《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 18

He Shouwu is bitter and astringent in taste, slightly warm in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat scrofula, a condition resembling tuberculosis of the lymph nodes in the neck; disperse sores and swellings; treat wind sores on the head and face and hemorrhoids; relieve heart pain; and replenish Qi and blood. It is also said to darken the beard and hair and give the complexion a healthy glow. Taken over a long period, it is said to strengthen the bones and sinews, replenish the essence, and promote longevity. It is also used to treat ailments after childbirth and abnormal vaginal discharge in women.

He Shouwu was first found in Nanhe County, Shunzhou, and now grows in the various prefectures beyond the mountain ranges and in Jiangnan as well. It is a climbing vine with purple flowers and yellowish-white leaves. The leaves resemble those of Chinese yam, but their surfaces are not smooth; the vine’s leaves always grow in pairs. Its roots are as large as a fist and come in red and white varieties: the red is considered male, and the white female. It is also known as wild sprout, entwining vine, night-blooming union, earth essence, and Chen Zhibai. Gather it in spring or summer. Before use, split it with a bitter-bamboo knife, soak it overnight in rice-rinsing water, then dry it in the sun and pound it with a wooden pestle in a wooden mortar. Avoid iron utensils.

Liu Yuxi and others, citing the Rihuazi, say that He Shouwu tastes sweet. Taken over a long period, it can help a person have children, and it can also treat chronic illnesses of the internal organs, various forms of cold, and intestinal wind, a condition involving bleeding in the intestines. The plant has male and female forms: the male plant’s stems and leaves are yellowish white, while the female’s are reddish yellow. When preparing the medicine, use both forms together; this is considered essential for it to work.

This medicine originally had no established name in the materia medica. According to legend, a man named He Shouwu saw vines twining together and gathered some to take. After he found that it worked, the medicine was named after the person who gathered it. It is also called peach-willow vine.

The Illustrated Materia Medica records that He Shou Wu was first found beyond the ridges near Nanhe County in Shunzhou. It also grew in various prefectures south of the Yangtze, and by now could be found in many places. The finest quality came from Xiluo, Mount Song, and Zhecheng County in Nanjing.

He Shou Wu sprouts in spring. Its leaves grow in opposite pairs and resemble yam leaves, though they lack their sheen. Its vines climb over bamboo, trees, and walls. In summer and autumn, it blooms with yellowish-white flowers like those of kudzu. Its ridged fruit resembles buckwheat but is very small, about the size of millet. The roots are dug up in autumn and winter. The larger ones can be as big as a fist, each with five ridged lobes, like a small sweet melon.

There are two kinds of He Shou Wu: the red is male, and the white is female. After digging them up, while the roots are still damp, wipe away the soil with cloth or silk. Slice them with a knife made from bitter bamboo, soak them overnight in rice-rinsing water, and then dry them in the sun. Iron tools must not be used in processing; instead, pound the roots in a wooden mortar. Another account says to gather the roots in spring and the flowers in autumn, and that they should be taken only after nine rounds of steaming and nine of sun-drying.

The medicine was originally called “Entwined Vines”; it later took the name He Shou Wu because He Shou Wu himself took it. He Shou Wu was from Henan County in Shunzhou. His grandfather was named Nengsi, and his original name was Tian’er. He was frail from birth and, at fifty-eight, still had neither wife nor children. One day, while drunk and lying in the wild, he saw two vines growing separately in a field. They later twined around each other, parted, and then entwined again, repeating this three or four times. Finding this strange, Tian’er dug up the roots and took them to ask the local people, but no one recognized them. He dried the roots, ground them into powder, and took it with wine. After seven days, his sexual potency returned; after one hundred days, his old illnesses had all been cured. Ten years later, he had several sons and subsequently changed his name to Nengsi. He also gave the medicine to his son Ting. Both lived to the age of 160. He Shou Wu himself took the medicine and lived to 130.

In the seventh year of the Yuanhe era under Emperor Xianzong of the Tang, the monk Wenxiang met an old man from Mount Mao, who passed this account on to him. Li Ao then included it in the Record of Prescriptions. That book also records that He Shou Wu’s shoots resemble those of the rose of Sharon and have a glossy surface; the leaves resemble peach or willow leaves, are paler underneath, and grow singly rather than in pairs. There are male and female plants: the female shoots are yellowish-white, and the male shoots yellowish-red. The two plants grow some distance apart, but their vines entwine at night and sometimes disappear from sight. In late spring, midsummer, and early autumn, on clear days, both male and female plants may be gathered together.

When gathering them, dig out the roots intact. While they are still damp, wipe away the soil with cloth or silk without damaging the outer skin, then seal them for storage. Sun-dry them twice each month. Take the medicine on even-numbered days: the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth days of each month. After taking it, cover the body with clothing to induce sweating, and practice Daoyin, an ancient method of health cultivation involving physical movement and breath regulation. Avoid pork blood and sheep’s blood in particular. This account is quite detailed.

So he recorded it.

An empirical prescription: Take fresh fleeceflower root, peel it, and slice it thinly with a copper or bamboo knife. Place the slices in a steamer and steam them as you would rice. Use a ceramic stone pot beneath the steamer; do not use iron vessels. Set another pot of water beside it and keep that pot full. Once steam begins rising through the steamer, continually pour hot water over the top, taking care not to let it overflow. Steam the fleeceflower root until it has no smell at all, then remove it. The juice produced during steaming may also be taken by mixing one spoonful with boiled water. This is the essence of the medicine and differs from the usual method.

To treat flaccidity of the bones, pain in the lower back and knees, difficulty walking, and itching over the whole body: Take one jin each of large, patterned fleeceflower root and Achyranthes root. Chop them, soak them in one sheng of good wine for seven nights, then dry them in the sun. Pound them to a powder in a wooden mortar and form pills with honey. Take thirty to fifty pills each day on an empty stomach, before meals, with wine.

Another prescription: For pain beneath the skin anywhere on the body, mix fleeceflower root powder with ginger juice to make a paste. Apply it to the painful area, wrap it with cloth, and press it with a heated shoe sole. It works very well.

The Doumen Formula: To treat scrofula—lumps such as tuberculous swellings of the neck’s lymph nodes—whether or not they have broken open, and even when they have spread to the chest. Take Jiuzhen vine and dig up a root about the size of an egg. Wash it and chew it raw, taking it regularly. Pound the leaves and apply them to the sores; after taking it a few times, the discharge can be stopped. The book says that long-term use of this medicine can turn the hair black and prolong life; taking the vine’s tip in doses of nine is said to make one immortal. Its leaves resemble apricot leaves, and its root resembles scrofulous swellings; it is exceptionally effective in use. It can also be used to make Lishu and Fushazi, each according to its own method. Jiuzhen vine is another name for fleeceflower root; it is also called red kudzu.

Wang’s Extensive Aid Formula: For scabies and ringworm covering the whole body, with sores everywhere that are difficult to cure, decoct equal amounts of fleeceflower root and mugwort in water until the liquid thickens. Pour it into a basin and wash the affected areas. It is said to relieve pain and promote the growth of new flesh very effectively.

The legend of fleeceflower root: Long ago, a man named He Shouwu lived in Nanhe County, Shunzhou. His grandfather was named Nengsi, and his father was named Yanxiu. Nengsi often admired the arts of the Dao and followed his teacher to live in the mountains. Once, after getting drunk, he slept in the wilderness at night. Suddenly he saw two vines more than three feet apart, their tendrils entwined with one another. After they had been apart for a long time, they entwined again. Astonished by this strange sight, he dug up their roots at daybreak and took them home to ask others about them, but no one recognized them. Later, an old man from the mountains suddenly came to visit and said to him, “Since you have no children, and this vine is so unusual, it must be a medicine of the immortals. Why not take it?” So he pounded the root into powder…

When taken on an empty stomach with wine, at a dose of one qian, and continued for several months, it seemed to make a person stronger. He therefore took it for a long time.

Later, he increased the dose to two qian. After taking it for a year, all his old ailments had healed, his hair had turned black, and he looked younger. Within a few years he had a son, whom he named Yanxiu. Yanxiu later had a son named Shouwu, from whom the name He Shou Wu (“Mr. He Shou”) is said to have come. Shouwu later had several more children and lived to be over a hundred, with his hair still black.

A man named Li Anqi was from the same home region as Shouwu, and they were close. He secretly obtained this formula and, after taking it, lived to a great age. He then wrote down the account.

He Shou Wu tastes sweet, is warm in nature, and is non-toxic; Poria is used as an accompanying ingredient. It is said to treat the five kinds of hemorrhoids, ailments of the lower back and knees, heart pain caused by cold, and chronic debility and wasting, phlegm accumulations, and weakness caused by Wind. It is also said to strengthen the sinews, replenish Jing and marrow, boost Qi, preserve a youthful appearance, darken the beard, and prolong life. It is also said to help with women’s stagnant blood, sallow complexion, postpartum disorders, red or white vaginal discharge, toxic Qi entering the abdomen, and persistent chronic dysentery. Its benefits are too numerous to list.

He Shou Wu is also known as Wild Sprout, Joined Vines, Night Embrace, and Earth Essence. It was first found in Qianzhou, and also grows throughout the circuits of Jiangnan. Its young stems and leaves are glossy and resemble those of the peach and plum; the male plant has red stems. The roots grow no longer than three chi. They may be dug up in either spring or autumn, then dried in the sun and peeled. They are best ground into powder and taken with wine. When treating an illness, the powder may be taken with a Poria decoction, since Poria is an accompanying ingredient in the formula. For ordinary use, pound the herb into powder, store it in a new porcelain vessel, and take it as needed. While taking it, avoid pork, pig’s blood, and scaleless fish, as these are said to nullify its effects.

Some of the tuberous roots are large, as big as a fist; others are joined together in shapes resembling birds, beasts, or mountains. These are considered choice specimens. After digging them up and peeling them, they may be eaten raw. They taste sweet and are said to make it possible to abstain from grain.

The eulogy says: “He Shou Wu has miraculous effects and can aid the cultivation of the Dao; its benefits are recorded in the scriptures of the immortals. The male and female plants entwine, closing together at night and drawing apart by day. Taken as a medicine, it enables one to abstain from grain. Like the movement of the sun and moon, it can restore the old to youth and heal the sick. Those destined to encounter this method should pass it on without revealing it, and may then find joy in it for themselves.”

According to an account recorded by Li Yuan, Prefect of Mingzhou, the finest He Shou Wu comes from Nanhe County in Shunzhou, Shaozhou, Chaozhou, Enzhou, Hezhou, Sihui County in Guangzhou, and Panzhou. The varieties from Jinxing County in Yongzhou, Guizhou, Kangzhou, Chunchou, Qiongzhou, Gaozhou, and Xunzhou are somewhat inferior. The so-called “immortal herb,” after fifty years of growth, has a root as large as a fist and is called “Mountain Servant.” After a year of taking it, the beard and sideburns turn blue-black. After a hundred years, its root is as large as a bowl and it is called “Mountain Elder Brother.” After a year of taking it, the complexion becomes rosy and cheerful. After a hundred and thirty years, its root is as large as a basin and it is called “Mountain Elder”… The original text ends here, unfinished.

After taking it for one year, the teeth fall out and then grow back. After two hundred years, the body grows as large as a bamboo basket measuring a dou across; this form is called “Mountain Elder.” After taking it for one year, the face becomes like a child’s, and one can run as fast as a galloping horse. After three hundred years, the body grows as large as three such baskets; this form is called “Mountain Spirit.” Taking it for one year can prolong life and transform the body into a pure Yang body. Taking it for a long time can make one an earth immortal, the kind of long-lived immortal described in Daoism.

The Extended Meaning says: He Shou Wu can also turn the beard and sideburns black. When someone’s beard and sideburns turn white early, it is because there is too much wind-heat in the intestines.

Shanglu

Shanglu tastes acrid and sour, has a neutral nature, and is poisonous. It treats edema, hernial disorders and abdominal masses, and painful obstruction. Applying it hot can reduce swellings and sores, and it can also kill ghosts and demons. It also treats pathogenic Qi in the chest, edema, flaccidity and numbness in the limbs, and abdominal distension. It can open the five organs and disperse water accumulation. Roots shaped like people are said to possess spiritual powers. Shanglu is also called Yi Gen and Night Caller, and grows in the mountain valleys around Xianyang.

Tao Hongjing says: Shanglu is found in many places nearby. Practitioners of medicine generally make little use of it when dried. To treat edema, slice the fresh root and cook it with fresh carp to make soup. Daoists grind it into powder, or use it in decoctions and brewing; these methods are said to drive out corpse Gu, a kind of Gu poison believed to be caused by malevolent forces, and to enable one to see ghosts and spirits. Its fruit is also classed as a divine medicine. The flower is called Yi Flower and is especially valued.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: Shanglu comes in red and white varieties. The white kind can be used as medicine; the red kind is said to make people see ghosts and is highly poisonous, so it should only be applied externally to swellings. Taken internally, it can harm a person and may even cause unremitting bloody diarrhea and death.

The Modern Commentary says: Shanglu is also called Baichang and Danglu.

Yuxi and others quote the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica: Shanglu’s leaves are as large as a cow’s tongue, thick and brittle. The roots of plants with red flowers are red, while the roots of those with white flowers are white. It grows in many places. Gather the roots in the second or eighth month and dry them in the sun.

The Erya calls it “Sui Tang” or “Horse Tail”; the Guangya says that “Horse Tail” refers to Shanglu. The Bencao records “Tang” as another name for it. In the Guanzhong region it is also called “Tang,” while in the Jiangdong region it is called “Danglu.” The commentary says that roots shaped like people are said to possess spiritual powers.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says: Shanglu can serve as an assistant ingredient, and dog meat should be avoided while taking it. It tastes sweet and is highly poisonous; it can treat ten kinds of water disorders. When throat impediment blocks the passage, slice Shanglu thinly, stir-fry the slices in vinegar until hot, and apply them to the swollen throat.

The Rihuazi Materia Medica says: White Shanglu tastes bitter and has a cold nature; it works well when combined with garlic. It promotes the bowels, expels Gu poison, can induce the fetus to descend, and can be applied to swellings, toxins, and severe sores. Red Shanglu is poisonous.

The Illustrated Classic says: Shanglu is commonly called “Zhangliu Root.” It grows in the mountain valleys of Xianyang and is now found in many places, often in household gardens. In spring, it sends up young shoots, growing to a height of…

Its leaves are three or four feet long, blue-green, and shaped like a cow’s tongue. The stem is long, reddish green, and very soft and tender.

It flowers in summer and autumn, producing clusters of red-purple blossoms. Its root resembles a radish but is longer. Dig up the roots in the eighth or ninth lunar month and dry them in the sun for later use. In traditional pharmacology, its medicinal action is said to reach the body’s exterior. Practitioners of ancient arts often used it, and there are also accounts of taking it on its own. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dig up the root, place it in a bamboo basket, and hang it in the northeast corner of a house to dry in the shade for one hundred days. Then pound it into powder and sift it. Take it mixed with “well-bloom water,” the first water drawn from a well at dawn. The book calls this a secret method handed down by immortals.

When the throat is suddenly attacked by toxic influences and becomes painful, slice the root, heat the slices, and apply them over a cloth as a warm compress. Replace them when they cool; this is said to bring a quick recovery.

For someone whose mind and spirit are confused, whose chest feels obstructed, whose memory is poor, and who often makes mistakes, take the flowers, dry them in the shade for one hundred days, and grind them into powder. Each evening, swallow one square-inch spoonful—the amount of powder held by an ancient measuring spoon—with water. After lying down, think about what you wish to do; it is said that it will then appear naturally before your eyes.

The Erya calls it “Sui Tang,” the Guangya calls it “Ma Wei,” and the Book of Changes calls it “Xian Lu”; all refer to shanglu. Shanglu comes in red and white varieties: the red-flowered plant has a red root, and the white-flowered plant has a white root. The red root must not be used as medicine or taken internally. Use the white root instead. Another plant, called “Chi Chang,” has leaves very similar to shanglu and must not be taken. It can damage the sinews and deplete the Kidney Qi, so be sure to distinguish the plants carefully.

Lei Gong says: When using this plant, take care not to mistake it for chi ge, which resembles shanglu. The flowers and stems of chi ge contain toxins that damage the sinews and kidneys, so it must not be taken internally. Immortals are said to gather the white-flowered variety of shanglu after it has grown for many years and make it into dried meat to serve with wine.

For each preparation, first scrape off the outer skin with a copper knife, then slice the root thinly and soak it in running water for two nights. Remove it and place it in a steamer. Lay down a layer of bean leaves, then a layer of shanglu, alternating the layers in this way. Steam it from noon until evening. Take it out, remove the bean leaves, dry it in the sun, and chop it finely for later use. If bean leaves are unavailable, use beans instead.

The Waitai Miyao records this treatment for water accumulation, an illness caused by fluid retention in the body: Peel a white shanglu root and cut it into pieces the size of small beans. Take one large cupful, add three sheng of water, and boil until a little more than one sheng remains. Continue boiling until the root is soft, then add one large cupful of millet and cook it into a porridge. Eat it on an empty stomach. Taking it twice in one day may cause excessive diarrhea; taken once daily, it is said to produce only mild purging. Eat nothing else while taking it.

Another formula treats scrofula, a condition involving tuberculous swellings of the neck’s lymph nodes, and throat obstruction, with painful swelling and blockage of the throat: Pound fresh shanglu root and shape it into a cake. Place it over the scrofulous swelling, then put a moxa cone—a small cone of moxa wool—on top of the medicinal cake and apply three or four moxa burns, each burn counted as one cone burned to ash.

The Qianjin Sui says: To treat fluid retention and swelling, take six liang of white sweet flag, squeeze out half a ge of juice, mix it into half a sheng of wine, and adjust the dose according to the patient’s build. After taking it, the fluid should be expelled and the condition should improve.

Another formula: For sudden abdominal swelling in which the abdomen feels as if it contains stones, with severe pain that may make the patient cry out, the condition may prove fatal within a hundred days if left untreated. Take a large amount of pokeweed root and pound it to extract the juice, or steam the root before use. First lay cloth over the abdomen, then apply the medicine. Do not let it grow cold; replace it repeatedly, day and night without interruption.

The Jingyan Fang says: To treat fluid illness, scrape the coarse outer skin from camphor willow root, cut it into thin slices, dry them in the sun, and grind them into powder. Take three yellow catfish, three cloves of garlic, and one ge of mung beans, and boil them together in a large bowl of water until the beans are soft. Eat as many of the beans as desired, then mix one qianbi of the powder with the cooking liquid and take it. The book says this disperses fluid in the body and reduces swelling.

The Meishi Fang says: When a patient with edema cannot take medicine, boil one sheng of pokeweed with six liang of mutton in one dou of water until six sheng remain. Strain out the medicinal residue, then prepare the mutton with scallions and fermented soybeans in the usual way and eat it as a meat soup. White pokeweed is more effective.

The Sun Zhenren Shiji says: To treat various kinds of toxic heat swelling, pound pokeweed root (also called zhanglu root) with a little salt and apply it to the affected area, replacing it twice daily. Another formula says: To treat sores poisoned by toxins, cut pokeweed root and squeeze out the juice. Wrap the juice in a hot cloth and apply it as a warm compress to the affected area; replace the cloth when it cools.

The Doumen Fang says: To treat weak legs, cut camphor willow root into pieces the size of mung beans and boil them. Add mung beans and continue boiling until soft, then prepare them as a meal. Eat this every day until the illness is cured; the formula is said to work very well.

Zhang Wenzhong’s formula treats stone carbuncles, in which a swelling is hard as stone and will not form pus. Pound fresh pokeweed root and apply it to the swelling. Replace it when it dries, continuing until the swelling softens.

Wei Ling Xian (Clematis root)

Wei Ling Xian tastes bitter, is warm in nature, and is non-toxic. It chiefly treats various wind disorders, opens and regulates the Five Viscera, and dispels abdominal distension, cold accumulations, and phlegm and fluid collections in the chest and diaphragm. It is also used for longstanding masses and accumulations that do not disperse, including zhengjia, xianpi, and qi lumps; for pus and foul fluids collected in the bladder; and for cold pain in the lower back and knees and injuries from falls or blows. It is also known by the name “Can Disperse.” The original text further claims that taking it for a long time can protect one from pestilence and malaria.

Wei Ling Xian grows on Shangluo Mountain in Shangzhou, on Mount Hua, and on level ground where the sound of water cannot be heard. Plants that grow well are considered best. It sprouts earlier than other plants, with thick stems, paired leaves, and pale purple flowers. Its roots grow densely, becoming more abundant with age. It should be gathered in winter on days marked Bing, Ding, Wu, or Ji, and must not come into contact with tea after harvesting. Yuxi and others add that the Shuben records that Wei Ling Xian should be gathered from the end of the ninth month through the twelfth month and dried in the shade; specimens gathered in other months are unsuitable.

The Illustrated Materia Medica records that weilingxian (Clematis, a Chinese medicinal herb) grows around Shangluo Mountain in Shangzhou and in the Huashan area, and is also found in marshlands on the plains. Today it also grows in Shaanxi, Hedong, Hebei, the eastern region of the capital, and the Jiang and Hu regions.

Weilingxian sprouts earlier than most plants. Its stem resembles the prong of a hairpin and has four angular sides. Its leaves resemble willow leaves and grow in tiers, with six or seven leaves in each tier arranged like the spokes of a wheel. There are usually six or seven tiers. It flowers in the seventh month, with pale purple or bluish-white blossoms in clusters like cattail heads; some plants also have flower heads resembling chrysanthemums. The fruit is green, and the root is dense and fibrous, shaped like grains of millet. The plant also withers each year. The roots are gathered in the ninth month and dried in the shade. It is said to be best to harvest them on days marked Bing, Ding, Wu, or Ji, and that plants from places where no water can be heard are preferable.

During the Zhenyuan era of the Tang dynasty, Master Zhou Junchao of Songyang wrote Account of Weilingxian. It tells of a man in Shangzhou who was gravely ill and unable to put his feet on the ground for decades. Famous physicians had tried every method without success. His relatives left him by the roadside to seek help, where he happened to meet a Silla monk. The monk said there was a medicine that could save him, though he did not know whether it grew locally. He went into the mountains to search and found weilingxian. After taking it for a few days, the man was able to walk. Later, a local villager named Deng Siqi heard of the case and spread the story.

Cui Yuanliang’s Remedies from the Sea records how to take this medicine: gather it, dry it in the shade for more than a month, then pound it and sift it into a fine powder. Mix two qian and seven fen with warm, clear rice wine and take it on an empty stomach. If the patient is robust and can tolerate the medicine, the dose may be increased to six qian and seven fen. If it causes more than two loose bowel movements, reduce the dose; stop taking it once the illness has resolved. It is said to be mild in nature and not to conflict with other medicines, but tea and flour soup should be avoided. A decoction of licorice and gardenia may be drunk instead.

The Tang Materia Medica says weilingxian can be used for disorders of the lower back, kidneys, feet, and knees, as well as pain caused by cold in the intestines. It often proves effective even in illnesses that have persisted for many years. In the area around Luoyang County in Shangzhou, it should be dug up between the end of the ninth month and the twelfth month, then dried in the shade; material gathered in other months is unsuitable. Each year the plant spreads outward, becoming more luxuriant over time, with its roots, stems, and leaves increasing in number, but after several years it also withers.

The Essential Prescriptions records that to treat pain in the lower back and legs, weilingxian should be ground into powder and taken once a day on an empty stomach, mixed with warm wine, until it causes mild diarrhea.

The Proven Remedies records that to treat chronic cold in the large intestine, weilingxian should be made into honey pills the size of firmiana seeds. Take ten to twenty pills at night with ginger soup.

Another formula treats ailments of the lower back and legs. Take two jin of Wei Ling Xian (a Chinese medicinal herb), wash it clean, and soak it in good wine for seven days. Remove it and grind it into powder. Mix the powder with flour paste to make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Swallow twenty pills with the wine used to soak the herb.

The Jiyan Fang says this formula treats pathogenic Wind obstructing the kidneys and causing heaviness in the lower back and knees. Grind Wei Ling Xian into powder, mix it with honey, and make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. For the first dose, swallow eighty pills with warm wine. At dawn, you may have mild diarrhea and pass foul matter resembling thick, green peach gum; this is accumulated Wind toxin. If nothing is passed, take another hundred pills at night. Afterward, nourish yourself with rice porridge and take restorative medicines. One month later, continue taking warming and nourishing medicines regularly. Sun Zhao’s “Staff-Laying-Aside Pill” is a similar formula.

Cui’s Collection from the Sea says Wei Ling Xian can dispel various pathogenic Winds and open the twelve meridians. Take it in the morning, and its effects will be apparent by evening. It can open the five Zang organs and expel cold pus and stagnant fluids. Even if it causes mild diarrhea, it will not bring on severe purging. After taking it, the limbs feel light and strong, the hands and feet warm, and the body refreshed.

A man in Shangzhou suffered from a serious illness and could not put his feet on the ground. He had not recovered after ten years of treatment. Later, he met a Silla monk who said the illness could be cured with medicine. The monk went into the mountains to seek the herb and had the man take it for several days; the illness was cured. The monk left the name of the medicine and departed.

This medicine is said to treat men and women who, after Wind-stroke, cannot speak or move their hands and feet, or whose mouth and eyes are distorted. It also treats Wind affecting the sinews, bones, and joints; fetal Wind; head Wind; hidden Wind; heart Wind; and Wind madness. It can also treat headache from Cold Damage and persistent clear nasal discharge: two doses are said to stop the Cold Damage. Other uses include dizziness, white scaly skin disease, severe Wind disease, itchy skin caused by Wind, and sores caused by toxic Heat. The text also says it can act deeply on diseases of exhaustion, Wind affecting the lower back and joints, Wind around the wrists, impaired speech, and accumulated phlegm, while opening the five Zang organs.

The text further lists the following conditions as indications: longstanding accumulations in the abdomen; phlegm and fluid in the chest; pus accumulated in the bladder; excessive saliva; a craving for tea grounds; numbness in the hands and feet; Cold and Heat Qi obstructed and stagnant; pain in the lower back and knees; difficulty standing for long periods; edema; miasma; chills and fever; and severe headache. It also lists deafness caused when pathogenic Wind attacks the ears and produces pus, redness of the eyes, difficulty passing urine or stool, yellow jaundice, black jaundice, a dull complexion, swollen lymph nodes throughout the neck, postpartum blockage, pain in the back and lower back, ailments following a fall or other injury, heart pain, rebellious Qi, diaphragm Qi, Cold Qi surging upward, pathogenic Wind obstructing the kidneys, abdominal distension, swelling of the head and face, toxic Qi attacking and lodging in the body, and disharmony of Spleen and Lung Qi accompanied by cough with phlegm and Heat, shortness of breath, and inability to sit or lie comfortably.

Skin sores such as scabies, as well as cases in which a woman’s menstruation has stopped or continues for many days, causing Qi and blood to surge up into the chest and heart region, may also be treated with frequent doses of weilingxian (a Chinese medicinal herb). The same applies to yin sweating, night sweats, and an unpleasant fishy odor on the body or breath that is difficult to endure. The affected areas should also be washed frequently with hot water throughout the day. In the morning, mix the medicine with bitter saliva and apply it to the body; apply it once a day both internally and externally. This should bring about a cure.

For a child suffering from “wugu” (a category of childhood illness in ancient usage), the mother can hold the medicine in her mouth and then feed it to the child. It can also treat hemorrhoids that obstruct bowel movements, qi dysentery (dysentery accompanied by stagnation of Qi in the abdomen), and cramping, obstructive pain in the abdomen.

Use weilingxian alone. Wash it, dry-roast it, and grind it into a fine powder. Mix the powder with good wine until slightly moist, pack it into a bamboo tube, and seal the opening tightly. Steam it and dry it in the sun nine times each. If the medicine dries out, add more wine to moisten it again. Then mix the powder with cooked white rice and form pills the size of tongzi seeds. Take twenty to thirty pills at a time, with a decoction or wine.

The Yan Yi says: Weilingxian can treat intestinal wind (an ancient term for intestinal disorders involving bleeding, such as blood in the stool), but its medicinal action is harsh and rapid. Taking too much can deplete the body’s true Qi in the Five Viscera.

Qian Niu Zi

Qian Niu Zi tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is toxic. It treats rebellious Qi and swelling and edema in the feet, dispels wind toxin, and promotes urination.

Tao Hongjing says: Qian Niu Zi is a climbing vine. Its flowers resemble those of the hyacinth bean and are yellow; its fruit grows in small pods and contains black, spherical seeds. Recently, people have taken it to treat swelling in the feet and labored breathing. After taking it, urination becomes free, and the symptoms often resolve. The herb was first found in the fields, where someone used it in exchange for medicine; this is why it was named “Qian Niu” (“leading the ox”). There is also a plant whose leaves have three white spots, known among the people as “San Bai Cao” (“Three-White Plant”). Its root can also treat Qi swelling in the feet, and is very effective.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: Qian Niu’s flowers resemble those of the xuanfu plant. They are blue-green, not yellow, and do not resemble hyacinth bean flowers. The leaves of the so-called “San Bai Cao” have three black spots, not white ones. The ancients deliberately omitted the word “black” and called them “white.” Tao Hongjing had not seen the plant himself, but was repeating what he had heard, which is why he described the spots as white.

The present commentary says: This is a climbing vine. Its flowers resemble those of the guzi flower, but are somewhat larger and blue-green. Its fruit has a small yellow husk on the outside and small pods within, containing black seeds somewhat like buckwheat. Recently, people have taken it for swelling and distension of the feet and labored breathing. It also promotes the discharge of fluids, and the symptoms often resolve.

Yuxi and others, citing the Shu Ben Tu Jing, say: Qian Niu’s stems and leaves grow as a vine. Its flowers are blue-green, and its seeds resemble buckwheat: they are three-sided and black. The seeds are gathered after the ninth month. The plant grows in many regions.

The Yao Xing Lun says: Qian Niu Zi is used as an adjunct medicine. It tastes sweet and is slightly toxic. It can treat xuanpi and qi masses (conditions involving accumulations in the abdomen), promote the passage of urine and stool, reduce edema, and induce miscarriage.

Ri Huazi says: Qian Niu Zi tastes bitter and acrid (the original character, “xian,” is likely a mistake for “xin,” meaning “acrid”). It works well when used with Qing Mu Xiang and dried ginger, and may be used for lower back pain, coldness in the lower body, discharge of pus, Gu poison, and various conditions involving blocked Qi movement.

The Illustrated Classic says: In the past, no particular prefectures or counties were recorded as the source of Qian Niu Zi; today it is found everywhere. It is sown in the second month, and its seedlings emerge in the third. Its vines twine around fences and walls, growing to a length of two or three zhang. The leaves are green and have three pointed lobes. It flowers in the seventh month; the blossoms are faintly reddish with a green tinge and resemble large morning glories. It bears fruit in the eighth month. The fruit has a white outer husk that forms a ball; each ball contains four or five seeds, about the size of buckwheat, with three ridges. The seeds are black or white and are gathered after the ninth month. Qian Niu Zi is also called “Golden Bell.”

Duan Chengshi’s Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang says: “‘Pen-and-steamer grass’ is Qian Niu Zi. After the autumn equinox, break off its fruit: it is shaped like a basin and a steamer. The seeds inside resemble turtles, and the vines resemble Chinese yam. This is what is called Qian Niu Zi.”

Lei Gong says: Grass Golden Bell is Qian Niu Zi. It generally bears fruit in late autumn, which is gathered in winter. Before use, dry it in the sun, then rinse it in water, discarding the seeds that float and keeping those that sink. Dry the retained seeds in the sun, mix them with wine, and steam them from the hour of the Snake until the hour of the Horse. Then dry them in the sun; just before use, pound off the black outer skin.

The Treatise on Food Therapy says: Eating too much Qian Niu Zi can make the body prone to cold. Taken together with Cornus fruit, it can dispel water disorders.

The Sagely Beneficent Prescriptions records: To treat water accumulation throughout the body, swelling, and labored breathing that make it difficult to sit or lie down, take two liang of Qian Niu Zi, lightly dry-fry it, and pound it into a fine powder. Soak it overnight in the urine of a black ox. At dawn the next day, add a handful of scallion whites and boil for more than ten rounds. Strain out the dregs and take the liquid in two doses on an empty stomach. It is said that the water will be expelled through urination.

The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies records: To treat wind-toxin-type foot disease, if the lower legs are already swollen and retain an indentation when pressed, pound Qian Niu Zi and mix it with honey to make pills the size of small beans. Take five pills at a time with ginger decoction; this is said to promote urination. It may also be used to stop …

The Doumen Prescriptions records: To treat wind invading the body and accumulations in the organs and bowels, soak Qian Niu Zi overnight in a young boy’s urine, then wash it in a fast-flowing stream for half a day. Put it in a bag of raw silk and hang it in a ventilated place to dry. Each day, take thirty seeds with salted broth. It is said to be very effective at dispelling wind and is also good at reducing edema caused by deficiency. Long-term use is said to leave one feeling refreshed.

Wang’s Extensive Aid Prescriptions records: “Diaphragm-Opening Pill” treats impaired Qi movement in the Three Burners, obstruction in the chest and diaphragm, dizziness, increased nasal discharge, saliva, and phlegm, and a dulled mental state, among other symptoms. The text breaks off at “Qian Niu Zi”; the rest of the prescription is not preserved.

Take four liang of the herb. Use half the soap pod raw and half after boiling it. Choose pods that have not been worm-eaten, coat them with clarified butter, and roast them. Grind the pods to a fine powder, then boil it with two liang of fresh ginger juice until it forms a paste. Make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Take thirty pills per dose with an infusion of Japanese catnip.

Another formula treats threatened miscarriage. Grind one liang of morning glory seeds with a little red earth until very fine. Whenever cramping pain is felt in the abdomen, take repeated doses mixed with a decoction of white elm bark, one qian at a time.

Another formula treats illnesses in men and women caused by the gathering and binding of the five kinds of accumulated Qi. Take one jin of black morning glory seeds and pound them raw into powder; set aside eight liang. Put the remaining dregs on a new roof tile and fry them until fragrant and cooked. Let them cool, pound them again, and set aside four liang of this cooked powder. Mix the two powders together and combine with refined honey to make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. For severe accumulation of Qi, take thirty to fifty pills at a time with a decoction of aged tangerine peel and fresh ginger, before bed and on an empty stomach. If the medicine has taken effect between the second and third watches of the night but the pathogenic influence has not yet been expelled, take another thirty pills to bring the accumulated matter down. For regular use to promote the movement of Qi, take ten to fifteen pills. Children over seven and under fifteen should take five to seven pills per dose. People over fifty should not take this medicine.

The Jianyao Jizhong records: To treat dry, obstructed stools, pound morning glory seeds—half raw and half cooked—into a powder. Take two qian at a time mixed with ginger broth. If the bowels still do not move, take another dose; it may also be mixed with hot tea. Adjust the dose according to the person’s strength or weakness. There is no fixed time for taking it.

The Yanyi says: Accounts of morning glory seeds vary widely, and Tao Hongjing’s description is especially inaccurate. He says the flowers resemble those of the hyacinth bean, but in fact they look nothing alike. Morning glory flowers resemble trumpet flowers, though they are blue-green; they open at sunrise and close at sunset. The current commentary says the seeds resemble buckwheat, which is also wrong. In fact, they resemble the seeds of the wood monkey pear, but are black. Lightly roast them, then pound them and take one liang of the powder. Separately, take half a liang of peach kernel powder, prepared by frying it with bran and removing the skin and tip. Mix the powders with cooked honey and make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Take twenty to thirty pills with warm water to treat wind-induced constipation in the large intestine, when heat and obstruction cause the stools to bind and resist passage. This medicine should not be taken for a long time, because it also moves Qi in the Spleen and Kidneys.

Castor seeds taste sweet and acrid, are neutral in nature, and are slightly toxic. They are used to treat water accumulation. Grind twenty castor seeds and take them; this will cause foul foam to be vomited. The dose may be increased to thirty seeds. Take it once every three days and stop when the illness is cured.

It can also treat Wind deficiency, Cold and Heat, sores and itching on the body, edema, corpse-possession illness (a condition the ancients believed was caused by the intrusion of ghosts or spirits, or by corpse vapors), and foul Qi. Apply its oil to the affected area. The leaves can treat beriberi, Wind-related swelling, and numbness. Crush and steam them until hot, then apply them to the affected area.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: This plant, cultivated among the people, has leaves like hemp leaves, but much larger. Its seeds resemble ticks (the character is pronounced “bei”) and it is also called bima. Varieties now brought from the Hu regions have red stems, grow more than one zhang tall, and bear seeds larger than soapberry kernels; their medicinal effects are stronger. Apply oil to the leaves, heat them over a fire, and use them as a warm compress on the fontanel at the crown of the head—the spot on an infant’s head that has not yet closed. This is especially effective for stopping nosebleeds. The Tang Materia Medica commentary is included here first.

In their notes, Yuxi and others say: The Illustrated Classic of Shu says that the tree’s leaves resemble hemp leaves and are several times larger. The husks are spiny; the fruits are larger than croton seeds, blue-green and yellow, with spots. Gather the stems and leaves in summer, the seeds in autumn, and dig up the roots in winter; dry them in the sun. Varieties from the Hu regions have larger stems and seeds, and are found everywhere. Another account says the leaves resemble Japanese hop leaves, but are thicker and larger; the stems are red and jointed, like sugarcane.

The Daily Materia Medica says: It can treat edema and abdominal distention. Grind the seeds finely and swallow them with water. A robust person may take five seeds. They can also be used to induce childbirth: apply the medicine to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet of the woman in labor, and wipe it off as soon as the baby is delivered. For sores, scabies, ringworm, and similar conditions, the seeds may also be ground and applied externally.

The Illustrated Classic says: Older texts do not record which prefectures or districts produce castor seeds, but today they are found everywhere. Shoots appear in summer, with leaves like Japanese hop leaves, thick and large. The stems are red and jointed, like sugarcane, and grow about one zhang tall. Small flowers bloom in autumn, followed by fruit. The husks are spiny; the fruits resemble croton seeds and are blue-green or marked with brown patterns. Their shape resembles a cattle tick, which is why the plant got its name. Gather the stems and leaves in summer, the fruits in autumn, and the roots in winter; dry them in the sun. Varieties from the Hu regions have larger stems and seeds.

Cui Yuanliang’s Sea-Worthy Remedies records a method for inducing childbirth and expelling the afterbirth: Grind seven deer-hemp seeds into a paste and apply it to the soles of the feet. As soon as the baby and afterbirth have been expelled, wash it off immediately. If it is not washed off, the intestines may prolapse. In that case, apply the paste to the crown of the head; it is said that the intestines will then return to their place on their own.

Lei Gong says: Do not use black Tianchili seeds. They grow on dilou, have pointed ends, and are poisonous, so they cannot be used as medicine. Castor seeds resemble croton seeds and have yellow-black spots at each joint. To prepare them, first boil them, unpeeled, in salt water for half a day. Remove the skins, take out the seeds, and grind them for use.

The Essential Secrets from Outside the Capital records this method for treating paralysis on one side of the body and loss of voice: Take castor…

Take one sheng of castor oil and pour it into a copper bowl. Place the bowl in one dou of wine and let it soak for a day. Then boil it until both the wine and oil are thoroughly cooked, and take it as a medicine.

Another prescription treats edema. Take castor beans, remove their skins, and grind them finely. Mix the powder with water and take three he of the liquid in a single dose at dawn. By midday, greenish-yellow fluid should be passed.

The Qianjin Fang says: To treat beriberi in the Lingnan region, with swelling from the feet to the knees and lower legs, accompanied by pain deep in the bones, chop castor leaves, steam them until hot, and wrap them over the affected area. Replace the poultice two or three times, and the swelling and pain will subside.

The Zhouhou Fang says: To treat various painful, swollen abscesses caused by poison, crush castor beans and apply them to the affected area; they will prove effective. Another prescription is for difficult childbirth: take two castor beans, hold one in each hand, and after a short while the baby will be delivered.

The Jingyan Houfang says: To treat nasal congestion caused by wind-phlegm, take any quantity of castor beans, remove their skins, and split them in two. Take an equal amount of huanglian and crush it together with the castor beans. Soak both ingredients in water for seven nights. Each day, take one piece of castor bean on an empty stomach, at midday, and before bed, swallowing it with the soaking water. When the water runs low, add more; do not let the ingredients dry out. After two months, eat garlic and pork to test the treatment: if the symptoms do not return, it has worked; if they do, continue taking the medicine as before until they stop returning. If only the legs are swollen, pierce them with a needle to draw out the poison; this method is said to have produced notable results with repeated use.

The Xiuzhen Mizhi says: To treat a child’s dan rash, a condition involving red, swollen skin, take five castor beans, remove their skins, and grind them finely. Add a spoonful of flour, mix with water, and apply. It works very well.

Du Ren says: To treat laifeng, an old term for leprosy and other skin diseases, when the fingers curl and stiffen, the joints hurt unbearably, and the condition gradually worsens until the fingers may even fall off, take one liang of castor beans, peeled, and one liang of huanglian, cut into pieces the size of beans. Put both ingredients into a small bottle and add one sheng of water to soak them: soak for three days in spring and summer, and five days in autumn and winter. Then each time, split open one castor bean and, facing east, swallow it at dawn with the soaking water. Gradually increase the dose to four or five beans. Mild diarrhea after taking it is no cause for concern; add more water to the bottle when it runs low. Avoid foods thought to trigger wind diseases. This prescription has reportedly been used many times with good results.

Another prescription treats sores and swellings in the throat. Take one peeled castor bean and grind it with one qian of mirabilite. Mix with freshly drawn water to make a single dose. It should work after two or three doses.

Chu Yushi says: This treatment works remarkably well for scalds from hot water or burns from fire. Grind equal amounts of castor beans and clam shell powder into a fine powder, then mix it into a paste. For a hot-water scald, mix it with oil and apply; for a fire burn, mix it with water and apply.

Shuodiao: Sour in taste, warm in nature, and poisonous. It is used to treat itching and rashes caused by wind pathogens, as well as damp impediment and itching throughout the body.

The juice of Sambucus javanica can be boiled into a decoction for bathing. It is also called jincao or ji, and grows in fields and open country. Gather the leaves in spring and summer, and the stems and roots in autumn and winter. It is included here for reference.

Tao Hongjing said: Sambucus javanica grows abundantly in open spaces in fields and villages. It is often used to treat wind impediment—numbness and pain in the limbs caused by wind pathogen—as well as itching and pain. It is usually boiled into a decoction for bathing and is not suitable for internal use. Some people soak its roots in wine and drink a small amount.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says that this is the same plant as Luying, and that this entry merely adds further information. The Erya says that “ji” is another name for “jincao”; Guo Pu’s commentary identifies it as the young shoots of aconite. On checking the alternate names for “jin,” however, I find no name “jincao.” In Shu, people call aconite shoots “jincao.” Tao Hongjing cites this claim without giving his source. Neither the Yaodui nor ancient prescriptions record Sambucus javanica; they mention only Luying.

I have now examined the matter. The entry on Sambucus javanica was originally placed after the entry on langbazi in the Tang Materia Medica, but its notes were linked to the Luying entry and describe it as an additional item. On further examination, Luying is bitter in taste, cold in nature, and nontoxic, unlike the Sambucus javanica described here. It is difficult to identify them as the same plant; they are probably only related species. Sambucus javanica is therefore placed after the entry on Luying.

Yuxi and others, citing the Rizihua, report that Sambucus javanica is bitter, cool in nature, and toxic. It can treat guolai—a type of stubborn skin disease—and wind impediment. It may be boiled into a decoction for soaking and washing, and the leaves may also be used.

The detailed account in the Illustrated Materia Medica is given under the entry on Luying.

Lei Gong said: When using Sambucus javanica, gather the previous year’s flower buds in spring and the roots in summer; in autumn and winter, any part may be used. For preparation, use only the root. Chop it with a copper knife, pound it in a willow-wood mortar to extract the juice, then put the juice in a pot and simmer until it reaches the consistency of thin syrup. It is then ready to use.

The Waitai Miyao records a prescription for sudden abdominal masses, with a hard object in the belly like a stone and unbearable pain. Take a small bundle of Sambucus javanica roots, wash and drain them, tear them into pieces, and soak them in two sheng of wine for three nights. Warm the wine and take five he to one sheng, three times a day. To release the medicine’s effects more quickly, warm the medicinal wine in hot ashes and drink it once its flavor has emerged. The text says this prescription is nontoxic and has cured sixteen people with reliable results. If the illness returns after the medicine is finished, it may be taken again.

Another prescription treats lower back pain: heat Sambucus javanica leaves over a fire, spread them thickly on a bed, and lie on them while they are hot. Replace the leaves when they cool. In winter, pound the roots, stir-fry them until hot, and use them in the same way. This method is also used for impediment pain caused by wind, warmth, dampness, or cold, and for lower back pain in women who have been exposed to cold after childbirth and are unable to move.

Another prescription treats blockage of the lower passages: take a handful of Sambucus javanica roots, pound them to extract the juice, dilute it with water, and strain out the residue. A person of strong constitution may take one sheng and repeat the dose as needed. It is also used to treat beriberi, the traditional term for ailments involving swelling, pain, or numbness in the feet.

The Qianjin Fang says that to treat foot disease in the Lingnan region—often referring to illnesses involving swelling and pain in the feet—with swelling spreading from the feet to the knees and shins and pain in the bones, take the root of Shuodiao and pound it. Mix it with wine and vinegar in a ratio of three parts liquid to one part root, steam the mixture, and wrap it around the swollen area. The swelling should subside in two or three days. It may also be used to treat numbness and loss of sensation.

Another prescription treats head wind: take two sheng of Shuodiao root and two sheng of wine, boil them together, and drink.

The Meishi Fang says that to treat edema that makes it difficult to sit or lie down, with swelling of the head, face, and whole body, take Shuodiao root, scrape off the outer skin, and pound it to extract one ge of juice. Add one ge of wine, warm the mixture, and drink it on an empty stomach. It is said to cause slight vomiting and diarrhea. Another prescription treats various rashes: apply a little wine mixed with water in which Shuodiao has been boiled; it is said to cure them all. The Yaoshi Fang gives the same account.

Sun the Realized One’s Food Taboo says that to treat sudden swelling of the feet that gradually spreads upward, heat the stems and leaves of Shuodiao in hot ashes and apply them to the swollen area. When the application cools, replace it with a fresh one.

The Doumen Fang says that to treat malaria, take a large handful of Shuodiao, roast it until yellow, then simmer it in water until concentrated to one cup. Drink it before an attack of malaria begins.

Zhang Wenzhong says that to treat warts that suddenly appear on the hands or feet, crush the red young fruits of Shuodiao and apply them to the warts. The warts will turn red, and this is said to cure them. Another prescription treats wounds from a bear’s claws: take a large handful of Shuodiao, chop it, and soak it briefly in one sheng of water. Drink the liquid, then wrap the remaining herb around the wound.

The Zimu Milu says that to treat red, swollen patches that appear on a child’s body and move from place to place, and that may be fatal if they spread to the chest, bathe the child in a decoction of Shuodiao.

The Yanyi clarifies that Shuodiao and Luying differ in medicinal properties, flavor, and place of origin, and are used to treat different conditions. They are plainly two distinct plants and must not be confused. Moreover, Shuodiao has white flowers and fruits that are initially green and about the size of mung beans. Each flower cluster is about as large as a plate and usually bears one or two hundred fruits, which do not ripen and turn red until the tenth month. How, then, can anyone claim that one of them is “left over” from a particular account? That claim is exceedingly careless.

Arisaema

Arisaema is bitter and pungent, and toxic. It treats windstroke, expels phlegm, and relieves paralysis. It also directs Qi downward, disperses hard accumulations, reduces abscesses and swellings, opens the chest and diaphragm, disperses stagnant blood, and induces miscarriage. It grows on flat ground and in marshes and is found throughout the regions. Its leaves resemble those of konjac, and its root resembles taro. It is harvested in the second and eighth months. [“Added in the present edition” indicates that this entry was added in a later period.]

Yuxi and others quote Chen Cangqi as saying that Arisaema can be used for cuts, injuries from falls or blows, and stagnant blood. Pound the root and apply it to the injured area. The variety that grows in the valleys of the eastern mountains, has leaves like lotus leaves, and bears a single stem is the best.

The Rihua Zi says that Arisaema is pungent and strong in flavor, neutral in nature, and counteracted by aconite.

Dried and fresh ginger can be crushed and applied to bruises, injuries from falls, and areas of blood stasis. They can also be used for snake or insect bites, scabies, and severe sores. For medicinal use, they should first be processed. Ginger is also called “ghost merchant arum.”

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Tiannanxing is not mentioned in the Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica, which also gives no indication of where it grows. Today it is found throughout the country, growing on open ground and in marshy areas. In the second month, it sends up young shoots. Its stalk resembles a lotus stem and grows about one chi tall. Its leaves resemble those of merchant arum, with two growing opposite one another. It flowers in the fifth month. The flower is yellow and shaped like a snake’s head. In the seventh month, it bears fruit in clusters like an ear of grain; the red fruits resemble pomegranate seeds. Its root is round and resembles taro. The roots are gathered in the second and eighth months. Tiannanxing roots resemble konjac roots, and people often gather the wrong plant by mistake. Merchant arum has spotted stems and purple flowers.

Another account holds that the Tiannanxing described in materia medica is simply tiger palm, while the smaller variety is called Youba. Later generations gathered it for medicinal use and only then gave it the separate name “Tiannanxing.” Today, the larger Tiannanxing has small roots growing all around its tuber, and these should all be trimmed away when it is harvested. Chen Cangqi also says that Pinellia is one or two chi tall, while Youba is one or two cun tall. This reverses their heights. The Youba seen today has shoots one or two chi tall; its stem resembles konjac but has no spots, and its root is egg-shaped. Pinellia is one or two cun tall, though some plants reach one chi; its root is round and about the size of a little finger.

In the Wu region south of the Yangtze, there is also white merchant arum, called ghost taro as well. Its roots resemble those of Tiannanxing, and it grows abundantly on open ground and in marshes. People often gather these plants together with Tiannanxing and mistake them for it, making them difficult to distinguish; the plants bought in the market are often mixed in this way. Tiannanxing can still be identified to some extent by its smaller tuber, its soft, fine texture, and the fact that it splits easily during processing.

Ancient prescriptions often use tiger palm and do not mention Tiannanxing. Tiannanxing seems to have become common only from the Tang dynasty onward, and appears in many prescriptions for treating wind disorders, phlegm, and poisoning. The Continued Collection of Reliable Prescriptions gives this treatment for wind pain: Take Tiannanxing and henbane flowers while fresh, pound them together, and sift them into a fine powder. Shape the powder into cakes and steam them in a rice steamer four or five times. Then store them in a fine ramie-cloth bag. When needed, take some out, dry it by warming, and pound it into powder. Form pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds with steamed bread, and take three with warm wine. For pain in the waist, legs, or bones, take them on an empty stomach; for pain in the arms, take them after eating. The remedy is highly effective.

The Experiential Prescriptions records that in sudden windstroke, when both eyes are shut and the teeth are clenched so that medicine cannot be poured into the mouth, this powder can be used instead. Dip the middle finger into it and rub it over the back teeth on both sides twenty or thirty times; the mouth will open by itself, allowing the medicine to be administered. This prescription is called “Gate-Opening Powder.” Tiān…

Grind Southern Aroid (Tian Nan Xing) into powder and mix it evenly with an equal amount of white borneol. Combine the ingredients at noon on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The patient should take between one zi and half a qian each time.

Another formula: For children with gangrenous canker sores, including sores that eat through tissue and damage bone, as well as small sores that continue to erode the flesh. Take one Southern Aroid tuber and hollow out its center. Put in a piece of realgar, wrap the tuber in dough, and roast it. When the realgar has melted into liquid, cover it with a small bowl. Remove it from the heat, take off the dough, and grind the tuber into powder. Add a little musk and apply it to the sores. It is said to be effective.

Another formula: For women with headaches and eye pain caused by pathogenic wind attacking upward. Dig a hole in the ground and heat it until red-hot. Put one Southern Aroid tuber into the hole, pour in a bowl of vinegar, and cover it with a small bowl so no vapor can escape. Once it has cooled, remove the tuber and grind it into powder. Take one zi at a time, mixed with wine; for severe illness, take half a qian.

Another formula: For fright-induced convulsions and an accumulation of phlegm and saliva. Take one Southern Aroid tuber weighing one liang and soak it in wine for seven shichen. Remove it and place it on a new roof tile, then heat it all around with charcoal until it cracks from drying. Set it on damp ground to remove its fire toxicity, then place it in a porcelain vessel and cover it. Once cool, pound it into powder and add one fen of cinnabar, grinding the mixture evenly. Take half a qian at a time, mixed with an infusion of Japanese catnip (Jing Jie Tang), once or twice daily on an empty stomach and at noon.

The Shengjin Formula for vomiting blood: Take one liang of Southern Aroid, cut it into pieces the size of soybeans, and soak it for two nights in the liquid from stove ash. Remove and wash the pieces, dry them over a low heat, and pound them into powder. Grind native copper with wine until dissolved and take one qian. It is said to cure the condition.

The Ten Complete, Broad Rescue Formula for coughs: Take one large Southern Aroid tuber and roast it until it splits, then grind it into powder. For each dose, take one large qian, add a bowl of water and three slices of ginger, and boil until eight fen remain. Drink warm. Take a dose on an empty stomach, at noon, and before bed each day.

The Collected Effective Formulas for unrelenting vomiting and diarrhea, or for cold limbs, deficiency wind, and loss of consciousness resulting from excessive diarrhea: After taking this formula, the limbs will gradually grow warm and consciousness will return. The formula is called “Powder for Restoring Yang”: Grind Southern Aroid into powder. For each dose, take three qian and boil it with three Chinese dates until eight fen remain. Drink warm. If consciousness has not returned, take another dose.

Chu Yushi’s formula for wounds infected with tetanus, causing the body to become rigid: Grind equal amounts of Saposhnikovia root (Fang Feng) and Southern Aroid into powder. Mix with vinegar to form a paste and apply it to the affected area.

The Tan family formula for children whose jaws are locked shut: Take one Southern Aroid tuber, warm it by burying it in hot ashes, then wrap it in paper and seal it so no vapor can escape. Cut off a piece the size of a chicken’s head from the narrower end … “Yi zi,” “yi qian,” and “yi fen” are units of weight used in ancient prescriptions; “yi zi” indicates a dose smaller than “half a qian.” “On an empty stomach” means before eating. “Fire toxicity” refers to the residual drying heat believed, in traditional processing theory, to remain in a medicine after it has been heated.

“A single opening allows air to pass through the nostrils, and the jaws can open at once.”

Sheep’s-foot Root (the root of sheep’s-foot, also called “bald greens”)

Sheep’s-foot tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat hair loss, scabies, and itching, and can also clear pathogenic heat. It may also be used for ulcerative sores in the female genital area, spreading sores, carbuncles, and hemorrhoids, and it can kill parasites. It is also called Eastern Lodging, Worm-Connecting Lu, Ghost Eye, and Xu, among other names. It grows in the river valleys and marshes around Chenliu.

Tao Hongjing says: People today call it “bald greens,” but this comes from misreading the word Xu in the Classic of Poetry. The Classic of Poetry contains the line, “I go to gather Xu.” There is another plant much like sheep’s-foot, but with a sour taste, called “sour-muo.” Its root can also treat scabies.

The Tang Materia Medica records: The fruit of sheep’s-foot tastes bitter and astringent, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat red dysentery, white dysentery, and dysentery with both red and white discharge. The root tastes pungent and bitter and is slightly toxic. The Wanbi Formula says it can treat poison from parasites. Today it is found everywhere in the mountains, open country, and beside marshes.

After consulting the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, Su Jing and others record: Sheep’s-foot grows in low, damp places and reaches three or four chi in height. Its leaves are narrow and long; the joints of its stem are purplish red, its flowers bluish white, and its fruit has three ridges. It withers in summer. There is another kind of sheep’s-foot whose stems and leaves are both finer. Seeds form at the joints, shaped like the seeds of motherwort. It is very effective for treating dysentery and is now found throughout the regions.

The Rizhu says: Sheep’s-foot root can treat ringworm, kill various parasites, and treat swelling and toxins. Grind the root with vinegar and apply the leaves over it to treat intestinal parasites in children. It can also counteract poisoning caused by eating fermented Hu Yi fish, fish, or Tan Hu fish, and it may be eaten as a vegetable.

Chen Cangqi says: The leaves of sour-muo are sour and delicious; children break off and eat the tender shoots. Its root treats sudden fever and abdominal distension. Pound the fresh root and squeeze out its juice to drink: it induces diarrhea and kills tiny creatures on the skin. Its leaves resemble those of sheep’s-foot; it is mountain rhubarb, also called Dangyao. The Erya calls it “Xu,” and the commentary says: This plant resembles sheep’s-foot but is finer, tastes sour, and can be eaten.

The Rizhu says: Sour-muo tastes sour, is cool in nature, and is non-toxic. It can treat high fever in children. It grows on hillsides and resembles sheep’s-foot, but its leaves are smaller and yellow.

The Illustrated Classic says: Sheep’s-foot is bald greens and grows in the river valleys and marshes around Chenliu; today it is found throughout the regions. It grows in low, damp places and sends up shoots in spring, reaching three or four chi in height. Its leaves are narrow and long, much like lettuce but darker in color. The joints of its stem are purplish red; its bluish white flowers grow in spikes, and its fruit has three ridges and resembles the seeds of motherwort. It withers in summer. Its root resembles burdock root and is firm. Today, people gather fresh sheep’s-foot root, grind it with vinegar, and apply it to ringworm; it works quickly. They also boil it down and make it into pills to take. A prescription uses freshly gathered sheep’s-foot root, in no fixed quantity…

Pound the medicinal herb and grind it fine. Squeeze out a large sheng of juice, then simmer it with half a jin of white honey until thick like maltose. Add six liang of powdered fangfeng and knead until the mixture is firm enough to shape into pills. Roll it into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take two or three dozen pills at a time, two or three times a day, with wine decocted from gua lou and licorice. It works very well.

A careful examination of the sources: The “Lesser Odes of the Book of Songs” mentions “gathering sui.” Lu Ji says that sui is what people today call yangti, or sheep’s sorrel. It resembles a radish and has a red stem. Sheep’s sorrel can be cooked as a vegetable; it is tender, smooth, and delicious, but eating a lot of it causes flatulence. People in Youzhou call it sui. The character is also written xu, pronounced “chi-liu.”

There is another plant very similar to sheep’s sorrel. Its stems and leaves are yellowish, and it tastes sour; it is called suanmo. The Xu-sun (sun) or wu mentioned in the Erya is, according to Guo Pu, a plant resembling sheep’s sorrel, with slender, sour-tasting leaves that can be eaten. It is also called tiao (pronounced “tiao”).

The Food Therapy says: Sheep’s sorrel treats itching, but should not be eaten in large quantities.

The Shenghui Formula treats li-yang-feng, a skin disease: Take the root of sheep’s sorrel and grind it with good vinegar on an iron vessel. As you grind, scrape up the medicinal juice and apply it to the affected area. If it has not yet healed, add a little sulfur, grind again, and apply.

Another formula treats sudden constipation with dry, blocked stools: Take one liang of sheep’s sorrel root, chop it, and simmer it in one large bowl of water until six-tenths of the liquid remains. Strain out the dregs and drink it warm in one dose.

The Waitai Secret Essentials treats scabies: Pound sheep’s sorrel root and mix it with lard, then apply it to the affected area. Adding a little salt makes it more effective.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Formula treats throat obstruction, with swelling that makes speech impossible: Take a solitary sheep’s sorrel root, keeping it away from wind and sunlight and preventing women, chickens, and dogs from touching it. Grind it with vinegar aged for three years into a paste. Rub the throat with raw cloth until it turns red, then apply the paste.

The Supplement to the Thousand Gold Pieces Formula treats fistulas and damp tinea. These skin conditions itch and spread outward; the itching is unbearable, and scratching brings out yellow fluid. Even after healing, they often recur. Take sheep’s sorrel, wash off the dirt, chop it, and pound it to a pulp. Mix it with strong vinegar. Wash the affected area, apply the medicine, and wash it off with cold water after one shichen. Apply once a day until healed. It can also be ground into powder and applied; this works even better.

The Doumen Formula treats bleeding from intestinal wind and hemorrhoids: Steam the root and leaves of sheep’s sorrel and eat a bowlful. It is said to bring a quick cure.

The Concise Formula for Saving the People treats tinea sores that have resisted treatment for a long time: Pound sheep’s sorrel root and squeeze out the juice. Add a little ni fen and mix into a paste, then apply it to the affected area. Three to five applications should cure it. If the paste dries out, mix it with lard before applying again.

The root and rhizome of zizania are extremely cold in nature. They treat longstanding heat conditions in the stomach and intestines, relieve thirst, and can stop urination.

Tao Hongjing said that the root of gu (the root of the water oat) resembles reed root, but is cold in nature and more effective at promoting free flow.

Other editions of the commentary say that gu is jiang grass, which people south of the Yangtze call “jiao.” It can be used as horse fodder and makes horses grow very fat. It tastes sweet and is non-toxic.

Su Yuxi and others, consulting the Illustrated Classic of Shu Herbs, said that gu grows in water, with leaves resembling sugarcane or silvergrass. When its roots have spread and thickened over many years, small mushroom-like growths appear in summer. These can be eaten and are called gu vegetable. After gu grass has grown for three years, a tender stem resembling lotus root grows from the center of the plant. It is white and soft, with black streaks inside, and can also be eaten; it is called gu head.

The Erya says that “chusui” and “qushu” are kinds of fungi. The Shiming says they are also called “chusui” or “qushu.” The Guangya says that this fungus appears in the morning and resembles a shaggy inkcap. Guo Pu’s commentary says it resembles a fungus growing in gu grass. People in the Jiangdong region eat it today; it tastes sweet and has a smooth, tender texture. As for the term “ququsu,” the Shuowen says it refers to grasses such as gu and jiang, while Zhang Yi says it is the name of a woven wool mat, chosen because its sound is similar.

Meng Shen said that gu vegetable helps regulate the Five Viscera and can be used for pathogenic influences, facial redness after drinking alcohol, vitiligo, scrofula (swollen lymph nodes in the neck), and red eyes. But it has a laxative nature, so people with weak Spleen and Stomach should not eat much of it. For sudden heart pain caused by heat toxins or wind, it can be boiled with salt and vinegar and eaten.

He also said that jiao head is cold in nature and can be eaten when there is floating heat in the chest. However, eating it may make a person feel chilled and can damage Yang, leaving the lower burner (the lower abdomen and its associated organs) cold and lax. It is therefore better not to eat jiao head.

Chen Cangqi said that gu vegetable tastes sweet and is non-toxic. It can clear vexing heat, quench thirst, reduce yellowing of the eyes, and promote urination and bowel movements. It can also be used for dysentery caused by heat. A soup made by cooking gu vegetable with crucian carp stimulates the appetite and relieves alcohol toxicity. Gu grows in ponds and marshes in the Jiangdong region. The substance called “gu feng” is formed when the roots of gu float to the water’s surface after many years. Burned to ash and mixed with egg white, it can be applied to burns. The Lüshi Chunqiu says that among the finest vegetables of Yue is the “fungus of Yuelu.” When Zhang Han of the Jin dynasty saw the autumn wind rise, he thought of this food.

Chen Cangqi also said that gu head grows in the center of gu and jiang grasses. By autumn, it becomes as large as a child’s arm, hence the name “gu head.” When cooked and eaten, it quenches thirst; it tastes sweet and is cool in nature. Eating it with honey may bring on stubborn, longstanding illnesses, and it has no other special effects. There is also a smaller kind of gu head whose flesh looks like ink when cut open. It is called “wuyu.” People eat it too, and it can be used for watery diarrhea in children.

Rihua Zi said that jiao head is slightly toxic. Eating too much can obstruct the flow of Qi and may also damage Yang. Gu leaves help regulate the Five Viscera; people taking Badou should not eat them.

The Illustrated Classic says that earlier editions did not record which prefectures produced gu root. Today, in the ponds around the rivers and lakes…

This plant grows everywhere in marshes. People in Jiangnan call it “jiao grass.” It grows in water, with leaves like those of cattails and reeds. Cut and fed to horses, it makes them grow very fat. In spring, it also sends up tender shoots with a sweet taste that can be eaten. These are called gucai, or jiaobai.

In jiao grass that has grown for many years, a white flower stalk emerges from the center, as thick as a child’s arm. It is called “gu shou.” Some people now write this as “gu shou” using the character for “head,” but that is inaccurate. The Erya mentions “qushu,” and its commentary says this plant resembles a ground fungus and grows among jiao grass. It refers to this very plant. This is also why people in the south still call fungi “gu.” When a black substance appears inside the flower stalk, it is called “jiao yu.”

The roots of jiao grass resemble reed roots. They are cold in nature and promote free flow, with an especially strong cold quality. Jiao grass grows abundantly in the low-lying marshes of the Two Zhejiang regions. Its roots intertwine, and over time, together with the soil, they form floating mats on the water’s surface. Local people call these “gu feng.” Once the leaves above the water are cut away, the land can be cultivated. Some jiao grass grows stalks, whose seeds ripen in autumn and are called “diaohu rice.” The ancients regarded it as a delicacy, and even in times of famine people gathered it as food.

The Xi jing za ji records that the shores of the Taiye Pool in the Han dynasty were covered with diaohu, purple sheath, green joints, cattails, and other plants. The gu that bears grain is called diaohu by people in Chang’an. The part of a reed from which leaves can be peeled is called purple sheath, while gu grass that has grown a flower stalk is called green joint. Today, no one thinks much of gu rice. In general, all varieties of gu grass are strongly cold in nature and should not be eaten in large quantities, as they do people no good. They are suited only to those taking mineral medicines.

Chen Cangqi says: “Gu shou can treat floating heat in the chest, but it makes the Qi movement agitated, so it should not be eaten. Eating it can bring on a sensation of cold, damage the teeth, harm Yang, and make the lower burner cold. It is best avoided.”

The Dietary Therapy records: “When the heat from taking cinnabar and mineral medicines flares up, cook gu shou with crucian carp into a soup. Eating it two or three times will bring recovery.”

The Waitai miyao records: “To treat scalds caused by hot liquid or fierce fire, before an open sore forms, burn the root of gujiang—a kind of jiao grass—to ash, mix it with egg yolk, and apply it.”

The Guangji fang records: “To treat a venomous snakebite, burn the root of gujiang grass to ash and apply it to the wound. This grass is shaped like a swallow’s tail.”

The Zimu milu records: “If a child has wind sores that do not heal after prolonged treatment, burn the joints of gujiang to powder and apply it to the affected area.”

The Yanyi says: “The root of gu belongs to the same kind of plant as cattails. Its roots can be gathered in any season; pound them and squeeze out the juice for use. North of the Yellow River, people use only its young shoots to feed horses, calling them gujiang. They also use them to weave mats.”

It looks like a reed, bearing small green fruits shaped like hemp seeds, with stems a few inches long. Local people gather it and cook it with millet into porridge; it is very filling. This is the plant Du Fu refers to in his poem with the line, “I would gladly become cold-season water grass.” Because it grows in water or along the banks, eating too much of it can cause diarrhea.

Common Knotgrass

Common knotgrass, also called “bamboo knotgrass,” tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats spreading sores, scabies, itchy ringworm, carbuncles, and hemorrhoids, and can also kill parasites. It grows in the valleys around Donglai. It is gathered in the fifth month and dried in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says: This grass is found everywhere. It grows close to the ground, with small, green leaves. Its flowers bloom between the joints of the stem, and among the people it is also called “bamboo knotgrass.” Boiling it into a liquid and giving it to children can treat roundworms, and it is indeed effective.

The Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica records: Its leaves resemble bamboo leaves, and its stem has joints, as slender as the shaft of a hairpin. It grows in low, damp places. Today it can be found everywhere. The tender shoots are gathered in the second and eighth months and dried in the sun.

The Erya calls it “bamboo knotgrass.” Li Xun considers this to be one plant with two names. Sun Yan cites the line “How lush the green bamboo grows” from the “Airs of Wei” in the Book of Songs. Guo Pu explains: It resembles small lamb’s-quarters, with a red, jointed stem. It likes to grow by roadsides, can be eaten, and can also kill parasites. In his Materia Medica, Tao Hongjing calls it “bamboo knotgrass”; he means this very plant.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Common knotgrass tastes sweet. Boil it into a liquid and give it to children to treat roundworms and other parasites causing abdominal pain, with symptoms such as pain in the chest and upper abdomen, a bluish complexion, and foaming at the mouth. The book also records that in urgent cases, one may take ten jin of common knotgrass, chop it, and boil it in one shi of water. Strain out the plant matter, then simmer the liquid until it thickens to the consistency of malt syrup. Take it on an empty stomach, and the parasites will be expelled with the stool.

Those with hemorrhoids can regularly pound the leaves of common knotgrass and drink the juice. To treat heat jaundice, take one sheng of the juice at a time; if the illness has lasted for years, take another dose. One may also take a handful of the roots, wash off the soil, pound them, and drink one sheng of the juice. This is used to counter toxic reactions from mineral medicines that surge upward and cause painful swelling in the eyes. Applied externally, it can also treat hot swellings.

The Illustrated Classic says: Common knotgrass is also called “bamboo knotgrass.” It originally grew in the valleys of Donglai, but is now found everywhere. In spring it grows close to the ground beside roads. Its young shoots resemble Chinese pink, and its small green leaves resemble bamboo leaves. Its stem is red and as slender as the shaft of a hairpin; tiny greenish-yellow flowers bloom between the joints. Its roots resemble those of mugwort. The tender shoots are gathered in the fourth and fifth months and dried in the shade.

According to the Erya, “bamboo knotgrass” is the plant described in Guo Pu’s commentary: it resembles small lamb’s-quarters, has a red, jointed stem, grows by roadsides, can be eaten, and can kill parasites. In the “Airs of Wei” in the Book of Songs, the phrase “How lush the green bamboo grows” is interpreted by some as using “green” for king’s grass and “bamboo” for bamboo knotgrass—that is, the common knotgrass described here. The original text continues beyond this point.

This passage first describes methods for using smartweed, a medicinal plant, to treat worms and other conditions, then introduces langdu (wolf’s-bane).

Ge Hong’s prescription says that smartweed can also be used on its own: boil it until the liquid thickens, then give it to a child to treat roundworms.

The Dietary Therapy records: When roundworms cause heart pain, and the patient’s face turns bluish and they foam at the mouth, gather ten jin of smartweed leaves by the water. Chop them, add three shi and three dou of water, and boil until the liquid is as thick as malt syrup. Strain out the plant matter. Whether the weather is cold or warm, take one sheng on an empty stomach; the worms will then be expelled. If the illness is severe, take another dose. After taking the medicine, abstain from food until the following morning, then take it again at the proper time.

For those who suffer from this condition often, simmer smartweed leaves and use the clarified liquid to cook rice. For heat jaundice or any of the five kinds of hemorrhoids, smartweed may also be crushed for its juice; take one sheng at a time, and take another dose if the illness is severe.

When an outbreak of mineral medicine causes the eyes to swell and hurt, take a handful of smartweed roots, wash and crush them, add a little water, squeeze out the juice, and drink it. If there is a hot, swollen area on the body, crush the roots and stems of smartweed and apply them to the affected area.

The Wai Tai Mi Yao records that when mineral medicine flares up and causes pain, crush smartweed to extract its juice and take one sheng. One or two doses should bring relief; if they do not, further doses may still help.

The Qian Jin Yi records that to treat external hemorrhoids, crush smartweed and squeeze out its juice. Mix the juice with flour to make botuo, an ancient kind of noodle, and eat it on an empty stomach three times a day over an extended period.

The Zhou Hou Fang records that if a malignant sore remains itchy and painful after scabbing over, crush smartweed and apply it to the scab. Once the scab falls off, the condition should improve.

The Shi Yi Xin Jing records that to treat children whose pinworms crawl to the anus and cause itching, take a handful of smartweed leaves, chop them, and boil them in one sheng of water until reduced to five he. Strain out the plant matter and give the child the liquid on an empty stomach; the worms will then be expelled. The liquid can also be used to cook porridge.

Another prescription says that when cholera causes persistent vomiting and diarrhea, smartweed and fermented soybean liquid can be seasoned with the five flavors and cooked into a broth.

The Yang Shi Chan Ru records that if a snail-like worm moves around near the anus and causes itching, take a handful of smartweed and boil it in two sheng of water. A five-year-old child should take three to five he on an empty stomach. The treatment works better if the child eats the previous evening and takes the medicine the following morning.

Langdu (wolf’s-bane) has a pungent taste, a neutral nature, and is highly toxic. It is used to treat coughing with rebellious Qi, accumulations in the chest, indigestion, alternating chills and fever, water illness, lumps beneath the ribs, malignant sores, mouse fistulas, and destructive sores. It is also said to drive away ghosts and harmful spirits, counter gu poison, and poison flying birds and walking beasts. Langdu is also known as “continued poison.” It grows in the valleys of Qinting Mountain and in Fenggao. Its roots are gathered in the second and eighth months and dried in the shade. The older the roots are, and the more readily they sink when put in water, the better the medicine is considered.

Langdu is mutually reinforcing with soybeans when combined, but is considered incompatible with wheat and goujiang.

Tao Hongjing says that Qinting is in Longxi, and that Dangchang also produces langdu. According to legend, langdu grows only in a few mu of land, where vipers live and feed on its roots, making it very difficult to gather.

The wolfbane produced on Mount Tai is now said to come from Hanzhong and Jianping, and to resemble fang-kui. To distinguish them, place the roots in water: wolfbane sinks, while fang-kui floats. Fang-kui is rarely used among the people and is hard to gather, but it is an important medicine for ailments of the abdomen.

The Commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says that wolfbane and fang-kui are not the same kind of plant, and that they grow in different places. Wolfbane is now produced around Qinzhou and Chengzhou; Qinting lies where these two prefectures meet. No one has heard of wolfbane growing on Mount Tai or in Hanzhong. The climate around Qin and Long is cold, and vipers are not found there, so the claim that vipers live in fields of several mu and survive by eating wolfbane roots is not credible.

Another materia medica commentary says that wolfbane, ephedra, tangerine peel, medicinal evodia, pinellia, and immature bitter orange are collectively called the “Six Aged Herbs”: these six medicines are generally considered better after being stored for some time and allowed to age. Wolfbane leaves resemble pokeweed and rhubarb, and its stems and leaves are hairy. The root has yellow skin and a white interior. Roots that are firm and heavy are of better quality; lighter roots are weaker in effect. Qinting is in Longxi, while Fenggao is a county at the foot of Mount Tai. Wolfbane is also produced in Dangchang, Hanzhong, and Jianping. In the old materia medica, Tao Hongjing says that wolfbane and fang-kui have similar roots and can be distinguished by placing them in water: fang-kui floats, while wolfbane sinks. But this method is unreliable. If fang-kui is gathered in autumn or winter, its root is firm and will sink in water; if wolfbane is gathered in spring or summer, its root is light and loose, so it may float. Wolfbane and fang-kui grow in different places and have different forms, so they cannot be compared solely by this method.

After consulting the Illustrated Materia Medica of Shu, Yuxi and others say that the root of wolfbane resembles scrophularia, and that roots which are light, loose, and buoyant are of inferior quality.

The Treatise on Medicinal Properties says that wolfbane is bitter and pungent in taste and poisonous. It can treat phlegm-rheum and abdominal masses—conditions in which lumps form inside the abdomen—and can also kill rats.

The Illustrated Canon says that wolfbane grows in the valleys of Qinting Mountain and around Fenggao. It is now also found in the prefectures of Shaanxi, as well as in Liao and Shi prefectures. The leaves of young plants resemble pokeweed and rhubarb, and the stems and leaves are hairy. It flowers in the fourth month and bears fruit in the eighth. Its root has yellow skin and a white interior. Gather it in the second or eighth month and dry it in the shade. Roots that have been stored for some time and sink in water are of better quality.

Ge Hong records a treatment for frequent distending pain where the heart and abdomen meet: take two liang of wolfbane and half a liang of aconite, pound and sift them, then mix with honey to make pills the size of wutong seeds. Take one pill on the first day, two on the second, and three on the third; then reduce the dose, gradually increasing and decreasing it. The original text says that taking them in this way brings recovery. The Thousand Gold Pieces Formula records that to treat “severe disease,” wolfbane and gentian root may be ground in equal parts into powder and taken with wine, one square-inch spoonful each day.

Second: Differing Accounts of Long-Term Use

The Shenghui Formula says: To treat dry scabies that has persisted for many years, with crusts forming over the affected area and yellow fluid oozing after scratching, and itching that flares up whenever the weather is rainy, apply powdered langdu to the affected area.

The Jixiao Formula says: To treat various parasitic infestations in the internal organs, pound Sichuan langdu into a fine powder and take one large coin-weight each time. Mix a piece of malt syrup the size of a Chinese honey locust seed with a little sugar and water, and take it on an empty stomach before bed. First eat some substantial food before taking the medicine. If the worms are expelled the next morning, the treatment has worked.

Xixian

Xixian (pronounced “xi xian”) tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is slightly toxic. It is used to treat febrile illnesses, intestinal parasites, distress and fullness in the chest and abdomen, and inability to eat. Pound the fresh herb to extract its juice and take three or four he; taking too much will cause vomiting.

The Tang Materia Medica says: The leaves of xixian resemble those of Chinese lantern plant, but are narrower and longer. Its flowers are yellowish white. It is also called “huoxian,” and people in the countryside all recognize it. Comparing other commentaries on materia medica, its shoots and leaves are now harvested in the third or fourth month and dried for later use. The Tang Materia Medica was the first to include it in a materia medica.

After consulting the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, Yuxi and others say: Xixian grows to about two chi tall. Its fruit is greenish yellow, and its leaves are harvested for use in summer. It grows throughout the country in damp, low-lying places.

The Illustrated Classic says: Xixian is commonly called “huoxiancao.” The Classic of Materia Medica does not record which prefectures produce it; today it grows everywhere. In spring, young shoots emerge. Its leaves resemble mustard greens but are narrower, with coarse veins. The stem grows two or three chi tall. It flowers in early autumn, with blossoms shaped like chrysanthemums. It sets seed in late autumn, and its fruits closely resemble crane’s-bill seeds. The leaves are harvested in summer and dried for use.

Recently, many people have taken xixian on its own, saying that it is highly effective at replenishing primordial Qi. People in Shu prepare it as follows: They harvest the leaves on the fifth day of the fifth month, the sixth day of the sixth month, or the ninth day of the ninth month; remove the roots, stems, flowers, and fruits; wash and dry the leaves; then place them in a steamer, sprinkling each layer with wine and honey before steaming and drying them. They repeat this process nine times, until the herb has become very fragrant. Then they stir-fry it, pound it, and sift it into a fine powder, which they make into pills with honey. It is said to treat numbness in the limbs, joint pain, and weakness in the lower back and knees caused by pathogenic wind affecting the liver and kidneys. It is also said to promote the free flow of Qi in the large intestine.

Accounts from most places describe xixian as cold in nature and slightly toxic, in agreement with the Classic of Materia Medica. Only the accounts from Wenzhou and Gaoyou Military Prefecture differ, describing it as hot in nature and nontoxic. They say that taking it replenishes deficiency, harmonizes the five organs, promotes hair growth, and treats dampness-related sores and persistent muscle numbness. It is especially suitable for women who have suffered from cold for a long time. Their method is to remove the coarse stems, keep the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits, and steam and dry them.

Why do these accounts differ? Perhaps when only the leaves are used, the herb is cold in nature and toxic; when the branches, flowers, and fruits are used along with them, its nature becomes hot.

Is it poisonous, then? Or does it have these effects because it comes from a different place?

Cheng Ne said: The military governor of Jiangling Prefecture once submitted a formula for Xiexian pills, made from Xiexian herb. I had a younger brother named Bing, who was thirty-two years old. After suffering a stroke, he had been bedridden for five years, and none of the doctors we consulted could cure him. A Daoist named Zhong Zhen saw his condition and said, “He can take Xiexian pills. He will certainly recover.”

This herb grows mostly in fertile soil. It stands about three feet tall, with distinct joints on its stem and leaves growing in opposite pairs. It is gathered after the fifth month. Cut the stalks five inches above the ground, wash off the soil with warm water, then pick off the leaves and tender shoots. Steam and sun-dry the material nine times in succession. There is no need to dry it over a fire; it is enough to steam it thoroughly. Then boil it down, pound it, and grind it into powder before forming pills about the size of parasol-tree seeds. Take twenty or thirty pills on an empty stomach, washed down with warm wine or rice broth.

After taking two thousand pills, his condition suddenly worsened. Do not worry: this means the medicine is working against the illness. After four thousand pills, he will certainly recover; after five thousand, he will be restored to the vigor of a young man. I prepared the medicine for Bing according to this method and had him take it. As Zhong Zhen had said, he recovered.

Zhong Zhen also said that this medicine’s effects differ from those recorded in the Bencao. Perhaps this is because it is mainly produced in Jiangdong. Local people call pigs “xi” and a foul smell “xian qi.” Since this medicine has a pig-like, rank odor, it is called “Xiexian.” The smell disappears after steaming and sun-drying. After each dose, one should also eat three to five spoonfuls of rice to settle the medicine. I believe the herb is best gathered on the fifth day of the fifth month. I was ordered to have this matter recorded in detail by the medical bureau.

Zhang Yong said: When I was transferred to Yizhou, I once unearthed a stone stele at Longxing Abbey. It recorded two things: methods for regulating the breath and a medicinal formula. I followed the formula and sent people to search for and gather the herb. I found it quite unusual: its leaf veins have golden ridges and fine silver lines, its roots are white, its stems are tinged with purple, and its leaves grow in pairs. In Shu it is called “fire-cooked herb.” Its stems and leaves closely resemble those of cocklebur. Who would have thought that such a common, humble herb could have such extraordinary effects?

After taking it one hundred times, my eyesight became clear. After one thousand doses, my beard and sideburns turned black, and my sinews, bones, and strength grew stronger. It has many benefits. In my prefecture, a senior military officer named Luo Shouyi once suffered a stroke and fell from his horse. He lost his voice and could not speak. I gave him ten doses, and he recovered at once. A monk named Zhiyan, who was seventy years old, suddenly suffered paralysis on one side. His mouth and eyes became crooked, and he often drooled. I gave him ten doses, and he recovered after taking them. I have now prepared one hundred batches and sent my official Shi Yuan to submit a report.

Verbena.

Purpletop vervain can treat parasitic sores on the lower body.

Tao Hongjing said: Purpletop vervain is often found in villages and beside paths through fields. Its stem resembles that of Asarum, its flowers are purple, and its leaves are somewhat like those of mugwort.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says: The shoots of purpletop vervain resemble those of wolf’s-tooth grass and motherwort. They send up three or four flower spikes bearing purple blossoms, shaped like the spikes of plantain. Their tips look like the lash of a horsewhip, which is how the plant got its name. In fact, it does not resemble mugwort. Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica says: Purpletop vervain can treat abdominal masses and blood accumulations, chronic malaria, and blood stasis. It can be boiled down to a thick liquid, made into a syrup, and taken with wine. Purple flowers grow at its nodes, like the knots on a horsewhip.

Su Yuxi and others, citing the Shu Materia Medica, say: Purpletop vervain tastes bitter, is slightly cold in nature, and is non-toxic. The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica also says: It grows in damp places and bears white flowers on three or four spikes. The young shoots are gathered in the seventh or eighth month and dried for later use. It grows in many regions. The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances says that purpletop vervain may also be used on its own; it tastes bitter and is toxic. Pound the fresh plant, boil it in water, and strain out the dregs. Then boil the liquid down to a thick syrup like maltose. Taken on an empty stomach with wine, one spoonful can disperse harmful blood accumulated in the abdomen and is highly effective against parasites. The Rihuazi Materia Medica says: It tastes acrid, is cool in nature, and is non-toxic. It can promote menstruation and treat disharmony of Blood and Qi in women, abdominal distension, and irregular periods. It looks like motherwort and has a round stem; both its stems and leaves are used medicinally.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Early materia medica texts do not record where purpletop vervain grows. Today it is found around Mount Heng, Mount Lu, and the Huai and Yangtze river regions. Young shoots appear in spring. The plant resembles wolf’s-tooth grass and motherwort; its round stem grows two or three feet tall and sends up three or four flower spikes. Gather the shoots and leaves in the seventh or eighth month and dry them for later use. It tastes sweet and bitter, is slightly cold in nature, and is mildly toxic. Some also say its seeds can be used medicinally. Purpletop vervain is frequently used in ancient prescriptions.

The Ge Family’s Prescriptions records a treatment for sudden abdominal edema: Take ten jin each of purpletop vervain and clary sage, add one shi of water, and boil until five dou of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs, then boil the liquid down until thick. Mix in rice flour and form pills. Take two or three pills at a time, each about the size of a bean; in severe cases, take four or five. The prescription is said to work very well.

The Sagely Benefactions Formula records a treatment for vitiligo: Grind any quantity of purpletop vervain into a fine powder. Before meals, take one qian and seven fen mixed with a decoction of schizonepeta and mint. Another prescription is for women with obstructed menstrual flow and stagnant blood that has formed abdominal masses, causing distension and pain in both flanks and severe illness: Take five jin of purpletop vervain roots and shoots, chop them, and boil them in five dou of water until one dou remains. Strain out the dregs, then simmer the liquid in a clean vessel until it forms a paste. Before meals, take half a spoonful mixed with warm wine.

The Waitai Miyao says: To treat injury caused by a qushou (a small insect that bites people or harms them with its venom), pound vervain into a paste and apply it to the affected area. Once it dries, replace it with fresh paste, continuing until the injury heals.

The Qianjin Fang says: Eating raw fish or raw meat may cause food to lodge between the chest and diaphragm and remain undigested, possibly forming zhengjia (abdominal masses of a similar kind). Pound vervain to extract its juice and drink one sheng, or take it with ginger juice; this will disperse the mass.

Another prescription treats throat obstruction (houbi), marked by swelling and pain that blocks the throat. When the throat and cheeks are swollen and breathing is labored, the condition is called “horse throat obstruction.” Take a handful of vervain, keep it out of the wind, trim off both ends, pound it to extract the juice, and drink it.

The Jiyan Fang says: To treat a man whose scrotum has swollen to the size of a sheng (an ancient measuring vessel), causing unbearable pain that others have been unable to cure, pound vervain into a paste and apply it.

Ramie Root (the root of ramie)

Ramie root is cold in nature and chiefly treats children’s chidan (a condition involving red, hot, swollen patches on the skin). The liquid obtained by soaking ramie root can relieve thirst.

Tao Hongjing says: Ramie is the plant now used for textile fibers. There is also a mountain variety of ramie, similar in appearance, that can likewise be used as medicine.

The Tang Bencao commentary says: The Bielu records that ramie root can calm the fetus and can be applied externally to treat red patches and swelling caused by toxic heat. Liquid obtained by soaking ramie can relieve wasting thirst.

Chen Cangqi’s Bencao says: Ramie can break up stagnant blood. Soak ramie and give the liquid warm to a woman who has given birth. Ramie can also be placed beside her pillow to stop postpartum blood dizziness and abdominal pain. Placing ramie on the abdomen can relieve pain. If a silkworm bites someone and its venom enters the flesh, take ramie juice by mouth. It is also believed today that when ramie is placed near silkworm eggs, the silkworms cannot hatch.

Yuxi and others quote the Shu Bencao: Ramie stems can grow to about one zhang. People in the south strip the bark to weave cloth. The plant is gathered in the second and eighth months, and grows in Jiangzuo, Shannan, and other areas.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Ramie root is sweet and neutral in nature and can be used to calm the fetus.

The Rihuazi says: Ramie is sweet in flavor, slippery and cold in nature, and nontoxic. It treats heat in the chest and diaphragm, bleeding during pregnancy, restlessness before or after childbirth, and intense thirst and agitation caused by seasonal febrile diseases. It can also be applied to treat heat in the heart after taking mineral medicines. It is also recorded as a treatment for poisoned arrows and bites from snakes and insects.

The Tujing says: The old texts do not state where ramie root grows, but today it is common in Fujian, Sichuan, and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. Ramie bark can be spun into cloth. The plant grows seven or eight chi tall, with leaves like those of the paper mulberry: green on the upper surface, white underneath, and covered with short hairs. In summer and autumn it produces slender spikes and small green flowers. The root is yellowish white, light, and loose in texture, and is gathered in the second and eighth months. There is also a mountain variety of ramie with a similar appearance.

Lu Ji’s Caomu Shu records: Each clump of ramie has dozens of stems. Its perennial roots remain underground and grow again on their own in spring, so there is no need to store seeds separately.

Ramie is planted among chinaberry and poplar trees and harvested three times a year. The authorities ordered it planted in gardens and fields throughout the region, where it is harvested twice a year. After harvesting, the bark is stripped from the ramie and scraped with a piece of bamboo to remove the outer layer. The thicker parts come away on their own, leaving fibers like sinew. Once boiled, the fibers can be spun into cloth. This practice is still found today in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian regions.

Ramie bark can be used to treat miscarriage and related conditions in pregnant women. It is also used for white dan, a skin condition marked by white sores or eruptions. Boil it down to a strong decoction and wash the body with it; it is said to cure the condition after three or four washes.

Wei Zhou’s method for treating a deep abscess or carbuncle on the back is as follows: when the condition has just begun and pus has not yet formed, boil ramie roots and leaves, pound them, and apply them to the affected area. Replace the poultice repeatedly, day and night. As the swelling subsides, the condition will heal.

The Shenghui Formula records: To treat fetal movement during pregnancy that threatens miscarriage, with unbearable abdominal pain, take two liang of ramie root, chop it, and simmer it with five liang of silver and one cup of wine. Strain out the herbs and drink the warm liquid in two portions, at any time.

The Wai Tai Mi Yao records: To treat white dan, take three jin of ramie root and four sheng of small red beans, add two dou of water, and bring to a boil. Bathe in the medicinal liquid, repeatedly soaking and washing three or four times. The results are said to be very good.

The Zhouhou Fang records: Toxic erysipelas is a severe, malignant sore that changes color frequently. Take three jin of ramie root, add three dou of water, boil, and wash the affected area every day. Another formula treats unsettled fetal movement: take one chi of ramie root, roughly cut it into small pieces for decoction, add five sheng of water, and boil until three sheng remain. Strain out the herbs and drink the liquid.

The Doumen Formula records: To treat the five types of painful urinary difficulty, pound two stalks of ramie root, add one and a half bowls of water, and boil until half a bowl remains. Drink it in frequent sips. It is said to quickly restore free urination and to work extremely well.

The Meishi Formula records: For various deep abscesses and carbuncles, sores on the back, or breast swellings that have just begun to turn slightly red, delay in treatment may be fatal. Quickly pound ramie root and apply it to the affected area, replacing it repeatedly. Another formula treats sudden discharge during pregnancy of a yellow liquid resembling glue or the juice of small red beans: take two sheng of ramie root, chop it and remove the black bark, then simmer it with one jin of silver and nine sheng of water until four sheng remain. For each dose, add half a sheng or one sheng of wine, then boil the medicine down to one sheng and drink it in two portions.

The Yanyi says: The root of ramie resembles nettle, and its flowers resemble those of the white poplar, growing in spikes. Each flower cluster has dozens of spikes and is bluish white.

Pulsatilla has a bitter taste, is warm in nature, and may be toxic or non-toxic according to different accounts. It is used to treat warm malaria, disorders of the mind, alternating chills and fever, abdominal masses, and goiter. It can also invigorate the blood and relieve pain, and is used for sores and nosebleeds. It is also called Wild Elder, Envoy of the Bright King, and Jihe Grass. It grows in mountain valleys and open fields and is gathered in the fourth month.

Tao Hongjing (Tao the Recluse) says that Bai Tou Weng, or “White-Headed Old Man” (an herb used in Chinese medicine), grows everywhere. Near the root it has white down that looks like a person’s white hair, which is why it is called “White-Headed Old Man.” It is also used in prescriptions to treat toxic dysentery.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says that its leaves resemble peony leaves but are larger. A single stem grows up, with one purple flower at its tip, like a hibiscus flower. The fruit is large, about the size of an egg, and bears white hairs more than an inch long that hang down like the tassel of a banner. Its overall appearance is much like that of a white-haired old man, hence its name. Some people today say that it has white down near the root. Tao Hongjing seems not to have identified it correctly: the trailing plant kept by the Court of the Imperial Sacrifices is actually Nu Wei (a plant name). Bai Tou Weng’s root is very effective for treating toxic dysentery. It resembles Xu Duan (an herb used in Chinese medicine), but is flatter.

Another commentary says that this herb grows everywhere. Its seedlings have a peculiar trait: they do not move when there is wind, but sway when there is none. The same is said of Chi Jian (an old name for gastrodia) and Du Huo (an herb used in Chinese medicine).

On examining the plant today, we find that it grows in clumps and resembles Bai Wei (an herb used in Chinese medicine), but is softer, finer, and somewhat longer. Its leaves grow at the top of the stem, resemble apricot leaves, and have fine white hairs on their upper surface. There is white down near the root. Neither the older classic nor Tao Hongjing’s commentary mentions its stems and leaves. The Tang Materia Medica’s descriptions of “leaves like peony leaves” and “fruit like an egg, with white hairs more than an inch long” are both inaccurate.

Yuxi and others, citing the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, say that Bai Tou Weng has fine hairs and a rough surface, and that its flower’s stamens are yellow. It now grows in all regions. The flowers are gathered in the second month, the fruit in the fourth month, and the roots in the eighth month. After gathering, each part should be dried in the sun.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances says that Bai Tou Weng is used as an assisting herb—that is, one combined with the principal medicine. It tastes sweet and bitter and is slightly toxic. It can stop abdominal pain and bloody toxic dysentery, treat toothache, and address scrofula, or lumps in the lymph nodes of the neck. The text also says that Hu Wang Shi Zhe (another herb name) tastes bitter and is toxic. It treats pain throughout the joints and is used with Tun Shi as its assisting herb.

The Daily Records of Famous Physicians says that Bai Tou Weng works better when taken with wine. It can treat various wind disorders, warm the lower back and knees, improve eyesight, and remove growths. Its effects are the same as those described above, and its stems and leaves can also be used medicinally.

The Illustrated Classic says that Bai Tou Weng grows in the valleys of Mount Song, and that it is now also found in the prefectures around the capital. Its seedlings emerge in the first month and grow in clumps. The plant resembles Bai Wei: it is soft, fine, and somewhat long. Its leaves grow at the ends of the stems, have fine white hairs, and are rough on the surface. White down near the root looks like the hair of a white-haired old man, hence the name. The root is purple and dark in color, and resembles a turnip. It blooms with purple flowers in the second or third month, with yellow stamens, and bears fruit in the fifth or sixth month. Its seedlings do not move when there is wind, but sway when there is none, as do Chi Jian and Du Huo. The roots are gathered in the seventh or eighth month and used after being dried in the shade. Folk physicians today often use Bai Tou Weng…

Take it together with medicines that nourish and replenish the lower burner. Its medicinal nature is very warming and hot, and it can also disturb the body.

The Wai Tai Mi Yao records that to treat yin hernia (painful swelling in the genital area), one should take fresh Bai Tou Weng root in any quantity, pound it, and apply it to the swollen, painful area. After it has been applied overnight, sores should appear at the affected site; the condition will heal in twenty days.

The Zhou Hou Fang records that to treat hair loss in children, one should pound Bai Tou Weng root and apply it to the affected area. Sores may appear there after it has been applied overnight, and the condition will heal in twenty days.

The Yan Yi says that Bai Tou Weng grows on the earthen hills around Luoyang and Xin’an in Henan. It is warm in nature and can stop abdominal pain and warm the lower back and knees. The Tang Bencao and Yaoxing Lun discuss this in detail. Tao Hongjing did not investigate the matter carefully, which is why he criticized it. The author has often seen Bai Tou Weng growing wild in the hills around Xin’an County, and it is indeed as the Tang Bencao describes. Even today, local mountain people sell Bai Tou Weng pills, saying that taking them can bring longevity. This, too, fails to clarify the original meaning behind the name given to it by the ancients.

Gan Jiao Root (banana root)

Gan Jiao root is extremely cold in nature. It treats abscesses and swellings, as well as heat conditions caused by stagnation.

Tao Hongjing says: Gan Jiao originally came from Guangzhou, but it is now also found east of the capital. Its roots and leaves show no differences, though its fruit cannot be eaten. Pounding the root and applying it to hot swellings works very well. There is also a kind of five-leaved bramble that grows among garden fences, its vines climbing as they grow. It is commonly called “cage grass.” Pounding its root and applying it to abscesses and boils is also effective.

The Tang Bencao says: Five-leaved bramble is the same as Wu Lian Cao. Gan Jiao root is sweet, cold in nature, and non-toxic. Drinking its pounded juice treats blood distension and chest oppression after childbirth. Applied externally to swellings, it clears heat toxins and is also effective. The Gan Jiao fruit of Lingnan is large and sweet, but cold in nature; eating it does no good. In the northern regions, the plant has only flowers and sap, and bears no fruit.

A note says: This medicine originally came from Guangzhou, but there are several varieties. Their fruit is cold in nature and does no good, so it is not described in detail. Judging by its appearance, this plant’s flowers and leaves resemble those of the banana, but grow very large. Its fruit is round and long, green when unripe and yellow when ripe. Southerners all eat it, but eating too much can easily bring on disorders of Qi. Pounding its root and applying it to hot swellings is especially effective.

Yuxi and others cite the Shu Bencao Tujing: This plant is commonly called the banana and mostly grows south of the Yangtze. Its leaves are about one zhang long and more than two chi wide. Its stalk is hollow and soft. The root can be used fresh, but it is not included in medicinal prescriptions.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Pound Gan Jiao root and apply it to various abscesses and swellings. When it dries, replace it with a fresh application; the swelling and pain will subside.

The Ri Hua Zi says: Fresh banana root can treat fever and delirium caused by seasonal epidemics, as well as restlessness and oppression, and can eliminate…

People who are thirsty, have abscesses or toxic sores, or develop fever, chest tightness, and dry mouth after taking mineral-based medicines may squeeze the juice from the root of the sweet banana or plantain and drink it. Using it to wash and comb the hair is also said to encourage hair growth. For toxic swellings, wandering wind, wind rash, and headache, grind the medicinal material and apply it to the affected area. Another account says that banana oil is cold in nature and non-toxic. It can treat heat-related head wind and may also be used for hair loss in women, vexing thirst, and scalds caused by hot water or fire.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: The sweet banana root was not formerly recorded as growing in any particular prefectures or districts. Tao Hongjing said that the sweet banana originated in Guangzhou and also grew east of the Yangtze; its roots and leaves were no different, but the fruit grown east of the Yangtze did not taste good. Today it grows in the two Guang provinces, central Fujian, and Sichuan and Shu. Sweet bananas in Fujian and the Guang region bear fruit, which is very delicious and can be eaten. Although sweet bananas are also common elsewhere, they rarely flower.

In recent years, sweet bananas have often been cultivated in the capital, where they grow vigorously. There are many kinds of banana; the sweet banana described here is the fruit-bearing variety. Its leaves are broadly similar to those of the plantain, but a flower stalk emerges from the tightly furled leaf center. When the flower first appears, it is enclosed by a large bract shaped like an upside-down lotus bud. More than ten layers of petal-like bracts overlap one another. As the flower grows, it opens out from the bracts in great profusion. Red varieties resemble torches and are called “red banana”; white varieties resemble wax and are called “water banana”; those whose flowers broadly resemble ivory are called “tooth banana.” The fruit also comes in green and yellow varieties. There are many kinds, all very sweet and delicious; it can also be dried and sent to distant places. People in the north regard it as a precious fruit.

In Fujian, people bury sweet banana peel in ashes to soften and smooth it, then spin it into cloth, much like the ancient xi mourning garment. The sweet banana root is extremely cold in nature. It can be pounded to extract its juice and applied to toxic swellings; women who have given birth may also drink it when their blood is not flowing freely. The medicinal properties of plantain root are similar. Folk doctors use it to treat delirious high fever caused by epidemic illness, as well as wasting thirst and the agitation and dryness brought on by mineral-based medicines; in these cases, its juice can be drunk.

Banana oil can treat disorders such as hidden wind and epilepsy. When phlegm surges and causes dizziness and chest tightness, making someone feel close to collapse, drinking banana oil may bring up the phlegm and cure the condition. Its effect is quite remarkable. To collect the oil, insert a bamboo tube into the banana peel, using a method like that for collecting lacquer.

The Treatise on Dietary Therapy says: Sweet banana fruit can treat jaundice. Eaten raw, it is extremely cold in nature and can quench thirst and moisten the lungs, but it makes the body cold. Steam the fruit and dry it in the sun; when the peel splits, beat it to remove the flesh and eat it. It is cold in nature and can promote the free flow of the blood vessels and nourish the bone marrow.

The Hundred and One Prescriptions says: When a toxic sore on the back becomes critical, pound the root and apply it.

The Secret Record for Mother and Child says: When a child develops red migratory erysipelas, the redness and swelling may spread upward or downward. If it reaches the heart, the child’s life may be in danger. Pound plantain root, extract the juice, boil it, and apply it to the affected area.

The Commentary on Elaboration says: When the banana plant has grown for three years or more, it flowers from the center of the plant. Each flower stalk bears a single flower. The flower as a whole resembles a lotus, as do its leaves, though their color is a faint yellowish green. The flower’s center grows upward from below and often looks like a lotus. I have never seen anyone split open the flower’s center to show what is inside; it is said to have no stamens, only leaves. The flower head often droops. Each flower opens around midsummer and continues blooming until after mid-autumn. For every three flower leaves that open, three fall away. People in the north prize its seedlings, so the plant is rarely used. Its young shoots can be made into cloth fiber; juice applied to women’s hair can make it black. For the rest, see what is recorded in the original classic.

Reed Root

Reed root tastes sweet and is cold in nature. It is used to treat wasting thirst and externally contracted heat conditions, and can also relieve frequent urination.

Tao Hongjing says: One should dig up reed roots that taste sweet with a hint of spiciness. Those growing above the water and those floating in it are both unsuitable for medicinal use.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: Reed root can treat vomiting and heat in the stomach that prevents eating, and is especially suitable for patients with cold damage. The flower of the reed is called pengnong (pronounced “nong”). Boil it in water and drink the juice to treat cholera; it is highly effective, as has been confirmed through use.

Yuxi and others, citing the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, say: Reed root is an assistant medicinal, non-toxic, and can clear intense heat and stimulate the appetite. It can also treat obstruction in the throat and persistent hiccups.

The Rihuazi Materia Medica says: Reed root can treat seasonal epidemics marked by alternating chills and fever, agitation, and heat in the heart of pregnant women. It can also be used for thirst accompanying diarrhea and dysentery.

The Illustrated Classic says: The old text does not record which prefectures and counties produce reed root; today it is found everywhere. It grows in low, damp ponds and marshes. It resembles bamboo, with leaves clasping the stem, no branches, and white, ear-shaped flowers like those of cogongrass. Its roots also resemble bamboo roots, but the nodes are farther apart. Dig them up in the second or eighth month, dry them in the sun, and use them. Choose, whenever possible, reed roots from underwater that taste sweet with a hint of spiciness. Those growing above the water and those floating in it are both unsuitable for medicinal use.

According to the Erya, reed root is called jia. Guo Pu says that jia means reed, and that a mature reed is called wei. Jian is pronounced like lian. Jian resembles huan (pronounced “wan”), but is slimmer and several feet tall. In the Jiangdong region it is called jian, and it resembles di. Tan (pronounced “ta gan”) is called luan (pronounced “ba”). It resembles wei but is smaller, and its stalk is hollow yet solid inside. In Jiangdong it is called wuqiu (pronounced “qiu zhe”); some people also call it di. In autumn, di…

When reeds mature, they are called huan. Their leaves are called tiao (pronounced “tiao”), and their newly sprouted shoots are called quan (pronounced roughly “quan”). It follows that “lu” and “wei” are simply different names for the same plant. The “lian” mentioned in the classic is written “jian” today; “tan” refers to the grasses people use as firewood for cooking.

Today, people rarely distinguish jian and tan from lu and wei. In the north, people also treat wei and lu as two different plants: those growing in low, damp places by the water are called wei, and their stems are less than a finger’s width thick. Those planted in garden ponds are called lu; their stems are a little thicker. The variety with dark green stems is called “green lu,” though it is rarely seen. Therefore, in materia medica, the name lu can also refer to the plant now called wei in the north.

Ancient prescriptions often used reed root on its own. Ge Hong’s formula says that to treat vomiting, chop reed root, boil it in water, and drink one sheng at a time; it is sure to work. Another formula calls for boiling reed root in a boy’s urine and drinking it; improvement should come after no more than three sheng. The fluffy part at the top of the reed root can treat sudden cholera with dangerously weak breathing: boil a handful into a thick decoction and drink two sheng at a time to improve. It can also treat poisoning from fish or crab, and is especially effective for this.

Reed shoots taste slightly bitter and can be eaten, prepared like bamboo shoots, though they are extremely cold in nature.

The Tang Materia Medica adds: Reeds grow in low, damp places. Their stems and leaves resemble bamboo, and their flowers resemble those of silvergrass. Gather the roots in the second or eighth month and dry them for later use.

Lei Gong says: Choose “current-facing reeds”—that is, reeds whose roots grow against the direction of the water’s flow. Select roots that are thick and fleshy, sweet in taste, and have yellow, blister-like growths. After gathering them, remove the nodes, fibers, and reddish-yellow upper parts, then chop them for use.

The Sheng Hui Formula says: For poisoning from accidentally eating horse meat, accompanied by itching and pain, chop five liang of reed root, add eight sheng of water, and boil until two sheng remain. Divide into three doses.

The Thousand Gold Prescriptions says: To treat dry retching, hiccups, or cold hands and feet, simmer three jin of reed root into a strong decoction and drink the liquid.

The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies says: For poisoning from accidentally eating perch liver or pufferfish, chop reed root, boil it into a decoction, and drink one or two sheng.

Mei’s Formula says: For indigestion after eating dog meat, with a hard, distended feeling below the heart, abdominal bloating, and dry mouth—or with sudden fever and delirious speech—boil reed root into a decoction and drink it.

The Golden Casket and Jade Letter Formula says: To treat five kinds of obstruction in swallowing, stagnation of Qi in the chest and diaphragm, agitation, vomiting, and inability to eat, chop five liang of reed root, add three large cups of water, and boil until two cups remain. Strain out the roots and drink the warm liquid at any time.

Ghost’s-head herb is pungent in taste, warm in nature, and mildly toxic. It is used to treat conditions called “fumigation toxin” and “ghost infestation,” as well as illnesses attributed to spirits, demons, and ghosts.

Ghost Shoulder (guijiu), also known as Juexi, Horse-Eye Poison, Nine Shoulders, Celestial Mortar, and Detoxifier, can dispel foul and inauspicious influences, drive away malign spirits, and counter various poisons. It can also treat coughs, swellings and lumps in the throat, and illnesses caused by Wind-evil. It is further used for restlessness of the heart-mind, mental confusion, loss of spirit with delusive visions, and for removing films from the eyes and poisonous sores. Its medicinal action is fierce, so it must not be boiled and taken in a decoction.

Tao Hongjing said: Ghost Shoulder resembles blackberry lily, is white, tastes sweet, is warm in nature, and is poisonous. It chiefly treats Wind-evil, ghost infestation—an illness ancient people believed was caused by malign spirits entering the body—and Gu poison. The best quality has connected root nodes bearing fine hairs. It is also called Nine Shoulders and grows in mountain valleys. It is dug up in the eighth month and dried in the shade. Its shape also resembles Gou Shen. The so-called Horse-Eye Poison has roots resembling Solomon’s seal; the root nodes look like horses’ eyes, and the texture is soft and pliant.

Ghost Shoulder looks like plants such as blackberry lily and Atractylodes. There are two kinds. The kind produced near Qiantang tastes sweet and has a tuft of fine hairs on the root; it is the best quality. The kind produced in Kuaiji and Wuxing is larger, tastes bitter, and lacks the tuft of hairs; it is inferior. The two kinds look alike but are actually different. Physicians nowadays mostly use Ghost Shoulder and rarely use Horse-Eye Poison. It is unclear why the two have suddenly come to be treated as one.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica states: This herb grows in the shady places behind rocks in deep mountains. Its leaves resemble those of castor or Paris polyphylla. Usually, one stalk grows from each plant, with a single leaf at its tip, though some leaves split into two lobes. For each year the plant grows, the stalk withers and leaves behind one root node. After twenty years, it would have twenty root nodes—how could it have only nine? The root flesh, outer skin, and rootlets all resemble those of blackberry lily. What people use today is mostly blackberry lily; another medicinal material sent from Jiangnan is not genuine Ghost Shoulder either. Ghost Shoulder grows in the mountains of Dangyang County in Jingzhou, Yuan’an County in Xiazhou, and Jingshan County in Xiangzhou, but it is difficult to gather.

After examining and correcting the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica of Shu, Yuxi and others said: Ghost Shoulder flowers on its stalk, and the flowers are red. It is now found in the deep mountains of Xiazhou and Xiangzhou. The roots are gathered in the second and eighth months, then dried in the sun for use.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals states: Ghost Shoulder tastes bitter. It treats corpse infestation, consumptive disease known as yedian, and wasting illnesses called “transmitted corpse” in ancient times. It can also drive away malign influences and ghosts and spirits.

The Illustrated Classic states: Ghost Shoulder grows in the mountain valleys of Jiuzhen and around Yuanju. It is now also produced in Jiangning Prefecture, Chuzhou, Shuzhou, Shangzhou, Qizhou, Hangzhou, as well as Xiangzhou, Xiazhou, and Jingmen Commandery. It mostly grows in the shady places behind rocks in deep mountains. Its leaves resemble those of castor and Paris polyphylla. When it first sprouts, it puts up one stalk with a single leaf at its tip, though some leaves split into two lobes…

The herb known as ghost-stalk grows one joint each year. When it withers, it leaves a hollow mark; after twenty years, there are twenty such marks. Its red flowers grow between the joints and bloom in the third month. After the flowers fade, it bears fruit. Its roots, fleshy parts, skin, and rootlets all resemble those of the herb shegan, and people commonly use it in place of shegan, so the two must be distinguished carefully. Gather the roots in the second or eighth month and dry them in the sun before use. Ancient prescriptions often used it to treat the “Five Corpse Ghost Infestation”—a category of illnesses that people in antiquity attributed to malevolent spirits—as well as all kinds of poison and noxious vapors.

Another account says that ghost-stalk grows in shaded places deep in the mountains. It has five or six leaves shaped like a goose’s palm. A leaf sits at the top of the stem like an umbrella: in the morning it faces east, and by evening it leans west, seemingly turning with the sunrise and sunset. Its flowers are reddish purple, resemble lychees, and grow beneath the leaves, usually hidden by them and never exposed to sunlight. It produces one leaf each year; when the leaf withers, it leaves a hollow mark. After eight or nine years, there are eight or nine marks. Yet when a new mark appears each year, an old one also rots away, as if the old and new were taking turns. For this reason, people also call it “mother-harming herb.” Plants such as taro and aconite behave similarly: when a new shoot emerges, the old one withers, and the previous year’s tuber has already rotted.

The commentary in the Bencao says that ghost-stalk is exactly like shegan. In fact, although the two look similar, the hollows on shegan are shallow and thin, making it quite different from ghost-stalk. The hollows on ghost-stalk look like eight or nine side-lying tubers of the herb tiannanxing stacked together, while its color and markings closely resemble shegan. For an accurate identification, it is best to have someone locate and collect a living plant. This herb is no longer available in the markets.

The herb jiaogao has a pungent, bitter taste, a neutral nature, and slight toxicity. It is used to treat damp-related disorders, sores, ringworm, and various malignant sores infested with worms.

The commentary in the Tang Bencao says that jiaogao has leaves like baihao, flowers like qumai that are bright red and lovely, and black, horn-shaped fruits like wangbuliuxing. It is harvested in the seventh or eighth month. The Tang Bencao was the first work to record it.

After consulting the Shu Bencao Tujing, Su Yuxi and others said that jiaogao has leaves like shechuang and qinghao, horn-shaped fruits like turnips, and fine black seeds that ripen in autumn. It grows throughout the country.

Chen Cangqi says that penghao has a pungent taste and warm nature, and is nontoxic. It can move Blood and direct Qi downward, and can be eaten after cooking. It resembles small thistles, grows on high ground, and is a perennial whose shoots emerge earlier than those of any other plants. It is also called ehao. The Erya calls it “e” or “luo,” and its commentary identifies it as penghao. The Book of Songs, in “Minor Odes,” says, “Lush and thriving is the e.” Lu Ji says that ehao is also called luohao. It grows in marshy fields and low, muddy places. Its leaves resemble xiehao but are finer, and grow in clumps. In the third month, its stems can be eaten, either raw or steamed. They are fragrant and delicious, somewhat like tonghao.

Lei Gong says: When using horned poppy, do not use red wormwood or false wormwood, since these two herbs are easily confused with it. Genuine horned poppy has only short flower horns at the tip. After gathering it, finely chop it on a pagoda-tree cutting board before use.

The Waitai Miyao records: Loose gums with exposed tooth roots are often associated with wasting-thirst disorders. Burn horned poppy to ash and apply it to the gums at night. During treatment, avoid greasy foods, rock sugar, and dried dates.

The Qianjin Fang records: For mouth sores that do not heal after prolonged treatment, or that spread as far as the chest and develop sores there, apply horned poppy ash to the affected areas; it will take effect after one night. If there is fluid in the mouth, spit it out.

The Gongqi Fang records: To treat mouth sores in children, apply horned poppy ash to the sores. It works very well.

The Yanyi says: The stems and leaves of horned poppy resemble those of blue-green wormwood. It bears pale reddish-purple flowers about three or four fen across. After the flowers fade, it produces horn-shaped pods about two cun long and slightly curved. Both its young shoots and pods can treat ailments of the mouth and teeth, and are especially effective.

Dutchman’s pipe

Dutchman’s pipe is found in Chuzhou, Xinzou, and other places. It tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat coughs caused by heat in the lungs, phlegm accumulation, shortness of breath, hemorrhoids, and fistulas. It grows in Guanzhong, with vines twining around trees; its fruit resembles a bell and is divided into four or five segments. (This entry was added later.)

Yuxi and others, citing the Yaoxing Lun, note: Dutchman’s pipe is neutral in nature. It treats rebellious lung Qi and shortness of breath, including panting while seated and being unable to lie down, as well as persistent coughing.

The Rihuazi says: Dutchman’s pipe can treat hemorrhoids and fistulas. Place the herb in a bottle and burn it to fumigate the affected area. For medicinal use, it should be charred. The finest green costus comes from the fruit of the duling root; in the Yuezhou area it is gathered in the seventh and eighth months.

The Tujing says: Dutchman’s pipe originally came from Guanzhong, but it is now also found in Hedong, Hebei, Jianghuai, Kuizhou, and various prefectures of the Zhejiang region. In spring, it sends out vines and young shoots, and its leaves resemble those of the taro. In the sixth month, it bears yellow-purple flowers somewhat like goji flowers; in the seventh month, it produces fruit about the size of a date, shaped like a bell and divided into four or five segments. Its root is called Yunnan root. Resembling costus and about as thick as the little finger, it is reddish yellow and is also called earth green costus. The fruit is gathered in the seventh and eighth months, then dried in the sun for use in lung disorders. The root is gathered in the third month and can regulate Qi, clear the chest and diaphragm, and relieve stabbing pain.

Lei Gong says: After gathering Dutchman’s pipe, first remove the leaves and vines, place it in a raw-silk bag, and hang it in a corner of the eastern room to dry. Then break it into pieces, remove the outer leathery membrane, and clean it before use. The fruit, however, should be used with its skin on; do not remove the leathery membrane.

The Shenghui Fang treats five kinds of gu poison as follows: Grind three liang of Dutchman’s pipe root into a fine powder and divide it into three portions. Each time, take one portion and boil it in one cup of water until the liquid is reduced to five-tenths. Strain out the herb, then take the liquid frequently in small amounts. Vomiting should follow, expelling the gu poison. If vomiting is insufficient, take another dose and continue until the poison has been vomited out.

Another prescription appears in the Cao Gu Shu Zhengyin Fang, which says that people in the Lingnan region are known to use this poison. If the toxic substance enters the throat and causes such severe stabbing pain that one feels close to death, grind one liang of Dutchman’s pipe shoots into a fine powder, mix one qianbi (an ancient spoon measure for medicine) with warm water, and take it. The text says the gu poison will then disperse and be expelled.

The Cui family prescription recorded in the Waitai Miyao says that snake gu may enter the body through food or drink. Symptoms include the feeling that something is blocking the throat, making it impossible either to swallow or spit it out, along with distress and heat in the chest. Taking Dutchman’s pipe will bring on vomiting; then take one qianbi of musk, which will cause the gu poison to be vomited out.

The Jianyao Jizhong Fang treats labored breathing and coughing caused by Lung Qi: Take two liang of Dutchman’s pipe seeds, using only the seeds inside and removing their shells. Add half a liang of butter and mix in a bowl, then stir-fry slowly over low heat until dry. Char one liang of licorice and grind it together with the Dutchman’s pipe seeds. Take one qian at a time, boil it in one cup of water until the liquid is reduced to six-tenths, and drink it warm. Alternatively, hold the powder in the mouth and swallow it with saliva.

The Yanyi says that Dutchman’s pipe is a climbing vine that grows upward around trees. Its leaves fall, but its bell-shaped fruits remain hanging on the branches. They resemble the bells on a horse’s neck, hence the name. When ripe, the fruits split open by themselves, though some remain closed. The herb should be gathered in the eighth or ninth lunar month. It is used to treat labored, urgent breathing caused by Lung Qi.

Curculigo

Curculigo is pungent in flavor, warm in nature, and poisonous. It primarily treats cold Qi in the chest and abdomen, inability to eat, and contraction or numbness of the lower back and legs due to wind and cold, making it difficult to walk. It is also used for men’s deficiency and exhaustion, urinary incontinence in the elderly, and infertility. It is said to replenish Yang Qi. With long-term use, it is said to open communication with the spirits, strengthen memory, fortify the bones and sinews, nourish the skin, invigorate the spirit, and brighten the eyes. Curculigo is also known as solitary thatch root, thatch melon seed, and Brahman ginseng.

A legend about curculigo claims that ten jin of “milk stone”—a mineral drug used in ancient regimens for health and longevity—cannot match one jin of curculigo; this is praise for its efficacy. Curculigo grows in the Western Regions and around Dayu Ridge. Avoid iron utensils and cow’s milk when taking it. Gather the roots in the second or eighth lunar month. (This entry was added later.)

Yuxi and others cite the Rihuazi: Curculigo treats various forms of wind Qi, helps prolong life, replenishes the “five taxations and seven injuries,” increases appetite, regulates Qi, and aids sexual activity. Peng Zu’s method for taking curculigo on its own is to soak it first in rice-washing water and remove the reddish liquid to eliminate its toxicity. After this treatment, it can reportedly be taken without harm.

The Tujing says that curculigo grows in the Western Regions and around Dayu Ridge. Today it is also found in Shu and Jiang…

Xiancao also grows in the prefectures of Jiangnan and Liangzhe. Its leaves are green, like those of thatch grass, but softer and somewhat broader. They have lengthwise veins and also resemble palm leaves. The leaves wither at the end of winter and grow again in early spring. It flowers in the third month, producing yellow blossoms like those of the gardenia, but bears no fruit. The root consists of a single upright main root with short, fine roots attached alongside it. Its flesh is yellowish white, while the slightly coarse outer skin is brown. The roots are collected in the second and eighth months, then dried in the sun for use. Xiancao from Mount Heng has blue-green flowers and produces black seeds in the fifth month.

According to the Xu Chuanxin Fang, xiancao can treat the “five taxations and seven injuries” (a general term for various forms of strain and debility), brighten the eyes, and strengthen the sinews and bones. It can both open and circulate and replenish. The medicine was originally brought by a Daoist from the Western Regions. In the first year of the Kaiyuan era, a Brahman monk presented xiancao to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who found it effective after taking it. At the time, the prescription was a secret of the imperial court and was not shared beyond it. After the An Lushan Rebellion, medical books and prescriptions were lost. Only then did the monk Bukong San zang, who lived in the capital, obtain the prescription and pass it on to Li Mian, Lu Sigong, Qi Hang, Zhang Jianfeng, and others. They all found it beneficial after taking it. Lu Sigong had taken mineral medicines for a long time without effect; after obtaining xiancao, he felt its effectiveness increased a hundredfold. When Qi Hang was serving in Jinyun, he lacked strength and suffered repeated bouts of wind rash. After taking xiancao, he recovered.

The Xu Chuanxin Fang says to dig up xiancao in the eighth or ninth month, scrape off its dark skin with a bamboo knife, cut it into pieces the size of beans, and soak it for two nights in water used to rinse glutinous rice. Then air-dry it in the shade, pound it and sift it, and form it into pills the size of parasol tree seeds using refined, cooked honey. Take twenty pills, adjusting the amount as appropriate, on an empty stomach each day, washed down with wine. Avoid cow’s milk and black beef, which are said to greatly weaken the medicine’s effect. The Xu Chuanxin Fang was compiled by Wang Yan, the purported Tang governor of Junzhou. Because it included this prescription and circulated widely at the time, people in the Jiangnan region called xiancao “Brahman ginseng.”

The Haiyao records that xiancao grows in the Western Regions. Its roots vary in thickness and have fibrous ridges; some resemble a brush handle and also have ringlike markings. They are yellow in color and full of juice. In Sanskrit, the plant is called “Ashwagandha.” It tastes sweet, is slightly warm in nature, and is mildly toxic. It treats wind disorders, warms the lower back and legs, harmonizes the Five Viscera, strengthens the sinews and bones, and aids digestion. Long-term use is said to make the body light and improve one’s complexion.

Xiancao was also brought from Wucheng and grows in every prefecture of Shu. Its leaves resemble those of thatch grass, which is how it got its name. The medicine tastes pungent and is neutral in nature. It can both open and circulate and replenish. It is only mildly toxic and slightly warming. It treats men’s seven injuries, sharpens hearing and sight, strengthens the sinews and bones, and enriches the bone marrow. It also helps strengthen Yang energy and relieve fatigue. To prepare it, cut it into slices with a bamboo knife and soak it in water used to rinse glutinous rice.

Lei Gong says: After harvesting it, first wash it clean with clear water and scrape off the outer skin. On a locust-wood chopping board, cut it with a bronze knife into pieces the size of beans, then put them in a clean, coarse-cloth bag and soak it overnight in black-bean water. Take it out, moisten it with wine, and steam it from the hour of the Snake to the hour of the Pig. Remove it and dry it in the sun. Do not let it touch iron vessels, or a person’s beard and sideburns will turn patchy white.

Yangtao is bitter in taste, cold in nature, and poisonous. It treats fever, sudden redness of the body, accumulations caused by wind and water, and malignant sores. It can also reduce fever in children, dispel water Qi accumulated in the Five Viscera and abdominal distension, promote urination, and replenish original Qi. It may also be boiled into a decoction for bathing. It is also called ghost peach, sheep’s intestine, Changchu, Yuyi, and Yaoyi (“yao” is pronounced like “Yao”). It grows in mountain forests, river valleys, and fields. Gather it in the second lunar month and dry it in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says: This plant is common in the mountains and wilds. It looks much like the cultivated peach, but is not the wild peach. Its fruit is small and bitter, and cannot be eaten; its flowers are very red. The phrase “Changchu growing in the low, marshy land” in the Classic of Poetry refers to this plant. Today, it is rarely used in materia medica texts or prescriptions.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: This plant often grows beside ditches, moats, and earth pits. People gather it and boil it in water to wash away itching caused by wind pathogens and various sores and swellings; it works very well. In the Jiannan region, people call it “niuzi root.”

Su Song and others, citing the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica from Shu, record: It grows in flat, damp places. Its leaves and flowers resemble those of the peach, while its small fruit is like a date pit. Its stems and shoots are slender and weak; it trails along the ground and cannot grow into a tree. It is found throughout the regions and often grows beside streams. Today, people call it “xizi root.” Its form resembles a peony, and it can treat swellings.

The Erya calls it “Changchu” and “Yaoyi.” Guo Pu says that this is Yangtao. The commentary says its leaves resemble peach leaves, its flowers are white, and its fruit is like a grain of wheat, though some say it resembles a peach. Lu Ji says its leaves are narrow and long, and its flowers are purplish red. Its stems and branches are weak; when they grow to just over a foot long, they cling to other plants and spread. It is suitable for making ropes to draw water for irrigation: it withstands soaking and does not rot as easily as willow. The bark near the root can be cut with a knife, warmed in hot ashes, and peeled off to wrap around a brush handle.

Chen Cangqi says: Yangtao is sweet and nonpoisonous. It treats wind-heat and physical weakness. It can be steeped in wine and taken. It grows in the river valleys of Shu. The plant is about a foot tall, with narrow, long leaves. Some also say it is the root of Yangtao.

The Zhouhou Fang records: When cold damage and toxic pathogens invade and cause pain in the hands and feet, boil Yangtao juice and soak the affected areas in it. It is better to boil it together with salt and fermented black beans.

Mouse-tail sage is bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature, and nonpoisonous. It treats mouse fistulae (tumorous sores resembling fistulas), alternating bouts of chills and fever, and dysentery accompanied by pus and blood…

There is an herb called qíng, also known as Lingqiao. It grows in flat, damp places. Gather its leaves in the fourth month and its flowers in the seventh month, then dry them in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says that this herb is common in the fields. People often gather it for dye, using it to turn cloth a dark, soap-like color. It is also used to treat fistulas near the anus. To prepare it, boil the herb down to a concentrated juice and continue cooking until it is thick enough to form into pills, then take it. Nowadays, people also boil it to make a drink.

Su Song and others, citing the Illustrated Materia Medica of Shu, record that this herb grows in low, damp places. Its leaves resemble those of mugwort. In summer, four or five flower spikes grow from the top of its stem, resembling the spikes of plantain. It has red-flowered and white-flowered varieties. Gather the whole plant in the seventh month, dry it in the sun, and use it.

The Erya says that qíng is sage, which can be used to dye cloth a dark, soap-like color. Chen Cangqi says that sage is neutral in nature and can treat various kinds of dysentery. Boil it into a juice and drink it, or grind it into powder and take it. The stems and leaves of the purple-flowered variety can dye cloth dark; it is also called Crow Herb or Water Green.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that sage was formerly recorded without a specific place of origin, but it is now found throughout the country. People in the Qianzhong region gather it for medicinal use. Its young shoots resemble mugwort. In summer, four or five flower spikes grow at the top of the stem, shaped like plantain spikes, and the flowers may be red or white. The Erya calls it “qíng, the mouse-tail,” and says it can dye cloth dark. Gather the leaves in the fourth month and the flowers in the seventh, then dry them in the shade. In ancient times, people often used it to treat dysentery. Yao says to boil it down to a thick juice, like thin syrup, and drink five he in each dose, three times a day. Use the red-flowered variety for bloody dysentery and the white-flowered variety for non-bloody dysentery. Stop taking it once the illness has cleared.

The Sacred Benevolence Formula records that for people who have suffered from bloody and non-bloody dysentery for a long time, have not recovered despite prolonged treatment, and have become thin, sage should be pounded and ground into powder. Take one qian at any time, mixed with rice gruel.

Nüqing has a pungent flavor, is neutral in nature, and is toxic. It treats gu poisoning, dispels baleful influences, kills ghosts, treats warm malaria, and wards off misfortune. It is also called Sparrow Gourd; some say it is the root of Snake-Tongue Herb. Nüqing grows in Zhuyai. Gather it in the eighth month and dry it in the shade.

Tao Hongjing says: If nüqing is the root of Snake-Tongue Herb, it should not grow only in Zhuyai. The herb used by the people has leaves of a different shape and seems to be another plant, so it is not yet clear which account is correct. Daoist writings say that carrying one or two liang of nüqing powder on one’s person prevents infection during epidemics. It is therefore especially important to identify the true nüqing correctly.

The Tang Materia Medica says that nüqing is Sparrow Gourd. Its leaves resemble those of milkweed and grow in opposite pairs. Its fruit resembles a small gourd, about the size of a jujube. The root of Sparrow Gourd resembles that of white ji, and the plant grows in flat, damp places. Both its stems and leaves have a foul smell. It is entirely different from the root of Snake-Tongue Herb.

Another account in the Bielu says that when young, the leaves of Nüqing resemble those of luó mó (a climbing milkweed). Their tips are rounded, their stems thick, and their fruits black. The sap from the stems and leaves is yellowish white, much as described earlier. But how could the roots of Snake-grass produce Nüqing shoots? The two places are more than ten thousand li apart: Nüqing grows from roots in Zhuyai, while its shoots grow in Yizhou. The Bielu also says that the white sap of què piáo can counteract poison from insects and snakes; this sap is the juice of Nüqing shoots.

Yuxi and others consulted the Treatise on the Properties of Medicinals and wrote: “Nüqing tastes bitter and is non-toxic. It can treat warm malaria, in which chills and fever alternate during an attack. Snake-grass is an auxiliary medicine for Nüqing.”

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that the relevant details are given under “Snake-grass.”

The Handbook for Emergencies records that powdered Nüqing can ward off epidemics. On the first Yin day of the first lunar month, grind the medicine to a powder, place it in a triangular red cloth pouch, and hang it in front of the bed curtain. This is said to bring good fortune.

The Secret Record of the Mother and Child says that if a child suddenly develops dark blue-black and red skin on the abdomen and cannot breathe, this remedy should be used at once. It is also used for vomiting, diarrhea, and sudden collapse: place powdered Nüqing in the mouth and wash it down with wine. Adults may use it as well.

The Inner Biography of Lady Wei, the Primordial Maiden of Mount Heng says that when someone suddenly collapses, pound Nüqing into powder, take one qian, place it in the throat, and wash it down with water or wine. It is said to revive the person immediately.

In addition, a decoction made from an old hemp sandal sole can counteract poisoning caused by purple fluorite. It is also used to treat cholera, persistent vomiting and diarrhea, and abdominal distention with persistent vomiting and diarrhea caused by beef or horse meat poisoning.

Here Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica adds that an old hemp sandal sole can be used to treat wasting thirst: boil it and drink the liquid. Another recipe calls for burning together a sandal strap, bloodstained cloth from a woman’s undergarment, and fourteen thorny hooks, each about the size of a palm, to make ash. Mix the ash with pig fat and apply it to fox-spine sores to draw out the worms. The Tang dynasty materia medica texts append this item here.

Yuxi and others also cite Chen Cangqi: burn a worn-out straw sandal together with a person’s loose hair to make ash, mix it with vinegar, and apply it to wandering swellings caused by heat toxins in children.

Chen Cangqi also says to burn fourteen pointed ends of hemp sandals to ash. On the first day of the first lunar month, soak the ash in water containing the floating scum from a well, then drink it to treat bed-wetting. To treat cholera with cramping, heat an old hemp sandal sole until red-hot, plunge it into wine and the liquid from boiled millet, then drink the mixture.

The Essential Secrets from Beyond the Outer Terrace records a recently tested remedy for bed-wetting: take the straps and toe pieces from hemp sandals, leaving out the soles. Use seven liang in total, boil them in seven sheng of water until only two sheng remain, and drink the liquid in two doses.

Another remedy is for centipede bites: heat a hemp sandal sole and rub it over the wound. It is said to cure the bite.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Formula says that for rectal prolapse, place a heated hemp sandal sole against the affected area and press it repeatedly.

If it recurs after healing, take one old hemp sandal sole and one turtle head, burn them to ash, and grind them into a fine powder. Apply the powder to the anus, then press it inward with the sandal sole; it will not prolapse again. (The original continues from the preceding passage but does not specify the condition being treated.)

The Jingyan Fang says: To treat nasal congestion, burn a hemp sandal to ash and blow it into the nose; the passage will clear at once. A hemp sandal is also called a “thousand-mile horse.”

The Guangli Fang says: To treat a nosebleed, burn a sandal sole to ash and blow it into the nostril; it takes effect immediately.

Liuji Nu herb (the Chinese medicinal name for the whole plant of a species in the aster family)

Liuji Nu herb tastes bitter and is warm in nature. It is mainly used to invigorate the blood, dispel stasis, and relieve distention. Taking too much may cause diarrhea. It grows south of the Yangtze River.

The Tang Ben Cao says: Its stem resembles mugwort and grows three or four chi tall. Its leaves resemble those of an orchid, pointed and long. Its seeds resemble barnyard millet, but are finer. Each stem bears several spikes, with the leaves growing alternately.

According to other materia medica texts, the ancients used this herb to treat metal-inflicted wounds—injuries caused by swords and similar weapons—and considered it an essential medicine for stopping bleeding. It was also highly effective for lingering postpartum ailments, bleeding, and pain. The Tang Ben Cao first appended this account.

Su Jing and others, citing the Shu Ben Tu Jing, say: Its leaves resemble those of a chrysanthemum. It grows four or five chi tall, bears white flowers, and produces yellowish-white spikes of fruit. It belongs to the mugwort group. It now also grows in Yuezhou. The whole plant is gathered in summer and dried in the sun.

Rihua Zi says: Liuji Nu is non-toxic. It can treat pain in the chest and abdomen, impaired Qi movement, and edema with distention; it can also regulate the flow of blood and Qi, unblock women’s menstrual passages, disperse accumulations, and treat cholera and watery diarrhea. It is also called “Liuji Nu.” It is gathered in the sixth, seventh, and eighth months.

The Tu Jing says: Liuji Nu herb grows south of the Yangtze River and is now also found in Hezhong Prefecture, Mengzhou, and Hanzhong. In spring, it sends up shoots. Its stem resembles mugwort, has four ridges, and grows two or three chi tall. Its leaves are blue-green and resemble willow leaves. In the fourth month, it blooms with small yellowish-white flowers shaped like the roofs of Orostachys plants. In the seventh month, it bears fruit resembling millet grains, but finer. Each stem has several spikes, growing alternately along it. The root is pale purple and resembles lettuce. The plant is gathered in the sixth and seventh months; the shoots, flowers, and seeds can all be used medicinally.

Lei Gong says: After gathering the plant, remove the stems and leaves, keeping only the seeds. First wipe the seeds with a cloth to remove their thin outer husks, then mix them with wine and steam them from the hour of the Snake until the hour of the Monkey. Remove them, dry them in the sun, and use them.

The Jingyan Fang says: Liuji Nu herb is highly effective for scalds and burns. Grind the medicine into powder. First dip a chicken feather in glutinous rice liquid and apply it to the scald, then sprinkle on the powder. This prevents pain and scarring. Usually, after a scald, salt powder is sprinkled on first to protect the skin and flesh around the injury; the medicinal powder is then applied.

Drynaria rhizome

Rhizoma Drynariae tastes bitter, is warm in nature, and is non-toxic. It is mainly used to disperse blood stasis, stop bleeding, and help fractured bones heal. It grows in the Jiangnan region, with its roots attached to trees or rocks. Its surface bears fine hairs, and its leaves resemble those of an herb called Anlü. In Jiangxi, it is known as “Monkey Ginger,” and is also called “Stone Anlü” or “Bone-Healing Cloth.” It is now listed as an appendix medicinal.

According to Yuxi and others, citing the Treatise on the Nature of Medicines, Rhizoma Drynariae is used as an accompanying ingredient to treat toxic Qi in the bones, as well as pain caused by pathogenic wind and blood stasis. It may also be used for the Five Taxations and Six Extremes, a general term for various disorders of strain and weakness; inability to flex or extend the hands and feet freely; and heat in the upper body with cold in the lower body.

Chen Cangqi says that Rhizoma Drynariae resembles Pyrrosia, an epiphytic plant. Many leaves grow from a single root, and the plant grows on trees. It is also found around Lingnan, Qianzhou, and Jizhou, where its original name is “Monkey Ginger.” Emperor Xuanzong of Tang named it “Bone-Healing Supplement” because it was so effective in treating fractures and strengthening bones.

The Rihuazi says that Monkey Ginger is neutral in nature and can be used for malignant sores and decaying flesh; it can also kill parasites. It is an herb that grows on trees. Its young shoots resemble ginger and are slender.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that Rhizoma Drynariae grows in Jiangnan and is now also found in Huainan, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Kuizhou, and other places. Its roots grow on large trees or rocks, usually in shaded places. The roots spread out in strands, their surfaces covered in yellow fine hairs, with short leaves attached. Some plants also develop large, branch-like leaves: the upper surface is blue-green with yellow spots, while the underside is blue-white with reddish-purple spots. Leaves appear in spring and turn yellow and wither in winter. The plant bears neither flowers nor fruit. Only the root is used medicinally. It may be gathered at any time of year; scrape off the hairs before use. Its original name was “Monkey Ginger.” Emperor Ming of Tang renamed it “Bone-Healing Supplement” because of its remarkable effect in treating sprains and fractures.

In Shu, people treat sprains and injuries to the sinews and bones by pounding the root, sifting it finely, mixing it with cooked millet porridge, and applying it to the affected area. The treatment is said to work very well. Some also use it for deafness: shave the root into a thin strip, heat it over a fire, then insert it into the ear while still hot. It is also used in prescriptions for women’s blood and Qi disorders, and is known by another name, “Stone-Hair Ginger.”

Lei Gong says that after gathering Rhizoma Drynariae, first scrape away the yellowish-red hairs with a copper knife, then cut it into small pieces and moisten them with wine. Place the pieces in a willow-wood steamer used for preparing medicines and steam them for two days. Remove them, dry them in the sun, and use as directed. The Record of Qianning says instead to scrape off the hairs, cut the root finely, mix it with raw honey, and steam it from the Hour of the Snake to the Hour of the Boar, approximately from nine in the morning until nine at night. Then dry it in the sun and pound it into powder as described above. The powder, taken with prepared pig kidney, is said to treat ringing in the ears and relieve various kinds of pain.

The Lingyuan Formula records that when deficient Qi surges upward and causes toothache, bleeding gums, or itchy, painful gums, take two liang of Rhizoma Drynariae, chop it, and fry it until black, then pound it into powder. After rinsing the mouth as usual, rub the powder onto the roots of the teeth. Leave it there briefly, then spit it out. Use it before bed, and swallow it while sleeping.

There is no impediment.

Illustrated and Expounded Materia Medica, juan 18