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(Class of Fragrant Woods, No. 35)

(Listed as Superior Grade in *Shennong Bencao Jing* [Divine Farmer's Materia Medica])
[Names] (Pronounced 'ju'), Cebai (Platycladus orientalis).
Li Shizhen stated: According to Wei Zicai's *Liushu Jingyun*, all trees face the sun, but the cypress tree points westward alone. This is because it is a yin tree possessing uprightness and virtue, hence the character "bai" (white) in its name. White represents the West. Lu Tian in *Piya* said: The cypress pointing west is like the compass needle pointing south. There are several species of cypress; for medicinal use, only those with flat leaves growing on the side are selected, hence the name Cebai (Side Cypress).
Kou Zongshi stated: When I served as an official in Shaanxi, looking from a height at the cypress trees, thousands of them all pointed westward. This wood is extremely hard and unafraid of frost and snow, obtaining the upright qi of Wood, which other trees lack. Therefore, it is controlled by the upright qi of Metal, causing it to point westward.
[Collection and Explanation] *Mingyi Bielu* [Additional Records of Famous Physicians] states: Baishi (Cypress seeds) grow in the valleys of Mount Tai; the leaves are especially good. Collection should follow directions according to the seasons.
Tao Hongjing stated: Cypress trees are found everywhere, but those from Mount Tai are the best. It is taboo to harvest those from tombs. Leaves harvested in summer and autumn are superior.
Su Gong stated: Currently, seeds are no longer harvested from Mount Tai; those from Shanzhou and Yizhou are the finest. Harvested in August.
Su Song stated: Baishi from Ganzhou is the best quality. Flowers bloom in March, fruits mature in September. After harvesting, they are steamed and sun-dried, then pounded and rubbed to extract the kernels. The leaves are named Cebai, with those from Mizhou being particularly excellent. Although similar to other cypresses, their leaves grow sideways, resulting in distinct efficacy. Ancient cypress leaves are particularly unique; in the Zhuge Liang Temple in Yizhou, there is a large cypress tree, traditionally planted during the Shu Han period, so people often harvest it for medicine. Its taste is sweet and fragrant, differing from ordinary cypress. Lei Xiao stated: Cypress leaves include Huabaiye (Flowering Cypress leaves), Congbaiye (Cluster Cypress leaves), and Youzi Yuan Ye (Seeded Round Leaves). The seeded round leaves form sheets like mica, with leaves growing sideways and having fine red hairs on the surface; these are suitable for medicinal use. Huabaiye has dense foliage forming clusters but bears no fruit; Congbaiye is green and not used medicinally. Chen Cheng stated: Tao Hongjing mentioned avoiding cypress from tombs, yet currently, Ganzhou cypress comes from Qianling Mausoleum, with no large specimens elsewhere. One should select based on local suitability, provided the seeds have rich aroma and flavor. The grain of this cypress differs from others, often displaying patterns resembling Bodhisattvas, clouds, figures, birds, and beasts, very distinct and observable. A thief once obtained a trunk one chi in diameter worth ten thousand coins, proving the value of its seeds. Li Shizhen stated: *Shiji* [Records of the Grand Historian] says: Pine and Cypress are the leaders of all trees. They stand tall and straight, have thin bark, and fine texture. Their flowers are small and clustered, fruits resemble small bells, splitting into four after frost, containing several seeds the size of wheat grains, fragrant and lovely. Trees with sharp, hard leaves like cypress are called Gui (Juniper). People now call them Yuanbai (Round Cypress) to distinguish them from Cebai. Trees with pine-like leaves and cypress trunks are called Cong. Those half-pine half-cypress are called Huibai. In Mount Emei, a species with bamboo-like leaves and cypress trunks is called Zhu Bai (Bamboo Cypress).
Baishi (Cypress Seeds)
[Processing] Lei Xiao stated: For use, first soak in wine overnight, strain the next morning, and sun-dry. Then decoct with fresh juice of Huangjing (Polygonatum rhizome) under the sun, using slow fire until it becomes a paste. For every three liang of Baizi Ren (Cypress seed kernel), soak in five liang of wine.
Li Shizhen stated: This method is used by practitioners of longevity regimens. For common use, simply steam, sun-dry, pound, winnow to get the kernels, stir-fry, and grind for medicinal use.
[Properties and Flavor] Sweet, neutral, non-toxic.
Zhen Quan stated: Sweet, acrid. Incompatible with Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum flower) and Yangti Cao (Rumex leaf).
Xu Zhicai stated: See under Leaf section.
[Indications] Treats palpitations, tonifies qi, dispels wind-dampness, calms the five zang organs. Long-term use makes the skin lustrous and complexion beautiful, improves hearing and vision, prevents hunger and aging, lightens the body, and prolongs life (*Benjing*). Treats mental confusion, deficiency exhaustion, severe joint pain in the waist and legs, nourishes blood, and stops sweating (*Biellu*). Treats headache due to wind, cold in waist and kidneys, cold pus and retained water in bladder, enhances sexual function, promotes longevity, expels evil spirits and demons, and treats infantile convulsions (Zhen Quan). Moistens Liver (Haogu). Nourishes Heart qi, moistens Kidney dryness, calms the soul and spirit, enhances intelligence, and soothes the mind. Distilled oil moisturizes hair.
[Elucidation] Wang Haogu stated: Baizi Ren is a herb entering the Qi level of the Liver channel. It also moistens the Kidneys; it is used in the ancient formula Shijing Wan (Ten Essence Pill).
Li Shizhen stated: Baizi Ren is neutral without being cold or drying, sweet and tonifying, acrid and moistening, with a clear fragrance that penetrates the Heart and Kidneys, benefiting the Spleen. It is likely a superior herb for immortals, suitable for nourishing preparations. *Liexian Zhuan* [Biographies of Immortals] states: Chisongzi ate cypress seeds, causing fallen teeth to regrow and walking speed to match galloping horses. This is likely not false talk.
[Attached Prescriptions] Two old prescriptions, six new ones.
Method of taking Baishi: Harvest pods in August, sun-dry, remove shells, and grind into powder.
Take two qian each time, washed down with warm wine, three times a day. Drink water when thirsty to promote luster. Another prescription: Add equal parts Songzi Ren (Pine nut kernel), bind with Songzhi (Pine resin) into pills. Another prescription: Add equal parts Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum flower), bind with honey into pills. *Qixiao Fang*: Use two jin of Baizi Ren (grind to powder, soak in wine to make paste), three jin of Jujube flesh, one jin each of Baimit (White honey), Baizhu Mo (Atractylodes macrocephala powder), and Dihuang Mo (Rehmannia root powder). Mix evenly, roll into pills the size of quail eggs. Chew one pill each time, three times a day. After one hundred days, hundred diseases are cured; long-term use prolongs life and strengthens the spirit. For elderly constipation due to deficiency: Equal parts Baizi Ren, Songzi Ren, and Dama Ren (Hemp seed). Grind together, melt beeswax and honey to form pills the size of Sophora seeds. Take twenty to thirty pills mixed with a small amount of Huangdan (Lead oxide) soup before meals, twice a day. (Kou Zongshi) Intestinal wind with bloody stool: Fourteen Baizi (cypress seeds). Pound, place in a bag, soak in three zhan of good wine, decoct to eight-tenths volume, take orally, bleeding stops immediately. (*Puji Fang*) Infantile crying, convulsions, abdominal fullness, greenish-white stool: Use Baizi Ren powder, mix with warm water, take one qian. (*Shenghui Fang*) Yellow-water damp sores: Two liang of genuine bitumen, two liang of sesame oil. Boil until thick, apply externally, miraculous effect. (Lu Shi...)
Baiye (Cypress Leaves)
[Processing] Lei Xiao stated: For use, remove side branches and central twigs. Soak in rice washing water for seven days. Mix with wine and steam for one shichen (two hours). For every one jin, soak and bake with twelve liang of fresh Huangjing juice until dry.
Li Shizhen stated: This is a regimen treatment method. For common use, use raw or stir-fried, according to the specific prescription.
[Properties and Flavor] Bitter, slightly warm, non-toxic.
Zhen Quan stated: Bitter, acrid, astringent nature. Compatible with wine.
Su Song stated: Cold nature.
Xu Zhicai stated: Gua Zi (Melon seed), Muli (Oyster shell), and Gui (Cinnamon twig) act as guides. Incompatible with Ju Hua, Yangti, various stones, and yeast. Subdues arsenic and saltpeter.
Tao Hongjing stated: Cypress leaves and seeds are important for ingestion regimens. This text says it dislikes yeast, but people use it for brewing wine without issue. Perhaps mixing wine and rice differs from single use.
[Indications] Treats hematemesis, epistaxis, dysentery with blood, metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, lightens the body, tonifies qi, enables tolerance to cold and heat, dispels wind-damp bi-syndrome, stops hunger (*Biellu*). Treats cold wind causing joint pain, stops hematuria (Zhen Quan).
Roasted, treats frostbite. Burn to obtain juice, apply to head to darken and moisturize hair (Daming). Apply to scalds and burns, relieves pain and fades scars. Taken internally, treats gu dysentery.
Decocted as tea for regular consumption, kills parasites in the five zang organs, benefits humans (Su Song).
[Elucidation] Zhu Zhenheng stated: Cypress belongs to Yin and Metal, possessing a stabilizing nature. Thus, its leaves are harvested according to the lunar month direction to absorb the qi of the season. This is a key herb for nourishing Yin. Its nature is somewhat drying; long-term use greatly benefits the Spleen Earth, thereby nourishing the Lungs.
Li Shizhen stated: Cypress remains green late and endures, possessing a firm and solid quality, making it a long-lived tree, thus suitable for ingestion regimens. Daoists use it to brew tea for daily drinking and soak it in wine on New Year's Day to ward off evil, drawing on these qualities. Musk deer eat it and become fragrant; the Mao Nu (Hair Woman) ate it and became light-bodied, serving as evidence. The Mao Nu was a palace maid of Qin. When rebels from Guandong arrived, she fled into the mountains, starving. An old man taught her to eat pine and cypress leaves. Initially bitter, it became palatable over time, stopping hunger, preventing cold in winter and heat in summer. By the time of Emperor Cheng of Han, hunters in Zhongnan Mountain saw a person without clothes, covered in black hair, jumping across pits and streams like flying. They surrounded and captured him, discovering he had been missing for over two hundred years since Qin. This story appears in Ge Hong's *Baopuzi*.
[Attached Prescriptions] Ten old prescriptions, eleven new ones.
Method of taking Pine and Cypress: Sun Simiao's *Zhenzhong Ji* [Treasure of the Middle Chamber] states: Collect fresh pine needles three to four cun long, along with flower buds, in March and April, dry in shade. Also collect fresh cypress leaves two to three cun long from deep mountain valleys in the current year, dry in shade, grind to powder, and bind with white honey into pills the size of adzuki beans. Before sunrise, burn incense facing east, hold eighty-one pills, and wash down with wine. Taking for one year extends life by ten years; two years extends life by twenty years. To gain muscle mass, add Hemp seed and Sesame; to strengthen heart and mind, add Poria and Ginseng. This drug eliminates hundred diseases, benefits Yuanqi (Original Qi), nourishes the five zang and six fu organs, clarifies eyes and ears, strengthens the body against aging, prolongs life, and is miraculous. Forming pills with dew collected on July 7th is even better. While taking, recite: "True medicine of immortals, conforms to nature. Entering the belly, sharing years with heaven and earth." Finish recitation, then take medicine. Abstain from miscellaneous meats and five pungent vegetables. Immortal ingestion regimen: On May 5th, collect three jin of Cebai leaves from five directions, two jin of Yuanzhi (Polygala root, remove heart), one jin of Baifuling (Poria, remove skin), grind to powder, bind with refined honey into pills the size of Sophora seeds. Wash down with thirty pills using Xianlingpi (Epimedium) wine, twice a day. No taboos. Do not show to unworthy persons. For stroke with loss of consciousness, phlegm flooding, locked jaw, inability to speak, dragging limbs: Administer this medicine on the day of onset to disperse wind and harmonize qi, preventing disability. One handful of Baiye (remove branches), one handful of Congbai (Scallion white, including roots, mashed), one sheng of Wuhui Jiu (Unfiltered wine). Decoct for ten to twenty boils, take warm. If unable to drink alcohol, divide into four or five doses before taking other medicines. (*Yangshi Jiacang Fang*) Seasonal miasma epidemic: Take southeast branches of cypress trees near shrines, sun-dry, grind to powder. Take one qian each time, mixed with fresh water, three to four times a day. (*Shenghui Fang*) Cholera with leg cramps: Pound Baiye, wrap around feet, and pour decocted juice over them. (*Shenghui Fang*) Unstopping hematemesis: Zhang Zhongjing's Baiye Tang: Use one handful of Qingbaiye (Green cypress leaves), two slices of Ganjiang (Dried ginger), one ting of Ejiao (Donkey-hide gelatin, roasted). With two sheng of water, decoct to one sheng, strain. Separately squeeze out one sheng of Matongzhi (Horse dung juice). Combine and decoct to one sheng, filter through silk, take all at once. *Shenghui Fang*: Use Baiye, take two qian with rice water. Or form honey pills or decoct in water, both effective.
Vomiting blood due to grief, irritability, shortness of breath, chest pain: Make Baiye into powder, take two fangcunbi mixed with rice water. (*Shenghui Fang*) Unstopping epistaxis: Grind Baiye and Liuhua (Pomegranate flower) to powder, insufflate into nose. (*Puji Fang*) Hematuria: Roast and grind Baiye and Huanglian (Coptis chinensis), take three qian with wine. (*Jiji Fang*) Lower intestinal bleeding: Harvest Cebai leaves according to seasonal directions, burn and grind. Take two qian with rice water. Wang Huanzhi suffered from this in Shuzhou; Dr. Chen Yifu transmitted the prescription, cured after two doses. (*Baiyi Xuanfang*) Bloody stool or dysentery due to alcohol toxicity: Two liang of Nen Baiye (Nine-steamed nine-dried), one liang of Chen Huaihua (Stir-fried Sophora flower), grind to powder, bind with honey into Sophora-sized pills. Take forty pills with warm wine on an empty stomach. (*Puji Fang*) Gu dysentery with bleeding: Large abdomen in men, women, and children, passing dark tea-colored blood or pus resembling sediment. Roast Baiye to dry, grind to powder, decoct together with Huanglian to obtain juice, take orally. (*Bencao Tujing*) Infantile profuse diarrhea: Decoct Baiye in water, drink as tea. (*Jingyan Houfang*) Menstruation not stopping: Roasted Cebaiye and Shaoyao (Peony root) in equal parts. Take three qian each time, decoct with half water and half wine. For unmarried girls: Equal parts Cebaiye and Muzei (Equisetum, stir-fried until slightly charred), grind to powder. Take two qian with rice water. (*Shengji Zonglu*) Scalds and burns: Crush fresh Baiye and apply. Bind for two to three days, relieves pain and fades scars. (*Bencao Tujing*) Scrofula pain: Before suppuration, pound Baiye and apply, iron with boiled salt to direct heat downward for resolution. (Yaoengt'an *Jiyan Fang*) Leprosy with loss of eyebrows and hair: Nine-steamed nine-dried Cebaiye, grind to powder, bind with refined honey into Sophora-sized pills. Take five to ten pills each time, three times a day, once at night. Hair grows back in one hundred days. (*Shenghui Fang*) Hair not growing: Dry Cebaiye in shade, grind to powder. Mix with sesame oil and apply. (Sun Simiao *Shiji*) Yellow-red hair: One sheng of raw Baiye powder, one jin of Pig fat. Form into quail-egg-sized pills. Wrap one pill in cloth, dissolve in rice water, and wash hair. In one month, hair turns black and glossy. (*Shenghui Fang*)
Zhijie (Branches and Joints)
[Indications] Decoct juice to make wine, dispels wind-bi and joint wind. Burn to obtain oil, effectively treats tinea and parasitic mange (Su Gong).
[Attached Prescriptions]
Cholera with leg cramps: Wrap feet with warm objects, then pour hot water decocted from cypress wood slices over them. (*Jingyan Houfang*)
Tooth swelling and pain: Heat cypress branch, insert into tooth hole. Worms emerge along the branch shortly. (*Shenghui*)
Malignant sores with worms: For chronic non-healing cases, burn branch joints to obtain oil, apply externally. Three to five applications ensure cure. Also treats cattle and horse mange. (Chen Cheng)
Zhi (Resin)
[Indications] Warts on body and face, grind with Songzhi (Pine resin) evenly and apply, disappears after a few nights (*Shenghui*).
Genbaipi (Root Bark)
[Properties and Flavor] Bitter, neutral, non-toxic.
[Indications] Burns and ulcerated sores, promotes hair growth (*Biellu*).
[Attached Prescriptions] One old prescription.
Hot oil scald: Decoct Genbaipi in rendered lard, apply to wound. (*Zhouhou Fang*)