覆盆子 복분자 (복분자)

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 2

1. 性平一云微熱, 味甘酸, 無毒.

   Its nature is neutral (some say slightly warm), the taste is sweet and sour, and it carries no toxicity.

2. 療男子腎精虛竭, 女人無子.

   It treats men whose kidney essence has been exhausted and helps women who struggle to conceive.

3. 主丈夫陰痿, 能令堅長.

   It addresses male impotence and is said to restore firmness and length.

4. 補肝明目, 益氣輕身, 令髮不白.

   It tonifies the liver, brightens the eyes, replenishes qi to lighten the body, and keeps the hair from turning grey.

5. 五月採, 處處有之.

   It is harvested in the fifth month and can be found growing almost anywhere.

6. 收時, 五六分熟, 便可採, 烈日中暴乾.

   Pick the berries when only fifty to sixty percent ripe, then dry them thoroughly under strong sunlight.

7. 用時, 去皮蔕, 酒蒸用之.

   Before use, remove the skin and stem, then steam the fruit with wine to mellow it.

8. 益腎精, 止小便利, 當覆其尿器, 故如此取名. 《本草》

   It bolsters kidney essence and curbs frequent urination so effectively that one could overturn the chamber pot, which is exactly where the name 'overturned vessel' comes from. (Bencao)

9. 蓬藟 멍덕기

   What follows is a note on Bongryu, the wild bramble known in Korean as meongdeok-ttalgi.

10. 性味功用, 與覆盆子同.

    Its nature, taste, and medicinal effects are regarded as identical to those of bokbunja.

11. 蓬藟, 非覆盆也. 自別是一種.

    Even so, Bongryu is not the same as bokbunja; it stands on its own as a separate species.

12. 作藤蔓生者, 蓬藟也. 作樹條者, 覆盆也.

    The one that spreads as a creeping vine is Bongryu, while the one that grows up as woody branches is bokbunja.

13. 皆宜取子用.

    For both plants, it is the fruit that should be gathered and used.

14. 覆盆早熟而形小, 蓬藟晩熟而形大.

    Bokbunja ripens earlier with smaller berries, while Bongryu ripens later and bears larger ones.

15. 其形大同小異, 終非一物也. 《本草》

    They look broadly similar from afar yet differ on closer inspection, so in the end they cannot be considered one and the same plant. (Bencao)

16. 俱能縮小便, 黑白髮. 《日用》

    Both fruits help reduce frequent urination and restore darkness to greyed hair. (Riyong)