气温。味辛苦。无毒。主气 。下食。破积结。及膈气。
青皮气温。禀天春和之木气。入足厥阴肝经。味辛苦无毒。得地西南金火之味。入手太
阴肺
经、手少阴心经。气味升多于降。阳也。其主气 者。味辛入肺。肺主气。而辛温能通也。
下食者。饮食入胃。散精于肝。气温入肝。肝能散精。食自下也。辛能散。温能行。积者破
而结者解矣。肝主升。肺主降。升而不降。气膈于右。降而不升。气膈于左。温可达肝。辛
苦泄肺。则升降如而膈气平矣。
制 方:
青皮同人参、鳖甲。治疟母。同枳壳、肉桂、川芎。治左胁胀满痛。
气平。味甘。无毒。主心腹邪气。安中养脾气。平胃气。通九窍。助十二经。补少
气少津液。身中不足。大惊四肢重。和百药。久服轻身延年。
大枣气平。禀天秋收之金气。入手太阴肺经。味甘无毒。得地中正之土味。入足太阴脾
经。
气味升多于降。阳也。心腹者。太阴经行之地也。邪之所凑。其气必虚。阴阳形气不足者。
宜调以甘药。大枣味甘。可以调不足。故主心腹邪气。外为阳。内为阴。阴和则中安。甘平
益阴。所以安中。脾者阴气之原也。胃者阳气之原也。甘平益阴。故养脾气。阴和则阳平。
故平胃气。中气不足。则九窍不通。甘能满中。中气足。九窍通也。十二经者。三阴三阳也
。
脾胃者。阴阳之原也。大枣养脾气。平胃气。则十二经无不助矣。肺主气而生津液。气平益
肺。所以主少气少津液也。肺主一身之气。脾统一身之血。甘平益脾肺。身中气血和。自无
不足之症矣。血气足则神安。所以定大惊。脾主四肢。味甘益脾。脾气充。四肢自轻。甘平
解毒。故和百药。肺气充。脾血足。所以轻身延年也。
制 方:
大枣同小麦、甘草。名甘草小麦汤。治妇人脏燥。无故悲啼。
[Green Tangerine Peel]
Properties and Flavor: Warm in nature, pungent and bitter in flavor. Non-toxic.
Actions: Primarily regulates Qi, promotes digestion, breaks up accumulations and nodules, and treats Qi stagnation in the diaphragm.
Green Tangerine Peel (Qingpi) is warm in nature, inheriting the mild Wood Qi of spring, and enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. It is pungent and bitter in flavor and non-toxic, deriving from the Metal and Fire flavors of the southwest earth, and enters the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Its aromatic properties ascend more than they descend, belonging to Yang. The action of "regulating Qi" occurs because the pungent flavor enters the Lung; the Lung governs Qi, and pungent-warm qualities can unblock Qi flow. The action of "promoting digestion" (Xia Shi) works as follows: after food enters the Stomach, its essence is dispersed to the Liver; Green Tangerine Peel's warm nature enters the Liver, enabling the Liver to disperse essence properly, allowing food to move downward smoothly. Pungency disperses, and warmth moves Qi; thus, accumulations are broken, and nodules are resolved. The Liver governs ascending, and the Lung governs descending. If ascending occurs without descending, Qi stagnates on the right side; if descending occurs without ascending, Qi stagnates on the left side. Using warm herbs reaches the Liver, while pungent and bitter herbs drain the Lung; this restores orderly ascent and descent, calming Qi stagnation in the diaphragm.
Prescription Applications:
Green Tangerine Peel combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum (Biejia) treats Mamo (mass under the hypochondrium resulting from chronic malaria). Combined with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus (Zhike), Cinnamomi Ramulus (Rougui), and Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong), it treats distension and pain in the left hypochondrium.
[Jujube]
Properties and Flavor: Neutral in nature, sweet in flavor. Non-toxic.
Actions: Primarily treats pathogenic factors in the heart and abdomen, calms the Middle Jiao, nourishes Spleen Qi, harmonizes Stomach Qi, opens the nine orifices, assists the twelve meridians, tonifies deficiency of Qi and body fluids, addresses general bodily weakness, alleviates heaviness in the four limbs caused by sudden fright, and harmonizes various medicinal substances. Long-term consumption lightens the body and prolongs life.
Jujube (Dazao) is neutral in nature, inheriting the harvesting Metal Qi of autumn, and enters the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian. It is sweet in flavor and non-toxic, deriving from the central Earth flavor, and enters the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Its aromatic properties ascend more than they descend, belonging to Yang. The heart and abdomen are areas traversed by the Taiyin meridians. Where pathogens gather, Qi is necessarily deficient. In cases of deficiency of Yin-Yang and form-Qi, it is appropriate to regulate with sweet medicines. Jujube is sweet and can tonify deficiencies; therefore, it primarily treats pathogenic factors in the heart and abdomen. Exterior is Yang, interior is Yin; when Yin is harmonized, the Middle Jiao is calm. Sweet-neutral qualities benefit Yin, thus calming the Middle Jiao. The Spleen is the source of Yin Qi, and the Stomach is the source of Yang Qi. Sweet-neutral qualities benefit Yin, thereby nourishing Spleen Qi; when Yin is harmonized, Yang becomes peaceful, thus harmonizing Stomach Qi. Deficiency of Middle Qi leads to blockage of the nine orifices. Sweetness can fill the Middle; when Middle Qi is sufficient, the nine orifices open. The twelve meridians refer to the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians. The Spleen and Stomach are the sources of Yin and Yang. By nourishing Spleen Qi and harmonizing Stomach Qi, Jujube assists all twelve meridians. The Lung governs Qi and generates body fluids; Jujube’s neutral nature benefits the Lung, thus addressing deficiency of Qi and body fluids. The Lung governs Qi for the whole body, and the Spleen controls Blood for the whole body. Sweet-neutral qualities benefit the Spleen and Lung; when Qi and Blood within the body are harmonized, symptoms of deficiency naturally disappear. When Qi and Blood are sufficient, the Spirit is calm, thus settling sudden fright. The Spleen governs the four limbs; sweetness benefits the Spleen, and when Spleen Qi is robust, the four limbs become light. Sweet-neutral qualities detoxify, thus harmonizing hundred medicines. When Lung Qi is robust and Spleen Blood is sufficient, the body becomes light and life is prolonged.
Prescription Applications:
Jujube combined with Triticum Semen (Xiaomai) and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao) is named Gancao Xiaomai Decoction. It treats Zangzao (Visceral Agitation syndrome in women), characterized by spontaneous weeping and crying without cause.