补水，泻无根之火
苦咸微寒。色黑入肾。能壮水以制火，散无根浮游之火（肾水受寒，真阴失守，孤阳
无根，发为火病），益精明目，利咽喉，通二便。
治骨蒸传尸，伤寒阳毒发斑（亦有阴证发斑者），懊 （郁闷不舒），烦渴，温疟洒洒，
喉痹咽痛（本肾药而治上焦火证，壮水以制火也。肾脉贯肝膈，入肺中。循喉咙，系舌本
。肾虚则相火上炎，此喉痹、咽肿、咳嗽、吐血之所由来也。潮热骨蒸，亦本于此。此与黄
能治下焦带浊崩淋同义），瘰疠结核（寒散火，咸软坚），痈疽鼠 （音漏）。脾虚泄泻者
忌用。蒸过焙用，勿犯铜器。恶黄 、山茱萸、姜、枣。反藜芦。
补脾燥湿
苦燥湿（经曰∶脾苦湿，急食苦以燥之），甘补脾，温和中。在血补血，在气补气（同
血药则补血，同气药则补气），无汗能发，有汗能止（湿从汗出，湿去汗止。止汗同 、芍
之类，发汗加辛散之味）。燥湿则能利小便，生津液（既燥湿而又生津何也？汪机曰∶脾恶
湿，湿胜则气不得施化，津何由生？用白术以除其湿，则气得周流，而津液生矣），止泄泻
（凡水泻，湿也。腹痛肠鸣而泻，火也。水火相激则肠鸣。痛甚而泻，泻而痛减者食也。完
谷不化气虚也。在伤寒下利，则为邪热不杀谷也。久泻名脾泄，肾虚而命火衰，不能生土也
。有积痰壅滞，肺气不能下降，大肠虚而作泻者宜豁痰。有伤风泄泻者宜散风。如脾虚湿泻
者宜白术。凡治泻，丸散优于汤剂），消痰水肿满，黄胆湿痹。补脾则能进饮食，祛劳倦（脾
主四肢，虚则四肢倦怠），止肌热（脾主肌肉），化症癖（同枳实则消痞，一消一补，名枳术
丸、荷叶烧饭为丸，脾运则积化也）。和中则能已呕吐，定痛安胎（同黄 则安胎，黄芩除
胃热，白术补脾，亦除胃热，利腰脐间血。盖胎气系于脾，脾虚则蒂无所附，故易落。利腰
脐血者，湿除则血气流行也）。血燥无湿者禁用。能生脓作痛，溃疡忌之（补气故也，凡胀
满者忌用，白术闭气，然亦有塞因塞用者）。
肥白者出浙地，名云头术；燥白者出宣歙，名狗头术，差胜于浙。用糯米泔浸（借谷
气以和脾），陈壁土炒（借土气以助脾），或蜜水炒，人乳拌用（润以制其燥，《千金方》曰∶
有人病牙齿退场门，艰于饮食者，名髓溢，单用白术愈）。
[Shu Di Huang / Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata - *Note: The text header says "Yuan Shen" (Scrophulariae Radix) but the description matches Yuan Hao's typical entry for Shu Di or similar, however, looking closely at the first paragraph: "Bu shui, xie wu gen zhi huo... Se hei ru shen... San wu gen fu you zhi huo". This is actually the description of **Xuan Shen** (Scrophulariae Radix), not Yuan Shen. Wait, the title says "Yuan Shen / Bai Zhu". In ancient texts, Xuan Shen was sometimes written as Yuan Shen to avoid naming taboo or due to variant characters. Let's assume it refers to **Xuan Shen** based on the content "Se hei ru shen", "Zhuang shui yi zhi huo", "Li yan hou", "Zhi gou teng chuan shi", "Luo li he jie". These are classic indications for Xuan Shen. I will translate accordingly.*]
[Xuan Shen / Scrophulariae Radix]
Nourishes kidney water, clears rootless fire.
Bitter, salty, slightly cold in nature. Black color enters the Kidney meridian. It can strengthen water to control fire, dissipate rootless floating fire (referring to Kidney water being affected by cold, true yin losing its hold, solitary yang having no root, manifesting as fire diseases), benefits essence and brightens eyes, unblocks the throat, and promotes urination and defecation.
Treats bone-stealing consumption (a chronic consumptive disease similar to tuberculosis), macules caused by Yang toxicity in Cold Damage (there are also Yin syndrome cases with macules), internal restlessness (deep depression and discomfort), irritability and thirst, warm malaria with chills (shivering during warm malaria attacks), throat obstruction and sore throat (although this herb enters the Kidney, it treats upper jiao fire syndromes by strengthening water to control fire. The Kidney meridian passes through the liver and diaphragm, enters the lung, follows the throat, and connects to the base of the tongue. Kidney deficiency leads to ministerial fire flaming upward, which causes throat obstruction, swelling, cough, and hemoptysis. Tidal fever and bone-steaming also originate from this. This shares the same principle as Huang Bo treating lower jiao leukorrhea, metrorrhagia, and strangury), scrofula and tubercles (cold disperses fire, salt softens hardness), carbuncles and sores, and rat-fistula (rat-fistula refers to fistulas formed after the ulceration of cervical or axillary lymph node tuberculosis). Contraindicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with diarrhea. Should be steamed and then baked before use; avoid contact with copper vessels. Adversely interacts with Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix), Cornus officinalis fruit, Ginger, and Jujube. Incompatible with Veratrum nigrum rhizome.
[Bai Zhu / Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma]
Tonifies Spleen Qi, dries dampness.
Bitter taste dries dampness (The Classic states: The Spleen dislikes dampness; urgently consume bitter substances to dry it), sweet taste tonifies the Spleen, mild and warm nature harmonizes the middle. In the blood level, it tonifies blood; in the Qi level, it tonifies Qi (when combined with blood-tonifying herbs, it tonifies blood; when combined with Qi-tonifying herbs, it tonifies Qi). When there is no sweat, it induces sweating; when there is sweat, it stops sweating (dampness exits via sweat; once dampness is removed, sweating stops. To stop sweat, it is often combined with herbs like Paeonia lactiflora root; to induce sweat, acrid-dispersing flavors are added). Drying dampness promotes urination and generates body fluids (Why does it both dry dampness and generate fluids? Wang Ji said: The Spleen dislikes dampness. When dampness prevails, Qi cannot circulate and transform, so how can fluids be generated? Using Bai Zhu to remove dampness allows Qi to circulate throughout the body, thereby generating fluids). Stops diarrhea (Watery diarrhea is due to dampness. Diarrhea with abdominal pain and borborygmus is due to fire. The interaction of water and fire causes borborygmus. Severe pain with relief after diarrhea indicates food stagnation. Undigested food in stool indicates Qi deficiency. In Cold Damage diarrhea, it is due to pathogenic heat failing to cook and digest food. Chronic diarrhea is called Spleen diarrhea, caused by Kidney deficiency and decline of Mingmen fire failing to generate Earth. If there is phlegm accumulation obstructing the Lung Qi from descending, causing diarrhea due to Large Intestine deficiency, resolving phlegm is appropriate. For wind-cold diarrhea, dispelling wind is appropriate. For Spleen deficiency with damp diarrhea, Bai Zhu is appropriate. Generally, for treating diarrhea, pills and powders are superior to decoctions). Resolves phlegm, fluid retention, edema, and distension; treats jaundice and damp bi-syndrome. Tonifying the Spleen promotes appetite and removes fatigue (The Spleen governs the four limbs; deficiency leads to limb lassitude). Stops muscle heat (The Spleen governs muscles). Resolves masses and accumulations (When combined with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, it resolves fullness; one disperses, one tonifies, forming Zhizhu Wan, made into pills with lotus leaf-wrapped cooked rice; when Spleen transportation recovers, accumulations resolve). Harmonizing the middle stops vomiting, relieves pain, and calms the fetus (When combined with Scutellariae Radix, it calms the fetus. Scutellaria clears Stomach heat, while Bai Zhu tonifies the Spleen and also clears Stomach heat, promoting blood circulation in the waist and umbilical region. Fetal qi is attached to the Spleen; Spleen deficiency means the placenta has no attachment, leading to easy miscarriage. Promoting blood circulation in the waist and umbilicus occurs because removing dampness allows Qi and Blood to flow freely). Contraindicated in cases of blood dryness without dampness. Can cause pus formation and pain; contraindicated in ulcers (due to its Qi-tonifying nature; generally contraindicated in fullness/distension, as Bai Zhu can trap Qi, though there are instances of using "tonification for blockage").
Those that are plump and white come from Zhejiang, named Yuntou Shu; those that are dry and white come from Xuancheng and Shexian, named Goutou Shu, which is slightly inferior to the Zhejiang variety. Soak in rice washing water (to borrow grain Qi to harmonize the Spleen), stir-fry with old wall soil (to borrow Earth Qi to assist the Spleen), or stir-fry with honey water, or mix with human milk (moistening properties counteract its dryness). The *Qianjin Fang* records: Someone suffered from falling teeth and receding gums, making eating difficult, a condition named Marrow Overflow; cured solely by using Bai Zhu.