气平。味甘。无毒。主心腹结气。虚热湿毒。腰痛。茎中寒。及目痛 烂泪出。
葳蕤气平。禀天秋降之金气。入手太阴肺经。味甘无毒。得地中和湿土之味。入足太阴
脾经
。气降味和。阴也。甘平之品。则能清能润。故亦主心腹结气也。其主虚热者。甘能补虚。
平可清热也。湿毒腰痛。及茎中寒。目痛 烂泪出。皆太阳膀胱之病也。膀胱之经。起于目
内。其直者下项挟脊。抵腰中。入循膂络肾属膀胱。膀胱本寒水之经。膀胱有湿毒。则湿
气走腰中而痛。走膀胱而茎中寒矣。于是膀胱湿火上炎于经络。目痛内 烂而泪自出也。其
主之者。膀胱之开合。皆由气化。葳蕤气平益肺。肺气降则小便通。湿行火降。而诸症平矣
。盖膀胱津液之府。肺乃津液之原。润其原。则膀胱之湿亦行也。所谓治病必求其本者如此
。
制 方:
葳蕤同黄 。治老人大便秘。同漆叶。治阴虚。兼令人有子。
气平。味苦酸。无毒。主寒湿痿痹。四肢拘挛。膝痛不可屈伸。逐血气。伤热火烂
。堕胎。久服轻身耐老。
牛膝气平。禀天秋降之金气。入手太阴肺经。味苦酸无毒。得地木火之味。入足厥阴肝
经、
手厥阴心包络。气味俱降。阴也。肺热叶焦。发为痿痹。牛膝苦平清肺。肺气清则通调水道
。寒湿下逐。营卫行而痿痹愈矣。湿热不攘。则大筋软短。而四肢拘挛。膝痛不可屈伸矣。
牛膝苦酸。酸则舒筋。苦除湿热。所以主之也。逐血气者。苦平下泄。能逐气滞血凝也。伤
热火烂者。热汤伤。火伤疮也。苦平清热。酸能收。敛则止。而疮愈也。苦味伐生生之气。
酸滑伤厥阴之血。所以堕胎。久服则血脉流通无滞。所以轻身而耐老也。
制 方:
牛膝同生地。治下元虚。专用五两酒煎。治女人阴痛。同当归、生地。下死胎。用三两
同鳖
甲三钱。治疟在阴分久不愈。胃虚加人参一两。陈皮去白五钱。同青蒿、生地、麦冬、杞
子。治血虚发热。
[Rheum Officinale (Weirui)]
The qi is neutral. The taste is sweet. It is non-toxic. It primarily treats Qi stagnation in the heart and abdomen, deficiency heat, damp-heat toxicity, lower back pain, cold sensation in the urethra, as well as eye pain, blepharitis with tearing.
Rheum officinale has a neutral qi, inheriting the descending metal qi of autumn, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Its taste is sweet and non-toxic, deriving from the harmonious damp-earth flavor of the earth, entering the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Its qi descends and its taste is mild; it belongs to Yin. As a sweet and neutral substance, it can clear heat and moisten dryness; thus, it also treats Qi stagnation in the heart and abdomen. The reason it treats deficiency heat is that sweetness tonifies deficiency, and neutrality clears heat. Lower back pain caused by damp-heat toxicity, cold sensation in the urethra, eye pain, and blepharitis with tearing are all diseases of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. The Bladder Meridian originates at the inner canthus of the eye; its straight branch descends to the nape, runs alongside the spine, reaches the waist, enters internally to connect with the Kidney and belong to the Bladder. The Bladder is originally a meridian of cold water. If there is damp-heat toxicity in the Bladder, dampness flows into the waist causing pain, and flows into the Bladder causing cold sensation in the urethra. Consequently, damp-fire from the Bladder flares up along the meridians, causing eye pain, internal ulceration, and spontaneous tearing. Rheum officinale treats these conditions because the opening and closing of the Bladder depend on Qi transformation. Rheum officinale, with its neutral qi, benefits Lung Qi; when Lung Qi descends, urination becomes unobstructed, dampness moves, fire subsides, and various symptoms subside. The Bladder is the mansion of body fluids, while the Lung is the source of body fluids. Moistening the source allows the dampness in the Bladder to move. This is what is meant by "treating disease requires seeking the root."
Prescription Formulation:
Rheum officinale combined with Polygonatum sibiricum (Huangjing) treats constipation in the elderly. Combined with Gleditsia sinensis leaf (Qiyè), it treats Yin deficiency and promotes fertility.
[Achyranthes Bidentata (Niuxi)]
The qi is neutral. The taste is bitter and sour. It is non-toxic. It primarily treats wind-cold-damp bi syndrome with muscle atrophy and paralysis, spasm and contracture of the four limbs, knee pain with inability to flex or extend, expels blood stasis and Qi stagnation, treats sores and ulcers caused by heat-fire injury, induces abortion, and long-term use makes the body light and delays aging.
Achyranthes bidentata has a neutral qi, inheriting the descending metal qi of autumn, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Its taste is bitter and sour and non-toxic, deriving from the wood-fire flavors of the earth, entering the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian and the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. Both its qi and taste descend; it belongs to Yin. Lung heat causing scorched lung leaves leads to bi syndrome with atrophy. Achyranthes bidentata, being bitter and neutral, clears Lung heat; when Lung Qi is clear, water passages are regulated, cold-dampness is expelled downward, Ying and Wei Qi circulate freely, and bi syndrome with atrophy heals. If damp-heat is not dispelled, large tendons become soft and short, leading to spasm and contracture of the four limbs and knee pain with inability to flex or extend. Achyranthes bidentata is bitter and sour; sourness relaxes tendons, and bitterness removes damp-heat, hence it treats these conditions. "Expelling blood and Qi" refers to its bitter-neutral nature directing downward, capable of expelling Qi stagnation and blood coagulation. "Heat-fire injury and ulceration" refers to sores caused by hot liquids or fire burns. Achyranthes bidentata's bitter-neutral property clears heat, and its sour property astringes; astringency stops bleeding/oozing, leading to healing. Bitterness attacks the vital generating Qi, and sour-slippery properties damage the Blood of the Jueyin; thus, it induces abortion. Long-term use ensures smooth blood circulation without stagnation, making the body light and delaying aging.
Prescription Formulation:
Achyranthes bidentata combined with Rehmannia glutinosa (Shengdihuang) treats deficiency of the lower Yuan. Used alone, five liang decocted in wine treats vulvar pain in women. Combined with Angelica sinensis (Danggui) and Rehmannia glutinosa (Shengdihuang), it expels retained fetus. Three liang of Achyranthes bidentata combined with three qian of Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum (Biejia) treats malaria lingering in the Yin aspect for a long time; if Stomach Qi is deficient, add Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) one liang and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi) peeled five qian. Combined with Artemisia annua (Qinghao), Rehmannia glutinosa (Shengdihuang), Ophiopogon japonicus (Maidong), and Lycii Fructus (Gouqi), it treats fever due to Blood deficiency.