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[Names] Bingtai (from *Erya*), Yicao (from *Bencao Jing* / *Shennong Bencao Jing*), Huangcao (from *Piya*), Ai Hao.
Li Shizhen states: Wang Anshi in his *Zishuo* says: "Ai" can cure diseases, and the longer it is stored, the better its effect; hence the character "Ai" contains the component "Yi" (meaning to govern or prune). Lu Tuan in *Piya* says: *Bowuzhi* records that ice is shaved into a round shape, held up to the sun, and fire is obtained by holding mugwort under its shadow. Thus, the name "Bingtai" for Ai likely originates from this. Physicians use moxibustion with Ai to treat various diseases, so it is called Jiacao (Moxa Grass). One burning session is termed one Zhuang (unit of moxibustion), based on the standard of a healthy adult.

[Collection and Explanation] *Bencao Jing Jizhu* states: Ai leaves grow in fields, harvested on the third day of the third lunar month, and dried in the sun.
Su Song states: It grows everywhere, but those from Fudao and Siming are considered best, said to be particularly effective for moxibustion treating hundred diseases. Seedlings emerge on the ground in early spring; stems resemble Artemisia annua (Hao); leaves are white on the underside; shorter seedlings are preferred. Leaves are harvested on the third day of the third lunar month and the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, then dried. They must be aged for a long time before use.
Li Shizhen states: Materia medica texts do not specify the origin of Ai leaves, only stating they grow in fields. In the Song Dynasty, those from Fudao in Tangyin were prized, while those from Siming were illustrated. In recent times, only those from Tangyin are called Bei Ai (Northern Mugwort); those from Siming are called Hai Ai (Sea Mugwort). Since the Chenghua era, those from Qizhou have been superior, presented as tribute, and highly valued by the world, known as Qi Ai (Qizhou Mugwort). It is said that moxibustion with Ai from other places cannot penetrate wine jars, whereas Qi Ai penetrates directly and thoroughly upon one application, which is unique. This herb mostly grows on hills and plains. In the second lunar month, perennial roots sprout seedlings forming clumps; stems grow straight, white, 4-5 chi high. Leaves spread in all directions, resembling Hao, divided into five points, with smaller points on the branches; green on top, white underneath, hairy and soft/thick. In the seventh and eighth lunar months, spikes emerge between leaves like Plantago asiatica spikes, with small flowers, abundant fruits filling branches, containing fine seeds; withers after frost. All are harvested whole-stem on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dried, and leaves collected. My late father, Mr. Yanwen, wrote a volume titled *Zhuan Qi Ai* (Biography of Qizhou Mugwort). The eulogy says: Produced in the south of mountains, harvested at Dragon Boat Festival. Treating diseases with moxibustion, its merit is no small supplement. Zong Min's *Jingchu Suishi Ji* says: On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month before roosters crow, harvesting Ai resembling human shapes and storing it for moxibustion is very effective. On this day, making Ai into human shapes and hanging them on doors can ward off toxic vapors. Dried stems, dipped in hemp oil and ignited as moxa cones, moisten moxa wounds until healing without pain. It can also replace yarrow stalks for divination and serve as candle wicks.

[Processing] Lei Xiao says: Dry Ai leaves are pounded, green dregs removed, taking only the white part, mixed with a little powdered Pyritum (Shi Liuhuang), called Liuhuang Ai, used by physicians for moxibustion.
Adding a little rice flour allows pounding into powder for internal consumption or medicinal use.
Li Shizhen states: Whenever using Ai leaves, aged ones must be used, processed to be fine and soft, called Shu Ai (Processed/Cooked Mugwort). If raw Ai is used for moxibustion, it damages muscle and vessels. Hence, *Mengzi* says: For a seven-year disease, seek three-year-old Ai. Select clean leaves, winnow dust, pound in a stone mortar until cooked/soft, sieve out dregs, take the white part, pound again until soft and cotton-like. When using, dry by baking to enhance moxibustion power. For women's pills and powders, Shu Ai is required: boiled dry with vinegar, pounded into cakes, dried, then pounded into powder. Those made with glutinous rice paste or stir-fried with wine are inferior. Hong Mai's *Rongzhai Sibi* says: Ai is hard to process; if added with 3-5 slices of Poria cocos (Baifuling) and ground together, it immediately becomes fine powder, which is also unusual.

[Flavor and Nature] Bitter, slightly warm, non-toxic. Su Gong says: Raw is cold; cooked is hot. Li Yuansu says: Bitter-warm, Yang within Yin. Li Shizhen says: Bitter and pungent, raw is warm, cooked is hot, ascending and descending, belongs to Yang. Enters the Foot Taiyin (Spleen), Jueyin (Liver), and Shaoyin (Kidney) meridians. Vinegar.

[Indications] Moxibustion treats hundred diseases. Can be made into decoctions to stop hematemesis and dysentery, lower body ulcers, uterine bleeding in women, benefit Yin Qi, generate flesh, dispel wind-cold, and enable conception. Decoctions should not be exposed to wind (*Bencao Jing Jizhu*). Juice extracted and taken stops traumatic bleeding and kills Ascaris (Tao Hongjing). Mainly treats epistaxis, hematochezia, purulent bloody dysentery; water decoction or pills/powders are usable (Su Gong). Stops metrorrhagia, hemorrhoidal bleeding, applies to open wounds, stops abdominal pain, calms fetus. Vinegar-cooked decoction treats tinea well. Juice drunk treats all cold qi in heart/abdomen and Gui Qi (Zhen Quan). Treats leukorrhea, stops cholera with cramps, post-dysenteric chills/fever (Da Ming). Treats Dai Mai pathology, abdominal fullness, waist feeling like sitting in water (Hao Gu). Warms middle, expels cold, removes dampness (Li Shizhen).

[Elucidation] Meng Shen says: In spring, tender Ai is eaten as vegetables, or mixed with flour to make dumplings the size of bullets, swallowing 3-5 pieces, pressed down with rice, treating all evil Qi; long-term use stops cold dysentery. Also, tender Ai made into dry cakes, decocted with ginger, stops diarrhea/dysentery and postpartum bleeding, very wonderful.
Su Song says: In recent times, some take Ai alone, or mix with steamed papaya in pills, or drink as soup on an empty stomach, greatly tonifying deficiency and emaciation. However, when toxicity manifests, hot qi rushes upward, causing uncontrollable mania, even attacking eyes causing ulcers and bleeding; indeed, it should not be taken recklessly.
Zhenheng says: Women infertile often due to blood deficiency failing to grasp essence; vulgar doctors call it uterine deficiency-cold, administering acrid-hot drugs or Ai leaves. Not knowing Ai is extremely hot; entering fire for moxibustion, Qi descends; entering medicine for ingestion, Qi ascends. Materia medica only mentions warmth, not heat. People liking warmth mostly take it; over time toxicity manifests, yet who blames Ai? I examined Su Song's *Tujing* and felt silently moved.
Li Shizhen says: Raw Ai is slightly bitter too pungent; cooked is slightly pungent too bitter; raw warm, cooked hot, pure Yang. It can capture true Fire of the Sun, restore nearly exhausted Yuan Yang. Ingestion travels through Three Yin meridians, driving out all cold-damp, transforming killing Qi into harmony. Moxibustion penetrates all meridians, treating hundred pathogenic evils, restoring critical patients to health, its merit is great. Su Gong said it is raw/cold; Su Song said it is toxic. One saw its ability to stop bleeding; the other saw hot Qi rushing up, thus calling it cold/toxic, which is wrong. Likely unaware that blood follows Qi; Qi moves then blood scatters; it is due to long-term use causing fire to rush up. Drugs treat disease; stop when illness is cured. If one has chronic deficiency-cold, or women with damp-stagnation leukorrhea, using Ai combined with Danggui, Fuzi etc. to treat disease, why not? But wrongly seeking offspring, continuously taking Ai, aided by acrid-hot, drug nature becomes biased long-term, causing fire agitation; whose fault is this? What blame does Ai bear? Aifu Wan treats heart/abdomen/lower abdomen pains, regulates women's diseases, with deep merit. Jiao'ai Tang treats deficient dysentery, and postpartum/pregnancy bleeding, showing remarkable efficacy. For elderly with weak Dantian Qi, fearing cold in navel/abdomen, placing Shu Ai in a cloth bag covering navel/abdomen is wonderful. Cold-damp gout also suits placing this inside socks.

[Attached Formulas] Old 23, New 29.
Shanghan seasonal qi, warm disease headache, high fever surging pulse. Use 3 sheng dry Ai leaves, 1 dou water, boil to 1 sheng, take once to induce sweat (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Pregnancy Shanghan high fever, red macules turning black, hematuria: Use Ai leaf size of chicken egg, 3 sheng wine, boil to 2.5 sheng, divide into two doses (*Shanghan Leiyao*). Pregnancy wind-cold stroke, unconsciousness, resembling wind-stroke: Use 3 liang Shu Ai, stir-fry extremely hot with rice vinegar, wrap in silk, apply hot compress below navel, revive after a while (*Funu Liangfang*). Stroke mouth deviation: Use reed tube 5 cun long, insert one end into ear, seal four sides with dough airtight, moxa the other end 7 Zhuang. Right lesion moxa left, left lesion moxa right (*Shengjin Fang*). Stroke lockjaw: Moxa Chengjiang point 1, Jiache point 2 with Shu Ai, 5 Zhuang each (*Qianjin Fang*). Stroke pulling pain, numbness immobility: Use approx. 1 hu dry Ai, knead into balls, place in tile furnace, seal all holes leaving one eye, place painful area... [Text incomplete] Tongue retraction lockjaw: Apply fresh Ai pounded. Wet dry Ai also works (*Shengji Zonglu*). Throat swelling pain: *Yifang Dacheng*: Pound with tender Ai, extract juice, swallow finely. *Jingyan Fang*: Take one handful green Ai with stems/leaves, pound rotten with vinegar, apply on throat. Dry Ai in winter also works. Formula passed by Li Ya. Epilepsy various winds: Moxa Shu Ai at the midpoint between scrotum and anus according to age years (*Doumen Fang*). Ghost strike sudden evil, suddenly attacks person, like knife stabbing, chest/hypochondrium/abdomen piercing cutting pain unpressable, or immediate hematemesis/epistaxis/hematochezia, named Guipai: Use 3 pieces Shu Ai size of chicken egg, 5 sheng water, boil to 2 sheng, take once (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Infant umbilical wind grasping mouth: Ai leaves burn to ash, fill navel, bind with cloth effective. Or moxa through garlic, wait for Ai smell in mouth then cure (*Jianbian Fang*). Huhu worm disease, patient teeth colorless, tongue white, or likes sleep unaware of pain/itch, or dysentery, urgently treat lower body. Those ignorant, only attack upper, lower body grows worms eating anus, rotting to see five zang, then death. Burn Ai in tube, smoke lower body letting smoke enter, adding realgar is better. Smoke in jar also works (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Head wind chronic pain: Qi Ai knead into pills, sniff occasionally, until yellow fluid flows (*Qingnang Zazuan*). Head wind facial ulcer, itching yellow fluid: 2 liang Ai leaves, 1 jin vinegar, decoct in clay pot to get juice, paste on thin paper. Apply 1-2 times daily (*Shengji Zonglu*). Heart/abdomen evil Qi: Pound Ai leaves, extract juice drink (*Yaoxing Lun*). Spleen/stomach cold pain: Bai Ai powder, take 2 qian with boiling water (*Weisheng Yijian Fang*). Roundworm heart pain like stabbing, spitting clear water: 1 sheng Bai Shu Ai, 3 sheng water, boil to 1 sheng drink, vomit worms out. Or take fresh Ai juice, eat fragrant meat slice at 5 am, then drink 1 sheng, pass worms out (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Spitting clear water: Decoct dry Qi Ai tea (*Guai Zheng Qi Fang*). Cholera profuse diarrhea unceasing: 1 bunch Ai, 3 sheng water, boil to 1 sheng, take once (*Waitai Miyao*). Old mild white dysentery: Ai Jiang Wan: 4 liang Chen Bei Ai, 3 liang Ganjiang (roasted), powder, vinegar boil millet paste pill size of wutong seed. Take 7... [Text incomplete] Various dysentery chronic: Ai leaves, Chenpi equal parts, decoct drink. Or powder, wine boil rotten rice mix pill, take 20-30 pills with salt water. Acute diarrhea unceasing: 1 bunch Chen Ai, 1 piece ginger, water boil hot drink (*Shengsheng Bian*). Hematochezia after stool: Ai leaves, ginger decoct strong juice, take 3 he (*Qianjin Fang*). Wild pheasant hemorrhoid disease: First wash with Huai Liu soup, moxa 7 Zhuang on it, effective. Physician Wang Ji riding mule to Sichuan, days later hemorrhoid major outbreak... [Text incomplete] 5 Zhuang, suddenly feel hot qi enter intestine, then profuse diarrhea, blood/filth both out, after diarrhea lost cucumber location (*Jingyan Fang*). Pregnancy bleeding: Zhang Zhongjing says: Women with leaking down, half-birth postpartum bleeding unceasing, pregnancy bleeding, all suitable Jiao Ai Tang. Clear wine 3 sheng, boil to 3 sheng, add gelatin melt completely, warm drink 1 sheng, 3 times/day (*Jingui Yaolue*). Pregnancy fetal movement or back pain, or seizing heart, or bleeding unceasing, or breech birth child dead in womb: Ai leaf size of chicken egg, 4 sheng wine, boil to 2 sheng, divide 2 doses (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Fetal movement pressing heart pain: Ai leaf size of chicken egg. Head vinegar 4 sheng, boil to 2 sheng, divide warm drink (*Zimu Milu*). Women metrorrhagia continuous days: Shu Ai size of chicken egg, Ejiao (fried powder) 0.5 liang, Ganjiang 1 qian. 5 wan water, first boil Ai/Ginger to 2.5 wan, pour out, add gelatin melt, divide 3 doses, finish in one day (Chu Yushi *Gujin Luyan*). Postpartum bleeding unceasing: 0.5 liang dry Ai leaves, 0.5 liang roasted old ginger, strong decoct soup, one dose stops, wonderful (Meng Shen *Shiliao Bencao*). Postpartum abdominal pain wanting death, caused by cold: 2 jin Chen Qi Ai. Bake dry, pound spread on navel, cover with silk, iron hot compress, wait Ai smell from mouth, pain stops (*Yangcheng Jingyan Fang*). Sudden hematemesis 1-2 mouthfuls, or cardiac epistaxis, or internal collapse: 3 balls Shu Ai, 5 sheng water, boil to 2 sheng drink. Another formula: Burn ash water drink. Epistaxis unceasing: Blow Ai ash. Or decoct Ai leaves drink (*Shenghui Fang*). Night sweats unceasing: 2 qian Shu Ai, 3 qian Baifushen, 3 Wumei, 1 zhong water, boil to 8 fen, warm drink before sleep (*Tongmiao Zhenren Fang*). Fire eye swelling pain: Burn Ai till smoke rises, cover with bowl, wait smoke gone, scrape coal from bowl bottom, dissolve in warm water wash eye, then heal. Add more... [Text incomplete] Face... [Text incomplete] Ai ash, Sang ash 3 sheng each, water leach juice, leach 3 times, put five-color cloth in, boil together, make... [Text incomplete] Women facial ulcer named Fen Hua Chuang: 5 qian Dingfen, rapeseed oil mix mud in bowl, use 1-2 balls Ai, burn smoke fumigate, wait smoke gone... [Text incomplete] Body/facial warts: Moxa fire 3 Zhuang remove (*Shenghui Fang*). Goose palm wind disease: True Qi Ai 4-5 liang, 4-5 bowls water, boil 5-6 rolling, put in large bottle, tie 2 layers hemp cloth, place palm on bottle fumigate, if cold reheat, like spirit (Lu Shi *Jide Tang Fang*). Ulcer/scabies fumigation method: 1 liang Shu Qi Ai, 3 qian Mumiezi, 2 qian Xionghuang, 1 qian Liuhuang. Powder, rub into Ai, divide 4 strips. Each strip place in Yin-Yang tiles, put in quilt bake fumigate, afterwards take Tongsheng San (*Yifang Jiangyao*). Infant gan ulcer: 1 liang Ai leaves, 1 sheng water, boil to 4 he, divide 3 doses (*Beiji Fang*). Infant rotting ulcer: Ai leaves burn ash, apply, good (*Zimu Milu*). Cold wound not closing: Shu Ai burn smoke fumigate (*Jingyan Fang*). White vitiligo ulcer: Dry Ai as needed, soak qu to brew wine as usual, drink daily, feel numbness then heal (*Zhouhou Beiji Fang*). Carbuncle swelling toxin: 1 dan Ai Hao burn ash, leach juice in bamboo tube, take 1-2 he, mix with Duanshi like paste. First prick ulcer to pain, then apply medicine 3 times, root pulls out naturally. Han Guang from Yushan used this miraculously. Early Zhenguan, Quzhou Xu Shijun found this formula. I used to treat 30+ people, effective (Sun Taoren *Qianjin Fang*). Back carbuncle initial not formed, and various heat swellings: Paste wet paper on, first drying spot is head, moxa it. Regardless of Zhuang count, painful moxa till painless; painless moxa till painful then stop. Toxicity disperses, if not disperses avoids internal attack, divine formula (Li Jiang *Bingbu Shouji*). Abscess not closing, cold stagnation wound: Wash with Bei Ai decoction, fumigate with Baijiao (*Zhizhi Fang*). Throat bone stuck: Use several sheng fresh Ai Hao, water/wine total 1 dou, boil to 4 sheng, drink slowly, should pass (*Waitai Miyao*). Accidentally swallowed copper coin: 1 bunch Ai Hao, 5 sheng water, boil to 1 sheng, take once pass (Qian Xianggong *Qiezhong Fang*). Various insect/snake bites: Moxa several Zhuang very good (*Jijian Fang*). Wind-worm toothache: Melt little wax, spread on paper, lay Ai, roll chopsticks into tube, burn smoke, fumigate nose left/right according to side, inhale smoke till full mouth, exhale... [Text incomplete] Solid... [Text incomplete]

[Flavor and Nature] Bitter, pungent, warm, non-toxic.
[Indications] Brighten eyes, treat all Gui Qi (Zhen Quan). Strengthen Yang, assist Kidney/Water organ waist/knees, and warm uterus (Da Ming).
[Elucidation] Meng Shen says: Ai Zi and Ganjiang equal parts, powder, honey pill size wutong seed. Empty stomach take 30 pills, press with 3-5 spoons rice, twice daily. Treat hundred evil Qi, ghosts/spirits quickly exit. Field people, this is very suitable.
[Appendix] Xiatai *Bencao Jing Jizhu* names unused says: Sweet taste, main hundred diseases, save dying Qi.
Tao Hongjing says: This medicine is miraculous thus, no longer recognize use, regrettable.
Li Shizhen says: Ai named Bingtai, this named Xiatai, Ai moxa hundred diseases can return dying Qi, this main hundred diseases save dying Qi, likely same substance repeated, so appended after Ai.