Shi'er, also known as stone wood ear, rock mushroom, and geode. It is mentioned in the book "Riyong Bencao". It is a lichen body of the plant Umbilicaria esculenta (Miyoshi) Minks. It can be harvested all year round and dried for later use.
[Processing Method] "Slight stir-frying" as stated in the book "Taiping Shenghui Fang". Currently, the original herb is taken, impurities, residual mud and moss are removed, washed, dried, and sieved to remove ash debris.
[Appearance of the medicinal slice] It is in the form of a sheet, mostly wrinkled and shrunk. When fully expanded, it forms an irregular circle with a diameter of about 12cm. The edge sometimes cracks, and the backside protrudes. The upper surface is smooth and gray-brown, while the lower surface is rough and dark brown to gray-black, composed of numerous coral-like black false roots. When dried, it is brittle and easily broken. The cross-section shows a clear black and white double layer. It has a slight aroma and a mild taste.
[Processing function] Shi'er has a sweet and cool taste. It enters the lung, heart, and stomach meridians. It has the functions of nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, cooling blood and stopping bleeding, and clearing heat and detoxifying. It is mostly used for lung deficiency cough, hemoptysis, nosebleeds, menorrhagia, intestinal wind bleeding, hemorrhoids, prolapse of the rectum, turbid urine, abnormal vaginal discharge, snake bites, burns, and knife wounds. For example, when Shi'er is steamed with lean pork, it can treat chronic bronchitis (compiled by "Compilation of Information on Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Bronchitis in Jiangxi Province") and weak spleen and stomach; when used with sand ginseng, it can treat acute enteritis (Jiangxi "Herbal Manual"); Shi'er is ground into powder, made into pills with concentrated decoction of gentian grass, and applied to wounds with cold water to treat snakebites; when used with calcined alum and mitoto, it can treat anal prolapse with persistent diarrhea (as stated in the book "Taiping Shenghui Fang"). Processing can improve the cleanliness of the medicine.
