Essentials of the Materia Medica (本草備要, Ben Cao Bei Yao)
Preface
序文
Essentials of the Materia Medica (本草備要) is written by Wang Ang (汪昻, 1615~?) in the
Qing Dynasty. This book is compiled by the author with two books, Herbal
Foundation Compendium (本草綱目) and the Divine
Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon (神農本草經). This book
is a convenient study for everyday use. The feature of this book briefly
describes the point, so the book is still being read by many oriental doctors
and students. If the author's idea can be applied to modern oriental medicine, it
will be very useful for clinical practice.
Introductory Notes 凡例
（一）注本草者, 當先注病証. 不然, 病之未明, 藥於何有？從前作者罕明斯義, 第云某藥入某經治某病而已. 淺術視之, 蓋茫如也. 唯李氏《綱目》裒集諸家, 附著論說, 間及病源；《經疏》因之釋藥而兼釋病, 補前人之未備, 作後學之指南. 茲集祖述二書, 更加增訂, 藥性病情, 互相闡發, 以便資用. 若每處皆釋, 則重複煩瑣, 反生厭瀆, 故前後間見, 或因藥論辨, 讀者匯觀而統會之可也.
（一）Those who
annotate Ben Cao (本草) should first annotate disease
pattern. Otherwise, a disease cannot be identified, where can medicines be
applied to？ The previous books rarely wrote about this
and just mentioned that medicines enter which channel and treat which disease.
It's hard to identify this with a shallow academic background. Only Li
Shi-Zhen’s Ben Cao Gang Mu (Herbal Foundation Compendium) gathers theories of
all medical practitioners, collects statements, and sometimes explains the
origin of disease. Jing Shu (經疏) explains medicines and
disease, supplements the anterior person’s inadequacies, and suggests the
direction that future students should move on. Now, I collect the two books
written by ancestors, make a supplement and correction, and explain the nature
of medicine and the condition of disease. If everything is explained in every
part, it is redundant and cumbersome, so you will feel tired of reading. Hence,
the explanation is described between the front and the back or in medicine
theory part, it is right for readers to gather and generalize various views.
（一）藥品主治, 諸家析言者少, 統言者多. 如治痰之藥, 有治燥痰者, 有治濕痰者, 諸書第以除痰概之；頭痛之藥, 有治內傷頭痛者, 有治外感頭痛者, 諸書唯言治頭痛而已. 此皆相反之証, 未可混施. 舉此二端, 其餘可以類推矣﹗又每藥之下, 止言某病宜用, 而不言某病忌用, 均屬闕略. 茲集並加詳注, 庶無貽誤.
（一）Regarding
medicine’s main treatment, there are few medical practitioners who analyze this
and there are many ones who talk in a whole. For example, in case of the medicine
to treat phlegm, there is the one to treat dry phlegm and the other one to treat
damp phlegm; all medical books outline its efficacy by simply eliminating the
disease. In case of the medicine for headache, there is the one to treat
headache due to internal damage and there is the other one to treat headache
due to external contraction, all medical books have only said that headaches
are treated. This is all a conflicting symptom and cannot be treated in
combination. As such, two examples were shown, and the rest can be inferred.
Also, under every medicine, I mentioned that the medicine is appropriate for
what disease but did not mention that the medicine is contraindicated to what
disease. I gathered annotations and annotated exactly and in detail.
（一）每藥先辨其氣味形色, 次著其所入經絡, 乃爲發明其功用之中,
不能逐款細注, 讀者諒之.
（一）first, every
medicine is identified according to the qi, flavor, shape, and color, then, the
channels and networks where a medicine enter, sings which a medicine mainly
treats, and efficiencies are shown. The theory of why this mainly treating those
signs locates before efficacy, this is because it is hard to put on annotation in
detail, I hope the reader will make it more detailed.
（一）徐之才曰︰藥有宣（上升下行曰宣）, 通, 補, 瀉, 澀, 滑, 燥, 濕（濕即潤也）, 輕, 重十種, 是藥之大體, 而《本經》不言, 後人未述. 凡用藥者審而詳之, 則靡所遺失矣.
（一）Xu Zhi
Cai (徐之才) says that in medicine, there are ten kinds of
diffusing (宣)（ascending and
descending is diffusing (宣)）, freeing,
supplementing, draining, lubricating, astringing, drying, moistening, light, and
heavy. This is important principle of medicine, Ben Jing (本經) did not mention and the posterity also did not describe it. If all
medicines are used and examined in detail, there will be no loss. They are
divided and added to the beginning of all medicines（this
is Shi Ji (十劑). Tao Hong Jing (陶弘景) added cold and heat Ji (劑) to Shi Ji (十劑), here, which are not mentioned detail. But Ben Ji (本集)’s dry Ji (劑) is Tao (陶)s heat Ji (劑), Freeing Ji (劑) is Xu (徐) ‘s dry Ji (劑), and cold Ji (劑) is many in draining Ji (劑)）.
（一）藥品主治, 已注明入某臟某腑者, 則不更言入某經絡, 以重复无用也.
（一）in medicine’s
treatments, if it is explained that a medicine enters what viscera and bowel, again,
it does not mention that a medicine enters which channels and networks. This is
because it is redundant and has no value.
（一）藥品稍近遐僻者, 必詳其地道形色. 如習知習見之藥, 則不加詳注.
（一）in case medicines
are little similar and they are far and uncommon, I explained the shape and
color in detail, in case of the medicines which are well known and seen, I did
not explained it in detail.
（一）陰陽, 升降, 浮沉, 已詳于藥性總義中, 故每品之下, 不加重注.
（一）yin, yang,
upbearing, downbearing, floating, and sinking are already explained in medicine
generality in detail, hence, I did not put on duplicate annotations under a medicine.
（一）藥目次第, 每藥稍从其類, 以便查閱.
（一）regarding
table of contents and order, all medicines are classified and enumerated
according to similarities, which makes readers access to this easily.
（一）是书篇章雖約, 多有補《綱目》, 《經疏》之所未備者,
故曰備也.
（一）Although
the sentence in this book is brief, many things which are not in Gang Mu (綱目) and Jing Shu (經疏) are supplemented in this
book, hence it has the name of Bei (備, Equipment).
（一）藥有气味, 形色, 經絡, 主治, 功用, 禁忌数端, 《藥性歌賦》雖便记诵, 然限于字句, 又须用韵, 是以不能詳括. 兹集文无一定, 藥小者语简, 藥大者词繁, 然皆各为杼轴, 炼成章, 使人可以诵讀.
（一）in medicine,
there are several items of qi, flavor, shape, color, channel and network, main treatment,
efficacy, contraindication, and so on. Yao Xing Ge Fu (藥性歌賦) is convenient to recite but is limited to characters, and rhyme
should be used, hence it is hard to include [contents] in detail. In case of
this book, sentences are collected without constant.
（一）《本草》一书, 讀之率欲睡欲卧, 以每藥之下, 所注者不過臟腑, 經絡, 甘酸苦涩, 寒热温平, 升降浮沉, 病候, 主治而已. 未尝阐发其理, 使讀之者有義味可咀嚼也. 即如《证類》诸本, 采集颇广, 又以众說繁芜, 觀者罔所折衷也. 是编主治之理, 务令詳明, 取用之宜, 期于确切. 言畅意晰, 字少義多, 作者颇费匠心, 讀者幸毋忽視.
（一）reading
of Ben Cao (本草) makes people have a desire to sleep or
lie down. The reason is that the descriptions below each medicine are nothing
more than the bowels and viscera, the channels and networks, sweet, sour, bitter,
and astringent, cold, heat, warm, and neutral, upbearing, downbearing, floating,
and sinking, manifestations of disease, and treatments and is that those books
did not explain its reasoning, so it was not allowed for readers to savor it.
Those books which gather too much and too widely and give a long explain are
not allowed for readers to compromise. In this book, the reason of treatment is
explained in detail, the usage of a medicine is taken appropriately, and the
characters are small but meaningful. The author elaborately wrote this book, the
reader should not neglect this book.
Medicine Generality 藥性總義
[Regarding the five flavors]
凡藥酸屬木入肝, 苦屬火入心, 甘屬土入脾, 辛屬金入肺, 鹹屬水入腎, 此五味之義也.
In every medicine, sour
flavor belongs to wood and enters the liver, bitter flavor belongs to fire and enters
the Heart, sweet flavor belongs to earth and enters the spleen, acrid flavor belongs
to metal and enters the Lung, and salty flavor belongs to water and enters the Kidney.
This is the meaning of the five flavors.
[Regarding the five colors]
凡藥青屬木入肝, 赤屬火入心, 黃屬土入脾, 白屬金入肺, 黑屬水入腎, 此五色之義也.
In every medicine, blue-green
color belongs to wood and enters the liver, red belongs to fire and enters the Heart,
yellow belongs to earth and enters the spleen, white belongs to metal and enters
the Lung, and black belongs to water and enters the Kidney, this is the meaning
of the five colors.
[Regarding the five actions]
凡藥酸者能澀能收, 苦者能瀉能燥能堅, 甘者能補能和能緩,
辛者能散能潤能橫行, 鹹者能下能軟堅, 淡者能利竅能滲泄, 此五味之用也.
In every medicine, sour
flavor can astringe and contract, bitter flavor can drain, dry, and harden.
Sweet flavor can supplement, harmonize, and moderate. Acrid flavor can dissipate,
moisten, and move horizontally. Salty flavor can make [qi] descend and soften
hardness. Bland flavor can disinhibit dampness, percolate, and discharge. This
is the usage of five flavors.
[Regarding the meaning of yin
and yang]
凡藥寒, 熱, 溫, 涼, 氣也；酸, 苦, 甘, 辛, 鹹, 味也. 氣爲陽, 味爲陰. 氣濃者陽中之陽, 薄者陽中之陰；味濃者陰中之陰, 薄者陰中之陽. 氣薄則發泄（發散）, 濃則發熱（溫燥）, 味濃則泄（降瀉）, 薄則通（利竅滲濕）. 辛甘發散爲陽, 酸苦涌泄爲陰, 鹹味涌泄爲陰, 淡味滲泄爲陽. 輕清升浮爲陽, 重濁沉降爲陰. 陽氣出上竅, 陰味出下竅. 清陽發腠理, 濁陰走五臟. 清陽實四肢, 濁陰歸六腑. 此陰陽之義也.
In every medicine, the cold, heat,
warm, and cool belong to qi. The sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, and salty belong
to flavor. Qi is associated with yang and flavor is with yin. When qi is thick,
this is yang within yang, when qi is thin, this is yin within yang, when flavor
is thick, this is yin within yin, and when flavor is thin, this is yang within
yin. The qi which is thin effuses and discharges), the qi which is thick
effuses heat（warm and dry）, the flavor which is thick discharges（downbears and drains）, the flavor which is
thin frees（disinhibits orifices and percolates dampness）. The acrid and sweet effuse and become yang, the sour and bitter discharge
and become yin, the salty discharges and becomes yin, the bland percolates and discharges
and becomes yang. The things which are light, clear, and upfloat become yang, the
things which are heavy, sunken, and downbear are yin. Yang qi comes out through
upper orifices, yin flavor comes out through lower orifices. Clear yang effuses
the interstices, turbid yin runs to the five viscera. Clear yang replenishes the
four limbs, turbid yin returns to the six bowels. This is the meaning of yin
and yang.
[Regarding the meaning of
upbearing, downbearing, floating, and sinking]
凡藥輕虛者浮而升, 重實者沉而降. 味薄者升而生（象春）,
氣薄者降而收（象秋）, 氣濃者浮而長（象夏）, 味濃者沉而藏（象冬）, 味平者化而成（象土）. 氣濃味薄者浮而升, 味濃氣薄者沉而降, 氣味俱濃者能浮能沉, 氣味俱薄者可升可降. 酸鹹無升, 辛甘無降, 寒無浮, 熱無沉, 此升降浮沉之義也（李時珍曰︰升者引之以鹹寒, 則沉而直達下焦；沉者引之以酒, 則浮而上至巔頂. 一物之中, 有根升梢降, 生升熟降者, 是升降在物亦在人也）.
In all medicines, this one
which is light and vacuity floats and upbears, the one which is heavy and
replete sinks and downbears. A thin flavor upbears and engenders (looks like
spring）, a
thin qi downbears and contracts（looks like autumn）, a thick qi floats and grows (looks like summer）, a thick flavor sinks and stores (looks like winter), a neutral
flavor transforms (looks like earth). The one with thick qi and thin flavor
floats and upbears, the one with thick flavor and thin qi sinks and downbears, the
one with thick qi and flavor can float and sink, the one with thin qi and
flavor can upbear and downbear. The one with salty flavor never upbears, the
one with acrid and sweet never downbears. The cold nature never floats, the heat
nature never sinks, this is the meaning of upbearing, downbearing, floating, and
sinking.（Li Shi Zhen (李時珍) says
that those which upbear can be led directly to the lower burner by those which are
salty and cold,；those which sink can be floated up to
the vertex. In one thing, its root upbears, its branch downbears, the raw upbears,
the cooked downbears）.
[Each part in the upper, lower,
interior and exterior follows something similar]
凡藥根之在土中者, 半身以上則上升, 半身以下則下降（以生苗者爲根, 以入土者爲梢. 上焦用根, 下焦用梢, 半身以上用頭, 中焦用身, 半身以下用梢. 雖一藥而根, 梢各別, 用之或差, 服亦罔效）. 藥之爲枝者達四肢, 爲皮者達皮膚, 爲心, 爲乾者內行臟腑. 質之輕者上入心, 肺, 重者下入肝, 腎. 中空者發表, 內實者攻裡. 枯燥者入氣分, 潤澤者入血分. 此上下內外, 各以其類相從也.
In every medicine, a root is
under earth, [the qi ] of more than half a root ascends and [the qi] of less
than half a root descends (making a sprout come out is gen (根 root) and thing under
earth is shao (梢 tip). Signs in the upper burner are
treated with gen (根) and signs in the lower burner are
treated with shao (梢). Signs in above half body are
treated with the head part, signs in the middle burner is treated with the body,
and signs in below half body is treated with Shao (梢).
There is difference between the root and the tip in same medicine）. A branch in medicine reaches to the four limbs, a peel reaches to the
skin, a core and stem internally move to the bowels and viscera. Light medicines
enter the Heart and Lung and heavy medicines enter the liver and Kidney. A medicine
in which there is empty in the middle effuses the exterior, a medicine in which
is full inside attacks the interior. A dry one enters qi aspect and a moist one
enters blood aspect.
...............................................................omit
Bo He (mint) 薄荷
輕, 宣, 散風熱辛能散, 涼能清（本經溫, 蓋體溫而用涼也）, 升浮能發汗. 搜肝氣而抑肺盛, 消散風熱, 清利頭目. 治頭痛頭風, 中風失音, 痰嗽口氣, 語澀舌胎（含漱）, 眼耳咽喉, 口齒諸病（辛香通竅, 而散風熱）, 皮膚癮疹, 瘰癧瘡疥, 驚熱（凡小兒治驚藥, 俱宜薄荷湯調）, 骨蒸. 破血止痢（能治血痢. 血痢病在凝滯, 辛能散, 涼能清）. 虛人不宜多服（能發汗疏表, 夏月多服, 泄人元氣）. 蘇產氣芳者良（薄荷, 貓之酒也；犬, 虎之酒也；蜈蚣, 雞之酒也；桑椹, 鳩之酒也；莽草, 魚之酒也, 食之皆醉. 被貓傷者, 薄荷汁塗之）.
This is light. This dissipates
wind-heat.
The acrid can dissipate, the
cool can clear（It is warm in Ben Jing (本經), generally the
body is warm and the action is cool）. The upfloating
can promote sweating, track down liver qi, repress Lung exuberance, dissipate
wind-heat, and clear and disinhibit the head and eyes. This treats headache, head
wind, wind strike (stroke) with loss of voice, phlegm cough, smell of the
breath, difficult speech, tongue fur（mouthwash）, all disease in the eyes, ears, throat, mouth, and teeth（The acrid and aroma free the orifices and dissipate wind-heat）, dormant papules, scrofula, sores, scab, fright heat （in general, when treating fright in children, it is appropriate to
regulate and harmonize this with Bo He Tang (mint Decoction)）, and steaming bone. This breaks blood and stops dysentery（This can treat blood dysentery. Blood dysentery is ascribe to congealing
and stagnation of disease, the acrid can dissipate and the cool can clear）. A vacuous person should not take this excessively（This can promote sweating and course the exterior, excessive taking
in summer discharges original Qi）. When this has aroma,
it is good（Bo He (mint) is the wine of a cat. A dog is
the wine of a tiger, Wu Gong (centipede) is the wine of chicken, Sang Shen
(mulberry) is the wine of a dove, and a Japanese star anise is the wine of
fish. When these are taken, they are all drunk. A cat-scarred person can be
treated with applying the juice of Bo He (mint) on the wound）.
Du Zhong (eucommia) 杜仲
補腰膝. 甘溫能補, 微辛能潤. 色紫入肝經氣分. 潤肝燥, 補肝虛. 子能令母實, 故兼補腎. 肝充則筋健, 腎充則骨強, 能使筋骨相著（皮中有絲, 有筋骨相著之象）. 治腰膝酸痛（經曰︰腰者腎之府, 轉移不能, 腎將憊矣；膝者筋之府, 屈伸不能, 筋將憊矣. 一少年新娶, 得腳軟病, 且痛甚, 作香港腳治, 不效. 孫林曰︰此腎虛也. 用杜仲一兩, 半酒半水煎服, 六日全愈. 按︰腰痛不已者, 屬腎虛；痛有定處, 屬死血；往來走痛, 屬痰；腰冷身重,
遇寒即發, 屬寒濕；或痛或止, 屬濕熱, 而其原多本於腎虛, 以腰者腎之府也）,
陰下濕癢, 小便餘瀝, 胎漏（懷孕瀝血）胎墜（慣墜胎者, 受孕一, 兩月, 用杜仲八兩, 糯米煎湯浸透, 炒斷絲, 續斷二兩, 酒浸, 山藥六兩, 爲糊丸, 或棗肉爲丸, 米飲下. 二藥大補腎氣, 托住胎元, 則胎不墜）. 出漢中. 濃潤者良. 去粗皮銼, 或酥炙, 酒炙, 蜜炙, 鹽酒炒, 薑汁炒, 斷絲用. 惡黑參.
This supplements the lumbus
and knees.
The sweet and warm can
supplement, the slightly acrid can moisten. The purple color enters qi aspect
of the liver channel, moistens liver dry, and supplements liver vacuity. Son
can replete mother, hence this also supplements the Kidney. When the liver is
full, the sinew is strong, when the Kidney is full, the bone is strong, this
makes the sinew and bones attach mutually（the peel has threads, this is the figure of mutually attaching of the
sinew and bones）.
This treats aching pain in
the lumbus and knees（Jing (經) says that the lumbus is the house
of the Kidney, difficulty in turning and moving will cause Kidney exhaustion. The
knees are the palaces of the sinews, inability to bend and stretch will cause sinew
exhaustion. One young man gets married and then limp leg with severe pain occur,
and the treatments have no effect. Sun Lin (孙林) thought
that this is due to Kidney vacuity, let him take one liang of Du Zhong
(eucommia) decocted in half liquor and half water, six days later, he gets
well. Incessant lumbar pain belongs to Kidney vacuity, pain in fixed place
belongs to dead blood, alternating running pain belongs to phlegm. When there
is cold in the lumbus, generalized heaviness and the pain are exacerbated by
exposure to cold, which is associated with cold damp. Intermittent pain belongs
to damp heat, most of the cause is in Kidney vacuity, this is because the lumbus
is the house of the Kidney）.
This treats genital damp itch,
dribbling urination after voiding, fetal spotting（this is dribbling of bleeding during pregnancy）, miscarriage（in case of habitual
miscarriage, in the first or second month of pregnancy, boil eight liang of Du
Zhong (eucommia) with Nuo Mi (glutinous rice) Decoction, cut off the threads, two
liang of Xu Duan (dipsacus) (soaked in wine), six liang of Shan Yao (dioscorea),
make them into pills with flour or the flesh of Da Zao, takes this with porridge.
The two formulas greatly supplement Kidney qi and prevent fetus from falling）.
When this is from Han Zhong (汉中), thick, and
moisture, this is good. When using this, eliminate rough peel, or mix-fry this with
condensed milk, or mix-fry with wine, or mix-fry with honey, or stir-fry with salt
and wine, or stir-fry with ginger juice, cut off the threads. This antagonizes
Hei Shen.
Lu Rong (velvet deerhorn) 鹿茸
大補陽虛. 甘溫純陽. 生精補髓, 養血助陽, 強筋健骨. 治腰腎虛冷（《百一方》︰鹿角屑熬黃爲末, 酒服, 主腰脊虛冷刺痛）, 四肢酸痛, 頭眩眼黑, 崩帶遺精, 一切虛損勞傷. 惟脈沉細, 相火衰者宜之. 鹿角初生, 長二三寸, 分歧如鞍, 紅如瑪瑙. 破之如朽木者良（太嫩者, 血氣未足, 無力）. 酥塗微炙用（不酥塗則傷茸）, 或酒炙. 不可嗅之, 有蟲恐入鼻顙（獵人得鹿, 縶之取茸, 然後斃鹿, 以血未散故也. 沈存中《筆談》云︰凡含血之物, 血易長, 筋次之, 骨最難長. 故人二十歲, 骨髓方堅, 麋, 鹿角無兩月長至二十餘斤, 凡骨之長, 無速於此, 草木亦不及之. 頭爲諸陽之會, 鐘於茸角, 豈與凡血比哉﹗鹿陽獸, 喜居山；麋陰獸, 喜居澤, 麋似鹿, 色青而大. 皆性淫, 一牡輒交十餘牝. 麋補陰, 鹿補陽, 故冬至麋角解, 夏至鹿角解也. 麋, 鹿茸角, 罕能分別. 雷 曰︰鹿角勝麋角. 孟詵, 蘇恭, 蘇頌, 並云Mi Rong (velvet elaphure horn), 麋膠勝於鹿. 時珍曰︰鹿補右腎精氣, 麋補左腎血液）. 鹿角鹹溫. 生用則散熱行血, 消腫（醋磨, 塗腫毒. 爲末, 酒服, 治折傷. 《醫余》曰︰有臁瘡赤腫而痛, 用黃連涼藥久不愈者, 卻當用溫藥, 如鹿角灰, 髮灰, 乳香之類, 此陰陽寒暑往來之理也）辟邪, 治夢與鬼交（酒服一撮, 鬼精即出. 能逐陰中邪氣惡血）. 煉霜熬膏, 則專於滋補（時珍曰︰鹿仍仙獸, 純陽多壽, 能通督脈. 又食良草, 故其角, 肉食之, 有益無損）. 畏大黃.
This greatly supplements yang
vacuity.
This is sweet and warm. This
is pure yang in property. This engenders essence, supplements marrow, nourishes
blood, assists yang, strengthens the sinews, and fortifies the bone.
This treats cold vacuity in
the lumbus and Kidney（in Bai Yi Fang (百一方)∶ Lu Jiao Xie (deer
antler flakes) is roasted and is grinded into power, and then this is taken with
wine, which governs vacuity coldness in the lumbus and vertebra and stinging
pain）, aching pain in the four limbs, dizzy head, flooding
and vaginal discharge, seminal emission, every vacuity detriment and taxation
damage. Only in case the pulse is sunken and fine and the ministerial fire is debilitated.
This is appropriate. It is good when Lu Jiao (deerhorn) first grows to the size
of two or three cun (寸), branches get to grow from
deerhorn, its red color looks like Ma Nao (玛瑙), and
this which is broken seems like rotten woods（the too
young one has no effect because the one’s blood and qi is insufficient）. When using this, after applying Su (butter) on this, slightly
mix-fry this（if Su (butter) is not applied, which
damages Lu Rong (velvet deerhorn)）, or mix-fry this
with wine. There is a worry of worms entering into the nose and forehead, hence,
do not smell this（after a hunter catches and binds a
deer and gets deerhorn, and then the hunter kills the deer, thus blood has not
yet dissipated. In Shen Cun Zhong Bi Tan (沈存中笔谈), it is
said that generally, in case of animal which has blood, blood grows best, followed
by muscles, and bones grow the slowest. Hence, human’s bone and marrow get to
hard in the age of 20. In case of deerhorn, Lu Jiao (deerhorn) grows over 20
Jin under two month, its growth velocity in bone part is the fastest, grass and
wood also cannot catch up with the growth velocity. The head is the place where
all yang gather, and all yang accumulate in Lu Jiao (deerhorn). How can this be
compared with the other blood！ A deer is the animal of
yang and likes to reside in mountain. A velvet elaphure is the animal of yin
and likes to reside near pond. A velvet elaphure is similar with a deer but a
velvet elaphure is green-blue and large. In general, the character of both is lewd(淫), A male deer has sexual intercourse with a dozen of females. A
velvet elaphure supplements yin, a deer supplements yang, hence, in Winter
Solstice (22nd solar term), Mi Rong (velvet elaphure horn) falls off, in the
summer solstice, Lu Jiao (deerhorn) falls off. It is difficult to tell the
difference between deer horn and velvet elaphure horn. Lei Xue (雷斅) says that Lu Jiao (deerhorn) is better than Mi Rong (velvet
elaphure horn) . Meng shen (孟诜), Su Gong (蘇恭), and Su Song (蘇颂) also mentions that Mi
Rong (velvet elaphure horn) and Mi Jiao (velvet elaphure horn glue) are better
than Lu Rong (velvet deerhorn). Shi Zhen (時珍) says that
Lu Rong (velvet deerhorn) supplements the essence-qi of the right Kidney, Mi
Rong (velvet elaphure horn) supplements the blood fluid of the left Kidney）. Lu Jiao (deerhorn) is salty and warm. The raw dissipates heat, moves
blood, disperses swelling（grind this with vinegar, apply
this on swelling and toxin. Taking the powder of this with wine treats fractures.
Yi Yu (醫餘) says that in case enduring using of cool medicines
such as Huang Lian (coptis) has no effect on shank sore with redness, swelling,
and pain, rather, warm medicines such as charred Lu Jiao (deerhorn), charred
hair, and Ru Xiang (frankincense) should be used, this is the principle of
come-and-go of yin-yang and cold-summerheat）, repels
evil, and treats having sexual intercourse with ghost in dream（taking a handful of this with wine make ghost-essence come out. This
can expels evil qi and malign blood within yin）. When
this is made into frosting (霜) and is boiled down to
pates, this only enriches and supplements（Shi Zhen (時珍) says that a deer is a marvelous animal, belongs to pure yang in
property, lives long, and can free governing vessel. And a deer eats good grass,
hence there is benefit without damage in eating this of the horn and meat）. This is counteracted by Da Huang (rhubarb).
Jin (gold) 金
重, 鎮心肝, 定郁悸. 辛平有毒（生金屑, 服之殺人. 昂按︰金性至剛重墜, 與血肉之體不相宜, 故服之致死, 非其性有毒也. 人被金銀灼者, 並不潰爛, 無毒可知矣. 精金粹玉, 世之寶器, 豈有毒瓦斯哉？）. 金製木, 重鎮怯, 故鎮心肝, 安魂魄（雖云重墜, 亦借其寶氣也. 古方有紅雪, 紫雪, 皆並金銀煮汁, 亦假其氣耳）. 治驚癇風熱, 肝膽之病（肝經風熱, 則爲驚癇失志,
魂魄飛揚. 肝屬木而畏金, 與心爲子母之臟, 故其病同源一治）. 丸散用箔爲衣, 煎劑加入藥煮. 畏鉛, 水銀（遇鉛則碎, 五金皆畏水銀）.
This is heavy so that this settles
the Heart and the liver, and stabilizes depression and palpitations.
This is acrid, neutral, and
poisonous（if
one take raw gold powder, the one can be killed） Ang (昂) considered that the property of gold is strong, heavy, and tends
to sag, this doesn't fit well with a person's body, hence taking of this gives
rise to death, the origin of the death is not due to the toxin. After burning
silver and gold, when rubbing them on the skin, ulceration does not occur, judging
from this, one can know they are none-poisonous. Gold and jade are the treasure
of the world, how could they be poisonous?). Metal restrains wood, settles fear,
hence this settles the Heart and the liver, quiets the ethereal and corporeal
soul（in spite of that, it is said that the gold tends
to sag with heaviness, we use the precious qi of gold. In ancient formulas
there is Hong Xue (紅雪) and Zi Xue (紫雪) which are the juice of boiled gold and silver, this is also that
their qi are used）. This treats fright epilepsy, wind-heat,
the disease of the liver and gall Bladder（wind-heat in
the liver channel causes fright epilepsy, loss of the mind, and unstable ethereal
soul and corporeal soul. The liver belongs to wood and is fear of metal, is in
the son and mother relationship with the Heart, hence the origin of the disease
is same with the Heart, so they treat together）. When
making pill, wrap this with gold foil. When making decoction, add this and then
boil them. This is counteracted by Qian (lead) and Shui Yin (mercury)（when gold contracts Qian (lead), gold gets broken, this is counteracted
by Shui Yin (mercury)）.
Li Yu (carp) 鯉魚
通, 行水. 甘平. 下水氣, 利小便. 治咳逆上氣, 香港腳黃膽, 妊娠水腫（古方治水腫, 有鯉魚湯, 鯉魚粥. 劉河間曰︰鯉之治水, 鴨之利水, 所謂因其氣相感也）. 鯉魚骨燒灰, 療魚骨哽.
This frees and moves water.
This is sweet and neutral. This
downbears water qi to disinhibit urination. This treats cough with counterflow
Qi ascent, leg qi, jaundice, water swelling in pregnancy（there is Lin Yu Tang
(Carp Soup) and Lin Yu Zhou (Carp Gruel) to treat water swelling in ancient formulas.
Liu He Jian (劉河間) says that the reason that carp treats
water and duck disinhibits water is because their qi affect each other and
thereby）. The ashes of the bone of Li Yu (carp) treats
a fish bone stuck in the throat
Zhen Zhu (pearl) 真珠
瀉熱, 定驚. 甘鹹性寒. 感月而胎（語云︰上巳有風梨有蠹, 中秋無月蚌無胎）, 水精所孕. 水能製火, 入心, 肝二經. 鎮心安魂（肝藏魂. 昂按︰雖云瀉熱, 亦借其寶氣也. 大抵寶物多能鎮心安魂, 如金箔, 琥珀, 真珠之類. 龍齒安魂, 亦假其神氣也）, 墜痰拔毒, 收口生肌. 治驚熱痘療, 下死胎胞衣（珠末一兩, 苦酒服）, 塗面好顏色, 點目去翳膜, 綿裹塞耳治聾. 取新潔未經鑽綴者, 乳浸三日, 研粉極細用（不細傷人臟腑. 陸佃曰︰蛤蚌無陰陽牝牡）.
This drains heat and stabilizes
fright.
This is sweet, salty, and cold.
When this sees the moon, this can have a fetus（Yu (語) says that
in the upper, there is wind, in the pear, there is a little bug, on the 15th
day of the eighth lunar month (中秋), there is no moon, and
in Bang (蚌), there is no fetus）,
this is conceived from water essence. Water can restrain fire, this enters the
two channels of the Heart and the liver. This settles the Heart, quiets the
ethereal（the liver stores the ethereal soul. Ang (昂) thought∶ although it is said that this drains heat, this also
borrows the precious qi. In general, a treasure can settle the Heart and quiet
the ethereal, for example, there is Jin Bo (gold leaf), Hu Po (amber), and Zhen
Zhu (pearl). Long Chi (dragon tooth) quiets the ethereal, this also borrows the
marvelous qi）, downbears phlegm, draws out toxin, closes
the opening of sores, and engenders the flesh.
This treats fright heat, pox,
and clove sore. This downbears dead fetus and placenta（take one liang of the
powder with Ku Jiu (vinegar)）. Applying this on the
face makes complexion good. Dropping this into the eyes eliminates eye screen.
Putting this wrapped in cotton into the ears treats deafness.
When using this, select flesh
and clean one, soak this in milk for three days, and then grind this into powder
thinly（if
it is not grinded thinly, which can damage person’s bowels and viscera. Lu Dian
(陸佃) says that, in case of Ge Bang (蛤蚌), there is no yin, yang, male, and female）.
Zi He Ju (placenta) 紫河車
即胞衣, 一名混沌皮大補氣血. 甘鹹性溫. 本人之血氣所生, 故能大補氣血, 治一切虛勞損極（虛損︰一損肺, 皮槁毛落；二損心, 血脈衰少；三損脾, 肌肉消脫；四損肝,
筋緩不收；五損腎, 骨痿不起. 六極, 曰氣極, 血極, 筋極, 肌極, 骨極, 精極）, 恍惚失志癲癇. 以初胎及無病婦人者良.
有胎毒者害人（以銀器插入, 焙煮, 不黑則無毒）. 長流水洗極淨, 酒蒸焙乾研末. 或煮爛搗碎入藥（如新瓦炙者, 反損其精汁）, 亦可調和煮食（李時珍曰︰崔行功《小兒方》云︰胞衣宜藏天德月德吉方, 深埋緊築. 若爲豬, 狗食, 令兒癲狂；螻蟻食, 令兒瘡癬；鳥雀食,
令兒惡死；棄火中, 令兒瘡爛；近社廟, 井, 灶, 街巷, 皆有所忌. 此亦銅山西崩, 洛鐘東應, 自然之理）.
This is placenta, This is also
called Hun Dun Pi, (placenta). This greatly tonifies qi and blood.
This is sweet and salty, and the
qi is warm. This is generated from human’s blood and qi, hence this can greatly
tonify qi and blood. This treats all kinds of vacuity-taxation and extreme detriment（vacuity detriment∶ damaged
Lung makes the skin dry and the hair to fall.；damaged Heart
causes debilitation of blood vessels.；damaged spleen
causes the desertion of the flesh.；damaged liver causes
slack sinews with failure to contract. : damaged Kidney causes bone wilting
with failure to get up. Six extremes indicates qi extreme, blood extreme, sinew
extreme, flesh extreme, bone extreme, and essence extreme）, abstraction, loss of mind, withdrawal and epilepsy.
It is good when this is from
healthy woman who has delivered first. This with fetal toxin harms people（when this is boiled in
silver pot, if the silver pot does not change into black, this means
none-poisonous）.
Wash this clean with the
flowing water, steam with liquor, burn it over fire to dry, grind this into a
powder, or steam this to be soft and pound, and then put this into medicine（if this is fired on a
new roof tile, rather, the essential juice can be damaged）, this also can be mixed with steamed rice（Li
Shi Zhen (李時珍) says that Cui Xing Gong (崔行功) which wrote Xiao Er Fang (小兒方) says that placenta
should be buried and covered tightly in an auspicious place which has the
virtue of heaven and month. If a pig or dog eat this, children can contract
mania or withdrawal.；if a ground eel and ant eat this, children
can suffer from sore lichen.；if a bird or sparrow eats
it, children can die.；if this is thrown into fire, children
can suffered from sore ulceration.； this should be kept
away from an ancestral shrine, well, kitchen, and near the street）.
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