《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 17

Baiwei lily (Veratrum) tastes pungent and bitter and is cold in nature; it is slightly cold and toxic. It is mainly used to treat gu poison, coughing with rebellious Qi, diarrhea, dysentery, intestinal discharge of pus and blood, sores and swellings on the head, itching from scabies and ringworm, and various malignant sores. It can eliminate many kinds of gu poison and remove necrotic flesh. It also treats hiccups, painful throat swelling that obstructs the passage, nasal polyps, and ulcerated, swollen lymph nodes in the armpits. Baiwei lily is not taken as a decoction.

Baiwei lily is also called Congran and Congtan. It grows in the valleys around Mount Tai. Its roots are dug up in the third month and dried in the shade.

In compounding, Coptis harmonizes with baiwei lily. Baiwei lily is incompatible with asarum, peony, and the five ginsengs, and should not be used with rhubarb.

Tao Hongjing says: “Baiwei lily can also be found everywhere near the capital. The lower part of its root closely resembles an onion, but bears many hairs. When using it, take only the root and lightly toast it.”

Su Yuxi and others, citing the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, state: “The leaves of baiwei lily resemble those of turmeric, Qin glue, or Chinese ginger; its root resembles gentian, and many hairs grow at the base of its stem. It grows in summer and withers in winter.”

False hellebore grows throughout mountain valleys. Gather its roots in the eighth month and dry them in the shade.

Mr. Wu says: False hellebore is also called Congkui, Fenglu, and Huikui. Shennong and Leigong say it tastes acrid and is poisonous; Qibo says it tastes salty and is poisonous; Ji says it is highly toxic and very cold in nature; and Bian Que says it tastes bitter and is poisonous. Its leaves are large, and its small roots grow interconnected.

Fan Zi says: False hellebore grows in Hedong. The best quality has roots that are yellowish white.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances says: False hellebore is a potent medicine and highly poisonous. It can treat Qi rising counter to its proper course and disperse accumulations. It also treats pus and blood that persist for years, diarrhea, aversion to wind, sores, scabies, ringworm, and baldness, and it can kill parasites.

The Illustrated Classic says: False hellebore grows in the mountain valleys of Mount Tai. Today it is also found in the prefectures of southern Shaanxi and in the eastern and western circuits. Gather its young shoots in the third month. The leaves are green, like the newly emerging central leaves of a palm, or like plantain. The stalk resembles a scallion white and is greenish purple. It grows five or six cun tall and is covered on the outside by a black skin like that of the loropetalum. The flowers are flesh red. The roots resemble horse intestines, are about four or five cun long, and are yellowish white. Gather the roots in the second or third month and dry them in the shade.

There are two kinds of false hellebore. One is called water false hellebore. Its stalks and leaves are much the same, but it grows on rocks in streams near the water’s edge. It has more than a hundred rootlets and is not suitable for medicinal use. The kind now used in medicine is scallion white false hellebore, which has few rootlets, only twenty or thirty. The best quality grows on high mountains. Local people in Junzhou also call it “deer scallion.”

This medicine can induce violent vomiting. It is used for phlegm caused by wind above the diaphragm, hidden wind, epilepsy, and asthma in children. The text says that taking one-seventh of a qian causes violent vomiting. Some people also use it to open the nose and make the patient sneeze. However, the Materia Medica of Past and Present says it can treat retching, though its precise effects are unclear. Daylily is also now called “deer scallion,” but the two plants are entirely different, as are their therapeutic uses.

Leigong says: After gathering false hellebore, remove the top. Boil it in glutinous rice wash water from the hour of the Snake until the hour of the Goat, then take it out and dry it in the sun before use.

The Sagely Beneficent Prescriptions records: To treat black moles on the body or face, take five liang of false hellebore ash and pour a large bowl of water through it. Collect the ash water in a copper vessel, then heat it in a water bath until it thickens into a black paste. Gently prick the mole with a needle and apply a dab of the paste. It is said to work in no more than three applications.

The Wings of the Thousand Gold Pieces records: To treat toothache, put false hellebore powder into the cavity in the tooth. Do not swallow the liquid from the medicine. It is said to work very well.

The Experienced Prescriptions records: To treat someone who cannot speak after a stroke, whose throat makes a sound like a saw, and whose mouth dribbles saliva, take one fen of false hellebore and one tuber of Arisaema, remove its outer skin…

Dig a small hollow in the “navel-removing fruit” and pour in two dou of aged vinegar. Roast the medicinal ingredients over a fire on all sides until they turn yellow. Then combine them with the ingredients prepared earlier and pound them together; grind them very finely, and use raw flour to form pills the size of red beans. Take three pills at a time with warm wine.

The Baiyi Fang says that for jaundice, take veratrum, roast it in ashes until its color changes slightly, and pound it into powder. Take half a spoonful with water. Induce slight vomiting afterward; usually, it need not be taken many times.

The Doumen Fang says that for scabies and ringworm, pound veratrum into a fine powder, mix it with raw oil, and apply it to the affected area.

The Jianyao Jizhong says that for someone left unconscious after a stroke, with the jaws tightly clenched, take one liang of veratrum, remove the root crown, soak it in a strong decoction of fangfeng, then dry it over heat. Chop it, stir-fry until lightly brown, and pound it into powder. Take half a qian with warm water; it is considered effective when wind-phlegm is vomited. If there is no vomiting after the time it takes a person to walk three li, take another dose.

The Yanyi says that veratrum ground into powder and mixed with oil can treat scabies and itching in horses.

Goudu (a poisonous herb): It tastes acrid and is warm in nature, with great toxicity. It is used to treat metal-inflicted wounds, breast spasms, sudden illness caused by malign influences, wind cough, counterflow of Qi, and edema. It is also said to kill “ghost fixation,” counteract Gu poison, break up abdominal masses, relieve numbness and pain in the feet and knees and spasms in the limbs, treat malignant sores, scabies, and ringworm, and poison birds and beasts. It is also called wild kudzu. When snapped, if it gives off blue smoke, it is called “gu huo.” Its medicinal nature is very hot; it must not be added to decoctions and should instead be applied fresh. It grows in mountain valleys and in the eastern fields of Kuaiji. Pinellia can moderate its medicinal properties; it should not be used together with Scutellaria.

Tao Hongjing says: The Wufu also calls goudu wild kudzu. Some explain that when goudu enters the mouth, it hooks onto the throat; others say that “du” should be written “wan,” meaning it pulls at the intestines and makes them rupture. In fact, these are two different plants. Wild kudzu has a root like that of peony, and the place where it grows is poisonous; flying birds do not dare to perch there. Nowadays, some people process it into a paste and take it without any apparent ill effect. Goudu, by contrast, is another herb: its leaves resemble those of Solomon’s seal, its stem is purple, and a yellow flower grows from the center of the plant. When young, it looks much like Solomon’s seal, which is why it is thought to be a deadly poison. Some also say that goudu is buttercup. The accounts differ, and it is unclear which is correct. There is also a plant called “yinming.” It is red and grows parasitically on trees; its fruit grows between mountains and the sea, and it is extremely poisonous. Ingesting it can cause immediate death.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: Wild kudzu grows in villages, fields, and lanes south of Guizhou…

These medicinal plants all have different common names. “Goudu” is also said to be the name of the shoots, while the root is called “wild kudzu.”

Wild kudzu is a climbing plant. Anyone who mistakenly eats its leaves will be poisoned and die, but sheep that eat them grow very fat. This is like the way mice grow fat after eating croton seeds. Tao Hongjing’s claim that not even birds can land on wild kudzu is wrong.

Wild kudzu gathered in season has white outer bark and a yellow center in its root. An old root resembles the bark of wolfberry root; a young one resembles Han fangji. Roots with jointed outer bark and a clean break are considered best. Its root resembles that of white-flowered vine, and the two are easily confused unless examined carefully. A freshly gathered root breaks without raising dust; after a year in storage, breaking it sends up fine dust. The center of the root resembles wolfberry root and has tiny holes. When broken, dust rises from these holes. The same thing happens when wolfberry root is broken today. Books say that a root which releases blue smoke when broken is called “Gu-huo” and is a fine medicine. This claim, too, makes no sense.

Huangjing does indeed resemble fresh gentian and zeqi: its leaves grow in opposite pairs of two or four or five. Goudu, however, is a climbing plant, and its leaves resemble those of the persimmon tree. The Bowuzhi says that goudu leaves resemble “duckweed” (a kind of aquatic plant), but this does not mean goudu belongs to the same category as huangjing. And what have buttercup and stone buttercup to do with goudu?

After consulting the Shuben cao, Yuxi and the others said that Qin goudu treats throat impediment (a swollen, painful, or obstructed throat). It can relieve a blockage in the throat, bodily abnormalities, and coughing with labored breathing. Its leaves are warm in nature and can warm the middle. It is also called “Chu-xin,” grows on Hanshi Mountain, and is gathered in the second and eighth months. Careful examination shows that saying goudu is also called wild kudzu may be like calling Xu Changqing, Chi-jian, and Gui-jian by the same name, “Gui-du-you”: different plants may simply share a name. Since goudu is also called wild kudzu, there must be another plant called wild kudzu as well. Many medicines have the same name but different forms; this is not the only example. According to Tao Hongjing’s annotations, goudu leaves resemble huangjing, its stem is purple, and yellow flowers emerge from the top of the stem.

Su Jing said that wild kudzu grows in Guizhou, has leaves like those of the persimmon tree, and kills anyone who eats them. He must have been referring to a different plant.

He also said that the shoots are called goudu and the root wild kudzu, but that, too, cannot be applied in every case. Today, sellers in the medicine markets all identify as goudu the plant whose leaves resemble huangjing.

According to the Leigong paozhi lun, huangjing should not be mistaken for goudu. Goudu leaves resemble huangjing, but at the tip of each leaf are two hook-shaped hairs, which are its identifying feature.

Wu Pu said that Qin goudu is also called “poison root” and has a pungent nature…

Gouqin is poisonous and can cause death. It grows in the mountainous regions of Nanyue or around Yizhou. Its leaves resemble those of kudzu, its stem is red and as thick as an arrow shaft, and its root is yellow. It is harvested in the first month of the year.

Ge Hong’s medical formulary says: Gouqin resembles edible celery and grows in places where no other plants are found, so it is easily mistaken for it. Its stem is hairy, and eating it by mistake can cause death.

The Lingbiao Lu Yi says: Wild kudzu is a poisonous plant, commonly called “Human-Vine Grass.” If someone eats it by mistake, sheep’s blood can counteract the poison.

Chen Cangqi says: Anyone who eats its leaves and then drinks cold water will die, because the cold water activates the poison. When local people use wild kudzu to poison someone, they first feed the person wild kudzu and give them no cold water. Once the person gradually grows plump, they give them cold water to drink, and the person dies. They hang the corpse from a tree and let its fluids drip onto the ground. The mushrooms that grow there are gathered and called “mushroom medicine”; their poison is even more potent than wild kudzu. The leaves of Human-Vine Grass are slender and glossy.

Lei Gong says: When using this medicine, do not mistake the shoots and stems of “Earth Essence” for Gouqin. Gouqin can treat severe sores and toxic afflictions on the body; Earth Essence, however, can kill. If you gather Earth Essence, chop it finely, mash and grind it, then squeeze out its fresh juice and add it to a medicinal plaster. Never take it by mistake.

The Yellow Emperor asked Tianlao: “Can anything produced by Heaven and Earth be deadly if eaten?” Tianlao replied: “The essence of Great Yin is called Gouqin. It must not be eaten; once it enters the mouth, it causes death.”

The Bowu Zhi says that the juice of cassia heartwood and scallion leaves can counteract Gouqin’s poison.

Shegan

Shegan (the character “she” is pronounced “ye”) tastes bitter, is neutral and slightly warm in nature, and is poisonous. It treats coughing with rebellious Qi, Qi surging upward, throat impediment (painful swelling or blockage of the throat), sore throat, and other conditions in which the throat is obstructed and breathing is impeded. It can disperse stagnant Qi and treat disordered Qi movement in the abdomen, retained food, and excessive internal heat. It also treats stagnant blood lodged between the heart and spleen, coughing with phlegm, and foul-smelling breath when speaking, and dispels heat from the chest. Long-term use weakens the body. It is also called Wu Shan, Wu Pu, Wu Sha, Wu Chui, or Cao Jiang. It grows in the valleys, fields, and wilderness around Nanyang. Harvest the root on the third day of the third month and dry it in the shade.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: The Shegan described here refers to the iris. Its leaves all resemble those of Shegan, and its flowers are purplish blue. It does not send up a tall flowering stem. Its root resembles galangal and has white flesh; this root is the iris root. The plant Tao Hongjing called “Youba” is also of this kind.

Su Yuxi and others, after consulting the Shu Ben Cao, say that Shegan is slightly cold in nature.

The Tu Jing says: Shegan grows two or three chi tall. Its flowers are yellow and its fruit is black. It has many fibrous roots, with yellow-black outer skin and yellowish-red flesh. It now grows in all regions. Harvest the root in the second or eighth month, remove the skin, and dry it in the sun for later use.

Chen Zangqi says that shegan (a plant in the iris family) and yuanwei (iris) look alike, so people often mistake one for the other. In fact, the name “shegan” refers to three different things.

The “yegan” mentioned in Buddhist scriptures is a ferocious beast called the diaoju. It looks like a blue-yellow dog and eats people. Guo Pu says it can climb trees; in Ruan Ji’s poem, “Yegan faces the tiered city,” the word refers to a tree. The shegan commonly seen today, however, is an ornamental flower that people cultivate. It is also called “phoenix wing”: its leaves resemble a bird’s wings, and in autumn it blooms with red flowers marked by red spots.

Yuanwei is also often cultivated. It is shorter than shegan and blooms in spring and summer with purple-blue flowers. Commentators add that, by these accounts, “yegan” may still refer to more than one plant: one kind of yegan has yellow flowers and yellow roots.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says that shegan is mildly toxic when used as a medicine. It can treat a blocked throat so severe that even water cannot be swallowed. It can also clear obstructions in women’s menstrual passages, treat zhù qi (illness caused by a noxious influence that lingers and will not disperse), and disperse blood stasis.

The Rihua Materia Medica says that shegan transforms phlegm and disperses accumulations such as abdominal masses. It relieves fullness and distension in the chest and diaphragm, abdominal bloating, and asthma; it also treats xianpi (a type of abdominal accumulation), stimulates the appetite, aids digestion, reduces swelling, and counteracts toxins. It is said to calm the Liver and improve vision. Its root somewhat resembles galangal, with unevenly sized sections; it is reddish yellow, bland in taste, and hard in texture. It is usually harvested from the fifth to the eighth lunar month.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says that shegan grows in the mountain valleys, fields, and open country around Nanyang. It is now found throughout the regions, and many people also grow it beside the steps in their courtyards. In spring it sends up shoots, growing to a height of two or three chi. Its leaves resemble those of manjiang but are narrower and longer, spreading sideways like feathers; hence it is also called “black fan.” This name refers to its leaves. A flower stalk rises from among the leaves. It resembles the stalk of the daylily, but is stiffer. In the sixth lunar month, it bears yellow-red flowers with fine markings on the petals. In autumn it forms seed capsules, with black seeds inside. It has many rootlets; the outer skin is yellow-black and the root flesh yellow-red. The roots are gathered on the third day of the third lunar month and dried in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says that many prescriptions for treating toxic swellings use “yegan.” Today, the “she” in shegan is pronounced “ye.” He also says there is another plant called shegan, with white flowers and a long stem, resembling an archer holding a long pole. The plant meant by “Shegan faces the tiered city” in Ruan Ji’s poem is this one; it is not used as medicine.

Su Gong believes that the plant Tao Hongjing describes is actually yuanwei. Its leaves all resemble those of shegan, its flowers are purple-blue, and its flower stalk is short. Its root resembles galangal, but the root flesh is white. This root is called yuantou.

The Xunzi also says: “In the west there is a tree called shegan. Its stem is four cun long, and it grows on a high mountain, overlooking an abyss a hundred ren deep.”

Shegan (a herbaceous plant) is not named because its stem can grow very tall, but because it grows upright. Yang Bao’s commentary says it should be called a grass here; writing “tree” is a mistake. Judging from the plant’s form today, its stems are sparse and upright, resembling long poles, which is how it got its name. Tao Hongjing was puzzled by the pronunciation of the character “she,” but in ancient times some characters could be pronounced in more than one way. For example, the “she” in the Han dynasty office title pushe was also pronounced “ye”; the two pronunciations did not differ in meaning.

Shegan often grows among mountain cliffs. Although its stems are slender, they are somewhat woody, which is why the Xunzi calls it a “tree.” Su Song thought Tao Hongjing was referring to the iris, but iris flowers are not white. White flowers belong to one kind of shegan, not to the iris. The iris grows close to the ground, and its leaves are broader and flatter than shegan’s. The plant Su Song describes as having purplish blue flowers and roots like galangal is the iris.

The Bencao Jing says shegan grows in the valleys of Mount Jiuyi. Today it is found in many regions, and its form generally resembles wild ginger. It is gathered in the fifth month; another account says its roots should be dug up in the ninth or tenth month and dried in the sun.

Lei Gong says: Before using shegan, soak it overnight in rice-washing water. Then remove it and boil it with leaves of jinzhu bamboo from midday until the Hai hour at night. Take it out, dry it in the sun, and use it.

The Waitai Miyao records: To treat throat obstruction, hold a slice of shegan in the mouth and let its juice remain there; the condition will improve.

The Zhouhou Fang records: When a child has an attack of hernia, with abdominal swelling and stabbing pain, take the juice of fresh shegan by mouth, or prepare it as pills.

The Yanyi says: This is the western plant called “shegan” in the Xunzi, which describes it as a tree. The Xunzi commentary also cites the Bencao, saying shegan should not be regarded as a woody plant. In fact, the Five Phases consist only of Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth. In this classification, Confucian scholars group grasses and trees under “Wood,” gold and lead under “Metal,” manure and soil under “Earth,” ash under “Fire,” and pond water under “Water.” So shegan is neither the beast in the Buddhist scripture’s “burning house” parable nor the tree growing beside the layered city in a poem by Ruan Ji. Moreover, the Bencao Jing says shegan is also called “grass ginger,” which confirms that it is herbaceous. Today shegan is used to treat impaired lung Qi and throat obstruction, and it works well. The Rizihua says it is about the size of galangal and reddish yellow in color; this account is well founded.

Shehe (“he” is a mistaken writing of “han”)

Shehe tastes bitter, is slightly cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats convulsions, alternating chills and fever, and pathogenic influences, and clears heat. It can also be used for metal wounds, abscesses, hemorrhoids, fistulas, malignant sores, and sores on the head, and treats pathogenic influences between the heart and abdomen.

Snake-Tongue Grass, also known as Snake-Bearing Herb, can treat abdominal pain and damp impediment—numbness or pain in the limbs caused by dampness. It is said to nourish the fetus and benefit children. It also goes by the name Snake-Bearing Herb and grows in the mountain valleys around Yizhou. It is gathered in the eighth month and dried in the shade.

Tao Hongjing said: There are two kinds of Snake-Tongue Grass, and both grow on rocks. The kind to use has slender leaves and yellow flowers; it is found in many regions. It also grows in yellow earth, so it is not always found on rocks.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: The character “he” should be “han.” Tao Hongjing saw a faulty version, and it should be corrected to “han.” “Han” and “xian” have the same meaning, as shown in an ancient materia medica text.

Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica says: Snake-Tongue Grass treats snakebites. Growing this herb can also keep snakes away. Put the herb into a snake’s mouth, and even if the snake bites someone, the bite will not cause poisoning.

The Shu Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Snake-Tongue Grass grows on rocks or in damp low-lying places. Its flowers are yellowish white. People also cultivate it. The young shoots are gathered in the fifth month and used fresh.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Snake-Tongue Grass is an assistant medicinal, a drug that supports the principal medicine in a formula and strengthens its effects. It is toxic and can treat dan eruptions, a kind of illness involving red, swollen rashes on the skin, as well as alternating chills and fever in children.

The Rihua Materia Medica says: Snake-Bearing Herb treats bites from snakes, insects, bees, and scorpions. It can also relieve red eyes, stop bleeding, dispel wind, and treat wind rashes and abscesses—localized, red swellings that suppurate. Both the stems and leaves can be used medicinally. It is also called “weishe.”

The Illustrated Classic says: Snake-Bearing Herb grows in the mountain valleys of Yizhou and is now found in nearby areas as well. It grows in soil or among rocks, and in damp low-lying places; people in Sichuan also cultivate it. Each plant has a single stem, with five or seven leaves. There are two kinds of Snake-Bearing Herb; the kind with slender leaves and yellow flowers is best. The roots are gathered in the eighth month and dried in the shade.

The Collection of Verified Prescriptions, Ancient and Modern, records that to treat red eruptions, pound Snake-Tongue Grass very thoroughly and apply it to the affected area; they will then heal. Red eruptions arise when cold and damp evils penetrate the skin and flesh. In severe cases, they develop into a heat condition. They worsen in hot weather and ease in cold weather. Ancient prescriptions for treating various forms of erysipelas and sores with swelling often used Snake-Tongue Grass.

A separate entry below on “Nüqing” says that it is the root of Snake-Tongue Grass and grows in Zhuhai. Tao Hongjing and Su Gong both thought that if it were indeed the root of Snake-Tongue Grass, it should not grow only in Zhuhai. Some say Nüqing is Quepiao, another name for Luomo; others say the two plants share a name because they resemble one another. Physicians rarely use it, and few people can identify it, so it is recorded here only in passing.

Lei Gong said: In preparing the herb, do not use plants whose leaf tips are forked. This kind is called “Jingming Grass.” Its flavor is different: it has only a sour, astringent taste and cannot be used as medicine. If taken by mistake, it may cause persistent vomiting of blood; take “Zhishi Seeds” immediately as an antidote. After gathering the plant, remove the roots and stems, and only…

Remove the leaves, chop them finely, and dry them in the sun. Do not let them come into contact with fire.

The Zhouhou Fang says that wounds caused by swords and other blades can also be treated by pounding the herb and applying it to the wound; it works very well. Another prescription says that for a centipede bite, crush Snake-Tongue Grass and apply it to the affected area.

The Doumen Fang says that for postpartum diarrhea or dysentery, take a handful of Little Dragon Tooth root, decoct it until strong, and drink it; it works very well. The Little Dragon Tooth referred to here is Snake-Tongue Grass.

The Baopuzi says that Snake-Tongue Salve can rejoin a finger that has been severed.

The Jin Yiyuan records that a farmer saw a snake that had been injured, and then saw another snake bring a plant and place it on the wound. A few days later, the injured snake went away. The farmer gathered this plant and used it to treat wounds, with repeated success; hence its name, “Snake-Tongue Grass.”

Changshan is bitter and acrid in taste, cold in nature, somewhat cold-leaning, and poisonous. It is used to treat alternating chills and fever caused by cold damage, fever, and warm malaria, a form of malaria that occurs at regular intervals. It is also used for what is called “ghost poison,” phlegm bound in the chest, nausea and vomiting, ghost gu, recurrent edema, and chills with violent shivering, as well as mouse fistula, a disease resembling tuberculosis of the cervical lymph nodes. Changshan is also called Hudcao. It grows in the valleys of Yizhou and around Hanzhong. Gather the roots in the eighth month and dry them in the shade. It is incompatible with Yuzha, according to traditional rules of medicinal pairing.

Tao Hongjing says: Changshan from Yidu and Jianping bears small, yellow fruits. Locally it is called “Rooster-Bone Changshan,” and is considered the most effective.

The Tang Bencao commentary says: Changshan leaves resemble tea leaves and are narrow and long. Its stems are round, with leaves growing in opposite pairs. It flowers in the third month, with white petals and green calyxes. In the fifth month it bears fruit: the fruits are green and round, with three seeds in each chamber. It grows in mountain valleys, and reaches no more than three or four chi in height.

Su Yuxi and others add, drawing on the Shu Bencao Tujing, that the Changshan shrub grows three or four chi tall. Its roots resemble those of the chaste tree and are yellowish. It is now also found in Jinzhou, Fangzhou, and Liangzhou. Gather its leaves in the fifth or sixth month; these leaves are called Shuqi.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Changshan should not be used with scallions. It tastes bitter and is slightly poisonous. It can treat various kinds of malaria, induce the expectoration of phlegm and saliva, and dispel chills and fever. It may be decocted with wheat and bamboo leaves, which is suitable for children. Changshan may also be used when malaria brings chills, fever, and unceasing shivering. Do not take it in large quantities, however, as it can readily cause violent vomiting. It can also be used for lumps and goiters below the neck.

Xiao Bing says: When Changshan is used with licorice, it can induce vomiting in people with malaria.

The Rihua Zi says: Changshan should not be eaten with cabbage-family vegetables.

The Tujing says: The relevant information appears under the entry for Shuqi.

Lei Gong says: When using it in spring, take the stems and leaves; in summer, autumn, and winter, use the whole plant. Soak it in wine overnight, then strain it the next day, dry it in the sun, stir-fry it, and pound it. Use only a small amount. The elderly and those weakened by long illness must not take it.

The Waitai Miyao records this treatment for malaria: Take three liang of Changshan and soak it overnight in three sheng of rice-washing water, then decoct it until one sheng remains. Drink it all at once just before the malaria is due to begin; this will cause mild vomiting afterward.

The Zhouhou Fang gives this method for treating malaria: Take three liang of Changshan, pound it into powder, and mix it with egg white to form pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Take thirty pills on an empty stomach.

The Yanyi says: Shuqí is the root of Changshan. Shuqí can also treat malaria. If the phlegm vomited up looks like chicken bones, the herb is considered to be of good quality.

Shuqí tastes pungent and is neutral, slightly warm in nature, and toxic. It is used to treat malaria, coughing with rebellious Qi, alternating chills and fever, as well as lumps and masses in the abdomen, focal distention, accumulations, pathogenic influences, Gu toxins, and ghost infliction (illnesses that people in ancient times believed were caused by ghosts, spirits, or malign influences). It can also treat pathogenic influences in the chest and expel them through vomiting. Shuqí grows in the valleys of Jianglin Mountain and in the regions of Shu and Hanzhong. It is the young plant of Changshan. Gather the leaves in the fifth month and dry them in the shade. Trichosanthes fruit can be used with it; avoid combining it with Guanzhong.

Tao Hongjing says: Shuqí is the young plant of Changshan; only the recorded place of origin differs. The so-called Jianglin Mountain is Jiangyang Mountain in Yizhou, so both names refer to the same place. Local people gather the plant and twist it into a round shape. The quality is better when it is gathered at the proper time and dried.

The Tang Dynasty materia medica commentary says: After gathering this herb, place it in the sun. When it has wilted slightly, tie it into bundles and continue drying it in the sun. Once dry, it should be blue-white in color and is then suitable for use. If dried in the shade, it turns black and rots. The “round shape” mentioned by Tao Hongjing actually refers to tu cakes, not Shuqí.

Yuxi and others quote the Illustrated Classic of Shu: Shuqí is gathered in the fifth month and dried in the sun. The Treatise on Medicinal Nature says: Shuqí is used as a medicine. It tastes bitter, is slightly toxic, and is the young plant of Changshan. It treats persistent miasma and ghost malaria and dispels chills and fever. It can treat warm malaria and alternating chills and fever, but should not be taken in large quantities, or it will cause vomiting. It also treats hard abdominal masses and accumulations of fei qi. Xiao Bing says Platycodon can be used with it. The Rihuazi Materia Medica says Shuqí treats abdominal masses and is also called chicken-urine herb or duck-urine herb. Li Hanguang says Shuqí is the stem of Changshan and is gathered in the eighth or ninth month.

The Illustrated Classic says: Shuqí grows in the valleys of Jianglin Mountain and in the regions of Shu and Hanzhong; it is the young plant of Changshan. Changshan grows in the valleys of Yizhou and in Hanzhong; it is the root of Shuqí. Jianglin Mountain is Jiangyang Mountain in Yizhou, so both names refer to the same place. Today Shuqí is also found in the prefectures of Jingxi, Huai, Zhejiang, and Hunan. Its leaves resemble tea leaves but are longer, and grow in opposite pairs. Its stem is round and jointed. It flowers red in the third month, with green calyxes. In the fifth month it bears round green fruits, three in each compartment. The plant grows no taller than three or four chi, and its root resembles that of the chaste tree and is yellow. The leaves of the Shuqí produced in Haizhou resemble peach leaves. In the eighth month it flowers white and red, and its fruit is deep green, like a small Chinese ash tree. In the fifth month…

The leaves are gathered in the eighth month, and the roots are dried in the shade after being collected. These two medicinal materials are the most effective remedies for treating malaria.

In Zhang Zhongjing’s Powder of Shu Lacquer (Shuqi San), Shu lacquer, mica, and dragon bone are used in equal amounts and pounded into a fine powder. Before a malaria attack, the patient mixes half a coin’s weight of the powder with jiangshui, an acidic fermented liquid used in ancient times, and takes it warm. During an attack, half a fen of Shu lacquer may be added, and one qian and seven fen taken just before the attack. The text here may be corrupted. It then mentions “Mount Tiantai today…” Mount Tiantai produces an herb called tu changshan. Its shoots and leaves are very sweet, and people use them to make a drink, finding it fragrant and sweet as honey; it is therefore also called “honey-fragrant herb.” Its nature is somewhat cool, and drinking it is beneficial, but it is not the Changshan discussed here.

Lei Gong says: After gathering Shu lacquer, keep it together with its roots and shoots. When preparing it for use, remove the roots and take only the stems and leaves. Chop the stems and leaves, mix them with four liang of licorice, moisten the mixture with water, and steam it all together. Before use, remove the licorice, take five liang of Shu lacquer, chop it, mix it with licorice water, and steam it; it is then ready to use. Do not eat bamboo shoots.

The Yan Yi says: Shu lacquer is the shoot of Changshan. It often induces vomiting when used to treat malaria; beyond this, no special benefits have been observed. Since accounts may differ because of the passage of time, this is noted here for reference, while the rest of the discussion follows the original text.

Gansui

Gansui is bitter and sweet in flavor, cold in nature, extremely cold, and poisonous. It treats abdominal distension, hernia, masses in the abdomen, fullness of the abdomen, swelling of the face and eyelids, retained fluids in the body, and accumulated food. It can break up hard masses, clear the passages through which food and fluids are excreted, expel the five forms of pathogenic water, disperse retained heat in the bladder, and resolve nodules beneath the skin, heat, and swelling.

Gansui is also called Gancao, Linggao, Lingze, and Zhutian. It grows in the mountain valleys of Zhongshan. The roots are gathered in the second month and dried in the shade. Gualou fruit controls its medicinal effects; Gansui is incompatible with Yuanzhi and counteracts licorice.

Tao Hongjing says: Zhongshan is in Dai Commandery. The earliest Gansui came from Mount Tai; in recent times, people in the Jiangdong region have used the kind produced at Jingkou, which differs greatly. The kind with red skin is better; the white-skinned kind is inferior. Near the capital there is also something called “herbal Gansui,” but it is of very poor quality. The name here refers neither to an herb nor to a mineral medicine, but to a counterfeit sold as Gansui.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: What is called “herbal Gansui” is actually Zaoxiu, and its effects are entirely different from those of genuine Gansui. The shoots of true Gansui resemble those of Zeqi. Herbal Gansui has a single stem, with six or seven leaves at its tip, shaped like the leaves of castor bean or Guijiu. Even if one eats a sheng of it raw, it will not loosen the bowels; it is mainly used to treat abscesses and snake venom. The best genuine Gansui has red skin, white flesh, a form joined together like pearls, and a firm, heavy texture. The white-skinned kind…

(Continued from the previous passage.) This is zhaoxiu, also known as chongtai.

Liu Yuxi and others examined the sources and wrote: The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says that Jing Gansui is bitter in flavor. It can drain twelve kinds of edema and treat hardness and distension in the chest and abdomen. It promotes urination, transforms phlegm, and is used chiefly for swelling of the skin and muscles.

The Records of the Sun and Moon says that Gansui from the western capital region is best, while that from Bianzhou, Cangzhou, and the Wu region is of lesser quality. It resembles peeled licorice root in shape and has a jointed appearance when cut.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says that Gansui grows in the valleys of Zhong Mountain and is now also found in Shaanxi and Jiangdong. Some say that Gansui from the western capital region is best, with that from Bianzhou, Cangzhou, and the Wu region ranking lower. Its young shoots resemble zeqi; the stems are short, and the leaves contain sap. The root bark is red, while the root itself is white. The roots join together like a string of beads and also resemble peeled licorice root. The roots are gathered in the second month, cut into sections, and dried in the shade. Firm, heavy roots are considered best.

There is also a plant called grass Gansui. It has a single stem, with six or seven leaves at its tip, shaped like castor leaves or guijiu leaves. This grass Gansui is very weak in its medicinal effect: even eating a sheng of it raw will not induce watery diarrhea. A note in the Tang Materia Medica says that grass Gansui is zhaoxiu. Zhaoxiu is described separately, and ancient prescriptions also used it on its own to promote urination.

The Small Prescriptions says: For pregnancy accompanied by lower abdominal distension, inability to urinate or defecate, and rapid breathing, when Zhuling Powder has proved ineffective, use Gansui Powder to purge. Take two liang of red-skinned Gansui from Mount Tai and pound and sift it. Mix it with two liang of white honey and roll it into pills the size of soybeans. If after taking it the person feels vexation in the area below the heart and has mild diarrhea, take it once a day. After the diarrhea, take Zhuling Powder. If there is no diarrhea, take it twice a day and gradually increase the dose, up to half a qian and seven fen at most, stopping when mild diarrhea occurs. Zhuling Powder should also be taken during this treatment; its formula is listed under “Zhuling.”

Lei Gong says: After harvesting Gansui, first remove the stems, then finely chop it on a locust-wood cutting board. Soak it for three days in a mixture of decoction made from raw licorice and the fresh juice of xiaojini, until the liquid turns black like ink. Then remove the Gansui and rinse it six or seven times under running water from the eastern stream, until the water runs clear. Take it out and dry-fry it in an earthenware vessel until crisp before use.

The Handbook from the Elbow says: To treat sudden swelling throughout the body, with puffiness of the face and body, take one fen of Gansui and grind it into powder. Cut a pig’s kidney into seven pieces, place the Gansui powder inside, and roast it over a fire until cooked. Eat one piece at a time. After the fourth or fifth piece, the abdomen and flanks will generally begin to rumble, and urination will become free.

The Yang Family’s Prescriptions for Childbirth says: To treat abdominal distension, inability to urinate or defecate, and rapid breathing, use Gansui …

First, grind the medicine into a fine powder and divide it into five doses. Take each dose with warm water. If you feel discomfort and fullness below the heart and develop mild diarrhea, reduce the dose to once a day.

The Yanyi says: These days, only the bead-shaped variety of Gansui is used, though the classics do not specify this. Gansui is chiefly used to drive out harmful fluids and drain dampness, so it must be prescribed with great care.

Bailian: Bitter and sweet in taste, neutral and slightly cold in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat abscesses and sores, disperse stagnant Qi, relieve pain, and reduce fever. It can treat red eyes, childhood convulsions, warm malaria, swelling and pain in the female genital area, and red or white vaginal discharge. It also neutralizes fire toxins. It is also called Tuhe, Baicao, and Baigen. It grows in the mountains and valleys around the Kunlun region. Harvest the roots in the second or eighth month and dry them in the sun. ○ Dai Xu believes the medicinal material referred to here is “Weizhi.”

Tao Hongjing says: Bailian grows everywhere near human settlements. It is a climbing vine, and its roots resemble Baizhi. Break the roots into pieces, thread them onto bamboo skewers, and dry them in the sun. The fresh root can also be pounded and applied to abscesses, with good effect.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: Bailian roots resemble Tianmendong. More than ten roots grow from a single plant. Their outer skin is reddish-black and their interior is white, like Shaoyao; they are quite unlike Baizhi.

Su Yuxi and others, citing the Shu Ben Tu Jing, say: Bailian is a climbing vine with five leaves at the ends of its branches. It is now found throughout the country.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Bailian can be combined with other medicines to neutralize fire toxins. It is bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and toxic; it must not be used with Wutou. It can treat swelling caused by obstructed Qi. Grind Bailian, Chixiaodou, and Wangcao into powder, mix with egg white, and apply externally to various swellings and toxins; this can also treat facial pustules. It is also used for warm malaria and for swelling caused by intermingled chills and fever or by an excess of heat toxins.

The Rihua Zi says: Bailian is used for fright caused by malign influences, deep abscesses on the back, scrofula, intestinal bleeding, hemorrhoids and fistulas, wounds from knives and arrows, injuries from falls and blows, warm malaria, bloody dysentery, and burns from hot liquids or fire. It also promotes the growth of new flesh and relieves pain.

The Tu Jing says: Bailian grows in the valleys of Mount Heng. It is also found today in the Jianghuai, Jingxiang, Huaimeng, Shang, and Qi regions, among others. The shoots appear in the second month, and the plant often grows in woods. Its vine is red, and its leaves resemble small mulberry leaves. It flowers in the fifth month and bears fruit in the seventh. The roots are shaped like eggs or duck eggs, growing in clusters of three to five; their outer skin is reddish-black and their interior white. Harvest the roots in the second or eighth month, break them into pieces, and dry them in the sun. Bailian is now commonly included in prescriptions for wind disorders, metal-weapon wounds, and facial conditions. In Haozhou there is a kind of Chilian whose effects are the same as Bailian’s and whose flowers and fruit are similar, but both its outer skin and interior are red.

The Shenghui Fang records: To treat a ding sore, mix Bailian powder with water and apply it to the sore.

The Waitai Miyao records: For emergency treatment of burns and scalds that cause the skin to ulcerate, grind bai lian into powder and apply it to the affected area.

The Zhouhou Fang records: To treat a back carbuncle, grind bai lian into powder and apply it; this is also very effective.

The Yanyi says: Bai lian and bai ji are rarely used in internal medicines, both in ancient and modern prescriptions. They are more commonly found in formulas for drawing together the edges of sores, and are often used in combination.

Celosia Seeds

Celosia seeds taste bitter, are slightly cold in nature, and are non-toxic. They chiefly treat pathogenic influences, as well as itching caused by heat and wind pathogens in the skin. They can also kill parasites and treat malignant sores, scabies, ringworm, lice, and parasitic sores in the lower body. The seeds are also called “cao jueming” and can treat bluish discoloration of the lips and mouth. Other names include “cao hao” and “qi hao.” Celosia grows on level ground, in mountain valleys, and beside roads. Gather the stems and leaves in the third month and dry them in the shade; gather the seeds in the fifth and sixth months.

Tao Hongjing says: This plant is found everywhere. It resembles grasses such as wheat stalks, flowers, and has very fine seeds. Later, another plant called cao hao appeared, written as “cao gao” in some editions. Today, the two plants are used for very similar conditions, and their forms and names are easily confused, often causing uncertainty. In fact, however, they are two different plants.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: The young plant is about one chi tall, with soft, slender leaves, purple-white flowers, and horn-shaped fruits. Its seeds are black, flat, and glossy, and larger than amaranth seeds. It grows in low-lying, damp places and is gathered in the fourth and fifth months. In the Jingzhou and Xiangzhou regions, people call it “Kunlun grass.” Taken alone as a pounded juice, it is fairly effective for warm epidemic illnesses and “gan yi”—a disease name recorded in the original text whose precise meaning is unclear.

After consulting the Shu Ben Tu Jing, Yuxi and others say: Its leaves are soft, slender, and long, and the plant also spreads by creeping growth. It is now found throughout the regions in low-lying, damp places.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Celosia seeds are also called cao gao. They taste bitter, are neutral in nature, and are non-toxic. They can treat red eyes, eye obstructions, “blue blindness” (unclear vision), and swelling and pain caused by heat toxins rising from the liver. They also treat malignant sores, scabies, ringworm, itching, and parasitic sores in the lower body. Xiao Bing says: Today they are used chiefly to treat eye disorders, and there is a medicine called the Celosia Seed Pill. There is another plant with yellow flowers called Tao Zhushu, whose young shoots resemble those of celosia.

The Rihuazi says: Celosia seeds treat pathogenic influences in the five viscera, nourish the brain and marrow, improve hearing and vision, calm the Liver Qi, strengthen the sinews and bones, and dispel wind-cold-damp impediment. The young plant can be used to stop bleeding from metal-inflicted wounds.

The Tujing says: Celosia originally grows on level ground, in mountain valleys, and beside roads. Today it is also found near roads throughout the prefectures and districts of the Jiang-Huai region. Green shoots emerge in the second month and grow three or four chi tall. The leaves are fairly broad, resembling willow leaves, and are soft and slender. The stem resembles mugwort and is greenish red. The plant flowers in the sixth and seventh months, red at the top and white below. Its seeds are glossy black and flat, resembling henbane seeds. The root resembles that of mugwort: it is white and straight, and usually grows as a single stem. Gather the plant from the sixth to the eighth month.

Another plant with yellow flowers is called Tao Zhu Shu. Its shoots also resemble qingxiang, so it probably cannot be used as a substitute for qingxiang.

Lei Gong says: When using qingxiang seeds, do not mix in Siming seeds or Shuxi seeds. Both herbs closely resemble qingxiang seeds, but their flavors differ. When boiled, Siming seeds produce a mucilage. Before use, heat an iron mortar, then pound the qingxiang seeds separately.

The Guangli Formula says: To treat persistent nosebleeds, take three he of qingxiang seed juice and pour it into the nose.

The Wei Lue, cited in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, records that during the Chuping era a Master Qingniu regularly took qingxiang seeds. He looked about fifty or sixty years old, but someone who knew him said he was actually over a hundred.

The Yanyi says: The original classic does not mention qingxiang seeds as a treatment for eye disorders. It was the Treatise on the Nature of Medicines that first said they could treat red eyes, visual obstructions, and blurred vision or even blindness caused by liver heat and toxins rising upward. Xiao Bing also said they could regulate eye disorders. The Rihua Master, meanwhile, said they could nourish the brain and marrow, sharpen hearing and sight, and calm the liver. People today commonly use qingxiang seeds for eye disorders, but this does not accord with what the original classic recorded.

Huan jun (pronounced “huan” and “jun”) has a salty, sweet taste and a neutral, slightly warm nature; it is mildly toxic. It treats heart pain, warms the middle burner, and expels intestinal parasites, including white ringworm, pinworms, and toxic swellings caused by insect bites. It also treats abdominal masses, deep abscesses, and severe sores. It can expel roundworms and tapeworms as well. It is also called Huan Lu. It grows in ponds and marshes around the East China Sea and Bohai Sea, and is also found in Zhangwu. Harvest it in the eighth month and dry it in the shade. It works best taken with wine; avoid taking it with eggs.

Tao Hongjing says: This fungus comes from the north and was not found here at the time. It looks like an ordinary fungus. According to legend, it forms from the droppings of the qu bird, which is why it is also called Qu Jun. Grind it into a fine powder and mix it into pork soup to expel roundworms.

The Tang Materia Medica says: Huan jun now grows naturally in saline ground among the reeds of the Bohai region; it does not form from the droppings of the qu bird. The fungus is white, light, and loose, with a similar texture inside and out, unlike other fungi. It is indeed effective in expelling and treating roundworms.

Yuxi and others cite the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica: This fungus now grows in Cangzhou. It appears in autumn when rainfall is timely; yields are low in drought or after many days of heavy rain. The dried material is of better quality.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says: Huan jun has a bitter taste. It can dispel cold and pain in the abdomen, and also treat white scalp ringworm, which causes hair loss and pale patches on the head.

The Food Therapy says: Eating fungi may cause pathogenic wind to obstruct the Five Viscera, stir pathogenic influences in the channels and vessels, and bring on hemorrhoids, dizziness, and other symptoms.

Excessive sleep, weakness in the back, shoulders, and limbs. There are also several kinds of mushrooms. Those growing on locust trees are better; mushrooms growing in wild fields may be poisonous, and eating them can be fatal. Mushrooms can also readily increase coldness in the body.

The Waitai Miyao (a Tang-dynasty medical text) records: To treat roundworms attacking the heart, causing stabbing pain and the vomiting of clear fluid, pound one liang of guanlu into powder and mix it into mutton soup. Take one serving each day; this is said to work well.

The Jinkui Yuhan says: Do not eat mushrooms whose caps curl upward and are red. Do not eat wood-ear fungus that is green or grows upward.

Bai Ji

Bai Ji tastes bitter and acrid. Its nature is neutral and slightly cold, and it is non-toxic. It chiefly treats swellings and sores, malignant ulcers, and ulcerating carbuncles. It is also used for pathogenic influences in the stomach, harmful wind, attacks by ghosts, numbness of the body, slackened sinews and channels, and limbs that cannot draw together. It can also clear white tinea, scabies, and parasitic infestations. Bai Ji is also called Gan Gen and Lian Ji Cao. It grows in mountain valleys in the northern hills and is also found in Yuanju and Yue Mountain.

Amethyst serves as an assistant in using Bai Ji. It should not be used together with Lishi, and is incompatible with plum pits and apricot kernels.

Tao Hongjing says: Bai Ji is found in many nearby regions. Its leaves resemble those of Du Ruo, and its roots resemble water-chestnut kernels, with hairs between the joints. It is not used often in prescriptions, but can also be made into paste.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: When people living in the mountains have cracked hands or feet, chewing Bai Ji and applying it to the cracks is effective.

Yuxi and others quote the Shu Ben Tu Jing: Its leaves resemble newly sprouted palm leaves and also those of Lilu. An inflorescence grows at the top of the stem. It flowers purple in the fourth month, and its fruit ripens in the seventh month, turning yellowish black. In winter, the stems and leaves wither. The root resembles a triangular water chestnut and is white, with new buds growing at its pointed ends. It is now produced in Shenzhou. The roots are gathered in the second and eighth months for use as medicine.

Wu says: Shennong considered it bitter in taste, the Yellow Emperor considered it acrid, Ji considered it extremely cold in nature, and Lei Gong considered it acrid and non-toxic. The stems and leaves resemble ginger and Lilu. It flowers in the tenth month, with an upright, purplish-red inflorescence. The roots are white and joined to one another. It is gathered in the second, eighth, and ninth months.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Used as an assistant, Bai Ji can treat accumulated heat that does not disperse. It chiefly treats weakness of the genital region and can also treat facial spots and pimples, leaving the skin smooth.

The Rihua Zi says: Bai Ji tastes sweet and acrid. It can treat fright disorders, blood disorders, epilepsy, red eyes, abdominal masses, sores on the back, scrofula, intestinal wind, hemorrhoids and fistulas, knife and arrow wounds, injuries from falls and blows, warm-heat illnesses, malaria, bloody dysentery, and scalds and burns. It can also promote the growth of flesh, relieve pain, and treat wind impediment.

The Tu Jing says: Bai Ji grows in mountain valleys in the northern hills and is also found in Yuanju and Yue Mountain. It is now found in the prefectures of Jiang, Huai, He, Shan, Han, and Qian, among others, growing on rocky mountains.

In spring, it puts out shoots that grow to about one foot tall, resembling palm or veratrum. A cluster of leaves grows at the top of the stem. Each leaf is about two fingers wide and green. It blooms with purple flowers in summer and bears fruit in the seventh month. When ripe, the fruit is yellowish black. In winter, the leaves wither and fall. The root resembles water-chestnut kernels and has three white, angular ridges, with new shoots growing from their tips. The roots are gathered in the second and seventh months. This herb is now commonly used in prescriptions for treating metal-inflicted wounds, such as cuts from knives and swords, and carbuncles and deep skin abscesses.

A proven remedy: To stop persistent nosebleeds, especially heavy bleeding, grind Bletilla rhizome into powder, mix it with saliva, and apply it to the root of the nose. The bleeding will stop.

Euphorbia Root

Euphorbia root tastes bitter and sweet and is cold in nature; its medicinal properties are extremely cold, and it is slightly toxic. It treats parasitic poison, twelve kinds of water disease, abdominal distention and acute pain, accumulations and masses, windstroke, skin pain, vomiting, carbuncles and swellings of the neck and armpits, and headaches. It induces sweating and promotes urination and bowel movements. It is also called Qiongju. It grows around Changshan. The roots are gathered in the twelfth month and dried in the shade. It is incompatible with licorice and should not be used together with it.

Tao Hongjing says: Euphorbia root is found everywhere in areas near the capital and is a very common medicinal herb.

Yuxi and others quote the Tang Ben Zhu as saying: Euphorbia root is counteracted by calamus, reed grass, and mouse droppings.

The Shu Ben Tu Jing says: Euphorbia root’s shoots resemble those of kansui. The plant is relatively tall, and its leaves exude white sap. Its flowers are yellow, and its root resembles slender sophora root, with yellowish-black skin and a yellowish-white interior. The shoots are gathered in the fifth month; the roots are gathered in the second and eighth months for medicinal use.

The Er Ya, in its explanation of “qiao” and “qiongju,” says that the euphorbia root referred to in the Ben Cao today is Qiongju.

The Yao Xing Lun says: Euphorbia root can serve as a guiding herb when combined with genkwa and seaweed, but the combined herbs are toxic; calamus can be used as an antidote. Euphorbia root tastes bitter and acrid and is highly toxic. It can break up old and recent accumulations, expel stagnant blood, and disperse abdominal masses. It can also cause rumbling in the abdomen and regulate menstruation. It is particularly effective for treating blood stasis and can also induce miscarriage.

The Ri Hua Zi says: Use small red beans as an auxiliary with euphorbia root, and avoid combining it with Chinese yam. It can purge toxins, drive out epidemic jaundice and the pathogenic influences of warm malaria, and break up abdominal masses.

The Tu Jing says: Euphorbia root is the root of zeqi. It grows around Changshan and is now also found in nearby areas. Red shoots emerge in spring and gradually grow into clumps about one foot tall. The leaves resemble newly sprouted willow leaves and grow in small clusters. In the third and fourth months, it blooms with yellowish-purple flowers in round clusters, resembling apricot blossoms and also elm-seed blossoms. The root resembles slender sophora root, with yellowish-black skin and a yellowish-white interior. The roots are gathered in autumn and winter and dried in the shade.

Euphorbia root from the Huai River region has a round, upright stem three or four feet tall, yellow flowers, and leaves that reach the center of the stem and resemble lily shoots. The leaves of the variety from Jiangnan resemble peony leaves. Physicians use it to treat wind rashes and leg swelling caused by pathogenic wind toxins. Boil the herb in water and wash or pour it over the affected area while hot, two or three times a day; recovery follows in three days. Li Jiang of the Ministry of War…

A handwritten prescription records that this formula is used to treat water disorders—illnesses caused by fluids collecting in the body. It can be used regardless of how long the illness has lasted, even when a long-standing condition is accompanied by a poor pulse. Take one large liang each of dàjǐ, dāngguī, and orange peel; chop them finely and decoct them in two large sheng of water until seven-tenths remains. Take the whole dose at once. Afterward, a large amount of fluid will be discharged; do not be alarmed even if it reaches two or three dou. For a very severe condition, the dose may be taken once more at most. Avoid poisonous substances while taking the medicine. After a year, when the edema has subsided, take the dose once more, and the illness should not recur. This formula was passed down by Zhang Shangke.

Lei Gong says: When using dàjǐ, do not use the attached growths. If taking it causes cold diarrhea and an inability to contain the Qi, decoct a soup of jìní seeds to counteract the effects. After harvesting dàjǐ, place it on a locust-wood chopping block and chop it finely. Mix it with finely chopped leaves of sea taro and steam it from the Hour of the Snake to the Hour of the Monkey. Then remove the taro leaves and dry the herb in the sun for later use.

The Scripture of the Mysterious Transformations of the Eight Sovereigns of the Great Supreme says: Dàjǐ is certain to cause purgation.

Zéqī

Zéqī tastes bitter and pungent, is slightly cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats heat in the skin, abdominal distension and accumulated water, and swelling of the limbs and face. It is also used for insufficiency of men’s Yin. It promotes urination and bowel movements, brightens the eyes, and makes the body feel light and agile. It is also called qījīng and is the young shoot of dàjǐ. It grows in the streams and marshes around Mount Tai. Harvest the stems and leaves on the third day of the third month or the seventh day of the seventh month, and dry them in the shade.

Small beans may be used together with zéqī. Zéqī should not be used together with shǔyù.

Tao Hongjing says: This is the young shoot of dàjǐ. When its leaves are plucked while it is growing, sap flows out, which is why it is called zéqī. This sap can also corrode human flesh and skin.

Yu Xi and others, citing the Illustrated Materia Medica of Shu, say: Harvest it in the fifth month and dry it in the sun before use.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says: Zéqī can be used to treat heat in the skin and promote urination.

Rihua says: Zéqī is cold in nature and slightly toxic. It can stop malaria, dissolve phlegm, and reduce fever. It is the flower of dàjǐ. It grows in streams and marshes, has slender stems and leaves resembling tender greens, and bears yellow flowers. Harvest it in the fourth or fifth month.

The Illustrated Classic says: Zéqī is the young shoot of dàjǐ and grows in the streams and marshes around Mount Tai. Today it is also found in Jizhou, Dingzhou, and Mingzhou, as well as nearby regions. When its leaves are plucked as it grows, white sap flows out. This sap can corrode flesh and skin, hence its name.

Zhang Zhongjing’s formula for treating coughing from the lungs, upward surging of the breath, and a deep pulse is as follows: Take three jin of zéqī and decoct it in five dou of water from an eastern-flowing stream until one dou and five sheng remain. Then take half a sheng of bànxià, and five liang each of zǐshēn, ginger, and báiqián; take three liang each of licorice, huángqín, ginseng, and cinnamon. Chop all eight ingredients, add them to the zéqī decoction, and boil until five sheng remain. Take five he per dose, three times a day, until the full amount has been taken by nightfall.

The Tang Materia Medica adds: Zéqī is slightly toxic and can drive out water. It may also be used to treat gu toxins.

The Shenghui Fang records a treatment for ten kinds of edema: In summer, gather ten jin of tender stems and leaves of zeqi. Grind them with one dou of water and strain out the juice. Collect the liquid, place it in a silver pot, and simmer over low heat until it has the consistency of a thin syrup. Remove it from the heat and store it in a porcelain vessel. Each morning, before eating, mix one teaspoon with warm wine and take it; continue until the illness is cured.

Yinyu

Yinyu is bitter in taste, warm in nature, slightly warming, and toxic. It is used to treat pathogenic influences in the five viscera, cold affecting the heart and abdomen, emaciation and weakness, and illnesses that recur at regular intervals like malaria. It is also used for rheumatic pain in the joints, long-standing rheumatism with pathogenic influences moving through the limbs, and weakness in both feet. Yinyu is also called yuanhua and beigong. It grows in the mountain valleys of Mount Tai. Gather its leaves on the third day of the third month and dry them in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says: Yinyu grows around Pengcheng, and is also found in nearby areas today. Its stems and leaves resemble those of mangcao, but are more slender and soft. When gathering the herb, take the fine stems along with it. It is rarely used in prescriptions, chiefly as an ingredient in medicinal wines for treating wind disorders.

Yuxi and others add, citing the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica from Shu: The yinyu plant grows three or four chi tall. Its leaves resemble pomegranate leaves, but are short and thick, and its stems are red. The leaves seen today also resemble those of shinan. Gather the stems and leaves in the third or fourth month and dry them in the sun. The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Yinyu is bitter and pungent in taste, and slightly toxic. It can treat cold and heat in the five viscera, illnesses resembling malaria, and stiffness and pain in the joints caused by wind pathogen obstructing them. It is also used for weakness in the feet of both men and women, wind toxin, and warm malaria that recurs at regular intervals. According to Rihua Zi, it treats various cold-wind disorders, weakness of the sinews and bones, and emaciation; it should be dry-roasted before use. Yinyu from the Haizhou area resembles the shinan tree and has thicker leaves. It is gathered from the fifth through the seventh month.

The Illustrated Classic says: Yinyu grows in the mountain valleys of Mount Tai, and is now also found in Yongzhou, Jiangzhou, Huazhou, and Hangzhou. It sends up shoots in spring and grows three or four chi tall. Its leaves are reddish, and its stems resemble pomegranate branches, short and thick; its leaves also resemble those of shinan. It blooms with small white flowers in the fourth month and bears fruit in the fifth. Gather the leaves in the third, fourth, or seventh month, keeping the fine stems attached, and dry them in the shade before use. Some accounts say they should be dried in the sun.

Hu Qia uses yinyu wine to treat “thief wind,” which causes withered numbness in the hands and feet and stiffness in the limbs. The prescription contains twelve ingredients: yinyu, fuzi, tianxiong, wutou, qinjiao, nüwei, fangfeng, fangji, zhudu, shinan, xixin, and guixin. Cut the herbs into pieces, place them in a silk bag, and steep them in one dou of clear wine: seven days in winter, three days in summer, and five days in spring or autumn. Once the medicinal wine is ready, take one he at a time, three times a day, gradually increasing the amount until a slight numbness is felt in the body.

Red Root Tuber tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats accumulations in the chest and abdomen and can expel the three worms. It grows in mountain valleys and is harvested in the second month.

Tao Hongjing said: Red Root Tuber resembles a small taro. Its flesh is white and its skin yellow; it can also be found nearby.

The Tang Commentary says: Red Root Tuber is as large as a dou measure at its biggest and as small as a sheng measure at its smallest. Its leaves resemble those of duheng, and its vines climb over grasses and trees. It is slightly toxic. The plant Tao Hongjing described was actually “earth egg,” which cannot be used as medicine. People in the Liang and Han regions call earth egg “yellow solitary.” They steam and eat it, but it is not Red Root Tuber.

After consulting the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, Su Jing and others said: Red Root Tuber’s vines spread as they grow, and its leaves resemble those of luomo. Its root resembles smilax, with purplish-black skin and a yellow interior tinged with red. The large roots are round and thick, about the size of a sheng measure; the small ones are about the size of a fist. It is now found throughout the regions. According to the Materia Medica Classic, Red Root Tuber is non-toxic, but Su Jing says it is slightly toxic. He also says that people in the Liang and Han regions steam and eat the plant described by Tao Hongjing. This makes it clear that the plant is non-toxic, so Tao Hongjing’s account is correct.

Chen Cangqi said: Earth egg is a vine whose root resembles taro. People boil it in water mixed with plant ash and eat it, but I have not heard of it having any medicinal effect.

Guanzhong tastes bitter, is slightly cold in nature, and is toxic. It treats pathogenic heat in the abdomen and various toxic influences. It can kill the three worms, expel cunbai worms (intestinal parasites such as tapeworms), disperse abdominal masses, treat wind disorders of the head, and be used for metal-inflicted wounds, such as cuts from swords or knives. Its flowers can treat malignant sores, but cause diarrhea. It is also called Guanjie, Guanqu, Baitou, Hujuan, Bianfu, Boping, and Yaozao; the plant referred to here is called “grass owl’s head.” It grows on Xuanshan and in mountain valleys, as well as around Yuanju and Mount Shaoshi. The roots are harvested in the second and eighth months and dried in the shade. Huanjun can serve as its guide herb, helping the other medicine take effect when used in a prescription.

Tao Hongjing said: Guanzhong can also be found nearby. Its leaves resemble those of a large fern, and its root’s shape, color, and bristles resemble an old eagle’s head, which is why it is called “grass owl’s head.”

After consulting the Erya, Su Jing and others said: “Luo” is another name for Guanzhong. The commentary says its leaves are round and pointed, its stems are hairy and black, and it does not wither even in winter. It is also called Guanqu. The Guangya calls it Guanjie, while the Shu Materia Medica calls it Yaozao.

The Illustrated Classic also says: Guanzhong’s shoots resemble those of the dog-spine fern, and its shape resembles a pheasant’s tail. The root is straight, with many branches; its outer skin is black and its interior red. A curved root is called “grass owl’s head” and can be used to treat wind disorders of the head. Today it is found throughout shaded mountain valleys.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says: Used as a guide herb, Guanzhong can treat abdominal heat. When used as a guide herb with red adzuki beans, it can kill cunbai worms.

The Illustrated Classic records that Guanzhong grows in the valleys of Mount Xuan and is also found in Yuanju and on Mount Shaoshi.

Today, Guanzhong is commonly found in the prefectures and districts of Shaanxi and Hedong, and between Jingzhou and Xiangzhou, but it rarely flowers. In spring, it puts out young shoots with reddish leaves about the size of fern fronds. Its stem has three ridges, and its green leaflets resemble the feathers of a chick, which is why it is also called “phoenix-tail grass.” Its root is purplish black and shaped like a large melon. Black fibrous roots grow beneath it, and its shape also somewhat resembles an eagle. The Erya calls it “Luo” (pronounced “shuruo”). Guo Pu’s commentary says its leaves are rounded and pointed, its stem bears black hairs, and it grows close to the ground without withering even in winter. The Guangya calls it “Guanjie”; both names refer to this plant. Harvest the root in the third month and dry it in the sun. People in southern Jingzhou grind the root into powder and take one qian and seven fen mixed with water; it is effective for nosebleeds.

Raohua (pronounced “yao”) tastes bitter and pungent, is cold in nature, and is mildly cold in medicinal properties. It is poisonous. It treats cold damage and warm malaria, drains twelve kinds of water disease, disperses accumulations and hard abdominal masses, clears stagnation retained in the intestines and stomach, treats undigested food and pathogenic cold and heat, and promotes urination. It can also be used for phlegm-fluid retention and cough. It grows in the valleys of Xianyang and in Zhongmou, Henan. Harvest the flowers in the sixth month and dry them in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says: The Raohua produced in Zhongmou is usually brought from the banks of the Yellow River. It resembles Yuanhua, but is much smaller and very white. Recently, transport has been disrupted, making it almost impossible to obtain.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: The young shoots of this plant resemble coriander and its stems have no thorns. Its flowers are small and yellow; harvest it in the fourth or fifth month. It bears no resemblance to Yuanhua.

After consulting the Illustrated Classic of Shu, Yuxi and the others say: Raohua grows to about two chi tall and is found on hillsides and plains. It is now found in many regions, and the variety produced in Yongzhou is of good quality.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: As an assistant herb, Raohua treats cough with rebellious Qi, swelling of the throat, lingering pathogenic Qi, gu toxins, abdominal masses known as xuanpi, and edema.

The Extended Meaning says: Raohua is now abundant around the capital and Luoyang. Zhang Zhongjing’s Treatise on Cold Damage uses it to treat diarrhea because it drains water. Once the water is drained, the diarrhea stops; this is the general idea. When using it today, adjust the dose to the circumstances and do not use too much or too little. Use it only when the corresponding pattern is clearly present.

Yazi

Yazi tastes bitter and sour, is cold in nature, and is poisonous. It treats pathogenic Qi, heat, itching from scabies and ringworm, malignant sores, and hemorrhoids. It also expels white worms (intestinal parasites). It is also called Langya, Langchi, and Langzi, and grows in the valleys of Huainan and in Yuanju. Harvest the root in the eighth month and dry it in the sun. If it becomes damp, it will rot.

“Rotten growth” causes poisoning and death.

Yu yi (the fruit or seed of a kind of elm) can serve as an assisting medicine. It is incompatible in combination with di yu, ya zi, elm, and jizao ji (the flesh of jujubes). The names of the medicines and the claimed incompatibilities in this passage are difficult to identify with certainty.

Tao Hongjing says that langya grass is found everywhere near the capital, and that the shoots growing from its roots resemble the teeth of a beast. Su Song and others, after consulting the Shu Bencao, say that its shoots look like those of snake strawberry, but are thicker and larger, and dark green; the shoots from its roots resemble a beast’s teeth. This grass now grows in many regions. Gather its shoots in the second or third month and dry them in the sun.

The Yaoxing Lun says that langya grass is bitter in nature. It can treat itchy skin caused by pathogenic wind and kill cunbai worms, a kind of intestinal tapeworm. Its decoction can be used to wash malignant sores.

The Rihua Zi says that it kills various worms in the abdomen, stops red and white dysentery, and can be taken as a decoction.

The Tujing says that ya zi is langya zi. It grows in the valleys of Huainan and around Yuanju, and is now abundant in the prefectures of Jiangdong and Jingdong. Its shoots resemble those of snake strawberry, but are thick, large, and dark green. Its root is black and shaped like a beast’s teeth, which is how it got its name. Gather the roots in the third or eighth month and dry them in the sun. Ancient prescriptions often used it to treat snake venom: take a single-stemmed plant of langya, crush it, mix it with pork fat preserved in the twelfth month, and apply it to the affected area; it will soon heal. Yang Yan’s Nanxing Fang says to use the leaves before the sixth month and the roots after it. Chop the medicine, wrap it in tree leaves, warm it in the ashes of a charcoal fire, and apply it to the sore; stop when it cools. Zhang Zhongjing also used this medicine alone to treat vaginal sores in women.

The Shenghui Fang records a wash for treating vaginal sores: take five liang of langya, chop it finely, add five sheng of water, and boil it down to three sheng. Let it cool until warm, then wash the affected area.

The Waitai Miyao, quoting a prescription by Fan Wang for treating cunbai worms, says to take five liang of langya, grind it to a powder, and make pills the size of hemp seeds with honey. Fast the night before, then take one he in the morning with jiang water; the treatment is complete after one dose. Another prescription treats wounds caused by knives and arrows: crush the stems and leaves of langya grass and apply them to the wound; this also stops bleeding. A further prescription treats ulceration and injury of the female genital area: take three liang of langya, chop it, add four sheng of water, boil, and strain out the residue. Add one cup of bitter wine, a vinegar-like condiment, then soak cotton in the liquid and bathe the affected area. Do this four or five times a day, and it will heal.

The Qianjin Fang records a treatment for sores on children’s genitals: make a strong decoction of langya grass and wash the affected area. It also gives a treatment for shegong, also called shuinuzi, an injury caused by a poisonous creature in the water: use the leaves of langya, or, in winter, its roots; crush them and apply them to the affected area.

Jiyi: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and toxic. It treats various malignant sores, scabies, scabs, fistulas, and ulcerations, and is also used for various sores on cattle and horses.

Tao Yinju said: People today often use this herb to prepare ointments for treating sores and scabies, and it works very well.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: A single stem bears four leaves at its tip, with white flowers growing between them. The herb prefers shady places in mountain valleys where the soil is loose and soft. Its root resembles that of Asarum but is dark in color and poisonous; if accidentally taken by mouth, it causes a person to vomit blood. Some people today mistake it for Du Heng, but that is incorrect. It must be used to treat scabies and itching.

Yuxi and others consulted the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica and said: Gather the roots in the second lunar month and dry them in the sun.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Ji Ji, the name of a herb, can also be used on its own to treat guo scabies, a kind of scabies.

Rihua Zi said: It treats sores on the head, white-scalp ringworm with hair loss, itching caused by pathogenic wind, and itchy skin. It may be decocted and used to soak and wash the affected area, or applied directly to it.

Sheep-Treading Azalea (also called Yu Zhi)

Sheep-Treading Azalea tastes pungent, is warm in nature, and is highly poisonous. It is used to treat wandering pain caused by pathogenic wind entering the skin, warm malaria marked by alternating fever and chills, malignant sores, and various kinds of impediment disorders—pain and numbness in the limbs caused by wind, cold, and dampness. It is also used for pathogenic influences, ghost possession (an illness that people in ancient times believed was caused by the intrusion of ghosts), and gu poison. It is also called Yu Zhi and grows in the mountain valleys of the Taihang Mountains and in the hills of Huainan. Gather the flowers in the third lunar month and dry them in the shade.

Tao Yinju said: This plant grows on all the mountains near human settlements. Its flowers and young shoots resemble those of the daylily. When sheep eat its leaves, they stagger and die, which is why it is called “Sheep-Treading Azalea.” Do not let it come near the eyes.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: Yu Zhi is simply Zhi Zhu. In the entry on gardenia, Tao Yinju said that Yu Zhi was the name of the fruit of Zhi Zhu; this is incorrect. Its flowers do not resemble those of the daylily, but rather the yellow flowers of Xuan Fu.

The present commentary says: The young plant grows into a shrub three or four feet tall. Its leaves resemble peach leaves, and its flowers resemble those of the mountain pomegranate.

Yuxi and others consulted the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica and said: It grows into a shrub two feet tall, with leaves like peach leaves and yellow flowers like melon blossoms. Gather the flowers in the third or fourth lunar month and dry them in the sun. It is now found in many regions.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Sheep-Treading Azalea must not be taken with mineral drugs or flour of any kind, and must not be added to decoctions for oral use.

The Illustrated Classic says: Sheep-Treading Azalea grows in the mountain valleys of the Taihang Mountains and in the hills of Huainan, and is now found in many regions. Shoots emerge in spring, resembling daylilies, with leaves like those of safflower; the stems grow three or four feet tall. It flowers in summer. The flowers are bright yellow and resemble those of trumpet creeper, mountain pomegranate, and Xuan Fu. Sheep stagger and die if they eat its leaves, which is why it is named Sheep-Treading Azalea. Gather the flowers in the third or fourth lunar month and dry them in the shade. Today it grows throughout the mountain valleys of Lingnan and Shu, where its flowers are deep red and as richly colored as brocade. Some say, however, that this variety is not used in medicine. Many large medical formularies of antiquity use Zhi Zhu, including Hu Qia’s formula for treating seasonal red…

It can be made into a powder, or used in prescriptions such as “Pills for the Five Coughs and Four Fullnesses.” It is also often added to various medicinal wines for treating wind disorders; most such prescriptions contain it. It is used as well in Lu Wang’s wine. Today, this flower is commonly used in foot-washing decoctions found in medical prescriptions. In the south, some people use a powder made from this flower to treat bloody stools after poisoning by gu insects, with excellent results.

Three Medicines from the Sea

Pingxiang: Chen Cangqi’s research indicates that it grows in the valleys of the Southern Sea and is a herbaceous plant. It is cold in nature and non-toxic. It can be used to counter seasonal epidemics, malign influences, and ghosts, and is suitable for burning. Water boiled with it can be used to wash and treat edema and swelling. Boiled together with earth ginger, mustard seeds, and similar ingredients, it makes an effective bath for treating wind malaria.

Chazi-gu: Chen Cangqi says it grows in the mountains of Lingnan and the Southern Sea region. Each stem has thirty slender stalks, and it resembles Asarum. It tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can detoxify and is notably effective for abscesses and sores. The varieties from Zhongzhou and Wanzhou are considered better. The herb’s stems have similar effects and can simply be boiled in water and taken. Because poisonous creatures are abundant in Lingnan, every household keeps this herb on hand.

Yinan grass: According to the Guangzhou Record, it grows in the valleys of southern Guang. It bears pods about two feet long, containing thin, paper-like sheets as large as cicada wings. In ancient times, people believed that malign spirits troubled children, so they put the grass in red silk pouches for children to wear on their bodies or arms, to ward off evil and calm fright. It is named for growing in the south. Today, some mistakenly claim that “Yinan grass” has something to do with men and women. This is not so: “Yinan grass” refers to daylilies.

Twenty-Five Medicinal Substances Added by Chen Cangqi

Qieche fragrance (“qie” is pronounced like “qie”): It tastes pungent and is warm in nature. It can treat ghost influences, dispel foul odors, and protect against damage from insects and fish. It grows in Pengcheng, reaches several feet in height, and bears white flowers. The Erya calls it “qieche”; Guo Pu’s commentary says it is an aromatic herb. The Guangzhi records that it has yellow leaves and white flowers.

The Haiyao cites the Guangzhi, which says it grows in the valleys of Hainan. Chen Cangqi says it can treat cholera and ward off malign influences, and works very well for scenting clothes. If clothes have been damaged by insects, boil this fragrance, allow the liquid to cool, and rinse them with it to help prevent and treat insect damage.

Morning-born, evening-fallen flower: It can be used for malignant sores, abscesses, scabies, carbuncles, ant fistulas, and similar conditions. Dry the flowers in the sun, grind them into powder, mix with raw oil, and apply. It grows in filthy places such as manure heaps. Its tip resembles a writing brush and is purple; it appears in the morning and withers by evening. Children call it “dog-urine stand,” and it is also known as “ghost pen mushroom.” Mushrooms of this kind that grow from the earth are all considered useful for sores and scabies; the black ones growing on cow dung are especially good. They can also be burned to ash…

The Dijing says: After the autumn rains, a fungus grows called “Double Platform,” also known as “Immortal’s Hat.” It is used chiefly to treat blood disorders.

Jiedong root is bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat heat toxins, bites from snakes, dogs, and insects, as well as abscesses and sores. Its effects are the same as Chen Family White Medicine, and its shoots and vines look similar. It grows in Enzhou, Lingnan. Both the branches and roots should be dried in the shade.

The Haiyao records: According to the Guangzhou Record, Jiedong root grows in Lingnan and along the coast. Its shoots and vines resemble those of tigua root. It is pungent in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats various toxic influences and snakebites. Grind the root into powder and take it; if someone has been poisoned, taking it will make them vomit up the poison.

Wellside grass treats children’s night crying. Place the grass beneath the mother’s sleeping mat, without letting her know.

Pig-ear grass treats stream poison and injuries caused by shegong. Squeeze the grass to extract its juice and drink it, then apply the residue to the wound. “Stream poison” and “shegong” are terms used in old books for certain poisonous substances or insect injuries found near mountain streams.

The Baiyi Fang says that there are many kinds of pig-ear grass, and it is unclear which one the name refers to. White-leaved Chinese cabbage is also called pig-ear. The Yan Family Instructions says that purslane is also known as “pig”; purslane is another possible identification. In addition, round-leaved plantain is also called pig-ear.

Lamp-flower powder: Applied to wounds caused by metal objects, it can stop bleeding, promote the growth of new flesh, and turn the wound black. A popular belief today says that when a flower of wax falls from a candle, it foretells good news; otherwise, it foretells a gain of money.

Qianjinlue grass treats poisonous injuries from snakes, scorpions, and insects. Pound the grass and apply it to the wound to promote the growth of new flesh and relieve pain. It grows in Jiangnan and reaches two or three chi in height.

Broken-pot grass treats ding sores. Mix equal amounts of white yachi, a kind of dock, green moss, pinellia, wolfberry root bark, a wasp nest, a child’s hair, and fei silk, a red silk fabric, and reduce them to ash. Gather the ingredients in the fifth lunar month, pound them, and mix with the other medicinal powders. Take one qian each time; it is said to draw out the root of the ding sore.

Jiapai grass

The seeds that form in the autumn ears of jiapai grass can dye the hair and sideburns black, making a person look younger. The grass grows beside mountain paths.

The Illustrated Classic says: Jiapai grass treats bloody dysentery in men, but not in women. For chronic wasting dysentery, use its root. It is commonly taken among the people and considered effective.

For bloody dysentery, take two jin of jiapai grass, pound it, and squeeze out the juice. Use one small sheng of juice, add white flour about the size of half an egg, and stir until smooth. Take it all at once on an empty stomach. In severe cases, take it no more than three times. If fresh grass is unavailable, gather the whole plant and dry it in the shade, then grind it into powder. A person with dysentery should take one square-inch spoonful mixed into half a cup of honey water.

Yuxi and others say: Jiapai grass has only appeared in records in recent times; they have never seen it used in ancient prescriptions.

Although Chen Cangqi, a Tang-dynasty physician, once said that this substance could darken the hair at the temples and slow aging, the account appears among entries on plants found by roadsides, and its details are not very clear. Emperor Taizong recorded its uses in his own hand, describing them in great detail, so the account is carefully copied into the section on miscellaneous substances in the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica.

The section begins:

Ash from a Hundred Herbs: Used to treat underarm odor and metal wounds—injuries caused by swords, knives, and similar weapons. Gather a hundred kinds of herbs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dry them in the shade, and burn them to ash. Mix the ash with well water into a ball and burn it again until it turns pale. Mix it with strong vinegar to make a cake, then hold it under the armpit, replacing it when it dries. After use, the whole body may ache in spasms and the chest may feel tight. Stop using it once pus begins to drain from the wound, then wash the area with water or urine. Two or three applications are enough. This method can also stop bleeding and promote tissue growth in metal wounds: mix the herb ash with lime into a ball, burn it until it turns pale, scrape off some of the material, and apply it to the wound.

Grass Growing on the Grave of a Woman Who Died in Childbirth: Used to treat a skin eruption in children known in ancient times as “vinegar sores.” When gathering the grass, do not look back. Boil it to make a bath for the child; improvement should be visible within three baths.

Ash from the Collar of a Filial Son’s Garment: Applied to the face, it treats dark facial spots.

Shoes Beneath the Funeral Bed: Used to treat foot disorders known in ancient times as “foot-Qi.”

Horsefly-Mother Grass: Its leaves curl up and look like fruit; inside them are blood-feeding larvae. When the larvae emerge as adults, they become horseflies that bite people. In the northern frontier there is a kind of grass with leaves like those of the mallow. Pound the leaves with cassia twigs into a powder and apply it to people or horses. This will keep horseflies from approaching when traveling through the mountains.

Knot from an Old Rain Cape: Burn it to ash, mix the ash with oil, and apply it to sores caused by earwigs—commonly called “pincer bugs”—crawling over the skin. It works well.

Old Cooking Brush: Used to treat white patches on the face. On the night of a lunar eclipse, burn it to ash with other medicines, then mix the ash with bitter wine—that is, vinegar—to make a paste and apply it to the affected area.

Heavenly Luo Basil: Used to treat stream poison, an ailment the ancients attributed to poisoning from stream water. Crush the grass and apply it to the sore. Heavenly Luo Basil grows on level ground in the Jiangnan region.

Hairy Smartweed: Used to treat abscesses, deep sores, fistulas, and scrofula, a condition involving swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Pound it and pack it into the sore to draw out pus and blood and promote tissue growth. It can also be boiled into a wash for sores or used as a foot bath to treat foot-Qi. This grass grows at the foot of hills. It resembles black smartweed, but has hairy leaves, and its roots do not wither even in winter.

Snake-Rui Grass: Used to treat bites from snakes, vipers, and venomous insects. Pound the roots and leaves together and apply them to the bite; yellow fluid will drain from the wound. It grows on level ground, with leaves like those of knotweed but smaller, reddish stem joints, and a height of one or two feet. Planting it can repel snakes. Another kind of grass has a round stem like ramie and can also be applied to treat snake venom.

The Baiyi Fang says: In Dongguan there is a kind of grass resembling ramie, with a square stem and reddish joints. Crush it and apply it to a snakebite; the venom will seem to have been removed. This grass is also called Snake-Rui Grass. Both kinds of grass can treat snakebites, but it is still unclear which one is the true Snake-Rui Grass. There is also a kind of Mouse-Rui Grass, resembling sweet flag and growing among mountain rocks.

The root is used medicinally. After a mouse eats it, the animal dies immediately.

Wan Yi Vine: Treats snakebites. Pound the herb, sift it, then add water and mix it into a paste to apply to the affected area. Its vines resemble those of the small bean vine. It grows in Lingnan and is also called “Wan Ji.”

Luo Yan Herb: Treats abscesses and swellings, wind rash, and swollen feet caused by beriberi. Pound it and apply it to the affected area, or boil it in water and wash the swelling. This herb grows on rocks. Its vines resemble the spiral shell of a luo yan, are slightly reddish, and have a few fine hairs on the underside.

Stepmother Herb: Treats malignant sores. Pound it and apply it to the affected area. It grows in the river valleys and plains north of the frontier. Its flowers are purple or blue-green, and bear spiny, horn-shaped pods. The plant resembles mugwort and is also called “Stepmother Ji.”

Jiajian: Pungent in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats paronychia (redness, swelling, and ulceration around the nails), various stubborn sores, and pain from bites or stings by insects, bees, snakes, and scorpions. It is also used for sores on children’s heads, sores on the lips, and “moon-erosion” sores behind the ears, a term often used for recurrent sores in that area. Apply it to the affected area. It can also be burned with other medicines and fragrant fruits and flowers, then mixed with wax to make lip balm; its effects are much the same as those of Jiajian. Jiajian that has been stored for three years can be used for insect bites, various sores, sores at the corners of the mouth, and paronychia.

Golden-Wound Groundcover: Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats wounds caused by knives, axes, and other metal tools, helping stop bleeding and promote the growth of new flesh. It can also stop nosebleeds. Crush the leaves and apply them to the wound. Alternatively, pound the leaves with lime into pills and dry them in the sun; when needed, scrape off some powder and apply it to the wound. The herb can also be boiled and taken to treat blood stasis and sudden onset of bloody stool. It grows in fields and damp low-lying places near villages south of the Yangtze. It is about one or two inches tall, with small, short leaves. In spring and summer, it bears pale purple flowers about the length of a grain of polished rice.

Ghost-Hairpin Herb: Bitter in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats snakebites and spider bites. Pound it and apply it externally, or crush it, extract the juice, and take it by mouth. This herb grows beside ponds. Its leaves are divided, its stem is square, and its seeds resemble the prongs of a hairpin; they readily catch on clothing. Because their shape resembles needles, people in the north call it “Ghost Needle.”