Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms original: Sancai Tuhui, a famous illustrated encyclopedia from the Ming Dynasty

Volume: Grasses and Trees, Part 9

Page 5

The Cypress original: 栢 (bǎi), a term covering various evergreen conifers like cypress and arborvitae

Cypress fruit Cypress seed kernels, often used in traditional medicine to calm the spirit grows in the mountain valleys of Mount Tai. Today, it can be found everywhere, but the variety from Qianzhou modern-day Qian County, Shaanxi Province is considered the best. The tree flowers in the third lunar month and bears seeds in the ninth month. Its leaves are known as the Flat Cypress original: 側栢 (cèbǎi), the Oriental Arborvitae; those produced in Mizhou modern-day Zhucheng, Shandong Province are of particularly high quality.

The flavor of the seeds is sweet and neutral in traditional Chinese medicine, "neutral" means it neither heats nor cools the body, and they are non-toxic. They are primarily used to treat heart palpitations caused by fright, to calm the five viscera the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and to supplement vital energy Qi. They also eliminate numbness or pain caused by "wind and dampness," and treat mental confusion, physical exhaustion, and heavy, aching pain in the waist. Furthermore, they enrich the blood and help stop excessive sweating.

The leaves have a bitter flavor, are slightly cold in nature, and are non-toxic. They are used primarily to treat various types of internal bleeding, including vomiting blood, nosebleeds, bloody dysentery, and uterine bleeding. They also help to remove "damp-numbness" a condition similar to rheumatism or arthritis.

The white inner bark of the cypress is used to treat burns and scalds, as well as festering sores, and it is said to promote the growth of hair.