Ancient Chinese Medicine guide-Huangdi Neijing: Bencajing-the classic of roots and herbs for health

Bencaojing 本草經 "The Classic of Roots and Herbs"

(Traditional Chinese Medicine Guide/Huangdi neijing)

３．〈草木上品〉菊花味苦，甘，平，無毒．主治風頭，頭眩，腫病，目欲脫，淚出，皮膚死肌，惡風，濕痺．治腰痛去來陶陶，除胸中煩熱，安腸胃，利五脈，調四肢．久服利血氣，輕身，耐老，延年．一名節華，一名日精，一名安節，一名女華，一名女莖，一名更生，一名周盈，一名傅延年，一名陰成．生雍州川澤及田野．正月採根，三月採葉，五月採莖，九月採花，十一月採實，皆陰乾．

Herbs, first part: ChrysanthemumThe chrysanthemum flower has a slightly bitter, but also sweet and even taste; it is not poisoneous. In first place, it serves to heal from ailments caused by wind like confusion in the head, against aches in swollen limbs, bad eyesight, weeping eyes, dry skin, bad rheumatisms and rheumatic fever. It heals waist aches that come and go periodically, takes away burning fever in the breast, appeases the stomach and intestines, profits the five types of vessels, and trims the four limbs. Regularly taken, it regulates the flood of the blood and the breath, it makes the body slender and makes it easier to bare old age, and it prolongs the age. Other names for this plant or herb are: jiehua "dissolving flower", rijing "sun essence", nüjie "women's ease", nühua "women's flower", nüjing "women's stalk", gengsheng "evergrowing", zhouyin, fuyannian "prolonging the years", or yincheng "completion of the female". It grows at riverbanks and the swamps of Yongzhou, and in the fields and the wilderness. In the first month of the year, the root is collected, the the third month the leaves, in the fifth month the stalks of the flower, in the ninth month the flowers, and in the eleventh month, people collect the fruits, when they are lifeless and dry.

６．〈蟲獸上品〉麝香味辛，溫，無毒．主辟惡氣，殺鬼精物，溫瘧，蠱毒，癇痓，去三蟲．治諸凶邪鬼氣，中惡，心腹暴痛脹急，痞滿，風毒，婦人產難，墮胎，去面〔黑+黽〕目中膚翳．久服除邪，不夢寤魘寐，通神仙，生中臺川谷及益州、雍州山中．春分取之，生者益良．Animals, third part: MuskThe musk perfume has an intense taste, it heatens, and is not poisoneus. In first place, it serves to heal take away bad influences in the body and kills bad ghosts. It heatens during intermittent fever and neutralizes worms and poison. It removes epilepsis and the three kinds of vermins. It takes away desasters, evil sprites and bad things, it cures pain in heart and of the inflated stomach, it removes dyspepsia of the spleen and poisons there; it helps to give an easy childbirth to women, and not to loose the embryo. And it removes stains in the face and weakened vision of the eye. Taken regularly, people are able to get rid of bad influences, especially of bad dreams and of sleeplessness, like a fairy or saint does. The animal lives at the rivers and in the valleys of Zhongtai and Yizhou, and in the mountains near Yongzhou. They are kept in the springtime, but to breed them is even better.

７．〈果菜米穀有名無實〉〈果部藥物上品〉葡萄味甘，溫，無毒．主治筋骨濕痺，益氣倍力，強志，令人肥健，耐飢，忍風寒．久食輕身，不老，延年．可作酒，逐水，利小便．隴西五原燉煌山谷．Fruits, first part: GrapesGrapes taste sweet and even, they are not poisoneous. In the first place, they serve to heal from rheumatic pains in the muscles and bones, they lighten the breath and multiply the strength, strenghten the will and make people fat and healthy, able to withstand hunger, wind and frost. Eating them regularly makes the body slender, and prolongs the age. They can be used to brew wine, and they regulate the water in the body by promoting urinating. Grapes grow in the five plains of Longxi in the west, (especially) in the mountains and valleys of Dunhuang.