芍藥 작약 (작약)

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · 탕액편 권3

1. 性平, 微寒, 味苦酸, 有小毒.

   성평, 미한, 미고산, 유소독.

   Its nature is neutral and slightly cold, the taste is bitter and sour, and it carries a mild toxicity.

2. 除血痺, 通順血脉, 緩中, 散惡血, 消癰腫, 止腹痛, 消瘀血, 能蝕膿.

   제혈비, 통순혈맥, 완중, 산악혈, 소옹종, 지복통, 소어혈, 능식농.

   It clears blood-obstruction syndromes, smooths the flow of blood vessels, relaxes the middle, disperses bad blood and stasis, reduces abscesses and swellings, stops abdominal pain, and can even erode away pus.

3. 主女人一切病, 幷産前後諸疾.

   주여인일체병, 병산전후제질.

   It chiefly treats all manner of women's ailments and the various conditions arising before and after childbirth.

4. 通月水, 療腸風瀉血, 痔瘻, 發背瘡疥, 及目赤努肉, 能明目.

   통월수, 요장풍사혈, 치루, 발배창개, 급목적노육, 능명목.

   It restores menstrual flow, treats intestinal-wind bleeding, fistulas, back abscesses and scabies, as well as red eyes with overgrown flesh, and so brightens vision.

5. 生山野, 二月八月採根, 暴乾.

   생산야, 이월팔월채근, 폭건.

   It grows in mountains and fields; the roots are gathered in the second and eighth lunar months and dried thoroughly in the sun.

6. 宜用山谷自生者, 不用人家糞壤者.

   의용산곡자생자, 불용인가분양자.

   One ought to use roots that grow wild in mountain valleys, never those cultivated in the manured plots of households.

7. 又云, 須用花紅而單葉, 山中者佳.

   우운, 수용화홍이단엽, 산중자가.

   It is also said that one should pick specimens with red flowers and single petals, with the mountain-grown roots being the finest.

8. 一名解倉.

   일명해창.

   It also goes by the name Haechang (解倉).

9. 有兩種. 赤者, 利小便下氣, 白者, 止痛散血.

   유양종. 적자, 이소변하기, 백자, 지통산혈.

   There are two kinds: the red peony promotes urination and descends qi, while the white peony relieves pain and disperses stagnant blood.

10. 又云, 白者補, 赤者瀉. 《本草》

    우운, 백자보, 적자사. 《본초》

    It is also recorded that the white kind tonifies while the red kind purges. 《Bencao》

11. 入手足太陰經.

    입수족태음경.

    Its action enters the Hand-Taiyin (Lung) and Foot-Taiyin (Spleen) meridians.

12. 又瀉肝, 補脾胃.

    우사간, 보비위.

    It further drains excess from the liver and tonifies the spleen and stomach.

13. 酒浸行經, 或酒炒或煨用. 《入門》

    주침행경, 혹주초혹외용. 《입문》

    Soaked in wine it travels through the meridians; it is prepared by stir-frying with wine or by roasting in hot ashes. 《Ipmun》

14. 芍藥酒浸炒, 與白朮同用則能補脾, 與川芎同用則瀉肝, 與參朮同用則補氣.

    작약주침초, 여백출동용즉능보비, 여천궁동용즉사간, 여삼출동용즉보기.

    Wine-soaked and stir-fried peony, when paired with Baizhu tonifies the spleen, paired with Chuanxiong drains the liver, and paired with ginseng and Baizhu tonifies qi.

15. 治腹痛下痢者必炒, 後重則不炒.

    치복통하리자필초, 후중즉불초.

    For abdominal pain with diarrhea it must be stir-fried; for tenesmus, however, it is used unfried.

16. 又云, 收降之體, 故能至血海, 入於九地之下, 得至足厥陰經也. 《丹心》

    우운, 수강지체, 고능지혈해, 입어구지지하, 득지족궐음경야. 《단심》

    It is further said that, owing to its gathering and descending nature, it reaches the Sea of Blood, penetrates the deepest layer beneath the ninth earth, and arrives at the Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridian. 《Danxin》