Library

[Classified as Upper Grade in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*]

**Names:** Yimu (from *Benjing*), Yiming (from *Benjing*), Zhenwei (from *Mingyi Bielu*), Chong (from *Erya*, pronounced "tui"), Ye Tianma (from *Zhenglei Bencao*), Zhu Ma (from *Bencao Gangmu*), Huo You (from *Benjing*), Yu Chou Cao (from *Bencao Tujing*), Ku Di Cao (from *Bencao Tujing*), Xiaku Cao (from *Waitai Mi Yao*), Tu Zhihan (from *Waitai Mi Yao*).

Li Shizhen stated: This herb and its seeds grow lush and dense, hence the name Chongwei. Its efficacy is suitable for women and can brighten the eyes and benefit essence, thus bearing the names "Yimu" (Beneficial to Mothers) and "Yiming" (Benefiting Brightness). Its stem is square, resembling that of hemp, so it is called Ye Tianma (Wild Gastrodia). It is colloquially known as Zhu Ma (Pig Hemp) because pigs like to eat it. It withers after the Summer Solstice, hence the name Xiaku (Summer Wither). The *Jin Xiao Fang* calls it Tu Zhihan (Earth Sweat). Lin Yi stated: Zhihan originates from Xifan (Western Regions), made by boiling blood with various herbs into a concentrate, used to treat metal wounds and fractures. Yimu can also be made into a paste to treat fractures, hence the name Tu Zhihan.

Su Song stated: The *Erya* records: Huan, i.e., Chong. The annotation says: This is now Chongwei. Also named Yimu. Liu Xin said: Chong means foul-smelling. Foul-smelling refers to Chongwei. Lu Ji said: Chong is Yimu. Thus, Zengzi felt moved upon seeing it.

**Collection and Explanation:** The *Mingyi Bielu* states: Chongwei grows in pools and marshes by the sea, collected in May.

Tao Hongjing stated: It is found everywhere today. The leaves resemble Ren (a type of plant), the stem is square, the seeds are slender with three edges. It is rarely used in prescriptions.

Su Song stated: It is extremely common in gardens and fields today. Guo Pu's annotation of the *Erya* says: Leaves resemble Ren, stem is square, flowers are white, growing between nodes. Flowers grow at every node, fruits resemble cockscomb seeds, black, stem has four square edges, collected in May. It also says collected in September for fruits; medical formulas rarely use the fruits.

Kou Zongshi stated: When Chongwei sprouts in early spring, it can be soaked and washed, rinsed to remove bitter water, boiled as a vegetable. It does not wither through winter.

Li Shizhen stated: Chongwei grows profusely in moist places near water. In early spring, seedlings resemble tender mugwort; by summer, they grow three to four chi high, stems square like yellow hemp stems. Leaves resemble Artemisia leaves but green on the back, one stalk with three leaves, leaf tips forked. About one cun per node, each node produces a spike, clustered around the stem. Between April and May, small flowers bloom within the spikes, red-purple, some slightly white. Each calyx contains four fine seeds, size similar to wormwood seeds, three-edged, brownish, often sold in pharmacies as Jushengzi (Sesame). The herb has an odor when growing, withers after the Summer Solstice, roots are white. Su Song's *Tujing* says leaves resemble Ren, seeds black like cockscomb, collected in September; Kou Zongshi's *Yanyi* says it does not wither in winter; these are all misinterpretations. There are two varieties: white-flowered and purple-flowered. Stems, leaves, seeds, and spikes are identical. However, white ones enter the Qi level; red/purple ones enter the Blood level. They can be used separately.

According to *Guige Shanyi*: White-flowered is Yimu; purple-flowered is Ye Tianma. *Fanhun Dan Zhu* states: Purple-flowered is Yimu; white-flowered is not. Chen Cangqi's *Bencao Shiyi* states: Chongwei grows in fields, people call it Yu Chou Cao. Tianma grows in plains and marshes, resembles Verbena, flowers purple at nodes, seeds inside flowers like Qingxiangzi. Sun Simiao's *Qianjin Fang* states: Tianma Cao, stems like fire hemp, sprouts in winter, bears red flowers in summer like rat-tail flower. These seem to treat Chongwei and Tianma as two different plants, likely unaware they are one species with two varieties. All flowers have red and white variants, such as Peony, Paeonia, Chrysanthemum. Further research: Guo Pu's *Erya Zhu* says: Chong, pronounced tui, is Chongwei, also named Yimu. Leaves resemble Ren, white flowers, growing between nodes. It also says: KT, pronounced tui, square stem, long sharp leaves, with spikes, purple-blue flowers between spikes, can be brewed as tea, called Niuxi in Jiangdong. Thus, Chong and KT originally had the same name, distinguished only by flower color; undoubtedly one plant. Song dynasty editors mistakenly annotated Tianma Cao as Tianma, which is particularly erroneous. Chen Cangqi's *Bencao Shiyi* mentions Zanc Cai, growing in Jiangnan shade, resembling Yimu, square stem, opposite nodes, white flowers, mainly treating postpartum blood diseases. This is the white-flowered variety of Chongwei, hence its efficacy in treating blood diseases is the same.

**Seeds**

**Processing:** Li Shizhen stated: For use, stir-fry until fragrant, or steam, sun-dry thoroughly, pound and winnow to remove shells, use the kernels.

**Flavor and Toxicity:** Acrid, sweet, slightly warm, non-toxic. *Mingyi Bielu* states: Sweet, slightly cold.

Li Shizhen stated: Sweet, acrid, warm. Can process Sulfur.

**Indications:** Brighten eyes and benefit essence, eliminate edema, lightening the body with long-term use (*Benjing*). Treat blood rebellion with high fever, headache, and irritability (*Bielu*). Postpartum abdominal distension due to blood stasis (*Daming*). Pound kernels and eat raw to tonify middle jiao, boost qi, unblock vessels, fill essence, relieve thirst, and moisten lungs (*Wu Rui*). Treat wind and resolve heat, regulate qi and invigorate blood, nourish liver and heart, calm soul and stabilize spirit, regulate menstruation, treat metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, and various pre- and postpartum diseases. Long-term use promotes fertility (*Li Shizhen*).

**Elucidation:** Zhu Zhenheng stated: Chongwei Zi invigorates blood and moves qi, possessing yin-tonifying properties, hence named Yimu. What supports pregnancy and postpartum periods is blood and qi. Pregnancy should have no stagnation, postpartum should have no deficiency, because it moves while tonifying.

Li Shizhen stated: Chongwei Zi is sweet, slightly acrid, warm in nature, belonging to yang within yin, entering the Hand and Foot Jueyin meridians. White flowers enter the Qi level; purple flowers enter the Blood level. It is a superb herb for treating irregular menstruation and all blood/qi disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth, yet rarely used by physicians. Li Shizhen often combined it with Siwu Tang and Xiangfu, achieving many successes. Since the Pericardium generates blood and the Liver stores blood, this herb invigorates blood and tonifies yin, thus brightening eyes, benefiting essence, regulating menstruation, and treating women's diseases. Li Dongyuan stated that pupils dilated should avoid Chongwei Zi because its acrid-warm nature disperses and aids fire. Angelica Sinensis is also acrid-warm but contains bitter and sweet, harmonizing blood, so it is not prohibited. I believe vision depends on blood; Chongwei Zi moves blood rapidly. Dilated pupils indicate blood deficiency, hence prohibited, not because it aids fire. If eye disease is caused by blood stasis, it is appropriate, hence "brightening eyes."

**Stems**

*Daming* stated: Seedlings, leaves, and roots have the same efficacy.

**Flavor and Toxicity:** Chen Cangqi stated: Cold. Li Shizhen stated: Stems and leaves: Acrid, slightly bitter. Flowers: Slightly bitter, sweet. Roots: Sweet. All non-toxic.

Jing Yuan stated: Can process Sulfur, Realgar, Arsenolite.

**Indications:** Urticaria and itching, can be used as a bath decoction (*Benjing*). Juice taken internally treats edema, promotes urination, eliminates toxic carbuncles, mastitis, erysipelas, etc., applied externally. Juice treats retained dead fetus and postpartum abdominal fullness/distension. Dripped into ears treats cerumen. Applied externally treats snake venom (treats syncope due to blood, wind-blood pain, metrorrhagia, hematuria, dysentery, hemorrhoids, internal trauma from falls causing blood stasis, urinary and fecal retention) (*Li Shizhen*).

**Elucidation:** Li Shizhen stated: Roots, stems, flowers, leaves, and seeds of Motherwort can all be used medicinally, often together. To treat wind-heat in the Blood level of Hand/Foot Jueyin meridians, brighten eyes, benefit essence, and regulate menstruation, using only Chongwei Zi is best. To treat swelling, toxins, sores, reduce edema, move blood, and treat obstetric/gynecological diseases, using all parts is best. Because roots, stems, flowers, and leaves primarily move/disperse, while seeds move while tonifying.

**Attached Prescriptions:** 13 old, 10 new.

**Jiyin Fanhun Dan:** Zan Yin's *Chanbao* states: This prescription was obtained by Gao Shi Yu of Wenjiang, Jian'an, by offering gifts to famous doctors. Its effects are miraculous, saving many lives, treating critical conditions of pre- and postpartum women. Use Ye Tianma, also named Yimu, Huo You, or Fudan, which is Chongwei Zi. Leaves resemble Mugwort, stems like Fire Hemp, square concave stems, flowering node by node from April to June, red-purple like Polygonum flowers, found everywhere north and south; white flowers do not count. Harvest whole plant including roots during Dragon Boat Festival, Minor Heat, or June 6th when flowers are fully open, dry in shade. Use leaves and flower seeds. Avoid iron tools; grind with stone mortar to fine powder, mix with refined honey into pills the size of弹子 (bullet seeds). Chew according to symptoms, take with decoction. Charred root powder taken with wine has efficacy comparable to Heishen San. Dosage unlimited, stop when cured. Or make pills size of Sophora seeds, take 50-70 pills per dose. Alternatively, juice filtered and boiled into paste. For prenatal umbilical/abdominal pain or sounds, take with rice drink; for prenatal/postnatal stabbing pain, fetal restlessness, continuous bleeding, take with Danggui Tang; postpartum, dissolve one pill in child's urine to calm soul, harmonize blood/qi, prevent diseases. Breaks blood stasis pain, nourishes vessels, regulates meridians, take with warm wine. Retained placenta, malpresentation, dead fetus, abdominal distension, chest/heart distress, take with fried salt water. Postpartum syncope, dark vision, blood heat, thirst, irritability, hallucinations, unconsciousness, dissolve in child's urine and wine; postpartum blood masses, running abdominal pain, alternating chills/fever, cold sweat, greasy face/red complexion, five-palm heat, take with child's urine/wine or fresh Mint juice. Postpartum lochia不尽, stagnation/stabbing pain, rising to chest fullness, take with child's urine/wine. Postpartum bloody diarrhea, take with date soup. Postpartum dysentery, take with rice soup. Postpartum metrorrhagia/menorrhagia, take with glutinous rice soup. Postpartum red/white leukorrhea, take with Jiao'ai Tang; irregular menstruation, take with warm wine. Postpartum wind-stroke, locked jaw, hemiplegia, aphasia, take with child's urine/wine; postpartum asthma/cough, chest oppression, nausea/acid regurgitation, facial edema, hypochondriac pain, weakness, take with warm wine. Postpartum month cough, spontaneous sweating/fever, progressing to bone-steaming fever, take with child's urine/wine; postpartum epistaxis, black tongue/dry mouth, take with child's urine/wine. Postpartum temporal headache, yawning/heart palpitations, shortness of breath/emaciation, anorexia, wind-blood body heat, limb numbness, joint pain, take with rice drink. Postpartum urinary/fecal retention, irritability/bitter taste, take with Mint soup. Women infertile for long time, take with warm wine.

**Yimu Paste:** *Jin Xiao Fang*: Treats all postpartum diseases, and internal trauma with blood stasis causing pain on cloudy days. A divine formula. Collect Yimu Cao (also Fudan, Xiaku Cao) in March, wash clean including roots/leaves/stems/flowers, spread on bamboo mat to dry. Cut into 5-cun pieces with bamboo knife, no iron. Place in large pot, cover with water 2-3 cun, boil until grass rots and water reduces by two-thirds. Strain out grass, collect about 5-6 dou juice. Clarify in basin for half a day, filter turbidity with silk cloth. Boil clear juice slowly over low fire until reduced to 1 dou, consistency like thin syrup. Seal in porcelain jar. Take piece size of pear, mix with warm wine, twice daily. Can mix with porridge. For travel, boil further into pills. After 7 days, pain subsides. Postpartum lochia不尽 and syncope improve after 1-2 doses. No dietary restrictions. Treats wind, benefits heart power. (*Waitai Mi Yao*)

**Difficult Labor:** Fresh Yimu Cao juice 7 he, boil to half, take once. If no fresh, dried handful, 7 he water, boil and take. (*Wei Zhou, Duxing Fang*)

**Dead Fetus in Uterus:** Mash Yimu Cao, add little warm water, wring out juice, take once. (*Wei Zhou, Duxing Fang*)

**Postpartum Syncope, Heart Qi Exhaustion:** Grind Yimu Cao to juice, take 1 zhan. Excellent. (*Zimu Milu*)

**Postpartum Amenorrhea:** Yimu Cao juice 1 small zhan, mixed with 1 he wine, take warm. (*Shenghui Fang*)

**Red/White Leukorrhea:** Harvest Yimu Cao at flowering, pound to powder. Take 2 qian before meals with warm water. (*Jiyan Fang*)

**Hematuria:** Yimu Cao juice, take 1 sheng, immediate cure. This is Su Cheng's prescription. (*Waitai Mi Yao*)

**Severe Mixed Red/White Dysentery:** Yimu Cao (sun-dried), aged salted plum (charred), equal parts powder. Take 3 qian, white dysentery with Ginger Decoction, red dysentery with Licorice Decoction. Named Erling San. (*Weisheng Jiabao Fang*)

**Pediatric Gan Dysentery Critical:** Young Yimu Cao leaves, cook with rice as porridge, eat sufficient amount until cured. Drinking juice also works. (*Guangji Fang*)

**Hemorrhoidal Bleeding:** Yimu Cao leaves, juice, drink. (*Shiyi Xinjing*)

**All Carbuncles/Sores:** Maternal engorgement/mastitis, infant head sores, spreading yellow rot hot sores, scabies/ulcers/genital ulcers: Use Tianma Cao (chopped) 5 sheng.

**Acute/Chronic Carbuncles:** *Shenghui Fang*: Apply mashed Yimu Cao externally, drink 5 he juice, resolves immediately. *Yifang Dacheng*: Harvest Yimu Cao with flowers in April, char to ash. Cross-cut carbuncle root with sharp knife to release blood. Incise around root, squeeze out blood, wipe dry. Dip rush pith in medicine, insert into wound to bottom. Wait for purple blood to appear, squeeze clean, re-insert medicine until red blood appears, then stop. Insert 3-5 times daily. Severe cases root comes out in 2 days, mild in 1 day. If root swells, pick with needle. Apply medicine afterwards to promote healing. Avoid wind/cold, sex, alcohol/meat, toxins. Abscess ruptured: Apply mashed Yimu Cao, excellent. (*Doumen Fang*)

**Breast Compression Causing Mastitis:** Yimu powder, mix with water, apply to breast, heals overnight. Fresh mash also works. (*Shenghui Fang*)

**Throat Closure/Swelling/Pain:** Mash Yimu Cao, mix with 1 bowl fresh well water, wring thick juice, drink at once, vomit and heal. Use roots in winter. (*Weisheng Yijian Fang*)

**Acne/Dark Spots:** *Guige Shanyi*: Harvest rooted purple-flowered Tianma on May 5th, dry and burn to ash. Mix with fresh Phytolacca juice and vinegar into cakes, calcine over charcoal fire, store. Use after half a year in facial masks, greatly moisturizes skin. Su Song stated: Empress Wu Zetian's method for Yimu facial mask: Harvest complete roots/shoots on May 5th, keep off soil, dry, pound/sieve, mix with flour into dough egg-sized, dry again. Build furnace with vents, place medicine in center, fire above and below. High fire for cooking time, then low fire to maintain, do not let fire die. Remove after one double-hour, grind in porcelain, sieve twice, store 3 days, use daily like bath bean. Another formula: Add 1 liang Talc and 1 qian Cinnabar per 10 liang.

**Horse Bite Sores:** Ku Di Cao, cut fine, mix with vinegar, stir-fry and apply. (*Sun Taoren Fang*)

**Newborn Infants:** Boil 5 liang Yimu Cao, bathe infant, prevents sores/scabies. (*Jianyao Jizhong*)