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Cucumis melo Peduncle (Gua Di)
Bitter, cold, toxic. Mainly treats massive edema, swelling of the body, face, and limbs; promotes urination to drain water; kills gu poison; treats cough with rebellious qi ascending; and conditions where disease pathogens are trapped in the chest and abdomen due to eating various fruits, all treated by inducing vomiting or purging. Removes nasal polyps; treats jaundice.

Flower: Treats heart pain, cough with rebellious qi. Grows in Songgao plains and marshes. Harvested on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, dried in the shade.

Tao Hongjing states: For Cucumis melo Peduncle, unripe green peduncles are mostly used. The text mentions harvesting in the seventh month, which refers to the sweet melon peduncle. Some people also use ripe melon peduncles; the effect after inducing vomiting is no different. This merely discusses the therapeutic indications of the peduncle itself. Generally, melons have a cold and purgative nature, with unripe green ones being even more so. Ripe melons come in several varieties. Except for the flesh, which is safe to eat, if one feels discomfort from overeating, soaking it in water will dissipate the effect. In Yongjia, there is a large "cold melon" stored annually for consumption over years. There are also re-ripening melons and Yue melons, which people pickle; these are also cold in nature but not used medicinally. Current annotations state that sweet melons have green and white varieties; for medicinal use, the green melon peduncle should be used. The previous entry mentioned White Melon Seeds (Baigua Zi). Tang's annotation calls them Sweet Melon Seeds (Gan Guazi), which enter the abdomen, resolve accumulations, break down pus and blood, and are essential herbs for treating gastrointestinal and spleen stagnation. This corresponds to the efficacy of sweet melon seeds. Equating White Melon Seeds directly with Sweet Melon Seeds in the previous entry is incorrect. Chen Yuxi et al., according to *Yao Xing Lun*, state: Cucumis melo Peduncle serves as an envoy herb. The stem treats nasal polyps and clears the nose. Combined with Adzuki Beans (Xiaodou) and Cloves (Dingxiang) blown into the nose, it treats jaundice. Ri Huazi states: Non-toxic. Treats brain congestion, heat syndromes, blurred vision, and expectoration.

*Tu Jing Ben Cao* states: Cucumis melo Peduncle is indeed the sweet melon peduncle. It grows in Songgao plains and marshes and is now found everywhere, also cultivated in gardens. Old texts say melons have green and white varieties; for medicine, the green melon peduncle is used, harvested in the seventh month and dried in the shade. Formulas often use it in nasal insufflation powders and formulas to induce vomiting from the diaphragm. The stem also treats nasal polyps and clears the nose. Leaves treat alopecia; crushed juice applied promotes hair growth. Flowers treat heart pain and cough with rebellious qi. Flesh treats irritability and thirst, clears heat, but excessive consumption triggers chronic diseases. There is also a yellow Yue melon, also called cucumber, with no other functions, and eating it offers no benefit, so it can be omitted.

Lei Gong's processing instructions: Do not use white melon peduncles. Select green melons and wait until the peduncle naturally detaches from the vine when the melon is fully mature. Before use, wrap the harvested peduncles in *Langlang* leaves and hang them in a breezy spot on the east wall to dry. For melon seeds, do not use whole seeds to avoid confusion. After harvesting, sun-dry thoroughly until both inside and out are dry, then pound and sieve through a horsehair sieve to obtain powder. If oil is not extracted, the efficacy is short-lived. To extract oil, pound fresh into a paste, wrap in triple-layered paper, and press under heavy weights to remove the oil. For dietary therapy, Cucumis melo Peduncle treats edema of the body, face, and limbs, kills gu poison, removes nasal polyps, and treats yin jaundice and acute severe jaundice. Take seven peduncles and cloves, and seven adzuki beans, grind into powder, and insufflate an amount the size of a black bean into the nose. Yellow fluid will discharge shortly, and the condition resolves. The seed is hot in nature. It tonifies the middle and is suitable for humans. Melon is toxic. It stops thirst, benefits qi, clears irritant heat, promotes urination, and unblocks stagnant qi in the Triple Burner. Excessive consumption causes dampness and itching in the genital area, leading to sores. It aggravates latent cold diseases. Patients with phlegm-stagnation masses should not eat it. If bloating occurs after eating, drinking water helps dissipate it. Excessive consumption leads to weakness and powerless limbs. Fresh leaf juice promotes hair growth. Additionally, it tonifies the middle; when ground into powder and taken with wine, it dispels blood stasis and treats pediatric malnutrition (*gan* syndrome). *Long Yu He Tu* states: Melons with two nostrils cause death; those that sink in water cause death; excessive consumption causing abdominal distension can be treated with salt, and flowers turn into water.

*Shenghui Fang*: Treats epidemic febrile diseases. Around the third day, if the patient suddenly feels fullness and hardness in the heart region, heat in the palms and soles, and yellowing of the skin, failure to treat may lead to death. Grind seven Cucumis melo Peduncles into powder. Insufflate an amount the size of a soybean into both nostrils to discharge yellow fluid. Mix the remaining powder with water and ingest. Vomiting one to two sheng of yellow fluid indicates recovery. Another formula: Treats nasal polyps. Apply a small amount to the polyp three times daily. *Jingyan Fang*: Treats generalized golden-yellow discoloration. Take forty-nine Cucumis melo Peduncles and forty-nine mustaches (likely referring to a specific part or herb, contextually ambiguous but kept literal), burn in a clay pot until smoke ceases, grind finely into powder. For children, use half a qian, insufflate into the nose and rub the teeth. Treats adults and children suffering from long-term wind-phlegm epilepsy, strangling throat wind, cough, generalized wind-rashes, and sudden salivary flooding. This drug does not cause severe vomiting but only discharges salivary fluid. Children take one zi; for adults, regardless of the amount of Cucumis melo Peduncle, grind finely into powder. Adults take half a qian, swallowed with well-water in the morning. After about the time it takes to eat one meal, hold a piece of rock sugar in the mouth. Soon, salivary fluid will flow out like water. For chronic cases, continue until all phlegm-saliva is exhausted; a cloth-like mass may float on the water surface like a mirror. Eat congee for one to two days after phlegm-saliva is exhausted. If vomiting is excessive and fatigue is severe, drink a cup of musk soup to stop it. Grind musk finely, mix with warm water, and swallow. Formerly, the Minister of Tianping suffered from dizziness and took this to discharge phlegm-saliva with good effect. *Shanghan Leiyao*: Treats acute jaundice characterized by hardness in the epigastrium, thirst for water, coarse breathing, and yellow eyes. If symptoms match, take two small he of Cucumis melo Peduncle and two he of roasted adzuki beans, grind into powder. After the time it takes to cook a meal, vomiting should occur. If not, take another five fen bi; symptoms will also subside. If insufflated into the nose, an amount of two or three black beans will discharge yellow fluid. Another formula: Treats jaundice with persistent yellow eyes. *Guding San*: Fine powder of Cucumis melo Peduncle, amount the size of a soybean, inserted into the nose. Let the patient...

*Yanyi* states: Cucumis melo Peduncle is indeed the sweet melon peduncle. Remove the melon skin, use the peduncle, approximately half cun in length, sun-dry until extremely dry, in any quantity, and grind into fine powder. Measure according to the illness. Use one or two qian bi of the powder mixed with one qian bi of calomel (Nifen), blend evenly with half a unit of water, and administer. Treats sudden onset of wind-phlegm, qi obstruction, and collapse. When administered, if other medicines fail to transform and descend, taking this will cause phlegm-saliva to discharge. If phlegm-saliva has not discharged after prolonged medication, hold a piece of rock sugar in the mouth; swallowing it will trigger phlegm-saliva discharge. This substance is very non-damaging to the human body, completely surpassing realgar and orpiment.