Library

[From "Shiyi" (Supplementary Records)]
[Correction] Transferred from the Wood Section to this section.
[Nomenclature] Gualu (Tao Hongjing), Ku Cha (Bitter Tea).
Zang Qi said: "Nan Yue Zhi" records: In Longchuan County, there is Gaolu, also known as Gualu; its leaves resemble those of tea (Camellia sinensis). Locals call it Guoluo or Wurouo, which are barbarian terms.
[Collected Explanations] Tao Hongjing in "Ku Cai Zhu" said: In the south, there is Gualu, which also resembles tea trees. If one picks its leaves, crushes them, and boils them for drinking, it causes wakefulness throughout the night. Salt-boilers rely solely on this drink, and it is most valued in Jiaozhou and Guangzhou; when guests arrive, it is served first, often enhanced with aromatic spices.
Li Dang said: According to records: This tree is indeed Gaolu. It grows in the mountains of various places in Nanhai; its leaves are like tea but larger, with a bitter and astringent taste, originating from Xinping County. Southerners use it as tea and value it highly, just as people in Shu value tea drinking.
Li Shizhen said: The leaves of Gaolu resemble tea but are as large as a palm. Crushed and brewed, it is extremely bitter and the liquor is turbid; its flavor is far inferior to that of true tea. Currently, people in Guangdong use it, naming it Ku Cha.

[Properties and Flavor] Bitter, neutral, non-toxic.
Li Shizhen said: Cold in nature. Not suitable for those with cold stomachs.
[Therapeutic Actions] Boiled and drunk, it quenches thirst, brightens the eyes, relieves irritability, induces wakefulness, resolves phlegm, and promotes urination (Zang Qi). It unblocks the Small Intestine, treats strangury (Lin syndrome), and stops headache and irritability/heat (Li Dang). Held in the mouth/swallowed...

[From Song Dynasty "Jiayou Bencao"]
[Correction] Transferred from the Vegetable Section to this section. Merged with "Gua Di" (Melon Stalk) from "Ben Jing".
[Nomenclature] Gan Gua (Sweet Melon, from "Tang Ben Cao"), Guo Gua (Fruit Melon).
Li Shizhen said: The seal script character for "Gua" depicts the shape of a melon among vines. Sweet melons taste sweeter than other melons, hence they uniquely bear the names "Gan" (Sweet) and "Tian" (Sweet). Listed in the Vegetable Section previously was an error. According to Wang Zhen: Melon varieties differ in usage: those used as fruits are Fruit Melons, such as Sweet Melon and Watermelon; those used as vegetables are Vegetable Melons, such as Hu Gua (Cucumber) and Yue Gua. Those growing on trees are called fruit; those on the ground are called melons. Large ones are called Gua; small ones are called Die. Their seeds are called Guazi; their flesh is called Rang. Their base is called Huan, referring to where the flower fell; their stalk is called Di, referring to where it connects to the vine. In "Li Ji", peeling melons for the Son of Heaven and using melons for sacrifice all refer to Fruit Melons. The melon stalk in Materia Medica...

[Collected Explanations] "Bie Lu" said: Melon stalk grows in the plains and marshes of Mount Songgao; harvested on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, dried in the shade.
Su Song said: Melon stalk is the stalk of the sweet melon, found everywhere. Cultivated in gardens, there are green and white varieties, both having yellow seeds. For medicinal use, early green melon stalks are best.
Li Shizhen said: Sweet melons are widely cultivated in the north and central regions. Seeds are sown in the 2nd and 3rd lunar months; vines spread out, leaves are several inches wide, flowers bloom yellow in the 5th and 6th months, and melons ripen in the 6th and 7th months. The varieties are numerous: round or long, pointed or flat; large ones may be a chi in diameter, small ones fit in a pinch; ridges may or may not be present; colors vary from green to dark green, yellow-spotted, speckled, white-veined, or yellow-veined; flesh can be white or red; seeds can be yellow, red, white, or black. According to Wang Zhen's "Nong Shu": Melon varieties are too many to list. Named by shape, there are Dragon Liver, Tiger Palm, Rabbit Head, Fox Head, Sheep Marrow, Honey Tube; named by color, there are Black Melon, White Round, Yellow..., White..., Small Green, Large Spot. However, their flavors do not exceed sweet and fragrant. "Guang Zhi" only considers melons from Liaodong, Dunhuang, and Lujiang as superior. However, large melons from Guazhou, Imperial melons from Yangcheng, Warm melons from Western Shu, and Cold melons from Yongja cannot be judged simply as better or worse. Gansu sweet melons have skin and flesh sweeter than sugar and honey; dried skin is also delicious. A variety in Zhejiang, Yin Gua, grown in shade, turns golden yellow when ripe, has slightly thicker skin, and keeps fresh until spring after storage. These results from cultivation skill, not merely land. Sweet melon seeds, dried and cracked, yield kernels that can be eaten as fruit. Melons fear musk scent most; contact may cause failure to harvest even one stalk. Melon flesh...

[Properties and Flavor] Sweet, cold, slippery, slightly toxic.
Meng Shen said: Non-toxic.
Sun Simiao said: Overconsumption causes jaundice, makes one weak, emaciated, and forgetful, and counteracts drug efficacy. Eating too much after illness may cause vomiting/regurgitation. Patients with podagra (Hongjiao) who eat it will never be cured.
Meng Shen said: Overconsumption causes dampness, itching, and sores in the genital area, aggravates chronic cold disorders and masses, causes abdominal rupture, triggers deficiency heat, weakens qi, and causes weakness in hands and feet. Moderate consumption is acceptable. "Long Yu He Tu" says: Melons with two noses and two stalks are lethal. Melons that sink in water in the 5th lunar month, if eaten, cause cold disease that lasts a lifetime. Melons frosted in the 9th lunar month, if eaten, cause cold-heat alternating symptoms in winter. Eating with fried dough cakes causes disease. For bloating caused by eating too many melons, consuming salt crystals dissolves it.
Tao Hongjing said: After eating too many melons, immersing oneself in water aids digestion.
Li Shizhen said: Zhang Hua's "Bowuzhi" states: Immersing oneself in cold water up to the knees allows one to eat dozens of melons at once; immersing up to the neck allows even more consumption, and the water takes on a melon odor. Thus, water immersion helps digest melons, reflecting natural properties. Melons strictly avoid musk and alcohol. For excessive melon consumption, drinking alcohol and taking musk with water is more effective than eating salt or soaking in water.

[Therapeutic Actions] Quenches thirst, relieves irritability and heat, promotes urination, unblocks stagnation in the Triple Burner, treats sores in the mouth and nose ("Jiayou Bencao"). Eaten in summer, prevents... [Text incomplete]

[Elucidation] Zong Bao said: Although sweet melons resolve summer heat, their nature is cold and depletes yang qi; overconsumption invariably leads to diarrhea. Poor people who eat too much may develop dysentery in late autumn, which is very difficult to treat. Preserving the peel in honey is good; the peel can also be made into soup.
Tao Hongjing said: All melons are cold and purgative, especially early green ones. Eating ripe melon flesh without the rind does not harm.
Li Shizhen said: Melons are extremely cold; eating dried ones is even colder. Hence "Ji Sheng Fu" says: Melons are colder than sun-dried items, oil is colder than fried items; these are differences in natural properties. Wang Ji's "Luodu Fu" says: Melons dispel summer heat, quench thirst, and relieve hunger. Also, "Qixiao Liangfang" records: A man suffered from severe pus-and-blood dysentery with unbearable pain. Eating several water-soaked sweet melons cured him. This verifies the heat-resolving effect.

Kernel of Sweet Melon Seed
[Processing] Meng Shen said: Upon collection, dry and pound finely, sieve through a horse-hair sieve to make powder, wrap in three layers of paper and press to remove oil. If oil is not removed, potency is short-lived. Watermelon seed kernels follow the same method.
[Properties and Flavor] Sweet, cold, non-toxic.
[Therapeutic Actions] Resolves abdominal accumulations, breaks up and drains pus and blood; it is a key herb for gastrointestinal and spleen stagnation ("Bie Lu"). Stops excessive menstruation; grind into powder, remove oil, mix with water and take (Zang Qi. "Paozhi Lun Xu" says: For flooding menstruation, mix kernel powder with water). Roasted and eaten, it tonifies the middle and benefits the person (Meng Shen). Clears lungs, moistens intestines, harmonizes the middle, and quenches thirst (Li Shizhen).
[Attached Formulas] One old formula, two new formulas.
Bad Breath: Grind sweet melon seeds into powder, mix with honey to form pills. Hold one pill in the mouth after morning rinsing. Can also be applied to teeth ("Qianjin Fang").
Lower Back and Leg Pain: Three liang of sweet melon seeds, soaked in wine for ten days, ground into powder. Take three qian each time, with warm wine on an empty stomach, three times a day ("Shouyu Shenfang").
Intestinal Abscess Formed: Swelling and pain in the lower abdomen, urine resembling strangury, or difficult bowel movements with pus discharge. Use one he of sweet melon seeds, one liang of Dang Gui (fried), one piece of Snake Skin, chopped. Take four qian each time, decocted in one and a half sheng of water down to one sheng, taken before meals. Effect indicated by passage of foul matter.