Trees · Upper Grade · Shennong Bencao Jing · The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica · Source texts
Shennong Bencao Jing · The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica
Trees · Upper Grade
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Fuling
Sweet, neutral. Listed for counterflow qi in chest and flanks, worry, anger, fright and fear, bound pain below the heart, cold and heat, vexation and fullness, counterflow cough, scorched mouth and dry tongue; promoting urine. Prolonged use is claimed to settle the hun soul, nourish spirit, remove hunger and extend years. Also Futu. Grows in mountain valleys.
Songzhi · Pine Resin
Bitter, warm. Listed for abscesses, deep and harmful sores, head sores and white bald patches, scabies, itching and wind qi; settling five zang and removing heat. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body and extend years. Also Songgao and Songfang. Grows in mountain valleys.
Baishi
Sweet, neutral. Listed for fright and palpitations, settling five zang, benefiting qi and removing wind-damp impediment. Prolonged use is claimed to moisten and beautify complexion, sharpen hearing and sight, remove hunger, prevent aging, lighten the body and extend years. Grows in mountain valleys.
Jungui
Pungent, warm. Listed for the hundred illnesses, nourishing essence and spirit, harmonizing complexion and serving as advance messenger and connecting envoy for medicines. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body, prevent aging and make the face radiantly pleasing, always like a child's. Grows in Jiaozhi's mountain valleys.
Mugui
Pungent, warm. Listed for upward qi and counterflow cough, bound qi, throat impediment with vomiting or difficult inhalation, freeing joints, supplementing the center and benefiting qi. Prolonged use is claimed to communicate with spirits, lighten the body and prevent aging. Grows in mountain valleys.
Duzhong
Pungent, neutral. Listed for lumbar and knee pain, supplementing the center, benefiting essence and qi, firming sinews and bones, strengthening resolve, removing genital damp itching and residual urinary dribbling. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body and resist aging. Also Sixian. Grows in mountain valleys.
Manjingshi
Bitter, slightly cold. Listed for cold and heat between sinews and bones, damp impediment and contraction, brightening eyes, firming teeth, freeing nine openings and removing white worms. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body and resist aging. Small Jingshi is said to have the same effects.
Nüzhen Shi
Bitter, neutral. Listed for supplementing the center, settling five zang, nourishing essence and spirit and removing the hundred illnesses. Prolonged use is claimed to make the body robust and light and prevent aging. Grows in river valleys.
Sangshang Jisheng · Growth on Mulberry
Bitter, neutral. Listed for lumbar pain, children's stiff backs, abscess swelling, settling the fetus, filling flesh and skin, firming teeth and hair and growing beard and brows. Its fruit brightens eyes and is said to lighten the body and communicate with spirits. Also Jixie, Yumu, Wantong. Grows in mountain valleys.
Suhe
Sweet, neutral; classified non-toxic. Listed for pathogenic bound qi of heart and abdomen, brightening eyes, red painful eyes with injury and tears. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body, benefit qi and remove hunger. Grows in river valleys.
Bomu
Bitter, cold. Listed for bound qi and heat in the five zang, intestines and stomach; jaundice, intestinal hemorrhoidal disorders, stopping diarrhea, women's red or white leaking discharge and erosive genital sores. The root is also called Tanhuan. Grows in mountain valleys.
Xinyi
Pungent, warm. Listed for cold and heat of five zang and body, wind-related head and brain pain, and facial dark spots. Prolonged use is claimed to descend qi, lighten the body, brighten eyes, add years and “be able to age.” Also Xinyin, Houtao, Fangmu. Grows in river valleys.
Note: The source says neng lao, “able to age”; this is not silently changed to “not age” or “resist aging.”
Yupi · Yu Bark
Sweet, neutral. Listed for blocked stool and urine, freeing waterways and removing pathogenic qi. Prolonged use is claimed to lighten the body and remove hunger. Its fruit is called especially good. Also Lingyu. Grows in mountain valleys.
Suanzao
Sour, neutral. Listed for cold, heat and pathogenic bound qi of heart and abdomen, aching limbs and damp impediment. Prolonged use is claimed to settle five zang, lighten the body and extend years. Grows by waterways and marshes.
Huaizi
Bitter, cold. Listed for pathogenic heat of the five interiors, stopping excessive saliva, supplementing severed injuries, five hemorrhoidal disorders and fire sores, women's breast masses and urgent uterine pain. Grows in level marshland.
Gouqi
Bitter, cold. Listed for pathogenic qi of the five interiors, internal heat with wasting-thirst and pervasive impediment. Prolonged use is claimed to firm sinews and bones, lighten the body and resist aging. Also Qigen, Digu, Gouji, Difu. Grows in level marshland.
Juyou
Pungent, warm. Listed for chest masses and heat with counterflow qi, facilitating water and grain. Prolonged use is claimed to remove foul breath, descend qi and communicate with spirits. Also Jupi. Grows in Nanshan's river valleys.
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