1. There was once a pair of beggars in a mountain village who were sworn brothers.
2. One day, the younger of the two got a red, swollen boil on his finger that hurt so badly he didn't know what to do.
3. "Let's go to the village apothecary's," the older brother said. "They've got a secret remedy for boils."
4. "If you want the medicine, it'll cost you five taels of silver," the apothecary said.
5. "Please help my brother, I beg you. He's really hurting."
6. "Get out!" the apothecary shouted. "This store isn't for beggars!"
7. The owner mercilessly chased them out.
8. A crowd gathered to see what was up.
9. "That beggar is really hurting," they said. "Please give him something to ease the pain. He looks downright pathetic."
10. "Mind your own business. My medicine doesn't come free."
11. "Isn't your store supposed to serve the public? What about your oath to heal the sick?"
12. "I'm under no obligation to help penniless beggars."
13. "We won't come here anymore," the beggars said. "We'll look for treatment somewhere else."
14. "If anyone around here can cure boils, I'd like to see it. If there is, I'll tear down my sign right in front of everyone," he laughed.
15. The two beggars left the village and sat down on a pile of straw trying to think of what to do.
16. Some purple wildflowers were growing nearby. The older beggar absentmindedly picked one and started to chew on it.
17. It was acrid and bitter and he spat it out on his hand.
18. "Brother, my finger hurts so much it feels like it's on fire," his friend cried.
19. The older beggar didn't see any water around, so he patted his friend's finger with the petals he had spat out.
20. After a while. . . .
21. "Hey! My finger isn't burning so much anymore. It feels a lot better now."
22. "It doesn't hurt so much."
23. "Maybe the flower is good against boils. . . ."
24. The beggars ground half the flowers into an ointment and applied it to his finger, and they boiled the rest into a concoction.
25. Two days later the boil was almost completely gone. The next morning, the two beggars carried an iron staff to the village and smashed the sign to pieces.
26. After that, the beggars gave up begging and started teaching the prescription they had learned. The purple wildflower is called the Chinese violet.
Chinese Violet
Appearance: The leaves are like a willow and very fine; in the summer small purple flowers blossom.
Properties: Bitter; cold; non-toxic.
Efficacy: Cures skin ulcers and various swelling and infections; can be used for any external ailment.
(To be used by prescription only.)
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