Chinese Ash (Fraxinus chinensis, also known as "Qin Pi" in Traditional Chinese Medicine) has historically been used in Chinese herbal medicine. One of its documented traditional indications is for "clearing heat," "drying dampness," and "resolving toxicity," which in TCM terminology can be associated with conditions like abscesses, dysentery, and certain inflammatory disorders.

The use of Chinese Ash for abscesses is thus rooted in traditional practice rather than modern scientific evidence. It is often included in classical herbal formulas intended to treat "sores" or "toxic swellings," which may correspond to skin abscesses or infections. The bark is the part most commonly used, and it is thought to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and astringent properties according to TCM theory.

However, while there are some in vitro and animal studies indicating that extracts from Fraxinus chinensis may possess anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial activity, these findings are preliminary and not specifically targeted at abscesses in clinical settings. To date, there is little to no robust clinical evidence in the biomedical literature to validate its efficacy for this purpose. Thus, its use for abscesses today is justified by tradition, with a low-to-moderate level of evidence primarily derived from historical and ethnobotanical sources.