【气味】
辛寒有毒。
【主治】
疮 疡白秃。杀皮肤中虱。堕胎。除热。杀金银铜锡毒。熔化还复为丹。以敷男子
阴
。阴消无气。利水道。去热毒。主天行热疾。除风安神镇心。治恶疮 疥杀虫。催生下死胎
。
（丹烧不成水银。积变又还成丹砂。其去凡草木远矣。金汞在九窍则死人为之不朽。水银入
耳能食人脑至尽。入肉令百节挛缩。倒阴绝阳。人患疮疥。多以水银涂之。性滑重直入肉宜
谨之。头疥切不可用。恐入经络。必缓筋骨。百药不治也。）
（炼白如银。能寒能热。能滑能涩。能辛能苦。能咸能酸。入地千岁不变。色青白者佳
。黄者伤人。赤者杀人。）
【气味】
苦辛寒无毒。又曰苦咸有小毒。得石苇为之使。
【主治】
百病。除寒热邪气。逐五脏积聚结固留癖。能化七十二种石。炼饵服之。轻身神仙
。胃中饮食热结。破留血闭绝停痰痞满。推陈致新。疗热胀。养胃消谷。治腹胀大小便不通
。女子月候不通。通泄五脏百病及症结。治天行热疾头痛。消肿毒。排脓润毛发。
恶（麦句姜） 畏（三棱）
【气味】
辛苦大寒无毒。又曰咸有小毒。
【主治】
五脏积聚久热胃闭。除邪气。破留血。腹中痰实结搏。通经脉。利大小便及月水。
破五淋。推陈致新。下瘰 黄胆病时疾壅热。能散恶血。堕胎。敷膝疮。
【马牙硝】
气味甘大寒无毒。又曰咸微甘。即英硝也。
【主治】
除五脏积热伏气。末筛点眼赤。去赤肿障翳涩泪痛。亦入点眼药中用。功同芒硝。
内经曰。咸味下泄为阴。又云咸以 之。热淫于内。治以咸寒。气坚者以咸 之。热盛者以
寒消之。故张仲景大陷胸汤。大承气汤。调胃承气汤。皆用芒硝以 坚去实。热结不至坚者
不可用也。本草云朴硝味辛。是辛以润坚燥也。今人不用辛字。只用咸字。咸能 坚也。其
义皆是。本草言芒硝利小便而堕胎。然伤寒妊娠可下者。用此兼大黄引之。直入大腹。润燥
坚泻热。而母子俱安。经云有故无殒亦无殒也。此之谓欤。以在下言之。则便溺俱阴。以
前后言之。则前气后血。以肾言之。总主大小便难。溺涩秘结。俱为水少火盛。经云热淫于
内。治以咸寒。佐之以苦。故用芒硝大黄相须为使也。芒硝气薄味浓。沉而降阴也。其用有
三。去实热一也。涤肠中宿垢二也。破坚积热块三也。孕妇惟三四月及七八月不可用。余皆
无妨。朴硝澄下。硝之粗者也。其质重浊。芒硝牙硝结于上。硝之精者也。其质清明。甜硝
风化硝。则又芒硝牙硝之去气味而甘缓轻爽者也。故朴硝只可施于卤莽之人及敷涂之药。若
汤散服饵。必须芒硝牙硝为佳。张仲景伤寒论。只用芒硝。不用朴硝。正此义也。
[Odor and Flavor]
Pungent, cold, toxic.
[Indications]
Treats sores, ulcers, and tinea capitis (scalp ringworm). Kills lice on the skin. Induces abortion. Clears heat. Detoxifies poisons from gold, mercury, copper, and tin. When melted and refined, it reverts to cinnabar. Applied externally to treat male genital diseases. Treats depletion of yin qi and deficiency of vital energy. Promotes urination. Eliminates heat toxins. Primarily treats epidemic febrile diseases (seasonal infectious fevers). Disperses wind, calms the spirit, and anchors the heart. Treats malignant sores, scabies, and kills parasites. Induces labor and expels dead fetuses.
(Note: Cinnabar cannot be smelted into mercury, but mercury, through accumulation and transformation, can revert to cinnabar. Its nature is far removed from ordinary herbs. Gold and mercury entering the nine orifices can prevent the decay of corpses. Mercury entering the ear can consume the brain entirely; entering the flesh causes spasms in all joints. It leads to the severance of yin and yang. People suffering from sores and scabies often apply mercury topically. Due to its slippery and heavy nature, which penetrates directly into the flesh, it must be used with caution. It must absolutely not be used for head scabies, as fear exists that it may enter the meridians, inevitably damaging tendons and bones, rendering all medicines ineffective.)
[Odor and Flavor]
Bitter, pungent, cold, non-toxic. Some say bitter, salty, slightly toxic. Guided by *Pyrrhospora folium* (Shiwei).
[Indications]
Treats various diseases. Eliminates pathogenic factors of cold and heat. Drains out accumulations, consolidations, and lingering masses in the five zang organs. Can dissolve seventy-two types of minerals. Refined and taken orally, it lightens the body and grants immortality. Treats heat accumulation of food in the stomach. Breaks up retained blood, amenorrhea, phlegm retention, and fullness. Pushes out the old and brings forth the new. Treats heat distension. Nourishes the stomach and aids digestion. Treats abdominal distension and obstruction of both stool and urine. Treats menstrual obstruction in women. Unblocks and drains diseases of the five zang organs and pathological knots. Treats headache caused by epidemic febrile diseases. Reduces swelling and detoxifies. Expels pus and moistens hair.
Incompatible with *Aconitum brachypodum* (Maijujiang) and *Sparganium stoloniferum* (Sanleng).
[Odor and Flavor]
Pungent, bitter, very cold, non-toxic. Some say salty, slightly toxic.
[Indications]
Treats accumulations in the five zang organs, chronic heat, and gastric closure. Eliminates pathogenic factors. Breaks up retained blood. Treats phlegm-solidities and knotting in the abdomen. Unblocks the meridians. Promotes urination and defecation, and regulates menstruation. Treats five types of strangury (lin syndrome). Pushes out the old and brings forth the new. Treats scrofula, jaundice, and stagnant heat from epidemics. Can dissipate evil blood. Induces abortion. Applied externally to treat knee sores.
[Mary Tooth Nitre]
[Odor and Flavor]
Sweet, very cold, non-toxic. Some say salty, slightly sweet. Also known as Yingxiao.
[Indications]
Eliminates accumulated heat and latent qi in the five zang organs. Sifted into powder and applied to the eyes, it treats redness. Removes redness, swelling, nebula, opacity, astringency, tearing, and pain. Also used in eye-drop formulations. Its efficacy is identical to that of Mirabilite (Mangxiao).
The *Neijing* states: "Salty flavor descends and excretes, belonging to Yin." It also says: "Use salty to soften hardness." For heat rampant within, treat with salty-cold. For firm structures, use salty to soften them. For excessive heat, use cold to eliminate it. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing's Da Xianxiong Tang (Major Chest-Expelling Decoction), Da Chengqi Tang (Major Order-the-Qi Decoction), and Tiaowei Chengqi Tang (Regulate-the-Stomach Order-the-Qi Decoction) all use Mirabilite (Mangxiao) to soften hardness and remove excess. If heat accumulation has not reached a state of hardness, it should not be used. Materia Medica records that Glauber salt (Puxiao) has a pungent flavor; this refers to using pungency to moisten dryness. Modern practitioners do not use the term "pungent," only "salty," because salty softens hardness. Both interpretations are valid. Materia Medica states that Mirabilite promotes urination and induces abortion. However, in cases of Cold Damage where a pregnant woman requires purgation, this herb can be used in conjunction with Rhubarb (*Rhei Radix et Rhizoma*) to guide it directly into the large abdomen, moistening dryness, softening hardness, and draining heat, thereby ensuring the safety of both mother and fetus. The Classics state: "If there is an existing pathology, there will be no harm [to the healthy qi]." This is what is meant. Speaking from the perspective of location below, both urine and stool belong to Yin. Speaking from front and back, the front relates to Qi and the back to Blood. From the perspective of the Kidney, it primarily governs difficulty in urination and defecation. Astringency, turbidity, and constipation are all due to insufficient water and excessive fire. The Classics state: "For heat rampant within, treat with salty-cold, assisted by bitter." Hence, Mirabilite and Rhubarb are used together as mutual assistants. Mirabilite has a thin qi and strong flavor, sinking and descending, belonging to Yin. Its uses are threefold: first, to remove excess heat; second, to cleanse residual feces in the intestines; third, to break up hard accumulations of heat masses. Pregnant women should avoid it during the third and fourth months, and the seventh and eighth months of pregnancy; otherwise, it is permissible. Glauber salt (Puxiao) settles at the bottom and is the crude form of nitre. Its texture is heavy and turbid. Mirabilite (Mangxiao) and Mary Tooth Nitre (Yaxiao) crystallize at the top and are the refined forms. Their texture is clear and bright. Sweet Nitre (Tianxiao) and Weathered Nitre (Fenghuaxiao) have had their flavors removed, becoming sweet, mild, light, and refreshing. Therefore, Glauber salt is only suitable for rough constitutions or external applications. For decoctions or powders taken internally, Mirabilite and Mary Tooth Nitre are superior. In Zhang Zhongjing's *Treatise on Cold Damage*, only Mirabilite is used, not Glauber salt, which aligns with this principle.