Library

To disperse and unblock, to scatter wind-dampness; to purge, to eliminate accumulation, to kill parasites.

Pungent flavor disperses fullness, bitter flavor kills parasites, warm nature dries dampness and transforms food (all parasites arise from dampness, while qi stagnation and food retention arise from cold). Dispels wind-dampness from the five zang organs, skin, and limbs/joints; treats cold accumulation in the heart and abdomen, and zheng jia masses (The *Zhizhi Fang* states: For those who love alcohol, blood mixes with wine to form "wine bi"; for those with excessive qi, blood mixes with qi to form "qi bi"; for those with deficiency-labor, failed blood mixes with phlegm to form "blood bi." Its shape resembles a worm crawling, invading upwards into the throat, eroding downwards into the anus, or attaching to the hypochondrium and back, or hiding in the chest and abdomen. Only by using *Celastrus orbiculatus* stir-fried, combined with herbs that warm the stomach, regulate qi, and benefit blood, can it be killed); hemorrhoids, sores, tinea, pediatric jing-gan syndrome, and cold dysentery (effective when combined with *Terminalia chebula* and *Amomum cardamomum*); worms in the stomach causing pain upon eating (stir-fried yellow with flour, ground into powder, taken with rice water). Shape resembles elm seeds. Those that are aged and have a musky odor are of good quality.

Astringe essence, externally used to dye beard black.

Bitter and warm enters the Kidney channel. When essence is secured, qi is sufficient;收敛s Yin sweating; darkens beard and hair. Originates from Da Shi country and various foreign regions. Small grains with fine textures are superior. Must be stir-fried and ground before use; discard those eaten by insects leaving holes. Avoid copper and iron vessels.

Also known as Gui Jian Yu (*Euonymus alatus*).

Purge, break blood.

Bitter and cold (Li Shizhen says: also sour and astringent). Breaks old blood, unblocks menstruation, induces abortion, kills parasites, dispels evil influences. Dry stalks have three wings, leaves resemble wild tea. Use after frying with su (animal fat/butter).

Purge, break blood, eliminate accumulation, kill parasites.

Pungent and warm, toxic. Efficacy focuses on moving blood and killing parasites, shaving off deep-seated hard accumulations (Zhu Danxi says: Qi [Lacquer] has an urgent and flying nature; if used moderately, after accumulations are removed, the tonifying nature acts internally without people noticing], breaks long-standing congealed blood [can transform blood stasis into water], reconnects broken bones and tendons [injuries must have blood stasis stagnating]]. Treats chuan shi lao zhai (consumptive disease), zha han (masses/hernia), roundworms. Stir-fry until smoke ceases for decoction, or burn to retain nature, use *Pinellia ternata* as guiding herb. Incompatible with Chuan Jiao (*Sichuan pepper*), Zi Su (*Perilla frutescens*), Ji Zi (egg), Xie (crab) (Qi becomes water when meeting crab).

Greatly drying, greatly purging.

Pungent and hot, highly toxic. Raw is fierce, cooked is slightly slower. Can ascend and descend, can stop and move, opens orifices and unblocks stagnation, removes deep cold from zang organs, acting as a general who breaches gates and seizes doors. Breaks tan pi (phlegm癖), xue zha (blood masses), qi pi (qi obstruction), food accumulation, injuries caused by raw/cold/hard substances, massive abdominal edema, diarrhea/dysentery, convulsions/epilepsy, mouth lock/deafness, toothache, sore throat (Chan Hou Ji Bi [throat entanglement acute obstruction], slow treatment leads to death. Use Jie Du Wan: Xiong Huang [Realgar] 1 liang, Yu Jin [Curcuma aromatica rhizome] 1 qian, Ba Dou [Croton seed] 14 grains, remove peel and oil, make pills. Take 5 fen per dose, swallow with saliva. Xiong Huang breaks stagnant qi, Yu Jin scatters evil blood, Ba Dou expels thick phlegm, but this is a harsh agent, do not use lightly. Or use paper wicks dipped in Ba Dou oil, ignite and blow out, fumigate nose or prick throat; or crush Ba Dou, wrap in cotton, insert into nostril according to left/right side, vomit out bad phlegm and purple blood, symptoms will ease. Although nasal cavity is small, sores there are no hindrance]. Its toxicity can also detoxify, kill parasites, treat sores, snake/scorpion poisons. Harsh use can劫病 (seize/overcome disease), slight use can harmonize middle jiao. Unblocks menstruation, rots fetus (Ba Dou inherits fierce fire qi, rots human muscle. Test by rubbing a little on skin, immediately causes blister, how much more the intestines/stomach? Do not use lightly. Wang Haogu says: Remove heart, peel, membrane, oil, use raw, it is an emergency agent for clearing water/grain pathways; stir-fry until smoke gone, let turn purple-black, it is a slow agent for dissolving hardness and grinding accumulation. Can unblock, can stop diarrhea, unknown to the world. Li Shizhen says: A woman over sixty had loose stools for five years, pain upon eating raw/cold/greasy/meat, taking ascending/astringent herbs made diarrhea worse, pulse was deep and slippery, this is long-term spleen/stomach injury, cold accumulation stagnation. Method should be to purge with heat. Use La Kui Ba Dou Wan [腊匮巴豆丸 - Ba Dou pills made in winter month] 50 pills, take for two days, no diarrhea but cured. Since then, used this method for diarrhea/dysentary, nearly a hundred cured]). Also known as Gang Zi (Lei Xiao says: Tight/small/yellow is Ba, triangular/black is Dou, small/two-pointed is Gang Zi. Gang Zi kills people. Li Shizhen says: This view is very wrong. Generally tight/small are female, triangular/two-pointed are male, males are more harsh. If used properly, both have efficacy. Remove membrane to avoid stomach injury, remove heart to avoid vomiting. *Cang Qi* method takes white membrane together). Use whole plant, kernel, oil, raw, stir-fried, vinegar-boiled burned-to-retain-nature. Grind to remove oil, named Ba Dou Shuang [Croton Frost]. Yuan Hua [*Genkwa flos*] is guiding herb. Incompatible with Da Huang (*Rhubarb root and rhizome*), Huang Lian (*Coptis chinensis rhizome*), cool water (those poisoned by it, resolve with these, or Black Bean/Green Bean juice is also good). Good with fire.

Ba Dou oil made into paper wicks, ignited and blown out, or fumigated into nose, or pricking throat, can move bad phlegm and bad blood. Treats Zhong Feng (wind stroke), Zhong E (evil attack), Tan Jue (phlegm syncope), Qi Jue (qi syncope), Hou Bi (sore throat obstruction), all acute diseases (Da Huang and Ba Dou are both harsh purgatives. But Da Huang is cold, suitable for fu diseases mostly heat. Ba Dou is hot, suitable for zang diseases mostly cold. Thus Zhang Zhongjing treating Shang Han transmitting to interior mostly heat uses Da Huang; Li Dongyuan treating Wu Ji belonging to zang uses Ba Dou. Taking with Da Huang, conversely does not cause diarrhea).