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(Recorded in the Middle Category of *Shennong Bencao Jing*)

**[Names]** Mu (Pronounced "chi" in *Shennong Bencao Jing*. Written as " " in *Shuowen Jiezi*), Lianmu (*Shennong Bencao Jing*), Mu (" " pronounced "chi", also "ti", sometimes written as " "), Huomu (*Shennong Bencao Jing*), Dican (*Shennong Bencao Jing*), Shuishen (also known as Shuixu, Shuijun), (*Er Ya*, pronounced "tan"), Fan (pronounced "chenfan"), Kuxin (*Mingyi Bielu*), Ercao (*Mingyi Bielu*, also known as Erzhangcao, Nvlei, Nvli, Lulie, Jiufeng, Donggen, Yeliao, Changzhi). Li Shizhen said: Beside the perennial root, the newly born lateral roots resemble the shape of a horsefly (mang), hence called Mu, which was later corrupted into Zhimu and Mu. The origins of other names are mostly unknown.

**[Collection and Explanation]** *Mingyi Bielu* states: Zhimu grows in the river valleys of Henei. The roots are harvested in February and August and dried in the sun.
Tao Hongjing said: It is now produced in Pengcheng. Its shape resembles Acorus tatarinowii (Changpu) but is soft and moist. Its leaves are extremely difficult to kill; when dug up, it continues to grow until it withers completely.
Su Song said: According to *Fanzi Jiran*: Timu comes from the Sanfu region, and those that are yellowish-white are of superior quality. Guo Pu explained in his commentary on *Er Ya*: , is Mu. It grows on mountains, with leaves like leeks.
Su Song said: It is now found in various counties along the Yellow River such as Huaizhou, Weizhou, Zhangde, as well as in Jiezhou and Chuzhou. In April, it blooms with blue flowers resembling leek flowers, and bears fruit in August. The root...

**[Processing]** [Name missing] said: When used, first chop finely on a locust wood (Huai) cutting board, dry by baking, and pound in a wooden mortar. Do not allow contact with iron vessels.
Li Shizhen said: For use, select those that are plump, moist, and white inside. Remove the hairs and slice. To guide the medicinal action upward, soak in wine and bake dry; to guide it downward, moisten with salt water and bake dry.

**[Flavor and Properties]** Bitter, Cold, Non-toxic. Meng Xi (Da Ming) said: Bitter, Sweet. Wang Quan said: Neutral.
Zhang Yuansu said: Qi is Cold, Flavor is greatly Pungent and Bitter. Both Qi and Flavor are dense, sinking and descending, belonging to Yin. He also stated: Slightly Yang within Yin. It is the primary herb for the Kidney Meridian, entering the Qi aspect of the Foot-Yangming and Hand-Taiyin meridians.
Li Shizhen said: It works well when combined with Huangbai and wine. It can restrain the effects of Salt and Borax.

**[Indications]** Treats Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst) and Heat in the Middle Jiao, eliminates pathogenic factors, reduces limb edema, promotes urination, tonifies deficiencies, and benefits Qi (*Shennong Bencao Jing*).
Treats persistent fever and vexation due to long-term Shang Han or chronic malaria, pathogenic factors under the hypochondrium, evil stagnation in the diaphragm, and wind-sweat with internal jaundice. Excessive use causes diarrhea (*Mingyi Bielu*). Treats heart vexation and oppression, bone-steaming labor heat with alternating chills, postpartum confinement labor, Kidney Qi labor, aversion to cold with empty vexation (Wang Quan). Treats heat-labor, transmissive consumption pain, unblocks the Small Intestine, resolves phlegm and stops cough, moistens the Lung and Heart, calms the mind, and stops palpitations and fright (Meng Xi). Cools the Heart and removes heat, treats Yangming Fire-Heat, drains Fire from the Bladder and Kidney meridians, treats headache due to heat-jue, dysentery, lower back pain, and foul odor in the throat (Zhang Yuansu). Drains Lung Fire, nourishes Kidney Water, treats hyperactivity of Ministerial Fire in the Gate of Vitality (Li Haogu). Calms the fetus, stops fetal restlessness, wards off Shegong and Xidu poisons (Li Shizhen).

**[Elucidation]** Wang Quan said: Zhimu treats various heat-labors. It should be added for patients who are deficient and have dry mouths.
Li Gao said: Zhimu enters the Foot-Yangming and Hand-Taiyin meridians. Its uses are fourfold: draining rootless Kidney Fire, treating bone-steaming with sweating, stopping heat from deficiency-labor, and nourishing the Yin of the source of transformation. Zhang Zhongjing used this herb in Baihu Tang to treat insomnia and vexation. Vexation originates from the Lung, restlessness from the Kidney. Using Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) as the sovereign herb, assisted by the bitter-cold Zhimu to clear the source of the Kidney; moderated by Gancao (Licorice Root) and Jingmi (Rice) to prevent the medicine from acting too rapidly downward. Furthermore, in cases where illness presents with urinary obstruction and thirst, the heat is in the Upper Jiao Qi aspect. Hidden heat in the Lung prevents it from generating Water, severing the source of transformation for the Bladder. One should use herbs with thin Qi and thin Flavor that are light and penetrating to drain Lung Fire, clear Lung Metal, and nourish the source of Water. If the heat is in the Lower Jiao Blood aspect without thirst, it indicates insufficient True Water and a dry Bladder, meaning there is no Yin to transform Yang. The method dictates using the greatly bitter-cold herbs Huangbai and Zhimu to tonify the Kidney and Bladder, allowing Yin Qi to circulate so Yang transforms naturally, and urination becomes smooth. Detailed methods are recorded under the entry for Huangbai in the Wood Section.
Li Shizhen said: The Kidney dislikes dryness and should be moistened with Pungent foods. The Lung dislikes rebellion and should be drained with Bitter foods. Zhimu's pungent-bitter and cold-cooling nature moistens Kidney dryness and nourishes Yin downward, while clearing Lung Metal and draining Fire upward. Thus, it is an herb for the Qi aspect of these two meridians. Huangbai, however, is an herb for the Blood aspect of the Kidney Meridian. Therefore, these two herbs must be used together; ancients compared them to shrimp and jellyfish, which must cling to each other. Discussions on tonifying Yin are detailed in the Huangbai entry.

**[Attached Prescriptions]** Two old prescriptions, six new ones.
**Persistent Phlegm-Cough**: Phlegm-fluid retention stagnating from the chest/diaphragm down to the zang-fu organs. Use Zhimu and Beimu each one liang (powdered), and Badou thirty seeds (oil removed, ground evenly). Take one "yi" (a small measure) per dose. Dip both sides of three slices of ginger in the powder, chew thoroughly, and swallow. Then lie down to sleep. By early morning, there will certainly be one bowel movement, and the cough will stop immediately. Only use for robust individuals. Another prescription does not use Badou. (*Yixue Jicheng*)
**Chronic Cough with Shortness of Breath**: Zhimu (remove hairs, slice) five qian (stir-fried between papers), Xingren (soaked in ginger water, skin and tips removed, baked) five qian. Decoct in one and a half zhong of water until one zhong remains. Take warm after meals. Subsequently, use equal parts Luobozhong (Radish Seed) and Xingren, grind into powder, and make pills with rice paste. Take fifty pills with ginger decoction to eradicate the disease root. (Deng Bifeng, *Zaxing Fang*)
**Fetal Restlessness during Pregnancy**: Caused by medication leading to unstable fetal Qi, vexation, and inability to lie down. Zhimu one liang (washed and baked). Grind into powder, make pills with jujube flesh the size of a bullet. Take one pill per dose with Ginseng decoction. Physicians who do not recognize this disease treat it as empty vexation, which damages fetal Qi unnecessarily. Obstetrician Zheng Zongwen obtained this prescription from Chen Cangqi's *Bencao Shiyi* and found it highly effective. (Yang Guinong, *Chanlu Jiyan Fang*)
**Abdominal Pain during Pregnancy**: Gestation period not yet full, feeling like impending labor. Use Zhimu two liang, grind into powder, make pills with honey the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills per dose with gruel drink. (*Shenghui Fang*)
**Xidu and Shegong Poison**: Whenever infected with Xidu poison. Zhimu (with roots and leaves) crushed into a powder for oral administration, or crushed in water, wrung out, and drink one to two sheng of the juice. When traveling in summer, carry the powder with oneself. Before entering water, throw a little upstream to dispel fear. It also wards off Shegong. It can also be boiled for bathing, which is very good. (*Zhouhou Liangfang*)
**Purple Spots Skin Disease**: Grind Zhimu with vinegar and apply to the affected area, three times daily. (*Weisheng Yijian Fang*)
**Ingrown Toenail Swelling and Pain**: Zhimu (calcined until carbonized but retaining properties) ground into powder, applied topically. (*Duoneng Fang*)