燥湿痰，润肾燥，宣通阴阳
辛温有毒，体滑性燥，能走能散，能燥能润。和胃健脾（去湿），补肝（辛散）润肾，
除湿化痰，发表开郁，下逆气，止烦呕，发音声，利水道（燥去湿，故利水；辛通气，能化
液，故润燥。丹溪谓∶二陈汤能使大便润而小便长），救暴卒（葛生曰∶凡遇五绝之病，用
半夏末吹入鼻中即活，盖取其能作嚏也。五绝，谓缢死、溺死、压死、魇死、产死也）。
治咳逆头眩（火炎痰升则眩），痰厥头痛，眉棱骨痛（风热与痰），咽痛（成无己曰∶半
夏辛散，行水气而润肾燥。又局方半硫丸，治老人虚秘，皆取其润滑也。俗以半夏、南星为
性燥误矣，湿去则土燥，痰涎不生，非二物之性燥也。古方用治咽痛、喉痹、吐血，非禁剂
也。二物亦能散血，故破伤、扑打皆主之。惟阴虚劳损，则非湿热之邪，而用利窍行湿之药，
是重竭其津液，医之罪也，岂药之咎哉。《甲乙经》用治之眠，是果性燥者乎！半夏、硫黄
等分，生姜糊丸，名半硫丸）胸胀（仲景小陷胸汤用之），伤寒寒热（故小柴胡汤用之），痰
疟不眠（《素问》曰∶胃不和，则卧不安。半夏能和胃气而通阴阳。《灵枢》曰∶阳气满，不
得入于阴，阴气虚，故目不得瞑，饮以半夏汤，阴阳既通，其卧立安。又有喘嗽不得眠者。
左不得眠属肝胀，宜清肝；右不得眠属肺胀，宜清肺），反胃吐食（痰膈），散痞除瘿（瘿多
属痰），消肿止汗（胜湿）。孕妇忌之（王好古曰∶肾主五液，化为五湿，本经为唾、入肝为
泪、入心为汗、入肺为涕、入脾为痰。痰者因咳而动，脾之湿也，半夏泄痰之际，不能治痰
之本，治本者治肾也。咳无形，痰有形，无形则润，有形则燥，所以为流脾湿而润肾燥之剂
也。俗以半夏为肺药非也，止呕为足阳明，除痰为足太阴。柴胡为之使，故柴胡汤用之。虽
云止呕，亦助柴、芩主寒热往来，是又为足少阳也。时珍曰∶脾无湿不生痰，故脾为生痰之
源，肺为贮痰之器。按∶有声无痰曰咳，盖伤于肺气；有痰无声曰嗽，盖动于脾湿也；有声
有痰曰咳嗽，或因火、因风、因寒、因湿、因虚劳、因食积，宜分证论治。大法治嗽，当以
治痰为先，而治痰又以顺气为主。宜以半夏、南星燥其湿，枳壳、橘红利其气，肺虚加温敛
之味，肺热加凉泻之剂。赵继宗曰∶二陈治痰，世医执之，内有半夏，其性燥烈，若风、寒、
湿、食诸痰则相宜，至于劳痰、失血诸痰，用之反能燥血液而加病。按古有三禁，血家、汗
家、渴家忌之，然亦间有用之者。俗以半夏专为除痰，而半夏之功用，不复见知于世矣。小
柴胡汤、半夏泻心汤，皆用半夏，岂为除痰乎？火结为痰，气顺则火降而痰消）。
圆白而大，陈久者良，浸七日，逐日换水，沥去涎，切片，姜汁拌（性畏生姜，用之以
制其毒，得姜而功愈彰）。柴胡、射干为使。畏生姜、秦皮、龟甲、雄黄。忌羊肉、海藻、
饴糖。恶皂角。反乌头（合陈皮、茯苓、甘草、名二陈汤，为治痰之总剂。寒痰佐以干姜、
芥子，热痰佐以黄芩、栝蒌，湿痰佐以苍术、茯苓，风痰佐以南星、前胡，痞痰佐以枳实、
白术。更看痰之所在，加导引药，惟燥痰非半夏所司也）。
韩飞霞造曲十法（一姜汁浸造，名生姜曲，治浅近诸痰。一矾水煮透，兼姜糊造，名矾
曲，矾最能却水，治清水痰。一煮皂角汁，炼膏，和半夏末为曲，或加南星，或加麝香，名
皂角曲，治风痰开经络。一用白芥子等分，或三分之一，竹沥和成，略加曲糊，名竹沥曲，
治皮里膜外结核隐显之痰。一麻油浸半夏三五日，炒干为末，曲糊造成。油以润燥，名麻油
曲，治虚热劳咳之痰。一用腊月黄牛胆汁，略加热蜜和造，名牛胆曲，治癫痫风痰。一用香
附、苍术、抚芎等分，熬膏，和半夏末作曲，名开郁曲，治郁痰；一用芒硝居半夏十分之三
，煮透为末，煎大黄膏和成，名硝磺曲，治中风、卒厥、伤寒宜下由于痰者。一用海粉一两
、雄黄一两、半夏二两，为末炼蜜和造，名海粉曲，治积痰沉痼；一用黄牛肉煎汁炼膏，即
霞天膏，和半夏末为曲，名霞天曲，治沉 痼痰，功效最烈）。以上并照造曲法，草庵七日
，待生黄衣晒干，悬挂风处，愈久愈良。
Dries damp-phlegm, moistens kidney dryness, and unites yin and yang.
Pungent, warm, and toxic in nature. Its texture is slippery while its property is drying; it can circulate and disperse, and can both dry dampness and moisten dryness. It harmonizes the stomach and strengthens the spleen (to remove dampness), tonifies the liver (via its pungent dispersing action), moistens the kidney, removes dampness and transforms phlegm, releases the exterior and opens depression, directs rebellious qi downward, stops irritability and vomiting, promotes voice production, and benefits water passages (because its drying action removes dampness, it thus benefits urination; its pungency moves qi and transforms fluids, thus it moistens dryness. Zhu Danxi stated: Er Chen Tang [Two-Aged Decoction] can make the stool moist and increase urine output). It rescues sudden death (Ge Sheng said: In cases of "Five Extinctions" [five types of apparent death], blowing powder of Banxia into the nose can revive the patient, likely because it induces sneezing. The "Five Extinctions" refer to hanging, drowning, crushing, sleep paralysis [nightmare death], and death during childbirth]. It treats cough with rebellious qi and dizziness (dizziness caused by flaming fire and rising phlegm), headache due to phlegm-jue, pain in the supraorbital ridge (due to wind-heat and phlegm), sore throat (Cheng Wuji said: Banxia is pungent and dispersing, moves fluid accumulation, and moistens kidney dryness. Additionally, Ban Liu Wan [Banxia and Sulfur Pill] in *Ju Fang* treats constipation in the elderly due to deficiency, relying on its lubricating property. It is a common misconception that Banxia and Tian Nan Xing are drying in nature; when dampness is removed, the spleen earth becomes dry, and phlegm-saliva ceases to generate; this is not due to the inherent dryness of these two herbs. Ancient formulas used them for sore throat, throat obstruction, and hematemesis; they are not contraindicated. These two herbs also dissipate blood stasis, so they treat traumatic injuries and bruises. However, in cases of yin-deficiency consumptive disease, where there is no damp-heat pathogen, using drugs that drain orifices and move dampness would further exhaust body fluids; this is the physician's fault, not the herb's. If *Jia Yi Jing* used it for insomnia, how could it be truly drying! Ban Xia and Huang Qi in equal parts, made into pills with ginger paste, is named Ban Liu Wan) chest distension (used in Zhang Zhongjing's Xiao Xian Xiong Tang [Small Trap-in-the-Chest Decoction]), chills and fever due to Shang Han (thus used in Xiao Chai Hu Tang [Minor Bupleurum Decoction]), insomnia due to phlegm-malaria (*Su Wen* states: When the stomach is disharmonious, one cannot sleep peacefully. Banxia can harmonize stomach qi and unite yin and yang. *Ling Shu* states: When yang qi is excessive and cannot enter yin, and yin qi is deficient, the eyes cannot close for sleep. Drinking Ban Xia Tang allows yin and yang to unite, and sleep is immediately restored. There are also cases of asthma and cough preventing sleep. Insomnia on the left side belongs to liver distension, suitable for clearing the liver; insomnia on the right side belongs to lung distension, suitable for clearing the lungs), regurgitation and vomiting (phlegm-obstruction), dissipating masses and eliminating goiter (goiters often belong to phlegm), reducing swelling and stopping sweating (overcoming dampness). Contraindicated in pregnancy (Wang Haogu said: The Kidney governs the five fluids, transforming them into five dampnesses. As per *Ben Cao Jing*, these correspond to saliva, tears in the liver, sweat in the heart, mucus in the lungs, and phlegm in the spleen. Phlegm arises from movement due to coughing and is spleen dampness. While Banxia drains phlegm, it does not treat the root of phlegm; treating the root means treating the kidney. Cough is formless, phlegm is formed; formless requires moistening, formed requires drying. Thus, it is an agent that guides spleen dampness and moistens kidney dryness. It is incorrect to view Banxia solely as a lung herb. Stopping vomiting relates to the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian; removing phlegm relates to the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Chai Hu acts as its guide, hence used in Chai Hu Tang. Although it stops vomiting, it also assists Chai Hu and Huang Qin in treating alternating chills and fever, relating it to the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Li Shizhen said: Without spleen dampness, no phlegm is generated; thus, the spleen is the source of phlegm generation, and the lung is the vessel storing phlegm. Note: Cough with sound but no phlegm indicates injury to lung qi; phlegm without sound indicates disturbance by spleen dampness; cough with both sound and phlegm may be due to fire, wind, cold, dampness, consumptive disease, or food stagnation, requiring syndrome differentiation. Generally, treating cough prioritizes treating phlegm, and treating phlegm prioritizes smoothing qi. Use Banxia and Tian Nan Xing to dry dampness, Zhi Ke and Ju Hong to benefit qi, add warming and astringent flavors for lung deficiency, and cooling purgative agents for lung heat. Zhao Jizong said: Physicians rigidly adhere to Er Chen Tang for phlegm. Since it contains Banxia, which is acrid and drying, it is suitable for phlegm due to wind, cold, dampness, or food. However, for consumptive phlegm or phlegm with bleeding, using it can dry blood and worsen the condition. According to ancient rules, there are three prohibitions: patients with blood disorders, those prone to sweating, and those with thirst should avoid it, though occasional use exists. The common belief that Banxia is exclusively for removing phlegm obscures its other functions. Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang both use Banxia; is it merely for phlegm? Fire condensing into phlegm resolves when qi smooths, fire descends, and phlegm dissipates).
The rhizomes are round, white, and large; aged ones are superior. Soak for seven days, changing water daily, drain the slime, slice, and mix with ginger juice (the herb fears ginger; ginger is used to mitigate its toxicity, enhancing its efficacy). Chai Hu and She Gan act as guides. It fears Ginger, Qin Pi, Gui Jia, and Xiong Huang. Avoid mutton, Hai Zao, and Yi Tang. It clashes with Zao Jiao. It is incompatible with Wu Tou (combined with Chen Pi, Fu Ling, and Gan Cao, it forms Er Chen Tang [Two-Aged Decoction], the general formula for treating phlegm. For cold-phlegm, assist with Gan Jiang and Jie Zi; for hot-phlegm, assist with Huang Qin and Gua Lou; for damp-phlegm, assist with Cang Zhu and Fu Ling; for wind-phlegm, assist with Tian Nan Xing and Qian Hu; for obstructive phlegm, assist with Zhi Shi and Bai Zhu. Further, add guiding herbs based on the location of the phlegm; only dry-phlegm is not within the scope of Banxia).
Han Fei Xia's ten methods for preparing medicinal pastes/cakes: (1. Soak in ginger juice, named Sheng Jiang Qu [Fresh Ginger Paste], treating superficial phlegm. 2. Boil thoroughly in alum water, then shape with ginger paste, named Fan Qu [Alum Paste], as alum best eliminates water-dampness, treating clear-water phlegm. 3. Boil Zao Jiao juice, refine into paste, mix with Banxia powder, optionally adding Tian Nan Xing or She Xiang, named Zao Jiao Qu [Zao Jiao Paste], treating wind-phlegm to open meridians. 4. Mix equal parts of Bai Jie Zi, or one-third, with Zhu Li [Bamboo Sap], slightly adding paste, named Zhu Li Qu [Bamboo Sap Paste], treating hidden or manifest tubercles/phlegm in the interstitial spaces. 5. Soak Banxia in sesame oil for 3-5 days, stir-fry until dry, powder, and shape with paste. Oil moistens dryness, named Ma You Qu [Sesame Oil Paste], treating phlegm from deficiency-fire and consumptive cough. 6. Use bile from a yellow ox in the twelfth lunar month, mix with heated honey, named Niu Dan Qu [Ox Gall Paste], treating epilepsy and wind-phlegm. 7. Mix Xiang Fu, Cang Zhu, and Fu Xiong in equal parts, boil into paste, mix with Banxia powder, named Kai Yu Qu [Depression-Opening Paste], treating stagnant phlegm. 8. Use Mang Xiao [Mirabilite] at 3/10th the amount of Banxia, boil thoroughly, powder, mix with Da Huang paste, named Xiao Huang Qu [Mirabilite and Rhubarb Paste], treating stroke, sudden syncope, or Shang Han requiring purgation due to phlegm. 9. Use Hai Fen [Sea Powder], Xiong Huang, and Banxia in specific ratios, refine with honey, named Hai Fen Qu [Sea Powder Paste], treating entrenched accumulated phlegm. 10. Decoct yellow beef meat into paste, i.e., Xia Tian Gao, mix with Banxia powder, named Xia Tian Qu [Xia Tian Paste], treating entrenched phlegm with potent efficacy]. All follow the paste preparation method: place in a thatched hut for seven days, wait for yellow mold to grow, sun-dry, and hang in a ventilated area; the older, the better.