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Arisaema Cum Rhizoma (Guibai)

Pungent, warm or slightly warm, toxic. Mainly used to kill gu poison (parasitic poisoning), gui zhu essence spirits (spiritual diseases), ward off evil qi and inauspiciousness, expel pathogenic factors, resolve hundred toxins, treat cough and throat obstruction (Houjie), wind-pathogen-induced restlessness and confusion, loss of soul with delusions, remove corneal opacity (Fuyi) from the eyes, kill major toxins; not suitable for decoction. Also known as Juexi, also known as Mumu Dougong, also known as Jiujiu, also known as Tianjiu, also known as Jiedu. Grows in Jiuzhen mountain valleys and Yuanju. Roots are harvested in February and August. (Averse to wall moss.)

Tao Hongjing said: Guibai resembles Shengan (Belamcanda Radix), is white and sweet in taste, warm, and toxic. It mainly treats wind-pathogens, gui zhu, and gu poison. Those with nine connected corms are of good quality.

Also known as Jiujiu, grows in mountain valleys, harvested in August, dried in shade. It somewhat resembles Gouwen (Gelsemium Root). The current Mumu Dougong resembles Huangjing (Polygonatum Rhizoma); its root and corm area resemble a horse's eye and are soft and moist. Guibai resembles Shengan and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), and there are two types: those from Qiantang and nearby roads have a sweet taste and dense hairs on top, which are the best. Those from Kuaiji and Wuxing are larger, bitter in taste, without dense hairs, inferior to the former; although slightly similar, their toxicity differs greatly. Currently, practitioners mostly use Guibai and rarely use Dougong; it is unknown how great this discrepancy is. The *Tang Bencao* annotation states: This herb grows in the shade of deep mountain rocks. Leaves resemble Bima (Ricini Folium) and Chonglou (Paris Rhizoma). One stem emerges, with one leaf at the tip, sometimes bifurcated. Each year one stem grows; when the stem withers, one corm forms. If it grows for twenty years, there will be twenty corms, not just nine. The flesh, skin, and roots of the rhizome all resemble Shengan; currently, what is commonly used by the public is Shengan. Additionally, another item sent from Jiangnan is not genuine. Currently, it exists in the mountains of Dangyang County in Jingzhou, Yu'an County in Xia Prefecture, and Jingshan County in Xiang Prefecture, but it is extremely difficult to obtain. Minister Yuxi et al. carefully note according to the *Shuben Tujing*: Flowers grow between stems, red in color. Currently produced in deep mountains of Xia Prefecture and Xiang Prefecture; roots are harvested in February and August and sun-dried for use. *Yaoxing Lun* states: Guibai, used as an envoy drug, is bitter. It can mainly treat shi zhu (corpse transmission disease), lao ji (consumptive disease), chuan shi shou ji (transmissible emaciation disease), ward off evil qi, and drive away ghosts.

The *Tujing* states: Guibai grows in Jiuzhen mountain valleys and Yuanju. Currently, it is also found in Jiangning Prefecture, Chu, Shu, Shang, Qi, Hang, Xiang, Xia Prefectures, and Jingmen Military District, mostly growing in the shade of deep mountain rocks. Leaves resemble Bima and Chonglou. Initially, one stem emerges with one leaf at the tip, sometimes bifurcated. Each year one stem grows; when the stem withers, one corm forms; after twenty years, there are twenty corms. Flowers grow between stems, red in color, bloom in March, and bear fruit later. The root, flesh, skin, and fibers all resemble Shengan; what is commonly used by the public is Shengan, so careful distinction is required. Roots are harvested in July and August, sun-dried, and used. Ancient formulas for treating wu shi (five corpses), gui zhu, hundred toxins, and evil qi use it. Another view states that Guibai grows in shady places in deep mountains; leaves have six or five lobes, resembling a goose's palm. The single leaf at the stem tip resembles an umbrella cover, facing east in the morning and tilting west in the evening, likely following the sunrise and sunset. Flowers are red-purple like lychee, located under the leaves, often covered by them, rarely seeing sunlight. One leaf grows per year; once withered, it becomes one corm. By eight or nine years, there are eight or nine corms. However, each year a new corm forms while an old one rots, representing the replacement of old and new; thus, it is popularly called "Mother-Harming Grass." This is similar to Yu Kui (Dioscorea Bulbillum) and Wutou (Aconiti Radix). When new seedlings emerge, old seedlings die, and the previous year's corm rots. The *Bencao* annotation claims it completely resembles Shengan; although the current Shengan has a similar structure, its corm shape is shallow and thin, vastly different from Guibai. Guibai resembles stacked side-by-side Tian Nan Xing (Arisaema Rhizoma) of eight or nine years, and its color and texture exactly resemble Shengan. Crucially, one should seek out the seedlings to harvest them; they are no longer available in markets.