苍耳子(六六) 一名羊负来味苦微甘。治头风寒痛,风湿周痹,四脸拘挛;去风明目,养血,暖
腰膝,及瘰 疮疥,亦治鼻渊。宜炒熟为末,白汤点眼一二钱,久之乃效。忌猪肉、马肉。
漏芦(六七) 味微咸,性寒,有小毒。主热毒恶疮,瘰 乳痈痔漏,挑脓长肉,止金疮血出。亦下乳
汁、通经脉,消赤眼,利小便,止尿血肠风,淋沥遗溺,及小儿壮热。疗跌扑损伤,可续筋骨。
刘寄奴(六八) 味苦,性温。能破瘀血,活新血,通妇人经脉,产后余血,损伤瘀血,下气,止心腹
痛,及小便去血,俱可为散,或茶或酒调服。捣敷金疮出血不止,其效尤捷。用治汤火伤大效,但
为末掺之。
蓄(六九) 味苦涩。利小便,除黄胆,杀二虫,去下部湿热浸淫阴蚀,疮疥痔漏。煮汁饮之,
疗小儿蛔虫上攻心腹作痛大效。有《海上歌》云∶心头急痛不能当,我有仙人海上方。 蓄醋煎通
口咽,管教时刻即安康。
青葙子(七十) 野鸡冠子也味微苦,微寒。能清肝火血热,故治赤眼,退赤障,消翳肿,镇肝明耳目,
亦去风湿恶疮疥癞。
艾(七一) 味微苦,气辛,生用微温,熟用微热。能通十二经,而尤为肝脾肾之药。善于温中逐
冷除湿,行血中之气,气中之滞,凡妇人血气寒滞者,最宜用之。故能安胎,止心腹痛,治带下血崩,暖腰膝,止
吐血、下
痢,辟风寒寒湿瘴疟,霍乱转筋,及一切冷气鬼气,杀蛔虫并下部 疮。或生用捣汁,或熟用煎汤;
或用灸百病,或炒热敷熨,可通经络;或袋盛包裹,可温脐膝,表里生熟,俱有所宜。
佛耳草(七二) 一名鼠曲草。味微酸,性温。大温肺气,止寒嗽,散痰气,解风寒寒热,亦止泄
泻。铺艾卷作烟筒,用熏久嗽尤效。
蓝靛(七三) 蓝叶气味苦寒微甘。善解百虫百药毒,及治天行瘟疫,热毒发狂,风热斑疹,痈
疡肿痛,除烦渴,止鼻衄吐血,杀疳蚀、金疮箭毒。凡以热兼毒者,皆宜捣汁用之。
靛青 乃蓝与锻石所成,性与蓝叶稍异,其杀虫止血,敷诸热毒热疮之功,似有胜于蓝叶者。
青黛 味微咸而寒,性与靛青大同。解诸热毒虫毒,金疮热疮,或干掺,或以水调敷。若治
诸热疮毒,或用马齿苋加青黛同捣敷之。苦治天行头痛,瘟疫热毒,及小儿诸热,惊痫发热,并水
研服之。
木贼(七四) 味微苦微甘,性温而升,阳也。性亚麻黄,故能发汗解肌,治伤寒疟疾,去风湿,
散火邪,疗目疾,退翳障,止肠风下血下痢,及妇人崩中带漏,月水不调,亦治风湿疝痛,大肠脱
肛。
王不留行(七五) 一名金盏银台。味苦,平,性滑利,乃阳明冲任血海药也。治风毒,通血脉,
疗妇人难产及经滞不调,下乳汁,利小便,除风湿痹痛,止心烦鼻衄,发背痈疽疮 ,游风风疹,
出竹木刺,及金疮止血,亦能定痛。
海金沙(七六) 此草出黔中,七月收其全科,晒干,以杖击之,则细沙自茎叶中落。味甘性寒,
乃小肠膀胱血分药也。善通利水道,解郁热湿热,及伤寒热狂,小便癃闭肿满,热淋膏浊,血淋石
淋、茎中疼痛。解诸热毒。或丸或散皆可用。
灯心草(七七) 味淡性平。能通水道涩结癃闭,治五淋,泻肺热,降心火,除水肿,止血,通阴气,
散肿止渴。但用败席煮服更良。若治喉痹,宜烧灯草灰吹之。若治下疳疮,亦用烧灰,加轻粉、麝
香为末掺之。
烟(又七七) 味辛气温,性微热,升也,阳也。烧烟吸之,大能醉人,用时惟吸一口或二口,若多
吸之,令人
醉倒,久而后苏,甚者以冷水一口解之即醒;若见烦闷,但用白糖解之即安,亦奇物也。吸时须开
喉长吸咽下,令其直达下焦。其气上行则能温心肺,下行则能温肝脾肾,服后能使通身温暖微汗,
元阳陡壮。用以治表,善逐一切阴邪寒毒,山岚瘴气,风湿邪闭腠理,筋骨疼痛,诚顷刻取效之神剂
也。用以治里,善壮胃气,进饮食,祛阴浊寒滞,消膨胀宿食,止呕哕霍乱,除积聚诸虫,解郁结
,止疼痛,行气停血瘀,举下陷后坠,通达三焦,立刻见效。
此物自古未闻也,近自我明万历时始出于闽广之间,自后吴楚间皆种植之矣,然总不若闽中者,
色微黄,质细,名为金丝烟者,力强气胜为优也。求其习服之始,则向以征滇之役,师旅深入瘴地,
无不染病,独一营安然无恙,问其所以,则众皆服烟,由是遍传,而今则西南一方,无分老幼,朝夕
不能间矣。予初得此物,亦甚疑贰,及习服数次,乃悉其功用之捷有如是者,因着性于此。
然此物性属纯阳,善行善散,惟阴滞者用之如神,若阳盛气越而多躁多火,及气虚短而多汗者
,皆不宜用。或疑其能顷刻醉人,性必有毒,今彼处习服既久,初未闻其妨人者,抑又何耶?盖
其阳气强猛,人不能胜,故下咽即醉,既能散邪,亦必耗气,理固然也。然烟气易散,而人气随复,
阳性留中,旋亦生气,此其耗中有补,故人多喜服而未见其损者以此。后槟榔条中有说,当与此参
阅。
Cang'erzi (Xanthium Fruit) [No. 66] Also known as Yangfulai, it tastes bitter with a slight sweetness. It treats headache caused by wind-cold in the head, rheumatic pain and stiffness throughout the body; it dispels wind, brightens the eyes, nourishes blood, warms the waist and knees, and is also used for scrofula (lymph node tuberculosis), sores, and carbuncles, as well as nasal sinusitis (Bi Yuan). It is suitable to be stir-fried until ripe, ground into powder, and taken with warm water, one or two qian at a time; long-term use is required for efficacy. Pork and horse meat should be avoided.
Loulu (Rhapontici Radix) [No. 67] It tastes slightly salty, has a cold nature, and possesses slight toxicity. It primarily treats malignant sores caused by heat-toxin, scrofula, mastitis (Ru Yong), hemorrhoids, and anal fistulas; it can pierce abscesses to drain pus and promote flesh growth, and stop bleeding from metal weapon injuries. It can also promote lactation, unblock meridians, eliminate red eyes, promote urination, stop hematuria and intestinal wind diarrhea, treat strangury, enuresis, and high fever in children. For treating falls and bruises, it can help reconnect bones and tendons.
Liujinu (Artemisiae Annuae Herba) [No. 68] It tastes bitter and has a warm nature. It can break up blood stasis, activate new blood, unblock the meridians of women, treat residual blood after childbirth, and resolve blood stasis due to injury. It directs qi downward, stops epigastric and abdominal pain, and stops hematuria. These conditions can all be treated with powders, administered with tea or wine. When crushed and applied externally to bleeding wounds from metal weapons, its effect is particularly rapid. It is highly effective for treating burns and scalds; simply apply the powder to the affected area.
Bianxu (Polygoni Avicularis Herba) [No. 69] It tastes bitter and astringent. It promotes urination, removes jaundice, kills parasites, clears damp-heat soaking in the lower jiao causing genital erosion, sores, scabies, hemorrhoids, and anal fistulas. Decocted and drunk, it is highly effective for treating severe abdominal pain caused by ascendant attack of roundworms in children. The "Song of the High Seas" states: "When urgent heart pain is unbearable, I have the Immortal's prescription from the sea. Bianxu decocted with vinegar passes through the throat and mouth, guaranteeing peace within moments."
Qingxiangzi (Celosiae Semen) [No. 70] Also known as Yejiguanzi (Wild Chicken Comb Seed), it tastes slightly bitter and has a slightly cold nature. It can clear liver fire and blood heat; therefore, it treats red eye disease, reduces redness and nebula, eliminates swelling, calms the liver to brighten the eyes and ears, and also dispels wind-dampness, malignant sores, scabies, and leprosy.
Aiye (Artemisiae Argyi Folium) [No. 71] It tastes slightly bitter and has a pungent aroma. When used raw, it is slightly warm; when cooked, it is slightly hot. It can circulate through the twelve meridians, especially serving as a herb for the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney. It excels at warming the middle, expelling cold, and removing dampness, moving qi in the blood, and resolving stagnation in the qi. For women with cold-stagnation of blood and qi, it is most suitable. Thus, it can stabilize the fetus, stop epigastric and abdominal pain, treat leukorrhea and metrorrhagia, warm the waist and knees, stop hematemesis and dysentery, ward off wind-cold-dampness and miasma malaria, cholera with muscle cramps, and all types of cold qi and ghost qi, kill roundworms, and treat lower body ulcers. It can be used raw and crushed for juice, or cooked and decocted for soup; used for moxibustion to treat various diseases, or stir-fried and applied hot for compresses to unblock meridians; or placed in bags to wrap and warm the umbilicus and knees. Whether for exterior or interior, raw or cooked, each has its appropriate use.
Ercao (Antennariae Herba) [No. 72] Also known as Shuqucao. It tastes slightly sour and has a warm nature. It greatly warms lung qi, stops cold cough, dissipates phlegm qi, resolves wind-cold and alternating chills and fever, and also stops diarrhea. Laying mugwort on grass rolls to make smoke tubes, using the smoke to fumigate chronic cough is particularly effective.
Landi (Indigo Naturalis) [No. 73] The leaves of Isatis have a bitter, cold taste with slight sweetness. They excel at解毒 (detoxifying) poisons from various insects and drugs, treating epidemic febrile diseases, madness caused by heat-toxin, wind-heat macules and rashes, painful swelling of carbuncles and ulcers, relieving irritability and thirst, stopping epistaxis and hematemesis, killing malnutrition ulcers, and neutralizing poison from metal wounds and arrows. For conditions involving heat combined with toxicity, crushing them for juice application is suitable.
Dianqing (Indigo Fermentati Folii Extractum) is formed from Isatis leaves and ferrous sulfate. Its nature differs slightly from Isatis leaves; its efficacy in killing parasites, stopping bleeding, and applying to various heat-toxin heat sores seems superior to that of Isatis leaves.
Qingdai (Indigo Naturalis) tastes slightly salty and cold, with a nature largely similar to Dianqing. It resolves various heat-toxins and insect toxins, treating metal wound heat sores; it can be applied dry or mixed with water for topical use. To treat various heat-sores and toxins, purslane can be added to Qingdai, crushed together, and applied. For treating epidemic headaches, plague heat-toxins, and various heat syndromes in children such as convulsions and fever, it is ground in water and ingested.
Muzei (Equiseti Hiemalis Herba) [No. 74] It tastes slightly bitter and sweet, has a warm and ascending nature, and belongs to Yang. Its nature is similar to Ephedra, so it can induce sweating and release the muscle layer, treat typhoid and malaria, dispel wind-dampness, scatter fire pathogens, treat eye diseases, reduce nebulae, stop intestinal wind bleeding and dysentery, and treat menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, and irregular menstruation in women. It also treats wind-dampness hernia pain and rectal prolapse.
Wangbuliu Xingging (Vaccariae Semen) [No. 75] Also known as Jinzhen Yintai. It tastes bitter and is neutral in nature, with a slippery and penetrating property. It is a herb for the Yangming channel, Chong vessel, Ren vessel, and Blood Sea. It treats wind-toxin, unblocks blood vessels, treats difficult labor and irregular menstruation in women, promotes lactation, promotes urination, removes wind-dampness bi-syndrome pain, stops irritability and epistaxis, treats back carbuncles and ulcerations, wandering wind and wind-rashes, extracts bamboo and wood splinters, stops bleeding from metal wounds, and can also relieve pain.
Haijinsha (Lygodii Spora) [No. 76] This herb grows in the Qianzhong region. In July, the whole plant is harvested, dried, and beaten with a stick, causing fine sand to fall from the stems and leaves. It tastes sweet and has a cold nature. It is a herb for the blood aspect of the Small Intestine and Bladder. It excels at promoting and unblocking the water passages, resolving stagnant heat and damp-heat, as well as typhoid with mania, urinary retention with swelling and fullness, heat strangury with turbid urine, bloody strangury, stone strangury, and penile pain. It resolves various heat-toxins. It can be used in pill or powder form.
Dengxincao (Junci Medulla) [No. 77] It tastes bland and is neutral in nature. It can unblock water passage obstruction leading to urinary retention, treat five types of strangury, drain lung heat, descend heart fire, remove edema, stop bleeding, unblock yin qi, reduce swelling, and relieve thirst. However, boiling it with old mats yields better results. For treating throat obstruction (Hou Bi), burning Dengxincao to ash and insufflating it is appropriate. For treating chancre ulcers, burnt ash is used, mixed with Calomelas (Qingfen) and Moschus (Shexiang) as powder for application.
Yan (Tobacco) [No. 77 again] It tastes pungent, has a warm temperature, a slightly hot nature, and an ascending quality, belonging to Yang. Burning it to inhale the smoke can intoxicate people greatly. When used, only inhale one or two puffs; excessive inhalation causes intoxication and collapse, requiring time to recover. Severe cases can be awakened with a sip of cold water. If irritability occurs, white sugar can soothe it instantly; it is indeed a strange substance. One must open the throat wide and inhale deeply down to swallow, allowing it to reach directly to the Lower Jiao. Its qi rising warms the Heart and Lungs; descending warms the Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys. After ingestion, it makes the whole body warm with slight sweating and suddenly strengthens the Primordial Yang. Used for exterior syndromes, it excels at driving out all yin pathogens and cold toxins, mountain miasma, wind-damp pathogens closing the interstices, and bone-joint pain; it is truly a divine agent taking effect in moments. Used for interior syndromes, it excels at strengthening Stomach qi, promoting appetite, dispelling yin turbidity and cold stagnation, eliminating distension and retained food, stopping vomiting, hiccups, and cholera, removing accumulations and parasites, resolving stagnation, stopping pain, moving stagnant qi and blood, lifting sinking and prolapse, and unblocking the Triple Burner, taking immediate effect.
This substance was unheard of since ancient times. It first appeared between Fujian and Guangdong during the Wanli era of our Ming Dynasty. Since then, it has been planted in the Wu and Chu regions. However, none compare to those from Fujian, which are slightly yellow in color and fine in texture, named Silk Thread Tobacco (Jinsi Yan); these have stronger potency and superior qi. Tracing the origin of its habitual use, it began during the campaign to pacify Yunnan. The army advanced deep into miasma-infested lands, and everyone fell ill except one camp, which remained safe. Upon inquiry, it was found that the soldiers all smoked tobacco. Thus, it spread widely. Now, in the southwest region, young and old alike cannot go without it morning and night. When I first obtained this substance, I was skeptical. After habitually using it several times, I realized its efficacy was as swift as described, so I recorded its properties here.
However, this substance belongs to pure Yang, excelling in movement and dispersion. It works like magic only for those with yin stagnation. It is unsuitable for those with excess yang, floating qi, irritability, and internal fire, as well as those with qi deficiency, shortness of breath, and profuse sweating. Some suspect that because it can intoxicate people instantly, it must be toxic. Yet, locals have used it for a long time without reported harm. Why? Probably because its yang qi is strong and fierce, overwhelming the human body, causing intoxication upon swallowing. Since it disperses pathogens, it inevitably consumes qi; this is logical. However, smoke disperses easily, and human qi recovers quickly. The positive nature remains inside and generates qi shortly after. This is why consumption contains supplementation, explaining why people enjoy using it without seeing damage. There is discussion regarding Areca Seed (Binglang) later; refer to it for comparison.