Attached Formulas One new entry

Moles on the Face

From The Ten Thousand Infallible Arts of Huainan original: "淮南萬畢術" (Huainan Wanbishu); an ancient text of Daoist magic and natural philosophy attributed to the circle of Liu An.

On the seventh day of the seventh month The Double Seventh Festival, a time of significant astrological and ritual importance in Chinese tradition., during the hour of the Horse original: "午時" (Wushi); 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the peak of Yang energy., take seven melon leaves. You should carry them into the northern hall and stand facing south. Use each leaf in succession to wipe the moles, and they will immediately vanish.

---

Watermelon For daily use

Names and Definitions

Cold Melon See below

Collected Explanations

Wang Rui states: When the Khitans defeated the Uyghurs The Khitans (Liao Dynasty) and Uyghurs (Huigu) were northern and western peoples respectively; this highlights the watermelon's introduction to China from the West., they first obtained this seed. They planted it by covering it with ox manure. The fruit grows as large as a dou original: "斗" (dou); a traditional unit of dry measure, roughly equivalent to a decaliter or a large bushel. and is as round as a gourd. Its color is like green jade. The seeds are golden or the color of black sesame. It is common in the northern lands.

Li Shizhen states: According to Hu Qiao’s Record of My Captivity original: "陷虜記" (Xianlu Ji); Hu Qiao was a 10th-century official whose account of being captured by the Khitans provided early details on Northern cultures., Qiao went on a campaign against the Uyghurs and obtained this seed to bring back, naming it the "Western Melon" [Watermelon]. Thus, the watermelon first entered China during the Five Dynasties period 907–979 CE, a period of political division between the Tang and Song dynasties.. Today, it is found in both the north and the south, though the flavor of those grown in the south is slightly inferior. It is a relative of the sweet melon.

The seeds are planted in the second month. It grows as a vine, and its flowers and leaves are all similar to those of the sweet melon. The fruit ripens in the seventh or eighth month. Some are round and a foot in diameter, while others grow as long as two feet. It may or may not have ridges. Its color is blue-green or green. The pulp may be white or red—the red variety is particularly excellent in flavor. The seeds may be yellow, red, or black.