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Fritillariae Bulbus (Beimu)

Pungent, bitter; neutral, slightly cold; non-toxic. Mainly treats febrile disease with vexation and heat, strangury (dysuria with dribbling), pathogenic factors, hernia and mass accumulation (abdominal masses), throat obstruction (sore throat with blockage), difficulty in lactation, wind-spasm due to metallic wounds, resolves abdominal firmness, subcostal fullness, aversion to wind and cold with shivering, dizziness and stiffness of the neck, cough with rebellious Qi, stops vexation and heat and thirst, induces sweating, calms the five Zang organs, benefits the bone marrow. Also known as Kongcao, Yaoshi, Kuhua, Kucai, Shangcao, Qinmu. Grows in the Jin region. Roots are harvested in the tenth lunar month and dried in the sun. (Polygalae Radix (Nongpu) and Coptidis Rhizoma (Baiwei) act as guides; incompatible with Prunus persica flower; adverse reaction with Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qinjiao), Arisaema cum Bile (Shinan), and Polygoni Multiflori Caulis (Mangcao); contrary to Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata (Wutou).)

Tao Hongjing stated: It is now produced in areas near the roads. Its shape resembles clustered pearl shells, hence the name Beimu. It can be taken during grain-abstention (Bigu) without causing hunger. The Commentary on Tang Materia Medica noted: The leaves resemble garlic. It is best harvested in the fourth lunar month when garlic is ripe. If the seedlings wither in the tenth lunar month, the roots are also of poor quality. Those from Runzhou, Jingzhou, and Xiangzhou are the best; those in various states south of the Yangtze River are also available. Sweet, bitter; not pungent. According to the Erya, it is also called KT (pronounced mang-geng). Ministers Yu Xi et al. carefully followed the Erya stating: KT is Beimu. The annotation notes: The root resembles a small shell, round with white flowers, and the leaves resemble leeks. The commentary cites Lu Ji saying: Its leaves are like Trichosanthes kirilowii root but smaller. Its bulbs are under the root, like taro tubers, pure white, connected in four directions, having a segmented nature. The Treatise on the Properties of Medicinals stated: Beimu is a minister herb, slightly cold. It treats deficiency-heat and mainly facilitates difficult childbirth; taken as powder. It also treats retention of the placenta; take seven pieces ground into powder and swallow with wine. Ground into powder, it is used for eye drops to remove corneal opacity. It treats rebellious Qi in the chest and hypochondrium, treats epidemic diseases, and jaundice. Together with Forsythiae Fructum (Lianqiao), it mainly treats goiter and scrofula below the neck. Ri Huazi stated: It resolves phlegm and moistens the lungs and heart. Mixed with rock sugar into pills and held in the mouth, it stops coughing. Burned to ash and mixed with oil, it is applied to malignant sores in humans and animals.

The Illustrations of Materia Medica stated: Beimu grows in the Jin region; it is now found in Hezhong, Jiangling Prefecture, Ying, Shou, Sui, Zheng, Cai, Run, and Chuzhou. The root has bulbils, yellowish-white, resembling clustered pearl shells, hence the name Beimu. Seedlings emerge in the second lunar month; the stem is thin and green; the leaves are also green, resembling buckwheat, emerging with the stem. In the seventh lunar month, it blooms with greenish-blue flowers, shaped like Calystegia hederacea flowers. Roots are harvested in the eighth lunar month and dried. It is also said: It is best harvested in the fourth lunar month when garlic is ripe. There are several varieties. The Book of Songs says "gathering its KT" (pronounced meng). Lu Ji's commentary stated: It is Beimu. Its leaves are like Trichosanthes root but smaller; its bulbs are under the root, like taro tubers, pure white, connected in four directions, having a segmented nature. Those currently produced in nearby regions exactly resemble this. Guo Pu's annotation of the Erya stated: White flowers, leaves resembling leeks; this variety is rarely seen nowadays. This herb also treats malignant sores. A Tang dynasty record describes an incident: A merchant in Jiangzuo once had a sore on his left upper arm that resembled a human face, with no other discomfort. The merchant jokingly dripped wine into its mouth, and the face turned red. Feeding it with food, it could eat; if fed too much, the flesh inside the arm would swell. If not fed, the entire arm would become numb. A skilled physician taught him to try various medicines one by one, including minerals, stones, herbs, and trees; none caused discomfort until Beimu was tried, at which point the sore frowned and closed its mouth. The merchant rejoiced, saying: This medicine can cure it. Thus, using a small reed tube to pry open its mouth and administer the decoction, after several days a scab formed, and it healed, though the nature of the disease remained unknown. Carefully following the Classic of Materia Medica, which states it treats metallic wounds, is this not a type of metallic wound?

Lei Gong stated: When preparing, first roast it in willow wood ash until yellow. Break it apart. Remove the small core inside, about the size of a rice grain, located where the nose and mouth would be. Then mix with glutinous rice and stir-fry together on a griddle until the rice turns yellow and cooked, then remove the rice and extract the herb. Among them, there are single round ones that do not split into two halves and have no wrinkles, called Danlongjing. These are not used medicinally. If mistakenly ingested, it causes permanent inability to contract the sinews and vessels. Taking Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati (Huangjing) combined with juice of Indigofera tinctoria (Xiaolan) cures it immediately. Additional remarks state: Carefully following, Beimu can disperse stagnant Qi in the chest and heart, achieving significant merit. Thus, what the Book of Songs referred to as "gathering its Meng" is indeed this. The poet likely spoke of it expressing frustration over unfulfilled ambitions; now, using it to treat those with stagnant Qi in the heart and excessive melancholy proves truly effective!