味苦,性寒,有毒。入肝经。去皮毛,锉,焙。
杀虫解毒,化哽破症。产后崩淋,金疮鼻血。
有毒而能解毒,去瘀而能生新,然古方中不恒用之,别名管仲,岂音相类耶,抑为其有
杂霸
之气耶?
味酸,性寒,无毒。入心、大肠二经。
清利湿热,解毒散血。内服治痢,又疗疮疖,禳解疫疠,通利关节。外敷消肿,疔痈流
火,
蜂螫剧疼,涂之缓和。
唐宝经验方云∶“六月六日采马齿苋晒干,元旦煮熟,同盐醋食之,可解疫疠气。”迄今,
长江下游,春节尚食用马齿点心,名之曰安乐菜。盖此菜可以清肠,可防节日伤食所致诸疾
也。一切红肿热痛之症,以之挤汁外涂,均有良效。
味甘,性微温,无毒。入肺、脾二经。茯苓为使。恶藜芦。畏五灵脂。去芦用。
补气安神,除邪益智。疗心腹寒痛,除胸胁逆满。止消渴,破坚积。气壮而胃自开,气
和而
食自化。
人参得阳和之气,能回元气于垂亡。气足则神安,正旺则邪去。益智者,心气强,则善
思而
多智也。真气虚者,中寒而痛,胸满而逆,阳春一至,寒转为温,否转为泰矣。破积消食者
,脾得干健之运耳。
人参,亦有不宜用者∶世之录其长者,遂忘其短,摘其瑕者,并弃其瑜。或当用而
后时
,或非宜而妄设。不蒙其利,只见其害,遂使良药见疑于世,粗工互腾其口,良可憾
也。
参须∶性专下行,宜于胃虚呕逆、咳血等。不宜于久痢、滑精、崩中、下血等。
参叶∶能生津,可代茶饮。
Bixiaxian (Portulaca oleracea): Bitter in taste, cold in nature, toxic. Enters the Liver Meridian. Remove soil and roots, chop, and roast. It kills parasites and detoxifies, resolves dysphagia, and breaks up masses. It is used for postpartum metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, traumatic bleeding, and epistaxis. Although toxic, it can detoxify; by removing blood stasis, it generates new blood. However, it is not frequently used in ancient prescriptions. Its alias is Guanzhong (Guanzhong). Is this due to phonetic similarity, or does it possess a chaotic and domineering qi?
Marenchi (Portulaca oleracea): Sour in taste, cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Heart and Large Intestine meridians. It clears damp-heat, detoxifies, and disperses blood stasis. Internally taken, it treats dysentery and sores/furuncles; it wards off epidemic pestilence and unblocks joints. Externally applied, it reduces swelling, treats carbuncles, erysipelas (flowing fire), and severe pain from bee stings, providing relief. The Tang Bao empirical formula states: "Harvest Portulaca oleracea on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, dry it, cook it thoroughly on New Year's Day, and eat it with salt and vinegar to resolve epidemic qi." To this day, in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, people still consume Portulaca dim sum during the Spring Festival, called Anle Cai (Peaceful Vegetable). This vegetable clears the intestines and prevents diseases caused by overeating during festivals. For all conditions involving redness, swelling, heat, and pain, squeezing its juice for external application yields good results.
Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma): Sweet in taste, slightly warm in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Lung and Spleen meridians. Poria cocos (Fuling) serves as the guiding herb. It is incompatible with Veratrum nigrum (Lilu) and fears Trogopterus dung (Wulingzhi). Use after removing the rhizome head (Lu). It tonifies qi, calms the spirit, expels evil, and enhances wisdom. It treats cold pain in the heart and abdomen, relieves chest and hypochondriac fullness and rebellion, stops polydipsia, and breaks hard accumulations. When qi is strong, the stomach opens naturally; when qi is harmonious, food digests easily. Renshen absorbs the mild yang qi and can restore vital qi on the verge of collapse. Sufficient qi ensures mental peace; robust righteous qi expels pathogenic factors. Enhancing wisdom means that strong heart qi leads to good thinking and intelligence. For those with deficient true qi, middle jiao cold causes pain, and chest fullness with rebellious qi occurs; just as spring arrives, cold turns to warmth, and stagnation turns to smoothness. Breaking accumulations and aiding digestion relies on the Spleen obtaining dry and vigorous transportation functions.
However, there are cases where Renshen is unsuitable: Those who record its merits forget its flaws; those who pick at its blemishes discard its virtues. Sometimes it is used too late when indicated, or improperly prescribed when contraindicated. Not benefiting from its advantages but only seeing its harms, good medicines become suspected by the world, and incompetent practitioners argue endlessly, which is regrettable.
Renshen Xu (Ginseng Rootlets): The nature specifically directs downward. Suitable for stomach deficiency with vomiting/rebellion and hemoptysis. Unsuitable for chronic dysentery, spermatorrhea, uterine bleeding, and lower body bleeding.
Renshen Ye (Ginseng Leaf): Generates fluids and can be used as tea.