有二种。一种刺蒺藜。蔓生。细叶布地。入夏开小黄花。秋深结实。状似菱米
刺。实有仁也。一种白蒺藜。出同州沙苑牧马处。绿叶细蔓。其刺在茎。绵布沙上。七月开
黄紫花。九月结荚。长寸许。
隔纸焙炒。色香胜茗。微火煎煮
刺蒺藜
味苦辛。气温。入手太阴足厥阴经。其性宣通。久服不冷而无壅热。（志） 主治下
去燥热。疗肺气胸膈满。治恶血破症聚。及喉痹乳难风秘。明目益精。疗水脏冷。小便多
止遗溺泄精溺血。（诸本草） 方书治中风水气胀满。喘逆痰饮。大便不通。赤白浊。疝。
芥穗。治遍身风痒。 大便风秘。刺蒺藜炒一两。牙皂去皮酥炙五钱。为末。每服一钱。盐
茶汤下。 月经不通。蒺藜当归等分。为末。米饮。每服三钱。 难产催生。并下胞衣及死
胎。刺蒺藜贝母各四两。为末。米汤服三钱。少顷不下。再服。 万病积聚。七八月收刺蒺
藜水煮。晒干蜜丸。梧子大。每酒服七丸。以知为度。其汁煎如饴服之。
〔论〕 刺蒺藜成熟于秋。外刺坚劲。禀金之形与色。而更兼乎火之气与味。为肝之用。
药虽为风剂。却与辛散风气者不同。人身火为金之主。则气化而媾于风化之木。金为火之用
。则血化而静乎血脏之风。刺蒺藜金火合禀。故别录谓其下气。日华子谓治肺气胸膈满。而
本经首言治恶血破症聚等证也。夫风木之阳。原乘于三焦之气。而金以合于火者主之。风脏
之血。原根于至阴之水。而金以为火用者化之。是则本经首言治恶血者。以肺之气化在
血。而是物结实于秋。固得金气之专也。金气专而不得火为主以致用。则气化不全。火为主
而实
不结于深秋以趋水。则血化不裕。惟全其气化者。乃能裕其血化。金固以火为夫水为子也。
（金气专故孕水而化血。且金以火为主。故其气化在血。）方书用治水气肿满。及痰饮热结
诸证。非因气化之在血者。从阳透阴而阴乃化。阴化则归肾。所谓上焦之阳。得阴降而随之
以下者欤。夫人身气血之病。每由于后天。（在上中二焦。而后及于下。）凡下焦之虚而不固
者。缘上焦之气不能下周于气海。而血并不得下归于血海。经所谓天气盛则地气不足是也。
（
虚
血
而
也
更
金
不
〔修治〕 炒研去刺。为末。如入煎药。临时调服。不入汤煎。
白蒺藜 此沙苑蒺藜也。
气味甘温。补肾。治腰痛泄精。虚损劳之。 方书治痿证。赤白浊。（二蒺藜同用） 耳
病
黄
脚膝
风。
人有
蜜
八
酒
〔论〕 同州蒺藜。专禀金气之浓。故其气有腥。腥。肺所主也。其味甘。微焙之即香。
是
原
则此味益肾。较为精专矣。 又刺蒺藜入肺与肝。沙苑蒺藜入肺与肾。刺蒺藜为风脏血
其治上者多。沙苑蒺藜为肾脏气剂。其补下者专。
性能固精。凡命门火炽。阳道数兴。交媾精不得出者。勿服。（仲淳）
〔修治〕 以如前所说为真。即同州亦多伪者。或炒。或酒浆拌蒸为末调服。不入汤药。
Jili Zi (Tribulus Terrestris Fruit) exists in two varieties. One is Cici Jili (Spiny Tribulus), a creeping plant with fine leaves spreading on the ground, blooming small yellow flowers in early summer, and bearing fruit deep in autumn. The fruit resembles a water caltrop seed with spines, containing a kernel inside. The other is Bai Jili (White Tribulus), produced in the Shayan horse-grazing area of Tongzhou. It has green leaves and fine vines, with spines on the stems, densely spreading on sand. It blooms yellow-purple flowers in July and bears pods about one cun long in September.
Roast between paper until fragrant; the color and aroma surpass tea. Decoct over low heat.
Cici Jili (Spiny Tribulus)
Taste: Bitter, Pungent. Temperature: Warm. Meridian Tropism: Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. Its nature is dispersing and unblocking. Long-term use does not cause coldness nor stagnation-heat. (Li Shizhen) Main indications: Descends dryness-heat below, treats Lung Qi chest and diaphragm fullness, treats evil blood and zheng jia (masses), as well as throat bi (obstruction), difficult lactation, wind constipation, brightens eyes and benefits essence, treats cold of the Water Zang (Kidney), polyuria, stops enuresis, seminal emission, and hematuria. (Various Materia Medica texts) Formulary books treat middle wind-water qi distension and fullness, wheezing and counterflow phlegm-fluids, constipation, red and white turbidity, hernia, Jiesui (Schizonepeta Spica), treating generalized pruritus, wind constipation. Cici Jili roasted 1 liang, Yazao (Gleditsia Sinensis Fruit) peeled and fried in lard 5 qian, powdered. Take 1 qian per dose, down with salted tea soup. For amenorrhea, equal parts Jili and Danggui (Angelica Sinensis), powdered. Down with rice drink, 3 qian per dose. For difficult labor to induce delivery, expel placenta and dead fetus, Cici Jili and Beimu (Fritillariae Bulbus) each 4 liang, powdered. Down with rice soup, 3 qian. If not expelled shortly after, take again. For myriad diseases and accumulations, harvest Cici Jili in July-August, boil in water, sun-dry, make honey pills the size of wutong seeds. Down with wine, 7 pills per dose, adjust according to efficacy. Decoction syrup taken like maltose.
[Discussion] Cici Jili matures in autumn, possessing hard and strong external spines, inheriting the form and color of Metal, and additionally combining the qi and taste of Fire, serving as the function of the Liver. Although it is a wind-dispersing agent, it differs from pungent-dispersing wind agents. In the human body, Fire is the master of Metal; thus, Qi transformation couples with Wood transformed by Wind. Metal is the function of Fire; thus, Blood transforms and stills the wind within the Blood Zang. Cici Jili inherits both Metal and Fire, hence *Bielu* states it descends Qi, *Rihuazi* states it treats Lung Qi chest and diaphragm fullness, while *Benjing* first mentions treating evil blood and breaking zheng jia. The Yang of Wind-Wood originally attacks the Sanjiao Qi, governed by Metal combining with Fire. The blood of the Wind Zang originally roots in the Water of Supreme Yin, transformed by Metal acting as Fire. Therefore, *Benjing* first mentions treating evil blood because Lung Qi transformation resides in Blood, and this plant fruits in autumn, truly obtaining the specificity of Metal Qi. If Metal Qi is specific but lacks Fire as its master for application, Qi transformation is incomplete. If Fire is master but does not solidify in late autumn to tend toward Water, Blood transformation is insufficient. Only by preserving Qi transformation can Blood transformation be abundant. Metal inherently regards Fire as husband and Water as child. (Specific Metal Qi conceives Water and transforms Blood; since Metal takes Fire as master, its Qi transformation resides in Blood.) Formulary books use it to treat water-qi edema and fullness, and various syndromes of phlegm-fluids and heat accumulation. This is not merely because Qi transformation in Blood penetrates from Yang to Yin, causing Yin to transform; when Yin transforms, it returns to the Kidney. Is this not the Upper Jiao Yang descending with Yin? Diseases of Qi and Blood in the human body often stem from acquired factors. (In the Upper and Middle Jiao, subsequently affecting the Lower.) Whenever the Lower Jiao is deficient and insecure, it is due to Upper Jiao Qi failing to descend to the Qi Sea, and Blood failing to return to the Blood Sea. As the Classics state: "When Heaven Qi is abundant, Earth Qi is insufficient." (Deficient Blood... More Metal... Not...)
[Processing] Roast, grind, remove spines, powder. If added to decoction, mix and take temporarily; do not decoct in soup.
Bai Jili (White Tribulus)
This is Shayuan Jili.
Taste: Sweet. Temperature: Warm. Tonifies Kidney, treats lower back pain and seminal emission, deficiency exhaustion and劳损 (overstrain). Formulary books treat wei syndrome (flaccidity), red and white turbidity. (Both types of Jili used together) Ear diseases, yellow... Legs and knees... Wind. People have... Honey... Eight... Wine...
[Discussion] Tongzhou Jili specifically inherits dense Metal Qi, hence its odor is fishy. Fishiness is governed by the Lung. Its taste is sweet, becoming fragrant upon slight roasting. Thus, this flavor benefits the Kidney, being more refined and specific. Furthermore, Cici Jili enters the Lung and Liver, while Shayuan Jili enters the Lung and Kidney. Cici Jili acts on the Wind Zang and Blood... its treatment focuses on the upper part. Shayuan Jili is a Qi agent of the Kidney Zang, specializing in tonifying the lower part. It has the property of securing essence. For cases of blazing Mingmen Fire, frequent sexual arousal, and inability to emit semen during intercourse, it should not be taken. (Zhongchun)
[Processing] Authenticity is determined as described above; even Tongzhou produces many fakes. It may be roasted or steamed mixed with wine and grain wash, then powdered and taken mixed; it is not included in decoctions.