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(Song Dynasty *Kaibao Bencao*)

[Names] Immortal Jujube.
Tao Hongjing stated: During the Northern Qi dynasty, an immortal named Zhongsi obtained seeds of this jujube and planted them, hence the name.
[Collected Explanations] Tao Hongjing stated: The Zhongsi jujube resembles the large jujube (*Ziziphus jujuba*), is one to two cun long, has a pure purple color, fine grain, small core, and sweet taste. It is rarely seen nowadays.
Li Shizhen stated: According to Du Bao's *Daye Shiyiji*: In the Sui dynasty, Xindu Commandate presented Zhongsi jujubes, which were four cun long and five cun in circumference, with thick flesh, small cores, and good flavor, surpassing Qingzhou jujubes. They are also called Immortal Jujubes. From this, it can be seen that the West Queen Mother jujube and Gucheng purple jujube mentioned in *Guangzhi* belong to this category.
[Flavor and Properties] Sweet, warm, non-toxic.
[Indications] Tonifies deficiency and benefits qi, moistens the five zang organs, removes phlegm-cough and cold qi. Long-term consumption makes one robust and healthy, improves complexion, and prevents hunger like immortals (*Kaibao Bencao*).

(*Shixing Bencao*)

[Names] Jue Xie (from *Erya*, meaning of the name unknown).
[Meng] Shiliang stated: Bitter jujubes grow everywhere. They are green and small, bitter and unpalatable, so people mostly do not eat them.
[Flavor and Properties] Bitter, very cold, non-toxic.
[Indications] Treats heat from cold damage lurking in the zang-fu organs, mania, restlessness, fullness, and obstruction of urination and defecation. Take the flesh, boil and grind, mix with honey, and form pills for ingestion (Meng Shiliang).

(Category 34 of Mountain Fruits)

(*Mingyi Bielu*, Lower Grade)

[Names] Kuai Guo (Quick Fruit), Guo Zong (Fruit Ancestor), Yu Ru (Jade Milk), Mi Fu (Honey Father).
Zhu Zhenheng stated: "Li" (pear) means "benefit" or "flow". Its nature is descending and flowing.
Tao Hongjing stated: There are many varieties of pears, all having cold and draining properties. Eating too much harms the body, hence commoners call them Kuai Guo, and they are not used in medicine.
[Collected Explanations] Su Song stated: Pears grow everywhere but vary greatly in type. Medical prescriptions traditionally use Ru Li (Milk Pear) and E Li (Goose Pear). Ru Li comes from Xuancheng, has thick skin and firm flesh, and a lasting flavor; E Li grows north and south of the Yellow River, has thin skin and abundant juice, shorter flavor, but superior fragrance. Others such as Shui Li, Xiao Li, Zi Mi Li, Chi Li, Qing Li, Mao Li, Gan Tang Li, Yu'er Li, etc., are numerous but not used in medicine.
There is a variety called Sang Li (Mulberry Pear), which can only be eaten after being boiled with honey; it stops dry mouth, but raw consumption is unbeneficial and damages spleen-stomach yang. There is also Zi Hua Li (Purple Flower Pear), which treats heart-heat. Emperor Wuzong of Tang suffered from this illness, and various medicines were ineffective. Xing Daoist from Qingcheng Mountain squeezed juice from this pear and offered it to the emperor, whose illness was cured. Later requests for this pear failed. Suddenly, one tree appeared in Changshan Commandery, which was sealed and presented. The emperor ate much of it, achieving remarkable relief from irritability. Over time, the tree withered and no longer propagated, so people cannot use it now.
Li Shizhen stated: Pear trees are two to three zhang high, with pointed, smooth leaves with fine teeth, blooming white flowers like snow in the second lunar month. If there is no wind on Shangsi Festival, the fruit will surely be excellent. Hence the old saying: "Wind on Shangsi brings worms in pears; no moon at Mid-Autumn means no embryos in clams." Jia Sixie said: Each pear seed contains over ten kernels; when planted, only one or two grow into pear trees, while the rest grow into wild crabapples (*Pyrus betulaefolia*), which is another peculiarity. Wild crabapple is also called Tang Li. There are many pear varieties; those grafted onto wild crabapple or mulberry trees fruit earlier and better. Pears come in green, yellow, red, and purple colors. Ru Li is Sidney pear; E Li is Mian Li pear; Xiao Li is Perfume Pear. All are top-grade and can treat diseases. Yu'er Li is a misnomer for Yu Ru Li. Some say Yu'er is pronounced Yuer, a place name in Suzhou Jiaxing County, see *Commentary on Book of Han*.
Other varieties like Qing Pi, Zao Gu, Ban Jin, Sha Mi, etc., are rough and astringent, suitable only for boiling, steaming, or slicing and drying into dried fruit. A variety called Cu Li (Vinegar Pear) becomes sweet and harmless when boiled in water. Ancients praised pears from Changshan Zhending, Shanyang Juye, Liangguo Suiyang, Qiguo Linzi, Julu, Hongnong, Jingzhao, Yedu, Luoyang. Good pears mostly grow in the north; in the south, Xuancheng's are best. Thus Sima Qian's *Records of the Grand Historian* says: "Between Huai North, Rong South, and He-Ji, a thousand pear trees make their owner equivalent to a marquis of a thousand households." Emperor Wen of Wei's edict states: "Zhending Imperial Pears are fist-sized, sweet as honey, crisp as water caltrops, capable of relieving vexation and thirst." Xin Shi's *Sanqin Ji* says: "Han Xiao Pear is as large as a five-sheng vessel; if dropped, it breaks, requiring a bag to catch it. Emperor Wu of Han planted them in Shangyuan Garden. These are rare pear varieties." *Wulei Xianggan Zhi* states: Store pears alternately with radishes, or peel pears... (text incomplete).

[Flavor and Properties] Sweet, slightly sour, cold, non-toxic. Excessive consumption causes cold in the middle jiao and weakness. Those with metal wounds, lactating women, and blood deficiency should especially avoid eating them.
Tao Hongjing stated: *Bieben* says: Pears are sweet and cold; excessive consumption causes cold dysentery. Sang Li: Raw consumption damages spleen-stomach yang and is unbeneficial.
[Indications] Heat cough, stops thirst. Slice and apply to scalds/burns to stop pain and prevent ulceration (Su Gong). Treats external heat, stroke with aphasia, fever from cold damage, resolves Dan Shi heat, fright/evil, promotes urination and defecation (*Kaibao Bencao*). Expels thief-wind, stops mental restlessness, panting, and manic heat. Made into juice, it vomits out wind-phlegm (Daming). For sudden aphasia due to wind, crush fresh pear and drink juice frequently. For chest oppression and heat accumulation, eat more (Meng Shen). Moistens lungs, cools heart, resolves phlegm, descends fire, resolves toxin from sores and alcohol toxicity (Li Shizhen).
[Elucidation] Zhang Yuansu stated: Pears move the spleen if eaten in excess; insufficient amounts are ineffective for disease. Use with discretion. Only beneficial for those thirsty after drinking alcohol, but ultimately does not cure disease.
Kou Zongshi stated: Sun Guangxian's *Beimeng Suoyan* records: A court official saw Imperial Physician Liang Xin, who said: Wind disease is deep, return home quickly. Then he saw Zhao E, a horse doctor from Bozhou, who agreed but advised eating much Xiao Li pear, chewing incompletely, then drinking the juice. After returning home for ten days, eating only Xiao Li pear, he felt instantly refreshed.
Li Shizhen stated: *Mingyi Bielu* records only the harms of pears, not their merits. Tao Hongjing said pears are not medicinal. Probably because ancients focused on wind-cold in disease etiology, using Cinnamon Twig Decoction (*Guizhi Tang*) and Aconite Root (*Fuzi*), they did not know pears treat wind-heat, moisten lungs, cool heart, resolve phlegm, descend fire, and detoxify. Nowadays, six or seven out of ten cases involve phlegm or fire diseases. Pears are indeed beneficial, just not to be overeaten. According to *Leibian*: A scholar looked ill and listless, visited Yang Jilao. Yang said: Your heat syndrome is extreme, qi and blood are depleted; you will die of carbuncle in three years. The scholar left unhappy. Hearing of a Daoist priest on Maoshan with divine medical skills who kept low profile, he dressed as a servant, bowed to him, and asked to perform chores. The priest kept him among disciples. Later, the scholar confessed. The priest diagnosed him, smiled, and said: Go down the mountain, eat one good pear daily. If fresh pears run out, soak dried ones in water, eat the residue and drink the juice; the illness will subside. The scholar followed this advice. After a year, he met Yang Jilao again. His face was plump and lustrous, pulse peaceful. Yang exclaimed: You must have met a supernatural person; otherwise, how could you recover? The scholar explained everything. Yang put on formal robes, faced Maoshan, bowed, and blamed his own lack of learning. This resembles the story in *Beimeng Suoyan*. From these two accounts, the merit of pears is significant. However, only Ru Li, E Li, and Xiao Li are edible for curing disease; other varieties cannot cure illness.
[Attached Prescriptions] Eight old, four new.
Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst) drinking water: Use Perfume Pear, Goose Pear, or Jiangnan Sidney pear, extract juice, boil with honey until concentrated, store in bottles. Mix with hot or cold water as needed, stop when cured (*Puji Fang*).
Sudden Cough: Su Song cites Cui Yuanliang's *Haishang Fang*: Take good pear, remove core, crush to get one bowl of juice, add forty Sichuan peppercorns (*Zanthoxyli Fructus*), boil once, remove dregs, add one liang of dark malt sugar, dissolve, and slowly swallow/suck to settle immediately. Meng Shen says: Take one pear, prick fifty holes, insert one peppercorn per hole, wrap in dough, roast in ash/fire until cooked, cool, remove peppercorns, and eat. Another prescription: Remove core, insert butter and honey, wrap in dough, roast until cooked, eat cold. Another: Slice, fry in butter and eat. Another: Crush juice one sheng, add one liang each of butter and honey, one sheng of Rehmannia Root juice (*Rehmanniae Radix*), boil, suck/swallow. For all cough treatments, eat cold when wheezing is severe. Hot food damages lungs and worsens cough irreparably. If regurgitation occurs, eat mutton soup noodles until full, lie down briefly, then feel better.
Phlegm Asthma and急促 Breathing: Hollow out pear, fill with small black soybeans, replace lid, tie securely, roast in chaff-fire until cooked, crush into cakes. Eat daily until effective (*Zhaixuan Fang*).
Aphasia due to Wind: Fresh pear, crush juice, drink one cup, twice daily (*Shiliao Bencao*).
Pediatric Wind-Heat, Confusion, Restlessness, Anorexia: Cut three Xiao Li pears, boil in two sheng water to obtain one sheng juice, add one he of japonica rice (*Oryza Sativa Japonica Group*), cook porridge and eat (*Shenghui Fang*).
Red Eyes with Pterygium, Day/Night Pain: Take one good pear, crush and squeeze juice, wrap one qian of Coptis Rhizome (*Coptidis Rhizoma*) slice in cotton, soak in pear juice. Instill while lying supine (*Shenghui Fang*).
Red Eye Swelling and Pain: One Goose Pear crushed for juice, half liang of Coptis Rhizome powder (*Coptidis Rhizoma*), one zi of Nacre (*Nacre*), mix evenly, wrap in cotton, soak in pear juice, instill daily (*Shenghui Fang*).
Regurgitation and Food Intolerance, Medicines Not Retained: Take one large Sidney pear, insert fifteen Clove buds (*Eugeniae Caryophyllata Flos*) into the pear, wrap in wet paper four to five layers, roast until cooked, and eat (*Puji Fang*).

Flower
[Indications] Removes facial dark spots and impurities (Li Shizhen. Prescription see under Plum Blossom).
Leaf
[Indications] Cholera with continuous vomiting and diarrhea, boil juice and drink. Make decoction to treat wind (Su Gong). Treat pediatric cold hernia (Su Song). Crush juice and drink to resolve mushroom poisoning (Wu Rui).
[Attached Prescriptions] Three old, one new.
Pediatric Cold Hernia Abdominal Pain with Profuse Sweating: Use pear leaves, decoct strongly to obtain seven he, divide into several doses, drink. Highly effective. This is Xu Yu's experience prescription (*Tujing Bencao*).
Early Stage Water Toxicity Disease, Headache, Aversion to Cold, Stiffness, Mental Restlessness: Crush one handful of pear leaves, mix with one cup of wine and drink (*Qiezhong Fang*).
Earwig Bite Ulcer Discharging Yellow Fluid: Apply pear leaf juice, change when dry (*Qiezhong Fang*).
Injury from Overeating Pears: Decoct pear leaf juice to resolve toxicity (Huang Ji).

Wood Bark
[Indications] Resolves Cold Damage and Seasonal Epidemic Qi (Li Shizhen).
[Attached Prescriptions] Four new.
Cold Damage and Warm Epidemic, Emitted or Not Yet Emitted. Use one liang each of Pear Wood Bark (*Piri Cortex*) and Licorice Root (*Glycyrrhizae Radix*), one he of Yellow Sorghum Grain (*Sorgi Fructus*), one qian of Pot Bottom Coal (*Fodis Carbonis*). Take three qian per dose, wash down with plain water, twice daily, until cured. This is Dr. Cai's prescription (*Jianyi Fang* by Li Jushi).
Cholera Vomiting and Diarrhea: Pear branches, boil juice and drink (*Shenghui Fang*).
Qi Accumulation and Oppression, Qi Rushing Up from Umbilicus, Chest Fullness, Shortness of Breath, Oppression/Fainting. Use equal parts of Pear Wood Ash (*Piri Cinereus*), White Skin of Chicken Egg Shell hatched naturally (*Ovi Oöthecae Periostracum*), Aster Root (*Asteris Radix*), Ephedra Stem (*Ephedrae Herba* [nodes removed]), grind into powder, make pills with paste size of Sophora seeds. Take ten pills per dose with wine. Can also take as powder (one square inch scoop) or decoct and drink (*Zonglu*).
For thirty-year history of Qi Knotting and Cough/Asthma, taking this also heals. Prescription same as above.