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[Fructus Meliae]
(Also known as Jinlingzi)
Bitter in taste, cold in nature. Slightly toxic. Dragons and serpents greatly fear it; it is often planted along embankments. It grows everywhere, but the produce from Sichuan and Shu regions is superior. The tree grows over one zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) high and is somewhat thick. The leaves are dense like those of the locust tree but slightly longer. The flowers are reddish-purple with a strong fragrance. The fruits are greenish-yellow, resembling small balls. Harvested in winter, dried in the sun. The pulp is used for decoction, requiring removal of the skin and seeds. Another method involves crushing the seeds, boiling them in grain paste water for one shichen (two hours), filtering, drying, and storing; this can also be used medicinally. Generally, use the seed rather than the pulp; if using the pulp, avoid certain methods (text implies specific preparation or contraindication related to "water channels"), as it kills three types of parasites and treats scabies and sores.
Slightly cold in nature, divided into male and female varieties. Male roots are red and bear no fruit; they are highly toxic and should not be decocted. Female roots are white and bear many fruits; they are slightly toxic and suitable for harvesting. Select branches growing towards the east for best efficacy. Scrape off the outer green skin, retaining only the inner white part. Decocted alone in wine, it strongly expels parasites. It is advisable to take it before the middle of the lunar month (when parasite heads face upward, opening their mouths); drinking a concentrated decoction allows expulsion during the day. Large doses cause expulsion in clumps, while smaller doses expel them gradually. Zhuoyuzi (Cornus officinalis fruit), which is the fruit after flower fall, is also used in external medicine.

[Prunus Persica Seed / Rui He]
Sweet in taste, warm and slightly cold in nature. Non-toxic. Grows in Hangu and east of the Yellow River in Brazil (likely a textual error for a local place name, possibly referring to regions near the river). It resembles black soybeans but is rounder and flatter. The exterior has texture. Harvested in June. Crush the shell to obtain the kernel, remove the skin and tips, and grind into a paste. As an auxiliary good medicine, it specializes in treating ophthalmic diseases. It reduces wind swelling and marginal blepharitis (rotten string eyes) above and below, and removes heat obstructions and pterygium (nu rou) on the left and right. Eating Rui Zi can also stop epistaxis (nosebleeds).

[Magnolia Officinalis Bark / Houpo]
Bitter and pungent in taste, very warm in nature. Belongs to Earth, with Fire attributes. Yang within Yin, its action can ascend and descend. Non-toxic. The tree is very tall and robust; Zhen is another name for it. It grows abundantly in Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Shu, with the best quality coming from Lizhou (in Sichuan). For medicinal use, harvest the bark at the end of autumn. Select bark with thick oil content and a purple, lustrous color; remove the rough outer layer. (Combinations: Hanshuishi [Calcitum], Xiaoshi [Natrii Nitras], Zexie [Alismatis Rhizoma].) Processed with roasted dried ginger. Beans are contraindicated with Houpo; consumption causes qi disturbance.
It primarily treats wind-stroke with alternating chills and fever, and cholera with muscle cramps. It stops vomiting, acid regurgitation, diarrhea, dysentery, and strangury. It resolves phlegm and directs qi downward. When used together with Zhishi (Immature Bitter Orange) and Dahuang (Rhubarb), it drains excess fullness. When used with Chenpi (Aged Tangerine Peel) and Cangzhu (Atractylodes Rhizome), it dispels dampness-induced fullness. Used with exterior-resolving agents, it treats headache due to cold damage; used with anti-diarrheal agents, it thickens the intestines and stops diarrhea. Generally, because it is bitter and warm, bitterness drains, and warmth tonifies. *Yanyi* states: In Pingwei San, its use is most appropriate. It warms the spleen and stomach and moves cold qi. Further adjustments based on symptoms yield indescribable benefits. Jiegou also said: It is a divine medicine for treating abdominal pain, distension, and resolving nodules. If the patient is weak, dosage must be carefully reduced. If the diagnosis is inaccurate and taken in excess, it may deplete vital qi; how prudent one must be! If a person with excess qi takes too much Ginseng and develops wheezing and oppression, Houpo is used to drain this excess and is not contraindicated here. Pregnant women should avoid it; gynecologists should know this. The seed, when used in medical formulas, is also called Zhuzhe. It resolves nodules, treats scrofula, boosts qi, and brightens the eyes.
(Chen Jiamo) Commentary: Danxi stated: Houpo is a qi-regulating herb, warm and dispersing, thus it drains excess in the stomach. In Pingwei San, combined with Cangzhu, it precisely drains dampness from the upper jiao, preventing the earth element of the stomach from becoming excessive, thereby restoring balance and harmony; it does not mean it tonifies the spleen and stomach with warmth. Custom has led people to believe it is a tonic for the stomach. How lamentable! However, in treating abdominal distension, it works because its pungency can lift qi.