酸浆实,孕妇吞下立分娩无忧,小儿食之能除热有益。根捣汁极苦,治黄胆易消。
石韦用须,拭去背上黄毛,治遗尿成淋,通膀胱利水,疗痈疽发背,去恶风止
烦,益精气补五劳,除邪热安五脏。生瓦上者名为瓦韦,治淋亦佳。
味甘、淡、气寒,无毒。甘寒淡渗,故主通利小肠,治热血膏淋,及脾湿肿满,腹
胀如鼓,喘不得卧,乃手太阳小肠经药也。然淡渗而无补,若肿胀由于脾虚,淋浊由于
真阴不足者,忌服。
海金沙,治小便不通,脐下满闷,主湿热肿满,膏血诸淋,乃专利小肠,湿热之
药,可供合丸散。
其根名常山。禀天地阴寒之气,味苦、辛、寒、有毒。苦泄辛散,故善逐饮,阴寒
祛热,故善破瘴 。入口即吐,其性暴悍可知。古方治疟多用,盖以岭南西粤鬼方山岚
瘴气所感,充于营卫皮肤之间,欲去皮肤毛孔中瘴气根本,非常山不可以。性能祛逐祛
痰积饮,善散山岚瘴 也。
蜀漆,系常山苗,散火邪错逆,破痈瘕 坚痞结积凝,虫毒鬼疰久疟,兼治咳逆亦
调,切勿服多。亦防恶吐。常山截温疟吐痰沫殊功,水胀堪逐,鬼虫能消,勿热下咽。
露宿才投,故老人病久尤宜戒服,盖阴毒暴悍之草,虽能破瘴逐饮,善治久疟,须在发
散表邪,提出阳分之后用之。但最损真气,
倘疟非因瘴气,老痰积饮者,勿轻用之,功不掩过者也。
按,常山截疟疾甚效者,盖疟疾必有黄涎聚于胸中,故曰∶“无痰不成疟”。且弦脉
主痰饮,而疟脉必弦,常山善去老痰积饮,故为疟家要药。必须好酒炒透,否则令人吐
也。若同参术,则既可去病,复可御其猛烈之性矣。
Suanjiangshi (Fructus Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii), when swallowed by pregnant women, ensures safe and worry-free delivery; for children, consuming it clears heat and is beneficial. The root, crushed to extract juice, is extremely bitter and effectively treats jaundice, facilitating its resolution.
Shiwei (Folium Pyrrosiae) must have the yellow hairs on its back brushed off before use. It treats enuresis and stranguria, unblocks the Bladder and promotes diuresis, treats carbuncles and back sores, dispels wind-cold and relieves irritability, nourishes essence and qi, tonifies the five types of exhaustion (Wulao), eliminates pathogenic heat, and calms the Zang organs. Shiwei growing on tiles is named "Wa Wei" (Tile Moss) and is also excellent for treating stranguria.
It tastes sweet and bland, has a cold nature, and is non-toxic. Due to its sweet, cold, and bland-diffusing properties, it primarily unblocks and benefits the Small Intestine, treating hematuria with fatty sediment (Gaolin) caused by blood-heat, as well as swelling and fullness due to Spleen dampness, abdominal distension like a drum, wheezing preventing lying down. It is a herb belonging to the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian. However, it has diffusing and draining effects but no tonifying action. Therefore, if swelling is due to Spleen deficiency, or stranguria/turbid urine is due to insufficiency of True Yin, it is contraindicated.
Haijinsha (Spora Lygodii) treats urinary retention and fullness/stuffiness below the umbilicus. It governs swelling and fullness due to damp-heat, and various forms of stranguria including Gaolin and Xuelin. It specifically targets damp-heat in the Small Intestine and can be used to prepare pills or powders.
Its root is named Changshan (Radix Dichroae). It inherits the Yin-cold Qi of Heaven and Earth, tastes bitter and acrid, is cold in nature, and is toxic. Bitterness drains downward, and acridity disperses outward, so it excels at driving out retained fluids (Yin). Its Yin-cold nature clears heat, so it excels at breaking through miasma/toxic pathogens. It induces immediate vomiting upon ingestion, revealing its violent and fierce nature. Ancient formulas frequently used it for malaria, likely because the miasma from the mountainous regions of Lingnan and Western Yue infects the Ying and Wei levels and skin pores; to eliminate the root of this miasma from the skin and pores, Changshan is indispensable. Its function is to驱逐 (drive away) phlegm accumulation and fluid retention, and it excels at dissipating mountain miasma.
Shuqiang (Herba Dichroae), which is the young shoot of Changshan, disperses rebellious Fire-Evil, breaks up abscesses, masses, hard nodules, and accumulated凝滞 (stagnation), treats insect toxins, Gui Zhu (ghostly infections), and chronic malaria, and also regulates cough and counterflow qi. Do not take excessive amounts. Also guard against inducing nausea/vomiting. Changshan is remarkably effective in arresting warm malaria and expelling phlegm froth, driving out water distension, and eliminating ghostly parasites. Do not swallow while hot. Since it is often collected during dew exposure, it is especially contraindicated for the elderly with chronic illness. It is a herb with Yin-toxicity and fierce properties; although it can break miasma and drive out fluids, effectively treating chronic malaria, it should only be used after exterior pathogenic factors have been dispersed and the pathogen has been raised to the Yang level. It severely damages True Qi. If malaria is not caused by miasma but by old phlegm and fluid retention, do not use it lightly, as its faults may outweigh its merits.
Note: Changshan is very effective in arresting malaria because malaria invariably involves the accumulation of yellow phlegm in the chest, hence the saying: "No phlegm, no malaria." Furthermore, the Wiry pulse governs phlegm-fluids, and the pulse in malaria is invariably Wiry. Since Changshan excels at removing old phlegm and fluid retention, it is a key herb for malaria patients. It must be stir-fried thoroughly with good wine; otherwise, it will induce vomiting. If combined with Renshen (Ginseng Root) and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), it can both eliminate the disease and mitigate its fierce nature.