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[Correction] This entry is merged into the "Toona Pods" (Chun Jia) entry in *Jiayou Bencao* (Bencao of the Jiayou Era).

[Names] The fragrant variety is called Chun (written as "Chao" in *Jiyun*, "Chao" in *Xia Shu*, and "Chao" in *Zuo Zhuan*). The foul-smelling variety is called Chu (pronounced like "chou ju qie". Also written as "KT"). The wild Chu growing in mountains is called Kao.

Li Shizhen said: Chun and Chu grow easily and have long lifespans, hence the names Chun and Kao. The *Zhuangzi* states, "The Great Chun takes eight thousand years as a spring and eight thousand years as an autumn," referring to this tree.

Chun is fragrant while Chu is foul-smelling. Thus, the character for Chun is also written as "Chao," indicating its strong aroma. The character "KT" derives from "stink," reflecting its offensive odor that causes people to hold their noses. "Chu" is likely a phonetic shift from "Chun."

[Collected Explanations] Su Gong said: The shapes of Chun and Chu trees are similar; the distinction lies in Chu wood being loose and Chun wood being solid.

Su Song said: Both trees are found in the north and south. Their trunks and forms are largely similar, but Chun wood is solid with fragrant leaves edible by humans, whereas Chu wood is loose with a foul odor. Cooks can remove the odor by boiling. They can be harvested at any time. Chu wood is considered useless, as described in the *Zhuangzi*: "I have a large tree, people call it Chu; its trunk is knotty and does not fit the carpenter's line, and its branches are twisted and do not fit the compass or square." The *Erya* states: "Kao is mountain Chu." Guo Pu noted: "Kao resembles Chu, has a whitish color, grows in mountains, and gets its name from there. It also resembles the lacquer tree." Folk sayings state: Chao, Chu, Kao, and Lacquer are similar, with Chu leaves being slightly narrower. People in Wu use Chu leaves as tea.

Kou Zongshi said: Both Chun and Chu have odors, but one flowers and fruits, while the other does not. People define Chun as having no flowers but a large, straight trunk, using its leaves. Chu is defined as flowering and fruiting with a smaller, crooked trunk, using its roots, pods, and leaves. In the insect section, there is "Chu Ji" (a type of insect/bird), but no "Chun Ji," distinguishing Chu (with the insect) from Chun (without). Ancient naming was clear. Yuxi said: Chu that flowers does not bear pods; those with pods do not flower. Its pods often grow on foul-smelling Chu in summer, never seen on Chun. However, common people do not distinguish between Chun and Chu, calling Chu pods "Chun pods." Li Shizhen said: Chun, Chu, and Kao are three forms of one tree. Chun wood has fine skin, solid flesh, and is reddish; tender leaves are fragrant and sweet. Chu wood has coarse skin, hollow flesh, and is white; leaves are foul; people eat them in famine years. Kao is wild Chu; the wood is large and hollow, sometimes used by carpenters. It feels rotten to the touch, so ancients deemed it unuseable timber, unlike solid Chun wood suitable for beams.

[Aroma and Toxicity] Bitter, warm, slightly toxic.

Meng Shen said: Eating too many Chun buds induces wind, affecting the twelve meridians and five zang and six fu organs, causing mental confusion and weak qi and blood. Consuming it frequently with pork or hot noodles causes abdominal fullness due to meridian obstruction.

[Therapeutic Actions] Boiled water washes treat sores, scabies, and wind-induced ulcers. Chu roots and leaves are particularly effective (*Tang Bencao*). For alopecia capitis (white baldness) where hair fails to grow, crush the hearts of Chun, Peach, and Catalpa leaves to extract juice and apply frequently.

[Preparation] Tao Hongjing said: For Chun roots, those not near the west end are superior. After harvesting, mix with raw green onions, steam for half a day, cut finely, place in a bag, hang on the south side of the house, and dry in shade.

Li Shizhen said: Bark and root bark of Chun and Chu should have the rough outer layer scraped off, dried in shade, sliced, and roasted before use.

[Aroma and Toxicity] Bitter, warm, non-toxic.

Li Xun said: Slightly hot.

Zhu Zhenheng said: Cool and drying.

Chen Cangqi said: Chu roots are slightly toxic.

Li Shizhen said: Chu roots can neutralize sulfur, arsenic, and gold.

[Therapeutic Actions] Treats pediatric malnutrition (gan accumulation); Chu roots are best (*Tang Bencao*). Removes oral/nasal gan parasites, kills roundworms and scabies mites, treats ghostly transmission diseases (gui zhu chuan shi), gu poison, hematochezia, and chronic dysentery with red and white discharge (Chen Cangqi). Combined with Sanguisorba officinalis (Di Yu), it stops gan dysentery (Xiao Bing). Stops diarrhea, intestinal slipping, and frequent urination. Honey-fried for use (Da Ming). Relieves difficult urination (Lei Xiao). Treats seminal emission during dreams, dryness below with dampness, and removes old phlegm accumulations in the lungs and stomach (Zhu Zhenheng).

[Elucidation] Meng Shen said: For women with metrorrhagia, postpartum bleeding, heavy menstruation, and red/white leukorrhea, take a handful of thin Chun roots growing eastward, wash clean, boil in one sheng of water to extract juice, and divide doses to stop bleeding. Pediatric gan dysentery also benefits from frequent use. Take a handful of white bark, 50 grains of japonica rice, a handful of white parts of green onions, three cun of honey-fried licorice, two he of fermented soybeans, boil one sheng of water to half a sheng, and take according to judgment. Branches and leaves have similar functions.

Root white bark is cool and astringent, stopping bleeding. It is used for all conditions caused by damp-heat, such as dysentery, turbid leukorrhea, and seminal emission, to clear old phlegm from lungs and stomach. It treats diarrhea by removing dampness and firming the intestines. However, it should not be used immediately if dysentery qi stagnation is not resolved. It is suitable for pills and powders, or decoctions, without harm. I usually stir-fry and powder it, making pills with paste, or use it in decoctions based on the syndrome, named Gut Chang Wan (Intestine-Firming Pill).

Chun bark is white and foul-smelling; excessive use causes mild laxative effects. Chun bark enters the blood level and is astringent, while Chu bark enters the qi level. Although functions are similar, their astringent and purgative effects differ, much like the difference between Poria (Fu Ling) and Peony (Shao Yao), or red and white varieties. For diseases deficient in blood level, use Chun bark; for diseases with qi level depression, use Chu bark. This is my subtle insight. *Qiankun Shengyi* treats sores by drinking Chu bark juice; taking two or three bowls results in several bowel movements, verifying its efficacy. Hence, Chen Cangqi stated Chu bark is slightly toxic.

A woman surnamed Yang, aged forty-six or seven, drank excessively and ate fish and crabs, accumulating toxins in her viscera. She had twenty to thirty episodes daily of mixed excrement, with unbearable pain in the large intestine and anus. Doctors' hemostatic drugs failed; intestinal wind drugs worsened it because intestinal wind involves blood without pus. After over half a year, qi and blood weakened, appetite decreased, and muscles wasted. Hot medicines increased pain and bleeding; cold medicines caused watery diarrhea and reduced intake; warm-neutral medicines showed no effect. After a year, she awaited death. Someone advised Ren Shen San (Ginseng Powder). One dose improved symptoms, two reduced them, three stopped pus and blood. Continuous use led to recovery. This formula treats large intestine wind-deficiency, excessive alcohol intake, heat-carrying dysentery with pus/blood/pain, and chronic non-healing cases. Use Chu root white bark (1 liang) and Ginseng (1 liang). Powder. Take 2 qian per dose, warm wine or rice drink on an empty stomach. Avoid greasy food, wet noodles, vegetables, fruits, sweets, chicken, pork, fish, mutton, garlic, and shallots.

[Attached Formulas] Six old, eleven new.

Remove ghostly qi: Cut a handful of Chu root bark finely, soak overnight in two sheng of urine from a healthy boy and one he of fermented soybeans. Strain and boil once. Take every three to five days (*Bencao* by Chen Cangqi).

Pediatric gan disease: Two liang of dried Chun white bark, powdered. Mix with thick juice of washed millet to make pills the size of sophora seeds. Ten-year-olds take three or four pills with rice drink, adjusting for age.

Severe pediatric gan dysentery: Powder Chu white bark, mix with water and dates to form large wonton-sized balls. Sun-dry briefly, pound again, repeat three times. Boil in water and swallow seven pills on an empty stomach. Severe cases need no more than seven doses. Avoid greasy food, hot noodles, and toxic substances. Another method: One shell-full of concentrated Chu root juice mixed equally with millet washing water, enema. Cured after two treatments, miraculous efficacy. Suitable for adults (*Waitai Miyao*).

Resting dysentery, day and night uncontrollable, foul smell, umbilical/abdominal cramping: Dongyuan's *Pi Wei Lun*: Half liang each of Chun root white bark and Chebulae Fructus (He Le Le), thirty Mu Dingxiang (Mother Clove). Powder, vinegar-paste pills sophora seed size. Take fifty pills with rice drink. Tang Yao's [Formula]: Add two qian of Aucklandiae Radix (Mu Xiang)... [Text incomplete]. For accompanying lower back pain: Take one da liang of Chu root, sift, mix with good flour to make wontons the size of soap beans. Boil in water. Take ten on an empty stomach daily. No taboos, highly effective (*Chuanxin Fang* by Liu Yuxi). ... Take thirty to forty pills with rice drink on an empty stomach. Add Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu) and Aurantii Fructus (Zhi Ke), halving the dose... (*Jingyan Fang*). Scrape bark, dry, powder. Take one qian with water, immediate effect (*Jingyan Fang*). Rough bark, soak in wine, dry, powder, mix with jujube meat, make sophora seed-sized pills. Take fifty pills with light wine or wine-paste pills (*Rumen Shiqin*).

Hematochezia for years: Three qian of Chu root. Decoct one bo of water to seven-tenths, add half bo of wine. Or make pills. For deficiency, add equal amount of Ginseng. Also known as Tiger Eye Tree (*Ren Cun Fang*). Dry in shade, powder. Mix two liang with one liang of Hanshi Mian (Cold Food Noodle flour), pill with fresh well water... [Text incomplete]. Take with water. Avoid sunlight, or ineffective. Named Rushen Wan (*Puji Fang*). Qi invasion causes blood seepage into intestines, leading to hematochezia. Use four liang of stinky Chu root (scraped, roasted), Cang Zhu (rice water soaked, roasted), Zhi Ke... [Text incomplete].

Postpartum rectal prolapse: ... [Text incomplete]. Decoct, pour into basin. Fumigate and wash while hot; reheat when cool. One dose lasts five uses. Rest briefly after washing. Avoid salt, toxic substances, and mental/physical labor. Effective even for long-standing cases (*Furen Liangfang*).

Powder, porridge-pill sophora seed size. Take one hundred pills with plain hot water on an empty stomach. Another formula: Chun root white bark (1.5 liang), Gan Jiang (roasted black), Bai Shao (roasted black), Huang Bo (roasted black) each two qian. Powder. Make pills as above (*Danxi Fang*).

[Names] Fengyan Cao (Phoenix Eye Grass - shaped like eyes).

[Therapeutic Actions] Hematochezia (*Jiayou Bencao*).

[Attached Formulas] Four new.

Intestinal wind with bloody diarrhea: Half raw, half roasted Chun pods, powdered. Take two qian with rice drink (*Puji Fang*).

Accidentally swallowed fish bone: *Shengsheng Bian*: Burn Toona seeds, powder, take two qian with wine. *Baoshou Tang Fang*: Half bowl of fragrant Chun seeds (dried in shade), crushed, taken with hot wine; after some time, spits out bone with seed.

Wash head with... [Text incomplete]. Eyes remain clear as a child's after one year. Add... Wash on June 4th, July 7th, August 3rd, September 20th, October 23rd, November 29th, December 14th (*Weisheng Yijian Fang*).