松烟墨 송연먹 (송연묵)

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

1. 性溫, 味辛, 無毒.

   Its nature is warm, its taste pungent, and it is non-toxic. It warms the body without being harshly stimulating, so it can be used with confidence.

2. 主産後血暈, 崩中卒下血.

   It treats postpartum dizziness from blood loss and sudden uterine bleeding. In the past, this ink was a go-to remedy for emergency bleeding right after childbirth.

3. 療金瘡, 止血生肌.

   It heals wounds from blades, stops bleeding, and helps new flesh grow. It was applied externally as both a hemostatic and a wound-healing agent.

4. 墨, 松之烟也.

   Ink is essentially soot collected from burning pine wood. The black stick we use for calligraphy is in fact the condensed smoke of resinous pine.

5. 入藥須松烟墨方可.

   For medicinal use, only pine-soot ink will do. Inks made from other materials cannot be relied on for their healing effects.

6. 久遠者佳. 《本草》

   The older it has been kept, the better, as recorded in the Bencao. Aging was thought to settle impurities and stabilize its medicinal qualities.

7. 湯藥磨刺服,

   For decoctions, grind the ink stick and drink the resulting liquid. It is taken much like ink ground patiently on an inkstone.

8. 丸散則火煆細硏用.

   For pills or powders, first calcine it in fire and then grind it into a fine powder before use. This step makes the powder blend much more smoothly.

9. 他墨光潤且香者, 勿用. 《入門》

   Other inks that look glossy and carry added fragrance must never be used medicinally, as warned in the Ipmun. Such decorated inks contain oils and perfumes that interfere with the healing action.