西医言。彼国用药。历试而知。较有实据。不比中国专以色香气味分发脏腑则影响无据矣。不知西医此说。适形其
陋。曰历试则毫无把握。惟凭尝试矣。彼惟不论五行。专以形气立说。所以得半遗全。譬如彼言养气能养物百果羹肉得。
养气皆不坏取养气以水银白矾硝石。烧之即出。不知彼所谓养气。即中国所谓阴气。中国以冰养果羹。即取其纯阴不化。
水银等纯阴。故多养气。轻气能发火。是轻气即中国所谓阳气。然则西医言轻养。何如中国言阴阳。为得其实也。使气
味形性。不兼论之。则一物之功用不全。且西人试验。岂古人尝药未试耶。
积阳为天。积阴为地。阳为气阴为味。
人与万物同一天地。即同一阴阳。万物各禀天地之阴阳。以变化人身之阴阳。药之功用。于是乎着天食人以五气。
地食人以五味。气味即阴阳之分见者也。
阴味出下窍。阳气出上窍清阳发腠理。浊阴走五脏。清阳实四肢。浊阴归六腑。味浓者为阴。薄者为阴中之阳。气
浓者为阳薄者为阳中之阴。味浓则泄。薄则通。气薄则发泄。浓则发热。元素曰。清之清者发腠理。清之浊者实四肢浊
之浊者归六腑。浊之清者走五脏。附子气浓。为阳中之阳。大黄味浓。为阴中之阴。茯苓气薄。为阳中之阴。所以利小
便。入手太阳。不离阳之体也。麻黄味薄。为阴中之阳。所以发汗入手太阴。不离阴之体也。同气之物。或味不同。同
味。之物或气不同。各有浓薄。故性用不等。李杲曰。味之薄者。则通。酸苦咸平是也。味之浓者则泄。咸苦酸咸是也。
气之浓者发热。辛甘温热是也。气之薄者渗泄。甘淡平凉是也。渗谓小汗。泄谓利小便。此是辨药之大法。一定而不移
者也。西医不言气味。考其用大黄利下。用樟脑发热。功用究不离乎气味。特西医不之解耳。
辛甘发散为阳。酸苦涌泄为阴。咸味涌泄为阴淡味渗泄为阳。六者或收或散。或缓或急。或润或燥。或软或坚。所
以利而行之。调其气使平也。
发散是能升发外散。出汗温四肢也。涌是上吐。泄是下利。渗泄是利小便。六者谓辛甘酸苦咸淡也。宗 曰。生物
者气也。成物者味也。以奇生则成而耦。以耦生则成而奇。寒气坚。故其味。咸可用以软热气软。故其味苦可用以坚风
气散故其味酸可用以收燥气收故其味辛可用以散土者冲气无所不和。故其味甘可用以缓用药之道。总调之使平而已宗
此注深得气味相反相成之性。学人察之。
附李杲之说曰。药有升降浮沉。生长收藏以配四时。春升夏浮。秋收冬藏土居中化。是以味薄者升。而生气薄者。
降而收气浓者。浮而长味浓者沉而藏气味平者化而成按味薄者。甘平辛平微温微苦之类是。气薄者。甘寒酸平咸平淡凉
之类是气浓者。甘热辛热之药。是味浓者。苦寒咸寒之药是。气味平者。得土之性。能兼。升降也。李时珍曰。酸咸无
升甘辛无降寒无浮。热无沉。其性然也。一物之中。又有根升梢降。生升热降之不同。贵细审焉。
Western medicine claims that their use of drugs is based on repeated trials, thus having more empirical evidence. This contrasts with Chinese medicine, which relies solely on the color and taste/smell of herbs to deduce their affinity for specific Zang-Fu organs, a method that is as insubstantial as shadows and echoes, lacking solid proof. However, this Western perspective ironically reveals its own superficiality. To say "repeated trials" implies a lack of certainty, relying merely on blind experimentation. They focus only on form and Qi (vital energy) outside the framework of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), establishing theories upon this limited scope, thereby capturing only half while missing the whole. For instance, they claim that oxygen nourishes all things, preserving fruits, soups, and meats from decay. To extract oxygen, they calcine substances like mercury, white alum, and saltpeter. They fail to realize that what they call "oxygen" corresponds to what Chinese medicine calls Yin Qi (Yin Energy). The Chinese use ice to preserve fruit soups precisely because ice possesses pure Yin qualities that do not transform easily. Mercury and similar substances are purely Yin, hence rich in oxygen (Yin Qi). Hydrogen supports combustion, indicating that hydrogen corresponds to Yang Qi (Yang Energy) in Chinese medicine. Therefore, when comparing Western discussions of hydrogen and oxygen with the Chinese discussion of Yin and Yang, which approach better captures the essence? If one discusses only taste/smell or physical properties without integrating both, the efficacy of a single herb remains incomplete. Moreover, did ancient Chinese physicians not conduct trials when tasting herbs?
Accumulated Yang forms Heaven; accumulated Yin forms Earth. Yang manifests as Qi (breath/energy); Yin manifests as Taste (flavor/substance).
Humans and all things share the same Heaven and Earth, and thus the same Yin and Yang. All things inherit the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth, which then transform the Yin and Yang within the human body. The efficacy of medicinal herbs becomes apparent through this process. As stated in the *Neijing* (Inner Canon): "Heaven nourishes humans with Five Qi (aromas/energies); Earth nourishes humans with Five Tastes (flavors)." Taste and smell are the differentiated manifestations of Yin and Yang.
The Yin flavors exit through the lower orifices; the Yang Qi exits through the upper orifices. Clear Yang disperses into the Couli (interstitial spaces of skin and muscle); Turbid Yin travels to the Zang organs. Clear Yang fills the four limbs; Turbid Yin returns to the Fu organs. Flavors that are strong/thick belong to Yin; those that are weak/thin belong to Yin containing Yang. Qi/aromas that are strong/thick belong to Yang; those that are weak/thin belong to Yang containing Yin. Strong flavors induce purgation/drainage; thin flavors promote unblocking/venting. Thin Qi/aromas induce sweating/release; thick Qi/aromas generate heat. Li Dongyuan stated: The clearest of the clear disperses into the Couli; the turbid of the clear fills the limbs; the most turbid returns to the Fu organs; the clear of the turbid travels to the Zang organs. Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root) has thick Qi, making it Yang within Yang. Dahuang (Rhubarb Rhizome) has thick flavor, making it Yin within Yin. Fuling (Poria Sclerotium) has thin Qi, making it Yin within Yang, thus promoting urination and entering the Hand Taiyang channel, remaining rooted in the nature of Yang. Mahuang (Ephedra Herb) has thin flavor, making it Yang within Yin, thus inducing sweating and entering the Hand Taiyin channel, remaining rooted in the nature of Yin. Substances of the same nature may have different flavors; substances of the same flavor may have different aromas. Due to variations in thickness/thinness, their properties and uses differ. Li Gao said: Thin flavors promote unblocking, such as sour, bitter, salty, and neutral tastes. Thick flavors induce drainage/purgation, such as salty, bitter, and sour tastes. Thick aromas generate heat, such as pungent, sweet, warm, and hot natures. Thin aromas promote seepage and drainage, such as sweet, bland, neutral, and cool natures. "Seepage" refers to slight sweating; "drainage" refers to promoting urination. This is the fundamental method for distinguishing herbs, an immutable principle. Western medicine does not discuss taste and aroma, but examining their use of Dahuang for purgation and Camphora (Borneolum Syntheticum/Camphor) for generating heat shows that their functions ultimately rely on taste and aroma; they simply do not understand the underlying theory.
Pungent and sweet flavors disperse and ascend, belonging to Yang. Sour and bitter flavors induce vomiting and purgation, belonging to Yin. Salty flavor induces vomiting and purgation, belonging to Yin. Bland flavor promotes seepage and drainage, belonging to Yang. These six flavors either astringe or disperse, either relax or tense, either moisten or dry, either soften or harden. Their purpose is to guide and regulate them, harmonizing Qi to achieve balance.
"Dispersing" means ascending and scattering outward, including inducing sweat and warming the limbs. "Vomiting" means upward expulsion. "Purgation" means downward drainage. "Seepage and drainage" means promoting urination. These six refer to Pungent, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Bland. Tang Zonghai stated: That which generates living beings is Qi; that which forms material objects is Flavor. What is born from odd numbers becomes even upon formation; what is born from even numbers becomes odd upon formation. Cold nature is firm, so its flavor is Salty, which can be used to soften it. Heat nature is soft, so its flavor is Bitter, which can be used to firm it. Wind nature is dissipating, so its flavor is Sour, which can be used to astringe it. Dryness nature is contracting, so its flavor is Pungent, which can be used to disperse it. Earth nature is balanced and harmonious, so its flavor is Sweet, which can be used to moderate it. The way of using medicine is fundamentally to regulate and restore balance. My commentary here deeply grasps the contradictory yet complementary nature of taste and aroma; students should examine this carefully.
Li Gao's view is attached: Herbs have ascending, descending, floating, and sinking properties, corresponding to growth, flourishing, harvesting, and storing across the four seasons. Spring governs ascending, Summer floating, Autumn harvesting, Winter storing, and Earth governing transformation in the center. Therefore, thin flavors ascend; thin aromas descend and harvest. Thick aromas float and flourish; thick flavors sink and store. Neutral aromas transform and complete. Thin flavors include sweet-neutral, pungent-neutral, slightly warm, and slightly bitter types. Thin aromas include sweet-cold, sour-neutral, salty-bland-cool types. Thick aromas include sweet-hot and pungent-hot herbs. Thick flavors include bitter-cold and salty-cold herbs. Neutral aromas possess the nature of Earth and can combine ascending and descending actions. Li Shizhen said: Sour and salty have no ascending property; pungent and sweet have no descending property; cold has no floating property; hot has no sinking property. This is their inherent nature. Within a single herb, there are also differences such as roots ascending and tips descending, raw herbs ascending and cooked herbs descending. Careful scrutiny is essential.