气味甘温，有小毒。主治风头寒痛，风湿周痹，四肢拘挛痛，恶肉死肌，膝痛。久
服益气。
（《诗》名卷耳。《本经》名 耳。处处有之，七八月开细白花，结实如妇女珥 ，外壳
坚
韧，刺毛密布，生青熟黄，中列两仁，其色黄白，嫩苗熟食可以救饥，其仁炒，去皮研为面
，可作烧饼食。）
苍耳《本经》名 耳，该茎叶而言也。今时用实，名苍耳子，子内仁肉，气味甘温，外
多毛
刺，故有小毒，花白实黄，禀阳明燥金之气。金能制风，故主治风头寒痛，谓头受风邪，为
寒为痛也。燥能胜湿，故主治风湿周痹，四肢拘挛痛，谓风湿之邪，伤周身血脉而为痹，淫
于四肢而为拘挛疼痛也。夫周痹，则周身血脉不和，周痹可治，则恶肉死肌，亦可治也。四
肢拘挛痛可治，则膝痛亦可治也。久服则风湿外散，经脉流通，故益气。
气味辛温，无毒。主治咳逆上气，善喘喉痹，诸惊痫，寒热邪气。
（款冬花出关中、雍州、华州山谷溪涧间，花开红白，放紫萼于冰雪中。又名款冻。款，
至
也，谓至冻而花也。又名钻冻，谓钻冰取款冬也。十二月采蕊阴干，其色红白相兼，至灯节
后，则毛萼大开，不堪入药。）
款冬生于水中，花开红白，气味辛温，从阴出阳，盖禀水中之生阳，而上通肺金之药也。
太
阳寒水之气，不从皮毛外交于肺，则咳逆上气而善喘。款冬禀水气而通肺，故可治也。厥阴
、少阳木火之气，结于喉中，则而喉痹。款冬得金水之气，金能平木，水能制火，故可治也
。惊痫寒热邪气为病，不止一端，故曰∶诸惊痫寒热邪气，款冬禀太阳寒水之气而上行外达
，则阴阳水火之气，自相交会，故可治也。
愚按∶款冬气味辛温，从阴出阳，主治肺气虚寒之咳喘，若肺火燔灼，肺气焦满者，不
可用
。《济生方》中，用百合、款冬二味为丸，名百花丸。治痰嗽带血，服之有愈有不愈者，寒
嗽相宜，火嗽不宜也。卢子由曰∶款冬《本经》主治咳逆上气，善喘喉痹，因形寒饮冷，秋
伤于湿者，宜之。如火热刑金，或肺气焦满，恐益销烁矣。
[Cang'erzi (Xanthium Fruit)]
Flavor and nature: Sweet, warm; slightly toxic.
Indications: Head wind-cold pain, wind-dampness generalized bi-syndrome, spasmodic pain of the four limbs, foul flesh and dead muscle, knee pain. Long-term administration benefits Qi.
(Note: Named "Juan'er" in the *Classic of Poetry*. Named "Er" in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*. It grows everywhere, blooms with small white flowers in the seventh and eighth months, and bears fruit resembling women's earrings. The outer shell is hard and tough, densely covered with prickles; it is green when raw and yellow when ripe. Inside are two seeds, yellowish-white. The tender shoots can be cooked and eaten to relieve hunger. The seeds, after stir-frying, skin removal, and grinding into powder, can be used to make baked cakes.)
"Cang'er" refers to the stem and leaves as named in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*. Currently, the fruit is commonly used, named "Cang'erzi". The kernel inside the seed has a sweet and warm flavor. Due to the external prickles and hairs, it possesses slight toxicity. The flowers are white, and the fruits are yellow, inheriting the Qi of Yangming Dryness-Metal. Metal controls Wind, hence it treats head wind-cold pain, meaning pain caused by head exposure to wind pathogen combined with cold. Dryness overcomes Dampness, hence it treats wind-dampness generalized bi-syndrome and spasmodic pain of the four limbs, meaning wind-damp pathogens injuring the blood vessels throughout the body causing Bi-syndrome, and flooding the four limbs causing spasmodic pain. Since generalized bi-syndrome involves disharmony of blood vessels throughout the body, if generalized bi-syndrome is treatable, then foul flesh and dead muscle are also treatable. If spasmodic pain of the four limbs is treatable, then knee pain is also treatable. Long-term administration disperses wind-dampness externally and unblocks the meridians, thus benefiting Qi.
[Kuandonghua (Coltsfoot Flower)]
Flavor and nature: Pungent, warm; non-toxic.
Indications: Cough with rebellious Qi, frequent asthma, throat obstruction (Hou-bi), various types of fright-epilepsy, and cold-heat pathogens.
(Note: Coltsfoot grows in the valleys and streams of Guanzhong, Yongzhou, and Huazhou. The flowers are red and white, blooming with purple calyxes amidst ice and snow. Also known as "Kuandong". "Kuan" means arrival, referring to flowering upon the arrival of freezing cold. Also known as "Zuandong", meaning drilling through ice to obtain the plant. The stamens are harvested in the twelfth month and dried in the shade. The color is mixed red and white. After the Lantern Festival, the hairy calyx opens fully, making it unsuitable for medicinal use.)
Coltsfoot grows in water, blooms red and white, and has a pungent, warm flavor. It moves from Yin to Yang, likely inheriting the generating Yang Qi from water to ascend and unblock Lung Metal. If the Cold-Water Qi of Taiyang does not communicate with the Lung externally via the skin and hair, it leads to cough with rebellious Qi and frequent asthma. Coltsfoot inherits Water Qi and unblocks Lung Qi, thus it can treat this condition. When Wood-Fire Qi of Jueyin and Shaoyang knots in the throat, it causes throat obstruction. Coltsfoot obtains Metal and Water Qi; Metal levels Wood, and Water controls Fire, thus it can treat this condition. Fright-epilepsy and cold-heat pathogens arise from various causes. Therefore, it is said that regarding various fright-epilepsy and cold-heat pathogens, Coltsfoot inherits the Cold-Water Qi of Taiyang, ascends and reaches outward, allowing Yin-Yang and Water-Fire Qi to naturally intersect, thus it can treat these conditions.
My commentary: Coltsfoot has a pungent, warm flavor and moves from Yin to Yang. It treats cough and asthma due to Lung Qi deficiency and cold. However, if there is blazing Lung fire scorching the Lung, causing dryness and fullness of Lung Qi, it should not be used. In the *Jisheng Fang*, Lily Bulb (*Baihe*) and Coltsfoot are made into pills, named "Baihua Wan". It treats cough with phlegm and blood. Some recover, while others do not, because it is suitable for cold-type coughs but not for fire-type coughs. Lu Ziyu stated: In the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, Coltsfoot treats cough with rebellious Qi, frequent asthma, and throat obstruction. It is suitable for cases caused by external cold exposure and drinking cold fluids, or autumn injury from dampness. If there is fire heat punishing Metal, or dryness and fullness of Lung Qi, it may further consume and melt the Qi.