Library

Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic. It primarily nourishes the five Zang organs (Five Viscera), stabilizes the Hun and Po spirits (ethereal and corporeal souls), expels demons and evil ghosts, resolves blood stasis, and unblocks the five types of strangury (dysuria). It originates from Yongchang.

Old theories state that it is pine resin that has sunk into the ground and transformed over a thousand years; burning it now also produces the scent of pine resin. Folklore claims there is a bee inside amber, appearing alive in color and shape. The account in *Bowuzhi* (Illustrated Records of Various Things) is not factual. This is likely a bee stuck by pine resin, which then fell to the ground and sank. Those made from boiled chicken eggs or green fish otoliths are not genuine; authenticity is verified using *Shejie* grass (Lepidium apetalum). In common practice, people often wear it to ward off malign influences. Scraping the powder for oral administration is highly effective for treating blood stasis. *Xianjing* (Scripture of Immortals) does not list formal uses, except for its requirement in *Quchen Dan* (Quchen Pill), where red varieties are superior. Currently, it is mostly imported from foreign lands, and nowhere near places where Poria (Fuling) is produced is amber found. It is unknown whether Poria exists in places where amber is produced.

[Ministerial Investigation] Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic. It has been passed down since ancient times that pine resin transforms into Poria after a thousand years, into amber after another thousand years, and into *Poyu* (Amber Jade) after yet another thousand years. However, when these two substances are burned, they both emit the scent of pine resin, and their effects are similar to amber: they tonify the Heart and calm the Spirit, with particular efficacy in breaking blood stasis. They resemble black jade but are lighter. Those obtained from the deserts of Xirong can be as large as one square foot, black, lustrous, and light; when burned, they produce a fishy odor. People from Gaochang call them "Mu Po" (Wood Amber) and refer to black jade as "Shi Po" (Stone Amber). Those found in the soil and rocks of Hongzhou emit a pine scent when burned, resolve blood stasis and generate flesh, and are identical to amber. They crack when exposed to wind and cannot be used as measuring vessels. These two varieties, along with amber, may not actually be derived from pine resin. Due to these discrepancies and errors, a brief discussion follows.

Bitter and sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. It treats carbuncles, malignant sores, scalp ulcers, white alopecia, scabies and itching, wind-pathogen diseases, nourishes the five Zang organs, clears heat, eliminates latent heat in the Stomach, dryness of the throat, thirst-quenching syndrome (Xiaoke), and dead muscle tissue caused by wind-bi (wind-damp obstruction). Refining makes it white. The red variety treats severe wind-bi; long-term consumption lightens the body, prevents aging, and prolongs life. Also known as Songgao (Pine Paste) and Songfang (Pine Fat). It grows in deep valleys of large mountains. Harvested in June. Pine seeds are bitter, non-toxic, and warm. They treat wind-bi, cold pathogens, emaciation and weakness, shortness of breath, and tonify deficiencies. Harvested in September and dried in the shade. Pine needles are bitter and warm. They treat wind-damp bi pain and qi-related sores, promote hair growth, nourish the five Zang organs, stabilize the Middle Jiao, prevent hunger, and prolong life. Pine joints are warm. They treat chronic wind affecting all joints, deficiency-wind, leg bi pain, and joint pain. White bark of pine roots treats hunger during grain avoidance (Bigu).

The methods for harvesting and refining pine resin are recorded in dietary therapy formulas: boil with ash water from mulberry branches and vinegar, then immerse in cold water dozens of times until it becomes white and smooth, at which point it is usable. Naturally exuded resin is superior to resin tapped from trees or boiled paste. Pine seeds are not easily obtained; only pine needles are suitable for grain avoidance. Finely chop like millet grains and take with water or wheat gruel. Some are dried in the shade, pounded into powder, and taken as pills. For those suffering from malignant diseases, administration invariably leads to recovery. Recently, individuals suffering from lower limb weakness have brewed wine with pine joints, resulting in complete cure. Both pine and cypress possess resinous moisture and do not shed leaves in winter; theoretically, they are excellent substances, but people tend to overlook them due to their accessibility.

[Ministerial Investigation] Pine flowers, named Songhuang (Pine Pollen), are brushed off resembling Catamenia Typhae (Puhuang); taken directly with wine, they lighten the body and treat diseases, reportedly surpassing the efficacy of bark, needles, and resin. Pine nuts are very sweet; stating they are bitter in the classics is incorrect. Burning pine branches and collecting the dripping juice below yields Songliu (Pine Distillate), which is excellent for treating sores and scabies in cattle and horses. The green outer layer of the bark is named Ainai (Mugwort Collection); when mixed with various fragrant herbs and burned, the smoke forms clusters...