Garden Balsam Seed Classic Formulas … Natural Herb Library

Primary Actions

Breaks blood and softens hardness ... Ji Xing Zi is used for amenorrhea, fixed abdominal masses, and stasis-type pain where obstruction needs to be dispersed rather than merely soothed.
Dissipates stasis and resolves swelling ... traditional use extends to hard nodules, scrofula, and toxic external swellings, often with topical application.
Acts as a forceful specialty seed rather than a gentle garden remedy ... despite the ornamental source plant, the medicinal seed is regarded as warm, blood-moving, and slightly toxic.

Ji Xing Zi with San Leng and E Zhu ... traditional mass-dispersing logic for blood stasis with hard abdominal accumulation.
Topical Ji Xing Zi powder with vinegar or oil ... a classic external approach for hard nodules, scrofula, and swollen painful lesions.
Amenorrhea-oriented combinations with Tao Ren and Hong Hua ... used when menstrual obstruction reflects blood stasis rather than deficiency alone.

TCM Wiki describes Ji Xing Zi as pungent, bitter, warm, and slightly toxic, entering the Liver, Lung, and Kidney to break blood, soften hardness, dissipate stasis, and resolve swelling.
Traditional directions commonly keep internal dosage modest and allow stronger external use for hard swellings and nodules.
Because the herb breaks blood and moves downward, classical use is intentionally more guarded than for ordinary food-medicine seeds.