味甘。气微寒。入足阳明经。主胃热呕吐呃逆。通胃热噎膈。除胃烦不眠。清阳气
。止吐血及崩中。解虚热。愈伤寒女劳复。疗妊娠烦燥小儿热痫。同橘皮木瓜麦冬人参枇杷
叶芦根汁石斛。治胃虚有热。呕呃不止。入温胆汤。能宁神豁痰。伤寒后交接劳复。卵肿股
痛。竹皮一升。水三升。煮五沸。服汁。产后烦热短气。甘竹茹汤。甘竹茹一升。人参茯苓
甘草各二两。黄芩二两。水六升。煎二升。分服。日三。小儿热痫口噤。青竹茹三两。醋三
升。煎一升。服一合。
〔论〕 人身身半以上。为天之阳。阳中有阴。然后阳不上僭。竹。阳中阴也。故叶则
清心
吐血崩中者。血固生化于胃也。他如产后烦热。小儿热痫。皆不离心胃以为主治。至伤寒女
劳复而亦治者。以脐下三结交。乃阳明太阴也。脐下三寸。关元也。且胃之三脘。由于任。
竹茹能解胃之虚热以和任。故女劳复有热者用之。
凡胃寒呕吐。及感寒挟食作吐者。忌用。（仲淳）
〔修治〕 须取鲜竹刮之。磋去在外硬青。止用向里黄皮。
气味甘寒。姜汁为之使。主阴虚生热。热化风。治胸膈痰热。止烦闷消渴。疗类中风
。或因气虚。或因血虚。养阴滑痰。渗经络之壅。润燥急之火。及小儿天吊惊痫。妇人胎产
闷晕。
久渴心烦。宜投竹沥。（雷公）竹沥所治胎产金疮口噤。与血虚自汗消渴小便多。皆阴
虚之病。夫阴虚则发热。此味味甘性缓。能除阴虚之有大热者。寒而能补。与薯蓣义同。（丹
溪）能食者用荆沥。不能食者用竹沥。（三锡云。能食而气稍实者荆沥妙。）荆沥清火化痰。
功胜竹沥。但不补耳。（述。）竹沥滑痰。非佐以姜汁不行经络。痰在四肢。非竹沥不开。痰
在皮里膜外。非竹沥姜汁不可除。痰在膈间。使人癫狂。宜用竹沥。风痰亦宜用。其功又
能养血。（丹溪）有痰厥不省人事几死者。将竹沥灌之即苏。诚起死回生药也。（述）竹沥乃
阴虚有大热者仙品。中年痰火。舍此必不能成功。特为拈出。（三锡）沥。竹之津液。得火
之后。寒性应灭。滑利走窍。清热逐痰。故为中风要药。凡中风之证。莫不由阴虚火旺。煎
熬津液。结而为痰。壅塞气道。不得升降。热极生风。以致猝然僵仆。或偏痹不仁。此药遍
走经络。搜剔一切痰结。兼之甘寒益阴而除热。痰热既祛。则气道通利。经络流转。外证自
除矣。同贝母栝蒌仁霞天膏白芥子苏子橘红郁金童便麦冬。治似中风口眼 斜。语言蹇涩。
或半身不遂等证。中风口噤。竹沥姜汁等分。日日饮之。产后中风口噤。身直面青。手足反
张。竹沥饮一二升。时气烦燥。五六日不解。青竹沥半盏。煎热。数数饮之。浓覆取汗。产
后虚汗。淡竹沥三合。暖服。须臾再服。
〔论〕 淡竹沥能疗痰火之风。于类中风为要剂。盖此味阳中有阴。阴为阳之守。使阳
和而不化风。故热风皆治。而痰火之类中者。尤为中的。夫类中一证。如七情伤其营气者。
固为阴虚。即外淫之病乎卫。卫病而营亦病。或化火而因以结痰。或凝痰而因以炽火。痰火
炽。则五脏阴气出于隧道。以达表彻里者多为阻绝。而孤阳自焚之风。甚有奄然于顷刻者。
岂不悉系于真阴之虚哉。人身后天之阴生于阳。竹乃阳中之阴。性味既禀清和。而沥则更犹
真阴之化醇。与他味之养阴者有别。故最能除亢阳之伤阴。最能和营气以入脉。最能利经
络以渗痰也。
缪氏。寒痰湿痰及饮食生痰。不宜用。
〔修事〕 取新鲜竹。锯尺许。中留节。两头去节。劈开。用砖二块。架定。两头出砖
二寸许。各置磁盘于下。烈火熏 。则两头沥 滴盘中。竹将自燃便尽。就将滴过沥竹为
薪。又架新竹于砖上。如前烧 。任取多少。
〔总论〕 易系震为苍 竹。尔雅翼云。巽为竹。其根鞭。喜行东南。然则竹之生成在
木火。而何以叶与茹与沥所禀皆寒。盖竹引根于秋深。孕笋于冬半。气禀清寒以生。是合于
金水之阴以在下也。新笋春半出土而成竹。旧竹夏半落叶而易新。气随温热以成。是合于木
火之阳以在上也。人物之生。莫不始于在地之阴。而成于出地之阳。竹之生固禀寒气。第当
草木零落。而引根孕笋。则阴中有阳。阳反因阴而以萌以育。即知其生长于春夏。实为阳中
有阴阴更因阳而以敷以和。在秋冬既不与众类同其枯瘁。是春夏虽与众类同其发荣。而实有
不同者。以有清润之气贯乎其中也。洁古谓。为阴中微阳。本其生气而言。东垣谓为阳中阴。
就其成气而言。夫用其叶与茹沥。是已取于既成之竹矣。不皆为阳中之阴乎。惟人身天表属
心肺。而竹叶取象于表。以清心肺之烦热。人身气交属脾胃。而竹茹取象于近表之里。以清
胃脘之逆热。人身营气为血液。而竹沥取象于营。以清血液热结之痰。盖同是阳中之阴。就
其表里所分。已有阴阳之浓薄矣。丹溪谓沥能除阴虚之有大热者此也。世医执本草大寒一语。
用之辄为疑忌。讵知性禀清和。正如人身至阳之分。非清阴无以握其枢而和其气。正合于经
所云至阴虚天气绝之义。特由叶而茹。由皮而液。见其清和之差甚耳。竹之生气。阴中有阳。
而成气阳中有阴。生者具阳之始。成者浓阴之终。他物鲜及之。
[Light Bamboo Sheath (Dan Zhuru)]
Taste: Sweet. Nature: Slightly Cold. Meridian Tropism: Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian. Indications: Mainly treats vomiting and hiccups caused by stomach heat. Unblocks dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) due to stomach heat. Clears stomachal vexation to improve insomnia. Clears yang qi. Stops hematemesis and metrorrhagia (heavy or prolonged uterine bleeding). Resolves deficiency heat. Cures "female labor relapse" (relapse of typhoid fever after sexual intercourse). Treats restlessness during pregnancy and pediatric febrile epilepsy. When combined with Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Papaw Fructus, Ophiopogonis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Loquat Leaf, Reed Rhizome Juice, and Dendrobii Caulis, it treats stomach deficiency with heat, characterized by persistent vomiting and hiccups. Added to Wendan Decoction, it calms the spirit and resolves phlegm. For post-typhoid relapse due to sexual activity causing testicular swelling and thigh pain, use one sheng of bamboo sheath, add three sheng of water, boil five times, and drink the juice. For postpartum restlessness and shortness of breath, use Ganzhuru Tang: Ganzhuru one sheng, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Poria, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma each two liang, Scutellariae Radix two liang, add six sheng of water, decoct to two sheng, divide into doses, take three times daily. For pediatric febrile epilepsy with locked jaw, use three liang of green bamboo sheath, three sheng of vinegar, decoct to one sheng, take one he.
[Discussion] The upper half of the human body corresponds to Heaven's Yang. Within Yang resides Yin, preventing Yang from hyperascending. Bamboo belongs to Yin within Yang. Therefore, bamboo leaves clear Heart fire, treating hematemesis and metrorrhagia, because blood generation originates from the Stomach. Other conditions such as postpartum restlessness and pediatric febrile epilepsy are also primarily treated via the Heart and Stomach. Regarding the treatment of female labor relapse, this is because the Guan Yuan point, three cun below the umbilicus, is where the Yangming and Taiyin meridians intersect, and the three epigastria of the Stomach connect via the Ren Mai. Bamboo sheath can resolve stomach deficiency heat to harmonize the Ren Mai; thus, it is used for female labor relapse accompanied by heat.
Contraindicated in cases of vomiting due to stomach cold, or vomiting caused by cold pathogen combined with food stagnation. (Zhong Chun)
[Processing] Fresh bamboo must be selected and scraped. Rub off the hard green outer skin, using only the yellow inner layer.
[Bamboo Sap (Dan Zhuli)]
Taste and Nature: Sweet and Cold. Guiding Herb: Ginger Juice. Indications: Mainly treats heat generated from yin deficiency and wind transformed from heat. Treats phlegm-heat in the chest and diaphragm. Stops vexation and thirst. Treats stroke-like syndromes (non-exogenous stroke). Due to qi deficiency or blood deficiency, it nourishes yin and lubricates phlegm. It drains obstruction in the collaterals. Moistens dryness and descends urgent fire. Also treats pediatric Tian Diao convulsions (a type of convulsive disorder), and women's fainting during childbirth.
For prolonged thirst and heart vexation, Bamboo Sap should be administered. (Leigong) The conditions treated by Bamboo Sap—trauma from childbirth, wounds with locked jaw, spontaneous sweating due to blood deficiency, thirst, and polyuria—are all diseases of yin deficiency. Yin deficiency generates heat. This herb is sweet and mild in nature, capable of eliminating severe heat caused by yin deficiency. It is cooling yet tonifying, similar in principle to Dioscoreae Rhizoma (Shanyao). (Danxi) Those who can eat should use Bamboo Sap from Juncus (Jingli); those who cannot eat should use Bamboo Sap from Bamboo (Zhuli). (Sanxi says: For those who can eat and have slightly solid qi, Jingli is excellent.) Jingli clears fire and transforms phlegm more effectively than Zhuli, but lacks tonifying properties. (Shu) Bamboo Sap lubricates phlegm; without Ginger Juice as an adjuvant, it cannot penetrate the collaterals. Phlegm in the four limbs requires Bamboo Sap to open up. Phlegm between the skin and membranes requires both Bamboo Sap and Ginger Juice to remove. Phlegm in the diaphragm causes mania; Bamboo Sap is indicated. Wind-phlegm also benefits from it. Its efficacy also includes nourishing blood. (Danxi) In cases of phlegm-jue leading to unconsciousness and near-death, administering Bamboo Sap can restore consciousness; it is truly a medicine that brings back the dead. (Shu) Bamboo Sap is a supreme remedy for yin deficiency with severe heat. For middle-aged patients with phlegm-fire, success is unlikely without this herb. It is highlighted here specifically. (Sanxi) Sap is the fluid of bamboo. After heating, its cold nature diminishes, becoming slippery and penetrating orifices, clearing heat and expelling phlegm, making it a key herb for stroke. All stroke syndromes arise from yin deficiency and fire hyperactivity, which scorch fluids into phlegm, obstructing the airway and preventing qi descent and ascent. Extreme heat generates wind, leading to sudden collapse or hemiplegia and numbness. This herb travels through all collaterals, searching out and eliminating all phlegm nodules. Combined with its sweet-cold property to benefit yin and clear heat, once phlegm-heat is removed, the airway becomes patent, collaterals flow freely, and external symptoms naturally resolve. Combined with Fritillariae Bulbus, Trichosanthis Semen, Xiatiang Gao, Sinapis Semen, Perillae Fructus, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Curcumae Radix, Child's Urine, and Ophiopogonis Radix, it treats stroke-like syndromes with facial deviation, slurred speech, or hemiplegia. For stroke with locked jaw, mix equal parts Bamboo Sap and Ginger Juice, drink daily. For postpartum stroke with locked jaw, blue complexion, and opisthotonos, drink one to two sheng of Bamboo Sap. For epidemic heat with restlessness persisting for five to six days, use half a zhan of green Bamboo Sap, heat it, and drink frequently, covering thickly to induce sweating. For postpartum deficient sweating, take three he of Light Bamboo Sap warm, repeat after a short while.
[Discussion] Light Bamboo Sap treats wind caused by phlegm-fire and is a crucial agent for stroke-like syndromes. This is because it contains Yin within Yang; Yin guards Yang, keeping it peaceful and preventing wind transformation. Thus, it treats wind-heat, especially being targeted for stroke-like syndromes caused by phlegm-fire. In stroke-like syndromes, if seven emotions damage Ying-Qi, it is indeed yin deficiency. Even if exogenous pathogens affect Wei, causing Wei disease and subsequently Ying disease, fire may transform into phlegm, or phlegm may condense and intensify fire. When phlegm-fire is excessive, the yin qi of the five zang organs traveling through tunnels to reach the exterior and interior is blocked. The wind of solitary Yang burning itself can lead to death in an instant. Is this not entirely due to the deficiency of True Yin? Postnatal yin in the human body is generated from Yang. Bamboo is Yin within Yang, possessing a clear and harmonious nature. Its sap is even more like the essence of True Yin, distinct from other yin-nourishing herbs. Therefore, it best eliminates the damage of hyperactive Yang on yin, best harmonizes Ying-Qi to enter the vessels, and best unblocks collaterals to drain phlegm.
Miu believes that for cold-phlegm, damp-phlegm, and phlegm generated from food stagnation, it is not suitable.
[Processing] Take fresh bamboo, saw into pieces about one chi long. Keep the nodes in the middle, remove nodes at both ends. Split open. Place two bricks to support it, with two inches extending beyond the bricks. Place ceramic dishes underneath. Smoke intensely with fire so that liquid drips from both ends into the dishes. Stop when the bamboo is nearly burnt. Use the drained bamboo as fuel, place new bamboo on the bricks again, and burn as before, taking as much as needed.
[General Discussion] The I Ching states that Zhen represents green bamboo, and Erya Yi states that Xun represents bamboo. Bamboo roots prefer moving southeast. However, bamboo's growth involves Wood and Fire, yet why do its leaves, sheaths, and sap possess cold nature? Generally, bamboo guides its roots deep in late autumn and nurtures shoots in mid-winter, inheriting clear and cold qi, aligning with Metal-Water Yin residing below. New shoots emerge in mid-spring to become bamboo, and old bamboo sheds leaves in mid-summer to renew, inheriting warm and hot qi, aligning with Wood-Fire Yang residing above. The birth of all things begins with Yin in the earth and completes with Yang emerging. Bamboo's growth inherits cold qi, but during the withering of plants, it guides roots and nurtures shoots, meaning Yin contains Yang, and Yang sprouts and grows due to Yin. Thus, although it grows in Spring and Summer, it is essentially Yang containing Yin, and Yin spreads and harmonizes due to Yang. In Autumn and Winter, it does not wither like other species; although it flourishes in Spring and Summer like others, it differs fundamentally due to the penetrating clear and moistening qi. Ji Guo called it "slight Yang within Yin," referring to its vital energy. Dong Yuan called it "Yin within Yang," referring to its mature form. Using its leaves, sheaths, and sap utilizes the mature bamboo, which is all Yin within Yang. The human body's exterior belongs to Lung and Heart; bamboo leaves correspond to the exterior, clearing Heart and Lung vexation-heat. The Qi intersection belongs to Spleen and Stomach; bamboo sheaths correspond to the interior near the exterior, clearing rebellious heat in the stomach. Human Ying-Qi is blood; bamboo sap corresponds to Ying, clearing phlegm from heat-binding in blood. All are Yin within Yang, but differ in density of Yin and Yang based on exterior-interior distribution. Danxi stated that Bamboo Sap eliminates severe heat from yin deficiency, referring to this. Physicians clinging to the description of "great cold" in materia medica often hesitate to use it, not realizing its clear and harmonious nature is like the most Yang part of the body, requiring clear Yin to grasp the pivot and harmonize Qi, conforming to the scripture's meaning "when True Yin is extremely deficient, Heavenly Qi is cut off." The difference lies merely in the degree of clarity and harmony from leaf to sheath, from skin to fluid. Bamboo's vital energy has Yang within Yin; its mature form has Yin within Yang. The growing stage possesses the beginning of Yang; the mature stage possesses the culmination of dense Yin. Few other substances match this.