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Tangaek — Decoctions · Trees

松烟墨 Songyeonmeok (송연먹)

Songyeonmeok is ink made from pine soot bound with animal glue and pressed into a stick. It is the same ink ground on a stone for calligraphy and literati painting, distinct from yuyeonmeok made with lamp-oil soot. The text prefers well-aged sticks and rejects glossy, perfumed ones.

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 3

  1. 性溫, 味辛, 無毒.

    Its nature is warm, its taste acrid, and it is without toxicity.

  2. 主産後血暈, 崩中卒下血.

    It governs blood dizziness after childbirth, and sudden flooding descent of blood.

  3. 療金瘡, 止血生肌.

    It heals metal-inflicted wounds, stops bleeding, and engenders flesh.

  4. 墨, 松之烟也.

    Ink stick means the soot of pine.

    HomiclubSoot collected from burning resinous pine, kneaded with animal glue and hardened, is songyeonmeok. Calligraphy ink sticks are still made this way.

  5. 入藥須松烟墨方可.

    For use in medicine it must be pine-soot ink.

  6. 久遠者佳. 《本草》

    The long-aged kind is good. 《Bencao》

  7. 湯藥磨刺服, 丸散則火煆細硏用.

    For decoctions it is ground and taken in the liquid; for pills and powders it is calcined in fire and finely ground for use.

  8. 他墨光潤且香者, 勿用. 《入門》

    Other inks that are glossy and scented as well must not be used. 《Rumen》

    HomiclubScented ink sticks carry additives such as musk or borneol, which sets them apart from sticks made of soot and glue alone.

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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