典藏书目

Nutmeg (Rou Dou Kou), originating from Hu Guo, is now cultivated only by households in the Lingnan region. It sprouts in spring; its flowers and fruits resemble cardamom but are rounder and smaller. The peel is purple, tight, and thin, while the inner flesh is pungent and spicy. It is harvested in June and July. *Xu Chuanxin Fang* records: To treat spleen deficiency diarrhea and qi-type dysentery, take two nutmegs, wrap them in dough mixed with rice vinegar, and roast them in ash fire until yellow and charred. Grind the nutmeg and dough into powder. Mix this with one tael of stir-fried dried ginger powder. Additionally, grind stir-fried aged stored rice into powder. For each dose, use two qianbi (a small spoonful) to decoct into a drink, then mix in three qianbi of the aforementioned two powders. Take once in the morning and once in the evening, and the illness will be cured.

White Cardamom (Bai Dou Kou), originating from Jialuoguo, is also found in Guangzhou and Yizhou today, though those imported by foreign merchant ships are superior. The plant resembles a banana tree, with leaves similar to *Du Ruo* (Kaempferia galanga), growing eight or nine chi long, smooth, and remaining evergreen through winter and summer. The flowers are pale yellow; the fruits grow in clusters like grapes, green when raw and white when ripe, harvested in July. Zhang Wenzhong treated cold qi in the stomach causing immediate vomiting after eating by taking three white cardamom seeds, crushing and sieving them, then grinding them finely. They were taken with a cup of good wine, slightly warmed, drinking three to four cups for best results. Another formula for treating vomiting, the Six-Ingredient Decoction with Atractylodes Macrocephala (Baizhu et al.), also uses white cardamom. Generally, it is indicated for stomach coldness.

Mao Xiang Hua (Cymbopogon Flower), growing in various prefectures of Jiannan Dao, is now also found in Shaanxi, Hedong, and Jingdong regions. Sprouts appear in March, resembling barley; white flowers bloom in May, though some are yellow. Some produce fruit, while others do not. Roots are harvested in January and February; flowers in May; shoots in August. The stems and leaves are dark brownish-black. Those producing white flowers are named Bai Mao Xiang (White Cymbopogon).

Picrorhiza Rhizome (Hu Huang Lian), originating from Hu Guo, is now also found in Nanhai and between Qin and Long regions. When young, it resembles reeds; the stem resembles withered willow branches, black inside and yellow outside. It can be harvested at any time. It is frequently used in pediatric medicines today. It is also used to treat body heat resulting from relapse due to overexertion after typhoid fever, accompanied by red urine and feces resembling blood color. Take one tael of Picrorhiza Rhizome, two taels of Gardenia Fruit (Shanzhizi) peeled, and half a tael of honey. Mix and stir-fry until thoroughly charred. Crush and sieve these two ingredients into powder. Bind with pig intestine juice to form pills the size of paulownia seeds. For each dose, soak two slices of fresh ginger, one dark plum (Wumei), and three he of child's urine for half a day. Strain the liquid, warm it to a lukewarm temperature, and take ten pills after meals. Take another dose before retiring to bed. This is very effective.