合歡皮 자귀나무 껍질 (합환피)

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 a gentle herb suitable for wide use.

2. 主安五藏, 利心志, 令人歡樂無憂.

   It calms the five viscera, eases the heart and will, and brings cheerfulness so that worries fade — true to its name, which means "uniting joy."

3. 木似梧桐, 枝甚柔弱,

   The tree resembles a paulownia, and its branches are notably soft and slender, giving it a gentle, swaying appearance in the wind.

4. 葉似皂莢槐等, 極細而繁密, 互相交結.

   Its leaves resemble those of the honey locust or pagoda tree — extremely fine yet densely packed, interlacing with one another like delicate plumes.

5. 其葉至暮而合, 故一名合昏.

   Because its leaves close together at dusk, it also goes by the name hehun, meaning "joined at twilight" — a nod to the way its foliage folds shut each night.

6. 五月花發黃白色, 瓣上若絲茸然.

   In the fifth lunar month it blooms in yellowish-white flowers whose petals carry fine, silky filaments resembling tufts of thread — the familiar feathery look of the silk tree's blossoms.

7. 至秋而實作莢, 子極薄細.

   By autumn it bears pod-like fruits, with seeds inside that are exceedingly thin and small — a tidy little harvest as the year closes.

8. 不拘時月, 採皮及葉用.

   It may be gathered at any time of year — both the bark and the leaves are used in medicine, without restriction by season or month.

9. 又名夜合皮. 《本草》

   It also goes by the name yehepi, "bark that closes at night," as recorded in the Bencao.

10. 主肺癰吐膿.

    It is mainly used to treat lung abscesses in which pus is coughed up, helping to clear deep-seated suppuration in the chest.

11. 又殺蟲, 續筋骨, 消癰腫. 《入門》

    It also expels parasites, helps mend torn sinews and broken bones, and reduces abscesses and swellings, as noted in the Yimen.

12. 養生論曰, 合歡蠲忿, 卽此也.

    The Yangshenglun says, "Hehuan dispels resentment" — and this is the very tree it refers to, long regarded as a companion for soothing a troubled heart.

13. 樹之階庭, 使人不忿. 《入門》

    Planting it by the steps of one's courtyard is said to keep anger at bay, according to the Yimen — showing how it served not only as medicine but as a garden companion for steadying the temper.

14. 榮花樹皮, 卽夜合花根也. 《回春》

    What is commonly called yinghua shupi is in fact the bark of the yehe flower tree — that is, the silk tree — as the Huichun clarifies, reminding us that its many names all point to a single plant.