紫菀 개미취 (자완)

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

1. 性溫一云平, 味苦辛, 無毒.

   성온일운평, 미고신, 무독.

   Its nature is warm—some say neutral—the taste is bitter and pungent, and it has no toxicity, making it gentle enough for long-term use.

2. 治肺痿吐血, 消痰止渴, 咳逆上氣, 咳唾膿血, 寒熱結氣, 潤肌膚, 添骨髓, 療痿躄.

   치폐위토혈, 소담지갈, 해역상기, 해타농혈, 한열결기, 윤기부, 첨골수, 료위벽.

   It treats lung wasting with blood-spitting, dissolves phlegm and quenches thirst, calms upward-rebelling cough, pus-and-blood expectoration, and chill-fever knotted qi; it also moistens the skin, replenishes marrow, and relieves wasting paralysis of the legs.

3. 生原野, 春初布地生.

   생원야, 춘초포지생.

   It grows in open fields, sprouting in early spring with leaves spread flat upon the ground, a common wildflower of sunlit meadows.

4. 其葉三四相連, 五六月開黃紫白花, 有白毛, 根甚柔細.

   기엽삼사상련, 오륙월개황자백화, 유백모, 근심유세.

   Its leaves grow in clusters of three or four, and in the fifth or sixth month it bears yellow, purple, or white flowers covered with fine white hairs, while its roots remain remarkably soft and slender—and it is these roots that serve as medicine.

5. 二月三月採根, 陰乾.

   이월삼월채근, 음건.

   The roots are gathered in the second or third month and dried slowly in the shade, a careful method preserving the herb's fragrance and potency.

6. 色紫而體潤軟者, 佳. 《本草》

   색자이체윤연자, 가. 《본초》

   Roots that are purple in color with a moist, supple body are considered the finest, as recorded in the Bencao.

7. 又有白菀, 卽女菀也.

   우유백완, 즉여완야.

   There is also a white aster, which is none other than the so-called nyeo-wan, a botanical cousin often paired with purple aster in classical texts.

8. 療體相同, 無紫菀時, 亦可通用. 《本草》

   료체상동, 무자완시, 역가통용. 《본초》

   Its therapeutic action is the same, so when purple aster is unavailable, white aster may be used in its place, as the Bencao advises.

9. 一名返魂草.

   일명반혼초.

   It is also called the soul-returning herb, a name born from the ancients' awe at how it revives the breath of those worn down by chronic cough.

10. 蜜水浸焙乾用. 《入門》

    밀수침배건용. 《입문》

    It is steeped in honey water, then gently dry-roasted before use, a preparation noted in the Ipmun that softens the bitterness and gentles its action upon the lungs.