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Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (i.e., the fruit of *Ilex chinensis*)
Taste: bitter, sweet. Nature: neutral. Non-toxic. In secluded rural dwellings, it is often planted as a hedge or barrier. It can withstand frost and snow, hence also named Dongqing (Winter Green).
Remove the skin, place in a clean cloth bag, and wash. Soak in wine for one night, then sun-dry until dry. Grind into powder to make pills; mixing with paste prepared from Ecliptae Herba (Hanliancao, 旱莲草) yields excellent results; crushing and soaking in wine, then boiling together with Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (Shengdihuang, 生地黄) in a pot is also beneficial. It darkens hair and beard, strengthens sinews and bones. It calms the five zang organs, tonifies middle qi, eliminates myriad diseases, and nourishes the spirit. Frequent intake benefits blood and dispels wind; long-term use promotes health and anti-aging. The bark is cool and non-toxic; if soaked in wine and drunk daily, it also benefits the skin. Decoction of branches and leaves can dye red; alternatively, burned to ash and mixed into a paste for topical application can treat chilblains. The wood has fine white grain, suitable for making boxes or panels. Ceraceous wax attaches to branches, formed by small insects metabolizing tree sap. (It appears black. Each insect feeds on the sap of the Winter Green tree; over time, it transforms into white fat, which melts into wax. People mistakenly believe it is caused by insect excrement adhering to the tree, which is incorrect. Some do not transform into wax but form buds on branches, initially like millet seeds, gradually enlarging to blue-purple, resembling the tree's fruit. Locals call them "wax seeds." In deep spring of the following year, the buds break, and insects emerge to attach to the tree.) (Aesthetic.) Naturally aggregates into blocks. The texture is crystal clear, comparable to Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, 石膏). Originally omitted in *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Classic of Materia Medica), Zhu Danxi was the first to value and use it. In a letter to Dai Yuanli, he stated: Bai La (White Wax) possesses astringent and consolidating properties, truly being an essential medicine for external surgery. It generates flesh, stops bleeding, alleviates pain, reconnects bones and sinews, and tonifies deficiency. When decocted together with Albiziae Cortex (Hehuanpi, 合欢皮) and added to flesh-generating ointments, it shows miraculous efficacy. However, its internal administration has not been tested. The efficacy of Hehuanpi when taken internally has been verified. (There are two types of wax: honey wax can be ingested by humans, as detailed under the entry for Shi Mi (Rock Honey) in *Shennong Bencao Jing*. This insect wax was not recorded in *Shennong Bencao Jing*. Later, due to Zhu Danxi's query "has it been tested whether it can be taken internally?" in this letter, it was understood that he referred to this insect wax. Thus, it was collected to supplement the omission.) Dust of Bai La (White Wax) can treat tuberculosis worms.