五果 山果 夷果 味类 类 水果
泻肺、解肌、润燥。
辛苦甘温而利。有小毒。泻肺降气。行痰解肌。除风散寒。利胸膈气逆。通大肠气秘。
（东
垣曰∶杏仁下喘治气、桃仁疗狂治血、俱治大便秘、当分气血、脉浮属气、昼便难而阳气秘
者、用杏仁陈皮、脉沉属血、夜便难而阴血秘者、用桃仁陈皮、肺与大肠相表里、贲门在上
、魄门在下、为气之通道、故并以陈皮佐之。杏仁紫菀、并能解肺郁、利小便。）润燥消
积。（索面豆粉、近之则烂。）治时行头痛。上焦风燥。咳逆上气。（炒研蜜丸、含咽。）烦热
喘促。其毒性又能杀虫。治疮。制锡毒、狗毒。（消狗肉积。）因虚而咳嗽便闭者忌之。双仁
者杀人。去皮尖炒研。发散、连皮尖研。得火良。恶葛根、黄芩、黄耆。杏子、酸热。有小
毒。损人。孕妇忌。
润肺下气。
甘平。止咳下气，消心腹逆闷。有湿痰者勿服。（以其性润也。凡仁皆润。）形扁、皮白。
尖弯如鹦哥嘴者真。（形圆皮黄尖直者、名甜杏仁、出山东河南、不入药。）
涩肠敛肺。
酸涩而温脾肺。血分之果。涩肠敛肺。（肺欲收、急食酸以收之。）止血涌痰。消肿解毒。
生
津止渴。（时珍曰∶梅、花于冬而实于夏、得木之全气、故最酸、胆为甲木、肝为乙木、人
舌下有四窍、两通胆液、故食酸则津生。）醒酒杀虫。治久嗽泻痢。（血痢尤良。梁庄肃公
血痢、陈应之用乌梅、胡黄连、灶下土等分为末、茶调服而愈、曾鲁公血痢百余日、国医不
能疗、应之用盐梅肉一枚、研烂、合腊茶入醋服、一啜而安。）瘴疟霍乱。吐逆反胃。下血
血崩。安蛔厥。（蛔虫上攻而眩仆、虫得酸则伏、）去黑痣。蚀恶肉。（疽愈后有肉突起、烧
存
两日而平。）病有当发表者。大忌酸收。误食必为害。青梅熏黑为
泽不蠹。大便不通、气奔
欲死者、乌梅十颗、汤浸去核、丸枣
大、纳入下部、少时即通。）产安吉者。肉浓多脂、最佳。（合溪者次之、长沙梅、福建梅、
肉薄无脂、不堪用。）
白梅 酸涩咸平。功用略同乌梅。治痰厥僵仆。牙关紧闭。（取肉揩擦牙龈、涎出
即开、盖
酸先入筋、齿软即易开、若用铁器搅开、恐伤其齿。）惊痫喉痹。梅核膈气。（取半青半黄梅
子、每个用盐一两、淹一日夜、晒干、又浸又晒、至水尽乃止、用青钱三个夹二梅、麻线缚
定、通装磁罐内、封埋地下、百日取出、每用一枚含之、咽汁入喉即消、收一年者、治一人
、收二年者、治二人、神效。）敷乳痈肿毒。刺入肉中。（捣烂罨之、即出、疮中弩肉、捣饼
贴之、即收。）刀箭伤肤。（捣敷、血即止。）多食损齿伤筋。（经曰∶酸走筋、筋病无多食酸
、若过食而齿 者、嚼胡桃肉以解之。）盐渍为白梅。（取大青梅以盐汁渍之、日晒夜渍、十
日成矣、久乃上霜、故又名盐梅。衣生霉点者、梅叶煎汤、洗之即去、清水揉梅叶、洗蕉
葛衣、经夏不脆、有验。）根叶、治休息痢及霍乱。煮浓汁饮之。
Five Fruits, Mountain Fruits, Barbarian Fruits: The flavors are similar; they all belong to the category of fruits.
Apricot Seed (Xingren): Has the effects of draining Lung Qi, releasing the muscle layer, and moistening dryness.
It is pungent, bitter, sweet, and warm in nature, with a draining action. It has slight toxicity. It drains Lung Qi, directs rebellious Qi downward, moves phlegm, releases the exterior, dispels wind, scatters cold, unblocks rebellious Qi in the chest and diaphragm, and unblocks constipation due to Qi stagnation in the large intestine.
Li Dongyuan said: Apricot seed treats wheezing by regulating Qi; Peach Seed (Taoren) treats mania by regulating Blood. Both treat severe constipation, but one must distinguish between Qi disorders and Blood disorders. A floating pulse indicates a Qi issue; if difficulty defecating occurs during the day due to Yang Qi stagnation, use Apricot seed with Tangerine Peel (Chenpi). A deep pulse indicates a Blood issue; if difficulty defecating occurs at night due to Yin Blood stagnation, use Peach seed with Tangerine Peel. The Lung and Large Intestine are interior-exteriorly related. The cardia is above, and the anus (Pomen) is below; this is the pathway for Qi. Therefore, Tangerine Peel is used as an assistant. Both Apricot seed and Aster Root (Ziwan) can resolve Lung depression and promote urination.
Additionally, it moistens dryness and eliminates accumulation. (Note: Noodles made from flour and bean powder will rot if stored near them.)
It treats headaches caused by epidemic pathogens, upper Jiao wind-dryness, coughing, and rebellious Qi. (Stir-fry, grind into powder, make pills with honey, and suck/swallow slowly.)
It treats irritability, heat, panting, and shortness of breath. Its toxicity can also kill parasites. It treats sores and ulcers. It resolves tin poisoning and dog poison. (Helps digest accumulated dog meat.) Contraindicated for those with cough and constipation due to deficiency. Double-kernel apricot seeds are lethal. Use peeled and tip-removed seeds, stir-fried and ground. To release the exterior, grind with skin and tips. Processing with fire is beneficial. It is incompatible with Kudzu Root (Gegen), Scutellaria Root (Huangqin), and Astragalus Root (Huangqi). Apricots are sour and hot, slightly toxic, damaging to the body, and contraindicated for pregnant women.
Dark Plum (Wumei): Has the effects of moistening the Lung and directing Qi downward.
It is sweet and neutral. It stops coughing, directs Qi downward, and eliminates fullness and oppression in the heart and abdomen. Those with damp-phlegm should not take it. (Because its nature is moistening. All nuts/seeds have moistening properties.) True Wumei is flat, white-skinned, with a curved tip resembling a parrot's beak. (Round, yellow-skinned, straight-tipped ones are called Sweet Almonds, produced in Shandong and Henan, and are not used medicinally.)
White Plum (Baimei): Has the effects of astringing the intestines and consolidating the Lung.
It is sour, astringent, and warm, entering the Spleen and Lung meridians. It belongs to the fruit category affecting the Blood level. It astringes the intestines and consolidates the Lung. (The Lung desires consolidation; urgently consume sour foods to consolidate it.) It stops bleeding, induces vomiting of phlegm, reduces swelling, detoxifies, generates fluids, and relieves thirst.
Li Shizhen said: Plum flowers bloom in winter and bear fruit in summer, obtaining the complete Qi of Wood, hence its extreme sourness. Gallbladder is Jia Wood, Liver is Yi Wood. There are four orifices under the human tongue, two connecting to gallbladder fluid, so consuming sour food generates saliva.
It awakens from drunkenness, kills parasites, and treats chronic cough, diarrhea, and dysentery. (Especially effective for bloody dysentery. Liang Zhuangsu Gong suffered from bloody dysentery; Chen Yingzhi used equal parts of Wumei, Coptis Rhizome (Huanglian), and Hearth Mud (Zaoxia Tu) powdered, taken with tea water, resulting in recovery. Zeng Lugong suffered from bloody dysentery for over 100 days; imperial physicians could not cure him. Chen Yingzhi used one piece of salted plum flesh, ground thoroughly, mixed with wax tea and vinegar, taken once, resulting in stability.)
It treats miasmic malaria, cholera, vomiting, reverse flow of stomach contents, lower bleeding, metrorrhagia, and calms ascariasis convulsions. (Ascaris attacking upward causes dizziness and collapse; worms subside when encountering sourness.)
It removes black moles and corrodes malignant flesh. (After ulcer healing, if flesh protrudes, apply calcined [charred but retaining substance] powder for two days to flatten it.)
For conditions requiring exterior-releasing treatment, sour astringents are strictly contraindicated. Misuse will cause harm.
Green plums smoked until black become Ze Mei, which do not attract insects. For constipation with Qi rushing desperately towards death, use ten Wumei, soaked in water, pitted, formed into pill-sized dates, inserted into the lower orifice (anus), leading to passage shortly after. (Those from Anji, with thick flesh and abundant oil, are best. Those from Hexi are next best. Plums from Changsha and Fujian have thin flesh and no oil, and are unusable.)
White Plum (Baimei): Sour, astringent, salty, and neutral. Functions are slightly similar to Wumei.
It treats phlegm-jue with stiff collapse and locked jaw. (Apply plum flesh to rub the gums; salivation will occur, and the jaw will open. This is because sourness enters the sinews first, softening the teeth/jaw making it easy to open. Using iron tools to pry open risks dental injury.)
It treats fright-epilepsy, throat obstruction (Houbi), and plum-pit qi in the chest. (Take half-green, half-yellow plums, marinate each with one tael of salt for one day and night, sun-dry, then re-soak and re-dry until moisture is exhausted. Sandwich two plums with three green coins, tie firmly with hemp thread, place in a porcelain jar, seal, and bury underground for 100 days. Take out, use one piece per occasion, hold in mouth, swallow juice into throat to dissipate symptoms. One year aged cures one person; two years aged cures two persons, miraculous effect.)
Externally applied for mastitis and swollen toxins, and for foreign bodies embedded in flesh. (Grind and apply; foreign body exits immediately. For hypergranulation tissue in wounds, form into cake and apply to contract tissue.)
For knife and arrow wounds on skin. (Grind and apply; bleeding stops immediately.)
Excessive consumption damages teeth and sinews. (The Classic says: Sour enters sinews. Do not consume excessive sour foods if suffering from sinew diseases. If teeth become loose from overconsumption, chewing walnut meat can resolve it.)
Salt-marinated green plums become White Plums. (Take large green plums, soak in brine, sun-dry by day and soak by night, for ten days until frost appears on surface, hence also named Salt Plum. For mold spots on clothes, wash with decoction of plum leaves to remove. Washing banana/ramie fabric with rubbed plum leaf water prevents brittleness through summer, verified efficacy.)
Roots and leaves of White Plum treat chronic dysentery and cholera. Boil into strong decoction and drink.