气寒，味苦。苦浓微辛，阴中之阳，降也。无毒。
足太阳经引经药，足少阴经之
《象》云∶治肾水膀胱不足，诸痿厥，脚膝无力，于黄 汤中少加用之，使两膝中气力
涌出，痿即去矣。蜜炒此一味，为细末，治口疮如神。瘫痪必用之药。
《珍》云∶泻膀胱之热，利下窍。
《心》云∶太阳经引经药，泻膀胱经火，补本经及肾不足。苦寒安蛔，疗下焦虚，坚肾
。经曰∶苦以坚之。
《本草》云∶主五脏，肠胃中结热，黄胆，肠痔；止泄痢，女子漏下赤白，阴伤蚀疮，
疗惊气，在皮间肌肤热，赤起，目热赤痛，口疮。久服，通神。
《液》云∶足少阴剂，肾苦燥，故肾停湿也，栀子、黄芩入肺，黄连入心，黄柏入肾，
燥湿所归，各从其类也。《活人书》解毒汤，上下内外通治之。恶干漆。
气寒，味苦、酸、咸，纯阳。无毒。
《象》云∶除寒热，破结实，消痰癖，治心下痞，逆气胁痛。麸炒用。
《心》云∶洁古用去脾经积血。故能去心下痞，脾无积血，则心下不痞。治心下痞，散
气消宿食。苦寒，炙用，破水积，以泄里除气。
《珍》云∶去胃中湿。
《本草》云∶主大风在皮肤中，如麻豆，苦痒。除寒热结，止痢，长肌肉，利五脏，益
气轻身。除胸胁痰癖，逐停水，破结实，消胀满，心下急，痞痛，逆气，胁风痛。安胃气，
止溏泄，明目。生河内川泽，商州者，佳。益气，则佐之以人参、干姜、白术。破气，则佐
之以大黄、牵牛、芒硝。此《本经》所以言益气，而复言消痞也。非白术，不能去湿；非枳
实，不能除痞。壳主高而实主下。高者主气；下者主血。主气者，在胸膈；主血者，在心腹
。仲景治心下坚大如盘，水饮所作，枳实白术汤主之。枳实七枚，术三两，水一斗，煎取三
升，分三服。腹中软即消。
《衍义》云∶枳实、枳壳，一物也。小即性酷而速，大则性详而缓。故仲景治伤寒仓卒
之病，承气汤中用枳实，此其意也。皆取其疏通决泄，破结实之意。他方但导败风壅之气，
可常用者，故用枳壳。故胸中痞，有桔梗枳壳汤；心下痞，有枳实白术汤。高低之分，易老
详定为的也。
[Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbo)]
The nature is cold, and the flavor is bitter. The bitterness is strong with a slight pungency; it belongs to yang within yin, and its action is descending. It is non-toxic.
It is a guiding herb for the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian and acts on the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.
*Bencao Xiang* states: It treats insufficiency of kidney water and bladder, various types of flaccidity syndromes (Wei syndrome), jue syndromes, and weakness in the feet and knees. When added in small amounts to Huangbo Decoction, it causes qi and strength to surge in both knees, and the flaccidity will be eliminated. When this single herb is stir-fried with honey and ground into a fine powder, it treats mouth ulcers with miraculous effect. It is an essential herb for treating paralysis.
*Bencao Zhen* states: It drains heat from the bladder and benefits the lower orifices.
*Bencao Xin* states: As a guiding herb for the Taiyang meridian, it drains fire from the Bladder meridian and tonifies insufficiency of the Bladder meridian itself and the Kidneys. Its bitter-cold property calms roundworms, treats deficiency of the Lower Jiao, and consolidates the Kidneys. The medical classics state: "Bitterness consolidates."
*Bencao* states: It primarily treats internal knotting-heat in the five zang organs and intestines/stomach, jaundice, and intestinal hemorrhoids; stops diarrhea and dysentery; treats leukorrhea with red and white discharge in women; heals erosive sores of the genitalia; treats fright qi, heat in the skin and muscles, red eruptions, heat-red-pain in the eyes, and mouth ulcers. Long-term consumption promotes spiritual clarity.
*Tangye Bencao* states: It is a herb for the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney meridian. The Kidney dislikes dryness, thus dampness tends to stagnate in the Kidney. Gardenia (Zhizi) and Scutellaria (Huangqin) enter the Lung meridian; Coptis (Huanglian) enters the Heart meridian; Phellodendron (Huangbo) enters the Kidney meridian. Their actions of drying dampness follow their respective categories. The *Jiuren Shu* (Book of Living People) uses the Jiedu Tang (Detoxification Decoction) to treat conditions internally, externally, above, and below. It is incompatible with Dry Lacquer (Ganqi).
[Aurantii Fructus Immaturus (Zhishi)]
The nature is cold, and the flavors are bitter, sour, and salty; it is purely yang. It is non-toxic.
*Bencao Xiang* states: It eliminates chills and fever, breaks up solid accumulations, dissipates phlegm-stagnation, treats epigastric fullness and stuffiness (Pi), rebellious qi, and hypochondriac pain. Use after stir-frying with wheat bran.
*Bencao Xin* states: Zhang Jiegu used it to remove accumulated blood from the Spleen meridian. Therefore, it can eliminate epigastric stuffiness; if there is no accumulated blood in the Spleen, there will be no epigastric stuffiness. It treats epigastric stuffiness, disperses qi, and eliminates retained food. With its bitter-cold property, when roasted, it breaks water accumulations and drains the interior to remove qi stagnation.
*Bencao Zhen* states: It removes dampness from the Stomach.
*Bencao* states: It primarily treats severe wind pathogens in the skin, resembling millet grains, causing intense itching. It eliminates chills, fever, and knotting; stops dysentery; promotes muscle growth; benefits the five zang organs; tonifies qi and lightens the body; eliminates phlegm-stagnation in the chest and hypochondrium; drives away stagnant water; breaks solid accumulations; reduces distension and fullness; relieves epigastric urgency, stuffiness and pain, rebellious qi, and wind-pain in the hypochondrium. It harmonizes stomach qi, stops loose stools, and brightens the eyes. Those grown in the rivers and marshes of Henei, especially those from Shangzhou, are superior. To tonify qi, it is combined with Ginseng (Renshen), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang), and Atractylodes Macrocephala (Baizhu). To break qi, it is combined with Rhubarb (Dahuang), Morning Glory Seed (Qianniu), and Mirabilite (Mangxiao). This is why the *Shennong Bencao Jing* mentions both tonifying qi and eliminating stuffiness. Without Baizhu, dampness cannot be removed; without Zhishi, stuffiness cannot be eliminated. Zhiqiao (Aurantium Fruit) primarily acts on the upper jiao, while Zhishi primarily acts on the lower jiao. That which governs qi is located in the chest and diaphragm; that which governs blood is located in the heart and abdomen. Zhang Zhongjing treated cases where the epigastrium was hard and large like a plate, caused by fluid retention, using Zhishi Baizhu Tang. Seven pieces of Zhishi and three liang of Baizhu, decocted in ten sheng of water until three sheng remain, taken in three doses. The hardness subsides once the abdomen becomes soft.
*Yanyi* states: Zhishi and Zhiqiao are the same substance. When small, its nature is fierce and rapid; when large, its nature is mild and slow. Therefore, when Zhang Zhongjing treated acute conditions of Cold Damage, he used Zhishi in Chengqi Tang, for this very reason. Both are chosen for their ability to unblock, drain, and break solid accumulations. In other formulas, where the goal is merely to guide away stale, obstructed qi for frequent use, Zhiqiao is employed. Thus, for chest stuffiness, there is Jiegeng Zhiqiao Tang; for epigastric stuffiness, there is Zhishi Baizhu Tang. The distinction between high and low locations was definitively clarified by Yilao (Zhang Yuansu).