《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 25

Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica with Expanded Explanations, Volume 25, Lower Grade of the Wood Section

Acorns

Acorns taste bitter and are slightly warm in nature. They are non-toxic. They chiefly treat diarrhea, strengthen the intestines and stomach, and make the body robust.

The outer shells of acorns can be ground into powder or boiled into a decoction to treat dysentery. They can also be used as a dye. Another name for acorns is “Zhu.”

The Chinese cork oak, Chinese evergreen oak, and oak all bear acorn cups—the cup-shaped shells that surround acorns. Of these, the acorns of the oak are considered best. These trees grow in mountain valleys throughout the country.

The Illustrated Classic says: Acorns are the fruit of the oak. The Classic of Materia Medica does not record which prefectures produce them. The Illustrated Classic says they grow in mountain valleys everywhere, as they indeed do today. The trees reach a height of two or three zhang. They flower yellow in the third and fourth months and bear fruit in the eighth and ninth months. The fruit is called “zaodou.” Chinese evergreen oaks and oaks both bear acorn cups, but those of the oak are better. There is no need to restrict harvesting to a particular season; both the bark and the fruit can be used.

The Erya says, “The oak bears the jiu.” Its commentary explains that the oak resembles the chushu tree. “Jiu” is the outer shell that holds the fruit, which is the acorn. The fruit is enclosed in an acorn cup. The Book of Songs, “Airs of Qin,” says, “On the mountain grow clustered oaks.” Lu Ji explains that people in Qin call the zheluo oak simply “oak.” The Book of Songs, “Airs of Tang,” also says, “They gather in the clustered xu trees.” Lu Ji says these too are what people today call zheluo oaks. In Xuzhou, the oak is called “Zhu,” and sometimes “Xu”; around Luoyang and in Henei it is also called “Zhu.” These are names used in different regions. It follows that zheluo, Zhu, and Xu are all common names for the oak.

The Rihuazi says: Oak bark is neutral in nature and non-toxic. It can treat watery diarrhea, disperse scrofula—lumps caused by swollen lymph nodes in the neck—and treat malignant sores. The acorn cup has an astringent effect on the intestines and stops diarrhea. Cooked, it can be eaten to stave off hunger and help people through years of poor harvests. Acorn shells can treat intestinal wind, a condition involving blood in the stool; uterine bleeding, when menstrual blood flows heavily; vaginal discharge; and diarrhea or dysentery accompanied by either chills or fever. They can also be used to dye the beard and hair. For medicinal use, pound the shells and dry-fry them until scorched yellow.

Lei Gong says: Before use, remove the outer layer of coarse bark. Steam the acorns from the hour of the Snake until the hour of the Goat. Remove them and cut each into five pieces before use.

Sun Zhenren’s Plain Classic from the Pillow says: Acorns are neither fruit nor grain, yet they are highly nourishing. They are especially suitable for people practicing dietary cultivation who have not yet completely given up grain. They have little discernible flavor, yet can absorb and harmonize the flavors of food. They aid digestion, stop diarrhea, and strengthen the body.

Commentary: Acorns are the fruit of the oak, whose leaves resemble those of the chestnut. Oaks grow everywhere. Their wood, however, is so hard that it is unsuitable for timber; this is simply the nature of the tree. In the mountains, among the chun…

…can be used as food, and it can bind the bowels. Charcoal made from it is excellent; no other wood compares. Its shell can be used to dye things black. If it has been rained on, the color it produces is pale and less vivid than when it has not been exposed to rain. The oak also has a shell, but little of it, and it cannot compare with the fruit of the li tree.

Alpinia Fruit

Alpinia fruit is pungent and warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats seminal emissions, leakage of semen caused by weakness, and lingering or obstructed urination after passing urine. It can also strengthen Qi, calm the Shen, replenish deficiencies, and regulate the Triple Burner and the movement of Qi.

For frequent urination at night, crush twenty-four alpinia fruits and decoct them with salt. This is said to work very well. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says that the plant grows in the land of Kunlun.

The Illustrated Treatise on Materia Medica says: Alpinia fruit grows in the land of Kunlun, and is now also common in the prefectures and districts of Lingnan. Its leaves resemble those of shell ginger and grow more than a zhang long. Small stems grow beside the root, reaching seven or eight cun in height, with no leaves. The calyces cluster in spikes on the stems, and the fruits are about the size of dates. The fruit’s skin is white and its interior black. Smaller fruits are best. Holding one in the mouth can bind saliva. They may be gathered at any time.

When Lu Xun was governor of Guangzhou, he once sent Liu Yu rice dumplings flavored with alpinia fruit. Liu Yu replied with a longevity soup. This is what the account refers to.

Yuxi says: Chen Cangqi records that alpinia fruit can stop vomiting and hiccups. The Guangzhi says: Its leaves resemble those of shell ginger and grow more than a zhang long. Small stems grow from the root, reaching eight or nine chi in height, with no leaves. The fruits cluster together in bunches and are as large as dates; the segments are black, the outer skin white, and the seeds small. The small fruits are called “Yizhi.” Holding them in the mouth can bind saliva. The plant grows in Jiaozhi.

Gu Wei’s Guangzhou Record says: Alpinia leaves resemble those of shell ginger, its stems resemble bamboo arrows, and the fruits grow from the center of the plant, with ten fruits on each stem. The flesh is white and tender. The fruits are cut into four sections and their seeds removed; sometimes they are cooked with honey and made into rice dumplings. They taste pungent.

Buckthorn

Buckthorn treats alternating chills and fever, scrofula (a disease resembling tuberculosis of the lymph nodes in the neck), and sores. Buckthorn bark is bitter, slightly cold in nature, and non-toxic; it treats heat toxins in the skin. It is also called niuli, shuzi, and pi (pronounced “bei”). It grows in fields and can be gathered at any time.

The Illustrated Treatise on Materia Medica says: Buckthorn is the same as wuchao fruit. The Classic of Materia Medica does not say in which prefectures it grows, only that it is found in fields. Today it is abundant in Shu. Its branches and leaves resemble those of the plum tree, and its fruit resembles that of the five-flavor berry. The fruit is glossy black, with purple juice, and tastes sweet with a bitter note. Gather it when ripe, dry it in the sun, steam it nine times, then soak it in wine and take it; this can bring the blood downward. The bark can be gathered at any time. The plant is also called niuli.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: This medicinal plant is also called Zhaoli, Zaoli, …

The bark of the black sandalwood tree can treat various sores and ulcers, as well as painful obstruction caused by cold, heat, and poisonous influences. Its seeds can kill maggots in wounds on cattle, horses, and other livestock. The medicine may be pounded and applied directly, or mixed with grease and spread on the affected area; both methods are effective.

The Dietary Therapy records that the black sandalwood tree is slightly cold in nature and can treat abdominal distension. Its root is poisonous. Boiled down into a thick liquid and held in the mouth, it can treat cavities and kill the worms that eat away at the teeth. If parasitic malnutrition has eaten into the spine, the thick liquid can be boiled and administered by mouth; it works fairly well. The flesh of the black sandalwood tree can treat abdominal distension, including distension caused by retained food. Mixed with flour and made into a cake, then eaten on an empty stomach, it will bring on diarrhea after a while. A cup of juice made by boiling the root and taken on an empty stomach can also treat parasitic malnutrition of the spine.

Coconut Husk

Coconut husk tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It stops bleeding and can treat nosebleeds, vomiting, and cholera. Boil it to make a liquid and drink it. The flesh inside the coconut shell nourishes the original Qi and dispels wind. Coconut water can be used to treat wasting-thirst, a category of illness marked by excessive thirst and drinking. Applying coconut water to the hair helps nourish it and turn it black. The coconut palm grows in Annam and resembles the areca palm; its shell can be made into vessels. The Record of Jiaozhou says that a coconut contains a liquid that causes intoxication when drunk.

The Materia Medica of the Southern Seas records that coconut palms grow around the South China Sea and resemble date palms. Their fruit is called the coconut and is about as large as the mouth of a bowl. It is covered by a coarse husk, like fruits such as areca nut and cardamom, and contains a liquid like wine. The text says that coconut can treat wasting-thirst, vomiting blood, and edema, and can dispel wind-heat; the coconuts produced in Yunnan are also excellent. It further records that when Zhuge Liang campaigned against Yunnan, he ordered his soldiers to cut down the coconut palms so that the small local kingdoms would not possess this unusual product. Eating too much coconut, it says, can cause Qi to become congested.

The Extended Materia Medica says that when a coconut is opened, its liquid resembles milk and has an exceptionally sweet, fragrant taste unlike anything else. Inside the fruit is also a piece of flesh shaped like a snake gourd, with fine raised ridges on its surface. It is white, with a slightly uneven texture like the folds of a woman’s skirt, and tastes much like the coconut water. A layer of white flesh lies close against the shell; both this and the inner flesh can be scraped out and cooked with sugar to make a preserved fruit. Coconut water is the color of white wine and tastes like the coconut flesh. Some people call it “wine,” but the name was only coined on the spur of the moment by someone fond of novelty. Coconut shells can be made into wine vessels. Some say that wine containing poison will boil in a coconut-shell vessel. But nowadays people coat the inside of the shell with lacquer, completely defeating the original purpose of using it as a wine vessel.

Purple-Bud Wood

Purple-bud wood tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can disperse old blood stasis in the body and treat painful urinary disorders involving dribbling or difficulty passing urine. Boil it down into a thick liquid and drink it. People today often plant purple-bud trees in their courtyards; their blossoms are vivid and charming.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says that early materia medica texts did not record which prefectures produced purple-bud wood; today it is found in many places.

Some people plant a tree in their courtyards that resembles the chaste tree. Its leaves are smaller and unbranched, and its bright purple flowers are very lovely. Some say this is the Jing tree of the Tian family. In autumn, its fruit ripens into tiny, beadlike berries called purple pearls. They are especially common among the woods and marshes of the Jiangdong region.

Yuxi says: I have carefully examined the matter. Chen Cangqi records that purple pearl is cold in nature and can detoxify. It can be used for deep skin abscesses, painful swelling and obstruction of the throat, “flying corpse” (a sudden illness described in ancient times), poison from gu, tumors, fistulas and sores, venom from snakes, scorpions, insects, and silkworms, and bites from rabid dogs. It may be taken as a decoction or used as a wash for sores and swellings. It is said to disperse stagnant blood and promote the growth of new flesh. Purple pearl is also called the purple thorn tree. It resembles the chaste tree, but has small, unbranched leaves; it is not the Jing tree mentioned in the account of the Tian family. Its fruit ripens in autumn, turning a deep purple and becoming round like tiny beads. It grows among the woods and marshes of Jiangdong.

Rihuazi says: The wood of the purple thorn tree promotes the free flow of the small intestine. Its bark and branches may be used together, and its flowers have the same effect.

Southern Vine

Southern vine is pungent and warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats wind disorders and blood disorders, strengthens the weak and elderly, invigorates Yang, strengthens the lower back and legs, and relieves painful impediment. It is also said to turn white hair black and dispel cold and wind. It may be taken as a decoction or steeped in wine. It is used in winter. Because it grows by clinging to trees in the south, it is called southern vine. Its stem resembles a horsewhip and has nodes; it is purplish brown. It is also called Dinggong vine and grows in the valleys of the southern mountains.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Southern vine is Dinggong vine. It grows in the valleys of the southern mountains and is now also found in Quanzhou and Rongzhou. Because it grows by clinging to trees in the south, it is called southern vine. Its vine shoots resemble a horsewhip and have nodes; they are purplish brown. Its leaves resemble apricot leaves and come to a point. It has no fixed season for harvesting.

There is also thousand-gold vine. The roots of the northern variety resemble fingers and are black as lacquer; those of the southern variety are yellowish red and resemble asarum. There is also the palm pod vine, which grows in the mountain forests of Guangnan. Its woody stems resemble those of the pith vine, and it takes three years to mature. When ripe, it is purplish black and is also called elephant bean. Physicians rarely use it, so it is noted here among this group of medicinal plants.

The History of the Southern Dynasties records: When the mother of Xie Shuqian, a native of Yanmen, fell ill, he knelt and prayed in the courtyard at night. He heard a voice in the air say, “Find Dinggong vine to treat her, and she will recover.” He asked physicians and searched the materia medica texts, but could not find the herb. Later, when he went into the mountains of Yidu, he saw an old man cutting wood. The old man said that this was Dinggong vine, which could treat wind disorders. Xie Shuqian bowed and wept as he begged for some. The old man gave him the vine and taught him how to steep it in wine. When he had finished teaching him, the old man vanished. His mother soon recovered.

Chinese Fir

Chinese fir is slightly warm in nature and non-toxic. It treats lacquer sores, skin eruptions caused by contact with lacquer.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: The old materia medica texts do not record which prefectures and regions produce Chinese fir. Today, in the deep south…

Many of these trees grow in the mountains. They are woody plants with hard, straight trunks like pine trees. Their leaves grow close to the branches and are shaped like needles.

The Erya calls this tree “pi.” Guo Pu’s commentary says: “The tree called shan resembles a pine and grows south of the Yangtze River. Its wood can be used to build boats, make coffins, and fashion pillars. Even when buried underground, it does not rot. People often use it for the staves of buckets because it withstands water well.” Physicians boil the knots of cedar wood to make a liquid for washing areas affected by beriberi, with good results.

Liu Zongyuan’s Recipes for Saving Three Lives, compiled in the Tang dynasty, records: “In the second month of the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era, I contracted beriberi. At midnight, my chest and flanks suddenly felt constricted and stifled, and a lump as large as a stone formed there. I was close to death. Then, after exposure to severe cold, I lost consciousness and remained unresponsive for three days. My family began to weep. Zheng Xunmei of Xingyang gave me a dose of ‘Cedar Decoction.’ Before the time it takes to eat a meal had passed, I had had three bowel movements. My breathing became unimpeded, and the lump dispersed.”

The prescription is: one large sheng of cedar knots; one large sheng of chopped tangerine leaves (if tangerine leaves are unavailable locally, tangerine peel may be substituted); seven betel nuts with their seeds, crushed; and three large sheng of a young boy’s urine. Boil them together and collect one and a half large sheng of liquid. Divide it into two doses. If one dose has already brought free bowel movements, do not take the second. I had nearly reached the point of certain death. Fortunately, someone showed me this remedy, and I survived. Fearing that others might suffer from an illness like mine, I have recorded this prescription.

There is also a kind of cedar fungus produced in Yizhou. It grows on old cedar trees and has the shape of a mushroom. It tastes bitter and is slightly warm in nature. It treats pain in the heart and spleen caused by Qi, as well as sudden attacks of heart pain. It may be gathered at any time.

Tao Hongjing says: Shave cedar wood into thin pieces and boil them in water; washing lacquer sores with the liquid always brings immediate relief. There is also shucha, which grows a little over a foot above the ground. Boiling it in water and washing lacquer sores with the liquid often cures them. Another plant, qigu, has small leaves and commonly grows beside rocks; it, too, can treat lacquer sores. Eggs and crabs are also used as medicines in old prescriptions.

The Tang Materia Medica says: Boil cedar wood in water and use the liquid to soak and wash swelling caused by beriberi. Taken internally, it treats distention and pain in the heart and abdomen and dispels harmful Qi. Shucha and qifu have other effects; they are listed in the inferior grade.

Liuxi says: According to the Rihuazi Materia Medica, cedar tastes pungent and can treat wind disorders, food stagnation, and “pig cholera,” an acute illness involving vomiting and diarrhea. It also relieves pain caused by Qi. It may be taken as a decoction or used as a wash. Oil cedar or fragrant cedar should be used, as these work better.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: The cedar has a straight trunk and remains evergreen like a pine, but its leaves are broader and grow in clusters along the branches. At Mount Lu there is a place called “Ten Thousand Cedars Monastery”; the cedars around the monastery are this kind. Chop cedar wood and boil it to make a liquid for soaking and washing swelling caused by beriberi.

Elderberry (the name of the next medicinal entry).

Elderberry is bitter and sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is chiefly used to treat fractures and mend sinews and bones. It can also dispel Wind, relieve itching, treat tooth decay, and be boiled in water for bathing. It is also called “shuo diao.”

The Tang Commentary says that the leaves and flowers of elderberry resemble those of Lu Ying, but the plant grows into a tree about one or two zhang tall. Its wood is light and porous, and its trunk is hollow. Cut branches will take root when planted in soil, and people also grow it at home. It is also known as “tree shuo diao” and is found everywhere.

Yu Xi’s note: Chen Cangqi says that elderberry is slightly toxic. Its root bark can be used to treat phlegm-fluid retention, edema, and phlegm-related malaria. Taken as a decoction, it causes diarrhea or vomiting, so it should not be taken in large quantities. The leaves can treat malaria: use three leaves for a child and seven for an adult, pound them, squeeze out the juice, and take it until vomiting occurs. The Benjing says it is non-toxic, but this is inaccurate.

The Chan Shu says elderberry can also be used for postpartum agitation in the chest, burning sensations in the hands and feet, exhaustion, and conditions such as faintness from rising blood, stiffness of the head, and persistent chills and fever. Take a handful of elderberry cut to the size of counting rods, add one sheng of water, and boil until reduced by half. Divide into two doses and take warm. It can also cure frequent urination or persistent lochia. Even after the wood has been boiled three times, its medicinal strength remains the same. This is the formula the book calls one that can “raise the dead.”

Mu Bie Zi

Mu bie zi is sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It is chiefly used to treat fractures, disperse masses and swelling, treat malignant sores, promote the growth of flesh, and relieve lower back pain, acne, dark spots, breast abscesses in women, and painful swelling of the anus.

Mu bie zi is a vine with five-lobed leaves shaped like yam leaves. They are green and glossy. Its flowers are yellow. The fruit resembles the snake gourd but is much larger: it is green when unripe and turns red when ripe, with spines on the surface of the flesh. Its seeds resemble turtles, which is how it got its name. It grows in Langzhou and the southern regions, and is gathered in the seventh and eighth months.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says mu bie zi grows in Langzhou and the southern regions. Today it is also found around the Lakes and Lingnan, as well as in Hangzhou, Yuezhou, Quanzhou, and Yuezhou. Shoots emerge in spring and grow into vines. The leaves have five lobes and resemble yam leaves; they are green and glossy. Yellow flowers bloom in the fourth month, and fruit forms in the sixth. The fruit resembles the snake gourd and is very large. Green fruit turns red when ripe, and the surface of the flesh is spiny. Each fruit contains thirty or forty seeds. They are named for their resemblance to turtles. They are gathered in the eighth and ninth months. In Lingnan, people pick the tender fruit and leaves, steam them, and eat them as a vegetable.

Yu Xi’s note: The Rihuazi says that mu bie zi, ground with vinegar, can disperse toxic swellings.

Sun Yonghe’s remedy for hemorrhoids: Take three seeds of the Chinese cucumber, remove their skins, and crush them. Grind them into a paste in a sand basin. Place the ground medicine in a basin and pour in more than a large bowl of boiling water. The patient sits over the basin to steam the affected area. When the water has cooled enough to touch, wash the area with the medicinal liquid. Steam and wash no more than two or three times a day.

The Yan Yi says: The Chinese cucumber is a climbing vine that withers once a year. Its leaves resemble grape leaves, and its fruit resembles a large snake gourd. When ripe, the fruit is reddish yellow, with a few small spines on its surface; these spines do not injure people. The plant is now found throughout areas south of Jingnan, and its fruit ripens in the ninth or tenth month. The seeds inside the fruit are called Chinese cucumber seeds. The root does not die back, and new shoots grow again in spring. The pointed end of the seed is called the male. When planting, the male and female plants must be paired and tied together with hemp cord. Once they have grown, remove the male plant, and the female will bear fruit.

Hook Vine (also called Hanging Vine, a medicinal vine whose stems bear hooked thorns)

Hook Vine is slightly cold in nature and nonpoisonous. It is used to treat alternating chills and fever, convulsions, and epilepsy in children.

The Tu Jing says: Early materia medica texts do not record where Hook Vine grows. Su Gong says it comes from Liangzhou; it is now also found in Xingyuan Prefecture. Its leaves are small, its stems are long, and its nodes bear thorns shaped like fishhooks. It is gathered in the third month and is sometimes written as “Hanging Kudzu.” Ge Hong’s prescriptions for childhood illnesses often use it. The Red Decoction prescription for sudden-onset epilepsy calls for two fen each of Hanging Vine and honey-fried licorice. Add five ge of water and decoct until two ge remain. Give a portion about the size of a small jujube. Administer it five times during the day and three times at night; it works very well. The Guangji Fang and Cui’s prescriptions for childhood convulsions and epilepsy also include the bark of Hanging Vine in their decoctions and drinks.

The Yao Xing Lun says: Hook Vine tastes sweet and is neutral in nature. It can treat children’s startled crying, convulsions, and obstruction caused by pathogenic heat.

The Ri Hua Zi says: It can treat ke wu—a condition in which a child is suddenly frightened and becomes mentally disturbed—and fetal wind.

Tao Hongjing says: Hook Vine grows in Jianping. Its name is also written “Hook Vine.” It is used only for childhood illnesses and not in other prescriptions. The Tang Ben Zhu says: It grows in Liangzhou. Its stems are slender and long, with fishhook-shaped thorns between the nodes.

The Yan Yi says: Hook Vine has a hollow stem, a feature omitted from the two earlier accounts. Its vines can grow eight or nine chi long, and some reach one or two zhang. It grows in the mountains of Hunan, Hubei, Jiangnan, and Jiangxi. Some people insert it into the opening of a wine jar and draw the wine out little by little by sucking. Hook Vine is used specifically to treat convulsions and fever in children.

Chinese Fan Palm Seeds

Chinese Fan Palm Seeds are neutral in nature and nonpoisonous. They can firm the bowels and stop diarrhea and dysentery, and are used to treat intestinal wind (a condition involving bloody stools), uterine flooding (heavy bleeding outside menstruation), and vaginal discharge.

Chinese fan palm bark is neutral in nature and nonpoisonous. It can stop nosebleeds and vomiting of blood, disperse abdominal masses, and treat…

Palm may be used to treat uterine bleeding, vaginal discharge, blood in the stool caused by intestinal bleeding, and red-and-white dysentery. For medicinal use, it should be burned to ash.

The Expanded Materia Medica says: Palm wood is now commonly made into household items, while its fiber covering is burned to a black ash. Palm ash is often combined with other medicines to treat women’s prolonged menstrual bleeding and vomiting blood. The palm covering must be stripped each year; otherwise, it will wrap around the tree and cause it to wither. Palm flowers resemble fish roe. Once cooked, they can be preserved as a fruit.

Lei Gong says: Palm is used to treat uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Palm, also called binlü, grows in Lingnan and western Sichuan, and is also found south of the Yangtze. The tree is one or two zhang tall, with no branches along its trunk. Its large, round leaves grow in clusters at the tips of the branches. The trunk is wrapped in successive layers of palm fiber, each layer counted as one segment. The fiber is stripped once every twenty days, after which new fiber grows. In the sixth or seventh month, the tree flowers yellow and white; in the eighth or ninth month, it bears fruit in clusters resembling chambers. The fruit resembles fish roe and is black. The palm fiber and wood are harvested for medicinal use in the ninth or tenth month.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas says: “The Cuishan” (the character cui is also written cui, meaning “green”) has many palm trees. This refers to the tree described here.

Yuánhuā

Yuánhuā is pungent and bitter, warm in nature, and slightly toxic. It is mainly used to treat coughing with rebellious Qi, rattling in the throat, wheezing, sore and swollen throat, shortness of breath, parasitic toxins, ghostly malaria, hernia and abdominal masses, and sores and swellings. It is also used to kill insects and fish, disperse phlegm and fluid in the chest, and treat excessive salivation and edema. The “five waters” mentioned here refers to edema caused by water evils lodged in the five viscera and the skin. Yuánhuā is also used for lower back pain and conditions described as cold toxin or flesh toxin. Long-term use weakens the body.

Yuánhuā is also called “Water-Drainer,” “Fish-Poisoner,” and “Duyuan.” Its root is called Shusang root. It may be used to treat scabies and also to poison fish. Yuánhuā grows in mountain valleys near the source of the Huai River. Its flowers are gathered on the third day of the third month and dried in the shade. Cassia seed may be used together with yuánhuā. Yuánhuā is incompatible with licorice and should not be taken with it.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Yuánhuā grows in mountain valleys near the source of the Huai River, and is now found in other regions as well. It is a perennial plant; its old branches and stems are purple, and it grows one or two chi tall. Its white roots extend three to five cun into the soil and resemble elm roots. In spring, it sends up shoots with small, pointed leaves like those of willow. In the second month, it flowers purple. The flowers somewhat resemble Chinese redbud blossoms or tiny wisteria flowers and grow in spikes. Gather the flowers on the third day of the third month and dry them in the shade. They should be harvested before the flowers form buds, while the flower stalks are still small and before the leaves have grown. Once the leaves appear and the flowers have fallen, the medicinal material is no longer suitable.

Wu Jin’s Materia Medica says that yuánhuā is also called “Fallen Leaves,” “Child’s Herb,” and “Yellow Large Euphorbia.” Green leaves appear in the second month; as they gradually thicken, they turn black. Some are purple, red, or white. The leaves do not appear until the fruit has fallen in the third month. These descriptions refer to yuánhuā. The original text ends here, incomplete.

The yellow blossoms of yuanhua produced in Jiangzhou, around present-day Xinjiang in Shanxi, are called yellow yuanhua.

Chunyu Yi, the Han dynasty physician known as the Grand Granary Physician, once treated a woman in Linzi who suffered from “buwu,” a condition also called intestinal parasitic accumulation. Her abdomen was swollen, and the skin over it was yellow and rough, with a taut feeling to the touch. Chunyu Yi had her swallow a small pinch of yuanhua. She immediately passed roundworms; when they were burned, they amounted to several liters. The woman recovered.

Tao Yinjü (Tao Hongjing) says: Yuanhua grows abundantly near roads. Before using it, lightly stir-fry it, and keep it away from the eyes.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says: Yuanhua is highly toxic. It treats distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, expels retained fluids, promotes the flow of the Five Viscera, transforms cold phlegm and thick, glue-like nasal and salivary secretions, and frees the blood vessels. It also treats malignant sores, wind impediment, damp disorders, and the limb contractions and inability to walk caused by various toxic winds. It can also drain edema and distension.

The Daily Essentials says: Yuanhua treats cough, miasma, and malaria. It grows widely as a small tree beside waterways and mountain streams. It flowers most profusely in the third month, with pale purple blossoms.

A prescription by Zhang Zhongjing: For Taiyang wind strike accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and retching, treatment may use purgation, with the Ten Jujube Decoction as the main prescription. Use equal parts of stir-fried yuanhua, kansui, and euphorbia root, and sift each into a fine powder. Take ten jujubes and one and a half sheng of water; boil until eight ge remain, then strain and add the powders. A robust person should take one qianbi, and a frail person half a qianbi, warmed before drinking. If this does not induce purging, take an additional half qianbi the next morning. After purging, restore the patient with thin rice porridge. This prescription may also be used for “suspended fluid,” in which retained fluid collects below the ribs.

The Proven Prescriptions says, for hemorrhoids with fistulas that have a visible opening: Take any quantity of yuanhua root that has grown underground. Wash it, pound it in a wooden mortar, add a little water, and squeeze out the juice. Simmer the juice over low heat in a silver or copper vessel until it forms a paste. Soak a silk thread in the paste and tie it around the hemorrhoid. There may be slight pain when tying it. When the patient becomes restless and the hemorrhoidal mass falls away, dip a paper wick in the medicinal paste and insert it into the opening; this will remove the root of the illness permanently. Keep the area dry until the mass has fallen away.

The Records of the Three Kingdoms states that during the Chuping era at the beginning of the Wei dynasty, a man known as Master Green Ox took yuanhua throughout the year. He looked about fifty or sixty, but those who knew him said he was already over a hundred.

Zhi ju, also called “wood honey,” tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats wind disorders of the head and cramping in the lower abdomen. Its bark is warm in nature and non-toxic; it treats the five kinds of hemorrhoids and harmonizes the Five Viscera. When this wood is used to build a house, the wine kept inside loses some of its flavor. This, too, is a curious property.

The Illustrated Classic, quoting Lu Ji, says: “Gouzhi” is another name for zhi ju. The tree resembles a poplar and grows everywhere.

In the mountains there is a tree with crooked branches. Its fruit cannot be eaten raw, but tastes as sweet as malt sugar. It ripens in the eighth or ninth month and is called “wood honey.” Originally from the south, it makes wine lose its strength. If used as a pillar in a house, it will weaken the wine throughout the entire building.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: The tree’s trunk is one chi in circumference, and its timber is called “white stone.” Its leaves resemble those of the mulberry and paper mulberry. The fruit grows at the ends of the branches, shaped like coral kernels, or like the fingers of someone afflicted with leprosy.

Su Song says: According to the Shu Materia Medica, this character is sometimes written “chegou.” The tree grows in Shu and weakens the flavor of wine when placed near it. People in Jiangnan call it “wood honey.”

Purple sandalwood has a salty flavor and is slightly cold in nature. It is chiefly used to treat severe toxins and wind toxins.

Tao Hongjing says: Folk practitioners grind it into powder and apply it to swellings caused by wind toxins. It is effective, though not as effective as green costus root. It can also be used for metal-inflicted wounds, such as those caused by swords or knives, to help stop bleeding, and to treat strangury, in which urination is painful or difficult.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: This wood comes from the Kunlun Pan Four Kingdoms. Although it does not grow in the Central Plain, it can be found everywhere among the people.

Chen Cangqi says: Sandalwood resembles sandalwood and grows in Hainan. In addition to the effects described above, it can be used for pain in the heart and abdomen, cholera, sudden illness caused by malign influences, and ghostly influences. It can also kill parasites.

Su Song says: According to the Rizhuazi, purple sandalwood is non-toxic.

The Qianjin Prescriptions records: To treat various swellings, chop purple sandalwood finely, grind it to a powder, mix it with strong vinegar, and apply it to the affected area.

The Mei Shi Prescriptions records: When a metal-inflicted wound is bleeding, quickly scrape some purple sandalwood into powder and apply it to the wound to stop the bleeding.

The root bark of the Chinese tallow tree has a bitter flavor, is slightly warm in nature, and is toxic. It is used chiefly to treat sudden-onset edema, abdominal masses, and accumulations. The tree grows on level ground and in marshes south of the mountains.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: The Chinese tallow tree grows several zhang tall. Its leaves resemble those of the pear and apricot trees, its flowers are yellowish white, and its fruit is black.

The Materia Medica of Chen Cangqi says: The leaves of the Chinese tallow tree can be used to dye things black. Its fruit can be gathered in large quantities and pressed for oil. Applied to the hair, the oil turns it black; it can also be used as lamp oil, which burns brightly. Taking one he, a measure, causes diarrhea and expels fluid through the genital opening. This medicinal substance was already included in the Tang Materia Medica.

Su Song says: According to the Rizhuazi, the root bark of the Chinese tallow tree is cool in nature. It treats wind disorders of the head and promotes urination and bowel movements. Before use, roast it over a low fire until its oily juice has run out and it has turned yellow and dry.

The Doumen Prescriptions records: For constipation, take a piece of Chinese tallow wood about one cun long, split it open, and boil it in water. Drink a little less than half a small cup of the liquid, and the bowels will soon move. Do not take too much. The text says it is very potent and can also expel fluid.

Sumac fruit has a sour flavor, is slightly cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It can dispel phlegm and retained fluids, treat miasmatic malaria, and relieve heat in the throat...

It can relieve sore, swollen throats and thirst, counteract alcohol poisoning, treat jaundice, sudden severe illnesses known in antiquity as “flying corpse,” poisoning attributed in legend to venomous creatures, epidemic illnesses with alternating chills and fever, and phlegmy coughs. Its fruit can turn white hair black and promote hair growth. Dry the fruit in the sun, grind it into powder, and eat it. People in Lingnan use it to prevent miasma.

The tree’s white inner bark can disperse stagnant blood and stop bleeding. It treats poisoning attributed to venomous creatures and bloody dysentery, and can also kill roundworms. It may be taken as a decoction. The white inner bark of the root treats alcohol-induced jaundice: crush it, soak it overnight in rice-washing water, then drink one or two sheng warm on an empty stomach at dawn. Its leaves resemble those of the Chinese toon tree, and it grows in mountain valleys around Wu and Shu. The fruit ripens in autumn in clusters; the small berries resemble adzuki beans and bear a snowlike coating of salt. They taste sour and salty, can be eaten, and relieve thirst. This tree is also called “Rebellious Slave Salt.”

Chen Cangqi says that people in Shu call it “Sour Tong.” The Bowuzhi says that Sour Tong forms clusters in the seventh month. People in Shu call the clusters “Zhu Yin clusters”; the salt coating on them can be used to make soup. The tree is also called “Vinegar Tong.” People in Wu call it “Black Salt.”

Yuxi says that Chen Cangqi records its fruit as an effective treatment for head wind and dandruff. Rihua Zi says that the round fruits on the leaves of the salt-rhus tree treat poisoning from venomous creatures and from medicines. They also counteract alcohol poisoning; the root is used in the same way.

Nanmu is mildly warm in nature. It treats cholera and eases persistent vomiting and diarrhea.

Tao Hongjing says that in an emergency, nanmu can be shaved into thin slices, boiled, and taken as a drink. If no other medicine is at hand, it can serve as a stopgap. Yuxi quotes Rihua Zi as saying that nanmu is pungent and hot, slightly toxic, and treats muscle spasms.

The Expanded Materia Medica says that shipyards throughout the Jiangnan circuits now use nanmu. Its wood is hard and resists water, but if kept for a long time, the heartwood can become hollow and may be eaten by termites.

Paper mulberry is sweet, warm, and nontoxic, and replenishes deficiency and debility. Boil the white inner bark of the tree, or the white inner bark of a root that grows eastward, and ferment the liquid into wine. This treats wind-related deficiency, deafness, exhaustion, weakness and emaciation, and coldness and deficiency in the lower back and kidneys. It is also suitable for people who lose semen after intercourse in dreams; take the expressed juice. Thornless paper mulberry is best. It can also treat uterine bleeding in women, blood stasis, and malaria, and can be used to dye things yellow.

The Expanded Materia Medica says that the inner wood of paper mulberry has a grain that can be turned on a lathe to make utensils. Its leaves can feed silkworms, which are called paper-mulberry silkworms, but the branches are rather hard, so the leaves are less effective than mulberry leaves. Wine made by boiling the roots and bark of an east-growing paper mulberry is indeed effective for treating wind-related deficiency and deafness. Its other effects are as described in the original text.

Rose of Sharon is neutral in nature and nontoxic. It stops bleeding from intestinal wind and treats fever and thirst after dysentery. Taken as a drink after boiling, it can help induce sleep. For medicinal use, it should be stir-fried. Soaking silk thread in its juice makes the thread easier to work with.

Hibiscus flowers are cool in nature and non-toxic. They can treat intestinal bleeding associated with wind and red or white dysentery. After being stir-fried, they can be decocted and drunk in place of tea to treat wind disorders.

The Yanyi says: The flowers of hibiscus resemble small hollyhock flowers and are pale red, with five petals. They open in the morning and close in the evening. Both the flowers and branches can be used medicinally. In Hunan and Hubei, people commonly plant hibiscus as a hedge; its other uses are the same as those described in the classic.

Photinia is pungent and bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and toxic. It is chiefly used to replenish Kidney Qi, treat weakened Yin caused by internal injury, and address disorders of the sinews and bones, skin, and hair. It can also treat weakness of the feet, pathogenic influences in the Five Viscera, and heat disorders. Women, however, should not take it for a long time, or they may develop longing for men. The fruit of photinia can kill gu poison—toxic harm said to be caused by venomous creatures—disperse accumulations, and dispel wind impediment, the numbness and pain caused by wind pathogens. Photinia is also called “Ghost Eye.” It grows in the valleys of Mount Huayin. Its leaves are gathered in the second and fourth months, and its fruit in the eighth month; they are dried in the shade. Wujia bark can be used as an auxiliary medicine.

The Tujing says: Photinia grows in the valleys of Mount Huayin and is now found throughout the north and south. It grows on rocks, and some plants become very tall. Photinia from the Jianghu region has leaves like loquat leaves, with small serrations along the edges, and remains evergreen through winter. It flowers in spring, producing clusters of white blossoms, and bears tiny red fruit in autumn. Photinia from the Guanzhong and Longxi regions has leaves like mangcao, bluish yellow in color, with purple spots on the undersides. In wet weather, the leaves grow in pairs and reach two or three inches long. Its roots grow horizontally; they are slender and purple. This variety does not flower or fruit, and its leaves grow very densely. People throughout the north and south often transplant it into their courtyards. Its branches and foliage are thick and pleasing to the eye, and block out the light. For medicinal use, the variety from Guanzhong with finer leaves is preferred. The leaves are gathered in the second and fourth months, and the fruit in the fourth month; they are dried in the shade.

Yuxi’s textual examination says: The Shu Bencao records that photinia is abundant near rocks in the Xie Valley of the Zhongnan Mountains. Nowadays, in medicinal markets, people often mistake tile fern for lithospermum fern, and lithospermum fern for photinia. Care must be taken to distinguish them.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Photinia can serve as a minister herb and clear heat. It is incompatible with xiaoji, so the two medicines should not be used together, but photinia is non-toxic. It replenishes Kidney Qi, treats weakness of the legs and feet, and relieves vexation and pain. It can also kill worms and dispel various wind disorders. Although photinia can replenish Kidney Qi, some people believe it causes impotence.

The Yanyi further says: The leaves of photinia resemble smaller loquat leaves. Their undersides have no down, and their surfaces are smooth and unwrinkled. It flowers in the first and second months. In winter, two leaves grow to form a flower bud. When the bud opens, it contains around fifteen flowers, about the size of chinaberry blossoms, delicate and small. Each bud is about the size of a pellet and forms a spherical cluster. Each flower has six petals, and each cluster has about seven or eight such spheres. They are pale white with a green tinge, and the tips of the leaves are slightly pale.

After the red flowers bloom, their centers become so densely covered with stamens that only the stamens are visible, and the petals disappear from view. When the flowering season ends, the green leaves that grew the previous year fall off, and new leaves gradually appear. This medicine is best suited to treating kidney deficiency and weakness, and weakness in both legs. It is uncommon around Luoyang, the capital, as well as in Hebei, Hedong, and Shandong, so it is not used much there. It is abundant in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangdong, Jiangxi, and the Two Zhejiang regions, so the fruits produced in the south are used more often. Physicians today no longer use this medicine at all.

Wood Tinospora (Mutianliao) has a pungent flavor, a warm nature, and is slightly toxic. It treats lumps and masses, accumulations, wind-related exhaustion, and cold due to deficiency. It grows in mountain valleys.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Wood Tinospora is a tree two or three zhang tall. It flowers in the third and fourth months, and its flowers resemble those of the paper mulberry. The fruits are gathered in the fifth month. They are spherical, like the fruits of kenaf, and can be stored and eaten as fruit. They can also treat various forms of cold Qi. Su Gong says that a separate vine-like variety is called Vine Tinospora. There is also a small variety, Small Tinospora, which grows on Mount Tianmu and Mount Siming. It resembles a gardenia tree and keeps its leaves through winter. It seems, then, that there are three varieties of Tinospora. Though they look different, their medicinal effects are much the same.

The Tang Materia Medica says: Vine Tinospora climbs as it grows. Its leaves resemble those of the paper mulberry; it bears white flowers, and its fruits are about the size of dates and irregular in shape. The flesh resembles eggplant and tastes pungent; it can be eaten in place of ginger or knotweed. Chop the tender vines and steep them in wine before taking them, or use them to brew wine. They are highly effective at dispelling wind and cold and treating lumps and accumulations. This plant grows in many regions; the best specimens now come from Anzhou and Shenzhou.

Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica says: The Wood Tinospora used today comes from Fengzhou. It is an evergreen tree resembling Chinese holly and grows in deep mountains. Some say that taking too much shortens one’s life: it drives out pathogenic wind but also depletes vital energy. Therefore, Vine Tinospora should not be treated as Wood Tinospora. Since it is called “wood knotweed,” how could it be a vine? There is, in fact, a separate Vine Knotweed. The Tang Materia Medica had earlier appended an account of Vine Tinospora here.

Yuxi says: According to the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, Tinospora seeds are used as an assisting medicine. They taste bitter and pungent, are slightly warm in nature, and are nontoxic. They treat deviation of the mouth and eyes caused by windstroke, as well as cold-type abdominal masses, Qi lumps, and women’s deficiency exhaustion.

Yellow Ring (Huanghuan) tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is toxic. It treats Gu poison, ghost-injection illness, and demonic influences lodged in the viscera. It also relieves coughing, rebellious Qi, chills, and fever. It is also called Lingquan and Dajiu. It grows in the mountain valleys of Shu Commandery. Gather the roots in the third month and dry them in the shade. Iris can assist its effects; it should not be used with Poria or Stephania root.

Tao Hongjing says: Yellow Ring resembles Stephania root, and when cut open it divides into segments like the spokes of a wheel. He also mentions the related passage in the Rhapsody on the Shu Capital.

Some people say that “Blue Pearl and Yellow Ring” refers to the flowers of spurge. This is incorrect. Yellow Ring is rare, and almost no one in the marketplace recognizes it.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: In the Xiangyang and Ba Xi regions, people call this plant “Jiuge.” It is a vine like kudzu, and its root also resembles kudzu root. Some say its root looks like that of fangji, and when cut open resembles the spokes of a wheel; this is closer to the truth. Someone mistakenly ate kudzu root thinking it was this plant’s root, and suffered unrelenting vomiting and diarrhea. Only after being treated with muddy water did they begin to recover. This is the genuine Yellow Ring. It is rarely found elsewhere, but is more common around Xiangyang. The Classic of the Materia Medica records its root. The claim that it is the flower of spurge is wrong. Yellow Ring bears pod-shaped fruit like the Chinese honey locust, and its flowers and fruit appear at the same time as kudzu’s. It is also cultivated in gardens today. The plant grows very large, with stems as much as six or seven cun thick, and is found in many regions. Some people call its seeds “Wolf-Strider Seeds.” The substance from Jiannan now received by the Imperial Court office in charge of ritual and music is actually the root of chicken-droppings kudzu, not Yellow Ring.

Yuxi says: According to the Treatise on the Nature of Materia Medica, Yellow Ring is incompatible with dried ginger. It is extremely cold in nature and slightly toxic. It can treat labored breathing due to upward-rushing Qi, alternating chills and fever, and various kinds of pathogenic influence.

Sōushū: Pungent and bitter in flavor, cold or slightly cold in nature, and nontoxic. It treats heat in the body and skin, dispels pathogenic influences, stops involuntary urination, promotes the flow of urine, clears heat in the stomach, and directs Qi downward. It can be decocted for bathing. It is also called “Giant Bone.” It grows in valleys, fields, and old ruins on Mount Xiong’er and is gathered in the fourth month. Luolou is used as its assistant herb, helping the principal herb take effect when combined with it.

Tao Hongjing says: Li Dangzhi says that sōushū is also called yanglu, mujing, and kongshu. Its bark is white, its trunk hollow, and its branches often have joints. Its fruit resembles goji berries, ripens red in winter, and tastes sweet with a hint of bitterness. Later generations have rarely recognized it. This is the genuine sōushū, not the yanglu people use as a climbing plant for fences. Li Dangzhi’s account is not too far off when used to explain mujing, but it is probably mistaken to attach these names to sōushū. He also says that sōushū and kongshu are not the same plant. I suspect the text should read “Xiong’er”: Xiong’er is a mountain name, and there is no place called “Jue’er.”

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: Sōushū looks like kongshu. It grows to about one zhang tall and has white bark. Its fruit ripens in the eighth or ninth month, is red, and resembles goji berries, but tastes bitter. The fruits always grow in pairs, which distinguishes it from kongshu. Kongshu, also called yanglu, bears pods that do not resemble the fruit of sōushū.

The current commentary says: Although sōushū resembles goji, goji has no thorns, whereas sōushū does. This is how the two can be distinguished.

Yuxi says: According to the Treatise on the Nature of Materia Medica, sōushū is incompatible with …

Small Tianliao is sweet in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats various wind disorders, weakness and emaciation, aversion to cold, and numbness and pain in the hands and feet. It can be soaked in wine or boiled into a decoction and taken by people of any age, whether their illness is mild or severe. After taking it for about ten days, one may feel pathogenic wind dispersing from beneath the skin, as though insects were crawling away.

Small Tianliao grows on Mount Tianmu and Mount Siming. It resembles a gardenia tree and keeps its leaves through the winter. Wild animals eat it. There is also a kind called woody Tianliao, which grows south of the mountains and is a large tree now sold in markets. Some say that taking it over a long period shortens one’s life. This may be because it dispels pathogenic wind but also depletes Qi.

The woody Tianliao mentioned in the Bencao Jing is this kind. Su Jing’s commentary says there is another, vine-growing Tianliao, whose fruit is pungent and differs from woody Tianliao. This presumably indicates a separate vine variety. In the mountains south of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers grows a kind of woody Tianliao: its vines climb trees, and its leaves resemble pear leaves but are thinner. Its fruit resembles a date, with a pungent, sweet taste. It chiefly treats pathogenic wind, blood deficiency, emaciation, numbness and pain, and cold pain in the lower back and legs. The bark is used to make wine; this is the Tianliao mentioned in Su Jing’s commentary. It seems, then, that there are three kinds of Tianliao, all of which dispel wind. Small Tianliao is the best.

(Added in a later edition)

The Illustrated Classic says: For details, see the entry on “Woody Tianliao.”

Small Bo is bitter in taste, extremely cold in nature, and non-toxic. It treats mouth sores and gan erosion (ulceration of the mouth caused by gan disease), kills various parasites, and clears heat in the heart and abdomen. It is also called mountain pomegranate.

The commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says: Its branches and leaves resemble those of the pomegranate, but its flowers differ. Its fruit is small, black, and round, like the fruit of the Niu Li. It grows among mountain rocks and is found in many places; the best comes from east of Mount Xian in Xiangyang.

Under the entry “Bo Wood,” Tao Hongjing appended notes on two plants, one of which was small Bo. He said its bark was yellow, but this plant’s bark is actually white. The thorny plant now kept by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, whose leaves have many prickles, is called white thorny Bo and is not small Bo.

Chen Cangqi’s Supplement to the Materia Medica says that the bark of all Bo wood should be yellow. Since this plant’s bark is not yellow, it cannot be considered Bo wood. Small Bo resembles a pomegranate: its bark is yellow, and its red fruit resembles goji berries and is pointed at both ends. People chop up its branches to make yellow dye. If its fruit is said to be black and round, that probably refers to a different plant, not small Bo. The Tang Materia Medica was the first to append it under a related entry.

Jiamí (pronounced “mi”) is sweet and bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats the three kinds of parasites in the body and helps regulate Qi and digest food.

The commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says: Its leaves resemble those of the hibiscus or elm, and it grows as a small tree. Its fruit resembles that of Sourou: the fruits grow in pairs and in groups of four, are red, and taste sweet. The juice from boiled branches can be mixed into porridge, making it very tasty. It can also be given to children to expel and kill roundworms.

Lu Ji’s Caomu Shu records that this plant is called “Ji Mi” and is also known as “Yi Xian.” It is not included among the ingredients used in prescriptions. It probably belongs to the same kind of tree as sandalwood or elm, and is found throughout the mountain valleys.

Chen Cangqi’s Bencao says that Viburnum can be used for maggots in livestock wounds: boil it into a thick, porridge-like liquid and pour it into the wound, and the maggots will come out. Its bark can be used to twist into rope. The plant grows in the northern mountain forests.

Fengliu Bark (the bark of the fengliu tree; feng is pronounced like “wind”): pungent in taste, intensely hot in nature, and poisonous. It can be used for wind-related dental disease and toothache. It grows in Yuanzhou.

The Tang Ben Cao commentary says: Its leaves resemble those of the locust tree, its stems are reddish, its roots yellow, and its fruit ripens in the sixth month. The fruit is green and small. The bark is stripped from the stems for use.

Chen Cangqi says its medicinal nature is astringent and that it can stop watery diarrhea. Su Jing says it can reduce edema. The original text argues that edema cannot be treated with astringent medicines, and therefore Su Jing’s claim is mistaken.

Red-clawed Wood: bitter in taste, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It can treat watery diarrhea, head discomfort caused by wind, and itching of the body. It grows throughout the plains. Its fruit is sour, cold in nature, and non-toxic. Drinking the fruit juice can treat watery diarrhea; it can also be used to wash the hair and soothe itchy sores on the body. It is also called “Yang Qiu” and “Shu Zha.”

The Tang Ben Cao commentary says: This is a small tree, five or six feet tall. Its leaves resemble those of xiangrou, and its seeds resemble a tiger’s claw. The fruit is about the size of a small apple, with red tips. It grows in Shannan, Shenzhou, Anzhou, Suizhou, and other places.

Birch Bark: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It can treat various kinds of jaundice. It works well when boiled down to a strong liquid and drunk. Birch wood can be used to make candles, and the tree resembles mountain peach. Burning its resin is said to ward off ghosts.

The Yanyi says: Birch bark is burned to a black ash which, combined with other medicines, can be used to treat sudden attacks of wind toxin. Select bark with evenly distributed purplish-black markings; it can be used to cover saddles, bows, stirrups, and containers.

Ketuoteng Seed: astringent and sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It can be used for gu poison, the five hemorrhoids, throat obstruction and pain, prolapse of the anus in children, and bloody dysentery. Burn it to ash and take it. To treat blood in the stool, take one seed, cut out the pulp with a knife, roast it, and grind it into powder. Take two qian on an empty stomach, mixed with hot wine; it is said to work after no more than three doses. It can also be added to zao dou, an ancient bathing powder, to remove dark spots on the face. Its shell can be used to store alchemical medicines, which will keep without spoiling for a long time.

According to the Guangzhou Ji, Ketuoteng grows in the mountain forests south of the Five Ridges. The plant resembles a tongcao vine and takes three years to mature. When ripe, it is purplish-black. It is also called “Elephant Bean.”

Yuxi says that, according to the Rihua Zi, Ketuoteng can be used to treat “flying corpse,” a disease influence or disorder described in ancient medical texts. For medicinal use, it should first be roasted.

Fei Fruit (fei is pronounced like “bandit”): sweet in taste and non-toxic. It can treat the five hemorrhoids and expel the three worms, as well as gu poison and ghosts…

The seeds of the Chinese torreya grow in Yongchang.

Tao Hongjing says: Chinese torreya is now produced around Dongyang. Eating its seeds can treat tapeworms, intestinal parasites.

The Treatise on the Meaning of the Materia Medica says: The seeds are about the size of olives, with purplish-brown shells and oily interiors. A coarse black skin surrounds each seed, and the kernel is yellowish white. If taken for a long time, they gradually develop a sweeter, more pleasant taste. People with the five kinds of hemorrhoids can eat them regularly as fruit, as they are beneficial. Eating too many, however, loosens the bowels and can cause diarrhea.

Luanjing, the name of a plant, tastes acrid and bitter, is warm in nature, and is slightly toxic. It is used to treat severe wind disorders and various wind disorders affecting the head, face, hands, and feet. It is also used for epilepsy, madness, convulsions, damp impediment, and pain caused by cold. Folk remedies often use it, but it is not recorded in the Classic of Materia Medica, which also gives no alternative name for it. The book does mention the effects of luanhua, but that is a different plant, not the luanjing discussed here.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says: The stems and leaves of luanjing resemble those of shinan. Even after drying, its leaves curl backward, and they remain green through winter. The genuine plant is the one whose leaf surfaces have tiny black spots. This is the plant now used in Yongzhou; in Luozhou, people substitute shijing, which is incorrect. The Tang Materia Medica was the first work to add this medicine to its records.

Yuxi says: According to the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, luanjing seeds are incompatible with gypsum when used together. They taste sweet and acrid, are slightly warm, and are nontoxic. They can treat the inability to move the limbs, promote the flow of the blood vessels, brighten the eyes, and strengthen Jing (essence). Cassia seeds serve as the assistant ingredient, helping the main medicine take effect.

The bark of fuyi tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is slightly toxic. It dispels wind and invigorates the blood, and can be used for beriberi, painful numbness, sprains, and severe pain caused by blood stasis. Take the inner white bark, roast it, and soak it in wine before drinking. Alternatively, boil it with the barks of five other trees to make a decoction, then wash the feet to relieve the pain and swelling caused by beriberi. It is also used to kill “□ insects” (the character in the source appears to be missing or damaged; a marginal note gives the pronunciation as “zhisheng”). Burn the bark to ash and add it to wine to correct its flavor and keep it from spoiling over time.

Fuyi grows in the mountain valleys south of the Yangtze River. Its trunk is very large, reaching a circumference of more than ten armspans. Its leaves tremble even when there is no wind. The flowers first turn backward, then close together. The Book of Odes says, “The blossoms of the tangdi turn and twist.” Zheng Xuan’s commentary explains that tangdi is yi, also called yiyang. Cui Bao says that yiyang has round leaves and weak leaf stalks, so even a light breeze makes them sway greatly. (The material above is newly added and comes from Chen Cangqi.)

The root of yaoshi tastes acrid, is warm in nature, and is nontoxic. It treats pathogenic influences, various kinds of impediment, and aching pain. It is also used to mend injured sinews and bones and to nourish the marrow. It is also called lianmu. It grows in the mountain valleys of Shu Commandery and can be gathered at any time.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says: This medicine is actually its seed, which is now commonly used. The Hu people call it “nazhan.” It is produced in Tongzhou and Yuzhou. The Classic of Materia Medica records it as a “root,” which may be a mistaken substitution of “root” for “seed.” Yaoshi seeds taste acrid, are neutral in nature, and are nontoxic. They treat blood stagnation, stop diarrhea, reduce swelling, and can also be used to expel gu toxins, zhu disorders, and snake venom.

Gangzi: The leaves resemble apricot leaves, and the flowers are red or white. The flesh of the fruit tastes sour and sweet and can be eaten. Its kernels can also be used medicinally.

Luanhua: Bitter in taste, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It is used chiefly to treat eye pain, tearing, injuries to the corners of the eyes, and swollen eyes. It grows in the valleys around Hanzhong and is gathered in the fifth month. Cassia seed is used as an assistant ingredient, helping the principal medicine take effect in a prescription.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says: The leaves of this tree resemble those of the hibiscus, but are thinner and finer. Its flowers are yellow, like those of the Chinese scholar tree, but smaller. The fruit grows inside a husk resembling the husk of the Chinese lantern plant. Inside are fruits like cooked peas: round, black, and hard, and suitable for making prayer beads. The tree flowers in the fifth and sixth months, when it can be gathered. People in the south boil and take Luanhua together with Chinese goldthread to treat red eyes, with excellent results. The flowers can be used to dye fabric yellow, producing a vivid color.

Manjiao: Bitter in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It is used chiefly to treat painful obstruction caused by Wind, Cold, and Dampness (numbness and pain in the limbs), as well as joint pain. It can also treat coldness in the four limbs, rebellious Qi, and knee pain. It is also called Shijiao, Zhujiao, Zhijiao, and Goujiao. It grows in the valleys around Yunzhong, as well as among mounds and tombs. The stems and roots are gathered, boiled, and used to brew wine.

Tao Hongjing says: This plant is found throughout the hills and countryside. It is commonly called “jiu.” It resembles a type of Sichuan pepper, but the plant is smaller and has no fragrance; it is also called “xijiao.” It can be steamed to induce sweating in the sick.

Ganteng: Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It can harmonize the Qi of the middle burner and replenish original Qi. It is used chiefly to treat disorders of the Five Viscera, open and regulate the blood vessels and Qi, clear various heat conditions, relieve thirst and agitation, and treat “hooking Qi” of the kidneys, a disorder associated with kidney Qi. This vine grows in the valleys of Jiangnan, and its stems are as thick as an egg. If a stem is cut and air is blown in through one end, juice flows out the other; it tastes as sweet as honey. Crushed leaves applied externally can treat snakebites. It is also called Ganteng; because “gan” and “gan” sound alike, it is also called Tianteng. (This entry was added in later sources; see the Materia Medica of Chen Cangqi and the Rizhua Materia Medica.)

Chichengmu: Non-toxic. It is used chiefly to treat conditions caused by the blood toxin of donkeys or horses penetrating the flesh. Heat the wood over a fire and apply it to the affected area, or boil it and wash the area with the liquid. The sap within the tree is called “chengru” and can be used to prepare Hezhi-han, a medicinal substance. It grows in the sandy ground of Hexi. Its bark is red and its leaves are small. (This entry was appended later.)

Yuxi says: According to the Commentary on the Erya, chengmu is also called “willow of the river.” Guo Pu says it is the small poplar that now grows along riverbanks, with reddish stems. Lu Ji says it grows by the water; its bark is a deep red, like crimson silk. It is also called “Yushi.” Its branches and leaves resemble those of a pine.

The Rizhua Materia Medica says: Chichengmu is warm in nature.

Tujue Bai: Bitter in taste. It is used chiefly for metal-inflicted wounds, such as cuts from swords and other metal implements. It promotes the growth of flesh in wounds, relieves pain, strengthens the lower back, and reconnects sinews. It comes from the land of the Turks and is ash-white in color. Some say it is made by mixing lime with other medicinal substances. Local people use it to treat metal-inflicted wounds, and it is also used in the Central Plains.

This medicinal herb from Luzhou is commonly used by physicians today and is effective. Its root is yellowish white, shaped like Fuling, but hollow, loose, and soft in texture. The plant grows three or four feet tall. Leaves appear in spring and summer and resemble mint; its purple flowers resemble morning glories and have white ridges. The roots are gathered in the second and eighth months, then dried in the sun for later use. It is included here as an appendix.

Maizimu: Sweet in taste, slightly salty, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats injuries from falls and blows and blood stasis within the body. It can also join broken bones, nourish the bone marrow, relieve pain, and prevent miscarriage. It grows in mountain valleys.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Maizimu’s place of origin is not recorded in the Classic of Materia Medica. A commentary says that it comes from Qiongzhou in Jiannan. Today it grows only in Quzhou, where it is presented as tribute each year under the name “Maizimu.”

Boluo de: Pungent in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats accumulations of cold, warms the middle burner, nourishes the waist and kidneys, and disperses abdominal masses known as xianpi. It can also be used to dye the beard and hair black. The tree resembles a willow, and its fruit resembles castor beans. It grows in the Western Regions. It is included here as an appendix.

The Oceanic Materia Medica says: According to Xu, Boluo de grows in the Persian kingdom on the Western Sea and resembles the willows of the Central Plain. Physicians commonly use it.

Ganluteng: Sweet in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats disorders of wind, blood, and Qi. Taken over a long period, it can regulate the middle burner and warm and nourish the body, making a person plump and strong and improving their complexion. It can also relieve wasting thirst, moisten the five viscera, and dispel cold in the abdomen. It grows in Lingnan and is a climbing vine, with stems about as thick as chopsticks. It is also called “Fertility Vine,” because people who take it grow plump. This herb is newly added here, based on records by Chen Cangqi and Rihua Zi.

Dakong: Pungent and bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and slightly toxic. It treats the three intestinal worms and can also kill lice and nits. It grows in mountain valleys. Grind the root bark into powder, mix it with oil, and apply it to lice and nits; it kills them all.

The Tang-era commentary says: Dakong has red root bark and leaves like those of the paper mulberry, but smaller, rounder, and thicker. When fully grown, it forms a small tree six or seven feet tall. It grows in the mountain valleys of Xiangzhou and elsewhere. People in Qin and Long call it “Dukong.” This herb was first added to the Tang Materia Medica.

Chun pods: They treat bleeding from the bowels. They are now found throughout nearby regions and grow in summer. Among the trees known as chu, those that flower do not bear pods, while those that bear pods do not flower. The trees that produce pods are usually the stinking chu; I have never seen a chun tree bear pods. But ordinary people cannot distinguish chun from chu, so they commonly call these “chun pods.” In fact, they are the pods of the chu tree.

The Collected Essentials says: Chun and chu trees both have foul-smelling leaves, but one flowers and bears fruit while the other neither flowers nor bears fruit. People call the tall, straight-trunked tree that does not flower or bear fruit chun; its timber and leaves can be used. As for the tree that flowers and bears pods… The original text ends here.

A short tree with a crooked trunk is called chu. Its roots, leaves, and seed pods are all used medicinally. Some say they have never seen a chun tree produce pods, and that only chu trees do so. There is also an insect called the “chu chicken,” never the “chun chicken.” The ancients used this to explain that chu has a “chicken,” while chun does not. The distinction is clear. Since the leaves of the chun tree and the roots, leaves, and pods of the chu tree are used, they should be carefully distinguished according to this account.

Water willow leaves: The young branches and leaves taste bitter, are neutral in nature, and are nontoxic. They treat chronic diarrhea, including dysentery with red or white discharge. Pound them, add water, and strain out the juice. Take one sheng each time, twice a day; the results are very good.

The Modern Commentary says: Water willow leaves are round and broad, and its branches are short and stiff. It usually grows near water. Its form resembles that of the willow, and because it grows along the water’s edge, it is called “water willow.”

The Tang-dynasty Newly Revised Materia Medica adds:

Yanglu wood: It tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is poisonous. It treats carbuncles, fistulas, and severe sores. Boil the leaves in water and use the liquid to wash the sores; it works quickly. It grows beside hedges and is also called “kongshu.” It is found everywhere.

Dangzi: It tastes pungent, like Sichuan pepper. It treats wandering Gu, flying corpse, and other demonic illnesses, as well as cases in which pathogenic forces invade the throat or mouth. Prick the affected area, rub it with dangzi until it bleeds, and then phlegm will be vomited. A decoction can treat sudden cold abdominal pain and indigestion, and can also remove fishy odors. This is a tall tree with a thorny trunk. The account of its medicinal properties was recorded by Chen Cangqi and added to the text later.

Oak bark: It tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is nontoxic. It treats jaundice. Burn the bark to ash, then take one seventh of a fangcun spoonful at a time. Oak grows in the south and has small leaves; the wood now used to make combs is this tree. This supplementary entry is recorded by Chen Cangqi and Rihua Zi.

Huanglu: It tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is nontoxic. It clears vexing heat and relieves yellowing of the eyes caused by alcohol jaundice. It can be taken as a decoction, or used to wash burns, scalds, lacquer sores, and red eyes. It can also be used to make yellow dye. Huanglu grows in the valleys of the Shangluo mountains. Its leaves are round and its wood is yellow; it is plentiful around the Sichuan border. This supplementary entry is recorded by Chen Cangqi and Rihua Zi.

Ke-tree bark: It tastes pungent, is neutral in nature, and is slightly poisonous. It treats abdominal swelling and edema. Take the white bark, boil it, and make pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Take three at dawn, then another after a little while. The tree is also called “wood slave,” and people in the south use its wood to build large ships.

The Overseas Materia Medica, quoting the Guangzhi, says that the ke tree grows in the mountain valleys of Guangnan. The Lin Hai Gazetteer says it is the same as the wood slave tree and can treat blocked milk flow. Gather the bark, boil it in water, and strain out the dregs. Continue boiling the liquid until it thickens enough to form pills. Take three each morning on an empty stomach.

A plant that floats on water can be used to treat edema, helping the Qi causing the swelling leave the body through urination. Persian households use it to build boats.

A worn-out fan can repel mosquitoes. Dig beneath the pillars at the four corners of a newly built house and bury a fan there; mosquitoes will not enter. Burn a fan to ash, mix it with powder, and apply the mixture to the body to stop sweating. The more worn the fan, the better it works.

Yuanzi-tong, a poisonous tung tree also called Huzi-tong, is highly toxic. Pressing its seeds yields an oil that can kill rats. Applied externally, it can also treat scabies, sores caused by parasites, and toxic swellings. The tree resembles the Chinese parasol tree and grows in the mountains.

Shi-jing, a small shrub that grows by the water, is also called Luan-jing. Su Song says it is Luan-jing, but this account considers them different plants. According to the text, Shi-jing resembles the chaste tree but is shorter and grows by the water. Burning it to ash and making lye from the ash, then using the lye to wash the hair, can promote hair growth. The Guangji Prescriptions calls it Shui-jing and says it makes the hair grow longer; this refers to the same plant.

Mu-lülu and Loulu are not the same plant. Tao Hongjing says Loulu, also known as Luli, grows in the Southern Mountains. People in the south use its shoots, while those in the north use its roots; its effects are described in the Classic of Materia Medica. Mu-lülu is poisonous and is not Loulu. It is a tree resembling the evodia, about three chi tall, and is poisonous and insecticidal. People in the mountains use it to treat sores and scabies.