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Cheqianzi (Plantaginis Semen)
Sweet and salty, cold, non-toxic. Mainly treats Qi Long (obstruction of urination), relieves pain, promotes water passages and urination, dispels damp-bi, treats internal injury in men, and dribbling with loss of appetite in women. Nourishes the lungs, strengthens Yin and benefits essence. Enables conception, brightens the eyes, and treats redness and pain. Long-term use makes the body light and delays aging.

Leaves and Roots
Sweet, cold. Mainly treats metal wounds (trauma from sharp instruments), stops bleeding, treats epistaxis (nosebleed), blood stasis, blood masses (abdominal lumps), lower bleeding (hematochezia or hematuria), dark urine, relieves thirst and irritability, directs rebellious Qi downward, and expels small parasites. Also known as Dangdao, one name is Fu Yi (upper character pronounced Fu, lower character pronounced Yi), one name is Xiamayi (toad's clothing), one name is Niuyi, one name is Shengxi. Grows in Zhenping plains, swamps, hills, and roadsides. Harvested on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dried in shade. Tao Hongjing said: It is very common near houses and on roads. Crushing its leaves to extract juice and taking it is very effective for treating seminal emission.
The seeds are cold and purgative. The "Immortal Canon" also uses them for ingestion, claiming they make the body light, enable jumping over banks and valleys, prevent aging, and promote longevity. The "Han Shi" claims it is a tree like a plum; eating its fruit benefits offspring, which is incorrect. The "Tang Ben Zhu" states: The Cheqianzi from Kaizhou is currently the best. Minister Yuxi and others carefully note according to "Erya": [Plant Name], Maxi. Maxi is Cheqian. Commentary: The current Cheqiancao has large leaves and long spikes, prefers growing by roadsides, and people in Jiangdong call it Xiamayi. The commentary cites Lu Ji's commentary: Maxi, also named Cheqian, also named Dangdao. It likes to grow where cow tracks are, hence the names Cheqian and Dangdao. People in Youzhou call it Niushecao (cow tongue grass), which can be boiled and eaten, being very slippery. Its seeds treat difficult labor in women. "Yaoxing Lun" states: Cheqianzi is the Sovereign herb, sweet, neutral. It can remove wind-toxin, used for wind-stroke heat, toxic wind rushing to the eyes causing redness and pain, nebula, headache with tearing, suppresses Dan-shi toxicity, removes heart and chest irritability. Leaves mainly treat seminal emission disease, treat hematuria, can tonify the five Zang organs, brighten the eyes, promote urination, and unblock the five types of Lin syndrome. Xiao Bing says: Cheqian nourishes the liver. Ri Huazi says: Changshan is the Envoy herb, promotes urination for strangury, strengthens Yang, treats seminal emission, irritability, and rebellious Qi.

"Tujing" states: Cheqianzi grows in Zhenping plains, swamps, hills, and roadsides. Now it is found everywhere in Jianghu, Huaidian, near the capital, and northern regions. In early spring, seedlings emerge. Leaves spread on the ground like spoon faces; those of several years' growth reach over a chi in length like rat tails. Flowers are very fine, greenish-red. Fruits resemble Tingli, reddish-black. Harvested on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dried in shade. Nowadays, people harvest leaves in May, fruits in July and August. Some plant it in gardens; Shu region particularly values it. Northerners dry the roots and sell them as Ziwan, often causing misuse. Carefully noting the "Shi Jing · Zhou Nan": Cai Cai [Plant Name]. "Erya" states: [Plant Name] is Maxi. Maxi is Cheqian. Guo Pu says: Current Cheqiancao has large leaves by roads, long spikes, prefers roadside growth, called Xiamayi by Jiangdong people. Lu Ji says: Maxi, also named Cheqian, also named Dangdao. Likes growing in cow tracks, hence the names. Youzhou people call it Niushecao, boilable and edible, very slippery. Its seeds treat difficult labor. However, people no longer eat it now; its seeds are most used in medicine. Zhujing Wan uses Cheqian and Tusizi, honey pills, taken after meals, considered a miraculous formula since ancient times. Its leaves, now doctors crush fresh and take with water, effectively treating epistaxis.
Lei Gong says: When using, must select a cluster with nine leaves, containing stamens, stems about one chi two cun long. Remove soil from stamens, leaves, and roots. Weigh one yi (approx. 8 liang). This potency is complete and usable. Use leaves only, not stamens or stems. Chop leaves, spread on new tile to dry. "Shenghui Fang": Treats persistent hot dysentery. Crush Cheqian leaves, squeeze out one cup of juice, add half a he of honey, decoct, take warm in two doses. Another prescription: Treats chronic internal cataracts. Cheqianzi, Sheng Dihuang, Maidong in equal parts, powder, honey pills like wutong seeds, effective upon repeated trials. "Waitai Miyao": Treats genital itching and pain. Boil Cheqianzi in three sheng of water for three boils, remove dregs, wash the itchy/painful area. Another prescription: Treats hematuria. Crush Cheqiancao, squeeze out five he of juice, take on an empty stomach. "Baiyi Fang": Urinary retention. One jin of Cheqianzi grass, three sheng of water, decoct to obtain one and a half sheng, divide into three doses. Another prescription: Treats lithiasis (stone Lin). Two sheng of Cheqianzi. Place in silk bag, boil in eight sheng of water to obtain three sheng. Take all without food; stones will pass shortly. "Meishi Fang": Treats pregnancy strangury,涩 urinary flow, heat obstruction in water passages. Five liang of Cheqianzi, one sheng of sliced Kui Gen. Boil in five sheng of water to obtain one and a half sheng, divide into three doses. "Zimu Milu" treats transverse presentation: Powder of Cheqianzi, take two qian bi with wine. Treatment for diarrhea: Ouyang Xiu once suffered acute diarrhea, imperial physicians could not cure. His wife said: A market vendor has this medicine, three wen per patch, very effective. He said: Our viscera differ from market people, cannot take it. Wife bought it, mixed with imperial physician's medicine, cured in one dose. Later he knew, summoned seller, gave generously, asked for formula, eventually transmitted. Only Cheqianzi powdered, take two qian bi with rice drink. Claims this medicine promotes water passages without moving Qi; when water passages are clear, turbidity separates, grain storage stops naturally.

"Yanyi" states: Cheqian, Tao Hongjing said: Crush leaves for juice to treat seminal emission. This is a great error. This medicine is sweet and slippery, promotes urination, leaks essence and Qi. "Classic" states it treats dark urine and directs Qi downward. Someone ate it as vegetable, lost control of urination, nearly misled by it.