大寒。主痈肿结热。
本出广州，今都下、东间并有。根叶无异，惟子不堪食尔，根捣敷热肿，甚良。又有五
叶莓，生人篱援间，作藤，
俗人呼为笼草。取其根捣敷痈疖，亦效。
〔谨案〕五叶，即为乌敛草也。其甘蕉根，味甘
寒，无毒。捣汁服，主产后
血胀闷，敷肿，去热毒，亦效。岭南者，子大，味甘冷，不益人。北间但有花汁无实。
味苦，平，无毒。主浸淫疥瘙疽痔，杀三虫。疗女子阴蚀。生东莱山谷。五月采，阴干。
处处有，布地生，花节间白，叶细绿，人亦呼为 竹。煮汁与小儿饮，疗蛔虫有验。
味酸，寒，无毒。主恶疮 ，捣敷之，杀诸小虫。生道旁。
叶如细萍，丛生，茎头有三叶。一名醋母草，一名鸠酸草。（新附）
味苦，平，无毒。主赤白冷热痢。散服饮之，吞一枚破痈肿。
一作KT 字，人取皮为索者。（新附）
味甘，平，无毒。主妇人乳痈肿，水煮汁饮之，及封之，立消。一名构耨草。
叶似苦苣，花黄，断有白汁，人皆啖之。（新附）
味辛、酸、平、有毒。主水胀疝瘕痹，熨除痈肿，杀鬼精物。疗胸中邪气，水肿，痿痹，
腹
气。如人形者，有神。一名 根，一名夜呼。生咸阳川谷。
近道处处有，方家不甚干用，疗水肿，切生根杂生鲤鱼煮作汤。道家乃散用及煎酿，皆
能去尸虫，见鬼神。其实亦
入神药。花名 花，优良。
〔谨案〕此有赤白二种∶白者入药用，赤
贴肿外用。若服之伤人，乃至
痢血不已而死也。
[Banana Root]
Nature: Great Cold. Indications: Mainly treats carbuncles, swelling, and heat accumulation.
Origin: Originally from Guangzhou; now also found in the capital and eastern regions. The roots and leaves are indistinguishable, except that the fruit is inedible. Crushing the root and applying it externally to hot swellings is very effective. There is also a plant called Five-leaf Berry (Wuye Mei), growing among people's fences as a vine, commonly known by laypeople as Cage Grass (Longcao). Its root, crushed and applied externally, is also effective for treating boils and sores.
[Note]: Five-leaf Berry is the same as Polygonum multiflorum Vine (Wuliancao). Banana Root has a sweet taste and cold nature, and is non-toxic. Drinking its juice treats postpartum blood stasis and distension/stuffiness; external application reduces swelling and removes heat toxins, which is also effective. Those from Lingnan have larger fruits with a sweet-cold taste but offer no benefit to the body. In the north, only flower sap exists without fruit.
[Phytolacca acinosa / Shanglu]
Taste: Bitter. Nature: Neutral. Non-toxic. Indications: Treats impetigo, scabies, itching, ulcers, and hemorrhoids; kills three types of parasites. Treats erosion of the female genitalia. Grows in the valleys of Donglai. Harvested in May and dried in the shade.
It is found everywhere, growing flat on the ground, with white nodes between flowers, and fine green leaves. People also call it Bamboo (Zhu). Boiling the juice and giving it to children is effective for treating roundworms.
[Cu Mu Cao]
Taste: Sour. Nature: Cold. Non-toxic. Indications: Treats malignant sores; crush and apply externally to kill various small insects. Grows by the roadside.
Leaves resemble tiny duckweed, growing in clusters, with three leaves at the stem tip. Also named Vinegar Mother Grass (Cu Mu Cao) or Dove Acid Grass (Jiu Suan Cao). (Newly added)
[Unnamed Herb]
Taste: Bitter. Nature: Neutral. Non-toxic. Indications: Treats bloody and white dysentery of cold and heat types. Taken as a powder or decoction; swallowing one pill/cake breaks down abscesses and swellings.
One version writes it as "KT"; some take its bark to make ropes. (Newly added)
[Gou Nou Cao]
Taste: Sweet. Nature: Neutral. Non-toxic. Indications: Treats breast abscesses and swelling in women. Boil in water, drink the juice, and apply externally as a poultice; it dissipates immediately. Also named Gou Nou Grass.
Leaves resemble Sonchus oleraceus (Ku Ju), with yellow flowers. When broken, it exudes white juice, and people eat it. (Newly added)
[Toxic Rhizome Herb]
Taste: Pungent, Sour. Nature: Neutral. Toxic. Indications: Treats water retention/distension, hernias, mass formations, and bi-syndrome. Hot compresses remove abscesses and swellings; kills evil spirits and entities. Treats pathogenic qi in the chest, edema, flaccidity-bi syndrome, and abdominal qi stagnation. If shaped like a human, it possesses spiritual efficacy. Also named XX Root and Ye Hu. Grows in the valleys of Xianyang.
Found everywhere near roads. Physicians rarely use the dried form; for treating edema, fresh root slices are boiled with live carp to make a soup. Daoists use it as powder or in decoctions/brews, all capable of removing corpse-worms and allowing one to see ghosts and deities. It can also be used in divine medicines. The flower is named XX Flower, considered excellent.
[Note]: There are two varieties: red and white. White is used internally for medicine; red is applied externally to swellings. Internal consumption harms the body, potentially leading to death from incessant bloody diarrhea.