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Tingli (Descurainiae Semen seu Fructus)
Pungent, bitter, cold, greatly cold, non-toxic. Mainly treats zhizheng jiju (abdominal masses and accumulations), stagnant qi, dietary cold-heat imbalance, breaks hardness, drives out pathogens, unblocks and promotes water passages, drains bladder water, clears retained heat qi, expels pathogenic water from the skin, treats edema of the face and eyes, sudden wind-stroke with heat fei (pruritic rash) itching, benefits the lower abdomen. Long-term use causes deficiency in people. Also known as Dingli, also known as Dianhao, also known as Dashì, also known as Dashi. Grows in the plains, marshes, and fields of Pengcheng. Harvest fruits after Start of Summer, dry in shade. Beneficial when processed with wine. (Yupi [Ulmus Plicata Cortex] acts as an assistant; avoid using Jiangcan [Bombyx Batryticatus] and Shilongru [Ranunculus Ternatus]).

Tao Hongjing stated: The best quality comes from Pengcheng, now available near the capital. The mother plant is Gongqi (male shepherd's purse), seeds are small, yellow, and extremely bitter; they should be roasted before use. Currently, this herb also treats lung congestion with upper qi cough, stabilizes rapid breathing, and removes phlegm-fluid retention in the chest. Ministers Yuxi et al. carefully noted according to the Shu Ben Cao: The seedling resembles shepherd's purse, grows at the end of spring, two to three chi high, flowers yellow, pods contain small yellow seeds. Ripens in May, harvest seeds and sun-dry. Yao Xing Lun states: Tingli is a minister herb, sour taste, slightly toxic. It can promote urination, drain lung qi to treat upper asthma and urgency. Stops cough. Erya states: Dian, Tingli. Annotation: Seeds and leaves resemble mustard greens, also known as Gouqi. Rihua Zi states: Benefits the small intestine, unblocks water qi for deficiency swelling.

Tu Jing states: Tingli grows in the plains, marshes, and fields of Pengcheng; now found in all prefectures of Jingdong, Shaanxi, and Hebei, with those from Caozhou being superior. In early spring, seedlings and leaves emerge, six to seven cun high, resembling shepherd's purse. Roots white, stems green. Flowers in March, slightly yellow. Forms pods, seeds flat and small like millet grains but slightly longer, yellow. Harvest fruits after Start of Summer, sun-dry. Yue Ling states: In the first month of Early Summer, mi grass dies. Xu Shen and Zheng Cheng's annotations: All state that mi grass refers to categories like shepherd's purse and Tingli. They wither and die by summer, hence harvested at this time. Zhang Zhongjing treats fei abscess (lung abscess) with wheezing preventing lying down, primarily using Tingli Dazao Xiefei Tang (Descurainiae Seed and Jujube Decoction to Drain the Lung). Roast Tingli until yellow, grind into powder, make pills size of bullet pellets. Each dose uses twenty dates, three sheng of water, boil to two sheng, then add one pill-sized amount of herb, boil to one sheng, take once. Also treats zhiyin (fluid retention causing dyspnea). Cui Zhiti's formula: Treats upper qi cough, long inhalation inability to lie down, or generalized qi edema, or facial edema only, or leg edema, all primarily treated with this. Three sheng of Tingli zi (seeds), lightly roasted, ground and sifted into powder, steeped in five sheng of clear wine. Seven days in winter, three days in summer. Initial dose size of a peach pit, three times daily and once at night, twice day and twice night in winter. Adjust based on patient's strength, aiming for mild diarrhea one to two times. If condition is urgent, do not wait for full duration; may squeeze juice through fine silk. Use Tingli with single stem upward, leaves ending in pods, pods thick and short. Another variety is Goujie grass, leaves near root form odd shapes, pods long and thin. Must distinguish between these two types when harvesting. Additionally, Qiezhong Fang treats cough with paste pills: One liang of Caozhou Tingli zi, roasted on paper until black, one liang of Zhimu [Anemarrhenae Rhizoma], one liang of Beimu [Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus], all three ground and sifted together, mixed with half liang of date flesh, separately melted one and a half liang of rock sugar, combined into pills size of bullet pellets. Each dose wrap one pill in new silk, hold in mouth, slowly swallow saliva, severe cases no more than three pills. Modern physicians also frequently use this.

Lei Gong stated: When using, do not use Chixuzi (red-whiskered seeds), which look similar to Tingli zi but have a slightly sweet-bitter taste. True Tingli zi is bitter at the tip. When processing, mix with glutinous rice, roast gently on a baking surface until rice is cooked, remove rice, grind alone. Shenghui Fang: Treats upper asthma urgency, generalized body edema. Use one sheng of Tian Tingli (sweet Tingli), roast through paper until purple, grind extremely fine, place in raw silk bag, steep in five sheng of clear wine for three days. Each dose scoop one spoonful, mix with porridge drink, take three to four times daily. Another formula: Treats chronic zhiyin not healing, massive abdominal edema, incessant wheezing. Use three liang of Tian Tingli, roast through paper until purple, grind into paste. Each dose roll into pill size of bullet, use one zhongzhan of water, add four dates, boil to five parts, strain, take at irregular times. Waitai Miyao: Treats inability to breathe due to food/drink. Three liang of Tingli zi, roasted until yellow, ground into powder. Boil thirty dates in three sheng of water, obtain one sheng of juice, add medicine. Each dose size of a date, boil to seven he, take at once. Qianjin Fang: Treats abdominal distension, accumulations, zhizheng. One sheng of Tingli zi roasted, steeped in five sheng of wine for seven days. Take three he daily. Qianjin Yi: Treats toufeng (head wind/headache). Grind Tingli zi, pour boiling water over to extract juice, wash head with it. Jingyan Fang: Transmitted from Pei family in Hedong, effective formula for edema and sudden swelling. Three liang of Tingli, pound six thousand times until mud-like. Add four liang of Han Fangji [Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix] powder, take male mallard duck, cut head over mortar, let blood drip into mortar until empty, mix with duck head, pound another five thousand times, roll into pills size of Sophora seeds. Severe cases take ten pills on empty stomach with plain warm water, mild cases five pills, frequent administration, stop after five days. This herb promotes urination, effective as spirit. Meishi Fang: Treats generalized swelling, scanty urine. Two liang of Tingli zi, twenty dates, boil in one dasheng of water to obtain one xiaosheng, remove dates, add Tingli to date juice, boil, roll into pills size of Sophora seeds, take ten pills with drink. Another formula: Treats lung congestion, asthma urgency, inability to lie down. Three liang of roasted Tingli zi, thirty dates, boil dates in three sheng of water to obtain two sheng, further boil to one sheng, strain, combine, divide into two doses. Jianyao Jizhong treats pediatric water qi abdominal edema, accompanied by dysentery with pus and blood, scanty urine. Half liang of Tingli zi, lightly roasted, ground into mud, mixed with date flesh into pills size of mung beans. Take five pills each time with date soup, on empty stomach and late evening, adjust dosage based on child's size. Xushiquan Fang treats all toxins entering abdomen incurable and horse sweat. One liang of roasted and ground Tingli zi, steep in one sheng of water, decoct and take, expel evil blood. Cshi treats water qi. Three liang of Tingli, place in container, steam in steamer until cooked, pound ten thousand times, if rolling into Sophora seed size, no need for honey. Take five pills initially, gradually increase to seven pills, good if mild diarrhea occurs. Do not overdose, makes person unable to enjoy food. If qi flares up, take again. Once diarrhea achieved and qi settles, stop. This formula is unparalleled for treating water qi. Marshal Xiao suffered from edema, recovered only by taking this. Shanghan Leyao treats shendan (kidney damp-heat) with dry lips, primarily using Tingli. Zimu Milu: Treats pediatric baldness (tinea capitis). Grind Tingli into powder, apply steam from boiling water wash to affected area. Yao Hezhong treats children's roundworms. One fen of raw Tingli zi ground into powder, boil three he of water to obtain one he, consume within one day.

Yanyi states: Tingli uses seeds. Seeds have two tastes: sweet and bitter, shape is identical. Since Jing states pungent and bitter taste, the sweet variety should definitely enter medicine. Generally, its therapeutic action is moving water and draining downward, hence "long-term use causes deficiency." This takes the meaning of bitter drainage, logic is very clear. What Yao Xing Lun said is complete, but incorrectly stating sour taste.