蒼朮 Atractylodes

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

1. 性溫, 味苦辛, 無毒.

   Its nature is warm, its taste bitter and pungent, and it is non-toxic.

   HomiclubChangchul and baekchul are two names drawn from the same plant, sapju. The peeled, white-fleshed piece was called baekchul, while the unpeeled piece with brown skin and a sharp pungent smell was called changchul.

2. 治上中下濕疾. 寬中發汗, 破窠囊痰飮, 痃癖氣塊, 山嵐瘴氣.

   It treats damp diseases of the upper, middle, and lower body. It loosens the middle burner and induces sweating, and it breaks up pocketed damum (痰飮, phlegm-rheum), hyeonbyeok (痃癖, abdominal cords and lumps), gigoe (氣塊, qi masses), and sallamjanggi (山嵐瘴氣, mountain miasma).

3. 治風寒濕痺, 療霍亂吐瀉不止, 除水腫脹滿.

   It treats bi (痺, impediment) from wind, cold, and damp, checks unceasing vomiting and diarrhea from gwallan (霍亂), and removes water swelling and distending fullness.

4. 蒼朮, 其長如大小指, 肥實如連珠, 皮色褐, 氣味辛烈.

   Changchul is about the length of a thumb or little finger, plump like a string of beads, brown-skinned, and fierce and pungent in qi and taste.

   HomiclubSapju grows in clusters on sunny hill slopes; a cut rhizome shows scattered reddish oil dots and holds a sharp scent for a long time. That scent and the brown skin are the marks by which changchul is recognized.

5. 須米泔浸一宿, 再換泔浸一日, 去上麄皮, 炒黃色用. 《本草》

   Soak it in rice-washing water overnight, change the water and soak it another day, then strip off the coarse outer skin and stir-fry it until yellow before use. 《Boncho (本草)》

6. 一名山精, 採法同白朮. 《本草》

   One of its names is sanjeong (山精, mountain essence), and it is gathered in the same way as baekchul. 《Boncho (本草)》

7. 入足陽明ㆍ太陰經, 能健胃安脾. 《入門》

   It enters the foot yangmyeong and foot taeeum channels, and can fortify the wi (胃, stomach) and settle the bi (脾, spleen). 《Immun (入門)》

8. 蒼朮, 雄壯上行之藥, 能除濕安脾. 《易老》

   Changchul is a medicine of bold, vigorous qi that travels upward, and it can remove damp and settle the spleen. 《Yeongno (易老)》