Tiger Balm
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Tiger Balm (Chinese: 虎標萬金油; pinyin: Hǔbiao Wànjīnyóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hó͘-phiau Bān-kim-iû) is the trade name for a heat rub manufactured and distributed by Haw Par Healthcare in Singapore.
History
It was originally developed in the 1870s by an herbalist, Aw Chu Kin, in Rangoon, Burma, who asked his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par on his deathbed to perfect the product.[1]
Originally named for containing tiger bone, an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine dating back 1,500 years to treat pain, inflammation and to strengthen muscle,[2] [not specific enough to verify] [page needed] Tiger Balm now consists purely of herbal ingredients. Tiger Balm is available in several varieties, the 'cold' Tiger Balm White (which is recommended for use with headaches) and the 'hot' Tiger Balm Red. There is also another version called Tiger Balm Ultra.[citation needed]
From the notes that accompany Tiger Balm:
Tiger Balm is made from a secret herbal formulation that dates back to the times of the Chinese emperors. The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, inherited the formulation from their herbalist father who left China. They call it Tiger Balm, after Boon Haw, (whose name in Chinese meant "Tiger") who was instrumental in devising the remarkable selling strategies that made Tiger Balm a household name in many East and South Eastern Asian countries today.[citation needed]
Composition
| Ingredient[3] | Red | White |
|---|---|---|
| Menthol | 10% | 8% |
| Camphor | 11% | 11% |
| Dementholised mint oil | 6% | 16% |
| Cajuput oil | 7% | 13% |
| Clove bud oil | 5% | 1.5% |
| Cassia oil | 5% |
The remainder is a petroleum jelly and paraffin base.
The original Tiger Balm Red and Tiger Balm White have 25% of Camphor.[4] A new product named Tiger Balm White HR uses Eucalyptus oil instead of Cajuput oil.[4]
Uses
Tiger Balm is claimed to relieve the following ailments:[5] [unreliable medical source?]
- Headache Rub on temples to relieve pain.
- Myalgia muscular pains.
- Migraines and headaches of light intensity to moderate.
- Mosquito bites: to relieve the itch.
- Cough: to release the respiratory voices, in application on the chest and the back.
- Stomach ache: rub on stomach to relieve upset stomach.
- Nasal congestion: place a gob under the nostrils.
- Interstitial Cystitis: cut to size, placed just above the pubic bone, can moderate pain enough to allow patients to sleep better.
Popular culture
In the James Bond novel Role of Honour, authored by John Gardner in the 1980s, one of the villain's henchmen whom Bond faces is named Tigerbalm.
Tiger Balm is mentioned in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.[citation needed] It is also mentioned in the novel For the Win.[citation needed]
Gerard Depardieu was reported to have instructed Robert DeNiro how to use Tiger Balm and water to solve an erection problem while shooting a scene for Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 in 1977.[6]
The song "Love Love Love" by The Mountain Goats mentions that Sonny Liston would rub Tiger Balm onto his gloves. [7]
In "Home Insecurity," an episode of The Venture Bros., villain Baron Ünderbheit discovers his trusted henchmen have betrayed him, and thus forces them into resignation. They are presented with Tiger Balm as a seemingly amicable parting gift, though it turns out to be an omen for Ünderbheit's retaliation for their betrayal, subsequently revealed to be "tiger bombs."
Tiger Balm is sometimes used in the context of BDSM sexual activities to intensify sensation.[citation needed]
In the UK drama, "Whitechapel", DI Joseph Chandler rubs Tiger Balm on his temple's to relieve headaches.
See also
References
- ^ Tiger Balm: Heritage, retrieved 2009-09-30
- ^ Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine
- ^ Tiger Balm information
- ^ a b Tiger Balm shop
- ^ http://tiger.the-balm.com/uses.htm
- ^ http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/09/13/15334891-wenn-story.html
- ^ http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858542473/