皂荚其子炒，舂去赤皮、仁。将骨浸软，煮熟，以糖渍之，可食。甚疏导五脏风热壅
。其荚不 肥者，微炙，为末，一两，入生白矾末半两，腻粉半两，风涎潮塞气不通，水调
灌一二钱。但过咽则须吐涎。凡用白矾者，分隔下涎也。又暑中湿热时，或久雨，合苍术烧
，辟温疫邪湿气。
经曰∶“味苦。”即是初生有黄蕊者也。及其华干，絮方出，又谓之柳絮。收之，贴
灸疮及为茵褥。絮之下连小黑子，因风而起，得水湿处便生，如地丁之类，多不因种植，于
人家庭院中自然生出，盖亦如柳絮兼子而飞。陈藏器之说是。然古人以絮为花，陶隐居亦曰
∶“花随风，状如飞雪。”误矣。经中有实及子汁，诸家不解，今人亦不见用。（释氏谓“
柳为尼俱律陀木，其子极细，如人妄因极小，妄果至大”，是知小黑子得因风而起。）
经注不指定是何桐，致难执用。今具四种桐，各有治疗，条其状列于后∶一种白桐，
可斫琴者，叶三杈，开白花，亦不结子。《药性论》云∶“皮能治五淋，沐发，去头风，生
发。”一种荏桐，早春先开淡红花，状如豉子花，成筒子，子或作桐油。《日华子》云∶“
桐油冷，微毒。”一种梧桐，四月开淡黄小花，一如枣花。枝头出丝，堕地成油，沾渍衣履
。五六月结桐子，今人收炒作果，动风气。此是《月令》清明之日桐始华者。一种岗桐。无
花，不中作琴，体重。
皂荚的子经过炒制，捣碎后去掉红色的外皮和仁。将骨头浸泡至变软，煮熟后，用糖腌制，可以食用。它能非常有效地疏导五脏的风热壅滞。如果皂荚的荚果不饱满肥厚，就稍微炙烤后研成粉末，取一两，加入生白矾末半两、腻粉半两，遇到风涎上涌导致气机不通的情况，用水调匀灌服一二钱。只要药液通过咽喉就必须吐出涎液。凡是使用白矾的目的，就是为了分隔并排出下部的涎液。另外在暑天感受湿热之时，或者久雨之后，将皂荚与苍术一起烧熏，可以辟除温疫的邪湿之气。
《神农本草经》说：“（柳华）味苦。”指的就是初生时有黄色花蕊的那种柳树。等到它的花干枯了，柳絮才出来，所以又叫做柳絮。收集柳絮，可以贴敷灸疮以及作为铺垫的褥子。柳絮下面连着小黑籽，随风飞起，落到有水湿的地方就能生长，像地丁草之类，大多不是人工种植的，而是在人家庭院中自然生出，大概也是像柳絮带着种子一起飞散。陈藏器的说法是正确的。然而古人把柳絮当作花，陶弘景也说：“花随风飘舞，形状像飞舞的雪。”这是错误的。经书中提到有实及子汁，各家都不理解，现在的人也不见使用。（佛教徒称“柳树是尼俱律陀树，它的子极细，如同人的妄因极小，妄果却极大”，由此可知小黑籽得因风而起。）
经注没有明确指出是哪一种桐树，导致难以确切应用。现在列举四种桐树，各有治疗作用，将其性状分条列在后面：一种是白桐，可以用来砍伐制作琴的，叶子三叉，开白花，也不结种子。《药性论》说：“树皮能治五淋，洗头，去头风，生发。”一种是荏桐，早春先开淡红花，形状像豆豉花，结成筒状，种子可以榨成桐油。《日华子》说：“桐油性冷，微毒。”一种是梧桐，四月开淡黄小花，完全像枣花。枝头抽出丝状物，落地变成油，沾湿衣服鞋子。五六月结桐子，现在的人收起来炒着当水果吃，会动风气。这就是《月令》清明之日桐树开始开花的那种。一种是岗桐。不开花，不能用来做琴，木质沉重。
The seeds of *Gleditsia sinensis* (Zaojia, 皂荚) are stir-fried, pounded to remove the red skin and kernels. The bones are soaked until soft, boiled thoroughly, then pickled with sugar for consumption. It is highly effective in unblocking wind-heat stagnation in the five zang organs (Five Zang Organs). If the pods are not plump and fat, they are slightly roasted and ground into powder; take one tael, add half a tael of raw alum powder and half a tael of calomel. In cases where wind-phlegm surges causing qi obstruction, mix with water and administer one or two qian. Once it passes the throat, phlegm must be vomited out. Whenever alum is used, its purpose is to separate and expel lower phlegm. Additionally, during summer damp-heat or prolonged rain, burning Zaojia together with *Atractylodes lancea* (Cangzhu, 苍术) can ward off epidemic pathogenic dampness.
The Classic states: "Bitter in taste." This refers to the willow that initially has yellow stamens. When its flowers dry up, catkins emerge, hence also called willow catkins. Collect them to apply to moxibustion sores or use as mattress padding. Connected beneath the catkins are small black seeds; they rise with the wind and sprout wherever there is moisture, similar to *Viola philippica* (Diding, 地丁), mostly growing naturally in courtyards without planting, much like willow catkins carrying seeds. Chen Cangqi's explanation is correct. However, ancients mistook catkins for flowers; Tao Hongjing also stated, "Flowers fly with the wind, resembling flying snow," which was an error. The Classic mentions fruit and seed juice, which various schools did not understand, and modern practitioners do not use them. (Buddhists refer to "the willow as the Nyagrodha tree, whose seeds are extremely fine, analogous to how a trivial false cause leads to a massive false effect," indicating these small black seeds rise due to wind.)
The annotations in the Classics do not specify which type of Paulownia (*Tong*, 桐) is meant, making practical application difficult. Here are four types of Tong, each with therapeutic uses, listed by their characteristics below: One is White Tong, suitable for carving lutes, with trifid leaves, white flowers, and no seeds. *Yaoxing Lun* states: "Bark treats five stranguries, washes hair, removes head wind, and promotes hair growth." Another is Ren Tong, which blooms pale red flowers early in spring, resembling soybean flowers, forming tube-like structures; seeds yield tung oil. *Ri Hua Zi* states: "Tung oil is cold-natured and slightly toxic." A third is Wutong, blooming pale yellow small flowers in April, identical to jujube flowers. Silk-like threads appear on branches, falling to the ground and becoming oily, staining clothes and shoes. In May and June, it bears Tong seeds, now stir-fried and eaten as snacks by people, which may stir up wind-pathogens. This is the species mentioned in *Yueling* as blooming at Qingming. The fourth is Gang Tong. It does not flower, is unsuitable for lute-making, and has heavy wood.