Making Chinese Liniment : Ingredients and Processes

Making Chinese Liniment : Ingredients and Processes
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In this article, we shall look at the process of making Chinese liniment specifically Dit Da Jow liniment and Tiger Balm liniment.

Dit Da Jow Liniment

Part of the kung fu self-defense training involves the preparation of a liniment to relieve aches and sore muscles resulting from intense physical activity. The liniment is made out of herbs and plants well-known in traditional Chinese medicine for their healing properties.

Among the liniment that is popular is the Dit Da Jow liniment also known as Hit or Strike lotion. Its main purpose is to alleviate pain and improve blood flow in `tender’ areas thus improving energy level.

The liniment is applied on sore and bruised parts and rubbed in a circular motion for maximum effect.

Herbs Needed

Among the ingredients useful for making this Chinese liniment are frankincense, gardenia, dragon’s blood (a type of red tree sap), myrrh, rhubarb, camphor, polygala, angelica tail, lycopi, and pinellia temata, among others.

In addition, you would need Chinese rice wine. If you can’t get hold of that, you could make do with vodka of average quality. Also get ready a glass bottle with a rubber or cork stopper.

Bear in mind that there are variations in the ingredients and the above should only be used as a guide. If there’s a traditional Chinese medicine shop in the neighborhood, you could consult the resident practitioner on other relevant herbs you could add to the recipe. Be sure to mention what kind of use you would be putting the liniment to or what kind of relief you expect from it.

Preparation Steps

After consultation with a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, get about 9 to 10 of the ingredients listed above.

Place about 12 grams of the listed herbs in the glass bottle. Add about three liters of rice wine into it. If you’re using vodka, then you should use slightly over 2 liters. Done with this, you should turn the bottle over several times.

Once satisfied that the items are mixed well, you should store the bottle in a cool and dark place. Don’t also forget to take out the bottle and turn it over at least once a month.

Storage time should range from three months to a year. The longer you store the concoction, the more potent it would be.

When using the Dit Da Jow liniment, you should be careful that it doesn’t come into contact with new clothing. Stains caused by the liniment would be difficult to remove. Cleaning up the liniment should be done with old cloth which you won’t mind disposing after use.

Tiger Balm Liniment

This is a liniment popular in the East and quite well-known in the West. Historical sources point to the Siberian birch tree as an `inspiration’ for the liniment. The birch tree oil combined with camphor formed a liniment to relieve muscular aches.

Tiger Balm is a variation of this formula and uses methyl salicylate, camphor crystals and petroleum jelly. Making this Chinese liniment isn’t difficult if you follow the process outlined below.

Selecting Oils

You would need the following oils

15 ml of camphor oil

5 ml of lavender oil

8 ml of peppermint oil

20 ml of almond oil

7 ml of eucalyptus oil

45 ml of winter green oil

Alternatively, you could choose the following ingredients to prepare Tiger Balm:

25 ml of methyl salicylate

5 g of menthol crystals

10 ml of eucalyptus oil

5 g of lavender oil

45 ml of paraffin oil

Preparation

The first step is mixing the oils. Once the oils have been blended, you should melt 100 grams of acid-free petroleum jelly (Vaseline) by placing it in a glass container in a pan of hot water.

Once the Vaseline melts, place it in a pan of cold water. When the Vaseline starts to solidify, add 20 ml of the oil mixture and stir until it cools down. You’ll soon have your own Tiger Balm.

References

https://www.acumed.com/liniment/ditda/index.htm - preparation of Dit Da Jow liniment

https://www.taichi-london.com/en/tai-chi-glossary/details/?proj=173 – preparation of Tiger Balm liniment

Disclaimer

Please read this disclaimer regarding the information contained within this article.