玄參 Hyeonsam (현삼)

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

1. 性微寒, 味苦醎, 無毒.

   Its nature is slightly cold, its taste bitter and salty, and it is without toxicity.

2. 治熱毒遊風, 補虛勞, 骨蒸, 傳尸邪氣.

   It treats heat-toxin roving wind, supplements in deficiency taxation, and addresses goljeung (steaming-bone fever) and the evil qi of jeonsi (corpse-transmitted consumption).

3. 消腫毒, 散瘤癭瘰癧, 補腎氣, 令人目明.

   It disperses jongdok (toxic swelling), scatters tumors, goiters, and naryeok (scrofula), supplements the kidney qi, and brightens the eyes.

4. 苗葉似脂麻, 七月開花, 靑碧色.

   Its shoots and leaves resemble sesame; it flowers in the seventh month in a blue-green color.

   HomiclubHyeonsam is a perennial taller than waist height, with a square stem and leaves set in opposite pairs.

5. 八月結子, 黑色.

   In the eighth month it sets seed, black in color.

6. 其根尖長, 生靑白, 乾卽紫黑, 新者潤膩.

   Its root is pointed and long; fresh it is bluish white, dried it turns purple-black, and new ones are moist and oily.

   HomiclubThe root darkens through and through as it dries, and the hyeon (玄) in its name means black.

7. 三月四月八月九月採根, 暴乾.

   The root is dug in the third, fourth, eighth, and ninth months and dried in the sun.

8. 或云, 蒸過日乾. 《本草》

   Some say it is steamed and then sun-dried. 《Boncho (Materia Medica)》

9. 玄參, 乃樞機之劑, 管領諸氣, 上下肅淸而不濁.

   Hyeonsam is a pivotal medicine that takes charge of all the qi, so that above and below become clear and not turbid.

10. 以此論之, 治虛中氤氳之氣, 無根之火, 以玄參爲聖藥也. 《湯液》

    Reasoning from this, for the pent-up qi within deficiency and for rootless fire, hyeonsam is taken as the sacred remedy. 《Tangaek》

11. 腎傷必用之, 足少陰腎經之君藥也. 酒蒸亦好. 《入門》

    When the kidney is damaged it must be used; it is the sovereign medicine of the foot-shaoyin kidney channel. Steaming it in liquor is also good. 《Immun》

12. 我國惟慶尙道出焉, 未知眞否. 《俗方》

    In this country it comes only from Gyeongsang Province, though whether it is the genuine kind is not known. 《Sokbang》