一名绿矾
涩,燥湿,化痰
酸涌涩收。燥湿化痰、解毒杀虫之功与石矾同,而力差缓。主治略同白矾,利小便,消
食积(同健脾消食药为丸),散喉痹(醋调咽汁。时珍曰∶胀满、黄肿、疟痢、疳疾方往往
用之。其源则自仲景用矾石硝石治女劳黄胆方中变化而来)。深青莹净者良。 赤用( 赤
名绛矾,能入血分,伐肝木,燥脾湿。张三丰治肿满,有伐木丸。苍术二斤,米泔浸,黄酒,
面曲四两炒,绛矾一斤,醋拌晒干,入瓶。火 为末,醋糊丸,酒下。或去皂矾乃铜之精液,
用醋制以平肝,胜于针铁。不必忌盐,后亦不发。多服令人泻)。
即戎盐
补肾,泻血热
甘咸而寒。入肾经,助水脏,平血热。治目痛赤涩,吐血溺血,齿舌出血,坚骨固齿(
擦牙良),明目乌须。余同食盐,出西羌。不假煎炼,方棱明莹色青者良。
泻热,润燥,补心,通二便,宣,引吐
咸甘辛寒。咸润下,故通大、小便;咸走血而寒胜热,故治目赤痈肿,血热热疾;咸补
心,故治心虚(以水制火,取既济之义,故补心药用盐炒。一人病笑不休,用盐 赤煎沸,
饮之而瘳。经曰∶神有余则笑不休。神,心火也。用盐,水制火也。一妇病此半年,张子和
亦用此法而愈);咸入肾而主骨(故补肾药用盐汤下),故坚肌骨,治骨病齿痛(擦牙亦佳,
清火固齿。齿缝出血,夜以盐浓敷龈上,沥涎尽乃卧。或问咸能软坚,何以坚肌骨,不知骨
消筋缓,皆因湿热,热淫于内,治以咸寒,譬如生肉易溃,得盐性咸寒,则能坚久不坏也);
咸润燥而辛泄肺(煎盐用皂角收,故味微辛)故治痰饮喘逆(《本经》∶治喘逆。惟哮症忌之)
;咸软坚,故治结核积聚。又能涌吐醒酒(水胜火),解毒(火热即毒也,能散火凉血)杀
虫(浙西将军蚓毒,每夕蚓鸣于体,一僧教以盐汤浸身,数次而愈),定痛止痒(体如虫行,
风热也,盐汤浴三四次佳。亦治一切风气。凡汤火伤,急以盐生掺之,护肉不坏,再用药敷)。
多食伤肺、走血、渗津发渴(《经曰》∶咸走血,血病毋多食咸。食咸则口干者,为能渗胃
中津液也),凡血病哮喘、水肿、消渴人为大忌(盐品颇多,江淮南北盐生于海;山西解州
盐生于池;四川、云南盐生于井;戎盐生于土;光明盐或生于阶州山崖,或产于五原盐池。
状若水晶,不假煎炼,一名水晶盐;石盐生于石;木盐生于树;蓬盐生于草,造化之妙,诚
难穷矣)。
Zaofan (Vitriol), also known as Lvfan (Green Vitriol).
Astringent, dries dampness, transforms phlegm.
Sour induces vomiting, astringent retains. Its functions of drying dampness, transforming phlegm, detoxifying, and killing parasites are the same as Shifan (Alum Stone), but its potency is milder. Its indications are roughly similar to Baifan (White Alum): it promotes urination, resolves food stagnation (formulated into pills with spleen-fortifying and digestion-promoting herbs), disperses throat obstruction (mixed with vinegar and swallowed as juice. Li Shizhen said: It is often used in formulas for treating abdominal distension, yellow swelling, malaria-dysentery, and childhood malnutrition. Its origin stems from changes derived from Zhang Zhongjing's formula using Alum Stone and Niter to treat female-labor jaundice). Those that are deep blue, bright, and pure are superior.
The red variety is called Jiangfan (Crimson Vitriol); it enters the blood level, subdues Liver Wood, and dries Spleen dampness. Zhang Sanfeng treated swelling and distension with Famu Wan (Wood-Subduing Pill): Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) 2 jin, soaked in rice wash water, moistened with yellow wine, stir-fried with Siangqu (Bread Qu) 4 liang; add Jiangfan 1 jin, mix with vinegar, dry, place in a bottle, calcine to powder, make pills with vinegar paste, take with wine. Or remove Zaofan, as it is the essence of copper; processed with vinegar to calm the Liver, it is superior to needle iron. There is no need to avoid salt; even if taken later, it will not recur. Excessive intake causes diarrhea.
This is Rongyan (Rong Salt).
Tonifies the Kidney, clears blood heat.
Sweet, salty, and cold. Enters the Kidney meridian, assists the Water organ, and calms blood heat. Treats eye pain, redness, and dryness; hematemesis, hematuria, bleeding from teeth and tongue; strengthens bones and teeth (good for brushing teeth), brightens eyes, and darkens beard. Its other properties are the same as Shiyan (Table Salt); it originates from the Western Qiang region. It does not require boiling or refining; those with square edges, bright and translucent, and greenish color are superior.
(Xiyan / Table Salt)
Clears heat, moistens dryness, tonifies the Heart, unblocks both bowels, disseminates, and induces vomiting.
Salty, sweet, acrid, and cold. Salty and descending, thus it unblocks large and small intestines; salty moves into blood and cold overcomes heat, thus it treats red eyes, carbuncles and sores, blood heat, and heat diseases; salty tonifies the Heart, thus it treats Heart deficiency (using water to control fire, taking the meaning of Ji Ji [Already Fulfilled], so Heart-tonifying herbs are often fried with salt. One person suffered from incessant laughter; he drank boiled decoction of salt and Chi Xiaodou [Vigna angularis] and recovered. The Classic says: When Shen [Spirit] is excessive, there is incessant laughter. Shen is the Heart Fire. Using salt is using water to control fire. A woman suffered from this for half a year; Zhang Hezi also cured her with this method); salty enters the Kidney and governs bones (so Kidney-tonifying herbs are often taken with salt water), thus it strengthens muscles and bones, treats bone diseases and toothache (brushing teeth is also good, clearing fire and strengthening teeth. For bleeding from gum spaces, apply thick salt water to the gums at night, wait until saliva drains completely, then sleep. Someone asked: Salty can soften hardness, how can it strengthen muscles and bones? Not knowing that bone resorption and tendon laxity are all due to damp-heat; when heat dominates internally, treat with salty-cold; for example, raw meat rots easily, but encountering the salty-cold nature of salt makes it firm and lasting without decay); salty moistens dryness and acrid dissipates Lung Qi (salt is refined using Zaojiao [Gleditsia Sinensis] to collect it, so the taste is slightly acrid), thus it treats phlegm-fluid retention causing wheezing and counterflow (Ben Jing says: treats wheezing. Only asthma cases should avoid it); salty softens hardness, thus it treats tubercles and accumulations. It can also induce vomiting and sober up from alcohol (water overcomes fire), detoxify (fire-heat is toxicity; it can dissipate fire and cool blood), kill parasites (the General of West Zhejiang suffered from earthworm poison, feeling worms singing in his body every evening; a monk taught him to bathe in salt water, and he recovered after several times), relieve pain and stop itching (body feels like insects crawling, which is wind-heat; bathing in salt water three or four times is good. It also treats all kinds of wind conditions. For scalds and burns, immediately sprinkle raw salt to protect the flesh from decaying, then apply medicine).
Excessive consumption injures the Lung, moves into blood, seeps fluids causing thirst (The Classic says: Salty moves into blood; those with blood diseases should not eat much salty food. Eating salty causes dry mouth because it seeps the fluids in the Stomach). It is strictly contraindicated for those with blood diseases, asthma, edema, and Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst) (There are many types of salt: salts in Jianghuai north and south are produced from the sea; salt in Xiezhou, Shanxi, is produced from pools; salt in Sichuan and Yunnan is produced from wells; Rong salt is produced from soil; Guangming Salt [Bright Salt] is produced either from cliffs in Jiazhou or from salt pools in Wuyuan. It looks like crystal, requires no boiling or refining, also known as Crystal Salt; Shiyan [Stone Salt] is produced from stones; Muyan [Tree Salt] is produced from trees; Pengyan [Mound Salt] is produced from grass. The wonders of creation are truly inexhaustible).