狼牙 낭아초 (낭아)

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

1. 性寒, 味苦酸, 有毒.

   성한, 미고산, 유독.

   Its nature is cold, its taste bitter and sour, and it is toxic. The cold nature with bitter flavor clears heat-toxins, but its toxicity demands careful handling.

2. 主疥瘙惡瘍瘡痔, 殺寸白蟲, 及腹中一切蟲.

   주개소악양창치, 살촌백충, 급복중일체충.

   It treats scabies and itching, malignant sores, ulcers, and hemorrhoids, and kills tapeworms along with all intestinal parasites. It serves as both a topical remedy for skin afflictions and an internal vermifuge.

3. 苗似蛇莓而厚大, 深綠色,

   묘사사매이후대, 심록색,

   Its sprouts resemble snake-strawberry but are thicker and larger, with a deep green hue. In the field it is easily confused with snake-strawberry, so one must examine leaf thickness and color carefully.

4. 根黑若獸之齒牙, 故以名之.

   근흑약수지치아, 고이명지.

   The root is black and resembles a beast's fang, which is why it bears the name langya, meaning wolf's tooth. It shows how the ancients named herbs by their visible form.

5. 一名牙子, 二月八月採根, 暴乾.

   일명아자, 이월팔월채근, 폭건.

   It is also called yazi; the root is dug in the second and eighth months and dried in the sun. These spring and autumn windows are when the root's potency is most concentrated.

6. 中濕腐爛生衣者, 殺人. 《本草》

   중습부란생의자, 살인. 《본초》

   If it has been dampened, rotted, or grown mold, it can kill — extreme caution is required. The Bencao warns that with this herb, storage condition itself becomes a matter of life and death.