In the herbals, it is repeatedly mentioned that the seed 
should not be broken in its use as a medicine. One early 
reference to this very fact is Ch’én Ts’ang-ch’i (12), which 
states “‘Do not let the seeds become broken. Broken seeds 
[when taken] produce madness.’’ Lei Hsiao (6) states that 
‘‘[The seed] is extremely poisonous, and when accidentally 
taken, it causes delirium and seeing sparks and flashes.”’ 
Another author (9) states that ‘‘[The seed] should not be taken 
raw as it hurts people, causing them to see devils, acting madly 
like picking needles.’ Li Shi-chén’s (22) statement about the 
seeds is that they produce madness and delirium when taken. 
Yun-shih — Caesalpinia sepiaria Roxb. — Plate 25 
This is a drug plant in the Chinese pharmacopeia from early 
times. It is a shrubby vine of the Legume family widely distrib- 
uted in China among the provinces south of the Yangtse River 
and in other warmer countries of Asia. The stem is hollow and 
densely beset with backwardly hooked spines. The leaves are 
doubly pinnate-compound with 6-16 pinnae each with 12-14 
elliptical pinnules. The flowers are yellow and arranged in 
racemes. The flat pods are about 3 inches long, each containing 
5 or 6 dark seeds, with a somewhat unpleasant odor. 
The root, flowers, and seeds are all used in medicine. Ac- 
cording to Li Shih-chén (22), the root is used to assist removal 
of a bone in the throat. The seeds are attributed to have astrin- 
gent, anthelmintic, antipyretic and antimalarial properties. The 
flowers are attributed in the early herbals as having certain 
occult properties, and in at least one instance, the seed 1s 
similarly attributed. The first herbal, Pén-ts’ao ching (1) thus 
says, ‘‘[The flowers] could enable one to see spirits, and when 
taken in excess, Cause one to stagger madly. If taken over a 
prolonged period, they produce somatic levitation and effect 
communication with spirits.” Tao Hung-ching (7) states that 
‘(The flowers] will drive away evil spirits. When put in water 
and burned, spirits can be summoned.’’ The same author, in 
another instance, says that ‘‘The seeds are like Lang-tang 
(Hyoscyamus niger), if burned, spirits can be summoned; but 
this [sorcery] method has not been observed.”’ 
167 
