Tangaek — Decoctions · Trees
琥珀 Hobak (호박)
Hobak here means amber, pine resin buried and hardened over ages into a gem. It is the same amber set into jewelry today, and it shares its Korean name with the pumpkin by coincidence only. The Donguibogam lists it in the tree section and calls a piece genuine if, rubbed on cloth, it picks up mustard seed.
Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 3
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性平, 味甘, 無毒.
Its nature is neutral (平), its taste is sweet, and it is non-toxic.
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安五藏, 定魂魄, 殺精魅邪鬼.
It calms the five viscera (五藏, ojang), settles the hon and baek (魂魄, the two souls), and kills jeongmae (精魅, bewitching spirits) and sagwi (邪鬼, malign ghosts).
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治産後血疹痛, 利水道, 通五淋, 明目, 磨瞖.
It treats postpartum hyeoljintong (血疹痛, blood-rash pain), frees the water passages, opens the five rim (五淋, five kinds of strangury), brightens the eyes, and grinds away ye (瞖, film over the eye).
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如血色, 熟於布上拭摩, 吸得芥者, 爲眞.
The genuine kind is blood-colored, and when warmed by rubbing it on cloth it draws up mustard seed.
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凡用, 另搗如粉, 重篩用. 《本草》
To use it, pound it separately into powder and sift it again before use. 《Boncho (本草)》
HomiclubAmber is tree resin, from pines and their kin, that hardened over ages underground. Today it turns up more often as necklaces and buttons than on a pharmacy shelf.
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茯苓ㆍ琥珀, 皆自松出, 而所稟各異.
Bokryeong (茯苓, poria fungus) and amber both come from the pine, yet what each receives by nature differs.
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茯苓生成於陰, 琥珀生於陽而成於陰.
Poria is born and completed in yin; amber is born in yang and completed in yin.
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故皆治榮而安心利水. 《入門》
Therefore both govern the yeong (榮, nutrient qi), calm the heart, and free the urine. 《Immun (入門)》
Trees — more entries
This is a cultural and historical record from a classical text, not a claim about any food’s effects. Nothing here is a health supplement or intended to prevent or treat disease. Consult a medical professional about health concerns. · Text: Korean Medicine Classics DB · Reading: Homiclub