味辛、苦，微温，有小毒。主胸胁痛如刀刺，腹满，肠鸣幽幽，惊恐悸气。利五脏肠胃，
补血气，除寒热风痹，温中消谷，疗喉咽痛，下蛊毒。一名利如，一名房图，一名白药，一
名梗草，一名荠 ，生嵩高山谷及宛朐。二、八月采根，曝干。
节皮为之使。得牡蛎、远志疗恚怒，得硝石、石膏疗伤寒。畏白芨、龙眼、龙胆。近道
处处有，叶名隐忍。二、三
月生，可煮食之。桔梗疗蛊毒甚验。俗方用此，乃名荠 。今别
有荠 ，能解药毒，所谓乱人参者便是，非此桔梗，而叶甚相似。但荠 叶下光明、滑泽，
无毛为异，叶生又不如人参相对者尔。
〔谨案〕人参，苗似五加阔短，茎圆，有三、四丫，
丫头有五叶。陶引荠 乱人参，谬矣。且荠 、桔梗，又有叶差互者，亦有叶三、四对者
，皆一茎直上，叶既相乱，惟以根有心、无心为别尔。
味苦、甘，寒、大寒，有毒。主大腹疝瘕，腹满，面目浮肿，留饮宿食，破症坚积聚，
利水谷道，下五水，散膀胱
留热，皮中痞，热气肿满。一名主田，一名甘 ，一名陵 ，一名
川谷。二月采根，阴干。
瓜蒂为之使，恶远志，反甘草。中山在代郡。先第一本出太山，江东比来用京口者，大
不相似。赤皮者胜，白皮都
下亦有，名草甘遂，殊恶，盖谓膺伪草耳，非言草石之草也。
〔谨
案〕所谓草甘遂者，乃蚤休也，疗体全别。真甘遂苗似泽漆，草甘遂苗一茎，茎端六、七叶
，如蓖麻、鬼臼叶等。生食一升，亦不能利，大疗痈疽蛇毒。且真甘遂皆以皮赤肉白，作连
珠实重者良。亦无皮白者，皮白乃是蚤休，俗名重台也。
[Platycodonis Radix (Jiegeng)]
Taste: Acrid, Bitter. Nature: Slightly Warm. Toxicity: Slightly toxic.
Indications: Primarily treats stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, abdominal fullness, low-pitched borborygmus (intestinal rumbling), and conditions involving fright, palpitations, and qi disturbance. It benefits the five zang organs and the stomach and intestines, nourishes blood and qi, dispels wind-cold-dampness bi syndrome (painful obstruction), warms the middle jiao to promote digestion, treats sore throat, and expels gu poison (parasitic toxin).
Synonyms: Li Ru, Fang Tu, Bai Yao, Geng Cao, Qi Fan (Note: The text uses a character often associated with confusion with other plants, here transliterated as Qi Fan based on context of "Qi ").
Habitat: Grows in valleys of Mount Song and Wan Qu.
Harvesting: Roots are collected in the second and eighth months and dried in the sun.
Processing/Compatibility: Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi) is used as an adjuvant. Combined with Oyster Shell (Muli) and Polygala Root (Yuanzhi), it treats ailments caused by indignation/anger. Combined with Niter (Xiaoshi) and Gypsum (Shigao), it treats Taiyang disease (Shanghan). Adverse interactions: Aversion to Bletilla Rhizome (Baiji), Longan Aril (Longyan Rou), and Gentian Root (Longdan).
Distribution: Found everywhere in nearby regions. The leaves are named Yin Ren. They emerge in the second and third months and can be boiled for consumption. Platycodonis Radix is highly effective in treating gu poison. Folk prescriptions use this herb, often calling it Qi Fan. However, there is another plant also called Qi Fan, which can detoxify medicines, known as the one that confuses Ginseng. This is not Platycodonis Radix, although their leaves are very similar. The distinguishing feature is that the underside of the Qi Fan leaves is bright, smooth, and hairless, whereas the leaf arrangement is not opposite like that of Ginseng.
[Commentary]: Ginseng seedlings resemble Eleutherococcus senticosus (Wujia), with broad, short leaves, round stems, three to four branches, each bearing five leaves. Tao Hongjing's citation of Qi Fan confusing with Ginseng is erroneous. Furthermore, both Qi Fan and Platycodonis Radix have leaves that are either alternate or arranged in whorls of three to four, all growing on a single upright stem. Since the leaves are easily confused, they are distinguished only by whether the root has a pith (heart) or not.
[Kansui Radix (Gansui)]
Taste: Bitter, Sweet. Nature: Cold, Greatly Cold. Toxicity: Toxic.
Indications: Primarily treats large abdominal hernias and masses (zheng jia), abdominal fullness, edema of the face and eyes, retained fluids and old food stagnation, breaking hard accumulations, promoting urination and defecation, eliminating five types of water retention, dissipating residual heat in the bladder, and resolving痞 (fullness/stagnation) and heat-induced swelling in the skin.
Synonyms: Zhu Tian, Gan Fan, Ling Fan, Chuan Gu.
Harvesting: Roots are collected in the second month and dried in the shade.
Processing/Compatibility: Trichosanthes Fruit Peduncle (Gua Di) is used as an adjuvant. Aversion to Polygala Root (Yuanzhi). Incompatibility with Licorice Root (Gancao).
Origin: Kansui from Zhongshan originates from Dai Commandery. The earliest texts state it comes from Mount Tai. Recently, Jiangdong regions use those from Jingkou, which are quite different. Those with red bark are superior. White-barked varieties exist in the capital region, called Grass Gansui, which have a foul odor, likely referring to counterfeit herbs rather than true botanical grasses.
[Commentary]: The so-called "Grass Gansui" is actually Paris polyphylla (Zaoxiu), which has completely different therapeutic properties. True Gansui seedlings resemble Euphorbia lathyris (Ze Qi), whereas Grass Gansui seedlings have a single stem with six to seven leaves at the tip, resembling Ricinus communis (Bimamu) or Podophyllum (Guibai). Consuming one sheng raw does not cause purging but is mainly used to treat carbuncles, ulcers, and snake venom. True Gansui is of best quality when it has red bark, white flesh, appears bead-like (linked pearls), and is solid and heavy. There are no white-barked true Gansui; white-barked ones are actually Zaoxiu, commonly known as Chongtai.