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[Artemisiae Folium]
Acrid in flavor, cold in nature, slightly toxic. Primarily treats scrofula (lymph node tuberculosis), erysipelas (red skin infection), pediatric innocent fever and chills, abdominal distension and fullness, and heat caused by phlegm-fluid retention above the diaphragm. Fresh leaves are ground and pressed to extract juice; one he (approx. 20 ml) is taken orally, which should induce vomiting of retained food or phlegm in the chest and diaphragm. It grows in damp places at the steps and courtyards of houses, about three to two cun high. The seedlings and leaves resemble Miyu KT. It is superior for eliminating malaria. It is found in the Jiangdong region but not in the northern lands.

[Salt-type variety / Note]
Salty in flavor, warm in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats internal injury and blood stasis from fractures and trauma, promotes skin regeneration, and relieves pain. It treats postpartum blood disorders, regulates the five zang organs, eliminates pathogenic factors, and tonifies deficiency and damage. It can be taken after boiling in milk or water, or crushed and applied externally to traumatic injuries. It grows in Hu Guo (referring to Western Regions or northern foreign lands), resembling dried cogon grass, with a yellow-red color.

[Added from *Yanyi* in the Jiyi year]

Artemisiae Folium
Bitter in flavor, slightly warm in nature, non-toxic. Primarily used for moxibustion to treat various diseases. It can be prepared as a decoction to treat dysentery, hematemesis, lower body sores, uterine bleeding (metrorrhagia), benefit yin qi, promote muscle growth, repel wind-cold, and facilitate conception. Also known as Bingtai, also known as Yicao. It grows in fields. Harvested on the third day of the third lunar month and sun-dried. When preparing decoctions, avoid exposure to wind.
Tao Hongjing stated: Crushing the leaves for moxibustion treats various diseases and stops bleeding; the juice also kills roundworms. Boiling the leaves with vinegar effectively treats tinea. *Tang Ben Zhu* states: *Bie Lu* records that mugwort is cold when raw and hot when cooked. It treats lower GI bleeding, epistaxis, and purulent bloody dysentery. It can be boiled in water or made into pills and powders. Ministers Yu Xi et al., according to *Yao Xing Lun*, note: Mugwort serves as an envoy herb. It stops metrorrhagia, calms the fetus, and relieves abdominal pain. Prepared with vinegar as a decoction, it treats tinea, stops red and white dysentery, and hemorrhoids bleeding from the five zang organs. Boiled leaves treat hematemesis. Artemisia seeds are substantial in nature, treat blurred vision, and cure all "ghost qi" (mental anomalies or unexplained ailments). Young shoots can be eaten as dried vegetables. They also dispel ghost qi. Stir-fried mugwort made into wontons, swallowing three to five pieces after meals is effective. Long-term use stops cold dysentery. For evil qi in the heart and abdomen, crushing fresh leaves and drinking the juice is recommended. Another method mixes mugwort powder with dried ginger powder into pills; thirty pills per dose, taken twice daily after meals, treat all cold qi, ghost evil toxic vapors, and best eliminate evil qi. Meng Shen stated: Mixing Artemisia seeds with dried ginger powder and honey into pills eliminates all cold qi. This formula is particularly suitable for rural people. Ri Huazi stated: It stops cholera with muscle cramps, treats heart pain, epistaxis, leukorrhea, and acute cold-heat pain in the anus of dysentery patients. Burning mugwort with wax and Chebula fruit is miraculous. Artemisia seeds are warm and non-toxic. They strengthen yang, assist kidney water, treat waist and knee pain, and warm the uterus.
*Tujing* states: Old texts do not specify the origin of mugwort, only stating it grows in fields; now it is ubiquitous, with those from Fudao being superior. It is said this type is especially superior for moxibustion. Seedlings emerge in early spring; stems resemble artemisia with white undersides on leaves; shorter seedlings are preferred. Leaves are harvested on the third day of the third lunar month and the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, then sun-dried. Only aged mugwort is usable. Folk methods also involve crushing fresh leaves to drink juice for stopping heart and abdominal evil qi. Ancient formulas also use cooked mugwort for external application on knife wounds. For stroke-induced pulling pain, numbness, and paralysis, dry mugwort (approx. one hu) is kneaded into a ball, placed in a clay steamer (zeng), sealing all holes except one. The painful area is placed under the opening, and the mugwort is burned for a period. It also treats leprosy; dry mugwort is soaked in flour, brewed into wine normally, and consumed until numbness resolves. In recent times, some take mugwort alone, either steamed with papaya pills or as a soup drunk on an empty stomach, which greatly tonifies emaciation. However, it has toxicity; if toxicity manifests, hot qi rushes upward causing uncontrollable mania, potentially leading to eye sores and bleeding. It must not be taken recklessly.
*Shiliao* states: Dried mugwort and decoctions treat knife wounds, metrorrhagia, cholera, and fetal leakage. Harvested in early spring, it can be made into dried cakes. Boiled with ginger, it stops diarrhea and dysentery. Prepared as a decoction on the third day of the third lunar month, it treats cold syndromes well. For cold qi, cooked mugwort wrapped in dough into wontons (size of a bullet) is used. It also treats hundred kinds of evil qi. Seeds mixed with dried ginger powder, honey-pilled (size of wu zi), taken thirty pills on an empty stomach with rice, twice daily, expels ghosts quickly and dissipates cold blood. Suitable for rural people. Additionally, for persistent postpartum bleeding: half liang of roasted dry mugwort and half liang of old ginger, boiled into a strong decoction, stopped bleeding upon one dose. Marvelous. *Waitai Mi Yao*: Treats continuous cholera vomiting and diarrhea. One handful of mugwort, three sheng of water, boiled to one sheng, taken in one dose. Another formula: Treats bone splinters stuck in the throat. Several sheng of fresh mugwort, one dou of water and wine, boiled to four sheng, sipped slowly is good. *Zhouhou Fang*: Ghost strike disease, onset without gradual progression, sudden attack like knife stabbing, severe piercing pain in chest, hypochondrium, and abdomen, unpressable, possibly immediate hematemesis, epistaxis, or lower bleeding. Also called Guipai. Three chicken-egg-sized portions of cooked mugwort, five sheng of water, boiled to two sheng, taken in one dose. Another formula: Treats sudden heart pain. One sheng of mature cooked mugwort, three sheng of water, boiled to one sheng, strained, taken in one dose. If attacked by guest qi, parasites may be vomited. Another formula: Strain, take in one dose, induce sweating. Another formula: Treats patients with colorless teeth, white tongue, lethargy, insensitivity to pain/itch, or dysentery. Urgently treat the lower part. Those who do not understand this only attack the upper part, ignoring the lower part; worms grow in the lower part, eating the anus, rotting to expose the five zang organs, leading to death. Burn mugwort in a tube to fumigate the lower part, letting smoke enter; adding realgar is beneficial. Ge Shi Fang treats roundworms, heart pain like stabbing, spitting clear water. Crush fresh mugwort for juice; fast overnight, first eat a square-inch piece of fatty fragrant meat to attract worms, then drink one sheng of juice to expel roundworms. Another formula: Sudden fetal restlessness during pregnancy, or only back pain, or fetal movement pressing on the heart, or continuous bleeding. A mugwort ball size of a chicken egg, boiled in four sheng of wine to two sheng, divided into two doses, is good. Jingyan Fang: Treats throat obstruction (bi syndrome). A handful of green mugwort with stems and leaves, crushed with vinegar and applied to the bi site; in winter, dry mugwort is acceptable. Transmitted by Li Ya. Another formula: Wang Xiazhou's transmission for wild pheasant hemorrhoid disease, wash with sophora and willow soup, then apply seven moxa cones. Effective when sensation is achieved. Wang Ji, Langzhong serving as West Sichuan Pacification Judge, rode a mule into Lu Valley, developed hemorrhoids after several days, worsening severely, feeling like a cucumber penetrating the rectum, heat like smoldering fire. At one station, he collapsed helplessly. A postal official said: Moxibustion is required for recovery. The messenger washed the area with hot sophora and willow soup, then applied three to five moxa cones. Suddenly, a surge of hot qi entered the intestines, followed by massive diarrhea of blood and filth. Though painful, the cucumber-like object disappeared after diarrhea. Sun Simiao: Blood after stool. Strongly boil mugwort and ginger juice. Sanmen Fang treats fire eyes. Burn mugwort to produce smoke, cover with a bowl until soot forms, mix with warm water to wash fire eyes, curing immediately. Adding Coptis chinensis is excellent. Another formula: Treats epilepsy. Apply moxibustion between the anus and scrotum, number of cones based on age. Shengjin Fang: Wind-blockage. Seven moxa cones on one end. Treat right side by moxibusting left, left by right. Ear pain also treated by moxibustion. Chu Yushi treats women with continuous metrorrhagia. Chicken-egg sized cooked mugwort, half liang fried Angelica sinensis powder, one qian chopped dried ginger. Boil mugwort and ginger in five wan of water to two and a half wan, dissolve gelatin, divide into three warm doses, taken on empty stomach, finished in one day. Bingshou Ji: Treats carbuncles on back not yet ulcerated and various heat swellings. Place wet paper on top; where it dries first indicates rising heat intending to form an abscess. Treat accidental swallowing of coins. One handful of finely chopped artemisia, five sheng of water, boiled to one sheng, taken in one dose causes expulsion. *Shanghan Leiyao*: Treats pregnant women in seventh month with severe fever from cold damage, red macules turning black, hematuria. Make a gourd-shaped container, insert a bamboo tube (finger-sized) into the lower orifice, place a chicken-egg-sized mugwort ball inside, seal mouth with mud, blow to keep smoke entering lower part continuously. Strong individuals can endure longer. Good. Zimu Milu: Fetal movement pressing on heart causing pain. Take mugwort size of chicken egg, four sheng of head vinegar, boil to two sheng, divide and take warm. Another formula: Treats breech presentation with dead fetus in womb. Half jin of mugwort, four sheng of wine, boiled to one sheng, taken. Another formula: Infantile yellow rot sores. Apply ash from burned mugwort. *Jingchu Suishiji*: Dragon Boat Festival, people tread herbs, harvest mugwort shaped like humans, hang on doors to dispel toxic vapors. Zong Shibing's grandson often harvested human-shaped mugwort before rooster crow on Dragon Boat Festival, tied it, and used for moxibustion with verified results.
*Yanyi* states: Dry mugwort is pounded, sifted to remove green residue, taking the white fiber. Mixed with native sulfur, it becomes Sulfur Mugwort, used by moxibustion practitioners. With a little rice flour, it can be pounded into powder for medicinal foods. There is a specific method for mixing with sulfur.