Library

[Hooking Ginkgo / Gouwen]
Pungent in flavor, warm in nature, highly toxic. It treats metal wounds (injuries caused by metal instruments), breast abscesses (swelling, redness, heat, and pain in the breast), evil wind (pathogenic wind of a severe nature), cough with rebellious qi (coughing with upward rushing of qi), edema, and kills ghostly tanzhu (chronic wasting diseases attributed to spirits or parasites) and gu poison. It breaks up mass accumulations (abdominal masses), removes bi pain in the feet and knees (numbness and pain in lower limb joints), four-limb spasms (limb twitching and stiffness), malignant sores and scabies mites (severe skin ulcers and parasitic scabies), and kills birds and beasts. Also known as Wild Ge. Those that emit blue smoke when broken are called Gu Huo. Its thermal property is extreme; it is not used in decoctions. It grows in high mountains and valleys and in the eastern wilds of Kuaiji. The Gouwen from Qin region is pungent in flavor. It treats throat obstruction (swelling and blockage of the throat), sensation of fullness in the throat, voice changes, cough with rebellious qi, warms the middle jiao (warms the spleen and stomach), also known as Chu Xin, also known as Du Gen. It grows on cold stone mountains and is harvested in the second and eighth months. (Pinelliae Rhizoma Preparatum serves as its guide drug; it is antagonistic to Scutellariae Radix.)

The Five Departments also state that Gouwen is Wild Ge, saying that upon entering the mouth it hooks the human throat, or some say "Wen" is interchangeable with "Wan," pulling the abdomen to cause death. From a verified perspective, these are two different substances. Wild Ge refers to the root, resembling Peony Root, which is also toxic where it grows, preventing birds from perching there; nowadays, people use it to compound ointments for oral administration without objection. Gouwen is a separate herb, with leaves resembling Polygonatum Rhizome but with purple stems, producing yellow flowers from the center. When newly sprouted, it closely resembles Polygonatum Rhizome, hence it was considered an antidote against killing life. Or it is said that Gouwen is Ranunculus japonicus. Both the *Shennong Bencao Jing* and later accounts are inconsistent and confused, making it unclear what it actually is? There is another substance named Yin Ming, which is reddish... (Zhenghe, p. 252)

[Stone Longevity / Shichangsheng]
Bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature, toxic. It treats fright epilepsy (epilepsy triggered by fright), head shaking and tongue protrusion, heat qi in the abdomen, mania (mental disorder), carbuncles and sores, genital erosion (ulceration of the external genitalia), expels three types of intestinal parasites, and removes snake venom. Also known as Chi Xiu. It grows in the river valleys of Shanyang and Wanqu. (Daguan, Vol. 11; Zhenghe, p. 279)

Slightly warm. It primarily promotes the free flow of menstruation and breaks up blood stasis accumulations. This plant is abundant in fields, resembling large smartweed, with spotted stems and round leaves. It is extremely effective for sudden phlegm-masses (sudden formation of abdominal lumps); one should soak the root in wine and take it. (Daguan, Vol. 13; Zhenghe, p. 333)

[Cinnabar Grass / Dancao]
Salty and bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature, toxic. It treats chills and fever with malignant sores, intense heat, wards off evil qi and inauspicious influences, and expels three types of intestinal parasites. Also known as Dan Cao. It grows in the mountain valleys of Xianyang. Although occasionally gathered in the world, it is no longer used in medical formulas. It is also found near roadsides; it has fine grass-like leaves and purple flowers. In the southern regions, it grows abundantly under rocky cliffs... (Zhenghe, p. 280)