（别录上品）
【气味】辛温涩，无毒。
【主治】主温中，心腹痛，呕吐，去口臭气。
【核】曰∶豆蔻生南海，及交址，今岭南、八闽亦有，生成已详 内。南人采花作果，
尤贵嫩者。并穗入盐淹治，叠叠作朵不散。更以木槿花合浸之，欲其色红耳。广中人，入梅
盐汁浸令红，曝干荐酒，名红盐草果。初结小者名鹦哥舌。元朝饮膳，皆以草果为上供；南
人用火杨梅，伪充豆蔻，形圆而粗，气辛而猛，山姜也，入药不可不辨。修事，须去蒂，取
向里子及皮，用茱萸，同于 上缓炒，待茱萸色微黄黑，即去茱萸，取豆蔻皮，及子用之。
【 】曰∶草实之中，名豆蔻者凡三，形色功能，各有同异。入足太阴、阳明腑脏，手
少阳三焦则一也。形似芭蕉，叶似杜若，高八九尺，冬夏不凋，开花浅黄色，缀实作朵似葡
萄。初生微青，熟则转白，孚圆似白牵牛，仁粒似缩砂 。气味辛大温，充肾间生阳，鼓肺
气呼吸，宣五谷味，主纳主出者，白豆蔻也。初春抽苗，入夏作茎，开花结实似豆蔻，实圆
微长，表有皱纹，里肉斑缬似槟榔，无仁有肉，气味辛温，秉刚 之用，温中化食，宣五谷
五畜味，为养为充者，肉豆蔻也。苗似荻芦，叶似杜若，根似高良姜，二月开花作穗，房缀
茎下，嫩叶卷之，初出似芙蓉，微红色，穗头色深，其叶渐开，花渐出，色渐淡矣。亦有黄
白二色者，实似龙眼而锐，皮色黄白，表无鳞甲，壳薄有棱峭，仁粒似缩砂 而稍壮，气味
辛涩温，宣摄中气，温中，益上焦，受纳水谷，治心腹痛，呕吐，去臭气，宣五谷五果五菜
味，为养为助为益者，豆蔻也。开宝名草豆蔻，草物志名漏蔻，金光明经名苏乞迷罗细，郑
樵通志名草果。虽非果类，用充茶食，故有草果之称。
（豆蔻，辅中益上，以宣为体，以摄为用。缀实在茎下，亦具有密义，虽与缩砂 同归
于退藏，至体用则迥别矣。缩砂粒，以摄为体，以宣为用，顺时序之升沉，故用舍自繇。豆
蔻，效降肃之聚敛，终属勉强，设久服尽剂，恐反亟夺其生阳，有余于用，不足于体。故尔，
唯
，遍及上下。用之者，果能各加料简，不唯四种功力判然，即五谷 ，及饴曲楂 之属，亦
可比量条分，不致溷乱妄投矣。）
（收录于《名医别录》上品）
【气味】辛、温、涩，无毒。
【主治】主要治疗中焦虚寒，心腹疼痛，呕吐，去除口臭。
【核】曰：豆蔻产于南海及交趾，如今岭南、八闽地区也有生长，其生成情况已在前面详细说明。南方人采集花朵作为果实，尤其珍视嫩果。并将花穗用盐腌制处理，层层叠叠成朵而不散开。再用木槿花混合浸泡，是为了让它的颜色变红。广东一带的人，用梅子盐汁浸泡使其变红，晒干后用来下酒，称为“红盐草果”。刚结出时较小的名为“鹦哥舌”。元朝的饮食膳品中，都以草果作为上等贡品；南方人用火杨梅来冒充豆蔻，这种假豆蔻形状圆而粗大，气味辛辣猛烈，其实是山姜，入药使用时必须加以辨别。炮制加工时，必须去掉蒂头，取向内包裹的子仁及外皮，使用吴茱萸，与豆蔻一同在文火上缓慢炒制，等到吴茱萸颜色微呈黄黑色时，即去掉吴茱萸，只取豆蔻皮和子仁入药。
【】曰：在草实之中，名为豆蔻的共有三种，它们的形色和功能各有异同。它们都入足太阴脾经、足阳明胃经以及手少阳三焦经。第一种形似芭蕉，叶似杜若，高约八九尺，冬夏不凋谢，开浅黄色花，果实成串像葡萄。初生时微青，成熟后转白，种子圆形像白牵牛，仁粒像缩砂仁。气味辛大温，能充补肾间生发之阳气，鼓动肺气呼吸，宣发五谷的味道，主司纳气与排泄的是白豆蔻。第二种初春抽苗，入夏长茎，开花结实类似豆蔻，果实圆而微长，表面有皱纹，内部肉质纹理像槟榔，无仁只有肉，气味辛温，秉受刚健之用，能温中化食，宣发五谷五畜的味道，起到滋养和充实作用的是肉豆蔻。第三种苗似荻芦，叶似杜若，根似高良姜，二月开花成穗，房穗缀于茎下，嫩叶卷曲，初出时像芙蓉花，微红色，穗头颜色深，随着叶片逐渐展开，花朵逐渐开放，颜色也逐渐变淡。也有黄白两色的，果实像龙眼但较尖，皮色黄白，表面无鳞甲，壳薄且有棱角，仁粒像缩砂仁但稍壮实，气味辛涩温，能宣摄中气，温中，补益上焦，受纳水谷，治疗心腹痛、呕吐，去除臭气，宣发五谷五果五菜的味道，起到滋养、辅助和补益作用的是豆蔻（此处指草豆蔻）。开宝年间称为草豆蔻，《草物志》称为漏蔻，《金光明经》称为苏乞迷罗细，郑樵《通志》称为草果。虽然不属于果类，但因用于茶食，所以有草果之称。
（豆蔻，辅助中焦并补益上焦，以宣发为体，以摄纳为用。果实缀生于茎下，也具有紧密收敛的含义，虽然与缩砂仁同归于退藏，但在体用方面则截然不同。缩砂仁以摄纳为体，以宣发为用，顺应时序的升沉变化，因此使用与否自由自在。豆蔻，效法降肃的聚敛，终究属于勉强为之，如果长期服用完剂，恐怕反而会急切地剥夺其生发之阳气，在于“用”方面有余，而在“体”方面不足。因此，唯有全面考量，遍及上下。使用者，如果能仔细鉴别，不仅四种豆蔻的功效判然分明，就连五谷、饴糖、神曲、山楂等物品，也能比较衡量、条理区分，不至于混乱误投了。）
(Recorded in the Upper Grade of *Mingyi Bielu*)
[Flavor and Property] Pungent, warm, astringent; non-toxic.
[Indications] Primarily treats cold in the middle jiao (middle burner), epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting, and eliminates bad breath.
[Analysis] It is stated that: Cardamom grows in the South Sea and Jiaozhi, and currently also in Lingnan and Bamin regions; its growth details have been explained previously. People in the south harvest the flowers as fruit, particularly valuing the tender ones. The flower spikes are pickled with salt, layered into clusters that do not scatter. They are further soaked with Hibiscus mutabilis flower (Mu Jin Hua) to turn them red. In Guangdong, people soak them in plum salt juice to turn them red, dry them in the sun, and serve them with wine, named "Red Salt Grass Fruit" (Hong Yan Cao Guo). Those just formed and small are called "Parrot's Tongue" (Ying Ge She). During the Yuan Dynasty, dietary preparations all used Grass Fruit (Cao Guo) as tribute; people in the south use Pyracantha fortuneana (Huo Yang Mei) to counterfeit cardamom. This fake cardamom is round and coarse, with a pungent and fierce aroma; it is actually Alpinia japonica (Shan Jiang), and must be distinguished when used in medicine. For processing, the stem end must be removed, taking only the inner seeds and peel. Use Evodia rutaecarpa (Zhu Yu), stir-frying slowly together with cardamom until the Evodia turns slightly yellow-black, then remove the Evodia, using only the cardamom peel and seeds.
[Commentary] It is stated that: Among grass fruits, there are three types named cardamom, differing in shape, color, and function. They all enter the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, and Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian.
The first type resembles a banana plant, leaves resemble Kaempferia galanga (Du Ruo), growing 8-9 chi high, evergreen in winter and summer, blooming pale yellow, bearing fruit in clusters like grapes. Initially light green, turning white when ripe, seeds round like Ipomoea nil (Bai Qian Niu), kernels resembling Amomum villosum (Suo Sha Ren). With a strongly pungent and warm flavor, it replenishes the generating yang qi in the kidney, stimulates lung qi respiration, disseminates the flavors of the five grains, and governs intake and excretion; this is White Cardamom (Bai Dou Kou).
The second type sprouts in early spring, forms stems in summer, blooms and bears fruit similar to cardamom. The fruit is round and slightly long, wrinkled on the surface, with flesh patterned like Areca catechu (Bing Lang), having no kernel but only flesh, with a pungent and warm flavor. Possessing vigorous properties, it warms the middle and transforms food, disseminates the flavors of the five grains and five livestock, providing nourishment and sufficiency; this is Nutmeg (Rou Dou Kou).
The third type has seedlings resembling Phragmites communis (Di Lu), leaves resembling Du Ruo, roots resembling Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang). It blooms in February forming spikes, with locules hanging under the stem. Tender leaves curl, initially resembling Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Fu Rong), slightly red; the spike head is dark, but as leaves open and flowers emerge, the color fades. There are also yellow and white varieties. The fruit resembles Longan but is sharper, skin yellow-white, surface without scales, shell thin with ridges, kernels resembling Suo Sha Ren but slightly larger. With a pungent, astringent, and warm flavor, it disseminates and secures middle qi, warms the middle, benefits the upper jiao, receives and stores water and grain, treats epigastric/abdominal pain and vomiting, eliminates odors, and disseminates flavors of the five grains, five fruits, and five vegetables, providing nourishment, assistance, and benefit; this is Cardamom (Dou Kou, specifically referring to Grass Cardamom/Cao Dou Kou). Known as Cao Dou Kou in Kaibao period, Lou Kou in *Caowu Zhi*, Suqimiluoxi in *Jin Guang Ming Jing*, and Cao Guo in Zheng Qiao's *Tongzhi*. Although not a true fruit, it is used for tea and snacks, hence the name Cao Guo.
(Cardamom assists the middle and benefits the upper, with dissemination as its substance and retention as its function. The fruit hanging below the stem implies tightness/convergence. Although it shares the retreat/storage nature with Amomum villosum, their substance and function are distinct. Amomum villosum uses retention as substance and dissemination as function, following the ascending/descending of seasonal timing, thus its use is free. Cardamom mimics the gathering of descending/suppressing forces, which is ultimately forced; long-term full-course consumption may hastily deplete generating yang qi, being excessive in function but deficient in substance. Therefore, one must consider comprehensively, covering upper and lower. Users who carefully distinguish can clearly differentiate the powers of the four types, and even compare and categorize items like five grains, malt sugar, Shen Qu, and Hawthorn, preventing chaotic misuse.)