Quick Facts
| Latin Name | Borneolum Syntheticum |
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| Chinese Name & Pinyin | 冰片 · Bing Pian |
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| Medicinal Part | Others |
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| Efficacy Category | Orifice-opening |
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| Botanical Origin | A processed product produced from the combination of turpentine and camphor. |
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| Nature & Flavour | Acrid, Bitter; Slightly cold |
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| Channels Entered | Heart, Spleen, Lung |
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What Is Bing Pian?
Bing Pian (Borneol) is a medicinal herb of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Primarily produced in Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Tianjin.
Nature & Flavour: Acrid, Bitter; Slightly cold
Channels Entered: Heart, Spleen, Lung
Bing Pian: Materia Medica Profile
Identification & Quality Standard
Borneolum Syntheticum
Botanical Origin
A processed product produced from the combination of turpentine and camphor.
Production Regions
Primarily produced in Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Tianjin.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is large, white, loose brittle, clear aroma odor.
Macroscopic Features
Colorless transparent or white translucent flakes of loose, brittle crystals. Clear aroma; taste acrid and cool; volatile, emits dense smoke when burned and produced a bright flame. It easily dissolves in alcohol, chloroform or ether, rarely in water. Melting point is 205~210℃. Mei hua bing pian: Transclucent plum flower-like flakes or lump crystals, thus called ‘mei pian’. 0.1~0.7cm diameter, about 0.1cm thick, off-white to pale grayish-brown, clear aroma; taste is clean and cool, melts slowly when chewed. No black smoke or rare black smoke is emitted when burned.
Traditional TCM Properties
Acrid, Bitter; Slightly coldHeartSpleenLung
Traditional Functions
Opens the orifices, arouses the spirit, clears heat and relives pain. Dizziness due to heat, syncope, wind stroke and phlegm syncope, stagnation of qi and irascible syncope, coma, red eye, aphtha, swelling throat and pain, purulent ear.
How Bing Pian Is Used in TCM
In the Chinese materia medica, Bing Pian is classified among the Orifice-opening herbs. It appears in 1 classical formulas in our library.
Formulas containing Bing Pian are traditionally used for:
FeverHeadacheAnxiety RestlessnessPoor Sleep Quality
Classical Formulas Containing Bing Pian
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bing Pian? Are musk and natural borneol the same?
Official Bing Pian (冰片) is mostly synthetic borneol processed from turpentine and camphor. The pharmacopoeial name is Borneolum Syntheticum. Natural borneol comes from a different source. She Xiang is acrid-warm: opens the orifices, arouses the spirit, moves Blood and frees the channels. The three cannot be interchanged by equal weight. Write Bing Pian. Use caution or avoid in pregnancy.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Bing Pian?
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Bing Pian is acrid, bitter and slightly cold, enters the Heart, Spleen and Lung channels, and acts to open the orifices, arouse the spirit, clear heat and stop pain. It is used for heat disease with loss of consciousness, convulsions, wind-stroke with phlegm syncope, sudden qi-constraint syncope, malignant syncope, chest bi with heart pain, red eyes, mouth sores, swollen painful throat, and ear discharge. Acrid-bitter and slightly cold, it suits heat block—not cold block without heat, or Spleen-Stomach yang vacuity.
How do you choose synthetic versus natural borneol? Can She Xiang replace it?
Synthetic borneol is commonly used and has clear heat-clearing and pain-stopping force. Natural borneol has a purer aroma and is costly. Musk is acrid-warm and leans to cold block with moving Blood; it cannot replace clearing heat in heat block by equal weight. Commercial borneol lozenges are not equal-weight pieces.
Learn More About Bing Pian
Explore our in-depth article covering the traditional uses, properties, functions, and TCM context of Bing Pian.
Read the Bing Pian Guide →
Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.
