典藏书目

Background Information:
Book: Zhenglei Bencao (Illustrated Classification of Materia Medica)
Author: Tang Shenwei
Dynasty: Song
Chapter: (Pronounced 'Tian') Vegetable / Jiasu (False Perilla)
Category: Materia Medica

Original Text Translation:

[Section on the Vegetable]
Taste: Sweet, Bitter. Nature: Very Cold.
Indications: Treats severe fever during epidemic febrile diseases; resolves wind-heat toxicity.

Tao Hongjing states: This is the vegetable currently used for steaming. The character is pronounced 'Tian' (sweet), and also written as 'Shi Tian'. When an epidemic febrile disease is first contracted, crushing it to extract juice and drinking it can cure the condition.

Tang Ben Zhu (Supplement to the Tang Materia Medica) notes: This vegetable resembles the sprouts of Cimicifuga (Shengma). People in the south steam it (pronounced 'Fou') to eat, finding it very fragrant and delicious. According to another edition's note: In summer, grinding this vegetable into porridge relieves heat, and it also stops dysentery caused by heat toxicity. Crushing and applying it externally to moxibustion sores relieves pain and promotes healing. Additionally, Chen Cangqi's Materia Medica states: For this vegetable, crushing and extracting juice for oral administration treats cold-dysentery and hot-dysentery; it also stops bleeding and generates flesh. Applied to fractures or injuries in humans and animals, it heals immediately. Furthermore, collecting its seeds, soaking them in vinegar, and wiping the face makes the skin moist and radiant.

Chen Yuxi et al., according to the Shu Ben Tu Jing (Illustrated Classic of Shu): It grows three to four feet high. The stem resembles that of Hibiscus trionum (Shu Fu Li) with fine ridges. It flourishes in summer and withers in winter.

Meng Xuan states: This vegetable, when crushed for juice and given to patients with epidemic diseases, cures them. Its seeds, boiled until half-cooked, crushed for juice, and held in the mouth, treat childhood heat conditions.

Chen Shiliang states: The leaves resemble those of Chrysanthemum indicum (Ziju) but are larger; the flowers are white. Eating it is suitable for women.

Rihua Zi states: Red beet root is cold and non-toxic. Roasted and brewed as a hot drink, it opens the appetite and unblocks the chest and diaphragm.

[Jiasu / False Perilla Section]
Taste: Pungent. Nature: Warm. Non-toxic.
Indications: Treats alternating chills and fever, rat-mole (scrofula), and sores arising from scrofula; breaks up stagnant Qi accumulation; drains blood stasis; removes damp-bi syndrome.
Aliases: Rat-mole (Shu Lu), Ginger Mustard (Jiang Jie).
Habitat: Grows in rivers and marshes of Hanzhong.

Tao Hongjing states: Physicians no longer use it in prescriptions.

Tang Ben Zhu notes: This medicinal herb is actually the Schizonepeta (Jingjie) found among vegetables. 'Jiang' (Ginger) and 'Jing' (Schizonepeta) are phonetic errors. Previously listed in the Herb section, because people now eat it as food, it is recorded in the Vegetable section.

Current analysis: Chen Cangqi's Materia Medica states: Schizonepeta expels pathogenic factors, relieves fatigue-thirst, induces sweating, and removes cold-wind. Boiling it for juice...

Chen Yuxi et al., according to Shu Ben Zhu citing Wu Shi Ben Cao: Named Jingjie (Schizonepeta). Leaves resemble those of Chenopodium album (Luo Li) but are finer. In Shu, it can be used alone. It treats aversion to wind and pernicious wind, facial deviation, generalized numbness/pain, heart deficiency causing forgetfulness, increases strength and essence, wards off evil toxic vapors, and relieves fatigue. Long-term consumption may trigger thirst disorders. It treats carbuncles and furuncles. Take one handful, chop it, boil in five sheng of water to reduce to two sheng. Cool and divide into two doses. It primarily unblocks and benefits the vessels and channels, transmits insufficient Qi of the five zang organs, induces sweating, and removes cold-wind. Also, crushing into powder and mixing with vinegar to apply externally seals toxic swellings.

Meng Xuan states: Jingjie, if eaten in excess, disturbs the spirits of the five zang organs.

Chen Shiliang states: Jingjie treats blood-fatigue, qi stagnation and fullness due to wind-pathogen, back and spine pain, spontaneous sweating, regulates gout in men, painful distension of tendons and bones, yin-yang toxin, headache due to cold damage, vertigo, dizziness, and tendon spasm in hands and feet. The Materia Medica calls it Jiasu (False Perilla), which is distinct. According to descriptions, Jiasu leaves are sharp and round, mostly wild. Because its fragrance resembles Perilla (Su), it is called Su.

Rihua Zi states: Jingjie benefits the five zang organs, aids digestion, directs Qi downward, and revives from intoxication. It can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. Brewed as tea, it treats head-wind and induces sweating. Decocted with fermented soybean juice, it treats acute cold damage.

Tu Jing (Illustrated Classic) states: Jiasu is Jingjie (Schizonepeta). It grows in rivers and marshes of Hanzhong and is now found everywhere. Leaves resemble those of Chenopodium album but are finer. When young, they are aromatic and pungent and edible; people take them as raw salad. Ancient formulas rarely used it. In recent times, physicians consider it an essential medicine for treating head-wind, deficiency-labor, sores and scabies, and women's blood-wind. They use the flower spikes, dry them in the sun for medicinal use. It is often used singly with rapid effect. It is also used as a single herb to treat postpartum blood fainting, convulsions, and wind-cold contraction approaching death. Take dried Jingjie spikes, mix with one cup of child's urine, warm and administer orally for immediate effect. For lockjaw, pry open teeth; for closed mouth, instill into nose; both are effective. Famous physicians in recent times use it with miraculous results. Physician Chen Xun, from Jiangzuo, stated that Jiasu and Jingjie are actually two different substances. Jiasu leaves are sharp and round, mostly wild, named so because its fragrance resembles Perilla. Su Gong argued that since Ben Jing lists an alias 'Jiang Jie', and 'Jiang' and 'Jing' sound similar, he equated them with Jingjie, which is incorrect. He also referred to Hu Jingjie commonly as Silla Jingjie. Shi Jingjie has similar properties and is used identically in medicine.

Chen Cangqi: An alias is Jiang Jie, which is today's Jingjie; 'Jiang' and 'Jing' are linguistic errors. According to Zhang Ding's Shi Liao (Dietary Therapy): Jingjie is also named Xi Lu. Since Ben Jing lists both Jingjie and Xi Lu, these two types are definitely not the same substance. Xi Lu is Da Qi (Large Shepherd's Purse); Da Qi is Ting Li Zi (Semen Descurainiae/Sisymbrii). Tao and Su were largely mistaken here. Besides its original functions, Jingjie expels pathogens, relieves fatigue-thirst, treats carbuncles, induces sweating, removes wind-cold, and is taken as decocted juice. Crushed and mixed with vinegar to apply to carbuncles. New notes state: For postpartum stroke with body stiffness, take powder, mix with wine, and ingest to cure. Dietary therapy nature is warm. It wards off evil qi, relieves fatigue, transmits insufficient Qi of the five zang organs, and assists spleen and stomach. Excessive consumption disturbs the five zang spirits. It unblocks vessels/channels, induces sweating, and may trigger thirst disorders. Also, crush to powder, mix with vinegar, and apply to wind-toxic swelling. For carbuncles/furuncles, take one handful of Jingjie, boil in five sheng water to reduce to two sheng, cool, and divide into two doses. Empirical Formula: Postpartum stroke with eye retraction and limb convulsions, administering the following prescription yields immediate effect. Ru Sheng San: Powder the Jingjie spikes, take two qian with wine, must be effective. [Formula for] Treating all winds and facial deviation. One jin of Green Jingjie and one jin of Green Bohe (Mint), grind together in a mortar, squeeze juice through raw silk into a porcelain vessel, boil down to paste according to thickness. Discard one-third of the residue, filter out remaining residue, take the remaining two-thirds of residue, dry and powder. Form pills with the paste. Take twenty pills per dose, up to three times daily from morning to evening. Avoid wind-aggravating foods. Sun Simiao: Jingjie triggers thirst disorders.

Yan Yi states: Jiasu is Jingjie; only the spikes are used. It treats postpartum blood fainting and stroke, upward gaze, and rigidity of the four limbs. Make into powder, two to three qian, mix with a small cup of child's urine, swallow. After a while, the patient revives; very effective. Also treats head and eye wind: Jingjie spikes, Xixin (Asarum), Chuanxiong (Ligusticum) etc., make into powder, decoct strongly, wash/soak or sit in the bath.