馬齒莧 쇠비름 (마치현)

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

1. 性寒, 味酸, 無毒.

   Purslane is cold in nature, sour in taste, and non-toxic.

2. 主諸腫惡瘡.

   It is mainly used to treat various swellings and malignant sores.

3. 利大小便, 破癥結.

   It promotes urination and bowel movements and breaks up hardened masses in the abdomen.

4. 療金瘡內漏, 止渴, 殺諸蟲.

   It heals wounds from metal blades that bleed inwardly, quenches thirst, and kills various parasites.

5. 處處有之.

   It grows abundantly almost everywhere.

6. 有二種, 葉大者不堪用, 葉小者節葉間有水銀者入藥.

   There are two kinds; the one with large leaves is not fit for medicine, while the small-leaved kind that bears mercury-like droplets between its nodes and leaves is the one used.

7. 性至難燥, 當以槐木槌碎之, 向日東作架, 曬三兩日卽乾.

   Because it is extremely hard to dry, it should be lightly crushed with a Sophora-wood mallet, then laid on an east-facing rack and sun-dried for three or four days until it finally dries.

8. 入藥去莖節, 只取葉用.

   When prepared as medicine, the stems and nodes are removed and only the leaves are used.

9. 雖名莧, 與人莧都不相似, 又名五行草, 以其葉靑莖赤花黃根白子黑也. 《本草》

   Though its name contains the character for amaranth, it bears no resemblance to common edible amaranth. It is also called Ohaengcho, the Five-Elements Herb, because its leaves are green, stem red, flowers yellow, root white, and seeds black — all five colors at once. 《Bencao》

10. 葉形如馬齒, 故以名之. 《入門》

    Its leaves are shaped like a horse's teeth, which is how it came to be called Machihyeon (Horse-Tooth Herb). 《Ipmun》

11. 子

    Section on the seeds.

12. 主靑盲白瞖.

    The seeds are mainly used to treat hidden blindness (chongmaeng) and white film over the eye (baegye).

13. 搗末和飮服之. 《本草》

    Grind the seeds into a fine powder and take them mixed with rice water. 《Bencao》