樟脑,得纯阳之气,其味辛,其气热,初时以水煎成,后得火则焰炽不息,其禀龙
火之性者乎!气亦香窜,能通利关窍,逐中恶邪气,复能去湿杀虫,烧烟熏衣席,辟壁
虱蛀虫,为末踏足心,疗寒湿香港脚,凡一切疥癣脓窠,风搔湿毒,疮疡外用之药,所必
需者也。
木芙蓉,禀夏末秋初之气,故其味辛,辛属金化,故能清肺,其气平,平即凉也。
故能凉血散热解毒。专治一切痈疽肿毒恶疮,排脓止痛,其花阴干,治小儿疳积如
神,凡痈疽肿毒,重阳前取芙蓉叶,阴干研末,端午前取苍耳烧存性,等份研末,蜜水
调涂四围,其毒自不走散,名铁井栏散妙。
烟草,闽产者最佳,辛温有毒,治风寒湿痹,行滞气停痰,辟山岚瘴雾,洗脓窠疥
虫,人以代酒代茶,终身不厌,厌则病来。嗜则病愈,醒能使醉,醉能使醒,其气入
口,顷刻而周一身,令人遏体俱快,似乎通气血而扬营卫者矣(故一名相思草)。然火
气熏灼,耗血伤神,故御寒散热则有功,若火症阴亏者,所宜禁也。
禀天地之阳,兼得乎土金之气,故味甘、辛、其气大热,有小毒,木之补阳者
也。气之薄者桂枝也,气薄则发泄,故桂枝上行而发表。气之浓者肉桂也,气浓则发
热,故肉桂下行而补肾,此大地亲上亲下之道也。甘辛大热,所以益阳,甘入血分,辛
能横走热则通行,所以添血脉,补命门,理心腹之疾,受寒霍乱转筋,补气脉之虚,劳
倦内伤不足,暖腰膝,强筋破 疲止痛,祛风痹骨节掣疼,阴腹内沉寒痼疾,逐营卫风
寒,疗九种心痛。通月闭经瘀作楚,催难产胞衣不下。阳盛阴虚者忌之。宜择形卷如
筒,肉色紫润,其味甜极而兼辛者佳。临用去皮切破,否则气味走失,功效便差。并忌
火焙,盖诸香见火,则无功耳。产子官滨,故名官桂。名桂心者,美之之词,取去尽粗
皮近里之极紫极甜者是也。如入补药,藉其鼓舞药性者,则入药同煎;如全仗其行血走
窜者,则群药煎好方入煎一二沸用。
肉桂能堕胎通血脉,下焦寒冷,秋冬腹痛泄奔豚,利水道,温经暖脏,破血通经,
救元阳之痼冷,扶脾胃之虚寒,坚筋骨壮阳道,温行百药,腰痛胁痛必需,和血逐瘀痛
气消痈并捷,宣气血而无壅。利关节而有灵,托痈疽痘毒,能引血成脓,辛能散风,
甘能和血,温能行气,香能走窜百脉,言乎用者,以木得桂而枯之义也。气浓则发热,
入肝走肾,专补命门真火不足,而导火归元也,故曰桂者圭也,引导阳气,如执圭以
使,至于临产用以催生,须臾如手推下者,亦补火入肝走肾之力也。其春夏禁服,秋冬
宜煎者,言其常也。舍时从症者,处其变也,至于疟疾人发寒热不已,用上好刮肉
桂,去尽粗皮钱余,疟将发时,预口中噙之,则寒退热减,神爽思食,而愈可见其补
真火,散阴寒之神功矣。桂枝味薄体轻,上行头目,横行手臂,调营卫和肌表,止烦出
汗,疏邪散风,内理心腹之痛,外解皮肤之寒,直行而为奔豚之向导,以经走膀胱也。
有汗能止,无汗能发者,以其能调和营卫,邪不容而开合得也。麻黄,桂枝本皆辛甘发
散,但麻黄遍彻皮毛,专于发汗而寒邪散,桂枝调和营卫,善于解肌而风邪散,所谓气薄则发泄者是也。
主治(痘疹合参) 能和营卫,能围肌表,却风邪而实腠理,气虚之痘,赖以鼓
舞,药性上行,通调百脉,引参 以达肌表,托痘毒痈疽,能引血成脓,制肝补脾,
调和气血,凡泄泻寒战,痘白虚寒者并且如实热痘症,并痘后作疮,皆不可用也。
桂枝气薄上行而发,夫又能横行手臂。凡初起重感风寒,并在秋冬之时及手足疮不
起发者宜用。若痰多咳嗽,咽痛音哑,血燥
血热,及血崩孕妇并宜禁之。
张按∶桂附二味,虽具辛热补阳。然古哲立方,有二味并用者。有用桂不用附者,
有用附不用桂者,应有成见,针线相对,毫难互借混投。今人勿究其微,但以其性辛
温,或桂或附,任意取用,殊不知肉桂味甘而辛,气香而窜,可上可下,可横可直、可
表可里,可补可泻,善通百脉,和畅诸经,鼓舞气血,故健行流走之效虽捷,但性专走
泄,而温中救里之力难长,未免进亦锐退亦速也。至于附子气味大辛,微兼甘苦,气浓
味薄,降多升少,从下直上,走而不守,其救里回阳之功,及引火藏源之力,温经达络
之能,是其所长,非若肉桂辛甘,轻扬之性,复能横行达表,走窜百脉也。一则味辛
而兼微苦,所以功专达下,走里以救阴中之阳,为先天真阴真阳之药也。一则味甘而兼
辛,所以既补命门,复能窜上达表,以救阳绝之阳更为后天气血营卫分之需也。故纯以
大温峻补中气真阴真阳,救里为事者,或二位并投,或君以参术,佐以附子为用,如八
味丸桂附并需,参附汤、术附汤、理中汤之类,勿用肉桂是也,如欲温中兼以调和气
血,走窜外达,顾表为事者,则以培补气血之药为君,而单以肉桂一味为佐使,如参
饮、十全大补汤、人参养荣汤之类,勿用附子是也。如是则表里阴阳轻重之义昭然矣,
岂容混投假借乎!
樟脑,禀受纯阳之气,味道辛,性质热。初时用水煎煮成液,遇到火则火焰炽盛不息,大概具有龙火的特性吧!气味香窜,能够通利关窍,驱逐中恶邪气,又能去除湿气、杀虫。燃烧烟雾熏衣物席子,可以驱避壁虱和蛀虫;研成粉末涂抹足心,可治疗寒湿引起的香港脚(足癣)。凡是各种疥癣、脓窠疮、风搔湿毒等,都是外用疮疡药所必需的。
木芙蓉,禀受夏末秋初之气,所以味道辛。辛属金化,所以能清肺。其性质平和,平即凉的意思,所以能凉血、散热、解毒。专门治疗各种痈疽肿毒恶疮,排脓止痛。将花阴干,治疗小儿疳积效果如神。凡是痈疽肿毒,在重阳节前采集芙蓉叶,阴干研末;端午节前采集苍耳烧至存性,两者等份研末,用蜜水调匀涂于疮毒四周,毒气自然不致扩散,名为“铁井栏散”,非常奇妙。
烟草,福建产的最好,味辛温,有毒。治疗风寒湿痹,行滞气、停痰,辟山岚瘴雾,洗脓窠疥虫。人们把它代替酒茶饮用,终身不厌,如果厌弃了就会生病。嗜好它则病愈,醒酒能使醉者醒,醉酒能使醒者醉。其气入口,顷刻间周流全身,让人浑身舒畅,似乎能通达气血、宣扬营卫(所以又名相思草)。然而火气熏灼,耗血伤神,所以御寒散热虽有功效,但对于火症、阴亏者,应当禁忌。
肉桂,禀受天地之阳,兼得土金之气,所以味甘、辛,性质大热,有小毒,是木类药材中补阳的。气味薄的叫桂枝,气薄则主发泄,所以桂枝上行而发表。气味浓的叫肉桂,气浓则主发热,所以肉桂下行而补肾,这是大地亲上亲下的道理。甘辛大热,所以益阳;甘入血分,辛能横走,热能通行,所以能添血脉、补命门、理心腹之疾。治疗受寒霍乱转筋,补气脉之虚,劳倦内伤不足,暖腰膝,强筋骨,破瘀血止痛,祛风痹骨节掣疼,阴腹内沉寒痼疾,驱逐营卫风寒,治疗九种心痛。通月闭经瘀作楚,催难产胞衣不下。阳盛阴虚者忌用。宜选择形状卷如筒,肉质紫润,味道极甜而兼辛的为好。临用时去皮切破,否则气味走失,功效变差。并忌用火焙,因为诸香见火,就无功效了。产于子官滨,所以名叫官桂。名叫桂心,是赞美之词,指去掉尽粗皮、靠近里层极紫极甜的部位。如果入补药,借其鼓舞药性的,则与其他药同煎;如果全仗其行血走窜的,则在群药煎好后放入再煎一二沸即可。
肉桂能堕胎、通血脉。下焦寒冷,秋冬腹痛泄奔豚,利水道,温经暖脏,破血通经,救元阳之痼冷,扶脾胃之虚寒,坚筋骨壮阳道,温行百药。腰痛胁痛必需,和血逐瘀,痛气消痈并捷,宣气血而无壅滞,利关节而有灵性,托痈疽痘毒,能引血成脓。辛能散风,甘能和血,温能行气,香能走窜百脉。言其作用,有“木得桂而枯”的道理。气浓则发热,入肝走肾,专补命门真火不足,而导火归元。所以说“桂”就是“圭”,引导阳气,如同执圭以驱使。至于临产用以催生,须臾间如手推下者,也是补火入肝走肾的力量所致。春夏禁服,秋冬宜煎,说的是常法。舍时从症,说的是变法。至于疟疾人发寒热不已,用上好的刮去粗皮的肉桂,余钱许重,疟疾将要发作时,预先含在口中,则寒退热减,神爽思食,痊愈可见其补真火、散阴寒的神功了。桂枝味薄体轻,上行头目,横行手臂,调营卫和肌表,止烦出汗,疏邪散风,内理心腹之痛,外解皮肤之寒,直行而为奔豚之向导,因为经脉走膀胱。有汗能止,无汗能发,是因为它能调和营卫,邪气不容纳而开合得当。麻黄、桂枝本皆辛甘发散,但麻黄遍彻皮毛,专于发汗而寒邪散;桂枝调和营卫,善于解肌而风邪散,这就是所谓气薄则发泄。
主治(痘疹合参):能和营卫,能围肌表,却风邪而实腠理。气虚之痘,赖其鼓舞。药性上行,通调百脉,引人参以达肌表,托痘毒痈疽,能引血成脓,制肝补脾,调和气血。凡泄泻寒战,痘白虚寒者,并且如实热痘症,以及痘后作疮,都不可用。
桂枝气薄上行而发,又能横行手臂。凡是初起重感风寒,并在秋冬之时及手足疮不起发者宜用。若痰多咳嗽,咽痛音哑,血燥血热,及血崩孕妇并宜禁之。
张氏按语:桂、附二味,虽具辛热补阳之功。然而古哲立方,有二味并用者,有用桂不用附者,有用附不用桂者,应有成见,针线相对,毫难互借混投。今人不究其微,只以其性辛温,或桂或附,任意取用,殊不知肉桂味甘而辛,气香而窜,可上可下,可横可直,可表可里,可补可泻,善通百脉,和畅诸经,鼓舞气血,故健行流走之效虽捷,但性专走泄,而温中救里之力难长,未免进亦锐退亦速也。至于附子气味大辛,微兼甘苦,气浓味薄,降多升少,从下直上,走而不守,其救里回阳之功,及引火藏源之力,温经达络之能,是其所长,非若肉桂辛甘,轻扬之性,复能横行达表,走窜百脉也。一则味辛而兼微苦,所以功专达下,走里以救阴中之阳,为先天真阴真阳之药也。一则味甘而兼辛,所以既补命门,复能窜上达表,以救阳绝之阳更为后天气血营卫分之需也。故纯以大温峻补中气真阴真阳,救里为事者,或二位并投,或君以参术,佐以附子为用,如八味丸桂附并需,参附汤、术附汤、理中汤之类,勿用肉桂是也。如欲温中兼以调和气血,走窜外达,顾表为事者,则以培补气血之药为君,而单以肉桂一味为佐使,如参饮、十全大补汤、人参养荣汤之类,勿用附子是也。如是则表里阴阳轻重之义昭然矣,岂容混投假借乎!
Camphor (Borneolum Syntheticum) receives the pure Yang Qi. Its taste is pungent, and its nature is hot. Initially decocted in water, it burns fiercely when exposed to fire, suggesting it possesses the nature of "Dragon Fire" (a metaphor for intense, erratic heat). Its aroma is penetrating, capable of unblocking orifices and expelling malignant evil Qi. It can also dispel dampness and kill parasites; burning its smoke to fumigate clothes and mats repels bedbugs and moths. Applied as powder to the soles of the feet, it treats cold-damp Hong Kong foot (tinea pedis). For all types of scabies, tinea, pustular sores, wind-scratching, and damp-toxins, it is an essential external medicine for sores and ulcers.
Hibiscus mutabilis (Mufurong), receiving the Qi of late summer and early autumn, has a pungent taste. Pungency belongs to Metal transformation, thus it can clear the Lungs. Its nature is neutral, which implies coolness, so it can cool blood, dissipate heat, and resolve toxins. It specifically treats all kinds of carbuncles, sores, swelling, toxic sores, promotes pus discharge, and relieves pain. The flowers, dried in the shade, treat infant malnutrition (Gan accumulation) with miraculous effect. For all carbuncles and sores, collect Hibiscus leaves before the Double Ninth Festival, dry them in the shade, and grind into powder. Collect Xanthium sibiricum (Canger) before the Dragon Boat Festival, burn until charred but retaining essence (burnt to preserve nature), and grind into powder in equal parts. Mix with honey water and apply around the lesion to prevent toxin spread. This is called "Iron Well Fence Powder" (Tie Jing Lan San), which is excellent.
Nicotiana tabacum (Yancao), best produced in Fujian, is pungent, warm, and slightly toxic. It treats wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, moves stagnant Qi and retained phlegm, dispels mountain miasma and pestilential vapors, and washes away pus-sores and scabies mites. People use it as a substitute for wine and tea, never tiring of it; if they tire of it, illness arises. Addiction cures illness; it can sober the drunk and intoxicate the sober. Its Qi enters the mouth and circulates through the whole body instantly, making the entire body feel comfortable, seemingly unifying Blood and Qi and promoting Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive Qi) (hence another name: Love Grass). However, the fire's scorching nature consumes Blood and damages Spirit. Thus, while it benefits from warding off cold and dissipating heat, it is contraindicated for fire syndromes and Yin deficiency.
Cinnamomi Cortex (Rougui) receives Heaven and Earth's Yang, combined with Earth and Metal Qi. Therefore, its taste is sweet and pungent, its nature is greatly hot, and it has slight toxicity. It is the wood-type herb that tonifies Yang. The one with thin Qi is Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi); thin Qi leads to dispersal, so Guizhi ascends to release the exterior. The one with dense Qi is Rougui; dense Qi generates heat, so Rougui descends to tonify the Kidney. This follows the principle of Earth adhering to above and below. Sweet, pungent, and greatly hot, it benefits Yang. Sweet enters the Blood aspect, pungent moves horizontally, and heat promotes circulation, thus it nourishes blood vessels, tonifies the Gate of Vitality (Mingmen), and regulates heart and abdominal disorders. It treats cold-induced cholera with muscle cramps, tonifies deficiency of Qi pulses, fatigue and internal injury insufficiency, warms waist and knees, strengthens sinews and bones, breaks stasis and relieves pain, dispels wind-bi and joint pulling pain, deep-seated chronic cold in the abdomen, expels wind-cold from Ying and Wei, and treats nine types of heart pain. It unblocks amenorrhea and menstrual stasis causing pain, induces difficult labor and expels the afterbirth. Contraindicated in excess Yang and deficient Yin. Choose those rolled like tubes, with purple-moist flesh, extremely sweet yet pungent taste. Before use, remove bark and break pieces; otherwise, Qi and flavor are lost, and efficacy diminishes. Avoid roasting over fire, as aromatic herbs lose efficacy when heated. Produced near Ziguanbin, hence named Official Cinnamon (Guangui). Named Gui Xin (Heart of Cinnamon) is a term of praise, referring to the innermost, very purple and very sweet part after removing all coarse bark. If used in tonifying formulas to encourage drug properties, decoct together with other herbs. If relying entirely on its blood-moving and penetrating action, add it to the decoction of other herbs for only one or two boils.
Rougui can induce abortion and unblock blood vessels. For lower jiao cold, autumn/winter abdominal pain, running piglet syndrome (Ben Tun), it promotes urination, warms meridians and organs, breaks blood stasis and unblocks menstruation, saves primordial Yang from chronic cold, supports Spleen and Stomach deficiency-cold, strengthens sinews and bones, boosts Yang channels, warms and moves all drugs. Essential for lumbar and hypochondriac pain, harmonizes blood and expels stasis-pain, eliminates wind-qi and sores swiftly, promotes Qi and Blood without stagnation, benefits joints with agility, supports carbuncles and smallpox toxins, guides Blood to form pus. Pungent disperses wind, sweet harmonizes blood, warm moves Qi, aromatic penetrates hundred vessels. Regarding its use, there is the meaning of "wood withers when meeting cinnamon." Dense Qi generates heat, enters Liver and moves to Kidney, specifically tonifies deficiency of true Fire in Mingmen, and guides fire back to its source. Hence, "Gui" sounds like "Gui" (jade tablet), guiding Yang Qi as if commanding with a jade tablet. Used at childbirth to induce labor, delivering quickly as if pushed by hand, is also due to the power of tonifying fire, entering Liver and moving to Kidney. Contraindicated in Spring/Summer, suitable for decoction in Autumn/Winter—this is the constant rule. Deviating from season to follow symptoms is the variable rule. For malaria with persistent chills and fever, take high-quality scraped Rougui, remove all coarse bark, about one qian weight. Hold in mouth just before malaria onset; chills recede, fever reduces, spirit refreshes, appetite returns, and cure is visible, demonstrating its divine merit of tonifying true fire and dispersing yin cold. Guizhi has thin Qi and light body, ascends to head and eyes, moves horizontally to arms, harmonizes Ying and Wei and muscle surface, stops vexation and sweating, disperses pathogenic wind, internally regulates heart and abdominal pain, externally resolves skin cold. It acts directly as a guide for Ben Tun, as the meridian runs through Bladder. It stops sweating when present, induces sweating when absent, because it harmonizes Ying and Wei, preventing pathogen retention and regulating opening/closing. Mahuang and Guizhi are both pungent-sweet and dispersing. However, Mahuang penetrates skin and hair thoroughly, specializing in inducing sweat to scatter cold pathogens. Guizhi harmonizes Ying and Wei, excels in resolving muscle layer to scatter wind pathogens. This is what is meant by "thin Qi leads to dispersal."
Main Indications (Integrating Smallpox): Harmonizes Ying and Wei, surrounds muscle surface, repels wind pathogens and solidifies couli (pores). For Qi-deficient smallpox, it relies on its encouraging action. Drug nature ascends, unifies hundred vessels, guides Ginseng to reach muscle surface, supports smallpox toxins and carbuncles, guides Blood to form pus, controls Liver and tonifies Spleen, harmonizes Qi and Blood. Contraindicated for diarrhea with chills, white/pale deficient-cold smallpox, real-heat smallpox syndromes, and sores appearing after smallpox.
Guizhi has thin Qi, ascends and releases, and can move horizontally to arms. Suitable for initial heavy exposure to wind-cold, during autumn/winter, and for hand/foot sores that fail to erupt. Contraindicated for excessive phlegm with cough, sore throat with hoarseness, blood dryness, blood heat, metrorrhagia, and pregnant women.
Commentary by Zhang: Cinnamon (Gui) and Aconite (Fu), although both pungent-hot and tonifying Yang, ancient masters formulated prescriptions with both, with Gui alone, or Fu alone. There should be fixed principles, precise matching, and no mutual substitution or mixing. Modern people do not investigate their subtleties, merely using either Gui or Fu arbitrarily due to their pungent-warm nature. They do not know that Rougui is sweet and pungent, aromatic and penetrating, capable of ascending/descending, horizontal/vertical, exterior/interior, tonifying/draining, good at unifying hundred vessels and smoothing meridians, encouraging Qi and Blood. Although its moving effect is swift, its nature specializes in draining, and its power to warm middle and save interior is hard to sustain, leading to rapid advance and retreat. As for Fuzi, its taste is greatly pungent, slightly sweet-bitter, dense Qi but thin taste, descending more than ascending, straight up from below, moving without staying. Its strengths are saving interior, restoring Yang, guiding fire to store source, warming meridians and reaching collaterals. This differs from Rougui's pungent-sweet, light-yang nature, which can move horizontally to exterior and penetrate hundred vessels. One is pungent with slight bitter, so its function specializes in reaching down, moving interior to save Yang within Yin, being the medicine for primordial True Yin and True Yang. The other is sweet with pungent, so it both tonifies Mingmen and can penetrate up to exterior to save Yang extinction, being more needed for post-natal Qi, Blood, Ying, and Wei. Therefore, for purely large-warm severe tonification of Middle Qi, True Yin/Yang, focusing on saving interior, either combine both, or make Shen and Zhu the sovereign, with Fu as assistant, such as Ba Wei Wan requiring both Gui and Fu, Shen Fu Tang, Zhu Fu Tang, Li Zhong Tang, etc., do not use Rougui. If desiring to warm middle while harmonizing Qi/Blood, moving outward to exterior, focusing on exterior, make Qi/Blood tonifying herbs as sovereign, and use Rougui alone as assistant/envoy, such as Shen Yin, Shi Quan Da Bu Tang, Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, etc., do not use Fuzi. In this way, the meanings of exterior/interior, Yin/Yang, and light/heavy are clear, how could one allow mixing and borrowing!