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Clear heat and detoxify.
Sweet and cold in nature. It traverses the twelve meridians. It clears heat toxins and relieves thirst. (It treats all kinds of poisoning from plants, minerals, metals, and arsenic. Zhang Jingyue stated: For any heat toxin, deficiency-heat, or various fire pathogens where the heat is extreme and cannot be subsided, use Mung Bean [Vigna radiata], regardless of quantity. Boil it with ample water until soft and mushy, add a little salt, or honey may also be used. Wait for it to cool down, then consume it as desired—thick or thin, or as a soup—at any time, three or four times a day without restriction. This substance is not bitter-cold and does not damage the Spleen Qi; it excels at detoxification, relieving irritability, reducing fever, quenching thirst, and promoting urination. It is among the simplest, easiest, best, and most rapid methods. If fire is excessive and the mouth is dry, it should not be boiled too thickly; simply boil it until half-cooked, take the clear decoction, chill it, and drink it, which is especially good for relieving irritability and clearing fire.) It dispels floating wind and moistens the skin. It promotes urination to treat distension. It nourishes the stomach and intestines to harmonize the Spleen. (It effectively treats diarrhea and dysentery.) It is unsuitable for those with Stomach Cold. Its efficacy lies in the green skin; removing the shell causes Qi stagnation. The powder can be applied externally to ulcerated chickenpox lesions, yielding excellent results. (A person recited the Guanyin Sutra with great sincerity but broke a leg while traveling, crying out to the Bodhisattva. In a dream, a monk prescribed a formula: Mung Bean Powder [Vigna radiata powder], stir-fried in a new iron pot until purple, mixed with well water into a thick paste for application, covered with paper, and secured with fir bark. The effect was miraculous.) Small and round beans are preferred. (It resolves alcohol toxicity; consuming more bean powder resolves poison wine toxicity. Take 3 he of bean powder, mixed with water and ingested.)

Regulate the Spleen and Stomach.
Sweet and neutral in nature. It treats vomiting, regurgitation, diarrhea, and dysentery. For Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst), eating it boiled lightly yields good results. It addresses abdominal distension. (Li Shizhen said: Pea [Pisum sativum] belongs to Earth, so the diseases it primarily treats are mostly related to the Spleen and Stomach.) Grind into powder. Apply topically to carbuncles and chickenpox.

Astringent and tonifying the Middle Jiao.
Sweet, astringent, and warm in nature. It tonifies Middle Qi. It astringes essence and solidifies the intestines. (Wang Ying's *Food Materia Medica* states: It benefits the Stomach and harmonizes the Zang-Fu organs. Wu Yiluo notes: Broad Bean [Vicia faba] is astringent and tonifying but easily causes bloating. Where, then, is its "benefiting" and "harmonizing" quality? Li Shizhen cites Wan Biao's *Jishantang Fangyan*: A person accidentally swallowed a needle, and physicians could not treat it. Someone advised boiling broad beans with their shells and eating them in large quantities with Chinese chives, avoiding other foods, after which the needle would naturally pass in the stool. This verifies its property of benefiting the Zang-Fu. Wu Yiluo argues: The intestines are folded and tortuous within the abdomen, and deep; a needle entering must cause injury, how can it be expelled quickly? Eating Chinese chives makes digestion difficult; the fibers entangle and wrap around the outside of the needle. The broad bean is sticky and astringent, adhering to the chives, protecting the needle together without damaging the intestinal walls. Another variation uses this formula with walnut meat, taking advantage of its lubricating property to facilitate rapid downward movement.) When sprouted, it loses all astringency. It has a fragrant, sweet, and palatable taste.