高树柔条。春开细碎紫花。花罢叶出。至秋子熟。圆小如紫珠。皮梗及花。气味功用并
同。
味苦。气平。色紫性降。入手足厥阴血分。主破宿血。下五淋。（浓煮汁服）通小肠活
血行气。解毒消肿。散痈疽喉痹。治妇人血气疼痛。经水凝涩。下蛇虺虫蚕狂犬毒。（并煮
汁服）冲和膏。（杨清叟仙传方）治一切痈疽发背流注诸肿毒。冷热不明者。紫荆皮炒五两。
独活去节炒三两。赤芍炒二两。生白芷一两。木蜡炒一两。为末。用葱汤调。热敷。葱能散
气血。得热则行也。疮不甚热者。酒调之。痛甚者。筋不伸者。加乳香。此方温平。不偏寒
热。紫荆皮乃木之精。破血消肿。独活乃土之精。动血止风。拔骨中毒。去痹湿气。赤芍乃
火之精。生血止痛。木蜡乃水之精。消肿散血。（同独活能破石肿坚硬）白芷乃金之精。生
肌止痛。盖血破则不硬。血动则不壅。血生则不死。血散则不凝。数者合而奏效乃神也。上
方以菖蒲换木蜡。并治偏正头风肿痛并眼痛。敷法同。妇人血气。紫荆皮为末。醋糊丸樱桃
大。每用酒化服一丸。鹤膝风挛。紫荆皮三钱。老酒煎服。日二次。发背初生。一切痈疽皆
治。紫荆皮为末。酒调箍住。自然撮小不开。内服柞木饮子。乃救贫良剂也。
〔论〕 紫荆木皮花实皆紫。其入营而效用可知。第诸味之活血者。多属辛温。其解毒
者。多属苦寒。兹味活血而解毒。则非苦寒。亦非辛温。本草谓其气平。平即凉也。或者尤
切于解毒之用。濒湖取蜀产味苦如胆者。以苦主涌泄故也。活血解毒功能并奏。则血瘀而有
热者。用之诚宜。
〔修治〕 入药以川产。紫色而浓味苦如胆者。为胜。
Tall trees with soft branches. In spring, it blooms with tiny purple flowers. After the flowers fade, leaves emerge. By autumn, the fruits ripen, round and small like purple pearls. The bark, twigs, and flowers share identical qi and flavor profiles and therapeutic functions.
Bitter in taste, neutral in qi (Ping), purple in color, and descending in nature, it enters the blood aspect of the Foot and Hand Jueyin meridians. It primarily breaks up old blood stasis and treats the five types of strangury (Wu Lin) (taken as a concentrated decoction). It unblocks the Small Intestine, invigorates blood, promotes Qi circulation, resolves toxicity, reduces swelling, dissipates carbuncles and sores, and treats throat bi (Hou Bi). It addresses pain from Qi and Blood disorders in women, menstrual stagnation and sluggishness, and expels toxins from snake, scorpion, insect, silkworm, and rabid dog bites (all taken as decoctions).
Chonghe Gao (Cradle Harmony Powder, from Yang Qingsou's Immortal Transmission Formula): Treats all kinds of carbuncles, back abscesses (Fabei), flowing nodules, and other swellings regardless of whether they are cold or hot in nature. Processed Zijingpi (Cercidis Cortex) 5 liang, processed Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix) without joints 3 liang, processed Chishao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra) 2 liang, raw Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix) 1 liang, and processed Mula (Liquidambaris Resina) 1 liang are ground into powder. Mixed with green onion soup for hot compress application. Green onion disperses Qi and Blood; heat facilitates their movement. For wounds not excessively hot, mix with wine. For severe pain or tendon contracture preventing extension, add Ruxiang (Frankincense). This formula is warm and balanced, neither biased toward cold nor heat.
Zijingpi (Cercidis Cortex) is the essence of Wood, breaking blood stasis and reducing swelling; Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix) is the essence of Earth, moving blood, stopping wind, extracting bone poison, and removing dampness in bi syndrome; Chishao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra) is the essence of Fire, generating blood and relieving pain; Mula (Liquidambaris Resina) is the essence of Water, reducing swelling and dispersing blood (when combined with Duhuo, it can break hard, stone-like swellings); Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix) is the essence of Metal, promoting tissue regeneration and relieving pain. Generally, when blood is broken, hardness ceases; when blood moves, stagnation clears; when blood generates, death is avoided; when blood disperses, coagulation stops. The combination of these agents yields miraculous effects. If Changpu (Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma) replaces Mula in the above formula, it also treats headache and eye pain due to Wind-cold or Wind-heat. The application method remains the same.
For women's Qi and Blood disorders, grind Zijingpi (Cercidis Cortex) into powder, make pills the size of cherries using vinegar paste, and take one pill dissolved in wine each time. For Crane Knee Wind (He Xi Feng - knee joint deformity with thin upper and lower limbs resembling a crane's knee), use 3 qian of Zijingpi (Cercidis Cortex), decoct in aged wine, twice daily. For early-stage Fabei (back abscess) and all carbuncles, grind Zijingpi (Cercidis Cortex) into powder, mix with wine to apply as a poultice around the lesion to naturally shrink it and prevent spreading. Internally administer Zuomu Yinzi (Oak Wood Decoction), which is an excellent remedy for the poor.
[Discussion] The bark, flowers, and fruits of the Zijingmu (Cercis tree) are all purple, indicating its entry into the Ying (Nutritive) level and its efficacy. However, most herbs that invigorate blood are acrid and warm, while those that resolve toxicity are bitter and cold. This herb both invigorates blood and resolves toxicity, belonging neither to bitter-cold nor acrid-warm categories. The Materia Medica states its qi is "neutral" (Ping), meaning cool. Perhaps it is particularly suited for resolving toxicity. Li Shizhen (Binhu) selected the Sichuan variety with a bitter taste like gall because bitterness induces vomiting and purgation. Since it achieves both blood-invigorating and detoxifying effects, it is indeed suitable for patients with blood stasis accompanied by heat.
[Processing] For medicinal use, the Sichuan variety, characterized by a purple color and a strong bitter taste like gall, is superior.