宣、通窍。
辛苦而温。芳香而散。开心孔。利九窍。明耳目。发声音。去湿除风。逐痰消积。开胃
宽中
。疗噤口毒痢。(杨士瀛曰∶噤口虽属脾虚、亦热闭胸膈所致、用木香失之温、山药失之闭
、唯参苓白术散加菖蒲、米饮下、胸次一开、自然思食。)风痹。(同黍米酿酒、治诸风。)
惊痫。崩带胎漏。消肿止痛。解毒杀虫。(士材曰∶仙经称为水草之精英、神仙之灵药、
用泔浸、饭上蒸之、借谷气而臻于中和、真有殊常之效、又曰∶芳香利窍、心脾良药、能佐
地黄天冬之属、资其宣导、若多用独用、亦耗气血而为殃。)香燥而散。阴血不足者禁之。
精滑汗多者尤忌。生水石间。不沾土。根瘦节密。一寸九节者良。去毛。微炒。秦艽为使。
恶
器。(犯铁器、令人吐逆。)
生、滑行血、炒、涩止血。
甘平。厥阴血分药。(心包、肝。)生用性滑。行血消瘀。通经脉。利小便。祛心腹膀胱
之热
。(同五灵脂、名失笑散、治心腹血气痛。)疗扑打损伤。疮疖诸肿。(一妇舌胀满口、以蒲
黄频掺、比晓乃愈、宋度宗舌胀满口、御医用蒲黄、干姜末等分搽之、愈、时珍曰∶观此、
则蒲黄之凉血活血可知矣、盖舌为心苗、心包相火、乃其臣使、得干姜、是阴阳相济也。)
炒黑性涩。止一切血。崩带泄精。无瘀者勿服。香蒲花中蕊屑。汤成入药。(舌重生疮、蒲
黄末敷舌上、瘥、耳中出血、蒲黄炒黑、研末掺入、效。)
[Shichangpu / Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma]
Promotes circulation, opens orifices.
Pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature. Aromatic and dispersing. Opens the heart orifice, benefits the nine orifices of the body, clarifies the ears and eyes, facilitates voice production. Expels dampness and dispels wind, drives out phlegm and eliminates accumulation, opens the stomach and broadens the middle jiao. Treats jin kou du li (toxic dysentery with inability to eat). (Yang Shiying stated: Although jin kou li belongs to Spleen deficiency, it is also caused by heat closing the chest and diaphragm. Using Xiang Mu (Aucklandiae Radix) is too warming; using Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma) is too astringent/closing. Only Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (Ginseng, Poria, and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder) added with Shichangpu, taken with rice water, can open the chest region, after which appetite naturally returns.) Treats feng bi (wind-bi syndrome). (Fermented with Shu Mi (Panicum miliaceum), treats various wind diseases.) Treats jing xian (startle epilepsy), beng dai (metrorrhagia and leukorrhea), tai lou (fetal leakage). Reduces swelling and relieves pain, detoxifies and kills parasites. (Li Shicai stated: Daoist classics call it the essence of aquatic plants and the spiritual medicine of immortals. Soaked in rice water and steamed over rice, borrowing the qi of grain to achieve a neutral state, it truly has extraordinary effects. He further said: Its aromatic nature benefits the orifices; it is a fine medicine for the Heart and Spleen. It can assist herbs such as Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) and Tiandong (Asparagi Radix), aiding their guiding and promoting functions. However, if used alone in large doses, it may consume Qi and Blood and cause harm.) Fragrant, drying, and dispersing. Contraindicated in cases of Yin and Blood deficiency. Especially forbidden in cases of seminal emission/slippery discharge and excessive sweating. Grows among aquatic stones, not touching soil. The rhizome is slender with dense nodes; those with nine nodes per cun are considered superior. Remove hairs, stir-fry slightly. Qin Jiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix) serves as its guiding herb. Adversely affected by iron vessels. (Contact with iron vessels causes vomiting and rebellion.)
[Puhuang / Typhae Pollen]
Raw use: promotes smooth flow and moves blood; Stir-fried until blackened: astringent to stop bleeding.
Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature. Enters the Jueyin Blood level. (Corresponds to Pericardium and Liver meridians.) Raw use has a slippery nature, moves blood and resolves stasis, unblocks meridians, promotes urination, and clears heat from the Heart, abdomen, and Bladder. (When combined with Wulingzhi (Trogopterori Faeces), it is named Shixiao San (Laughing Dispersal Powder), treating pain due to Qi and Blood stagnation in the Heart and abdomen.) Treats traumatic injuries from falls and blows, sores, boils, and various swellings. (A woman had a tongue swollen enough to fill her mouth; frequent application of Puhuang powder cured her by dawn. Emperor Duzong of Song had a tongue swollen to fill his mouth; the imperial physician applied an equal mixture of Puhuang and Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) powder, which also cured him. Li Shizhen stated: Observing these cases, one can understand that Puhuang cools blood and invigorates blood. Since the tongue is the sprout of the Heart, and the Ministerial Fire of the Pericardium acts as its attendant, the addition of Ganjiang represents the mutual assistance of Yin and Yang.) When stir-fried until blackened, its nature becomes astringent, stopping all types of bleeding. Treats metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and spermatorrhea. Do not take if there is no blood stasis. Puhuang is the dust from the stamens of the catkin of Typha orientalis. Add to the decoction when the medicine is ready. (For recurrent sores on the tongue, apply Puhuang powder topically to cure; for ear bleeding, stir-fry Puhuang until blackened, grind into powder, and apply locally for efficacy.)