《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 36

Sugarcane

Sugarcane tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It mainly helps regulate the movement of Qi, harmonize the Spleen and Stomach, support the functioning of Spleen Qi, and promote the passage of the large intestine.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Earlier materia medica texts did not record which prefectures produced sugarcane. Tao Hongjing said that today the sugarcane from Jiangdong is considered the best, though Luling also produces a good variety. In Guangzhou there is a kind that grows for several years and becomes like a large bamboo, more than one zhang tall. Today, sugarcane grown in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Sichuan can also reach about one zhang in height.

Tao Hongjing also said: Sugarcane from Jiangdong is the best, though Luling also has a good variety. In Guangzhou there is a kind that grows for several years and becomes like a large bamboo, more than one zhang tall. Extracting its juice and making it into granulated sugar is very beneficial. There is another kind called di sugarcane, with widely spaced joints and a slender stalk, which can also be eaten fresh.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: There are two kinds of sugarcane. The red kind is called Kunlun sugarcane, and the white kind is called di sugarcane. Those grown in Sichuan and Lingnan are the best. Both kinds can be boiled down into granulated sugar. Sugarcane is now also plentiful in Jiangdong. Although it is not as good as that from Sichuan, it is still very sweet and was commonly boiled down into a thin sugar syrup. The milk sugar made in Kuaiji seems even better than that from Sichuan. Sugarcane relieves restlessness, quenches thirst, and counteracts alcohol toxicity.

The Rihuazi Materia Medica says: Sugarcane is cold in nature. It promotes the passage of the small intestine, regulates the movement of Qi, and can also stop dysentery, strengthen the Spleen, transform phlegm, quench thirst, and relieve vexation and heat in the heart. Made into granulated sugar, it moistens and nourishes the Heart and Lungs, expels worms, and counteracts alcohol toxicity. In the twelfth lunar month, bury sugarcane in a privy. When someone develops fever and agitation during an epidemic, squeeze out the juice and have them drink it; the effect is excellent.

The Food Remedies for the Heart says: Sugarcane regulates healthy Qi, relieves vexation and thirst, harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach, strengthens Spleen Qi, promotes the passage of the large intestine, and counteracts alcohol toxicity. Peel the sugarcane and chew it after a meal.

The Essential Secrets from Beyond the Great Tao records: To treat fever, dry mouth, and difficulty urinating, peel the sugarcane and chew it, swallowing the juice. If the mouth is painful, pound the sugarcane to extract its juice and drink it.

The Handy Prescriptions for Emergencies records: For sudden, persistent dry retching, warm half a sheng of sugarcane juice and drink it three times a day. One may also take one sheng of fresh ginger juice at the same time; recovery follows.

The Mei Master’s Prescriptions records: To treat food repeatedly coming back up from the Stomach—food eaten in the morning being vomited by evening, food eaten in the evening being vomited by morning, or continuous vomiting—take seven sheng of sugarcane juice and one sheng of ginger juice, mix them, and divide the mixture into three doses.

The Expanded Meaning says: Today, sugarcane is grown in Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, the eastern and western parts of Zhejiang, and Jiangdong…

Sugarcane can be harvested and eaten from the eighth or ninth month until the third or fourth month of the following year, when it begins to sour. Inferior stone honey, brown sugar, and sugar frosting are all made from sugarcane. The best varieties come from Sichuan and Zhejiang.

Brown sugar is sweet in flavor, cold in nature, and non-toxic. Its effects are the same as those of stone honey, but it is colder and more likely to loosen the bowels. It is made by pressing the juice from sugarcane and boiling it down. It is produced in Shu, the Western Regions, and Jiangdong.

“Ze” is pronounced “zha.”

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: For details, see the entry on sugarcane.

Yuxi says: According to Meng Shen, eating too much brown sugar can cause heart pain. It should not be eaten with crucian carp, or intestinal worms may develop; nor should it be eaten with mallow, or stagnation may form in the abdomen; it should also not be eaten with bamboo shoots, as they will be difficult to digest and may form abdominal masses, leaving the body heavy and movement difficult.

The Dietary Therapy says: Brown sugar can treat heat in the heart and dry mouth. Eating too much can cause worms, waste muscle, damage the teeth, and bring on ulceration from childhood malnutrition; it should therefore not be eaten over a long period.

The Extended Meaning says: Brown sugar is slightly less potent medicinally than stone honey. Sugarcane juice is thin, so it must be boiled repeatedly before it turns purplish-black. It can be used to treat heat disorders of the heart, lungs, and large intestine. Some people also feed it to camels and horses. Physicians today often use brown sugar to guide the effects of medicines when treating sudden attacks of fever. If children eat too much, it damages their teeth; according to the Five Phases theory, this is “Earth overcoming Water.” Brown sugar can also produce pinworms and other intestinal parasites. Both kinds of worms were assigned to “Earth” in traditional accounts, so they were thought to arise from sweet flavors.

The bei persimmon is sweet in flavor, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It treats fever that occurs after taking mineral medicines, promotes urination, and relieves heat from alcohol. Eating it over a long period causes internal cold, and it can clear heat in the stomach. It grows south of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, resembles a persimmon, and is blue-black in color. The “black bei persimmon of Lord Liang” mentioned in the Rhapsody on Leisurely Living refers to this fruit. “Bei” is pronounced “bei.”

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: For details, see the entry on persimmons.

Yuxi says: Bei persimmons quench thirst, nourish the heart and lungs, and regulate cold and heat in the abdomen. They are very effective for making lacquer. They should not be eaten with crabs, or they may cause abdominal pain and severe diarrhea.

Fruits, Lower Grade

Peach Kernel

Peach kernels are bitter and sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. They treat blood stasis, blocked channels, abdominal masses, and pathogenic influences. They can also kill small parasites, stop cough, wheezing, and upward surging of Qi, and disperse hard accumulations below the heart. They further treat sudden blood stasis and abdominal masses, regulate menstruation, and relieve pain. Collect the kernels from peaches in the seventh month and dry them in the shade.

Peach blossoms drive out retained fluid, break up urinary stones, promote urination and bowel movements, expel the three worms, and improve the complexion. Peach blossoms are bitter in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. Pick them on the third day of the third month and dry them in the shade.

Peach owls—the dried peaches that remain on the tree through winter—are bitter in flavor and slightly warm in nature. They are used to drive away and kill all kinds of ghosts and spirits.

It treats sudden abdominal pain, as well as ghosts, the Five Poisons, and inauspicious Qi. It is also called “Peach Slave,” or “Owl Shadow.” A peach that ripens on the tree but does not fall is called a peach xiao. It should be gathered in the first month of the year; full, plump fruit is preferred.

Peach fuzz treats blood stasis and clots, alternating chills and fever, accumulations that do not disperse, infertility, and vaginal discharge. It can also break up hard masses and relieve obstructions. To use it, scrape the fine hairs from the peach. According to Medicines Commonly Used for Menstrual Blockage in the Bencao (Bencao yuebi tongyong yao), peach fuzz is neutral in nature.

The peach borer is an insect that tunnels into peach trees. It can be used to drive away ghosts and ward off evil, dispelling malign influences and ill omens.

The white bark of the peach stem is bitter and pungent, and non-toxic. It expels evil spirits, treats sudden abdominal pain, and clears accumulated heat in the stomach. Peach leaves are bitter, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. They are chiefly used to treat corpse worms and can also be applied to worms in sores. Peach gum, when decocted and refined before use, is said to nourish the Spleen and Stomach, make a person less prone to hunger, and help them withstand wind and cold. Peach fruit is sour; eating too much can cause bodily heat. Peach trees grow in the mountain valleys around Mount Tai.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica (Tujing) says that peach kernels, peach blossoms, and peach fruit all come from Mount Tai, though they are now found throughout the country. Peaches from Jingdong and Shaanxi are especially large and fine. Many tasty peaches are grown in orchards by grafting peach branches onto the roots of other trees. Their fruit is succulent, but they have lost the peach tree’s original characteristics. Such peaches should not be used as medicine; choose fruit from ungrafted peach trees instead. Gather the pits in the seventh month, crack them open to remove the kernels, and dry them in the shade. Today, merchants in the capital’s markets often sell roasted peach kernels, claiming that eating them is beneficial to health. But these often include kernels from grafted peaches and are unsuitable for medicinal use.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions (Qianjin fang) records a “Peach Kernel Decoction” for treating various postpartum disorders and Qi ailments in women. Take 1,200 peach kernels, removing paired kernels, tips, and outer skins. Roast them, then pound them to a very fine powder. Grind the powder with one and a half dou of clear wine until it reaches the thickness of wheat porridge; the finer, the better. Put it in a narrow-necked porcelain jar, seal the opening with flour paste, and boil it in water for a full day and night. Once prepared, take one spoonful mixed with warm wine.

Gather peach blossoms on the third day of the third month and dry them in the shade. The Formulas for Flowers and Trees of the Great Clarity (Taiqing huimu fang) says that drinking peach blossoms steeped in wine can dispel all illnesses and improve one’s complexion. The Seaside Prescriptions of Cui Yuanliang (Cui Yuanliang haishang fang) records a treatment for sores on the face that ooze yellow fluid, or sores in the eyes: on the third day of the third month, gather any amount of peach blossoms and grind them to a fine powder. After meals, take one square-inch spoonful of the powder mixed with half a cup of water, three times a day for seven consecutive days. The results are said to be very good.

A peach that has dried up, remained on the tree through winter, and not fallen is called a peach xiao. It should be gathered in the first month of the year; fruit that is full inside is preferred. Scrape the fine hairs from the surface of the peach to treat uterine bleeding in women.

The insect that lives inside a peach tree is called the “peach-boring worm.” It is said that eating it gives the complexion a healthy glow. The peach tree’s stem is white.

Peach bark can be used to treat sudden collapse or other unusual illnesses, conditions known collectively as “zhong’e.” Peach leaves are also often boiled into a decoction and used to guide other medicines. The peach tree’s tender twigs and leaves are called “peach heart” and are considered especially potent.

When Zhang Wenzhong treated epidemic diseases, he once used the “Imperial Physician Zhi’s Peach-Leaf Decoction Fumigation Method.” Take one dan of water and boil peach leaves in it until seven dou remain. Surround the person with mats, cover them with bedding, and place the hot peach-leaf decoction beneath the bed mat to fumigate the body. After a while, when the whole body has sweated, remove the decoction. Wait briefly for the sweating to subside, then quickly dust the body with powder and apply moxibustion to Dazhui, the acupoint at the base of the back of the neck. The illness will then be cured.

The Classic of Chen Linqiu’s Steaming Method says that people who have tried repeatedly to induce sweating but cannot sweat may be in danger; the steaming method can be used. The procedure is similar to that for treating windstroke. Zhang Miao once treated a man who had overexerted himself, then slept on an uncovered mat after sweating and caught a chill. He felt cold and exhausted. Over four days, the sweating method was used eight times, but he still could not sweat. Later, the ground was heated, and he was steamed with peach leaves. At last he broke into a heavy sweat. Powder was then dusted over him under the covers, and once his body was dry, he recovered. After this, whenever the method was used to induce sweating, the steaming was done over heated ground, which was considered highly effective.

The Formula for Certain Effect records a treatment for gu poisoning, an illness that people in antiquity attributed to toxins or sorcery. Take equal amounts of euphorbia root, white peach-tree bark from the east-facing side of the tree, and cantharides, with the legs and wings removed. Dry the three ingredients over low heat and grind them into a fine powder. Take half a square-inch spoonful with cold water. If the poison is not expelled, the dose may be repeated. Li of Raozhou said the method was very effective: if the poisoning was caused by alcohol, take the powder with alcohol; if it was caused by food, take it with a drink.

Peach gum is also used in medicines taken by mouth and in elixir recipes. Take twenty jin of peach gum, place it in a silk bag, and boil it in one dan of oak-ash lye until it comes to a boil three to five times. Remove the bag and hang it high to dry. Boil and dry it again, repeating this process three times in all. Finally, dry the gum in the sun, sift it into a fine powder, and mix it with honey. Take twenty pills on an empty stomach with wine; each pill should be the size of a chinaberry seed. It is said that taking it for a long time can enable one to become an immortal and depart.

Peach gum can also be used to treat stone strangury, a condition in which sand or stones are passed during urination. The Collected Proven Prescriptions, Ancient and Modern records the following: take a piece of peach gum the size of a date and dissolve it in three he of cold water in summer or three he of hot water in winter. Take it three times daily, and stop once all the stones have passed. Peaches should not be eaten in excess, as they tend to make the body feel hot.

Tao Hongjing said that peach trees grow everywhere, and those produced in Jingkou are also very good. The best peaches to plant are those that split open naturally, exposing the pit. There is also the mountain peach, whose fruit is not good to eat. Peach kernels can be used to make fermented milk, and some say that peaches are cool in nature. Peach gum is also taken by practitioners seeking immortality; it is gathered on the third day of the third lunar month.

Peach blossoms can also be used as ingredients in alchemical preparations. An old formula says that swallowing the blossoms of three peach trees will make one’s complexion as rosy as a peach blossom, though apparently no one has tried it. Practitioners also say that when taking magical or dietary Daoist remedies, one should avoid eating peaches.

The Tang Materia Medica says: Peach gum tastes bitter, is neutral in nature, and is not toxic. It can treat stone strangury, blood stasis, and sudden illness caused by an invasion of malign influences. Peach blossoms dispel malign influences within the body, reduce swelling, and promote urination and bowel movements.

Yuxi says that, having consulted the Treatise on the Nature of Medicine, he found that it describes peach kernels as medicinal assistants and peachwood talismans as a treatment for sudden illness caused by malign influences.

The Rihuazi says: Peaches are hot in nature and slightly toxic. Eating many can give the complexion a rosy glow, but can also readily cause internal heat. Peach gum naturally dried on the tree can treat impaired lung Qi, lower back pain, malign ghostly influences, blood stasis, and heart pain. Grind it with wine and take it warm. Peach leaves are warm in nature and can treat malign influences, childhood chills and fever, and sudden fright or illness in children. Peach fuzz can treat profuse uterine bleeding outside the menstrual period and disperse abdominal masses. Eating peach borers can make a person plumper and improve their complexion.

The Baopuzi says: Soak peach gum in mulberry ash and take it to cure all kinds of illness. After taking it, the body becomes light and healthy, with a radiant sheen; it can even glow in the dark and eliminate the need for food.

The Record of Seasonal Customs in Jingchu recounts that when Xie Daotong climbed Mount Luofu, he saw several boys posting peachwood boards inscribed with “Song Shu” on a doorway. After returning, Daotong wrote the same words on paper and posted it on his door. Ghosts were frightened when they saw it.

Master Sun says: Peaches taste pungent and are suitable for people with lung disease. Another account says that peaches taste sour and are not toxic, but eating many can cause internal heat. He also says peaches can treat blockages of the small and large intestines: pound peach leaves, extract the juice, and take half a sheng; in winter, use peach bark instead.

The Formulas of Sagely Benefit records a remedy to strengthen deficient Heart Qi and treat forgetfulness, helping the ears hear clearly and the eyes see sharply: on a day of the Wu-Zi cycle, take a three-cun length of a peach branch growing toward the east and place it beside the pillow. The Supplement to the Essential Formulas of a Thousand Gold Pieces records the same remedy. Another formula treats a mass below the heart known as “hidden beam”: grind three liang of peach infants—unripe, withered peaches still on the tree—into a fine powder, and take two qian and seven fen on an empty stomach, mixed with warm wine.

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library records a treatment for cholera, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea: take three sheng of chopped peach leaves, add five sheng of water, and boil until reduced to one sheng and three ge. Divide into two portions and take warm. Another formula treats “bone steaming,” a condition describing deficiency heat that feels as though the bones are steaming: take 120 peach kernels, remove their skins while leaving the tips where the two kernels remain joined, and pound them into pills. Take the entire dose in the morning with freshly drawn well water. After taking it, drink wine until drunk, according to one’s constitution, and drink as much water as possible. Take another dose the following day, and do not eat meat for one hundred days. Another formula uses…

Soak peach blossoms in wine. After drinking it, people say, one can be rid of all illnesses and gain a rosy complexion. It is also said that taking peach kernels can prolong life.

The Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold records a treatment for stiffness of the head and neck caused by pathogenic wind, when the patient cannot turn their head to look around. Dig a pit and heat it until it is red-hot, then sprinkle it with water to cool it. Line the bottom with peach leaves and have the patient lie down with their neck resting on them. Cover the area around the neck with clothing so the heat can steam it. After the patient has sweated, wait a little longer; the illness will then be cured.

The Supplement to Formulas Worth a Thousand Gold records that peach kernels can help prolong life, dispel wind, and give the complexion a healthy sheen. Take five ge of peach kernels, remove their skins, and grind them finely with the liquid from cooked polished rice. Then pound them with rice-washing water and strain out the juice, continuing until all the kernels have been used. Warm the juice slightly and wash the face with it; the results are said to be excellent. Another formula says: On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, before sunrise, gather a peach branch growing toward the east. Carve it into a small wooden figure three cun long, dress it in clothing, and tuck it into your belt. This is said to prevent forgetfulness.

The Handbook of Remedies for Emergencies records that what are called “corpse affliction” and “ghost affliction,” Ge Hong says, are among the “Five Corpse” disorders, or may be caused by the mischief of ghosts. These ailments are said to take many forms, with thirty-six varieties, or even ninety-nine. They generally involve chills, persistent discomfort, and a heavy, dulled spirit, while the patient cannot say exactly what is wrong; every part of the body feels unwell. The illness may last for years or months, gradually worsen, and eventually cause death. Afterward, it may spread to others and even make the whole family ill. At the first sign of such symptoms, treatment should begin at once: pound fifty peach kernels, add water, and boil them down to four sheng. Drink the entire amount at once. The patient should vomit afterward. If the pathogenic influence has not been fully expelled and there is still no vomiting after two or three days, take another dose. Another formula says: For sudden heart pain, take a handful of peach branches growing toward the east, chop them, and simmer them in one sheng of wine until reduced to half a sheng. Drink it all at once; it is said to work very well.

The Formulas of Master Ge records that for a sudden outbreak of luochuang (a kind of skin sore), especially when sores appear symmetrically on both feet, peach leaves can be pounded and mixed with vinegar, then applied to the affected areas. The leaves can also be applied directly. Another formula says that for a child’s swollen testicles, pound peach kernels and apply them as a poultice. They may also be used for swelling, dryness, and itching of the female genital area. A further formula says that if bleeding continues after childbirth, burn a dried peach that has withered on the tree but has not fallen off to ash, then mix the ash with water and drink it; this is said to stop the bleeding. For painful swelling of the genital area after childbirth, roast peach kernels and apply them.

The Mei Family Formulas records that if an insect gets into the ear, soften a peach leaf by rubbing it and place it in both ears; the insect will come out. Another formula says that for a bite from a rabid dog, take a handful of white peach-tree bark, boil it in three sheng of water until reduced to one sheng, and drink it.

The Food Therapy Handbook records that this formula treats rebellious upward-moving Qi, coughing, fullness and distension in the chest and diaphragm, and shortness of breath…

Two liang of peach kernels, with the skins and tips removed. Grind them with one sheng of water and take the juice. Cook it with two ge of polished rice into a porridge and eat.

Another recipe: For toxic swellings, pain, and spasms caused by wind pathogens or overexertion, or for pain that radiates to the lower abdomen or waist, take one sheng of peach kernels, remove the skins and tips, and dry-fry them until black smoke rises. While still hot, grind and pound them into a greasy paste. Mix with three sheng of wine, strain, and drink until perspiration breaks. At most, two doses should bring a cure.

The Fever and Cold Ailments Essentials records a treatment for jaundice in which the body and eyes turn golden yellow. When taking the medicine, women, chickens, and dogs must not see it being prepared or taken. Take the root of a peach tree growing eastward and cut it into thin strips, about the thickness of chopsticks or a hairpin. Take a handful, add one large sheng of water, and boil until only one small sheng remains. Let it cool slightly, then drink it all at once on an empty stomach. After three to five days, the yellow color will gradually fade like a thin cloud. Once the final dose has been taken, the illness will be cured; the body will take about one hundred days to recover fully. After the yellow color on the body has faded, one may regularly drink a cup of clear wine. It is said that this helps the yellow color in the eyes disappear; without wine, it fades more slowly. Avoid hot noodles, pork, fish, and similar foods. This is a secret family recipe passed down by Xu Zhicai’s family.

Another recipe: During an epidemic, regularly take the branches of a peach tree growing eastward, chop them up, and boil them in water for bathing. This is said to work well.

The Secret Record of Mother and Child records a treatment for swelling of the genital area: pound peach kernels and apply them to the affected area.

Another recipe: When sores first appear on a child, blisters may form on them that look like burns. These are called “ulcerating sores.” Pound peach kernels, mix them with facial cream, and apply the mixture to the affected area.

The Cui Family Recipe records a treatment for severe pain in the heart and abdomen caused by “ghost intrusion” (an illness that, according to ancient belief, resulted from harmful spirits invading the body). Take a branch from a peach tree growing eastward, scrape off the green outer bark, and take a handful of the white inner bark. Add two sheng of water and boil until half a sheng remains. Drink it all, and the illness should be cured. If the pain has not eased, take another dose.

A recipe for treating malaria: Take one hundred peach kernels, remove the skins and tips, and grind them finely into a paste in a mortar, taking care not to let any raw water touch them. Add three qian of litharge and form the mixture into pills the size of parasol-tree seeds. Take three pills on the day the malaria attack occurs, facing north and washing them down with warm wine. Those who do not drink wine may use the droplets that gather on the surface of well water. Prepare the pills at noon on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and do not let chickens, dogs, or women see them being made.

The Classic of Arts and Techniques says, “The peach is the essence of the Five Trees.” People today hang peach-wood charms on their doors to drive away evil influences; the peach tree is an immortal tree.

The Expanded Materia Medica says: There are also many varieties of peach tree from which peach kernels come. Near the capital there is a kind of nectarine: its fruit is smooth-skinned and smaller than ordinary peaches, and is harmful to the spleen. Its skin has red spots and a glossy surface, as though coated with oil. In the mountains there is another kind of peach, the very one referred to in the Monthly Ordinances when it says, “The peach begins to blossom,” though it has many flowers…

Varieties of peach with little flesh are not suitable for eating; they are used only for their kernels as medicine. The Tang Anthology says that the wild peach with red blossoms is this kind. Taiyuan also has a golden peach, deep yellow in color, while Xijing has a Kunlun peach with purplish-red flesh. Both are especially sweet. There is also a flatbread peach, shaped like the sesame cakes made today. Of these kinds, only peaches that grow wild in the mountains are genuine medicinal stock, because the purpose in using them is to disperse and drive out what obstructs, not to choose varieties with abundant, fine fruit.

For example, when a patient with cold damage reaches the eighth or ninth day and has a fever so high as to seem delirious, with no improvement in the illness, fullness and pain in the lower abdomen, and stagnant blood, use thirty peach kernels. Remove their skins and tips, then stir-fry them with bran until red and grind them separately. Take thirty gadflies, with their wings removed, and twenty leeches, and fry them separately. Grind these with one liang of Sichuan rhubarb, then combine with the peach kernels and pound until evenly mixed. Form the mixture with refined honey into pills the size of small beans. Take twenty pills at a time with a decoction of peach kernels. If stagnant blood and foul-smelling matter are discharged afterward, the illness will be cured. If nothing is discharged, take another dose.

Apricot Kernel

Apricot kernel tastes sweet and bitter and is warm in nature; some say it is cool, slippery, and purgative, and that it is toxic. It treats coughing, rebellious Qi, a thunderous sound in the throat, throat impediment (painful swelling and obstruction of the throat), and upward-surging asthma. It is also used to direct Qi downward, induce childbirth, treat metal wounds (injuries caused by swords and other blades), coldness in the heart, running-piglet disorder (Qi surging from the lower abdomen up into the chest), convulsions, vexing heat below the heart, and wind disorders that come and go, as well as seasonal headaches. It can also disperse pathogenic influences at the body’s surface and counter dog venom. It is harvested in the fifth month. Two kernels growing together inside a single shell can kill a person and can also be used to poison a dog.

Apricot blossoms taste bitter and are non-toxic. They treat bodily weakness and deficiency, as well as alternating chills and fever, impediment disorders, and disordered Qi in women caused by internal injury.

Apricot fruit tastes sour. Eating too much can damage the sinews and bones. Apricots from the mountain valleys of Jin are considered good. They are compatible with fire and incompatible with Scutellaria, Astragalus, and kudzu root. They can counter tin poisoning and are inhibited by rangcao.

The Illustrated Classic says: Apricot kernels come from the mountain valleys of Jin and are now found everywhere. There are several varieties of apricot. The yellow, round kind is called the golden apricot; tradition says its seeds came from Mount Fenliu in Jinan Commandery, where local people call it the “Han Emperor’s apricot.” Many are now grown around the capital, and they ripen earliest. The flat, blue-greenish-yellow kind is called the wood apricot. It tastes sour and is inferior to the golden apricot. For medicinal use, apricot kernels brought from the east are now considered better. Apricots grown in household gardens may be used, but mountain apricots are unsuitable as medicine.

Liu Yuxi’s Prescriptions Passed Down as Reliable records a pill for treating cough and strengthening the lungs: take three sheng of apricot kernels, removing unsuitable mountain apricot kernels, double kernels (two kernels inside one shell), and old, spoiled kernels. Soak them in one sheng of a young boy’s urine—seven days in spring and summer, fourteen days in autumn and winter. Place them, with their skins and tips still on, in a sand…

Grind the basin fruit (the name of a medicinal ingredient; the method continues from the preceding text, and its full preparation is not given here) into a fine powder. Strain out the juice and boil it until bubbles like fish eyes appear. When it softens to a paste-like consistency, it is ready. While boiling, stir from time to time with a willow-wood spatula so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Then strain it through a horsehair sieve or coarse cloth, dry it in the sun, and roll it into pills. Take thirty to fifty pills before or after meals, as appropriate, with tea or wine. Do not take them with plain water or gruel; “gruel” here means rice water. Cover the medicine with paper throughout soaking and preparation to keep dust out. If you do not have a horsehair sieve, you can strain it through a coarse cloth bag, as when making date paste.

Tao Hongjing says: Apricot kernels are found everywhere and are commonly used in prescriptions. Before use, soak them in hot water, remove their tips and skins, then dry-fry them until yellow.

Chen Cangqi says: In addition to their usual effects, apricot kernels can kill parasites. Roast them until the smoke is nearly gone, then grind them finely into an oily paste. Wrap the paste in something and place it in a cavity caused by tooth decay. It may also be used for itchy sores caused by parasites around the birth passage, especially when the itching is unbearable. If a person or animal has a sore affected by pathogenic wind, take skinned apricot kernels, dry-fry them until reddish, and grind them with powdered cinnamon into a paste. Wrap it in cotton to make a finger-sized plug and hold it in the mouth. This can clear the throat and treat throat obstruction, excess phlegm, coughing, heat and congestion in the throat, and throat sores. Simmer apricot kernels with cream until thick, then take the resulting paste to moisten the five viscera, resolve phlegm, and relieve coughing. Apricot kernels may be eaten raw or cooked, but eating them half-raw and half-cooked can be fatal.

Rihua says: Apricot kernels are hot in nature and poisonous. Do not eat too many, or they may damage the spirit.

Yuxi says: According to the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, apricot kernels can treat obstruction in the abdomen, induce sweating, and treat warm diseases. They can also ease urgent, distended pain below the heart and vexation in the chest and abdomen, as well as coughing caused by Lung Qi, rebellious Qi, and labored breathing. Taken with a decoction of asparagus root, they moisten the heart and lungs. Apricot kernels can also be made into a soup with fermented milk to moisten the voice and breath, but taking it after it has stood overnight may bring on cold Qi.

Lei Gong says: To prepare apricot kernels, first soak them briefly in boiling water, remove the skins and tips, then split them in two. Put the kernels, white flint, and black beans into a pot, cover them with running water from the east, and boil from the hour of the Snake until the hour of the Horse. When the kernels turn brownish yellow, remove the tips and use them. For every pound of apricot kernels, use one pound of white flint and three ge of black beans, adding water as needed. It is said this prevents the medicine from becoming pale in color, which might otherwise provoke a blood disorder.

Meng Shen says: For facial spots caused by heat toxins, take skinned apricot kernels, crush them, and mix them evenly with egg white. Apply the mixture to the face at night, then wash it off the next morning with warm rice wine. If someone suddenly loses their voice, take three parts apricot kernels, remove the skins and tips, and dry-fry them until cooked. Then take one part cinnamon and crush it, and mix it with the apricot kernels…

Grind almonds into a paste, wrap it in cotton, and hold it in the mouth, swallowing it slowly. Take it five times during the day and at night … .

The Three Cautions records a treatment for Qi stagnation and obstruction in the chest and abdomen: make pills from almonds, tangerine peel, cassia heart (the central part of the cinnamon bark), and chebulic myrobalan peel (the fruit’s outer skin). Take thirty pills on an empty stomach. There are no dietary restrictions. Another method is to burn almonds until the smoke has ceased, grind them into a paste, wrap the paste in cotton, and insert it into a woman’s vagina to treat “worm sores,” a disorder named in the original text whose precise meaning is unclear.

The Golden-Efficacy Formula records a highly effective treatment for chronic Lung Qi illness and rapid, labored breathing. Take two liang of almonds, remove the skins and tips, and soak them in a boy’s urine for one day. In summer, change the urine three or four times a day. After soaking for half a month, remove the almonds, dry them over low heat, and grind them finely. Take an amount the size of a jujube pit, together with one slice of mint and honey the size of a chicken’s egg. Add one medium cup of water and decoct until reduced to seven-tenths. Drink warm after a meal. In severe cases, two doses may be enough to bring recovery, and the text says the illness will not recur. Avoid fishy foods.

The Dietary Therapy says that almonds treat headache caused by Heat-Wind. Another method is to burn almonds until the smoke has ceased, remove the skins, wrap them in tangled hair, and bite down with the bundle beneath the affected tooth; the toothache will stop. This can also draw out various worms and dispel Wind, after which the condition will heal. In severe cases, take the remedy once more at most.

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library records a treatment for hemiplegia caused by one-sided Wind, as well as loss of voice and inability to speak: swallow seven raw almonds without removing the skins or tips. Take them daily, gradually increasing the amount from seven to forty-nine. After taking them for seven days, begin again from the start. Take them after meals with bamboo sap; the amount of bamboo sap is unrestricted. Prepare one sheng each day and continue until it is used up.

Another formula treats deafness. Take seven almonds, remove the skins, crush them, and divide them into three portions, each wrapped in cotton. Also take a pinch of salt the size of a small bean. Place the packets in a container and steam it in a rice steamer. When the rice is cooked, remove the container. Have the patient lie on their side. Take one packet, twist and squeeze it together with its cotton wrapping, and drip the oily liquid into the ear. After a while, use another packet in the same way.

The Thousand-Coin Formula records a treatment for cough that gradually worsens in the morning and evening, accompanied by aversion to cold, fever, irritability, a dull complexion, and steadily diminished appetite, with symptoms resembling a strong, tense Lung pulse. Take half a jin of almonds, remove the skins and tips, place them in a jar, and soak them for seven days in two dou of a boy’s urine. Remove the almonds and discard the urine, then rinse them in warm water and grind them into a paste in a sand basin. Put the paste in a porcelain jar, add three sheng of a boy’s urine, and simmer until it becomes a thick paste. According to the severity of the illness, take one qian at a time with warm water. The text says this remedy is especially suitable for women and unmarried girls.

Another formula treats sudden attacks of … .

For swelling of the head and face after a stroke, pound almonds into a paste and apply it to the affected area. Another method is used for swelling caused by tetanus: apply a thick layer of almond paste, then light a candle and warm the affected area from a distance.

The Zhouhou Fang says: For redness, swelling, and pain around the anus, roast almonds, pound them into a paste, and apply it to the affected area.

The Meishi Fang says: If dog meat fails to digest, causing hardness or fullness below the heart, dry mouth, sudden fever, and delirious speech, take one sheng of almonds, remove their skins, and boil them in three sheng of water. Once the mixture boils, strain out the solids and drink the liquid in three portions, continuing until the undigested meat has passed.

The Shiyi Xinjing Fang says: For labored breathing, bodily swelling, and difficulty urinating, take one liang of almonds, remove the tips and skins, roast and grind them, then cook them with rice as a porridge. Cook thoroughly and eat two he of it on an empty stomach.

Another prescription says: For persistent bleeding from the five types of hemorrhoids, take almonds and remove the tips, skins, and kernels in which the two halves have grown together. Grind them with one sheng of water and strain. Boil the liquid until it has reduced by half, then add rice and cook it into porridge. Let it cool and eat it on an empty stomach.

Another prescription says: Almonds can regulate Qi, treat coughs, dispel wind, and also treat “pheasant disease,” an old disease name whose precise meaning is unclear. Take one liang of almonds, remove the skins and tips, separate any double kernels, and pound them. Grind them with three sheng of water and strain the liquid into a pot. Stir it quickly and continuously with a spoon. Boil until reduced to one-third of its original volume, then let it cool and drink it slowly. If it is not fully cooked, or if it is drunk while hot, it will cause vomiting.

The Guangli Fang says: For a raised growth of flesh that appears after an eye injury, take seven raw almonds, remove their skins, and chew them finely. Spit them into your palm, then use cotton wrapped around the end of a chopstick, while still warm, to dab the mixture onto the growth. Four or five applications should be effective.

The Zimu Milu Fang says: For a child’s navel that has become red and swollen, pound almonds into a fatty paste, mix it with bodily secretions, and apply it to the swollen navel.

The Shanghan Leiyao Fang says: If exertion or eating worsens a warm disease, take five liang of almonds and two sheng of vinegar. Boil them until reduced to one sheng, then drink the mixture. The illness will resolve after sweating.

The Yanyi says: For a dog bite, take enough almonds to match the size of the wound, chew them thoroughly, and apply them to the broken skin. Bind the area with cloth and leave it until the wound has healed. It is said to cause no adverse effects. Almonds can also be made into a medicinal syrup: take one sheng of peeled almonds, grind them, and add one and a half sheng of water. Stir repeatedly and squeeze out the thick liquid. Add four liang of raw honey and one stalk of licorice root, about one qian. Place the mixture in a silver or stone vessel and simmer over low heat until it becomes a thin paste. Store it in a porcelain container. After meals or before sleep, take one spoonful mixed with a little butter and boiling water. This prescription is used for dry lungs, wheezing cough with fever, and constipation caused by dryness in the large intestine. It can moisten the Five Zang organs. If none of these symptoms are present, it may also be taken mixed with salt.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is sweet and sour in flavor and non-toxic. It treats dryness of the throat and thirst, but harms the lungs and should not be eaten.

The fruit and rind of sour pomegranate can treat diarrhea and stop involuntary seminal emission. Its roots growing eastward can treat roundworms and tapeworms.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: In earlier times, no particular prefecture or county was recorded as the place of origin of the An pomegranate (pomegranate). Some say it originated in the Western Regions. In a letter to his younger brother Lu Yun, Lu Ji wrote that Zhang Qian spent eighteen years on a mission beyond the Han realm and brought back the Tulin An pomegranate. Today it is cultivated everywhere. It is also called Danruo; the Guangya calls it Ruoliu.

The pomegranate tree is not especially tall. Its branches grow close to the trunk and may sprout from near the ground, so it often grows as a clump. It is easy to propagate: break off a branch, bend it down into the soil, and it will take root. Its flowers are yellow or red, and its fruit is either sweet or sour. The sweet fruit can be eaten as it is, while the sour fruit can be used medicinally. Eating too much pomegranate can harm the lungs. Roots growing eastward and the rind can be used to kill parasites and are also included in preparations for dyeing beards, hair, and teeth. Double-flowered pomegranate blossoms can treat internal heat in the heart, vomiting blood, and nosebleeds. Dry the flowers in the sun, grind them into powder, and blow the powder into the nose; it takes effect quickly.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Pomegranate rind, used as a medicinal ingredient, tastes sour and is non-toxic. It can treat wind affecting the sinews and bones, weakness in the lower back and legs, and cramping and pain in the sinews and vessels when walking. It can also astringe the intestines and stop red-and-white dysentery (diarrhea with blood or mucus in the stool). Another prescription says that pomegranate juice can stop watery eyes and treat involuntary seminal emission. The green root can be used in formulas for dyeing beards.

Tao Hongjing says: Pomegranate flowers are bright red and lovely, so people often grow the tree, and foreign peoples especially prize it. Only the root and rind are used medicinally. Pomegranates are either sweet or sour; medicinal formulas use the sour kind, while those taking nourishing substances should avoid the sweet kind.

Lei Gong says: When using pomegranate rind, leaves, or roots, do not let them touch iron utensils. Whether the rind is fresh or dried, first soak it overnight in jiangshui (fermented rice water), then strain it the next day. The soaking water will look like ink. Branches, roots, and leaves should likewise be soaked overnight in jiangshui before use.

Meng Shen says: Pomegranate is warm in nature. Eating too much can damage the teeth and turn them black. Roast pomegranate rind until yellow, pound it into powder, and use date flesh to form pills. Take three pills on an empty stomach, twice a day, to treat red-and-white dysentery and abdominal pain. To treat red-and-white dysentery, take one sour pomegranate, pound it with the seeds, and drink the juice all at once.

Cui Yuanliang’s Prescriptions from the Sea records: To treat metal-inflicted wounds caused by knives or axes, take one sheng of lime and half a jin of pomegranate flowers, pound them into powder, apply a little to the wound, and press it for a while. The bleeding will stop and the wound will begin to heal. Another prescription treats tapeworms: take one sheng of sour pomegranate root growing toward the southeast and chop it up; roots growing in that direction are preferred. Add two sheng and three ge of water and boil. Take…

The previous passage said that after boiling the medicinal liquid down to eight ge (about half a bowl), it should be strained to remove the dregs, then a little rice added and cooked into thin porridge. Taken on an empty stomach, it will cause the parasites to be expelled.

There is another kind of wild pomegranate, a small variety that resembles the common pomegranate but is much smaller and does not form fruit chambers. It is common around Qingzhou and Qizhou, in what is now central Shandong. It is not used as medicine; it is only preserved in honey and eaten as fruit. Someone once sent some to the capital, and it tasted very good.

The Baiyi Fang treats ding sores, a kind of red, swollen, hard, toxic ulcer, as follows: first prick the skin around the sore with a needle, then apply pomegranate powder to it. Make a ring around the sore with flour paste, and apply moxibustion within the ring until pain is felt. After moxibustion, pack the medicinal powder onto the sore, cover it at once, and leave it overnight. The sore will then come away on its own, roots and all.

The Jingyan Fang says its treatment for chronic diarrhea caused by intestinal weakness is remarkably effective. Take one pomegranate, break it open, and roast it in a heap of charcoal until the smoke stops, then remove it at once. Do not let it burn to white ash. Cover it with a porcelain bowl and leave it overnight to dispel the fire toxicity, then grind it into powder. Boil one segment of a vinegar-preserved pomegranate in a bowl of water. Take two qian of the powder with the liquid, and the diarrhea will stop.

A prescription by Sun Zhenren (Sun Simiao) says that eating pomegranate harms the lungs. Another of his prescriptions treats deafness: in the eighth or ninth month, take a pomegranate and cut a pellet-sized hole in its top, keeping the piece as a lid. Fill it with rice vinegar and replace the lid. Seal the pomegranate tightly in kneaded dough so that no vinegar can leak out, then roast it in hot ashes until the dough is cooked. Add a little powder made from black plums and Xianyaozi, and put drops of the medicinal liquid into the ear. Do not turn your head carelessly, or you may feel pain in your brain; there is no need to be alarmed. Apply the drops for three nights in a row, then treat the other ear in the same way. The results are good. Another of his prescriptions says that blood appearing before a bowel movement can make a person’s complexion turn yellow. Grind pomegranate peel into powder and take it with a decoction of eggplant stems.

The Shiquan Fang treats tapeworms with a handful of sour pomegranate roots that grow toward the east. Wash and chop the roots, add three sheng of water, and boil until the liquid is reduced to less than half a bowl. Strain out the dregs and drink it warm at the start of the fifth watch, between three and five in the morning. By daybreak, a large mass of worms will be expelled, removing them completely. Eat porridge that day to regain strength.

The Gujin Luyan Fang treats disorders caused by cold and heat being out of balance, including watery diarrhea and the discharge of red, white, green, or yellow matter. Take the seeds of five sour pomegranates, pound them with their shells, and squeeze out two sheng of juice. Drink five he each time. Once all two sheng have been taken, the diarrhea will stop. For children, give two or three he as appropriate.

The Yanyi says that the An pomegranate comes in sour and mild varieties. Its flowers are single-petaled, and it bears fruit as the flowers bloom. The seeds inside the fruit are red, and many small branches grow beside it. After autumn, rain can cause the fruit to split open on its own. Daoists call it “the wine of the Three Corpses,” saying that when the Three Corpses—the three divine worms believed to dwell in the human body and watch for a person’s misdeeds—obtain this fruit, they are restrained.

The most abundant pomegranates are produced in Heyin County. Another variety has seeds that are clear and white, like crystal, and tastes sweet; it is called “crystal pomegranate.” Only the peel of sour pomegranates can be used together with medicines for stopping diarrhea. For best results, choose peel from an old tree’s fruit that has been stored for a long time. Lightly roast the peel, grind it into a fine powder, and use cooked millet rice to form pills about the size of parasol tree seeds. Before meals, take thirty to fifty pills with hot rice water, adjusting the amount to what feels right. If the symptoms involve coldness and persistent, uncontrolled diarrhea, double the amounts of aconite and red halloysite.

Pears

Pears taste sweet and slightly sour and are cold in nature. Eating too many can make the body cold. People with metal-inflicted wounds, such as cuts from swords or knives, and nursing women should especially avoid them.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Earlier materia medica texts did not record which prefectures and counties produced pears. Today they are found everywhere, though the varieties differ. The common varieties used by physicians are milk pear and goose pear. Milk pears come from Xuancheng; they have thick skins, firm flesh, and a rich flavor that lingers. Goose pears come from the prefectures near the capital and the area around the Northern Capital. Their skins are thin and their juice abundant. Their flavor is less rich than that of milk pears, but their fragrance is stronger. Prescriptions for ailments such as coughs, wind-heat, and excessive phlegm often use these two kinds of pear. There are many other varieties, including water pear, xiao pear, purple-coal pear, red pear, sweet-tang pear, and Yu’er pear, but none is known to be used medicinally.

For sudden redness of the eyes accompanied by a fleshy growth on the eye’s surface and pain when sitting or lying down, take a fine pear, crush it, and squeeze out the juice. Crush three sprigs of coptis, wrap them in cotton, and soak the bundle in the pear juice. When the cotton has changed color, lie on your back and drip the juice into the eye.

There is also a purple-flowered pear that can treat vexing heat in the heart. Emperor Wuzong of Tang once suffered from this condition, and many physicians were unable to cure him. A Daoist named Xing from Mount Qingcheng squeezed the juice from a purple-flowered pear and presented it to the emperor, who recovered. Later, the emperor asked for more, but none could be found. A tree was suddenly discovered in Changshan, and its pears were packed and sent as tribute. The emperor ate them several times, and his agitation eased considerably. Years later, the pear tree withered, and no new trees grew from it. For this reason, people can no longer use this pear today.

The Tang Bencao Commentary says: Slice a pear thinly and place the slices over scalds from hot water or fire. This can prevent the wound from breaking open, reduce pain, and help it heal readily. Pears can also treat heat cough and relieve thirst. Pear leaves can treat vomiting and persistent diarrhea caused by cholera; boil them and drink the liquid.

Another materia medica commentary says: There are several kinds of pear. Xiao pear tastes sweet, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It can treat accumulated heat within the body and loss of speech after a stroke. It can also be used for fever in cold damage, heat caused by mineral medicines, fright-related disorders, cough, and wasting thirst, and can promote urination and bowel movements. Green pears and mao pears are not suitable for medicinal use. Mulberry pears should be eaten only after being cooked with honey, which can ease dry mouth; eating them raw does not… The source text ends here.

Eating a small amount of plums benefits the body, but plums are cooling in nature and should not be eaten in excess, or they may harm the Spleen and Stomach.

Ri Hua Zi says: Pears are cold in nature and non-toxic. They can dispel wind, treat coughs and asthma, ease the agitation caused by febrile illness, and clear heat that has become congested in the chest. Boiling pears into a drinkable syrup can help bring up phlegm caused by wind.

The Dietary Therapy says: People with wounds from blades or swords, and women who have recently given birth, must not eat pears; this is strongly contraindicated.

The Bei Meng Suo Yan records: A court official fell ill. After examining him, the medical officer Liang Fengyu said that his wind illness was already severe and urged him to return home at once. The official later sought treatment from Zhao E, a veterinarian from Fuzhou. Zhao’s assessment was the same as Liang’s: the illness was critical, and there was only one remedy. He advised the official to try eating crisp pears, in unlimited quantity, chewing and swallowing them without squeezing out the juice. After returning home, the official ate only crisp pears for ten days in a row, and his condition soon cleared and improved.

The Mei Shi Formula records a treatment for cholera with heart pain and diarrhea but no sweating: take a large handful of pear leaves and twigs, add two sheng of water, and boil it down to one sheng. Drink it. The text also says not to eat pears in the first or second lunar month.

The Qian Xianggong Formula records: When a child has an attack of cold-induced abdominal pain accompanied by profuse sweating, simmer pear leaves until the liquid is concentrated, then take seven ge of the juice at once. Adjust the dose as needed, dividing it into three or four doses at most.

The Yan Yi says: Eating too many pears can harm the Spleen and Stomach, while eating too few may fail to treat the illness. The amount should therefore be judged carefully when pears are used medicinally. Pears are especially suitable for people who feel vexed and thirsty after drinking alcohol, but they should not on that account be regarded as a medicine that cures illness.

Plum Kernel

Plum kernel is bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat injuries from falls and blows, blood stasis, and bone pain. The bark of the plum tree’s root is strongly cold in nature; it is used to treat wasting thirst and to ease agitation and Qi surging upward. Plums are bitter in taste and can clear long-standing pathogenic heat and regulate the Spleen and Stomach.

The Illustrated Classic says: Early materia medica texts did not specify which prefectures or counties produced plum kernels. Today plum trees grow everywhere, and there are many varieties. The Erya records a kind of plum that blossoms but bears no fruit, called the “fruitless plum,” also known as the “Zhao plum.” “Li Zuo” and “Jie Lü plum” are what are now called wheat plums: their fruits are small and grooved, and they ripen at the same time as wheat, hence the name. Plums with red fruit are called “variegated red plums.” There are also green plums, dark-green plums, red plums, Fangling plums, Zhushen plums, horse-liver plums, and yellow plums, all mentioned in ancient texts and praised for their delicious, edible fruit. Tao Hongjing says that none of these plums are used as medicine.

Tao Hongjing also says that there are many kinds of plum trees. Around Jingkou, wheat plums ripen when the wheat heads emerge. Their fruits are small, sweet, and crisp, but their kernels are not used as medicine. The medicinal plum kernel referred to here comes from the variety produced in Gushu.

Plums with pits resembling apricot stones, especially those grown in the south, are considered best. Any ripe plum can be eaten as it is, and all taste good. But plums should not be eaten with sparrow meat, nor should they be eaten while standing by the water. Boiling plum tree bark in water and holding the liquid in the mouth is an excellent remedy for toothache.

The Rihuazi Bencao says: Plums are warm in nature and non-toxic. They strengthen and replenish Qi, but eating too many can cause deficiency heat. It also says that plum tree roots are cool in nature and non-toxic, and treat red and white dysentery; they should be boiled down to a strong decoction and taken. Plum leaves are neutral in nature and non-toxic. They can treat high fever, malaria (shanjie, a term for intermittently recurring malarial illnesses), and convulsive seizures in children involving spasms and loss of consciousness. They may be boiled in water for bathing the child.

Another commentary says: There are many kinds of plum, including green, yellow, purple, vermilion, and water plums. All are edible and very sweet, but their kernels are not used in medicine. There is also a wild plum, bitter in taste, called yulizi; its kernel is the kind used medicinally.

The Shiyi Xinjing says: Plums are sour in taste and non-toxic. They mainly dispel stubborn internal heat and harmonize the Spleen and Stomach. A text attributed to the Yellow Emperor says that plums must not be eaten with honey, as the two together harm the Five Viscera.

Cui Yuanliang’s Haishang Fang records a treatment for dark patches on the face (zèn, meaning facial dark spots) and moles: Take the kernel from a plum pit, remove its skin, and grind it finely. Mix it with egg white into a paste as thin as malt syrup, then apply it to the affected area. In the evening, wash it off with light rice-washing water, then apply hu fen, a white powder made from lead. Results appear within five or six days. While using the medicine, take care to avoid wind.

The Bencao Yanyi says: The hollow in which a plum kernel sits is large, and the tree can grow to a height of one zhang. Physicians today rarely use it. Eating plums with jiangshui, a sour liquid made by fermenting grains, can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and obstruct the flow of Qi. The best plums nowadays come from Xiaoyaozhen in the capital region and may be offered as tribute. There is also a kind called “Imperial Plum,” about the size of a cherry and red-yellow in color; it ripens earlier than other plums. There are many varieties of plum, found throughout the realm. For this reason, people often use “peaches and plums” as a metaphor for the virtue of worthy officials spreading throughout the world, like peach and plum blossoms perfuming every place. Another commentary says that the wild plum is called yulizi and that its kernel is used in medicine. In fact, this is yuliren, a different variety listed in the fourteenth volume, under the section on trees; it is not the wild plum.

Bayberries are sour in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. They mainly dispel phlegm, stop vomiting and dry retching, aid digestion, and relieve drunkenness. Drying them and grinding them into powder, then taking one fangcun bi (an ancient small medicine spoon) while drinking can prevent vomiting from alcohol. But eating too many can cause heat. The bayberry tree resembles the lychee tree, though its leaves are finer and bluish on the shaded side. The fruit resembles the water willow berry; it is green when unripe and red when ripe. Its flesh grows directly around the pit, with no outer skin. It grows in the mountain valleys of Jiangnan and Lingnan and is gathered in the fourth and fifth months.

The Tujing says that a fuller account is given under the entry “Meishi.”

According to Ri Huazi, yangmei is hot in nature and slightly toxic. It can treat vomiting, food reflux, and discomfort caused by drinking too much alcohol. A decoction of yangmei bark and roots can be used to wash malignant sores, scabies, ringworm, and leprosy lesions. It should not be used together with raw scallions.

According to Yu Xi, Meng Shen recorded that yangmei harmonizes the five viscera, clears the intestines and stomach, and dispels irritability and foul odors. It should not be eaten in large quantities, however, as it can damage the teeth and sinews. It can also treat dysentery when burned to ash and taken as medicine.

The Experiential Remedies says that yangmei pits can treat many difficult wounds and sores, stop bleeding, promote the growth of new flesh, and leave no scars. The results are excellent. Pound the pits with salt into a paste, roll it into strips, and store it in a bamboo tube. For a gaping wound, pack the medicine into it; for a smaller wound, apply it to the surface. Its efficacy is remarkable.

Olive

The olive tastes sour and sweet, is warm in nature, and is nontoxic. It can counteract alcohol and poison from the houting fish (pufferfish). If someone mistakenly eats pufferfish liver and develops confusion and chest tightness, boil the olives and drink the juice to counteract the poison. If a paddle made from olive wood touches a pufferfish, the fish will float to the surface. This shows that things in the world can counteract one another. The kernel inside an olive pit, ground and applied to the lips, can treat dryness and pain.

The olive tree resembles the soapberry tree but is taller, with a straight trunk. Its fruit resembles a green chebula without ridges or lobes. Olives grow in Lingnan and are harvested in the eighth or ninth month. There is also a kind called Persian olive, similar in color but with a three-lobed pit. It can be preserved in honey and eaten, and grows in Yongzhou. “Gan” is pronounced like “gan” in gan (“dare”), and “lan” like “lan” in lan (“view”); “hou” is pronounced like “hou” in hou (“marquis”), and “tai” like “yi” in yi (“contentment”).

The Illustrated Pharmacopoeia says that olives grow in Lingnan and are now also found in Fujian, Guangdong, and other places. The tree resembles the soapberry tree: it is tall and straight, and quite striking. The fruits ripen in late autumn. Local people prize olives: when chewed, their fragrance lingers in the mouth for a long time. Eaten raw or boiled in water and drunk, they can counteract various poisons. Someone who becomes confused and experiences chest tightness after mistakenly eating pufferfish liver can recover quickly by drinking olive juice.

According to Ri Huazi, olives stimulate the appetite, regulate Qi, and relieve thirst.

According to Yu Xi, Meng Shen recorded that olives can counteract the poison of the gui fish; taking olive juice is sufficient. Poisoning from this fish’s liver can cause immediate death, and only olive wood can counteract it. Olives grow in the mountain valleys of Lingnan. The tree has a thick trunk, and its fruit is about one inch long. The fruit first appears on the lower part of the tree, with later fruit gradually growing higher up. It ripens in the eighth month. Preserved in honey, it tastes very sweet.

The Expanded Meaning says that olives taste astringent at first, but become sweet after being eaten for a while. Chew them thoroughly and swallow the juice to treat a fish bone lodged in the throat.

Linping

Linping tastes sour and sweet and is warm in nature. It should not be eaten in large quantities. Eating too much can cause heat in the body and obstruct the flow of Qi, making one prone to drowsiness, cold phlegm, and sores and boils. It can also obstruct the channels and vessels. The linping tree resembles the Chinese crabapple tree…

The fruit is round, like the nai, an ancient kind of apple. It ripens in the sixth or seventh lunar month and is now found everywhere.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: Linqin, an apple-like fruit tree once known as “bird-attracting fruit,” was not formerly recorded as growing in any particular prefecture or district, but is now found everywhere. Some people also call it “bird-attracting fruit.” The tree resembles the nai, but its fruit is slightly rounder and ripens in the sixth or seventh lunar month. Linqin comes in sweet and sour varieties. The sweet kind ripens earlier and is crisp and delicious; the sour kind ripens somewhat later and is best eaten when fully ripe and soft. It is suitable for people with wasting-thirst disease, which commonly causes thirst and excessive drinking, but should not be eaten in large quantities, or it may cause cold phlegm to form in the chest. Folk physicians today also dry linqin and include it in medicines for treating cold damage, calling the remedy “Linqin Powder.”

The Daily Record of Chinese Materia Medica says: Linqin is non-toxic. It can direct Qi downward, treat cholera and abdominal pain, and transform phlegm.

Yu Xi says: According to Meng Shen, linqin can relieve wasting thirst.

Chen Shiliang says: There are three kinds of linqin. The large, oblong fruit is called nai; the round fruit is called linqin and ripens in summer; the smaller, astringent fruit is called ju and ripens in autumn.

The Dietary Therapy says: Linqin is warm in nature and can treat dysentery caused by food stagnation, as well as seminal emission. The root of a linqin tree that grows facing east can treat pinworms and roundworms, as well as wasting thirst and excessive sleepiness, but should not be consumed in large quantities. Another account says that linqin tastes bitter and astringent, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic; eating it can obstruct the meridians.

A prescription recorded in The Heart Mirror of the Food Physician: To treat watery diarrhea and dysentery, take ten partly ripe linqin fruits, add two sheng of water, and boil until one sheng remains. Drink on an empty stomach.

A prescription recorded in The Secret Record of the Child and Mother: To treat dysentery in children, pound linqin and gouzi together, extract the juice, and give it to the child in generous amounts as needed until the illness is cured.

Another prescription: To treat infantile abdominal masses, a condition marked by coarse, stiff, yellow hair and scrofulous swellings in the neck that can leave the child emaciated, pound linqin into powder, mix it with vinegar, and apply it over the mass. If the mass moves, apply the mixture to its new location.

Walnut

Walnuts taste sweet, are neutral in nature, and are non-toxic. Eating them can strengthen the body, moisten the skin, and darken the hair.

Roast walnut kernels until charred, grind them into powder, and continue grinding until the smoke has dispersed. Mix the powder with pine resin and apply it to scrofulous sores. Mix walnut kernels with lead white, a white powdered pigment or medicinal substance, into a paste and apply it to the roots of white hair to darken it. Eating many walnuts promotes urination, but may also cause the eyebrows to fall out and bring on wind disorders. Walnuts can also treat the five kinds of hemorrhoids. The green outer husk can be used to dye beards and textiles black. Walnut bark can treat watery diarrhea and dysentery, and can also dye brown garments.

A prescription from the Immortals’ Formulary says: Press oil from the green walnut husk, mix it with zhantang incense, and apply it to the hair; the color will become black as lacquer.

Walnuts grow in the north. It is said that Zhang Qian brought them back from the Western Regions. When a walnut tree is cut into in spring, sap flows from the bark. Collecting this sap and washing the hair with it can turn the hair black.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: Walnuts grow in the north, and today they are abundant around Shaanxi and Luoyang.

Walnut trees have thick branches, dense leaves, and fruits with chambers. The walnuts are gathered when they ripen in autumn and winter. Walnuts are hot in nature and should not be eaten in large quantities. Folk remedies for nourishing the lower body also use them: pound walnut kernels with psoralea fruit, sift the mixture, and add honey to make pills. Take them each morning, each about the size of a parasol tree seed, thirty pills at a time. Walnut kernels can also treat injuries from falls and blows: pound them, mix with wine, and drink warm. This is said to bring a quick recovery.

The Rihuazi says that walnuts moisten the flesh and give the hair a glossy sheen. If the teeth feel sour after eating acidic foods, chewing walnut kernels finely can ease the sensation.

Su Song says that, according to Meng Shen, walnuts should not be eaten in excess, or they may readily cause phlegm and fluid retention, a disorder arising from the stagnation of bodily fluids. They can, however, relieve vexation and increase appetite. Begin with a small amount and gradually increase it; do not eat a large quantity all at once. Walnuts can also promote the free flow of the channels, nourish the blood vessels, and darken the hair at the temples. To take them, eat one on the first day, then add one every five days until you are eating twenty a day. Regular consumption is said to make the flesh fine and supple and to help care for various hemorrhoidal conditions.

Cui Yuanliang’s Hais Shang Fang records a treatment for stone strangury, in which sand or stones are passed with the urine: mix one sheng of walnut kernels with one sheng of rice gruel made by cooking fine rice, and take the whole amount at once. This is said to cure the condition. The green outer husk of the walnut can dye hair and silk black. In spring, collect the sap from beneath the tree’s bark and grind it; washing the hair with it is said to darken the hair.

The Meishi Fang records a treatment for burns: char walnut kernels, pound them into a paste, and apply it to the affected area.

The Yanyi says that walnuts can aggravate wind disorders, and that they are produced in great quantities around Shaanxi and Luoyang. A walnut is enclosed in a green husk; its hard inner shell is called the “nut,” while the kernel inside is the walnut flesh. Before use, peel away the kernel’s thin skin with hot water. After summer, walnut flesh is no longer suitable for eating. For “wine rosacea,” a condition involving redness of the nose, lightly toast tangerine seeds and grind them to a powder. Take two qian and seven fen of the powder, grind it together with one walnut kernel, and mix with warm wine. Continue taking it until the condition improves.

Sea pine nuts are sweet, slightly warm in nature, and non-toxic. They are used to treat wind disorders of the joints and dizziness. They can also restore withered flesh, improve the complexion, disperse water retention, and moisten the Five Zang organs, as well as help keep a person from feeling hungry. Sea pine nuts come from Silla, an ancient state on the Korean Peninsula. They resemble small chestnuts and have a three-sided shell; the kernel inside is fragrant and delicious. The people of the Eastern Yi eat them as fruit. They are different from the pine nuts referred to in the Central Plains.

Su Song says that, according to the Rihuazi, pine nuts dispel wind impediment and disperse cold Qi. They are suitable for people who are weak and low in Qi, and can also replenish deficiencies, moisten the skin, and nourish the Five Zang organs. People in the eastern regions use them as food in place of hemp curd.

The Haiyao says that pine nuts are eaten after their shells are removed and have a strong fragrance; they differ from Yunnan pine nuts. Yunnan pine nuts resemble croton seeds, and their flavor is less rich. Eating them in large quantities…

The pine nut is sweet and very warming in nature, and it is non-toxic. It treats various disorders caused by pathogenic wind, warm-heat illnesses, and digestive complaints. Taken over a long period, it can make the body light and supple and prolong life.

Its flavor resembles that of the almond from the ancient state of Bugu. The almond is used in the same way as the peach kernel from the north.

Quince (the fruit of a quince tree) is sour and sweet, slightly warm in nature, and non-toxic. It warms the middle burner, regulates the movement of Qi, aids digestion, and can relieve discomfort in the chest and heart area. Vinegar water can remove its unpleasant odor and can also be used to repel silverfish. Quince grows in the north and looks like a small quince-like fruit, but is smaller.

Yuxi says: According to Chen Shiliang, quince can cause heat in the body and may lead to constipation in both the small and large intestines. It can also cause phlegm to gather in the chest and obstruct the flow of Qi. It should therefore not be eaten in large quantities, as it can also impede the circulation of the blood. According to Rihua Zi, it relieves vexing thirst and regulates disorders of Qi.

The Yan Yi says: Before eating quince, wash off its fuzzy surface; otherwise, it may harm the lungs. Its flowers are white and strongly scented. Of all fruits, quince is the most prone to insect damage; it is difficult to find one that has not been bored into by worms. The Tu Jing says that eating one or two before bed is beneficial. But this may be too much: it can cause fullness in the stomach and stagnation of food.

Hazelnuts are sweet, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. They strengthen Qi and physical energy, ease the stomach and intestines, help prevent hunger, and support vigorous walking. The hazel tree grows in the mountain valleys of Liaodong and reaches about one zhang in height. Its fruit resembles a small chestnut and can serve as provisions on military campaigns. Hazelnuts also grow in the Central Plains. Zheng Xuan’s commentary on the Book of Rites says that hazelnuts resemble chestnuts but are smaller, and are abundant around Fuzhou and Fangzhou in the Guanzhong region.

The Tu Jing says: Further details are given under the entry for chestnuts.

Yuxi says: According to Rihua Zi, the hazelnuts of Silla have plump, white kernels. They relieve hunger, regulate the middle burner, and stimulate the appetite, with good results.

Kiwifruit is sour and sweet, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It relieves intense thirst and vexing heat, but can make the spleen and stomach cold and may cause diarrhea. It can also counteract the effects of medicines made from cinnabar and other minerals. For heat pathogens obstructing the body, stone strangury, which causes painful or difficult urination due to stones, and heat obstruction with retching, take its juice mixed with fresh ginger juice. It is also called vine pear, wood fruit, or macaque pear. It grows in mountain valleys as a vine that winds around trees. Its leaves are round and hairy; the fruit is about the size of an egg, with brown skin, and becomes sweet and delicious only after frost. Its branches and leaves can kill insects. Boiling them and giving the liquid to a dog can treat mange.

Chen Cangqi says: Kiwifruit is salty, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats wind disorders of the joints, paralysis, and loss of movement in the limbs. It can also cause a person to grow old and their hair to turn white. It is also used for hemorrhoids caused by pheasant meat, and can regulate the middle burner and the movement of Qi. The peel can be made into paper, and the juice in the vine is very slippery. For stone strangury and obstruction in the stomach, take the juice mixed with fresh ginger juice; this works well.

The Shi Liao says: Harvest kiwifruit when ripe, remove the flesh, and simmer it with honey to make a honey paste. This relieves vexing heat. It may also be eaten over a long period; it can make the body cold in nature and relieve wasting thirst.

The Commentary on Meaning says: “The kiwi, a fruit that grows on a vine, is now very common in the southern mountains near Yongxing Army, in the area of present-day Shaanxi. Eating it can make the organs and bowels cold and cause diarrhea in people who already have excessive internal heat. The fruit ripens in the tenth month and is pale green; before ripening, it tastes extremely sour. Its many seeds are tiny and resemble mustard seeds. The branches are weak and grow to a height of two or three zhang, usually climbing trees. Some plants remain on low mountainsides and beside roads, while those deep in the mountains are mostly eaten by monkeys.”

Apple (a fruit similar to the Chinese crabapple): bitter in taste and cold in nature. Eating too much causes fullness and distention in the chest and abdomen; people who are ill should especially avoid it. (“Lu” is pronounced “lü.”)

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: “For details, see the entry on the Chinese crabapple.”

Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing) says: “Apples are found only in the Jiangdong region, while the north produces them in greatest abundance. They are often made into preserved fruit. They are not particularly suitable for people. They resemble Chinese crabapples but are smaller, and are probably not beneficial either.”

Yuxi (a scholar who edited the materia medica in the Song dynasty) says: “According to Meng Shen, apples can replenish deficiencies in the middle burner, where the Spleen and Stomach are located, and harmonize Spleen Qi. If someone’s Qi becomes obstructed after suddenly eating, pound a fresh apple and drink its juice.”

Rihuazi says: “Apples are cold in nature and non-toxic. They can treat congestion and distention caused by Lung Qi becoming obstructed after overeating.”

The Heart Mirror of the Food Physician says: “Apples are bitter, cold, and astringent in taste, and non-toxic. They can help people endure hunger and benefit Heart Qi, but eating too many causes distention from deficiency.”

The amra fruit (a type of mango, described here as pear-shaped): sweet in taste and warm in nature. It can relieve thirst, but may stir up wind. It should not be eaten after an epidemic illness or after a full meal, nor together with garlic or other pungent foods, as this may cause jaundice. The tree resembles a Chinese crabapple but is much taller.

Yuxi and others, citing Chen Shiliang, say: “It is slightly cold in nature and non-toxic. It can treat absent menstruation in women and impaired circulation of blood through the channels of Ying and Wei Qi in men. Eating it over a long period makes people less prone to hunger. Its leaves resemble tea leaves and can be boiled to make a drink for treating thirst.”

The Commentary on Meaning says: “Amra fruit is abundant in Xiluo, in the area of present-day Luoyang, and is also a kind of pear. Its shape resembles a pear, and it ripens earlier than other pears; it can be eaten around the time of the Qixi Festival. It is yellow, like the goose pear, and becomes soft as soon as it ripens. It is rarely used in medicines.”

The fruit of the date palm (also called the Persian date, and now known as the date): sweet and warm in nature, and non-toxic. It warms the middle, boosts Qi, transforms phlegm, stops coughing, and replenishes deficiency and debility. It improves the complexion and makes the body robust. It comes from Persia and resembles a jujube; another account calls it the “Persian date.”

The Maritime Materia Medica says: “The tree resembles a chestnut tree, and the fruit resembles an acorn, with three ridges. It aids digestion, stops coughing, and treats weakness and emaciation. It brings a sense of well-being, and long-term use causes no harm.”

The root bark of the bramble: bitter in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat a fetus that has died in the womb and cannot be delivered, and to break up the resulting stasis.

It can stop bleeding and kill parasites, and it can dispel toxins. It may be taken as a strong decoction for sudden bleeding, red vaginal discharge in women, or long-standing dysentery, whether with red or white stools, pus and blood, or abdominal pain. Its fruit resembles a plum and has a pleasant sour taste. After eating it, people can sober up, quench thirst, and loosen phlegm; it can also counteract alcohol poisoning. Hook-like thorns grow on its stems. It is found in woods and near marshes in the Jiang-Huai region. The stems may be burned to ash and taken as a powder; this can also treat a blocked throat.

Gouli has a sweet taste and a neutral nature. It is used to prevent hunger and strengthen the stomach and intestines, helping people grow robust. Its fruit resembles a chestnut, but is rounder and smaller. It grows in the valleys of Jiangnan. The tree has a thick trunk and keeps its leaves through winter. It is also called “nest gouzi.”

There is also a plant called “sparrow fruit.” Its fruit is small, round, black, and sweet. Eating it over a long period helps ward off hunger. It grows high in the mountains. Another is “zhu fruit,” smaller than an acorn and bitter and astringent in taste. It can stop diarrhea and dysentery and disperse clotted blood. Eating it helps ward off hunger, strengthens the body, and gives people strength when walking. A decoction made from its bark and leaves may be given to women after childbirth to stop bleeding. Zhu bark is used medicinally. The tree resembles a chestnut tree, keeps its leaves through winter, and grows in Jiangnan. Its fruit can dispel clotted blood and quench thirst. “Zhu” is pronounced “zhu.”

Some fruits are poisonous. Peach kernels and apricot kernels are both toxic. Eating fruit in the fifth month before it ripens, while its stone has not yet formed, may bring on abscesses and boils, as well as alternating chills and fever. Fruit that falls to the ground in summer and autumn easily attracts harmful insects; eating it may cause “nine fistulas,” a term for various chronic, stubbornly persistent draining sores. Eating peach blossoms may lead to painful, difficult urination. Plums should not be eaten with eggs, as this may cause accumulations in the body that are difficult to digest.