Aloe (Irregular block shape, new is brownish-green, new is loose, brittle and easily broken, melts into liquid when heated, old is angular, difficult to break, old is dull and has a foul odor)
Calcined Aloe
【Naming】
【Source】
Song Kaibao
【Commonly Used Degree】
D
【Botanical Origin】
It is the dried product of concentrated liquid from the leaves of Aloe vera L., Aloe ferox Mill, or Aloe barbadensis L. var. chinensis Berger of the Liliaceae family.
【Characteristics】
(1) Old Aloe: Also known as liver-colored Aloe. It is made from the concentrated liquid of the plant Aloe vera. The commercial product is in irregular blocks, often fractured into polygonal shapes of varying sizes. Dark reddish-brown or coffee-brown, inferior products are brownish-black and have no luster. Does not melt when heated. Light and hard in texture, not easily broken. The fracture surface is flat, waxy, and has no luster. Has an unpleasant odor and an extremely bitter taste.
(2) New Aloe: Also known as transparent Aloe. It is made from the concentrated liquid of the plant Aloe ferox. The commercial product is brownish-black with a greenish tinge. Light, loose, and brittle, easily broken. The fracture surface is smooth and has a glassy luster. The powder is greenish-yellow, and powder appears on the surface when the blocks are rubbed together. Has a very distinct sour odor, a bitter and emetic taste. Highly viscous, easily melts into a liquid when heated, otherwise the same as old Aloe.
【Identification】
“[True aloe] is like black tin, and the one that is bitter and green is genuine.” (Ben Cao Qiu Zhen). “The superior product is black and lustrous, fine-grained and hard in texture, green and bitter.” (Liang Lie Jian Bie).
Good quality aloe has a strong odor, dissolves in water without impurities or sediment.
【Category】
Other Category