Bencao yuanshi (Origins of Materia Medica) by Li Zhongli is a herbal in 12 volumes, containing 379 illustrations. It was first published in 1612. This illustration of the blackberry lily (shegan, Belamcanda chinensis) is taken from the revised edition of Ge Ding, engraved in 1638 (11th year of the Chongwen reign period of the Ming dynasty, Wu Yi year).
The stalk of the blackberry lily grows to 1-2 chi (1 chi [Chinese foot] = c. 1/3 m.). The leaves are flat and elongated, and are distributed in a fan formation. It has a fibrous root system. The outer skin of the root is yellow. Both the root and the stem are used in medicine. It is bitter in sapor, neutral in thermostatic character, and poisonous. It has the medicinal properties of clearing heat and removing poisons, dispersing blood and resolving phlegm. It is used to treat sore and inflamed throat; coughs with ascent of Qi (breath); phlegm-rheum overabundance and congestion (tan xian yongsheng); scrofula (luoli) and tubercular conditions (jiehe); amenorrhea; abscesses, ulcers and toxic swellings, etc.
