一名双珠草。生人家颓垣古砌间,叶类小将军草而小,谷雨后开细碎花,桠间结细子似
肾。
又类椒形,青色微毛,立夏时采。 百草镜云∶蔓延而生,喜生土墙头,二三四月采,五月
无。二月发苗,乃小草也。三四月间节桠中结子,形如外肾,内有两细核,性温,治疝气,
行下部,发大汗为妙。治腰痛。
疝气∶澹寮方用狗卵子草鲜者二两,捣取汁,白酒和服,饥时服药尽醉,蒙被暖睡,待
发大
汗,自愈。此草性温,能达下部,如无鲜者,须三四月予采晒干保存。倘用干者,止宜一两
,煎白酒。加紫背天葵五钱,同煎更妙。 庚戌,予馆临安,暑后荒圃多生此草,惊蛰后发
苗,似小将军而叶较小,色亦淡绿,春分后即开花,细碎,藕合色,节桠辄有花,结子如狗
卵,颇壮满可观。其草蔓地,千百穗并一根,立夏后多槁。予同舍许氏子髫年患疝,发辄作
厥,以此草煎酒服,后永不再发。
一名洞里神仙,又名野延胡。江南人呼飞来牡丹,处处有之,叶似牡丹而小,根长二三
寸,
春开小紫花成穗,似柳穿鱼,结子在枝节间,生青老黄,落地复生小枝,子如豆大,其根下
有结粒,年深者大如指,小者如豆,一种黄花者乃蒿属,根上亦无子,采取不可误用。
治跌打损伤风气,消痈肿便毒瘰 天蛇毒鸦翅毒,捣敷火丹痔肿风痹,闪肭腰痛。
肿毒初起∶百草镜取一粒金丹根上子一两,捣汁,陈酒和服,并治瘰 初起。
Also known as Shuangzhu Cao (Double Pearl Grass). It grows among the ruined walls and ancient stone steps of households. Its leaves resemble those of Xiaojiangjun Cao (Little General Grass) but are smaller. After the Guyu solar term, it blooms with tiny, fragmented flowers, and small seeds resembling kidneys form between the branches.
It also resembles the shape of Sichuan pepper, is greenish in color with slight hairs, and is harvested at the beginning of Summer (Lixia). *Baicao Jing* records: It spreads and grows, preferring to grow on top of earthen walls; it can be collected in the second, third, and fourth lunar months, but is absent in the fifth month. Sprouts appear in the second lunar month; it is a small herb. In the third and fourth lunar months, seeds form in the nodes and branch axils, shaped like external genitalia (testes), containing two fine kernels inside. It has a warm nature, treats hernia, directs action to the lower body, and inducing profuse sweating is considered optimal. It treats lower back pain.
Hernia: The *Danliao Fang* prescription uses two liang of fresh Gouluanzi Cao (Dog Egg Grass), crushed to extract juice, mixed with white wine for oral administration. The patient should take the medicine until drunk while hungry, cover themselves with blankets to keep warm, sleep, and wait for profuse sweating to occur, after which the disease will heal spontaneously. This herb has a warm nature and can reach the lower body. If fresh herbs are unavailable, they must be harvested in the third or fourth lunar months, dried, and stored. If using dried herbs, only one liang is suitable, decocted in white wine. Adding five qian of Zibeitiankui (Ophiopogon japonicus var. planiscapus 'Nigrescens'), decocted together, yields even better results. In the Gengxu year, I was staying in Lin'an. After the heat, this herb grew abundantly in abandoned gardens. Sprouts emerged after the Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe), resembling Little General Grass but with smaller leaves and a lighter green color. Flowers bloomed after the Spring Equinox, tiny and fragmented, in lotus-root-pink color, appearing at nodes and branch axils. The seeds resembled dog eggs, plump and visually appealing. The herb creeps on the ground, with thousands of spikes growing from a single stem, mostly withering after Lixia. My roommate's son, Mr. Xu, suffered from hernia in his childhood; upon attack, he would faint. He took this herb decocted in wine, and subsequently never suffered another attack.
Also known as Dongli Shenxian (Immortal in the Cave), or Ye Yanyu (Wild Corydalis). People in Jiangnan call it Feilai Mudan (Flying Peony); it is found everywhere. The leaves resemble peony leaves but are smaller. The roots are two to three cun long. In spring, it blooms with small purple flowers in spikes, resembling Willow-Piercing-Fish. Seeds form between the branch nodes, turning from green when young to yellow when old. When falling to the ground, they sprout new small branches. The seeds are bean-sized. At the base of the root, there are nodular granules; in older plants, these are finger-sized, while in younger ones, they are bean-sized. A variety with yellow flowers belongs to the Artemisia genus and lacks seeds on the root; care must be taken not to mistake it during collection.
It treats wind-dampness caused by falls and bruises, dissipates carbuncles, sores, anal abscesses, scrofula, Tianshe Du (Snake Poison), Yachi Du (Crow Wing Poison). Crushed and applied externally, it treats Huodan (Erysipelas), hemorrhoid swelling, wind-bi (wind-rheumatism), and sprain-induced lower back pain.
Initial stage of toxic swelling: *Baicao Jing* prescribes taking one liang of the seeds from the root of Yili Jindan (One Pill Golden Elixir), crushing them to extract juice, and mixing with aged wine for oral administration. This also treats the initial stage of scrofula.