Shizhen Li Shizhen (1518–1593), the famous Ming dynasty pharmacologist and author of the Compendium of Materia Medica. says: The melon pedicel The dried stem or base of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo. is a medicine for the Yang Brightness Yangming: One of the six stages of disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine, primarily involving the Stomach and Large Intestine channels channel that eliminates damp-heat. Therefore, it is capable of drawing out phlegm and saliva from the chest and stomach, damp-air from the head and eyes, fluid from the skin, and various syndromes involving jaundice or damp-heat. For those with weak stomachs, or those recovering from illness or childbirth, any use of emetic medicines Medicines used to induce vomiting. must be handled with extreme caution; this is not true for the melon pedicel alone.

Appended Formulas Seven old, four new

Melon Pedicel Powder

To treat the symptoms mentioned above. The formula uses two and a half qian Qian: A traditional unit of weight, approximately 3.75 grams of melon pedicel and two and a half qian of small red beans. Grind these into a powder. For each use, take one qian. Boil one portion of aromatic fermented soybeans in seven portions of hot water until it becomes a thin porridge. Remove the dregs, mix in the powder, and drink. Add small amounts gradually; stop once effective vomiting occurs. — From Zhongjing’s Treatise on Cold Damage Zhang Zhongjing, a foundational physician of the Han Dynasty.

Greater Yang Heat Stroke

Symptoms include body heat and headache, but the pulse is faint and weak. This is caused by an injury from cold water during the summer months, which causes water to travel through the skin. Use twenty-seven melon pedicels. Boil in one liter of water until half a liter remains. Drink all at once to induce vomiting. — From the Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet.

Sudden Onset of Wind-Phlegm

In cases where the breath is blocked: take melon pedicel powder, using one to two qian per dose, and one qian of calomel Nifen: Also known as "greasy powder," a mercurous chloride preparation used historically in small doses to treat phlegm and skin conditions. Mix with half a cup of water and pour into the patient. After a short while, the phlegm will come out naturally. If it does not come out, place a piece of brown sugar in the mouth and swallow it; the phlegm will then emerge.

Kou's Extended Meaning Refers to the Bencao Yanyi by Kou Zongshi (1116 CE), a work that clarified and expanded upon earlier pharmaceutical texts.

Various Wind and Epilepsy Syndromes

For all types of "wind" A category of diseases often involving sudden onset, tremors, or paralysis with phlegm in the diaphragm, and all types of epilepsy with surging saliva: use melon pedicels, fried until yellow and ground into a powder. Gauge the amount based on the person’s constitution and mix into a cup of sour pickle brine to induce vomiting. For wind-epilepsy, add half a qian of scorpion tail. For swelling and fullness due to dampness, add one qian of small red bean powder. For parasites, add five to seven drops of dog oil and one portion of realgar.