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[Appendix on Pumpkin Pulp]
The *Compendium of Materia Medica* (*Bencao Gangmu*) only mentions "tonifying the middle and replenishing qi" regarding the therapeutic effects of pumpkin. As for its seeds causing hair loss when consumed, nowadays people treat it as a vegetable; excessive consumption instead leads to qi stagnation and chest diaphragm fullness. These aspects were unknown to people in the past. Wu Xiufeng stated: "When all melons ripen, their stems fall off naturally, but the stem of the pumpkin is firm and cannot detach." In the past, it was used in fetal preservation prescriptions with great efficacy. This is because the East corresponds to Jia-Yi Wood, which belongs to the Liver and governs Sheng Qi (generative energy). Its flavor is sour. The fetus must rely on Liver Blood for nourishment. If the fetus threatens to abort, there is acid sensation in the abdomen, indicating the separation of Gan Qi (Liver Qi) from the body. Pumpkin has a yellow color and sweet taste, representing the essence of Central Spleen Earth. It can generate Liver Qi and benefit Liver Blood, thus effectively preserving the fetus.

Shenmiao Decoction (Miraculous Efficacy Soup): Used for fetal preservation. Take one ox nose (charred to retain efficacy), 1 liang (approx. 37g) of pumpkin stem, decoct in water and drink. It prevents miscarriage.

Treating Carbuncles: *Xingqie Jianbi* records: Use several old pumpkin stems, bake until dry, grind into powder, mix with sesame oil, and apply topically. Immediate effect.

Treating Burns and Scalds: *Cihang Huoren Shu* records: Collect old pumpkins during the sixth lunar month. Place the pulp and seeds together in a bottle; the longer the storage, the better. For burns or scalds, apply this paste to the affected area. It stops pain miraculously.

[Pumpkin Uses]
People often plant pumpkins in gardens. In late autumn, mountain dwellers carry them to markets to sell. They are used to make spicy sauce and treat frostbite, with wide applications, yet these functions are not recorded in *Bencao Gangmu*. Chen Lingyao in *Shipin Yiji* states: "Shiyuyu (Edible Dogwood) is actually Lajia (Hot Pepper); aged ones are superior." There are various types differing in size, shape (round/square), and color (yellow/red). One type, long and pointed, is called "Ivory Lajia," suitable for medicinal use. Another woody type is called "Fanjiang." Fan Xian's *Taiwan Fu Zhi* records: "Fanjiang is a woody plant introduced from the Netherlands. It bears white flowers and green, pointed fruits that turn striking crimson when ripe. Inside are spicy seeds eaten by locals with the shell; in the interior regions, it is called 'Fan Jiao' (Foreign Pepper). Another variety produces round, slightly pointed fruits similar to nectarines, originating from Ya Ba, and is absent in the interior." *Yaojian* records: "Lajia, also known as Laqie (Wax Eggplant), gets its name because it ripens in the twelfth lunar month. It is also used as a food condiment. Its leaves resemble eggplant leaves but are smaller. The stem grows about one chi (approx. 33cm) high. Flowers appear in summer, white with five petals, hanging downward like eggplant flowers. Fruits are initially green. Shapes vary: some resemble persimmons, some like weighing hammers, small ones like beans, large ones like oranges. Some grow upward, others hang beneath leaves. Varieties are numerous. For medicinal use, only select those slender like ivory or human fingers. All varieties can be used as food condiments."

*Shipin Yiji* records: "Nature is pungent, bitter, and very hot. It warms the middle, directs qi downward, dispels cold and dampness, opens depression, resolves phlegm, aids digestion, kills parasites, and detoxifies. Treats vomiting and rebellious qi, dysphagia, diarrhea and dysentery, and Hong Kong Foot (Tinea Pedis/Charley Horse). However, eating it causes wind to move and fire to flare, triggering eye diseases, sores, hemorrhoids, and anal fissures. Contraindicated for those with blood deficiency and internal heat." *Yaojian* records: "Flavor is pungent, nature is very hot. Causes immediate tongue burning upon entry. Can dispel wind and invigorate blood, scatter cold and resolve depression, guide stagnation and stop diarrhea, and rub externally for tinea."

*Bai Cao Jing* records: "Smoke to kill bedbugs, wash for frostbite, bathe for cold scabies, purge large intestine cold."

Treating External Hemorrhoids: *Bai Cao Jing* records: Take fully ripe red Ivory Lajia, chop finely, mix with sweet bean paste, and eat.

Treating Snake Bites: *Bai Cao Jing* records: Chew 11-12 raw Lajia fruits. Swelling and pain subside immediately. Small blisters form at the wound site, discharging yellow fluid, leading to recovery. Interestingly, the taste becomes sweet rather than spicy after chewing. Alternatively, chew thoroughly and apply as a poultice to the wound to reduce swelling and pain.

Recipe for Removing Bedbugs: *Jingyan Guangji* records: Take one sheep bone and half a jin (approx. 500g) of Qinjiao, place them in a brazier with sawdust, and burn together. Keep doors and windows tightly closed to contain smoke; the bugs will die naturally. My note: Using camphor wood sawdust is best.

Treating Frostbite: Cai Yunbai's Formula: Peel the skin of Lajia and apply it to the affected area. It heals quickly.

Treating Dysentery and Watery Diarrhea: *Yizong Huibian* records: Form one Lajia fruit into a pill. Swallow early in the morning wrapped in hot tofu skin. It cures immediately.

My Note: *Huajing* states that Fanjiao is also called Haifengteng, commonly known as Lajia. The plant is one to two chi tall, bearing clusters of white flowers. In autumn, it produces fruits resembling inverted brush tips, turning from green to crimson, hanging attractively. The taste is extremely spicy. People often use it, grinding it into fine powder to replace black pepper in winter. Its nature is hot and dispersing, entering the Heart and Spleen meridians, and dispelling water-dampness. In the Guihai year, while in Lin'an, a young servant drank cold water and slept in a damp place during midsummer. He developed malaria in autumn, unresponsive to hundreds of medicines. By early winter, he accidentally ate spicy sauce, found it palatable, and craved it. He later used it to cook porridge. Soon, his malaria healed spontaneously. This is likely because accumulated fluid in the chest/diaphragm transformed into cold phlegm; the pungency dispersed it, melting away like snow in hot water. Also known as Qinjiao. Li Chengyu's *Liao Zai* records: "Qinjiao, also called Fanjiao, resembles horse milk in shape and coral in color. It is not the Sichuan peppercorn from Qin region mentioned in Bencao, but the Lajia of the central lands."

*Longbai Yaoxing Kao* records: The chili pepper in the Qin region is an herbaceous pepper. Annotations in *Bencao Gangmu* mistakenly identified it as Sichuan peppercorn from Qin region, not realizing it is the current Lajia, also called Latiger. Nature is hot, flavor is spicy. Warms the middle, scatters cold, expels wind, induces sweating, removes cold accumulation, moves phlegm, and drives out dampness. Excessive consumption causes dizziness due to stirring up fire. Long-term use triggers hemorrhoids, toothache, and throat swelling.