气微寒。味苦。无毒。主血结惊气。除寒热。补中益肺气。
沙参气微寒。禀天初冬之水气。入足少阴肾经。味苦无毒。得地南方之火味。入手少阴
心经
。气味俱降。阴也。心主血而藏神。神不宁则血结而易惊矣。结者散之。惊者平之。沙参味
苦能散。气寒能平也。心火禀炎上之性。火郁则寒。火发则热。苦寒之味能清心火。故除寒
热。阴者所以守中者也。气寒益阴。所以补中。肺为金藏。其性畏火。沙参入心。苦寒清火
。所以益肺气也。
制 方:
沙参一味。治肺热咳嗽。为末。酒服方寸匕。治卒疝。少腹及阴中相引绞痛。自汗出欲
死者
。用米饮下二钱。治白带。
气平。味苦。无毒。主邪气腹痛。除血痹。破坚积。寒热疝瘕。止痛。利小便。益
气。（赤者破血）
芍药气平。禀天秋收之金气。入手太阴肺经。味苦无毒。得地南方之火味。入手少阴心
经。
气味俱降。阴也。腹者足太阴行之地。邪气者。肝木之邪气乘脾土作痛也。芍药入肺。气平
伐肝。所以主之。血痹者。血涩不行而麻木也。芍药入心。苦以散结。故主之也。坚积。坚
硬之积也。疝者。小腹下痛。肝病也。瘕者。假物而成之积也。寒热疝瘕者。其原或因寒或
因热也。芍药能破之者。味苦散结。气平伐肝也。诸痛皆属心火。味苦清心。所以止痛。膀
胱津液之出。皆由肺气。苦平清肺。肺气下行。故利小便。肺主气。壮火则食气。芍药气平
益肺。肺清故益气也。赤者入心与小肠。心主血。小肠主变化。所以行而不留。主破血也。
制 方:
芍药醋炒则入肝。同白术补脾。同川芎泻肝。同人参补气。同归身补血。同甘草止痛。
同黄
连止泻。同姜枣温经散湿。同甘草。夏加黄芩。冬加桂枝。治腹中虚痛。同甘草。治消渴引
饮
。同犀角。治衄血咯血。同香附、熟艾。治经水不止。同香附末。盐汤调服。治血崩带下。
同川连、滑石、甘草、升麻、人参、莲心、扁豆、红曲、干葛。治痢。同荆芥、防风、生地
、甘草。治肠风。同归身、生地、牛膝、炮姜、续断、麦冬、五味。治产后虚热。同黄 、
防
风。治表虚自汗。同陈皮、藿香、木瓜、甘草。治中恶腹痛。同白术、白茯、猪苓、陈皮。
治脾湿腹痛。
[Sha Shen]
The nature is slightly cold. The flavor is bitter. It is non-toxic. It mainly treats blood stagnation (Xue Jie) and fright qi (Jing Qi). It eliminates chills and fever, tonifies the middle jiao (Zhong), and benefits lung qi (Fei Qi).
Sha Shen has a slightly cold nature, inheriting the water qi of early winter, entering the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian (Zu Shao Yin Shen Jing). Its bitter and non-toxic flavor inherits the fire flavor of the south, entering the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian (Shou Shao Yin Xin Jing).
Both its aroma and flavor descend; it belongs to Yin. The Heart governs blood and houses the spirit (Shen). If the spirit is not tranquil, blood stagnates and one becomes easily frightened. For stagnation, disperse it; for fright, calm it. Sha Shen’s bitter flavor can disperse, and its cold nature can calm. The Heart Fire inherits the nature of flaring upward. When fire is constrained, it manifests as cold; when fire erupts, it manifests as heat. The bitter-cold flavor can clear Heart Fire, thus eliminating chills and fever. Yin is what guards the center. Its cold nature nourishes Yin, thus tonifying the center. The Lung is the Metal Zang organ, whose nature fears Fire. Sha Shen enters the Heart Meridian; by clearing Heart Fire with its bitter-cold nature, it benefits Lung Qi.
Prescription Methods:
Using only Sha Shen to treat lung-heat cough. Grind into powder, take one cun bi (a traditional measure) with wine. Treat sudden hernia (Chu Shan), with twisting pain in the lower abdomen and genitals, profuse sweating approaching death. Take two qian with rice water. Treat leukorrhea (Bai Dai).
[Shao Yao]
The nature is neutral. The flavor is bitter. It is non-toxic. It treats abdominal pain caused by pathogenic factors (Xie Qi). It eliminates blood obstruction (Xue Bi). It breaks down hard accumulations (Jian Ji). It treats chills, fever, hernia, and mass (Han Re Chan Jia). It stops pain. It promotes urination. It tonifies qi. (Red Shao Yao breaks blood.)
Shao Yao has a neutral nature, inheriting the metal qi of autumn harvest, entering the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian (Shou Taiyin Fei Jing). Its bitter and non-toxic flavor inherits the fire flavor of the south, entering the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian (Shou Shao Yin Xin Jing).
Both its aroma and flavor descend; it belongs to Yin. The abdomen is the territory of the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Pathogenic factors refer to Liver Wood pathogenic factors attacking Spleen Earth causing pain. Shao Yao enters the Lung Meridian; its neutral nature suppresses Liver Wood, thus treating this condition. Blood obstruction refers to numbness due to sluggish blood flow. Shao Yao enters the Heart Meridian; its bitter flavor disperses knots, thus treating this condition. Hard accumulation refers to solid masses. Hernia refers to pain in the lower abdomen, a Liver disease. Jia refers to accumulations formed by false entities. Chills, fever, hernia, and jia originate from either cold or heat. Shao Yao can break them because its bitter flavor disperses knots and its neutral nature suppresses Liver Wood. All pains belong to Heart Fire; its bitter flavor clears the Heart, thus stopping pain. The excretion of bladder fluids depends on Lung Qi. Bitter-neutral properties clear the Lung; Lung Qi descends, thus promoting urination. The Lung governs Qi; vigorous fire consumes Qi. Shao Yao’s neutral nature benefits the Lung; since the Lung is clear, it tonifies Qi. Red Shao Yao enters the Heart and Small Intestine meridians. The Heart governs blood; the Small Intestine governs transformation and transportation, so it moves without staying, treating blood breaking.
Prescription Methods:
Vinegar-fried Shao Yao enters the Liver Meridian. Combined with Bai Zhu, it tonifies the Spleen. Combined with Chuan Xiong, it drains the Liver. Combined with Ren Shen, it tonifies Qi. Combined with Dang Gui Shen, it tonifies Blood. Combined with Gan Cao, it stops pain. Combined with Huang Lian, it stops diarrhea. Combined with Sheng Jiang and Da Zao, it warms the meridians and dispels dampness. Combined with Gan Cao, add Huang Qin in summer and Gui Zhi in winter to treat deficiency-cold abdominal pain. Combined with Gan Cao, treat polydipsia (Xiao Ke). Combined with Xi Jiao, treat epistaxis (Nu Xue) and hemoptysis (Ke Xue). Combined with Xiang Fu and Shu Ai, treat menorrhagia (Jing Shui Bu Zhi). Combined with Xiang Fu powder, taken with salt water, treat metrorrhagia (Xue Beng) and leukorrhea. Combined with Chuan Lian, Hua Shi, Gan Cao, Sheng Ma, Ren Shen, Lian Xin, Bian Dou, Hong Qu, and Ge Gen, treat dysentery (Li). Combined with Jing Jie, Fang Feng, Sheng Di, and Gan Cao, treat intestinal wind (Chang Feng). Combined with Dang Gui Shen, Sheng Di, Niu Xi, Pao Jiang, Xu Duan, Mai Dong, and Wu Wei Zi, treat postpartum deficiency-heat. Combined with Huang Qi and Fang Feng, treat spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency. Combined with Chen Pi, Huo Xiang, Mu Gua, and Gan Cao, treat abdominal pain from evil invasion (Zhong E). Combined with Bai Zhu, Bai Fu Ling, Zhu Ling, and Chen Pi, treat spleen-damp abdominal pain.