Dit da jow (Jyutping: dit3 daa2 zau2; pinyin: DiÃÂ dÃÂ jiÃÂ) is a common Chinese liniment used as traditional medicine in the belief it can reduce the pain from external injuries.
Dit da jow thought to be an analgesic liniment preferred by martial artists is made from herbs put in a glass or polyethylene terephthalate plastic jar and mixed with an alcohol, such as rice wine or yellow wine.
The herbs and other ingredients are typically coarse-ground, then steeped in alcohol (vodka or rice wine is common), sometimes with heat, and then aged.
The 2020 Edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists one "Feng Liaoxing's Medicated Liquor for Arthritis and Dieda" (). It is a baijiu extract of the following ingredients (amounts given for 10-kilogram batch of baijiu):
In traditional Chinese medicine language, its functionality is described as the following by the Pharmacopoeia: <blockquote> ç¥Âé£Âé¤湿ï¼Âæ´»è¡Âæ¢çÂÂãÂÂç¨äºÂé£Âå¯Â湿ç¹ï¼ÂæÂÂ足麻æ¨ï¼Âè °è ¿é ¸çÂÂï¼Âè·ÂæÂÂæÂÂ伤ï¼ÂçÂÂæ»Âè¿çÂÂãÂÂ<br> Dispel wind and eliminate dampness, activate blood and stop pain. Used for wind-cold-dampness impediment, numbness in hands and feet, soreness and pain in waist and legs; for fall and impact injuries, stasis, swelling and pain. </blockquote>
Amounts are given for oral and topical use.
This medicated liquor dates to the 17th century. It is listed in Guangdong's provincial list of intangible cultural heritages.
Traditional recipes may include:
Some recipes instead use ingredients more readily available, such as:
Detailed information on the bioactive components of dit da jow is limited, with formulations varying widely. One report stated the components vary considerably with brand and age, but those found included acetic acid, acetoglyceride, columbianetin, coumarin, rhododendrol, vanillin, chrysophanic acid, and salicylic acid.