細辛 Jokdoripul Ppuri (족도리풀 뿌리)

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

1. 性溫, 味大辛一云苦辛, 無毒.

   Its nature is warm and its taste greatly pungent, though one account calls it bitter and pungent; it is non-toxic.

   HomiclubSesin is the root of jokdoripul, a low woodland perennial in the birthwort family. In early spring a dark red flower opens at ground level beneath its two heart-shaped leaves, and the flower's shape — like a jokduri, the traditional bridal coronet — gives the plant its Korean name.

2. 主風濕痺痛. 溫中下氣. 除喉痺齆鼻, 添膽氣, 去頭風, 明目, 治齒痛, 破痰, 出汗.

   It chiefly treats impediment pain from wind and damp. It warms the middle burner and sends qi downward. It relieves throat impediment and a blocked nose, augments the qi of the dam (膽, gallbladder), dispels dupung (頭風, head wind), brightens the eyes, treats toothache, breaks up phlegm, and brings out sweat.

3. 生山野, 其根細而其味極辛, 故名之曰細辛.

   It grows in mountains and open country; its root is fine and its taste extremely pungent, and so it is named sesin (細辛, fine and pungent).

   HomiclubThe two characters of the name are simply the plant's form and its taste. Thread-fine roots spread in every direction, and biting a single strand leaves the tongue tingling with a sharp, strongly aromatic pungency.

4. 二月八月採根, 陰乾, 用之去頭節.

   Dig the roots in the second and eighth months and dry them in the shade; before use, remove the head node.

5. 單用末, 不可過半錢匕. 多卽氣悶塞不通者死, 雖死無傷. 《本草》

   When used alone as a powder it must not exceed half a jeonbi (錢匕, coin-spoon measure). Too much causes the qi to be stifled and blocked, and one whose qi does not pass will die — and though death comes, no injury is found on the body. 《Boncho (本草)》

6. 少陰經藥也. 治少陰頭痛如神. 獨活爲之使.

   It is a medicine of the soeum channel. It treats soeum headache with uncanny effect. Dokhwal serves as its courier medicine.

7. 細辛香味俱細而緩, 故入手少陰, 治頭面風痛, 不可缺也. 《湯液》

   The scent and taste of sesin are both fine and slow, so it enters the hand soeum channel, and it cannot be omitted in treating wind pain of the head and face. 《Tangaek (湯液)》