气温，味苦甘，气味俱薄，无毒，升也，阳也。手太阴之剂，入足太阳经，走手少阴阳
明经药也。去根节者发汗，留根节者敛汗。惟在表真有寒邪者宜用之。若表无真寒邪，或寒
邪在里，或表虚之人，或阴虚发热，或伤风有汗，或伤食等症，虽有发热恶寒，其不头疼身
痛而拘急，六脉不浮紧甚者，皆不可汗。虽有可汗之症，亦不可过。盖汗乃心之液也，不可
汗而汗，与可汗而过之，则心家之液涸，而心血亦为之动矣，或致亡阳，或致衄血不止，而
成大患也，戒之。君羌活，能散风邪。佐独活，能消香港脚。同杏仁，能去寒邪，兼理哮喘。
臣甘菊，能清肺热，更明眼目。身能发汗，根主敛汗。风家用之多验者，何哉？盖风至柔也，
而善藏，麻黄性至轻也，而善驱，内用气血药以托之，外用浮剂以散之，此以善藏始者，不
得以善藏终矣。阴虚发汗者，鹿角四物汤加根节敛汗。汗多亡阳者，附子四君饮入根节回阳。
痈疽方起者，行凉药中兼用之，即散无疑。寒邪战栗者，疏风药中兼用之，立止不谬。痘家
初发热，及痘红紫稠密，皮浓不快者，多用于行凉解毒药中，则内托外散，正所谓开门放贼
，而痘亦因之稀少矣。又能散胸膈泥滞之气，表虚则忌。
气微温，味苦甘辛，气味俱薄，无毒，升也，阳也。足太阳之君药也。乃拨乱反正之主，
大有作为者也。故小无不入，大无不通，能散肌表八风之邪，善理周身百节之痛。排巨阳肉
腐之疽，除新旧风湿之症。加川芎、治足太阳少阴头疼。同秦艽，除足阳明少阳口斜。并苍
术，理湿风甚捷。佐麻黄，开腠理堪夸。与独活不分二种，后人用羌活，多用鞭节者。用独
活，多用鬼眼者。然羌活则气雄，独活则气细，雄者入足太阳，细者入足少阴。有问治头疼
者曷故，盖巨阳从头走，惟厥阴与督脉会于巅顶，逆而上行，诸阳不得下，故令头疼也。痘
家用之以散肌表风热，解百节疼痛，此亦发毒追脓之要药也。气虚则勿用。
Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba): The temperature is warm, the taste is bitter and sweet, the qi and flavor are both light and thin, it is non-toxic, ascending in nature, and belongs to Yang. It is an agent for the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, enters the Foot-Taiyin Bladder Meridian, and travels through the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian and Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. Removing the root and nodes promotes sweating, while retaining them astringes sweat. It is suitable only for those with true cold pathogenic factors on the exterior. If there is no true cold pathogen on the exterior, or if the cold pathogen is interior, or if the person has exterior deficiency, yin deficiency with fever, wind-strike with sweating, or food stagnation, even if there are symptoms of fever and aversion to cold, but without headache, body pain, and stiffness, and the six pulses are not floating and tight, sweating should not be induced. Even if there are indications for sweating, it must not be excessive. Since sweat is the fluid of the Heart, inducing sweat when inappropriate or over-inducing sweat will deplete the Heart's fluids and disturb the Heart blood, potentially leading to collapse of Yang or uncontrolled epistaxis, causing major harm; this must be strictly guarded against. Using Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) as the sovereign herb can disperse wind pathogens; assisting with Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix) can eliminate "Hong Kong foot" (rheumatic bi syndrome of the lower limbs); combined with Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum), it can remove cold pathogens and manage asthma; acting as a minister with Ganju (Chrysanthemi Flos), it can clear Lung heat and brighten the eyes. The stem and leaves promote sweating, while the root astringes sweat. Why do specialists in treating wind diseases find it effective? Wind is soft and good at hiding, whereas Mahuang is extremely light and good at driving out pathogens. Internally using Qi and Blood herbs to support it, and externally using floating/dispersing agents to scatter it, ensures that wind pathogens, which start by hiding well, do not end by remaining hidden. For yin deficiency requiring sweating, Lujiao Siwu Tang (Deer Horn Four Substances Decoction) with added root nodes is used to astringe sweat. For excessive sweating leading to collapse of Yang, Fuzi Sijun Yin (Aconite Four Gentlemen Drink) with added root nodes is used to restore Yang. When carbuncles and sores first arise, using it concurrently in cooling herbs ensures dispersal without doubt. In cases of shivering due to cold pathogens, using it concurrently in wind-dispersing herbs stops it immediately. In pediatric smallpox cases, during initial fever or when pustules are red, purple, dense, and thick-skinned with poor eruption, it is often used in cooling and detoxifying formulas to internally support and externally disperse, akin to "opening the door to let thieves out," thereby reducing the severity of smallpox. It can also disperse stagnant Qi in the chest and diaphragm, but is contraindicated in exterior deficiency.
Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix): The temperature is slightly warm, the taste is bitter, sweet, and pungent, the qi and flavor are both light and thin, it is non-toxic, ascending in nature, and belongs to Yang. It is the sovereign herb for the Foot-Taiyin Bladder Meridian. It is the main agent for restoring order from chaos and achieving great results. Therefore, it penetrates the small and unblocks the large, can disperse the eight winds on the muscle-surface, and is good at managing pain in all joints of the body. It expels carbuncles with rotting flesh in the Great Yang meridian and eliminates new and old wind-dampness syndromes. Added with Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), it treats headaches of the Foot-Taiyin and Shaoyin meridians; combined with Qinjiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix), it corrects facial paralysis of the Foot-Yangming and Shaoyang meridians; together with Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), it manages wind-dampness very swiftly; assisting Mahuang, its ability to open interstices is praiseworthy. Historically, Qianghuo and Duhuo were not distinguished into two types; later practitioners used Qianghuo, preferring specimens with whip-like nodes, and Duhuo, preferring specimens with ghost-eye nodes. However, Qianghuo has a robust qi entering the Foot-Taiyin Bladder Meridian, while Duhuo has a fine qi entering the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Someone asked why it treats headaches: The Great Yang meridian runs down from the head, while only the Jueyin meridian and the Du vessel meet at the vertex, with rebellious Qi moving upward, preventing the Qi of all Yang meridians from descending, thus causing headaches. Smallpox practitioners use it to disperse wind-heat on the muscle-surface and relieve joint pain; it is also an essential herb for promoting toxin expulsion and pus drainage. It should not be used in cases of Qi deficiency.