Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Herbs and Trees

Page Fifteen

Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Herbs and Trees, Page Fifteen

Bone-Mender (Gusuibu)

original: 骨碎補, Gusuibu; scientific name: Drynaria fortunei. The name is highly descriptive: gu (骨) means bone, sui (碎) means shattered or broken, and bu (補) means to mend or supplement. It is a staple of traditional traumatology.

(A woodcut illustration occupies the center of the page, depicting the Bone-Mender plant. The image shows the plant's dual nature: the tall, feathery green fronds reaching upward and the thick, scale-covered rhizome a horizontal, creeping stem that grows along the surface of rocks or trees at the base.)

The Bone-Mender is a perennial fern often found clinging to rocks or tree trunks in shaded mountain valleys. The illustration captures the distinct morphology of its leaves and its thick, fleshy rootstock, which is the part used in medicine.

In traditional practice, the rhizome is harvested and prepared by scraping or singeing off the fine, brownish-yellow hairs that cover it. Its properties and uses include:

• Healing Fractures: True to its name, it is a primary herb for treating bone fractures, falls, and strike injuries. It is believed to promote the mending of bone tissue and the healing of tendons.
• Kidney Health: It is used to "tonify the Kidneys" In traditional Chinese medicine, the Kidney system is thought to govern bone development and marrow production.
• Pain Relief: It is effective for chronic lower back pain, weakness in the legs, and traditional ailments like tinnitus ringing in the ears or loose teeth, which were historically linked to Kidney vitality.

The flavor of the herb is characterized as bitter and its nature as warm. This visual guide in the Sancai Tuhui served as a vital reference for identifying the correct species in the wild, ensuring that the "hairy" rhizome shown here was not confused with other less effective ferns.