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(From *Bencao Shiyi* [Supplement to Materia Medica])
【Jijie (Collected Explanations)】 Chen Cangqi stated: Shaozi grows in the Lingnan region. According to Pei Yuan's *Guangzhou Ji*: The leaves of the Shao tree resemble those of the chestnut; the fruit is as large as a chestnut and has prickles. Breaking open the skin, the flesh inside resembles lard, adhering to the seed and not separating easily. It tastes sweet and sour, and the seed resembles that of a lychee.
Li Shizhen stated: According to Fan Chengda's *Yu Heng Zhi*: In Guangnan, there is a mountain Shaozi which ripens in summer, is red in color, and its flesh resembles a lychee. There is also a vine Shaozi which ripens in autumn, being as large as a wild duck egg or a persimmon.

Fruit
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Sweet, warm, non-toxic.
【Zhuzhi (Main Actions)】 Treats acute dysentery and cold qi in the heart and abdomen (Chen Cangqi).

(From *Bencao Huibian*)
【Shiming (Names)】 Ma Jin Nang (from *Yunnan Zhi*), Ma Jin Nan
【Jijie (Collected Explanations)】 Li Shizhen stated: Ma Binglang grows in the regions of Jinci and Yuanjiang among the ethnic minorities in southern Yunnan, growing as a vine. The fruits are as large as grapes, purple in color, and sweet in taste.
Inside the fruit is a seed, somewhat resembling *Croton tiglium* (Da Feng Zi) but with a slightly thinner shell. The shapes vary from round to oval, oblique, or flat. Inside the seed is the kernel, which is also sweet.
Fruit
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Sweet, cold, non-toxic.
Kernel
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Bitter, sweet, cold, non-toxic.
Wang Ji stated: Those who chew it should swallow it with a mouthful of cold water. Its sweetness is like honey, and it does not harm the person.
【Zhuzhi (Main Actions)】 Treats dystocia. At the time of delivery, chew several pieces finely and swallow with the first well water drawn at dawn. Delivery will occur shortly thereafter. Use four more pieces, remove the shells, and hold two in each hand; this will cause foul lochia to flow down naturally. For those wishing to prevent pregnancy, chew two pieces regularly and swallow with water. Over time, the uterus becomes cold and natural conception ceases (Wang Ji). For treating typhoid fever and heat diseases, eat several pieces and swallow with water. Also used to treat malignant sores.

(Yin Zhiju. From *Tang Bencao*)
【Zhengjiao (Corrections)】 Transferred from the Wood section and merged with the entry for "Mu Mi" in *Bencao Shiyi*.
【Shiming (Names)】 Mi Zhi Ju (Yin Zhiju), Mi Qu Lv (from *Guangji*), Mu Mi (from *Bencao Shiyi*), Mu Xiang (same source), Mu Shan Hu (from *Guangzhi*), Ji Ju Zi (Su Wen), Ji Zhuazi (common name). Tree name: Bai Shi Mu (*Tang Zhu*), Jin Gou Mu (*Di Zhi*).
Li Shizhen stated: *Zhi Ju*, Xu Kai's annotation of *Shuowen* writes it as *Zhi Gou*, also written as *Zhi Ju*, both meaning curved and unable to straighten. This tree has many branches that are curved, and its fruits are also curled, hence the name. Called Mi (honey) and Xiang (maltose syrup) due to its taste. Called Shan Hu (coral), Ji Ju (chicken spur), and Ji Zhao (chicken claw) due to its shape. Called Jiaojia and Gan (beam), referring to the curvature of its fruit stem. Gan refers to a building beam. According to the preface of *Leigong Paozhi*: "Broken mats and light salt, like wine touching Jiaojia." The annotation states: "Jiaojia branch is Mi Zhi Ju." Also, *Shihua* states: "The fruit grows at the tip of the branch, breaking horizontally into forks, resembling a Gan, hence locals call it Gan." I believe: Gan and the common name Ji Ju, the Shu people's name Jiu Gou or Ji Gou, the Dian people's name Ji Juzi, the Ba people's name Jin Gou, and the Guang people's name Jieliu Zi, all appearing in various texts, are variant characters for Zhi Ju and Ji Ju, differing only in dialect pronunciation. Folklore further misnames Ji Zhao as Cao Gong Zhao, or calls it Li Zao Shu, or Lai Han Zhitou. Cui Bao's *Gujin Zhu* names it one as Shu Mi and another as Mu Shi; all refer to the same object.
【Jijie (Collected Explanations)】 Su Gong stated: The trunk of the Zhi Ju tree is about one chi in diameter. The wood is named Bai Shi. The leaves resemble mulberry and torus leaves. The fruit forms chambers resembling coral, with the seed at the end. People eat it.
Su Song stated: This is what is referred to in the *Book of Songs · Xiao Ya* as "There are Gou trees on the Southern Mountain." Lu Ji's commentary states: The Zhi Ju tree is tall and sturdy like a white poplar, found everywhere, with crooked branches. The fruit grows at the branch tips, tasting sweet and delicious like maltose syrup, ripening in August and September. It is particularly delicious in Jiangnan, called Mu Mi. It can neutralize alcohol flavor. If its wood is used to make...
Kou Zongshi stated: Once, a southerner was repairing a house using this wood. A piece accidentally fell into a wine jar, turning the wine into water.
Chen Cangqi stated: The Mu Mi tree grows in the south. People call it Bai Shi Mu. Both branches and leaves are sweet. Young leaves can be eaten raw, tasting like honey. Old branches split finely and boiled down yield juice like honey, twice as sweet, stopping thirst and removing irritability.
Li Shizhen stated: The Zhi Ju tree is three to four zhang high. Leaves are round and large like mulberry/torus leaves, flowering in summer. Fruits grow on branch tips, shaped like chicken claws, about one cun long, twisted and curved, branching into two or three forks, resembling a chicken's spur. When young, they are green; after frost, they turn yellow. Chewing them tastes sweet like honey. At the end of each fork, one or two small fruits form, resembling Vitex fruit, containing a flat, red seed similar in shape to sour jujube kernel. Birds like to nest on them, hence Song Yu's poem says: "Zhi Ju comes to nest." *Qu Li* states: "A woman's gift includes li, hazelnut..."

Fruit
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Sweet, neutral, non-toxic.
Kou Zongshi stated: Eating too much induces roundworms.
【Zhuzhi (Main Actions)】 Treats cephalalgia due to wind and tightness/urgency in the lower abdomen (*Tang Bencao*). Stops thirst, removes irritability, clears heat above the diaphragm, moistens the five zang organs, promotes urination and bowel movements. Functions are the same as honey. Decoction of branches and leaves yields a paste with similar effects (Chen Cangqi). Stops vomiting/reversal of qi, resolves alcohol toxicity.
【Faming (Elucidation)】 Zhu Zhenheng stated: A man in his thirties suffered from fever due to drinking and deficiency due to sexual exhaustion. He took herbs to tonify qi and blood, adding Gegen to resolve alcohol toxicity. After slight sweating, he felt lethargic, and the fever persisted. This was because his qi and blood were deficient and could not withstand the dispersing action of Gegen. He needed Ji Ju Zi to resolve the toxicity. Adding it to the decoction and taking it cured him.
Li Shizhen stated: Materia Medica texts only mention that Zhi Ju wood can counteract alcohol, but Danxi Zhu treated alcohol-related diseases often using its fruit, implying its efficacy is likely similar. According to *Su Dongpo Ji*: Jie Yingchen from Meishan suffered from Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst), drinking several dou of water daily and eating double the usual amount of rice, with frequent urination. He took Xiao Ke medicine for over a year, yet the disease worsened, believing he would die. I advised him to consult Zhang Gong, a physician from Shu. Zhang Gong laughed and said, "You nearly died by mistake." He took Moschus (Shexiang Dangmenzi), moistened it with wine, made about ten pills, and swallowed them with a decoction of Ji Gou Zi. The patient recovered. Asked for the reason, Zhang Gong said: "Xiao Ke and Xiao Zhong are caused by spleen weakness and kidney failure, where earth fails to control water. Now, Yingchen's spleen pulse is extremely hot while kidney qi is unimpaired. This is likely due to excessive consumption of fruits and alcohol, causing accumulated heat in the spleen, leading to increased food intake and water drinking. With much water intake, urination must increase. This is neither Xiao nor Ke." Moschus can restrain the qi of alcohol, fruits, flowers, and trees; Ji Gou can also overcome alcohol (if this tree is outside, brewing wine inside is unfavorable). Thus, these two substances were used as medicine to remove the toxicity of alcohol and fruits. Ji Gou fruit resembles a chicken spur, hence commonly called Ji Ju, also Lai Han Zhitou. Eating it is like cow's milk. Materia Medica names it Zhi Ju; children like to eat it. Alas! Ancients valued investigating things...

Wood Sap
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Same as Zhi Ju.
【Fu Fang (Attached Prescriptions)】 New prescription one.
Axillary odor (Fox odor): Drill a hole in the Jiu Gou tree, collect one or two bowls of sap. Mix with Qing Mu Xiang, East Peach, West Willow, and breast milk from seven different surnamed women. Boil together for one or two boils. While hot, wash the area at cockcrow on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Pour the water at a crossroads and return quickly without looking back. It will be cured. However, if others encounter the water first, they may carry away the ailment. Jiu Gou tree is Zhi Ju.

Bark
【Qiwu (Odor and Flavor)】 Sweet, warm, non-toxic.
【Zhuzhi (Main Actions)】 Treats the five types of hemorrhoids, harmonizes the five zang organs (*Tang Bencao*).