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Lián Shí (Fructus Meliae)

Bitter in taste, cold in nature, slightly toxic. Primarily treats warm diseases and shanghan (cold damage syndromes) characterized by high fever, restlessness, and mania; kills intestinal parasites such as roundworms and pinworms; treats scabies and skin ulcers; promotes urination and unblocks the urinary pathway.

Root: Slightly cold in nature. Treats roundworms; promotes bowel movement. Grows in the valleys of Mount Jing.

Tao Hongjing states: It grows everywhere. Common people collect the leaves on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to wear them, claiming it wards off evil. Its root, rubbed with vinegar and applied topically to scabies, is very effective. Boiled into a decoction and eaten as porridge, it expels roundworms. The commentary in *Bencao Jing Jizhu* (Collected Commentaries on the Materia Medica) notes: There are two types: male and female. The male type has red roots, produces no fruit, and is highly toxic; ingestion causes persistent vomiting that may lead to death. The female type has white roots, bears fruit, and is only slightly toxic. One should use the female type. Chen Yuxi and others, according to *Yaoxing Lun* (Discussion on the Properties of Medicinals), state: Lián Shí can be used alone. It treats internal heat, mania, loss of heart-mind control, and irritability. It is prepared as a bath decoction for external washing, not for oral administration. Ri Huazi states: Lián Pi (Cortex Meliae), bitter and slightly toxic, treats wandering wind-heat toxicity, wind-rash, malignant sores, scabies, tinea, and high fever in children; all are treated by decocting for soaking and washing. When ingested, one must use the fruit-bearing female tree. Two liang of female bark can be decocted with fifty grains of glutinous rice to detoxify; if diarrhea is excessive, stop it with cold congee; if there is no diarrhea, induce sweating with hot green onion congee. The non-fruiting male tree can cause fatal vomiting and diarrhea.

*Tujing* (Illustrated Classic) states: Lián Shí is also known as Jin Ling Zi (Fructus Toosendan). It grows in the valleys of Mount Jing and is now found everywhere, with those from Sichuan being superior. The tree is over one zhang tall, with dense leaves resembling locust leaves but longer. It flowers in the third and fourth months with reddish-purple flowers, filling the courtyard with fragrance. The fruits are like pellets, green when raw and yellow when ripe; harvested in the twelfth month. Roots can be harvested at any time. This species has male and female varieties. The male has very red roots, bears no fruit, and is highly toxic; the female has white roots, bears fruit, and is slightly toxic. The female should be used, commonly called Ku Lian Zi (Bitter Chinaberry). Wei Zhou's *Duxing Fang* (Single-Action Prescriptions) treats pinworms attacking the heart with stabbing pain and clear water vomit. Take the root, chop finely, and boil until the decoction is dark red-black. Use the juice...

Lei Gong says: After harvesting, dry it, mix with wine to moisten, steam until the skin is soft, peel off the skin, take the flesh, and remove the seed. Do not use alone. Crush the seeds, decoct in grain wash for one double-hour (shi), then use. If using the flesh, do not use the seed; if using the seed, do not use the flesh. Additionally, fallen flowers bearing fruit are called Shi Zhu Yu (Stone Dogwood).

*Waitai Miyao* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies): Treats long worms (roundworms). Soak Lián Shí in pure vinegar overnight, wrap in cotton, and insert about three cun into the anus, changing daily.

*Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold): Treats pediatric roundworms. Scrape the outer bark off Mulberry Tree Bark (Mù Pí - note: text says Lian Mu Pi, likely Cortex Meliae), decoct in water, and drink, adjusting dosage by age. Another prescription: Treats Qu Sou Chuang (a skin sore caused by insect urine). Burn the bark of Lián branches to ash, mix with lard, and apply. Another prescription: Treats pediatric alopecia capitis (tinea capitis) and various malignant sores.

*Zhouhou Beiji Fang* (Emergency Prescriptions Kept Up My Sleeve): Treats [sores] if located on the mouth. Finely chop the east-growing Lián root, decoct a concentrated liquid, hold in the mouth for several sips, spit out, do not swallow.

*Jingyan Fang* (Experienced Prescriptions): Pediatric vermifuge and pain relief. Di Sheng San (Sage Formula): Mix 2 liang of Ku Lian (Bitter Chinaberry) and 0.5 liang of Bai Wu Yi (Radix Adenophorae et Notoginseng? Note: Usually Artemisia argyi or similar, here likely referring to a specific herb for worms), grind into powder. Add one cup of water and one qian of powder, administer at scheduled times. Another prescription: Treats viscus toxin and minor blood in stool. Stir-fry Ku Lian Zi until yellow, grind into powder, make honey pills. Take 10-20 pills with rice water, very effective. Another prescription: Treats injury to the qi of the primary organ, affecting the bladder and small intestine qi mechanisms. Take 100 Jin Ling Zi, soak in hot water and peel, crush 200 Ba Dou (Seminar Crotonis Fructus) slightly, add 2 sheng of bran, stir-fry together in a copper pan until Jin Ling Zi is reddish-brown and cooked. Cool, remove, discard seeds, grind into powder. Take 3 qian each time, mixed with hot wine or vinegar water as needed; the bran and Ba Dou are discarded.

*Doumen Fang*: Treats roundworms biting the heart. Decoct a large cup of Ku Lian Zhi Pi (Processed Cortex Meliae) and ingest. Another prescription: Treats five types of worms. Remove the outer coarse layer of Lian Pi, dry by roasting, grind into powder, take 2 qian bi with rice water. Another prescription: Treats Yin Zhen (urticaria/hives), decoct Lian Pi strongly for bathing.

*Jingchu Suishi Ji* (Chronicle of Festivals in Jingchu) citing *Fengsu Tong*: Xiezhi eats Lian trees. Also mentions dragons coiling around Lian trees.