early abortion pill in "Hebei Medical Collection".
5. In addition, modern clinical reports have shown that oral administration of artificial musk tablets or use of artificial musk aerosol for treating heart colicky pain has achieved good results: musk heart colicky pain ointment made from musk, Abnormal Chinese Honeylocust Fruit, Dahurian Angelica, etc., applied to the painful area of the precordium and the Xinshu acupoint, changed every 24 hours, for treating coronary heart disease and heart colicky pain, using musk injection subcutaneously for treating vitiligo, both have shown significant effects; using musk embedding or musk injection for treating liver cancer and tumors of the esophagus, stomach, rectum, and other digestive tracts, can improve symptoms and increase appetite; for paralysis in poliomyelitis, it also has a certain therapeutic effect.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Mainly dispels malign qi... warm malaria, parasitic toxins, epilepsy, and eliminates three types of parasites."
2. Bielu: "Attacks noxious factors, sudden severe pain and distension in the heart and abdomen, stuffiness and fullness, wind toxin, difficult delivery in women, early abortion, removes facial blemishes, and films in the eyes."
3. Bencao Gangmu: "Unblocks all orifices, opens meridians, penetrates muscles and bones, resolves alcohol toxicity, disperses food accumulation from melons and fruits, treats apoplexy, middle qi, attack of noxious factors, phlegm syncope, and abdominal mass." "Musk moves swiftly, able to unblock all orifices that are not functioning properly, opens the obstruction of meridians. For various wind disorders, qi disorders, blood disorders, pain, fright epilepsy, and other diseases where meridians are blocked and orifices are not functioning properly, how can one not use it as a guide to open and unblock them? It is not that it cannot be used, but it should not be overused."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Take 0.06-0.1g in pill or powder form each time. Apply an appropriate amount externally. Not suitable for decoction.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Pregnant women should avoid use.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

The main aromatic components of this product are musk ketone, nitrogen-containing compounds, cholesterol, fatty acids, and inorganic salts. Small doses of musk and musk ketone have an excitatory effect on the central nervous system, while large doses can inhibit it. It can significantly reduce cerebral edema, increase the tolerance of the central nervous system to hypoxia, and improve cerebral circulation. It has an excitatory effect on the isolated heart, increasing coronary blood flow. Both artificial and natural musk ketone have the effect of raising blood pressure and increasing respiratory rate in anesthetized cats. Musk has a significant excitatory effect on both isolated and in situ uterus, with the latter being more sensitive, and the pregnant uterus being more sensitive than the non-pregnant uterus. Diluted musk tincture can inhibit Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio cholerae in vitro. It has anti-inflammatory effects. This product shows inhibitory effects on tumor cells in tissue homogenate culture media of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, colorectal cancer, and bladder cancer, with stronger effects at higher concentrations.