蒲公草 민들레 (포공초)

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 3

1. 性平, 味甘, 無毒.

   Its nature is neutral, its taste sweet, and it carries no toxicity, making it gentle enough for anyone to use.

2. 主婦人乳癰腫.

   It is chiefly used to treat breast abscesses and swelling in women, long favored for postpartum mastitis.

3. 處處有之.

   It grows everywhere, popping up its yellow face along roadsides, field edges, and even quiet corners of the yard.

4. 葉如苦苣, 三四月開黃花似菊,

   Its leaves resemble those of sow-thistle, and in the third or fourth month it opens yellow flowers like chrysanthemums, welcome both as a spring green and a spring bloom.

5. 莖葉斷之有白汁出, 人皆啖之.

   When the stem or leaf is broken, a white sap flows out, and people gladly eat the whole plant; that milky sap carries much of the herb's medicinal virtue.

6. 俗呼爲蒲公英. 《本草》

   Folk tradition commonly calls it pogongyeong (dandelion herb), as recorded in the Bencao.

7. 化熱毒, 消惡腫, 散結核, 解食毒, 散滯氣, 有奇功.

   It transforms heat-toxin, dissolves malignant swellings, disperses lumps, neutralizes food poisoning, and breaks up stagnated qi with remarkable efficacy, as if a single wildflower contained a small pharmacy.

8. 可入陽明太陰經. 《入門》

   It enters the Yangming and Taiyin meridians, according to the Yimen (Introduction to Medicine).

9. 一名地丁, 治疔腫, 最效. 《入門》

   It is also called jijeong (earth-nail), and is most effective for treating boils and furuncles, as the Yimen particularly praises.