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(Sound "shi". Listed as Middle Grade in *Bie Lu* [Separate Records])

**[Etymology]** Li Shizhen states: The character consists of the radical "Mu" (Wood) and the phonetic component "Zai", pronounced similarly to "Zi" (dregs), forming a phono-semantic compound. The vulgar form "Shi" is incorrect. ("Fei" sound, refers to wood shavings.)
The Hu people call it "Zhentou".

**[Collection and Explanation]** Su Song says: Persimmons grow in both northern and southern regions, with many varieties. Red persimmons are found everywhere. Yellow persimmons originate from Bianzhou, Luozhou, and other prefectures. Vermilion persimmons come from Mount Hua; they resemble red persimmons but are rounder and smaller, with thin skin that is lovely, and a sweeter, more precious taste. Green persimmons can be eaten raw. All types of persimmons are delicious and beneficial to health. There is also a small variety called "Soft Jujube", commonly known as Milk Persimmon. It is said that persimmons have seven unique excellences: first, longevity; second, dense shade; third, absence of bird nests; fourth, resistance to insect damage; fifth, frost-covered leaves are ornamental; sixth, they are excellent for hosting guests; seventh, fallen leaves are thick and smooth, suitable for practicing calligraphy.

Kou Zongshi says: There are several types of persimmons: "Covered-cap" persimmons have an extra layer below the stem; there are also "Ox-heart" persimmons, shaped like an ox's heart; "Steamed Cake" persimmons, resembling steamed cakes sold in markets; Huazhou vermillion persimmons, which are small and deep red; and "Pagoda" persimmons, larger than others, best dried by hanging on trees after peeling. Fire-dried ones do not taste very good. Raw persimmons can have their astringency removed by soaking in warm water.

Li Shizhen says: Persimmon trees are tall with large, round, glossy leaves. Small yellow-white flowers bloom in April. The fruits are initially greenish-yellow and ripen in August or September. Raw persimmons placed in containers that naturally turn red are called "Roasted Persimmons" (Hong Shi); sun-dried ones are called "White Persimmons" (Bai Shi); fire-dried ones are called "Black Persimmons" (Wu Shi); and those preserved in water are called "Water-preserved Persimmons". The seeds are flat, hard like *Strychnos nux-vomica* seeds. The root system is very solid, called the "Persimmon Plate". According to *Shi Lei He Bi*: Persimmons are red fruits. Large ones are like saucers with eight slightly flattened sides; medium ones are like fists; small ones may resemble chicken eggs, duck eggs, ox hearts, or deer hearts. A tiny variety weighing about two qian is called "Monkey Date". Varieties with fewer seeds are considered superior.

**Roasted Persimmon:** Li Shizhen says: "Roasted Persimmon" does not mean roasted by fire. It refers to green persimmons stored in containers until they naturally turn red and ripe, losing all astringency and becoming as sweet as honey. Ouyang Xiu in *Gui Tian Lu* mentions that people in Xiangyang and Dengzhou induce ripening by adding hawthorn, pear, or orange leaves inside the container, but this is unnecessary.

**[Flavor and Toxicity]** Sweet, Cold, Astringent, Non-toxic.

Tao Hongjing says: Raw persimmons are cold in nature; Ox-heart persimmons should especially not be eaten as they cause abdominal pain.

Kou Zongshi says: All persimmons are cool, not extremely cold. Eating them induces phlegm due to their sweetness. Sun-dried persimmons, if eaten in excess, may stir up wind.

Su Song says: Eating persimmons with crabs causes abdominal pain and diarrhea because both are cold in nature.

Li Shizhen says: According to Wang Qiu's *Bai Yi Xuan Fang*: A person ate crabs and then many red persimmons. That night, he vomited severely, followed by hematemesis, and fell into a coma. A Daoist priest said only *Aucklandiae Radix* (Muxiang) could detoxify him. Juice was ground and administered, leading to gradual recovery.

**[Indications]** Unblocks qi in ears and nose; treats intestinal deficiency; resolves alcohol toxicity; clears heat in the stomach; stops dry mouth (*Bie Lu*). Continues meridian qi (Meng Shen).

**[Elucidation]** Chen Cangqi says: Drinking alcohol while eating red persimmons makes one easily drunk or causes severe heart pain. The claim in *Bie Lu* that it resolves alcohol toxicity is incorrect.

**White Persimmon and Persimmon Frost**

**[Preparation]** Li Shizhen says: White Persimmon refers to dried persimmons covered in white frost. The method involves peeling large persimmons, flattening them, sun-drying during the day and dew-exposing at night until dry, then storing them in jars until white frost forms. Today, these are called Persimmon Cakes or Persimmon Flowers. The frost itself is called Persimmon Frost.

**[Flavor and Toxicity]** Sweet, Neutral, Astringent, Non-toxic.

Tao Hongjing says: Sun-dried ones are cold; raw persimmons are colder. Fire-smoked ones are hot.

**[Indications]** Tonifies deficiency and exhaustion; eliminates stagnant blood in the abdomen; binds the intestines and stops diarrhea; strengthens Spleen and Stomach qi (Meng Shen). Opens appetite, binds intestines, resolves phlegm, stops thirst, treats hematemesis, moistens Lungs and Heart, treats Lung abscess with heart-heat cough, moistens voice and throat, kills parasites (Da Ming). Warms and tonifies. Excessive consumption removes dark spots on the face (Chen Cangqi). Treats regurgitation with hemoptysis, bloody strangury, intestinal wind, hemorrhoidal bleeding (Li Shizhen). **Frost**: Clears heat in Upper Jiao (Lungs and Heart), generates fluids, stops thirst, resolves phlegm, calms cough, treats throat...

**[Elucidation]** Zhu Zhenheng says: Dried persimmon belongs to Metal and has Earth qualities, Yin and has astringent properties. Thus, it helps stop bleeding and treat cough.

Li Shizhen says: Persimmon is a fruit of the Spleen and Lung Blood levels. Its flavor is sweet and qi is neutral; its nature is astringent and contracting, thus having effects of strengthening the Spleen, binding the intestines, treating cough, and stopping bleeding. The Large Intestine is the interior-exterior partner of the Lung and the son of the Stomach. True Persimmon Frost is the essence of the fruit, particularly effective for Upper Jiao Lung diseases. According to Fang Shuo's *Bo Zhai Bian*: Liu Yuan, my cousin-in-law, suffered from anal bleeding due to internal toxins for half a month, believing he would die. He used a prescription of dried persimmon ash taken with water (2 qian), and was cured. Also, Wang Qiu's *Bai Yi Fang* records that the son of Vice Prefect Zeng suffered from lower bleeding for ten years and was cured by this prescription. Whether made into powder or pills, it aligns with the materia medica principles of treating intestinal wind, eliminating stagnant blood, and resolving heat toxins. This confirms persimmon as a medicine for the Taiyin Blood level. Another *Experience Formula* states that someone whose family had three generations dying from regurgitation was cured by his grandson using dried persimmon cake eaten daily with rice, without drinking water. This is another proof.

**[Attached Formulas]** Four old formulas, twelve new formulas.

**Intestinal Wind and Internal Toxin:** See above.

**Bloody Strangury:** Ye's Formula: Use three dried persimmons (charred but retaining nature), grind to powder. Take with aged rice decoction. *Experience Formula*: Decoct white persimmon, black beans, and salt flower, add ink juice, and take.

**Hot Strangury with Pain:** Equal parts dried persimmon and *Juncus effusus* (Deng Xin). Decoct in water and drink daily (*Zhu's Formula*).

**Pediatric Autumn Dysentery:** Cook millet porridge, add dried persimmon powder when cooked, boil briefly, and eat. Wet nurses should also eat it (*Food Therapy*).

**Regurgitation and Vomiting:** Three dried persimmons, smashed with stems attached, taken with wine. Very effective. Do not mix with other herbs.

**Thin Abdomen and Poor Appetite:** For men and women with Spleen deficiency, thin abdomen, indigestion, and dark spots on the face: Use three jin of dried persimmon, one jin of butter, half a jin of honey. Simmer butter and honey, add persimmon, boil ten times, store in a non-leaky vessel. Eat three to five pieces on an empty stomach daily. Very good (Meng Shen *Food Therapy*).

**Phlegm-Cough with Blood:** Large persimmon cakes from Qingzhou, steamed over rice until cooked, sliced open. Take one piece, mix with one qian of real Indigo Naturalis (*Qing Dai*), eat before bed, wash down with mint decoction (*Danxi Zuan Yao*).

**Postpartum Hiccups, Disordered Qi, Restlessness:** Chop dried persimmon, boil in water, sip the juice (*Chan Bao*).

**Women's Garlic Hair (Skin Condition):** Five dried persimmons, equal parts Mugwort Root (*Mao Xiang*, boiled) and Goji Berry (*Gou Qi Zi*, soaked in wine, baked, and powdered). Grind into pills the size of Sophora seeds. Take fifty pills three times daily with Mugwort decoction (*Pu Ji Fang*).

**Facial Dark Spots:** Eat dried persimmon daily (*Pu Ji Fang*).

**Nasal Obstruction:** Cook dried persimmon with millet porridge, eat daily (*Sheng Ji*).

**Deafness and Nasal Congestion:** Finely chop three dried persimmons, cook with three he of millet and a little fermented soybean (*Dou Chi*) into porridge. Eat daily on an empty stomach (*Sheng Hui*).

**Smallpox Entering the Eyes:** Eat white persimmon daily. Good.

**Leg Ulcers:** Burn equal parts Persimmon Frost and Persimmon Calyx to ash, powder, and apply. Very effective (*Bifeng Za Xing*).

**Resolve Tung Oil Toxicity:** Eat dried persimmon cake (*Pu Ji Fang*).

**Black Persimmon (Fire-Smoked Dry)**

**[Flavor and Toxicity]** Sweet, Warm, Non-toxic.

**[Indications]** Kills parasites; treats metal wounds and burns; promotes flesh growth and relieves pain (*Bie Lu*). Treats dog bite wounds; stops dysentery (Tao Hongjing). Stops bitter taste and vomiting after taking medicine by eating a small amount (Chen Cangqi).

**Water-Preserved Persimmon (Sound "Lan")**

**[Preparation]** Rui says: Water-preserved ones are cold; salt-preserved ones are toxic.

Li Shizhen says: This refers to preserved persimmons. Besides water and salt preservation, some are washed three or four times with ash lye until the liquid is absorbed, then stored for ten days before eating. This is not suitable for medicinal use.

**[Indications]** Binds Lower Jiao; strengthens Spleen and Stomach; eliminates stagnant blood (Meng Shen).

**Persimmon Cake**

**[Preparation]** Li Shizhen says: According to Li's *Shi Jing*: Use one dou of glutinous rice (washed) and fifty large dried persimmons. Pound together into powder and steam. If too dry, mix with cooked jujube paste.

**[Indications]** Made into cakes for children to treat autumn dysentery (Meng Shen). Yellow persimmon mixed with rice flour and steamed is effective for stopping dysentery and lower bleeding in children (Chen Cangqi).

**Persimmon Calyx**

**[Flavor and Toxicity]** Astringent, Neutral, Non-toxic.

**[Indications]** Treats hiccups and belching; decoct and drink (Meng Shen).

**[Elucidation]** Zhu Zhenheng says: Human Yin Qi relies on the Stomach for nourishment. When Earth is damaged, Wood harbors Ministerial Fire, rushing up the clear pathways causing hiccups. The ancients used...

Li Shizhen says: Hiccups refer to qi rushing straight up from the Chong Mai below the navel to the throat/pharynx, making jerking sounds. Zhu Gong's *Nanyang Shu* confused hiccups with belching; Wang Lv's *Su Hui Ji* confused cough with hiccups; both are errors. Belching is dry vomiting with sound. Hiccups occur after cold damage with vomiting/purging, or in chronic illness/postpartum/elderly/deficient patients where Yin is greatly depleted and Yang rebels violently from Lower to Upper Jiao, unable to exit. They also occur in cold damage with missed purgation, or in healthy people due to phlegm-qi obstruction. One must assess deficiency/excess and Yin/Yang, using warming, tonifying, clearing heat, descending qi, emetics, or purgatives as appropriate. Ancient formulas used single herb Persimmon Calyx decoction for its bitter-warm ability to descend rebellious qi. *Ji Sheng Fang*'s Persimmon Calyx Powder adds the acrid-hot *Syzygium aromaticum* (Ding Xiang) and fresh ginger to open phlegm and disperse stagnation, following the principle of counter-treatment, which predecessors often used successfully. Zhang Yuansu of Yishui added *Panax ginseng* to treat post-illness deficient hiccups, achieving merit. Zhu Danxi strictly adhered to treating heat with cold, neglecting counter-treatment, going too far in correcting errors. If Chen Yan's *San Yin* formula adds *Alpinia officinarum* (Liang Jiang), it mistakenly assumes Stomach cold and aids evil fire.

**[Attached Formulas]** One new formula.

**Incessant Hiccups:** *Ji Sheng Fang* Persimmon Calyx Powder: Treats hiccups with chest fullness. Use two qian each of Persimmon Calyx and Clove, five slices of fresh ginger. Decoct and take. Or add *Citrus reticulata* peel and *Citrus aurantium* peel. Wang's *Yi Jian* adds *Pinellia ternata* and fresh ginger.

**Bark**

**[Indications]** Stops lower bleeding. Sun-dry, bake, powder, take two qian with rice water; stops after two doses (Su Song). For scalds/burns, burn to ash, mix with oil, and apply (Li Shizhen).

**Root**

**[Indications]** Metrorrhagia, bloody dysentery, lower bleeding (Li Shizhen).