半夏 반하 (끼무릇) (반하)

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

1. 性平生微寒熟溫, 味辛, 有毒.

   Its nature is neutral, slightly cold when raw and warm when prepared; the taste is pungent and it is toxic, so it must always be processed before use.

2. 主傷寒寒熱.

   It treats the alternating chills and fever of cold-damage disease, calming the swings between cold and heat caused by external pathogens.

3. 消心腹痰熱滿結, 咳嗽上氣, 消痰涎.

   It dissolves phlegm-heat lodged in the chest and abdomen, eases cough and rising qi, and clears away phlegm and saliva, making it a classic remedy for phlegm disorders.

4. 開胃健脾, 止嘔吐, 去胸中痰涎, 療瘧, 墮胎.

   It opens the stomach and strengthens the spleen, stops vomiting, removes phlegm from the chest, and treats malaria; however, it can induce miscarriage, so it must be avoided during pregnancy.

5. 處處有之, 生田野中.

   It grows commonly everywhere, found mainly in fields and open ground; in Korea it is known as kkimuruk and can often be spotted along field edges and grassy plots.

6. 五月八月採根, 暴乾.

   The root is gathered in the fifth and eighth lunar months and dried thoroughly in the sun, since tubers harvested at these times are considered to hold the fullest medicinal strength.

7. 以圓白陳久者, 爲勝. 《本草》

   Tubers that are round, white, and well-aged are considered the finest quality, as recorded in the Bencao.

8. 湯浸切片, 淋洗七遍, 去涎盡, 以生薑汁浸一宿, 焙乾用. 《本草》

   It is soaked in hot water, sliced thin, rinsed seven times until all the sticky sap is gone, then steeped overnight in ginger juice and gently dried over low heat, the traditional method recorded in the Bencao for taming its toxicity.

9. 入足陽明ㆍ太陰ㆍ少陽經.

   It enters the foot-yangming, foot-taiyin, and foot-shaoyang meridians, thereby regulating the stomach, spleen, and gallbladder together.

10. 臘月泡洗, 置露天氷過, 又泡共七次, 留久極妙. 《入門》

    In the twelfth lunar month it is rinsed, left outdoors to freeze, and re-soaked seven times in all; aged this way for a long while, its potency becomes exceptional, as taught in the Yimen.

11. 三消及血虛者, 乾咽痛者, 腸燥大便難者, 汗多者, 皆勿用. 《丹心》

    It must not be given to those with the three wasting disorders, blood deficiency, dry and painful throat, dry intestines with difficult stools, or excessive sweating, since its warming and drying nature can further deplete bodily fluids, as warned in the Danxin.