《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 24

Materia Medica Illustrated with Commentary (Tujing Yanyi Bencao), Volume 24, Chapter 5: Sovereign Medicines

Compiled by Kou Zongshi, Gentleman of Direct Service (Tongzhi Lang) and Identification Official for Medicinal Materials in the Song dynasty; revised by Xu Hong, Assistant Physician and Identification Official for Medicinal Materials in the Song dynasty.

Wood Section, Lower Grade

Croton Seed (Ba Dou)

Croton seed is pungent in taste and warm in nature. Used raw, it is warm; processed, it is cool. It is toxic. It is mainly used to treat cold damage fevers, warm malaria, and alternating chills and fever. It can break up abdominal masses and lumps (zhengjia, hard growths in the abdomen), accumulations, hard stagnant buildup, retained fluid and phlegm-stasis. It can reduce edema, purge the five zang and six fu organs, clear blockages, and open the passages through which fluids and food are expelled. It also removes necrotic tissue, dispels so-called ghost poison, gu poisoning (guzhu), and evil influences, and kills worms and fish. It is used for amenorrhea in women, for a decaying fetus, and for poor drainage of pus and blood from metal wounds (injuries caused by swords and other metal implements). It can resolve the poison of zhangfuyin (the referent of this drug name is unclear) and counteract the poison of the blister beetle (banmao). Croton seed may be refined before being taken. Ancient texts claim it harmonizes and benefits the blood vessels and improves the complexion, and that after taking it a person can alter their appearance and communicate with ghosts and spirits.

Croton seed is also called ba jiao and grows in the valleys of Ba Commandery. It is harvested in the eighth month and dried in the shade before use. When preparing it, remove the core of the seed kernel and the outer shell. Its assistant herb (shi yao, the herb that supports the main herb in a formula) is yuanhua. Croton seed should not be combined with rangcao, and it is contraindicated with rhubarb, coptis, and veratrum (lilu).

Record from the Illustrated Classic (Tujing)

Croton seed grows in the valleys of Ba Commandery and is also found today in Jiazhou, Meizhou, and Rongzhou. The tree is one to two zhang tall (roughly three to six meters). Its leaves resemble cherry leaves but are thicker and larger. New leaves are green and gradually turn yellow and then red. In the twelfth month the leaves slowly fall, and in the second month new leaves begin to grow. By the fourth month the old leaves have fallen completely, the new leaves have fully grown, and the tree flowers, with pale yellow clusters. In the fifth and sixth months it bears fruit. The fruit is green at first and turns yellowish-white when it ripens in the eighth month. Its shape resembles white cardamom. Once ripe, the fruit gradually falls from the tree on its own, so it should be collected promptly.

Each fruit capsule has three segments, and each segment holds one seed, so a single capsule contains two seeds in total. Croton seed from Rongzhou has raised longitudinal ridges on its shell, like one or two fine lines. Local people call it "golden-thread croton" and consider it the finest quality. It is rarely seen elsewhere.

Tao Yinju said that croton seed comes from Ba Commandery, is shaped like a soybean, and is very strong in its purgative action, with fresh seed being better. Before use, the core of the kernel and the outer shell must be removed, and the seed is then weighed. It is fried until yellowish-black, separately pounded into a paste, and mixed with pills or powders. Daoist arts also include methods for refining and taking croton seed. Ancient texts further say that a single seed can nearly kill an immortal, while a rat that eats it can gain thirty jin (about eighteen kilograms) over three years. This suggests that different living creatures may have sharply different tolerances to the same drug.

Record from the Tang Materia Medica Commentary (Tangben Zhu)

The croton tree is more than one zhang tall. Its leaves resemble cherry leaves, with slightly reddish tips. In the twelfth month the leaves gradually fall and have all dropped by the fourth month. New leaves begin to grow in the fifth month, and in the seventh month . . .

The plant flowers in the eighth month, the fruit ripens in the ninth month, and it is harvested in the tenth month. Its fruit usually grows three together, each enclosed in its own husk. Those produced in Meizhou and Jiazhou are of better quality.

Chen Zangqi said: Croton seed (Bādòu) treats zhengjia (abdominal masses and accumulations), xuanqi (qi-based aches and pains), pi man (distension and fullness), abdominal accumulations, cold qi, blood clots, retention of undigested food, phlegm-fluid retention, and vomiting of clear fluid. Take the larger seeds that are blue-black, and swallow one each day on an empty stomach. Remove the outer shell, but do not break the white membrane inside. Split the fruit in two, keeping the halves intact all around, with no damage or chipping, and swallow them with water. After a while the abdomen will feel hot, as if burning, and filth will be expelled. Even with diarrhea, the person will not be weakened, and long-term use does not cause diarrhea. Seeds whose white membrane is damaged should be discarded.

Rihuazi said: Croton seed can open and disperse many kinds of illness and drain away stagnation. It is also said to dispel wind, supplement deficiency, strengthen the stomach and open the spleen, transform phlegm and break blood stasis, expel pus and reduce swelling, detoxify and kill parasites, and treat malignant sores, polyps, scabies, furuncles, and masses. When preparing pills or powders, croton should not be stir-fried. Remove the core of the kernel and its thin outer membrane, then boil it five times, changing the water each time and bringing it to a boil once.

Leigong said: Croton seed, Dou (a related seed), and Gangzi must be carefully distinguished and must not be confused, or they can cause death. Croton fruit is small and firm and yellowish in color. Dou fruit has three ridges and is blackish. Gangzi fruit is smaller, resembles a jujube pit, and is pointed at both ends. Croton and Dou must both be identified by comparison with Gangzi, and they should not be mixed up. When processing croton, crush it, boil it in sesame oil and wine, and then grind it into a paste for use. For each liang (about 37 grams) of croton, use seven ge (about 700 milliliters) each of wine and sesame oil, and boil until they are used up.

The Shenghui Fang gives a method for treating facial deviation from wind stroke. Take seven croton seeds, remove the skin, and grind them to a paste. If the deviation is to the left, apply the medicine to the palm of the right hand; if it is to the right, apply it to the palm of the left hand. Then place a cup of warm water on the palm, and after a while the deviation will return to normal. Wash off the medicine, and frequently pull the middle finger.

Another prescription treats toothache. Take one croton seed, roast it until it turns yellow and is fully cooked, and then remove the shell. Take one clove of garlic, cut off one end, and hollow out the center. Put the croton seed inside, and cover it with the cut-off piece of garlic. Wrap it in cotton, and according to the position of the aching tooth, insert it into the ear on the corresponding side.

The Waitai Miyao, citing the formula of Wen Zhongfang, records a treatment for an abdomen that is swollen and distended, with a sound of water in the belly and dark-colored skin, a condition called "water swelling." Take ninety croton seeds, remove the core of the kernel and the outer skin, and stir-fry them until yellow. Pound them and make small pills about the size of a red bean. Take two pills with water, continuing until the patient has diarrhea, and do not drink wine.

The above are the drug effects and methods of use recorded in these ancient texts. Croton seed is toxic, and the prescriptions cited here reflect historical medical records.

According to the Qianjin Fang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), croton seed (badou) treats cold-type accumulations (han pi), food stagnation, long-standing difficulty digesting fluids, and constipation. Take one sheng of croton kernels and five sheng of clear rice wine, boil them for three days and three nights, grind the mixture to a very fine powder, then simmer it with the wine over low heat and shape it into pills the size of a hu dou (a large bean). Take one pill each time with water. To induce vomiting, take two.

The Qianjin Yi Fang (Supplementary Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) records a treatment for infants with generalized swelling, including swelling of the hands and feet, accompanied by yinzhen (urticaria, a skin rash of raised welts). Take fifty croton seeds with the skin and core removed and decoct them in two sheng of water to obtain one sheng of liquid. Soak cotton wadding in the decoction and wipe the affected area as needed.

The Jingyan Fang (Empirical Prescriptions) records a treatment for sudden deafness. Take one croton seed, wrap it in wax, and pierce the wax with a needle so that it is open, then insert it into the ear.

Another prescription records a treatment for an arrowhead lodged in bone that cannot be pulled out. Take lightly roasted croton seeds and grind them together with qiangliang (dung beetle), then apply the paste to the wound. After a moment the pain eases. When the area begins to itch slightly, one must endure it. Once the itching becomes unbearable, shake the arrowhead, and it will come out immediately.

The Shiquan Fang (Ten Complete Prescriptions) records a treatment for scabies. Take ten croton seeds, roast them over fire until they turn yellow, remove the membranes, and grind them into a fine powder in a clockwise direction. Add a little suyou (clarified butter oil) and a little nifen (refined powder), and mix thoroughly. First break the skin of the affected area, then dab the medicine on with a bamboo applicator. Do not let the medicine get into the eyes or touch the external genitals (an ancient term for the male external genitalia). If the medicine burns the external genitals, apply huangdan (litharge), which is very effective.

Shujiao (Szechuan Pepper)

Shujiao, a member of the huajiao group of pepper plants, tastes pungent and is warm in nature but very hot, and it is toxic. It treats pathogenic qi and cough with rising qi. It warms the middle burner, expels necrotic tissue from bones and skin, and relieves painful bi (obstruction) caused by cold and dampness. It causes qi to descend and dispels cold from the six fu organs. It is also used for cold damage fever (shanghan), warm malaria (wenne), great wind disease without sweating, fluid retention in the chest and abdomen, food stagnation, intestinal disorders, dysentery, seminal emission, and lingering disorders after childbirth in women. It further dispels wind, dissolves abdominal masses, and treats edema, jaundice, guizhu (an illness attributed to ghostly invasion), and gudu (gu poison). It also kills parasites and the toxins of fish.

Taken over a long period, it keeps the hair from graying, keeps the body light and vigorous, and prolongs life. It also opens the couli (the skin's texture and sweat pores), keeps the blood vessels flowing, strengthens the teeth and hair, harmonizes the joints, and increases tolerance to cold and heat. Shujiao can be made into a plaster (gao). Eating too much weakens qi, and if the mouth locks shut and cannot open, it may be fatal.

Shujiao is also called bajiao, and tangyi (the first character is read tang and the second yi). It grows in the valleys of Wudu and in Bajun. The fruit is picked in the eighth month and dried in the shade. It may be paired with almonds, but it should not be used with kuandong (coltsfoot).

The Tujing (Illustrated Classic) says that Shujiao grows in the valleys of Wudu and in Bajun. Today it is widely cultivated in gardens and plots in Guizhou, Xiazhou, Shu, Chuan, Shaan, and the Luoyang area. The plant stands four or five chi tall and resembles cornel (zhuyu), but it is smaller and has thorns. Its leaves are hard and smooth, and they can be boiled...

The pepper is very pungent and fragrant when eaten. It bears fruit in the fourth month. It has no visible flowers, and the fruit grows among the leaves, round like small beans, with a purplish-red outer skin. The fruit is picked in the eighth month and dried over a low fire. Huajiao (called simply "jiao" in the original) grows in the Jiang-Huai region and in the north. Its stems and fruit are broadly similar, but neither matches the pepper of Shu (Sichuan), whose husk and flesh are thicker, whose fruit interior is whitish, and whose fragrance is strong.

The Discourse on Medicinal Properties (Yaoxing Lun) states that jiaomu (the seeds inside the huajiao fruit) can treat twelve kinds of water-qi (shuiqi) disorders. It is bitter and pungent in flavor and slightly toxic. The text further advises mixing jiaomu with croton, calamus, and pine resin, melting the mixture with wax, shaping it into a tube, and inserting it into the ear to draw out "kidney qi." If the ear seems to hear wind or water sounds, or a ringing like a bell or stone chime, the preparation is replaced once a day. For sudden deafness, it may be used in the same way, and the text claims it is efficacious.

The Commentary on the Tang Materia Medica (Tangben Zhu) describes jiaomu as bitter in flavor, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It treats abdominal distension from edema and promotes urination. Today, huajiao from the western city of Jinzhou is regarded as the finest grade.

The Ri Hua Zi states that han jiao (Han pepper) dispels abdominal accumulations and stimulates appetite. It is used for epidemic and warm diseases and for postpartum blood stasis. It also regulates qi in the heart and abdomen, warms yang, treats yin sweating, warms the waist and knees, and reduces urination. Jiaomu treats bladder spasm. The same source says that huajiao leaves are hot in nature and non-toxic, and that they can treat benzhun and fuliang, conditions involving qi surging upward and deep abdominal masses. The leaves are also said to relieve pain radiating through the kidney region, whether internal or external, and cramping from huoluan (acute vomiting and diarrhea).

Lei Gong says that huajiao is also called nan jiao (southern pepper). Before use, remove the jiaomu and any closed fruits that have not opened, and discard them. Moisten the peppercorns with wine, then steam them from the hour of si (about 9 to 11 a.m.) through the hour of wu (about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). After they cool, seal the container until the downward heat and the surrounding odor have dissipated. Then remove them, store them in porcelain, and keep them away from wind.

The Sheng Hui Fang records a case in which a man, seeking coolness in the summer heat, fell asleep and woke to find a snake in his mouth that could not be pulled out. The remedy was to cut open the snake's tail with a knife, insert two or three fresh huajiao peppercorns, and wrap the tail. After a while, the snake would come out.

The Waitai Miyao records a remedy for sores and swellings: mix fresh huajiao powder with powder made from the soot-blackened earth at the bottom of a cooking pot, blend it with thick vinegar, and apply it to the affected area.

The Qianjin Fang records a case in which a man's genitals gradually became cold, and the cold qi entered the scrotum, causing swelling and pain so severe that he could not sleep day or night, and he feared for his life. The remedy was to choose clean fresh huajiao, wrap it in cloth, and apply it to the scrotum in a layer about half an inch thick. After a while, warmth would return to the area. The dressing was changed twice a day until the patient recovered.

Master Sun (Sun Zhenren) advises against eating huajiao in the tenth month, arguing that it depletes qi, harms the heart, and causes forgetfulness. Another prescription, for simultaneous pain in the heart and abdomen, calls for wrapping huajiao in cloth, laying it thinly over the painful area, and then warming it with a hot iron until the huajiao releases its juice. This is said to be highly effective.

Zaojiao (soap pod, Gleditsia sinensis)

The Doumen Fang records that this preparation treats deficiency cold in the abdomen, and that taken over a long period it keeps the complexion youthful. Select fresh Sichuan pepper (huajiao), pick out the grains that have not split, and remove the black seeds, using forty grains in all. Soak them overnight in jiangshui (fermented rice water) until every grain opens. Taken on an empty stomach with freshly drawn well water, it dispels cold that has accumulated over many years and harmonizes the viscera. With continued use, it also keeps the complexion youthful, hair black, and eyes bright, and it stimulates appetite. This is a highly effective prescription.

The Shengjin Fang records a remedy for a strong craving for raw tea. Take powdered Sichuan pepper in any quantity, form it into pills the size of wutong (Chinese parasol tree) seeds with a flour paste, and take ten pills each time with tea.

The commentary on this material states that Shu pepper (Sichuan-grown huajiao) should be lightly fried until it sweats, and that the red-yellow husk clinging to the seed must be removed. To remove the husk, warm the pepper briefly, put it into a bamboo tube while still hot, pound it with a wooden pestle, and then sift out the red portion. If husk remains, continue picking and pounding until it is entirely removed. Pepper should be processed in this way whenever it is used.

The seeds of the Sichuan pepper, called jiaomu (pepper seeds), are especially effective for treating night sweats, meaning sweating during sleep. Lightly fry the seeds and pound them into a very fine powder. Take about half a qian measure of the powder and decoct it in one he (roughly a small bowl) of fresh pig's upper lip. Taken before bed, the remedy is very effective. Jiaomu also promotes urination and can be used to treat shuigu (water distension), a condition in which fluid accumulates and the abdomen swells.

Zaojiao

The soap pod tastes pungent and salty and is warm in nature, with slight toxicity. It treats fengbi (numbness and pain caused by wind), numbness of the flesh, and pathogenic qi, as well as headache and tearing caused by wind. It opens the nine orifices and expels spirits and demonic influences. It also treats abdominal distension, indigestion, cough, swelling of the scrotum, and retention of the placenta in women. It brightens the eyes and strengthens essence and qi. The pods may be used to wash the hair but should not be decocted for internal use. They grow in the valleys of Yongzhou and in the areas of Lu and Zou counties, and pods shaped like pig's teeth are considered of superior quality. The pods are picked in the ninth and tenth months and dried in the shade. Cypress seed may serve as its shiyao (assisting agent). It is incompatible with maimendong (Ophiopogon root), and it is inhibited by kongqing (hollow blue), ginseng, and kushen (Sophora flavescens).

The Tujing states that the soap pod grows in the valleys of Yongzhou and in Lu and Zou counties, and that it is now produced in many other regions, with the best coming from Huaizhou and Mengzhou. Some soap pod trees grow to be very tall. The Materia Medica Classic holds that pods shaped like pig's teeth are best. Tao Yinju held that pods about one foot two inches long are good. A Tang-dynasty commentary holds that the finest pods are about six inches long, round and thick, with close and straight nodes, thin skin, abundant flesh, and a strong flavor. Physicians preparing pills and decoctions to disperse wind often use the long pods, while pig's-tooth pods are mostly used for dental complaints and for preparing medicines that attack accumulations. Although their uses differ, the two kinds are broadly similar in their medicinal properties.

The Tang Commentary states that there are three kinds of soap pod. The pig's-tooth pod is of the poorest quality: it is crooked and askew, thin and shriveled, lacks any moistening quality, and cannot even wash away dirt. As for the pod about one foot two inches long…

Pods that are coarse and large, or long, slender, and hollow with no lustrous sheen, about six or seven cun (inches) long and round and thick in form, are not of the finest quality. Those that are short and straight, with thin skin, abundant flesh, and a strong flavor, are superior.

Yu Xi said: According to the Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on the Properties of Medicinals), zaojia (soap pod, Gleditsia sinensis) can serve as a guiding agent in prescriptions. It treats hard masses and abdominal pain, and it can also cause a fetus to be expelled. It is further said that when zaojia is soaked in wine to extract its essence, then boiled over fire into a paste and spread on cloth to cover various swellings and boils, it also relieves pain.

Chen Zangqi said: Gui zaojia (demon soap pod) can be boiled into a decoction for washing, used to treat wind sores and scabies. Rubbing its leaves can clean dirt from clothing, and it can also be used to wash the hair and promote its growth. It grows on the banks of marshes in Jiangnan and resembles zaojia in shape, but it stands only one or two chi tall.

The Rihuazi Ben Cao (Materia Medica of Rihuazi) says: Zaojia frees the joints, dispels head wind, transforms phlegm, and kills parasites. It treats gu zheng (bone steaming, a traditional term for symptoms such as yin-deficiency fever), and it stimulates the appetite. It also treats lockjaw following a stroke. For use as medicine, the skin and seeds are removed, and the pod is roasted with ghee before use.

Lei Gong said: When selecting zaojia, choose pods that are reddish, plump, and free of insect damage. Before use, soak them overnight in freshly drawn water, scrape off the coarse skin with a copper knife, and repeatedly coat and roast them with ghee until the ghee is used up. Then remove them, pound them, discard the seeds, and sift the pulp. Use two fen of ghee for every one liang of zaojia. Select seeds that are round, intact, hard, and free of insect damage, place them in a bottle with water, and simmer them by the fire until they swell. Peel off the hard outer layer and take the white, tender flesh inside, removing any yellow parts. Cut it finely with a copper knife and dry it for storage. The seeds of zaojia deplete kidney qi.

The Shenghui Fang (Prescriptions of Holy Benevolence) records: For headache and vexing fever occurring on the third day of a seasonal epidemic (shiqi bing), burn zaojia to ash and grind it into powder. Take one zhong of freshly drawn water, add a little fresh ginger juice and honey, mix in two qian of the powder, and drink it. First bathe in warm water, then take the medicine; after a while, sweating will bring recovery.

The Waitai Mishu (Secret Essentials from the Outer Terrace) records: For sudden stroke with lockjaw, take five liang of zaojia, remove the skin, and grind it into powder. Mix it with aged vinegar and apply it to the left cheek if the affliction is on the left side, and to the right cheek if it is on the right. When it dries, apply more, until the illness is cured. Another prescription says: For a person who has been submerged in water overnight but still breathes, pound zaojia, wrap it in cotton cloth, and insert it into the anus. After a while the water will be expelled, and the person can be revived.

The Qianjin Fang (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) records: For nasal congestion, roast zaojia and grind it into powder. Take powder about the size of a small bean and blow it into the nose through a bamboo tube.

The Zhouhou Fang (Emergency Prescriptions Kept at the Elbow) records: For sudden swelling of the whole body and face, take zaojia, peel off the skin, and roast until yellow. Cut it into pieces to make three sheng, soak them in one dou of wine, and place the mixture in a sealed vessel and bring it to a boil. Take one sheng each time, three times a day, continuing the course.

According to an empirical formula, for treating full-body yellow swelling, wheezing, inability to eat, and chest fullness and vexation caused by food stagnation and disharmony of stomach qi, take zaojiao pods (soap pods) that are free of insect damage, remove the skin and seeds, coat them with good vinegar, and roast until scorched yellow, then grind to a fine powder. Next take seven badou (croton seeds) and remove the oily membrane. Mix both medicines with light vinegar and finely ground good ink, and form pills the size of hemp seeds. Take three pills each time, after meals, with a decoction of chenpi (aged tangerine peel), three times a day. Each alternate day, add one pill, until the bowels move freely. According to the formula, taking it routinely can also dissolve stagnation from wine and food.

The Meishi Fang says that for sudden cholera attacks with cramping of the hands and feet, take a small amount of zaojiao powder and blow it into the nose. Once the patient sneezes, they will improve.

The Sun Zhenren Fang says that for inability to pass stool or urine, with blockage above and below, roast zaojiao, grind it fine, and take three qian with gruel soup. It is said to produce bowel movement quickly.

The Jianyao Jizhong Fang says that for stroke followed by clenched jaw, inability to open the mouth, and rising saliva with spitting, take one stalk of zaojiao, remove the skin, coat it with pig fat, roast until yellow, and grind to a fine powder. Each dose is one qian seven, taken at any time with warm wine. If the patient's qi is strong and the pulse forceful, take two qian seven mixed in warm water instead. If the jaw is clenched, rub the teeth with baimei (white plum), and once the mouth opens, pour in the medicine. After the patient spits out the wind-saliva, they will improve.

The Lingyuan Fang says that for acute throat obstruction in a critical condition, take half a liang of raw zaojiao, with skin and seeds removed, and grind it fine. Each time, dip the tip of a chopstick in a little of the powder and dab it on the swelling. Then mix the powder with vinegar and apply it thickly beneath the neck. Soon the swelling will break, with a small amount of bleeding, and the patient will improve.

The Sun Shangyao Fang says that when a person is suddenly struck by stroke, with the mind clouded as if drunk, the body heavy and numb, and the limbs unable to move freely, they may or may not fall down. The corner of the mouth seems skewed, with slight drooling. If not treated promptly, the condition may worsen. This is thought to be wind-saliva gathering in the upper diaphragm and obstructing the movement of qi, and it may be treated with the Jiuji Xixian San (Emergency Saliva-Thinning Powder). Take four plump, insect-free zaojiao pods of the pig-tooth variety, scrape away the black skin, and pound them together with one liang of clear, translucent jinfan (alum), then sieve and grind to a fine powder. The patient may take half a qian. In severe cases, take three zi seven, mixed in warm water. After taking it, there should be no large vomiting. Only a slight spitting of thin saliva should occur, perhaps one or two sheng, after which consciousness will clear. Afterward, treatment should proceed slowly, and vomiting should not be forced to excess, lest the patient be harmed. The original text states that this formula has repeatedly proven effective.

According to the Record of Spirit Immortals Responsive to Devotion (Ganying Shenxian Zhuan), Cui Yan served in the Left Qinqi Army. One day he fell gravely ill. His eyes grew blurred, so that he could not recognize people even within arm's reach. His eyebrows and hair fell out, his nose bridge collapsed, and his skin broke out in sores like ringworm. The illness was severe, and it seemed incurable.

Later, while traveling as an envoy to the Guluo Ziguizhai in Yangzhou, he met a Daoist who had come out of a valley. The Daoist did not give his name. He only passed on a prescription: take one to two jin of gleditsia thorns (zaojiaoci), burn them to ash, then steam, dry, and grind them into a fine powder. After a meal, take one qian of this powder mixed into a strong decoction of rhubarb. After seven doses, within ten days, his temples grew hair again, his skin became smooth and moist, and his eyes became much brighter than before. Once he had received the prescription, the Daoist went back into the mountains and disappeared.

In addition, an iron anvil is used to forge gold and silver, and it will not rot even after a hundred years. Yet if it is used to pound gleditsia pods (zaojia), it will shatter overnight.

The Yanyi (Expanded Meanings) says: the seeds of the gleditsia pod may be fried until cooked, then pounded to remove the red outer skin. The hard shell of the kernel is then softened in water, boiled, and eaten after being pickled in sugar. It can help clear wind-heat that has stagnated in the five viscera. If the pods are thick and free of insect damage, they may be lightly roasted and ground into powder. To each liang of powder, add half a liang of raw alum powder and half a liang of nifen (refined rice-based powder). When wind-phlegm surges and the airway is blocked, so that breathing cannot proceed smoothly, take one to two qian mixed with warm water. Once the medicine has passed the throat, the patient should be made to expel the phlegm. When alum is used, it is usually boiled in water and then taken in divided doses, which helps induce vomiting of phlegm. In summer, when damp heat prevails, or after a long period of rain, it may be combined with cangzhu (atractylodes), and it is said to ward off epidemic fevers, pernicious influences, and dampness.

Helile (Terminalia chebula)

Helile tastes bitter and is neutral in nature. It is non-toxic. It treats cold qi and abdominal distension and fullness in the chest and belly, and it also aids digestion. It grows in the region of Jiaozhou and Aizhou.

The Illustrated Classic (Tujing) says that helile grows in Jiaozhou and Aizhou, and it is now also common throughout Lingnan, especially in Guangzhou. The tree resembles the mu tree, and its flowers are white. The fruit looks like the gardenia fruit, is greenish-yellow, and has a skin tightly bound to its flesh. It is harvested in the seventh and eighth months when the fruit ripens, and fruits with six ridges are considered the best.

The Records of Strange Things of Lingnan (Lingnan Yiwuzhi) records that in front of the Buddha hall at the Faxing Temple in Guangzhou stood forty or fifty helile trees. Their fruit was very small and not astringent, and all of them were six-ridged. The helile tribute presented each year by the prefectural government was taken only from this temple. Inside the temple was an ancient well, and the roots of the trees were submerged in its water, which did not taste bitter. When the fruit ripened and a distinguished guest came to visit, the monks would brew a decoction to serve: five freshly picked helile fruits and one cun of licorice, all crushed together, then boiled with water from the ancient well beneath the tree. The broth turned the color of fresh tea. Today the temple is called the Qianming Temple. Six or seven of the old trees remain, and the ancient well is still there.

In the South China Sea region, local people have long valued this decoction. However, it did not always have to be prepared in strict accordance with the ancient method.

The Chuanxin Fang (Reliable Prescriptions) by Liu Yuxi records: "I once suffered from chibai li (red-and-white dysentery, with red or white mucus in the stool). I had taken many medicines, and the illness dragged on without improvement. Later, it progressed to the discharge of white pus. General Linghu passed this prescription on to me. Take top-quality hele (chebulic myrobalan, three fruits: two processed, with the skin removed, and one used raw, also with the skin removed). Grind them together into a powder and take it with a measure of boiling mijiangshui (rice-wash water), though plain water may also be used. For watery diarrhea without pus or blood, add one qian and seven fen of powdered gancao (licorice). For slightly more pus and blood, add two qian and seven fen. For heavier bleeding, add three qian and seven fen. It is said that all of these are effective."

The Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on the Properties of Medicinals) states that hele can serve as a shiyao (envoy herb, an ingredient used to guide or harmonize other medicines), and it may also be used alone. It tastes bitter and sweet, promotes the flow of body fluids, treats jieqi (stagnant qi) in the chest and diaphragm, stops urinary flow, and darkens the beard and hair.

The Rihua Zi (Master Rihua) states that hele can resolve phlegm, lower rising qi, and relieve vexation. It is also used for edema, to harmonize the spleen and stomach, to stop diarrhea and dysentery, and to treat huoluan (cholera), qi reversal, and breathlessness caused by deficiency of kidney qi or lung qi. It aids digestion and stimulates the appetite, and it treats bleeding from the anus due to intestinal wind, metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and wuge qi (a condition of qi obstruction in the diaphragm). The same text notes that it can be used for threatened miscarriage before term, restless fetal movement as delivery approaches, abdominal distension and chest oppression, breathlessness, and sharp pain around the anus in dysentery patients. For postpartum pain in the genital area, it may be mixed with wax and burned as a fumigant, or steeped in hot decoction for steam bathing, followed by washing after defecation.

Liu Yuxi states, on the authority of Xiao Bing, that hele tastes bitter and sour, expels accumulated stagnation from the intestines, and treats chronic diarrhea, chibai li, and intestinal disorders. Hele brought by Persian merchant ships is considered best when its surface has six ridges, its color is dark black, and its flesh is thick.

Master Lei states that when selecting hele, one should not mistake it for mixed substitutes such as pili (belleric myrobalan) or langjingle. The authentic hele has six ridges on its surface, though the number of ridges may vary. If there are many ridges, or circular ridges numbering eight to thirteen, the fruit is usually langjingle, which has a strongly astringent taste and is unsuitable for medicinal use. For processing, the fruit is first soaked in wine, then steamed for one fu shi (about a full day and night). Afterward, the skin is peeled off along the ridges with a knife, cut finely, and dried over a low fire for later use.

The Jingyan Fang (Empirical Prescriptions) records that hele can also treat cough, especially chronic cough. One raw hele fruit is held in the mouth and its juice swallowed. After recovery, one may notice a diminished sense of taste and be unable to savor food. In that case, a bowl of binglang (areca nut) decoction is taken, and the sense of taste quickly returns. This is a secret prescription of the official Cheng Mi of the Yinkeng region in Lianzhou.

The Waitai Miyao (Secret Essentials from the Imperial Library) records that it can be used to treat various wind-phlegm conditions, wind-cholera, and indigestion……

When stools are dry and hard, take three helile (Terminalia chebula) fruits, pound them, and extract the skin. Take it with wine, and repeat three to five times.

The Guangji Fang records that for vomiting, reversed stomach qi (qi, vital energy), and inability to eat, take two liang of helile skin. Remove the pit, dry-fry the skin, and grind it into powder. Bind the powder with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills on an empty stomach, twice a day.

The Sun Zhenren Fang records that for chronic qi ailments, take three helile fruits and wrap them in damp paper, then roast them until cooked. Once the paper dries, peel off the paper and remove the pit. Chew the fruit finely and swallow it, followed by one sheng of fresh milk. Take this three times a day.

The Yanyi says that people with qi deficiency may also take helile, but it should be roasted slowly and taken in small amounts. Although it astringes the intestines, it also dissipates qi, because its flavor is bitter and astringent.

Liu Hua (Willow Flower)

Willow flower tastes bitter and is cool in nature. It is non-toxic and treats wind-water (disorders caused by wind and dampness), jaundice, facial heat and darkening, scabs, scabies, malignant sores, and knife wounds. It is also called liuxu (willow catkin). Willow leaves treat scabies and scabs on horses. When the leaves are decocted in water and used to wash a horse's scabies, the effect is quick. Willow flower can also treat internal bleeding in the chest and abdomen and relieve pain. Willow fruit treats festering sores and draws out pus and blood. Willow sap relieves thirst. Willow grows in the river valleys and marshes of Langye.

Tao Yinju says that the willow is the water willow of today. When the flowers ripen, they scatter in the wind like snowflakes, and Chen Yuanfang once used flying snow as a metaphor for them. The flowers should be picked before they open. The seeds of the willow also scatter with the catkins, so the so-called willow juice is probably obtained by soaking the flowers in water. Willow flowers are also suitable for application to moxibustion sores. The bark and leaves treat lacquer sores, a skin inflammation caused by contact with the lacquer tree.

Yu Xi says that, according to the Yaoxing Lun, bitter willow flower can be used medicinally. It stops bleeding and treats damp bi (painful, numb limbs caused by obstructed dampness), limb spasms, and knee pain.

The Rihuazi says that willow leaves can treat seasonal febrile diseases, boils, consumptive steaming-bone fever (a category of chronic deficiency heat described by the ancients), scalds and burns, and vexation caused by toxic qi entering the abdomen. For severe fever and vexation after taking mineral drugs, willow leaves may also be used, and they promote urination. Willow leaves can be boiled into a plaster to join tendons and bones, promote muscle growth, and relieve pain. Twigs decocted in water can be used as a gargle for toothache, and the decoction taken internally aids digestion.

The Waitai Miyao records that for jaundice, take a handful of willow branches and boil them in one dou of water. Reduce the liquid to half a sheng of thick decoction and take it all at once.

The Yanyi says that the willow flower described as bitter in the Jing refers to the newly emerged flower, which has yellow stamens. Only after the flowers dry does the willow catkin form. People collect the catkins to apply to moxibustion sores, and they also use them as padding material. Beneath the catkins are small black seeds. These drift on the wind and, when they land in damp places, they take root. Like plants such as dingdi, willow often grows wild in gardens rather than being planted. The claim that the catkins and seeds scatter together agrees with Chen Cangqi's explanation. The ancients took the catkins...

Tao Hongjing (Táo Hóngjǐng) said that when the lian tree (liàn shù) blooms, its flowers scatter with the wind like flying snow. Some people say its flower shape resembles snow, but this view is wrong.

The classics mention the fruit and seed sap of the lian tree, but commentators have not explained them clearly, and people today have never seen them. A commentary on the Buddhist scriptures says that the willow is the nijulüotuo tree (Níjùlǜtuó mù), whose fruit is extremely small. Some have drawn a far-fetched inference from this, claiming that because the fruit is small, it can bear very large fruit. This is forced reasoning. From it we can infer that the small black seeds of the lian tree are dispersed by the wind.

Liànshí (the fruit of the lian tree) tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and has slight toxicity. It treats high fever, restlessness, and mental confusion caused by warm diseases (wēnbìng) and cold-damage fevers (shānghán). It is also used to expel the three worms (sānchóng, a general term for parasites in the body) and to treat skin conditions such as scabies, and it promotes urination. It is also called jīn língzǐ (Golden Bell Fruit) and is commonly known as kǔliàn (bitter lian). The root of the lian tree is slightly cold, can treat roundworm (huíchóng), and also promotes the function of the large intestine. The lian tree grows in the valleys of the Jīng Mountains (Jīng Shān).

The Illustrated Classic (Tújīng) says that liànshí is jīn língzǐ, native to the valleys of Jīng Shān and now found everywhere, with the product of Shǔ (Sichuan) considered the best. The lian tree grows over ten feet tall and has dense leaves shaped like those of the locust tree but longer. In the third and fourth months it blooms with reddish-purple flowers of strong fragrance that fill the courtyard. The fruit is shaped like a pellet, green when unripe and yellow when ripe. The fruit is harvested in the twelfth month, while the root may be harvested in any season.

Tao Hongjing said that the lian tree grows everywhere. On the fifth day of the fifth month, people pick its leaves and wear them, believing they ward off evil. Grinding the root with bitter wine (vinegar) and applying it to scabies is very effective. Boiling the root into a paste and eating it can expel roundworms.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary (Tángběn Zhù) says that there are female and male lian trees. The root of the male tree is red, bears no fruit, and is poisonous. After taking it, a person often vomits violently and cannot stop, and sometimes this is fatal. The root of the female tree is white, bears fruit, and is less toxic. For medicinal use, the female tree should be chosen.

Yǔ Xī cites the Treatise on Drug Properties (Yàoxìng Lùn) as saying that liànshí may also be used alone. It treats high internal heat, mania, mental disturbance, and irritability. It may be decocted for medicinal bathing or taken orally.

The Rìhuázǐ (Ri Hua Zi) says that the bark of the lian tree is bitter and slightly toxic. It can be used for yóufēng (wandering wind), heat toxin, rashes, malignant sores, scabies, ringworm, and leprosy, and also for difficult urination and body heat. When the bark is decocted for soaking or taken internally, the bark of the fruit-bearing female tree must be used. Take one liǎng of bark and add fifty grains of glutinous rice (nuòmǐ). Decocting them together reduces toxicity. If diarrhea is excessive after taking it, cold rice gruel can stop it. If there is no diarrhea, hot scallion gruel can be used to induce evacuation. The male tree, which bears no fruit, causes vomiting and diarrhea and can even be fatal.

Léi Gōng (Lei Gong) says that after gathering the lian fruit, one should first dry it in the sun, then moisten it by mixing it with wine and soaking it, and steam it until the outer skin softens. Then peel off the outer skin, take the flesh, and remove the stone. The flesh should not be used alone. If the stone is used, first crush it, then boil it in jiāngshuǐ (fermented rice water) for a full day and night. When the flesh is used, the stone should not also be used.

Fruit kernels are used for medicine, not the flesh. The fruit that forms after the flowers fall is called "stone cornel" (shi zhuyu).

The Waitai Miyao (Secret Essentials from the Imperial Library) records a treatment for intestinal parasites: soak chinaberry fruit (lian shi) in fine vinegar overnight, wrap it in cotton cloth, insert it about three cun (roughly three inches) into the anus, and replace it once a day.

The Jingyan Fang (Empirical Formulas) records a powder called "Dishu San" for pain caused by intestinal parasites in children. Take two liang of bitter chinaberry and half a liang of white wuyu (elm seed), and grind them into a fine powder. Decoct one qian of the powder in a cup of water until only two-tenths of the liquid remains, let it cool, and give it when the pain comes on.

Another formula treats accumulation in the intestines with blood in the stool. Stir-fry bitter chinaberry seeds until yellow, grind them into powder, and form pills with refined honey. Take ten to twenty pills with rice water. The effect is very good.

A further formula treats qi disorders in the bladder and small intestine in men. Take one hundred jinlingzi (Toosendan fruit), soak them in warm water, and remove the skins. Separately, take two hundred croton seeds and crush them lightly. Put both into a copper pan with two sheng of flour and stir-fry them together until the jinlingzi turn reddish and fully cooked. Once cool, remove them, discard the jinlingzi kernels, and grind the rest into a fine powder. Take three qian at a time, at any hour, mixed with hot wine or vinegar broth. Discard the stir-fried flour and croton seeds.

Chun Wood

The leaves of chun wood taste bitter and are mildly toxic. They treat sores, scabies, and wind-borne ulcers. Boil them in water and wash the affected area with the liquid. The bark treats "gan dai" (a condition named in the original text).

Chu Wood

The roots and leaves of chu wood are especially effective as medicine.

The Illustrated Classic states that earlier editions did not record which prefectures produced chun or chu wood, but both now grow throughout the north and south. The two trees look broadly alike, but chun has dense, firm wood and fragrant leaves that can be eaten, while chu has loose wood with an unpleasant smell. Cooks can still stir-fry chu to remove the odor. In the north, people call chu "mountain chun," and in Jiangdong they call it "ghost eye," because the scars left on the branches after the leaves fall look like the seeds of the chupu game or like eyes, which is how it got that name.

Chu wood was long considered useless. The passage in the Zhuangzi about "a great tree that people call chu, its trunk swollen and not fitting the measure of the plumb line, its small branches crooked and not fitting the compass or square, growing by the roadside, where carpenters do not even look at it," refers to this tree. Chun and chu can both be harvested at any time.

The Tang Benben Zhu (Tang Materia Medica Commentary) notes that the two trees have similar shapes, and that the difference is that chu has loose branches and trunk while chun has firm wood.

Chen Cangqi says that chu wood tastes bitter and is slightly toxic. Its bark treats long-standing red and white dysentery and parasitic worms in the mouth and nose. It also treats scabies and ringworm, and can be used for ghostly afflictions, consumptive wasting, gu poisoning, and blood in the stool. The root bark can expel ghostly qi. Take a handful of root bark, chop it finely, and use it with a young child's…

Take two sheng of the material and one ge of fermented soybean (douchi). Soak them overnight, then wring out the liquid, bring it to a slight boil, and take it three to five times a day. The leaves resemble those of the Chinese toon (chun) tree. Northerners call this plant "mountain chun," and people in Jiangdong call it "tiger's eye." Where the leaves have fallen, the scars look like those of the white ailanthus (bai shu). It grows as a scattered, individual tree.

Tang dynasty, first annotations:

Yu Xi said: According to the Treatise on Medicinal Properties (Yao Xing Lun), the white bark of the ailanthus (chu) is bitter in flavor and slightly warm in nature, non-toxic, and can treat bacillary and amoebic dysentery, intestinal slipperiness, hemorrhoids, and persistent bloody stools.

Xiao Bing said: The bark of the ailanthus mainly treats infantile malnutrition with dysentery, and it is combined with garden burnet (dihuang) for treatment. The root bark is especially good. Among the common people it is called the "tiger-eye tree." The chun wood described in the Basic Classic (Ben Jing) is not similar to the ailanthus.

The Ri Hua Zi says: The bark of the ailanthus is warm in nature and non-toxic. It can stop diarrhea, treat wind-induced intestinal bleeding, and also reduce urination. When used medicinally, it should be prepared by stir-frying with honey.

Gong says: When selecting chun roots, the roots that do not lie near the west side of the trunk are considered superior. The stems and leaves are not used; only the roots are taken. After harvesting, mix them with raw scallion and steam for half a day. Afterward, chop the scallion finely, place everything in a bag, and hang it to dry in the shade on the south side of the room. It is especially suitable for difficult urination.

The Elbow Prescriptions (Zhou Hou Fang) treats white baldness on the heads of children and failure of hair to grow. Take chun twigs and tender peach leaf buds, pound them, extract the juice, and apply it to the affected area. The effect is very good.

An Empirical Formulary (Jing Yan Fang) treats red and white dysentery caused by "visceral toxin." Wash the fragrant chun, scrape off the outer bark, dry the bark in the sun, grind it into powder, and take one qian each time with wine. It is said to show effects quickly.

The Yang Family Formulary for Childbirth and Infant Care (Yang Shi Chan Ru Fang) treats severe infantile malnutrition with dysentery. Pound the white bark of the ailanthus, mix it with wheat flour to form small granules, sun-dry them briefly, and mix again. Repeat this process three times. After boiling the granules in water, salt, vinegar, or wine may be added, and the mixture is given frequently. The amount is adjusted according to the child's age and constitution.

The Elaborations on the Meaning (Yan Yi) says: The leaves of both the chun and the ailanthus have a foul odor, but the two trees are different. One blossoms and bears pods, while the other neither blossoms nor bears fruit. People call the tree that does not blossom or bear fruit, is tall, and has a straight trunk "chun," and they use its wood and leaves. They call the tree that blossoms and bears pods, is smaller, and has a crooked trunk "ailanthus (chu)," and they use its roots, leaves, and pods. Therefore it is said that the chun has no pods, and only the ailanthus has them. The ailanthus also harbors an insect called the "chu chicken." The ancients named it the "chu chicken" rather than the "chun chicken," precisely to indicate that the tree hosting this insect is the ailanthus, while the tree without it is the chun. The meaning is clear. When using chun leaves or the roots, leaves, and pods of the ailanthus, one should carefully distinguish between them according to this difference.

Yu Li Ren (bitter almond/apricot-plum kernel):

Yu Li Ren is sour in flavor and neutral in nature, non-toxic. It mainly treats abdominal distension and edema, as well as swelling of the face, eyes, and limbs.

The medicine is used to promote urination and clear the waterways in cases of edema. Its root treats swollen, painful gums and tooth decay, strengthens the teeth, and expels white worms from the teeth.

This medicinal is called yuli ren (the seed kernel of the yuli plant, Prunus japonica), also known as jueli, chexia li, and dishengli. Yuli grows on high mountains, in valleys, and on hills, and its roots are harvested in the fifth and sixth months.

The Illustrated Classic (Tujing) states that the Shennong Bencao Jing does not record which prefectures produce yuli, saying only that it grows on high mountains, in valleys, and on hills. Today it can be found everywhere. The yuli tree stands five or six chi tall, and its branches, flowers, and leaves resemble those of the plum tree. Its fruit is smaller, like a cherry, red in color, and sweet and sour in taste, and the pit ripens along with the fruit. The roots and fruit are harvested in the sixth month, and the kernel inside the pit is used.

Lu Ji's Commentary on Plants and Trees (Caomu shu) says that tangdi is yuli, also called quemei or chexia li, and that it grows throughout the mountains. Its flowers are white or red, it bears fruit in the sixth month, and the fruit resembles a plum and is edible. Today, households near the capital also grow a type of yuli in their gardens. Its branches are slender, its flowers dense, and its leaves numerous, but this ornamental variety is not suitable for medicinal use.

The Yaoxing lun says that yuli ren is bitter and pungent in nature and flavor, and that it can treat qi stagnation in the intestines and guange, a blockage in which the qi cannot move and urine and stool cannot pass. The root of yuli can treat toothache, relieve stagnant qi, and disperse accumulations.

Tao Yinju says that yuli grows wild throughout the hills, and that its fruit turns red when ripe and is also edible.

The Rihuazi says that yuli ren regulates the five viscera, treats sudden bladder pain, clears cold-damp carbuncles and abscesses in the lower back and hips, aids digestion of food stagnation, and moves qi downward. It further says that yuli root is cool in nature and non-toxic. It can be decocted for bathing feverish children, and when a tooth is painful from worm damage, the root can be boiled into a thick decoction and held in the mouth.

Lei Gong says that after yuli ren is collected, it should first be soaked in hot water, then trimmed at the tip and the outer skin fully peeled off. It is then soaked overnight in raw honey, removed and air-dried, and ground into a paste before use.

Wei Zhou's Duxing fang records a remedy for beriberi edema, fullness of the chest and abdomen, inability to pass urine or stool, and rapid, labored breathing. Twelve yuli ren are crushed and ground with water to extract the juice. Coix seed is then crushed into grains the size of millet, three he are taken and cooked into a porridge with the yuli juice, and the porridge is eaten on an empty stomach.

The Bixiao fang records a remedy for pi ji (abdominal masses). Chexia li ren is soaked in lukewarm water, the skin is removed, and the kernels are mixed with dry flour and pounded into dough. If the dough is too dry, a little plain water is added, and it is kneaded as ordinary dough would be. It is then shaped into two cakes the size of the patient's palm, lightly toasted until yellowish, and then cut and baked through. Eat one piece on an empty stomach, and it can…

If the bowels move freely after taking it, that is enough. If the blockage persists, take one more dose, or drink some hot congee or broth, until the bowels are open. If diarrhea continues past the afternoon, stop it with vinegared rice. After the purging, the body may feel weak. If the illness is not yet fully cured, the medicine may be repeated every one or two days, according to the patient's strength, until the symptoms disappear. Children should receive a reduced dose as appropriate. While taking the medicine, avoid cheese, beef, horse meat, and similar foods. It is said these methods are effective without exception.

The Shiliao (Dietary Therapy) says that for a person with qi stagnation (blocked movement of qi), yuli ren (Prinsepia seed) should be taken with wine, forty-nine seeds at a time. If the bowels move once more, the effect is even better. It also disperses the qi of accumulated lumps and drains water from the limbs.

The Waitai Miyao (Secret Essentials from the Outer Terrace) records that when Zhang Wenzhong treated toothache caused by decay, he boiled the white bark of the yuli root in water to a thick decoction and held it in the mouth. When the liquid cooled, he replaced it with fresh decoction, and the worms were then spat out.

The Yang Shi Chanru Fang (Yang's Formulary for Childbirth and Lactation) records a treatment for severe generalized swelling and water retention, so intense that the patient cannot lie flat. Take a large measure of yuli ren, pound it into powder, mix it with wheat flour, and knead it into cakes for the patient to eat. Once swallowed, the bowels soon move freely, and the water retention subsides with them.

The Bencao Yanyi (Extended Meanings of the Materia Medica) says that the yuli fruit resembles the imperial plum. When it ripens and turns red, it can be eaten, though its taste is slightly astringent. The seed should be soaked in hot water to remove its skin, ground very fine, and mixed with raw borneol (bingpian). This mixture can be applied to the eyes to treat red, inflamed eyes. Many of these trees grow in Shaanxi. Their root, decocted in water, can be used to fumigate and wash wind-worm toothache.

Mangcao (Mang Herb)

Mangcao is pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature, and toxic. It treats swelling and pain in the head caused by wind evils, carbuncles and abscesses, mastitis (breast abscess), and shanjia (abdominal masses and accumulations). It disperses stagnant qi, relieves itching from scabies and ringworm, and kills insects and fish. It also treats houbi (throat obstruction with swelling), blocked milk flow, head wind, and itching of the head. It may be used for washing, but the liquid must not enter the eyes. Also called Mang and Chuncao, it grows in Shanggu, in mountain valleys, and in Yuanju. Its leaves are gathered in the fifth month and dried in the shade.

The Tujing (Illustrated Classic) says that mangcao is also called by a rarer variant name, and that it is produced in Shanggu and Yuanju, as well as in the southern prefectures and in Shu (present-day Sichuan). It is a woody plant, resembling shinan (Photinia), with sparse leaves and no flowers or fruit. Its leaves are gathered in the fifth and seventh months and dried in the shade. Another account holds that it is a climbing plant that twines around trees and stones. Ancient prescriptions used it to make medicinal wine for treating fengdu bijue (wind-poison numbness and cold reversal). Modern physicians boil the leaves in water and hold the hot decoction in the mouth briefly before spitting it out. This is considered very effective for wind-worm toothache.

Although mangcao is originally a woody plant, the Erya (Explanation of Plants) defines Chun (spring grass) as mangcao, the medicinal herb. Guo Pu believed the pronunciations of the names were close, which accounts for this explanation. However, the variety that is properly called "grass" should be the one that grows by twining.

The Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on Drug Properties) says that mangcao treats qiju (qi-type carbuncles), shanqi (hernia), swelling and sagging, clotted blood, and luoli (scrofula, tuberculosis of the cervical lymph nodes). It also expels damp-wind. It should not be taken internally in decoctions. It is further used for scalp sores and baitu (patchy hair loss).

Mangcao (also called Wangcao, a poisonous woody plant) has leaves that kill insects. Grind them into powder together with bailian (Ampelopsis root) and chixiaodou (red adzuki beans), mix the powder with egg white into a paste, and spread it over poisonous swellings. When the paste dries, replace it with fresh paste.

Tao Hongjing said that in Jiangdong today, mangcao grows everywhere, with green leaves and a sharp, pungent smell. Local people crush it and soak it in water with rice. Fish that eat the mixture die and float to the surface, but people who eat those fish are not harmed. Mangcao is also written as Wangcao, and folk usage now calls it Wangcao, with the variant character read as "wang."

Ri Huazi said that mangcao can treat numbness of the skin. Boil it down into a strong decoction and wash the affected area with it. It can also be used for toothache from worm-eaten teeth and for sore throat. Hold the concentrated decoction in the mouth, then rinse the mouth clean.

Leigong said that after mangcao is gathered, the leaves should first be finely chopped, and then raw gancao (licorice) and shuijiao (water pepper) should also be chopped. Put the mangcao leaves into a raw thin silk bag, place the bag in a steamer, and steam it for a full day together with the licorice and water pepper. Then remove the mangcao, discard the other two herbs, dry the mangcao in the sun, and use it. Do not use plants whose leaf tips curl.

The Shenghui Fang (Holy Benevolence Formulary) records that for teeth that are worm-eaten into holes, painful, or harboring worms, mangcao can be ground into powder, wrapped in cotton, and packed into the cavity, or held against the painful spot by biting down on it. Lower the head and spit out the saliva without swallowing it, and the pain will ease. Another prescription treats luoli (scrofula, lumps formed by swollen lymph nodes in the neck). Take one liang of mangcao, grind it into powder, mix it with egg white, spread it on cloth, and apply it to the affected area. Change the dressing twice a day until the condition heals.

The Zhouhou Fang (Elbow Reserve Prescriptions) records that for yongchuang (sores or carbuncles that have not yet broken open), mangcao powder mixed with egg white should be spread thickly on paper and applied. Replace it when it dries, and the pain will ease. For toothache and cheek swelling caused by wind evil, take five liang of mangcao and boil it in one dou of water until five sheng remain. Rinse the mouth with the hot liquid and spit it out, using it all within one day.

The Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou) says that the Jian officials were responsible for eliminating insect pests, and that they used "two herbs" to fumigate insects, which would then die.

The Bencao Yanyi (Extended Meanings of the Materia Medica) says that mangcao is now called wangcao, and that when boiled down strongly it can be used to wash skin areas affected by numbness. The Bencao Jing (Classic of Materia Medica) calls it chuncao. Authorities all treat it as a grass, while the Tujing (Illustrated Classic) lists it among woody plants. In practice, what is sold today is actually the leaves of a woody plant. Its branches resemble those of shinan (stranvaesia), they wrinkle when dried, and when rubbed they give off a smell like Sichuan pepper. The Erya (Erya, Explanation of Plants) says that "wei" is chuncao, and its commentators identify it as mangcao, which agrees with the Bencao Jing. Under the shinan entry, Tao Hongjing's note says that shinan resembles wangcao and does not wither in winter. From this we can confirm that mangcao is indeed a woody plant.

Huangyao Root

Huangyao root has a bitter taste, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It mainly treats all kinds of malignant swellings, sores and ulcers, fistulas (louchuang), and hou bi (throat obstruction, meaning swelling and blockage of the throat).

The Huangyao root can treat toxic conditions caused by dog bites. Grind the root into a powder and take it, or hold it in the mouth or apply it to the wound. It is a vine about three to four chi tall, and its root and stem resemble a small mulberry tree.

The Illustrated Classic (Tujing) says that Huangyao root grows in Lingnan and can now also be found in the mountains of Kuizhou, Mingzhou, and Yuezhou, as well as Qinzhou and Longzhou. The product of Zhongzhou and Wanzhou is considered superior. The vine is three to four chi tall, its root and stem resemble a small mulberry tree, and the root is harvested in the tenth month. A variety produced in Qinzhou, called "Red Yaozi" (hongyaozi), has leaves like buckwheat, reddish branches and stalks, and white flowers in the seventh month. When the root is freshly dug and still moist, it is red; after drying, it turns yellow. Kaizhou and Xingyuan Prefecture also produce another "yaozi," which is broadly similar to Huangyao root. Huangyao root expels pathogenic qi from the five zang organs, and it is also used to clear lung heat and relieve irritability. It is further employed as a veterinary medicine for horses. The root is gathered in spring and dried for storage.

The Empirical Formulas (Jingyanfang) records that, to treat hemoptysis, Huangyao root and Han Fangji, one liang each, may be ground into a fine powder. One qiansi-spoonful is taken at a time, decocted with a cup of water and twenty grains of wheat, and drunk warm after meals.

The Concise Essentials for Saving the Multitude (Jianyao Jizhong) records that, when nosebleeds will not stop, Huangyao root is ground into powder, and two qian and seven fen are taken with mint decoction. After a short while, two spoonfuls of flour mixed with freshly drawn well water are taken. Another prescription for wounds and sores calls for four liang of Huangyao root ground into powder, mixed with cold water and applied to the affected area. When the paste dries, it is reapplied.

The Yanyi states that Huangyao root is also effective in treating heat in the heart and lungs of horses.

Huruo (hu ruo, an ancient drug name referring to a kind of oak-like tree)

Huruo is sweet and bitter in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is used mainly to treat hemorrhoids, stop bleeding, relieve bloody dysentery, and quench thirst. The leaves are used after their veins have been roasted. The bark of the Huruo tree is bitter; when decocted in water into a thick liquid, it can expel gu (an ancient term for a class of pathogenic agents) and treat lou sores (fistulas). Folk practitioners use it to treat illness, and it is considered very effective.

The Illustrated Classic states that the Canon of Materia Medica (Bencao) does not record the origin of Huruo, but it is now common in mountain forests in many regions. The tree grows to over one zhang in height. The character ruo refers to its leaves. It resembles the oak tree and also bears cupules, though these are smaller and unsuitable for use. The leaves and bark may be harvested at any time. Ge Hong once used Huruo bark to wash various ulcerated sores and breast sores.

Yu Xi states that, according to the Treatise on Drug Properties (Yaoxinglun), Huruo bark may also be used on its own. Decocted in water, it is very effective for washing malignant sores.

The Rihuazi states that Huruo bark is astringent in taste and can disperse luoli (scrofula, a condition resembling tuberculous lymphadenitis of the neck), and it also has astringent action, so it may be used to regulate the five zang organs.

The Shenghui Fang records that, to treat lengin (urinary dribbling and difficulty caused by cold), small-intestinal blockage, and acute urethral pain, Huruo leaves may be pounded into powder. Three qian are taken at a time and decocted with a cup of water and seven cun of white scallion until reduced to six-tenths of the original volume. The residue is filtered out, and the liquid is drunk warm before meals.

Remedy for mole cricket bites: Burn oak leaves to ash and grind the ash very finely. Separately, soak oak leaves in rice-washing water and use the liquid to rinse the wound, then dry it. Apply a little of the oak leaf ash to the wound, and it will take effect quickly.

Simple Essentials for Aiding the Multitude (Jianyao Jizhong Fang) treats blood-spitting. Take oak leaves in any quantity and pound them into powder. Each time, take two qian, decoct in a cup of water until reduced to five to seven fen, and swallow it together with the dregs.

Secret Record of Mother and Child (Zimu Milu) treats dysentery in children and adults, whether or not the stool contains blood. Take one jin of fresh oak bark, scrape off the black outer layer, and cut it finely. Decoct it in one dou of water until reduced to five sheng, filter out the dregs, and continue boiling until it forms a paste. Take it with wine, and it is said to cure the condition quickly.

The Extended Meanings (Yanyi) says that the oak tree also bears dou-shaped fruit, though not as good as that of the li tree. Although oak wood is hard, it is unsuitable for timber. Lightly roast the oak leaves, then take sophora flowers, half the weight of the oak leaves, and grind the two together into powder. Take it with rice gruel to treat newly onset intestinal wind (conditions such as blood in the stool) and bleeding hemorrhoids. It is especially suitable for people with excess internal heat. Oak wood can also be made into charcoal, but not as good as li wood.

Paulownia Leaves

Paulownia leaves taste bitter, are cold in nature, and are non-toxic. They mainly treat malignant sores and corrosive ulcers. Applied to the skin of the genital area, they treat the five hemorrhoids (different types of hemorrhoids) and can kill the three worms, a traditional general term for parasites within the body. They also treat benben qi (a condition in which qi rushes upward, as described in ancient texts). Wutong flowers can be applied externally to treat pig sores, and feeding them to pigs makes the pigs grow larger and fatter. Tong trees grow in the valleys around the Tongbai Mountains.

The Extended Meanings says that the canonical text and its commentary do not specify which kind of "tong" is meant here, so it is difficult to choose one on that basis. The four kinds of tong are therefore listed separately below, with their forms and uses.

The first is bai tong (white tong), which is used to make zithers. Its leaves divide into three lobes, it bears white flowers, and it does not bear fruit. The Treatise on Drug Properties (Yaoxing Lun) says that the bark of white tong treats the five strangury conditions (urinary dribbling and difficulty). Decocting it to wash the head is said to dispel head wind and promote hair growth.

The second is ren tong. In early spring it first bears pale red flowers shaped like those of the morning glory. After the flowers fall, it forms tube-shaped fruit containing seeds, from which tung oil can be pressed. The Rihua Zi says that tung oil is cold in nature and slightly toxic.

The third is wutong. In the fourth month it bears small pale yellow flowers resembling jujube blossoms. Filament-like material grows at the branch tips and, when it falls to the ground, can stain clothes and shoes. In the fifth and sixth months it bears tong seeds, which people collect and stir-fry to eat, though eating them easily disturbs the flow of qi. This is the tree referred to in the Monthly Ordinances (Yueling): "On the day of Qingming, the tong begins to flower."

The fourth is gang tong, which does not flower, cannot be used to make zithers, and has very heavy wood.

Wuzi (Gallnut)

Wushizi tastes bitter, is warm in nature, and is non-toxic. It mainly treats red and white dysentery and intestinal prolapse, and it also promotes the growth of flesh. It is produced in the western borderlands and is also called moshizi. The Tang Materia Medica Annotations (Tangben Zhu) says that wushizi grows in sandy deserts and that the tree resembles the tamarisk. The Modern Annotations (Jinzhu) says that it is also called moshizi, is produced in the Persian kingdom, can be used to treat childhood malnutrition (gan), and can blacken beards and hair.

It can treat ulcers of the genitals and excessive sweating in the genital area, and it also warms the middle jiao (zhongjiao, the middle burner) and harmonizes the flow of qi. The Tang Materia Medica (Tang Bencao) lists it as an appendix drug.

Yu Xi says: According to the Yaoxing Lun (Treatise on Drug Properties), wushizi (also called moshizi) can be used for abdominal bloating and fullness in adults and children, cold deficiency of the stomach and intestines, and persistent diarrhea.

The Haiyao Bencao (Materia Medica of Overseas Drugs) says: According to Xu Biao's Nanjing Ji (Record of the Southern Jing), the drug produced in Persia is the size of a seed, tastes warm, is neutral in nature, and is nontoxic. It treats weakness of the stomach and intestines with cold diarrhea. It nourishes qi and blood, generates jing (essence), blackens the beard and hair, harmonizes qi, and calms the mind. It can treat weakness of the genitals caused by cold deficiency. When the drug is burned to ash and used, Zhang Zhongjing once used it to treat genital sweating. The patient first washes with lukewarm water, then gently blots the skin dry with cloth, and then applies the ash to the genitals, with very good results. Persians often eat it as a fruit. Foreigners call it "moshizi," but some now call it "mozizi," a corruption of the name.

Lei Gong says: When using mo shizi (the same as wushizi), keep it away from copper and iron, and do not use material that has been scorched by fire. Small grains with fine texture and no rice-grain-like protrusions on the surface are the best. Grind it on a sand basin or hard bluestone with jiangshui (a sour liquid made from fermented grain) until it is completely ground, then dry it by roasting and grind it finely before use. Do not pound it directly. After grinding, its color becomes like that of black rhinoceros horn.

The Gongqi Fang (Palace Qi Formulary) says: For a child with prolonged diarrhea that will not heal, take two mo shizi, slice and fry them until yellow, grind them into a fine powder, mix the powder into wontons, and feed them to the child.

The Benchao Yanyi (Extended Meanings of the Materia Medica) says: Nowadays people combine wushizi with other drugs to dye the beard black.

Leiwan tastes bitter and salty, is cold in nature with a slightly cold tendency, and is slightly toxic. It treats intestinal parasites and also expels toxic qi and clears stomach heat. It works better for men and is unfavorable for women. It can be made into an external ointment to treat many childhood illnesses, to expel evil qi and "bad wind." It is also used for sweating, internal heat lodged in the skin, accumulations, gu poison, and intestinal parasites such as white worms and cunbai (inch-long white) worms. If taken over a long period, it causes weakness of the genitals. It is also called Leishi, meaning "thunder arrow," and Leishi, meaning "thunder fruit." Red leiwan can cause death. It grows in the mountain valleys of Shicheng and in the soil of Hanzhong. The roots are dug in the eighth month and dried in the sun. Lishi (lichi fruit) and houpo (magnolia bark) can assist it, but it should not be used together with gegen (kudzu root).

The Yaoxing Lun says: Leiwan is a chief drug and should not be used together with xu gen (stored root). It tastes bitter and is slightly toxic, and it expels wind. Yuanhua (genkwa flower) is used as a guiding drug with it. It treats epilepsy and mania with wild running, and it kills roundworms.

Tao Yinju says: Nowadays, leiwan is produced in the Jianping and Yidu areas. It often grows in clusters, joined one after another, and is shaped like a pill. The Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica Classic) says it benefits men, while the Bielu (Supplementary Record) says that long-term use causes weakness of the genitals. These two accounts contradict each other.

The Tang Bencao Zhu (Tang Materia Medica Commentary) says: Leiwan is the sclerotium of a bamboo fungus, meaning the fungal part that grows near bamboo roots. It has no branches, sprouts, or vines, and it does not grow in joined clusters. Now it is produced in the Fangzhou and Jinzhou areas.

Yu Xi says: According to Fan Zi's record, leishi is produced in Hanzhong, and the white-colored kind is of better quality.

Master Wu says: Leiwan (Lei Wan, thunder pellet), Shennong holds that it tastes bitter, while the Yellow Emperor, Qibo, and Tongjun hold that it tastes sweet. Bian Que holds that it is sweet and non-toxic, and Master Ji holds that its nature is greatly cold.

Lei Gong says: When using leiwan, first soak it overnight in licorice water, then scrape off the black outer skin with a copper knife and cut it into four or five slices. Soak it again overnight in licorice decoction, steam it from the Snake hour (9 to 11 a.m.) to the Goat hour (1 to 3 p.m.), and take it out to dry in the sun. Then, as before, mix it with wine and steam it again from the Snake hour to the Goat hour. Once it is dry, it is ready for use.

An empirical formula from earlier practitioners uses leiwan to treat cunbai (an intestinal parasite). Take leiwan alone, soak it until soft, peel and slice it, dry it over a low fire, and grind it into powder. In the fifth watch of the night (roughly 3 to 5 a.m.), the patient first eats a little roasted meat, then takes one qian and seven fen of the powder mixed into thin congee. The original text then reads "take half a qian and swallow it," though the dosage wording here is somewhat ambiguous. The medicine must be taken on one of the six yamen days and during the first half of the month, for only then will the worms be expelled.

Hujiao (black pepper) is pungent in flavor, greatly warm in nature, and non-toxic. It governs stagnation of Qi and cold in the spleen and stomach, and it also dispels phlegm and treats the invasion of wind-cold into the zangfu (internal organs). Pepper is produced in the Western Regions. It resembles the fruit of the buckthorn, is commonly used for seasoning, and has a very pungent taste.

Yu Xi says: According to the Rihuazi, pepper harmonizes the five viscera and stops cholera. It treats cold pain in the heart and abdomen, strengthens kidney Qi, cures cold-type dysentery, and neutralizes the toxins of fish, turtle, and mushrooms.

The Haiyao says: According to Xu Biao's Nanzhou Ji, pepper is produced in the countries of the South Seas. It may be used for stomach Qi deficiency with cold, undigested food stagnation, cholera with reversed Qi, sudden pain in the heart and abdomen, and cold Qi rushing upward. When regulating Qi, it should not be taken in large amounts, as it may damage lung Qi. Another account holds that the variety grown in shaded places is called chengru, and only the variety grown in sunny places is called hujiao.

Lei Gong says: When selecting pepper, use only the kernels that have no wrinkled shell. For dahan pepper, use the outer husk; for hujiao, use the seed. In processing, place the pepper in a stone trough and grind it into powder.

The Shiliao says: Pepper can treat pain in the five viscera and in the heart and abdomen caused by cold, as well as vomiting of clear fluid. It is better taken with wine, though it may also be taken in decoction. For pain caused by cold, three to seven peppercorns may be swallowed directly.

The Yanyi says: Pepper expels cold phlegm and fluid from the stomach, and vomiting stops once it is taken, with a clear effect. However, an excessive dose disperses Qi. People with a cold, slippery large intestine may also use it, but only in combination with other medicines.

Sufangmu is sweet and salty in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It governs blood stasis. If, after childbirth, blood stasis causes abdominal distension and chest oppression, even to the point of danger, take five liang of sufangmu and decoct it in water or bitter wine. Drinking the concentrated decoction gives very good results.

The Tangbenzhu says: Sufangmu is a wood used for dyeing, produced in the South Seas and Kunlun regions, and also found in Jiaozhou and Aizhou. The tree resembles the anluo (mango), and its leaves resemble elm leaves, but it has no……

The branches are coarse and rough, about ten chi (roughly three meters) long. The flowers are yellow. The fruit is green when it first forms and turns black when ripe.

Chen Zangqi (Chen Zangqi) says that Sufang wood (Sufangmu, a medicinal material) is cold in nature and treats cholera, vomiting, and reflux of the stomach. People who vomit easily may take it decocted in water. To invigorate the blood and dispel stasis, it works better when cooked in wine.

The appendix to the Tang Materia Medica (Tangbencao) records that Lei Gong (Leigong, a legendary pharmacologist) said that when using Sufang wood, one should remove the coarse outer bark and the knots. If the heartwood has transverse grain and a color like purple horn, it is called "Honored Wood Within" (Mu Zhong Zun), and its potency is said to be a hundred times greater than ordinary wood. The material should be finely chopped and repeatedly sifted, then mixed evenly with thin plum twigs and steamed from the hour of Si (9 to 11 a.m.) until the hour of Shen (3 to 5 p.m.). It is then removed and dried in the shade.

The Zhouhoufang (Elbow Reserve Prescriptions) records a remedy for dizziness from blood loss. Take three liang of Sufang wood, chop it, and boil it in five sheng of water until two sheng remain. Take it in two divided doses, and the patient will recover. If Sufang wood is unavailable, one may boil red cloth in water and drink the resulting liquid.

The Haiyao (Materia Medica of the Sea) says that, according to Xu Biao's Nanhai Ji (Record of the Southern Seas), Sufang wood grows by the sea. Its leaves resemble those of the Jiangzhen Xiang (Dalbergia tree), and also those of the privet. It is neutral in nature and non-toxic. It treats exhaustion, blood stasis, and stagnation of qi, as well as poor discharge of postpartum lochia, lochia rising into the chest and abdomen, cramping pain in the abdomen, and blocked meridians. It is also suitable for men and women who suffer from stroke with clenched jaw and loss of speech. The method is to finely grind the material, take one fangcun-bi (a spoonful measure of powder) of fine frankincense powder, decoct Sufang wood in wine, filter out the dregs, and take the liquid mixed with the powder. The patient will immediately vomit out the harmful matter in the body, and the condition will improve.

White poplar bark has a bitter taste and is non-toxic. It treats toxic wind, beriberi (jiaoqi), swelling and weakness of the limbs, difficulty moving, and toxic qi wandering through the skin, as well as phlegm-lumps and similar conditions. It may be soaked in wine and then taken. Choose white poplar with round, large leaves and small petioles, and trees whose leaves tremble even when there is no wind.

The Tujing (Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica) says that older materia medica did not record which regions produced white poplar. Today it is found everywhere, especially in the north, and people often plant it among ruins and graves. The trunk is sturdy, the leaves are round like pear leaves, the bark is white, and the wood resembles that of the yang (poplar) tree, hence the name bai yang (white poplar). The bark may be harvested at any time.

The Yanyi (Extended Meanings) says that Shaanxi has many white poplars. During the Yongyao reign period, local people often used this wood to build houses. White poplar roots easily, and even small wood chips that fall into the soil when a tree is cut will take root, so it propagates readily. It does not grow only near graves. It is also often planted behind and in front of houses and along roads, simply because it suits the local soil. When the wind blows, the leaves make a loud rustling sound, and this is because of the petioles. The saying that the leaves tremble "even when there is no wind" is not true.

Guanglang seed (Guanglangzi, the sago palm) has a bitter taste, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats stagnant blood (old blood that has settled and not dispersed). The wood of the guanglang tree is hard, like that of the palm. When the trunk is cut open, a powdery substance resembling flour can be seen inside. Some large trees yield as much as several hu of it, and eating it prevents hunger. Its bark……

Guanglang grows in the valleys of Lingnan. Today it is found in every prefecture of Liangguang, and households often plant it in their courtyards. It resembles the palm in form, and its wood is hard. When the trunk is cut open near the middle, it yields a powdery substance; large trees can yield several dan (shi) of it, and eating it staves off hunger. The bark is tough and flexible and can be twisted into rope. The fruit grows in clusters at the treetop and can be gathered in any season.

The Haiyao (Sea Medicines), quoting the Lingbiao Lu (Record of the Region Beyond the Ridges), says: Guanglang grows in the valleys of Guangnan, and its trunk, bark, and leaves differ slightly from those of the fan date and the betel palm. Beneath the leaves are fibers like coarse horsehair, which the people of Lingnan weave into headcloths. The powder inside the bark is said to be highly nourishing when eaten and can be used for physical weakness and frailty, with aching loins and legs. Taken over a long period, it is said to make the body light and vigorous and to allow one to abstain from grain (bigu). The guanglang recorded in the Lu Yi (Records of the Strange) is probably this same tree.

The bark of the ju tree is very cold in nature. It treats seasonal headaches and conditions in which heat is trapped in the intestines and stomach. The Tangben Zhu (Annotations to the Tang Materia Medica) says: The ju tree is found everywhere and mostly grows beside streams and waterways. Its leaves resemble those of the chouchun tree but are narrower and longer. Large trunks are so thick that several people must join arms to encircle them, and they reach several ren (about eight feet or more) in height. The bark is very thick and coarse and bears little resemblance to sandalwood. Folk practice boils the bark into a decoction to treat dropsy and to stop dysentery. Crushing the tender leaves and applying them to scalds is also effective.

The Yanyi (Extended Meanings) says: The ju tree is now commonly called the ju willow. Its leaves resemble willow leaves, but it is not a willow. Some people also call it the huai tree, but it is not a huai. Large trees reach fifty or sixty chi and need two or three people to encircle them. It is abundant in the Hunan and Hubei regions, but its timber is of poor quality and unsuitable for making vessels. The tender bark can be used to wrap the kaolao (a container for holding goods) and to line the rims of winnowing baskets (boji).

The root bark of the diaozhang tree treats metal wounds (jinchuang), meaning injuries caused by swords and similar weapons, and it can stop bleeding.

Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing) says: The diaozhang is produced in Guiyang, Shaoling, and other places, and some call it the niao zhang (bird camphor tree). It is rarely used in medical prescriptions, yet many common people know it. Scraping off shavings of the root bark, which are applied to metal wounds, stops bleeding and helps the wound heal quickly, and the effect is remarkably reliable.

The Tangben Zhu says: The diaozhang grows in the valleys of Chenzhou and reaches over one zhang (about ten feet) in height. Its leaves resemble those of the nanmu tree, pointed and long, with reddish hairs on the undersides, and they are shaped like loquat leaves. The root bark is dug up in the eighth or ninth month, then dried for later use. (The character for "nan" is pronounced "nan," as in "south.")

Qianjin teng treats many kinds of blood toxicity, qi disorders, huoluan (cholera), zhong'e (sudden illness from a noxious influence), seasonal epidemic diseases, consumptive exhaustion, malaria, zhangbing (miasmatic illness), phlegm coughs, obstruction of urination and defecation, carbuncles and swellings, bites from snakes and dogs, poisoning, and the madness and epilepsy caused by drugs or mineral medicines. Qianjin teng that grows in the north has roots as thick as a finger and is as black as lacquer. Those that grow in the south...

There is a rhizome, yellowish-red in color, resembling xixin (wild ginger). (Note added later: this is a medicinal entry supplemented by a later generation.)

Chen Cangqi says that there are several kinds of this drug, with different names in the north and south, but all are generally said to treat phlegm, and their properties seem similar. The northern rhizome is as thick as a finger and resembles lacquer in color, while the southern one is yellowish-red and resembles xixin. Whether the drugs used in the north and south are in fact the same species cannot yet be determined. Another herb, whose descriptions are recorded separately in the wood section and the herb section of the Bencao (Materia Medica), is also listed here.

Nanzhu (a plant name, also called nantianzhu, "southern heavenly candle"): its branches and leaves are bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. They are said to stop diarrhea, dispel drowsiness, strengthen sinews and bones, and augment vital energy (qi). Long-term use is said to make the body light and vigorous, prolong life, reduce hunger, and ameliorate graying hair and other signs of aging. The method is to take the stems and leaves, pound them, and steep them to extract the juice. Japonica rice is then soaked in this juice, steamed nine times, soaked nine times, and dried in the sun nine times. In the end the grains become firm and small and turn dark black, like black jade. Once bagged, the rice can be carried far away. Taking one ge (a small measure) each day is said to resist hunger, improve complexion, strengthen sinews and bones, and give vigor to one's steps.

The juice of nanzhu may also be used to cook rice, and this rice is called "black rice" (wufan), also known as "black grass" (wucao) or "ox sinew" (niujin). The name "ox sinew" means that after eating it one becomes as strong as ox sinew. Nanzhu is somewhat red in color, so it is also called "literary candle" (wenzhu). It grows on high mountains and does not wither even in winter. (Note added later: this is a medicinal entry supplemented by a later generation.)

The Tujing (Illustrated Classic) says: Nanzhu is not recorded in the Benjing (Classic of Materia Medica), and the original text does not specify which prefectures produce it, saying only that it grows on high mountains. Today it is found only in the prefectures of the Jiangdong region. The plant grows three to five chi tall. Its leaves resemble those of the bitter chinaberry but are smaller, and they do not fall in winter. In winter it bears red fruit in clusters. People often plant it in courtyards, where it is commonly known as "southern heavenly candle." Its branches and leaves may be gathered for use at any time. Although it is a woody plant, it grows like grass, and so it is called "nanzhu caomu" (the southern candle, a grass-like tree).

Yu Xi says: According to the Rihuazi, this plant is also called "black rice grass" and benefits the stomach and intestines. Its juice is pounded out to soak rice, and the rice is then steamed, dried, and taken, and this too is called nanzhu.

The peel of wuhuanzi (soapberry) is slightly toxic. It is chiefly used to wash away dirt and remove spots from the face. For a swollen throat, placing the medicine in the throat quickly brings relief. It is also said to treat "flying corpse" (feishi), a pathogenic demon in ancient medical texts. If someone is accidentally affected by the seeds, burning them to release a fragrance can be used to drive off foul airs. The seeds resemble lacquer beads, and the tree, which grows in southern mountain valleys, is very tall. Wuhuanzi is also called "jinlou" or "huan." (Note added later: this is a medicinal entry supplemented by a later generation.)

The Rihuazi says that the peel of wuhuanzi is neutral in nature.

The Zuanwen records that the fruit of the wuhuan tree can remove dirt, and that its black kernel resembles black jade. Someone asked, "Why is it called the wuhuan tree?" The answer was that long ago there was a spirit-shaman named Wuhuan, who believed this wood could be used to make talismans (fulu) and subdue hundreds of ghosts. He therefore fashioned clubs from it to strike demons. The world came to believe that ghosts feared this wood, and people competed to obtain it for making implements.

Wuhuanzi was traditionally used to ward off ghosts and evil influences, which is how it came to be called "wuhuan," or "free from calamity." The Yanyi states that Buddhist monks now use its seeds to make prayer beads. Buddhist scriptures hold that small, purplish-red seeds are the best. Today, however, this wuhuanzi is rarely used in medicine, though it also grows in the Xiluo area.

Ziba pi (catalpa bark) tastes bitter and is cold in nature, with no toxicity. It is used to treat heat syndromes, to expel the three worms (parasitic insects, as the ancients understood them, that lived within the body), and to treat eye disorders. Crushed catalpa leaves applied to sores on pigs, or fed to them, are said to make the pigs grow fat, increasing their weight to three times its original amount. Catalpa grows in the valleys of Henei.

Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing) said that ziba pi is the bark of the catalpa tree. There are several kinds of catalpa, and one should choose the variety with white bark, fine texture, and resistance to rot. Catalpa leaves can treat sores caused by burns on the hands and feet. As for the method of using catalpa or paulownia leaves to fatten pigs, he had not seen it firsthand. Relevant records may be found in the Classic of Raising Pigs by Shangqiuzi.

The Rihuazi states that decocting catalpa bark into a broth can be used to bathe children, to treat high fever, and to relieve various sores, scabies, and skin itching. There are several kinds of catalpa bark, but only the bark of qiu zi (a type of catalpa) is good; the others are unsuitable for medicinal use.

The Illustrated Classic states that ziba pi grows in the valleys of Henei and can now be found near many regions. The catalpa tree resembles the paulownia in form, but its leaves are smaller, and its flowers are purple. The Erya calls it "yi" or "zi," and Guo Pu's commentary explains that "yi" is qiu. The Book of Odes, in the "Yong Feng" section, mentions "yi, tong, zi, and qi" (catalpa, paulownia, zi, and lacquer trees). Lu Ji said that zi is a variety of qiu with loose, white wood that bears fruit. The fruit of the zi is called "tong," and its bark is called "yi." These trees are broadly similar, differing only slightly. Another variety, called "shu zi" (rat catalpa), also known as "lü," also belongs to the qiu group.