薄荷 민트 (박하)

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

1. 性溫一云平, 味辛苦, 無毒.

   Its nature is warm, though some sources say neutral. The flavor is pungent and bitter, and it is non-toxic.

2. 能引諸藥入榮衛, 發毒汗, 療傷寒頭痛.

   It guides the energies of other herbs into the ying and wei (the nutritive and defensive levels of circulation in traditional medicine), induces a strong sweat, and relieves headaches caused by cold damage.

3. 治中風賊風頭風.

   It treats stroke (zhongfeng), invasive wind (zeifeng), and chronic wind-induced headaches (toufeng) — all conditions attributed in traditional medicine to pathogenic wind entering the body.

4. 通利關節, 大解勞乏.

   It opens and eases the joints and powerfully relieves fatigue and exhaustion.

5. 圃中種蒔, 可生啖, 亦宜作葅.

   It can be cultivated in the vegetable garden and eaten raw, or made into a pickled side dish (jeo, a traditional salted or vinegared vegetable preparation).

6. 夏秋採莖葉, 暴乾用. 《本草》

   In summer and autumn, gather the stems and leaves, then sun-dry them for use. From the Bencao.

7. 性味辛涼.

   Its nature and flavor are pungent and cool.

8. 最淸頭目, 治骨蒸.

   It best clears the head and the eyes, and treats gu zheng (bone-steaming), a traditional term for chronic low-grade fever felt as heat radiating from deep within the bones.

9. 入手太陰ㆍ手厥陰經, 上行之藥也. 《湯液》

   It enters the Hand Taiyin (lung) and Hand Jueyin (pericardium) meridians and is a herb whose action moves upward in the body. From the Tangaek.

10. 猫食薄荷則醉. 《食物》

    When a cat eats mint, it becomes intoxicated as if drunk. From the Sikmul.