景天 Orpine

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

1. 性平一云冷, 味苦酸, 無毒一云小毒. 治心煩熱狂, 赤眼頭痛, 遊風丹腫, 及大熱火瘡, 婦人帶下, 小兒丹毒.

   Its nature is neutral, though one account calls it cold; its taste is bitter and sour, and it is non-toxic, though one account grants it slight toxicity. It treats vexation, fever, and mania, red eyes with headache, roving wind and red swelling, burn sores from severe heat, a woman's discharge, and dandok (丹毒, erysipelas) in children.

   HomiclubGyeongcheon is a perennial of the stonecrop group, recorded under the old Korean name jibudigi. It is a succulent with plump leaves like purslane, and the sedums now common in flower beds and rooftop gardens belong to the same group.

2. 苗葉似馬齒莧而大, 作層而生, 莖極脆弱, 夏中開紅紫碎花, 秋後枯死.

   Its shoots and leaves resemble purslane but larger, growing in tiers; its stem is extremely brittle and weak; in midsummer it opens small reddish-purple flowers, and after autumn it withers away.

   HomiclubThe stem is brittle because it is succulent and full of water. Leaves set in tiers around each node are the clue for recognizing this group.

3. 四月四日, 七月七日採, 陰乾.

   Gather it on the fourth day of the fourth month and the seventh day of the seventh month, and dry it in the shade.

4. 今人以盆盛植屋上以辟火, 故謂之愼火草. 《本草》

   People today plant it in a pot and set it on the roof to ward off fire, and so call it sinhwacho (愼火草, fire-guarding herb). 《Boncho (本草)》

   HomiclubThe name comes from the custom of keeping these water-filled succulent leaves up on the roof. Europe had a long-standing parallel habit of planting houseleek, a relative, on rooftops.