芡仁 가시연밥 (검인)

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

1. 性平, 味甘, 無毒.

   Its nature is neutral, its taste sweet, and it has no toxicity, making it a gentle ingredient suited for regular use.

2. 益精氣, 强志, 令耳目聰明, 延年.

   It strengthens vital essence and willpower, sharpens hearing and vision, and prolongs life — which is why it was prized as a longevity food.

3. 一名雞頭實, 一名雞雍.

   It is also called gyedusil or gyeong, nicknames inspired by the fruit's resemblance to a chicken's head.

4. 生水澤中.

   It grows in ponds and marshes, thriving in the same watery habitats favored by lotus.

5. 葉大如荷, 皺而有刺.

   Its leaves are broad like a lotus pad, wrinkled and covered with prickly spines — hence the Korean name meaning 'thorny lotus.'

6. 花子若拳大, 形似雞頭, 故以名之.

   The seed pod grows to about the size of a fist and looks like a chicken's head, which is how it earned its name.

7. 實若石榴, 皮靑黑肉白.

   The fruit resembles a pomegranate, with a dark bluish-black skin enclosing white flesh inside.

8. 八月採, 蒸之, 於烈日曬之, 其皮卽開, 亦可舂作粉.

   Harvested in the eighth lunar month, the fruit is steamed and dried in strong sunlight until the husks split open on their own; the kernels can also be pounded into flour.

9. 益人勝菱.

   Its tonic power surpasses that of water chestnut, ranking it above other aquatic fruits in restorative value.

10. 《本草》

    The above is recorded in the Bencao (Materia Medica).

11. 芡音儉能補人之精欠少, 謂之水硫黃.

    Pronounced 'geom,' the character also means 'to replenish what is lacking in human essence,' earning it the nickname 'water sulfur' for warming and tonifying like mineral sulfur.

12. 《入門》

    The above is recorded in the Yixue Rumen (Introduction to Medicine).

13. 作粉, 熬金櫻子汁作丸, 名水陸丹, 能秘精.

    Ground into powder and rolled into pills with simmered Rosa laevigata juice, it becomes 'Suryukdan,' a formula renowned for sealing in vital essence.

14. 《日用》

    The above is recorded in the Riyong Bencao (Materia Medica for Daily Use).