处处有之。根苗花实。并与川乌头相同。惟其根外黑内白。皱而枯燥为异。然毒则甚
其汁煎之。名射罔。杀禽兽。 乌喙即偶生两歧者。今俗呼为两头尖。因形而名。其实
也。又附子天雄之偶生两歧者。亦称乌喙。功亦同于天雄。非此乌头也。（濒湖）
气味苦辛而 。大热大毒。 主破积聚寒热。除寒湿痹。咳逆上气。消胸上痰冷。食不
下。
痰。
其通经
及损伤
涂。未
（清
〔论〕 草乌头为至毒之药。如用以去病。必须沉寒痼冷。足以相当。或寒湿合并。结
聚
虚则病
用此以
草乌射罔。非若川乌附子人所栽种加以酿制杀其毒性之比。自非风顽急疾。不可轻投。 有
因风癣。误服草乌而麻痹遂至不救者。可不慎乎。（濒湖）
〔修治〕 或生用。或炮用。或以乌大豆同煮熟。去其毒用。
二月生苗。夏至后即枯。五月采根。圆白。秋后则皮。多黑。味辛微苦。气温性燥。有
毒。气味俱薄。沉而降。阳中阴。阴中阳也。入足阳明太阴少阳。亦入手少阴经。射干为之。
和胃气。燥脾湿下气止时气呕逆。治伤寒寒热。心下坚。胸胀咳逆。消痰满。开痰结。（治
寒痰更宜）并形寒饮冷伤肺而咳。疗痰厥头痛。痰饮胁痛。眉棱骨痛。并白浊梦遗带下。胃
冷呕哕为最要。（颂）辛者散也。润也。半夏之辛。以散逆气结气。除烦呕。，无己得土金之
气。而兼得乎天之燥气。故其味辛平苦温。火金相搏则辛而有毒。辛温故善散。苦则善下泄。
（仲淳） 半夏去痰。盖由益脾而能分水故也。脾恶湿。湿则濡困。困则不能治水。水胜则
泻。一男子夜数如厕。或教以生姜一两。半夏大枣各三十枚。水一升。瓷瓶中慢火煎。熟时
呷之。便已也。（宗 ） 俗以半夏有毒每取贝母代之。不知贝母肺药。半夏乃脾胃药。何
得而相代耶。若虚劳吐咯痰血。咽痛喉闭。肺痈肺痿。妇人乳痈。及诸郁证。此皆贝母为向
导。半夏禁用。若由脾胃湿热生涎。化为粘痰。久则生火。痰火上攻。故令昏懵不省。口噤
言蹇。偏废僵仆。生死旦夕。自非半夏南星。曷可治乎。（石山） 内伤饮食以动脾湿者。
宜燥之。半夏之燥是也。（类明） 凡湿痰郁于中焦。清阳不升。以致浊阴不降。痞塞填满。
二便阻塞。用升柴二术二陈汤。能使大便润而小便长。（丹溪） 盖燥湿化痰。上引清气。
清气升则浊气自降。郁结开通。津液四布。湿流燥润而小便长矣。（张三锡） 热痰佐以黄
芩。风痰佐以南星。寒痰佐以干姜。痰痞佐以陈皮白术。（洁古） 玉液丸治中焦痰涎。利
咽清头目。进饮食。半夏泡七次四两。枯矾一两。为末。姜汁打糊或煮枣肉和丸。梧子大。
每姜汤下十五丸。寒痰加丁香五钱。热痰加寒水石 四两。老人风痰入腑。热不识人。及
肺热痰实不利。半夏泡七次焙。硝石半两。为末。入白面捣匀。水和。丸绿豆大。每姜汤下
五十丸。 风痰头晕。呕逆目眩。面色青黄。脉弦者。水煮金花丸。用生半夏生南星寒水石
各一两。天麻半两。雄黄二钱。小麦面三两。为末。水和成饼。水煮浮起。漉出。捣丸。
梧子大。每服五十丸。姜汤下。极效。 风痰喘逆。兀兀欲吐。眩晕欲倒。半夏一两。雄黄
三钱。为末。姜汁浸蒸饼丸。梧子大。每服三十丸。姜汤下。已吐者。加槟榔。 肺热痰嗽。
制半夏栝蒌仁各一两。为末。姜汁糊丸。梧子大。每服二三十丸。白汤下。或以栝蒌瓤煮熟
丸。 湿痰心痛。喘急者。半夏油炒为末。粥糊丸绿豆大。每服二十丸。姜汤下。 心下悸
忪。半夏麻黄等分。为末。蜜丸小豆大。每服三十丸。日三。 黄胆喘满。小便自利。不可
除热。半夏生姜各半斤。水七升。煮一升五合。分再服。有人气结而死。心下暖。以此少许。
入口遂活。 白浊梦遗。有由肾气闭而一身精气无所管摄。遂乃妄行者。用半夏一两。洗十
次。切破。同木猪苓二两。炒黄。出火毒。去猪苓。入 过牡蛎一两。山药糊丸梧子大。每
服三十丸。茯苓汤下。此与下元虚惫者不同。取半夏有利性。猪苓导水。使肾气通也。盘肠
产。产时子肠先出。产后不收者。以半夏末频 鼻中则上。
〔论〕 半夏二月生苗。得一阴之气而枯。生于阳。成于阴。故能引阳气入于阴。即此
可思
而归
以茯苓降天之阴气。半夏发地之阳气也。）故其燥烈之气。由火而趋水。以行分水散结
醒脾
结。
痰。
不足
多用则泻脾胃。孕妇忌之。用生姜。则无害。（洁古） 古人立三禁。谓血家渴家汗家
也。就
由于胃
不由于
虚肺
参术。
有似中
〔修治〕 圆白者为佳。不厌陈久。 腊月热水泡洗。置露天。露过又泡。共七次。留
久极
造曲法 先将半夏汤泡七次。晒干为末。随病用诸药。或煎膏。或绞汁调末为丸。如弹
子大。用楮
痰。
加白
治
甘
一
取
It grows everywhere. Its root, stem, sprout, flower, and fruit are the same as those of *Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii* (Chuan Wutou). The only difference is that its root is black on the outside and white on the inside, and it is wrinkled and dry. However, its toxicity is much greater.
When its juice is boiled down, it is called "She Wang" (Poisonous Arrow), used to kill birds and beasts.
"Wuhui" refers to the rhizome that occasionally has two prongs. It is currently commonly known as "Liang Tou Jian" (Two-Headed Point) due to its shape. In fact, the occasional two-pronged forms of *Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata* (Fuzi) and *Rhizoma Aconiti Lateralis* (Tianxiong) are also called Wuhui, and their efficacy is the same as Tianxiong, not this Caowutou. (Li Shizhen)
The flavor is bitter and pungent; the nature is extremely hot and highly toxic. It mainly breaks up accumulations of cold and heat, dispels cold-damp bi syndrome, treats cough with rebellious qi, eliminates phlegm-cold in the chest, and improves difficulty in swallowing food.
[Discussion] Caowutou is a highly toxic herb. If used to treat disease, it must be matched with severe chronic cold conditions or combined cold-dampness forming accumulations. If the constitution is deficient, it should not be used. Caowutou and She Wang are not like Chuanwu and Fuzi, which are cultivated by people and processed to reduce toxicity. Unless it is a stubborn wind disorder or an acute condition, it should not be administered lightly. There have been cases where patients suffering from wind-related skin diseases mistakenly ingested Caowutou, leading to paralysis and death. Can one be too cautious? (Li Shizhen)
[Processing] It can be used raw, or after processing (pao). It can also be boiled with black soybeans to remove its toxicity before use.
The sprouts emerge in February and wither after the Summer Solstice. The roots are harvested in May, appearing round and white; after autumn, the skin becomes mostly black. The flavor is pungent and slightly bitter; the temperature is warm and the nature is drying. It is toxic. The flavors and aromas are both thin. It sinks and descends, belonging to Yang within Yin and Yin within Yang. It enters the Foot-Yangming, Foot-Taiyin, and Foot-Shaoyang meridians, and also the Hand-Shaoyin meridian. Paired with *Radix Belamcandae* (Shengye), it harmonizes stomach qi, dries spleen dampness, directs qi downward, and stops vomiting caused by seasonal pathogens. It treats cold-heat alternations from Shanghan, hardness below the heart, chest distension, cough with rebellious qi, eliminates phlegm fullness, and opens phlegm knots. (It is particularly suitable for cold-phlegm.) It also treats cough caused by cold exposure and cold drinks damaging the lungs, treats phlegm-jue headache, phlegm-fluid hypochondriac pain, pain in the supraorbital ridge, as well as cloudy urine, nocturnal emission, and leukorrhea. It is most important for treating vomiting and belching due to stomach cold. (Su Song)
Pungency disperses and moistens. The pungency of Banxia disperses rebellious and knotted qi, eliminating irritability and vomiting. Banxia obtains the qi of Earth and Metal, and additionally obtains the dry qi of Heaven. Therefore, its flavor is pungent, neutral, bitter, and warm. When Fire and Metal interact, it becomes pungent and toxic. Being pungent and warm, it excels at dispersing; being bitter, it excels at descending and draining. (Chen Shiduo)
Banxia removes phlegm because it benefits the Spleen and can separate fluids. The Spleen dislikes dampness; when dampness is heavy, it causes stagnation and distress, preventing the transformation of water. Excess water leads to diarrhea. A man who urinated frequently at night was advised to take one tael of fresh ginger, thirty pieces of Banxia, and thirty dates, boiled in one sheng of water in a porcelain jar over slow fire until cooked, then sipped slowly. The illness resolved. (Zhang Zongliang)
Commonly, because Banxia is considered toxic, people substitute it with *Rhizoma Pinelliae Preparata* (Beimu). They do not know that Beimu is a Lung herb, while Banxia is a Spleen and Stomach herb. How can they replace each other? For deficiency-consumption with hemoptysis, sore throat, laryngeal obstruction, lung abscess, lung flaccidity, breast abscess in women, and various depression syndromes, Beimu acts as a guiding herb, and Banxia is contraindicated. However, if sticky phlegm is generated from damp-heat in the Spleen and Stomach, which generates fire over time, and phlegm-fire attacks upward causing confusion, unconsciousness, locked jaw, slurred speech, hemiplegia, and imminent death, what else but Banxia and *Rhizoma Arisaematis* (Nanxing) could treat it? (Shishan)
For internal injury from diet causing Spleen dampness, drying is appropriate; the drying property of Banxia serves this purpose. (Liming)
Whenever damp-phlegm stagnates in the Middle Jiao, clear yang fails to ascend, causing turbid yin to fail to descend, resulting in stuffiness, fullness, and blockage of bowel and bladder movements, one should use Shengchai Erzhu Erchen Tang. This can make the stool moist and increase urination. (Zhu Danxi)
Generally, by drying dampness and resolving phlegm, it draws clear qi upward. When clear qi ascends, turbid qi naturally descends. Stagnation opens, fluids distribute widely, dampness flows and dryness moistens, and urination increases. (Zhang Sanxi)
For hot-phlegm, assist with *Radix Scutellariae* (Huangqin); for wind-phlegm, assist with Nanxing; for cold-phlegm, assist with *Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens* (Shengjiang); for phlegm-fullness, assist with *Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae* (Chenpi) and *Radix Atractylodis Macrocephalae* (Baizhu). (Zhang Yuansu)
Yuye Wan treats phlegm-fluids in the Middle Jiao, benefits the throat, clears the head and eyes, and promotes appetite. Use four taels of Banxia soaked seven times, one tael of calcined alum, grind into powder, make pills with ginger juice paste or boiled date flesh, size of wutou seeds. Take fifteen pills with ginger decoction. Add five qian of Dingxiang for cold-phlegm; add four taels of Hanshuishi for hot-phlegm. For elderly patients with wind-phlegm entering the fu organs, heat obscuring consciousness, or lung-heat with solid phlegm and difficulty, use Banxia soaked seven times and dried, half a tael of Nixiao, grind into powder, mix with white flour, knead with water into pills the size of mung beans. Take fifty pills with ginger decoction.
For wind-phlegm causing dizziness, vomiting, vertigo, green-yellow complexion, and wiry pulse, use Shu Jin Wan. Use one tael each of raw Banxia, raw Nanxing, and Hanshuishi, half a tael of Tianma, two qian of Xionghuang, and three taels of wheat flour. Grind into powder, mix with water into a cake, boil until it floats, remove, pound into pills the size of wutou seeds. Take fifty pills with ginger decoction. Extremely effective.
For wind-phlegm causing wheezing and rebellion, nausea, vertigo, use one tael of Banxia and three qian of Xionghuang, grind into powder, soak steamed biscuit in ginger juice and make pills the size of wutou seeds. Take thirty pills with ginger decoction. If vomiting has already occurred, add Binlang.
For lung-heat with phlegm cough, use one tael each of prepared Banxia and *Fructus Trichosanthis* (Gualouren), grind into powder, make pills with ginger juice paste the size of wutou seeds. Take twenty to thirty pills with plain water. Or cook Gualou pulp and make pills.
For damp-phlegm causing heart pain and rapid breathing, stir-fry Banxia in oil, grind into powder, make pills with rice porridge paste the size of mung beans. Take twenty pills with ginger decoction.
For palpitations below the heart, use equal parts of Banxia and *Herba Ephedrae* (Mahuang), grind into powder, honey-pill the size of adzuki beans. Take thirty pills, three times daily.
For jaundice with wheezing and fullness, and free urination, heat-clearing is contraindicated. Use half a jin each of Banxia and Shengjiang, seven sheng of water, boil down to one sheng and five he. Divide into two doses. Someone died from qi stagnation but still had warmth in the heart area; a small amount of this medicine entered the mouth, and they revived.
For cloudy urine and nocturnal emission caused by closure of Kidney qi, leading to loss of control over essence and spontaneous leakage, use one tael of Banxia, washed ten times, cut open, together with two taels of Muzhuling, stir-fried until yellow, fire-toxicity removed, Zhuling discarded, add one tael of calcined Oumu. Make pills with yam paste the size of wutou seeds. Take thirty pills with Poria decoction. This differs from deficiency of the lower origin; it utilizes the diuretic nature of Banxia and the water-guiding property of Zhuling to unblock Kidney qi.
For prolapsed rectum during childbirth, where the intestine protrudes first and does not retract postpartum, frequently insufflate Banxia powder into the nose to cause retraction.
[Discussion] Banxia sprouts in February, withers upon obtaining Yin qi. Born in Yang, matured in Yin, thus it can guide Yang qi into Yin. From this, one can ponder... (Li Shizhen note: Using Fuling to descend celestial Yin qi, Banxia raises terrestrial Yang qi.) Thus, its drying and fierce nature moves from Fire toward Water, to separate fluids, dissipate knots, awaken the Spleen, open obstructions, and resolve phlegm.
Insufficient dosage... Overuse drains the Spleen and Stomach; pregnant women should avoid it. Using fresh ginger renders it harmless. (Zhang Yuansu)
The ancients established three prohibitions: for blood-deficient patients, thirsty patients, and sweating patients. Regarding... due to Stomach... not due to... deficient Lung... Ginseng and Atractylodes. Resembles middle...
[Processing] Round and white ones are best; aged material is preferred. In the twelfth lunar month, soak in hot water, place outdoors, expose to dew, then soak again, repeating seven times. Keep for a long time...
Method for making Qu: First soak Banxia in decoction seven times, sun-dry, and grind into powder. Combine with other herbs according to the disease, or decoct into paste, or squeeze juice to mix with powder into pills the size of a bullet, using paper mulberry... Phlegm. Add Bai... Treat... Gan... One... Take