之，土湿主于缓而水胜之，故能然也。若能燥湿而坚火者，苦也。《易》曰∶燥万物者，
莫燥乎火。凡物燥则坚也。甘能缓苦急而散结。甘者，土也。燥能急结，故缓则急散也。辛能散抑、散
结、润燥。辛者，金也。金主散落，金生水故也。况抑结散，则气液宣行而津液生也。《藏气法
时论》曰∶肾苦燥，急食辛以润之。开腠理，致津液，通气也。咸能软坚。咸者，水也。水润而柔
，故胜火之坚矣。此五脏之味也。其为五味之本也淡也。淡，胃土之味也。胃土者，地也。地
为万物之本，胃为一身之本。《天元纪大论》曰∶在地为化，化生五味。故五味之本淡也。
以配胃土，淡能渗泄利窍。夫燥能急结，而甘能缓之；淡为刚土，极能润燥，缓其急结，令气通
行，而致津液渗泄也。故消渴之人，其药与食，皆宜淡剂。《至真要大论》曰∶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，或散，或收，或缓，或急，或燥，或
润，或坚，或软，所以利而行之，调其气也。《本草》云∶药有三品∶上品为君，主养命，
小毒，以应天；中品为臣，主养性，常毒，以应人；下品为佐使，主治病，大毒，以应地。
不在三品者，气毒之物也。凡此君臣佐使者，所以明药之善恶也。处方之道，主治病者为君
，佐君者为臣，应臣之用者为佐使。适其病之所根，有君、臣、佐、使、奇、偶、小、大之
制；明其岁政君臣脉位，而有逆、顺、反、正、主疗之方，随病所宜以施用。
其治法多端，
温者清之，清者温之，结者散之，散者收之，微者逆而制之，甚者从而去之，燥者润之，湿
者燥之，坚者软之，软者坚之，急者缓之，客者除之，留者却之，劳者温之，逸者行之，惊
者平之，衰者补之，甚者泻之，吐之下之，摩之益之，薄之劫之，开之发之，灸之制之，适
足为用，各安其气，必清必净，而病气衰去，脏腑和平，归其所宗，此治之大体也。
《阴阳
加，气之所衰，不可以为功也。
今集诸经验方附于篇末。
Dampness in the Earth element leads to a slow pulse, and when Water overcomes it, this condition arises. If one can dry dampness and solidify Fire using Bitter flavors, it is acceptable. The *I Ching* states: "Nothing dries things more than Fire." When things are dried by Fire, they become hard. Sweet flavors can relieve the urgency of Bitter flavors and dissipate stagnation. Sweet corresponds to the Earth element. Dryness causes stagnation to become urgent; therefore, using Sweet to relax it allows the urgent stagnation to dissipate. Acrid flavors can disperse depression, dissipate stagnation, and moisten dryness. Acrid corresponds to the Metal element. Metal governs dispersal and falling because Metal generates Water. Moreover, when depression and stagnation are dissipated, Qi and fluids circulate freely, and body fluids are generated. The *Suwen: Zangqi Fashi Lun* states: "The Kidney suffers from dryness; urgently consume Acrid flavors to moisten it." This opens the interstices (couli), promotes the production of body fluids, and unblocks Qi. Salty flavors can soften hardness. Salty corresponds to the Water element. Water is moist and flexible, thus overcoming the hardness of Fire. These are the five flavors corresponding to the five Zang organs. The root of these five flavors is Dan (Bland) flavor. Dan is the flavor of Stomach Earth. Stomach Earth is like the earth. The earth is the root of all things, and Stomach Qi is the root of the entire body. The *Suwen: Tianyuanji Dalun* states: "On earth, it manifests as transformation, which generates the five flavors." Thus, the root of the five flavors lies in Dan. Matching Dan with Stomach Earth, Dan can permeate, drain, and benefit the orifices. Dryness causes urgent stagnation, while Sweet relieves it; Dan belongs to rigid Earth and is extremely effective at moistening dryness, relieving urgent stagnation, allowing Qi to flow smoothly, thereby promoting the permeation and excretion of body fluids. Therefore, for patients with Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst syndrome), both their medications and diet should preferably use Dan (Bland) agents. The *Suwen: Zhizhen Yao Dalun* states: "Acrid and Sweet flavors that disperse belong to Yang; Sour and Bitter flavors that induce vomiting and purging belong to Yin; Salty flavors that induce vomiting and purging belong to Yin; Dan (Bland) flavors that permeate and drain belong to Yang." These six flavors either disperse, collect, relax, urge, dry, moisten, harden, or soften, thereby facilitating circulation and regulating Qi. The *Bencao Jing* states: Medicines are divided into three grades: The Superior grade serves as the Sovereign (Jun) herb, primarily nourishing life, with slight toxicity, corresponding to Heaven; the Middle grade serves as the Deputy (Chen) herb, primarily nourishing nature/character, with common toxicity, corresponding to Humanity; the Inferior grade serves as the Assistant (Zuo/Shi) herb, primarily treating disease, with great toxicity, corresponding to Earth. Those not among the three grades are substances with gaseous toxins. All these Sovereign, Deputy, Assistant, and Envoy distinctions clarify the good and bad qualities of medicines. The principle of prescription dictates that the herb primarily treating the disease is the Sovereign (Jun); those assisting the Sovereign are Deputies (Chen); and those responding to the utility of the Deputies are Assistants and Envoys (Zuo/Shi). According to the root of the disease, there are formulations involving Sovereign, Deputy, Assistant, Envoy, Odd (Qi), Even (Ou), Small, and Large structures; clarifying the annual governance, Sovereign/Deputy pulse positions, there are methods of Counter-treatment (Ni), Conventional treatment (Shun), Reverse treatment (Fan), and Direct treatment (Zheng), applying formulas according to the suitability of the disease.
Treatment methods are diverse: Heat is treated with Cooling, Cold is treated with Warming, Stagnation is dispersed, Laxity is consolidated, Mild cases are treated by counteracting them, Severe cases are treated by following them, Dryness is moistened, Dampness is dried, Hardness is softened, Softness is hardened, Urgency is relaxed, Invading pathogens are eliminated, Retained pathogens are expelled, Exhaustion is warmed, Idleness is moved, Shock is calmed, Deficiency is tonified, Excess is purged, Upper pathogens are induced to vomit, Lower pathogens are purged downward, Massage benefits, Attack seizes, Opening disperses, Moxibustion controls. As long as they are suitable for use, each settles its Qi, ensuring clarity and purity, so that pathogenic Qi declines, Zang-Fu organs return to harmony, and revert to their origin. This is the general framework of treatment.
Yin-Yang imbalance arises from the decline of Qi, which cannot achieve efficacy.
Now, various empirical prescriptions are appended to the end of this chapter.