气微寒。味苦。无毒。主痰满。胸胁中痞。心腹结气。风头痛。去痰下气。治伤寒
寒热。推陈致新。明目益精。
前胡气微寒。禀天初冬寒水之气。入足太阳膀胱经。味苦无毒。得地南方之火味。入手
少阴
心经。气味俱降。阴也。胸者肺之部也。心火刑肺。则肺之津液不下行。郁于胸中而成痰矣
。前胡味苦清心火。所以主痰满胸也。人身之气。左升右降。心火乘肺。肺不能降。则升亦
不升而胁中痞矣。前胡味苦气寒。清心降气。肺气降。则升者亦升。而痞愈矣。心腹结气。
邪热之气结于心腹也。寒能下气。苦能散结。所以主之。风头痛。伤风而头痛也。风为阳邪
。苦寒抑阳。故止头痛。去痰下气。清心宁肺之功也。伤寒寒热。乃阳盛阴虚之风热症也。
苦寒清热。所以治之。苦寒之味。行秋冬肃杀之令。所以推陈致新。盖陈者去而新者方来也
。味苦清火。所以明目。气寒助阴。所以益精也。
制 方:
前胡同杏仁、甘草、桑皮、桔梗。治热喘下气。同花粉、归身、甘草、黄芩。治伤寒寒
热。
同甘菊、丹皮。治风热目疼。
气平。味苦甘。无毒。主风寒所击金疮止痛。奔豚痫痉。女子疝瘕。久服轻身耐老
。（一名独活）
羌活气平。禀天秋燥之金气。入手太阴肺经。味苦甘无毒。得地南方中央火土之味。入
手少
阴心经、足太阴脾经。气味降多于升。阴也。其主风寒所击金疮止痛者。金疮为风寒所击。
则血气壅而不行。其痛更甚矣。羌活苦能泄。甘能和。入肺解风寒。所以风血行而痛止也。
奔豚者。肾水之邪。如豚奔突而犯心也。苦可燥湿。甘可伐肾。所以主之。痫者风症也。痉
者湿流关节之症也。羌活气平。可以治风。味苦可以燥湿。故止痫痉也。女子疝
瘕。多经行后血假风湿而成。羌活平风燥湿。兼之气雄。可以散血也。久服则脾湿散。所以
轻身。心血和。所以耐老。皆味甘苦之功也。
制 方:
羌活同麦冬、前胡、黄芩、甘草。治太阳疫症。同白术、苍术、秦艽、生地、苡仁、木
瓜、
石斛、黄柏。治下部湿热。同生地、赤芍、甘草、丹皮、石膏。治风热牙疼。
[Qianhu]
The nature is slightly cold. The flavor is bitter. It is non-toxic. It primarily treats phlegm-fullness, chest and hypochondriac stagnation, qi knotting in the heart and abdomen, and wind-induced headache. It has the functions of eliminating phlegm and directing qi downward. It treats chills and fever caused by Shanghan (Cold Damage), promotes the elimination of the old and generation of the new, brightens the eyes, and benefits essence.
Qianhu has a slightly cold nature, inheriting the cold water energy of early winter, and enters the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. Its bitter and non-toxic flavor corresponds to the fire flavor of the south on earth, entering the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Both its nature and flavor are descending, belonging to Yin. The chest is the domain of the Lung. If Heart Fire insults the Lung (Fire insulting Metal), the Lung's fluids fail to descend, stagnating in the chest to form phlegm. Qianhu's bitter flavor clears Heart Fire, thus treating phlegm-fullness in the chest. Qi in the human body ascends on the left and descends on the right. If Heart Fire attacks the Lung, the Lung fails to descend, causing ascent to also be blocked, resulting in hypochondriac stagnation. Qianhu's bitter flavor and cold nature clear Heart Fire and direct Lung Qi downward. When Lung Qi descends, ascending Qi can also ascend properly, resolving the stagnation. Qi knotting in the heart and abdomen refers to pathogenic heat knotting in these areas. Cold nature directs qi downward, and bitter flavor disperses knots, hence it treats this condition. Wind headache refers to headache caused by wind invasion. Wind is a Yang pathogen; bitter-cold flavors suppress Yang, thus stopping headache. Eliminating phlegm and directing qi downward are the effects of clearing the Heart and calming the Lung. Chills and fever in Shanghan constitute a wind-heat syndrome characterized by excess Yang and deficient Yin. Bitter-cold flavors clear heat, thus treating it. The bitter-cold flavor operates the austere and killing command of autumn and winter, thereby promoting the elimination of the old and generation of the new. Essentially, as the old is removed, the new arises. Bitter flavor clears fire, thus brightening the eyes; cold nature assists Yin, thus benefiting essence.
Prescription Methods:
Qianhu combined with Xingren (Apricot Seed), Gancao (Licorice Root), Sangbaipi (Mulberry Bark), and Jiegeng (Platycodon Root) treats hot asthma and qi rebellion. Combined with Huafen (Trichosanthes Root), Guishen (Angelica Sinensis Root Body), Gancao, and Huangqin (Scutellaria Root), it treats chills and fever from Shanghan. Combined with Ganju (Chrysanthemum Indicum) and Danpi (Moutan Cortex), it treats eye pain from wind-heat.
[Qianghuo]
The nature is neutral. The flavors are bitter and sweet. It is non-toxic. It primarily treats pain from metal wounds struck by wind-cold, Ben Tun (running piglet) epilepsy and spasms, and hernia masses in women. Long-term use makes the body light and delays aging. (Also known as Duhuo).
Qianghuo has a neutral nature, inheriting the dry metal energy of autumn, and enters the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Its bitter-sweet and non-toxic flavor corresponds to the fire-earth flavor of the central south on earth, entering the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian and Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Its nature and flavor descend more than they ascend, belonging to Yin. Regarding its treatment of pain from metal wounds struck by wind-cold: when a wound is struck by wind-cold, blood and qi become stagnant and cease to flow, exacerbating pain. Qianghuo's bitter flavor drains, and its sweet flavor harmonizes; entering the Lung to resolve wind-cold allows blood to flow and pain to stop. Ben Tun refers to evil Qi of Kidney Water rushing like a pig to invade the Heart. Bitter flavor dries dampness, and sweet flavor subdues Kidney evil, thus treating it. Epilepsy is a wind syndrome; spasms are a syndrome where dampness flows into joints. Qianghuo's neutral nature treats wind, and its bitter flavor dries dampness, thus stopping epilepsy and spasms. Hernia masses in women often form after menstruation due to blood deficiency combined with wind-dampness. Qianghuo pacifies wind and dries dampness, and due to its vigorous Qi, it can dissipate blood stasis. Long-term use disperses Spleen dampness, making the body light; it harmonizes Heart Blood, delaying aging. These are all the merits of sweet and bitter flavors.
Prescription Methods:
Qianghuo combined with Maidong (Ophiopogon Tuber), Qianhu, Huangqin, and Gancao treats Taiyang epidemic syndromes. Combined with Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), Cangzhu (Atractylodes Lancea Rhizome), Qinjiao (Gentiana Macrophylla Root), Shengdi (Rehmannia Root), Yiren (Coix Seed), Mugua (Chaenomelis Fructus), Shihu (Dendrobium Stem), and Huangbai (Phellodendron Bark), it treats damp-heat in the lower part of the body. Combined with Shengdi, Chishao (Red Peony Root), Gancao, Danpi, and Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), it treats toothache from wind-heat.