大燥、补阳活血。
入心脾血分。能引血化汗化脓。内托痈疽痘疮。（同丁香、治痘疮灰塌。）消瘀生肌。补
虚寒
。宣气血。利关节。治风痹症瘕。噎膈腹满。心腹诸痛。
轻、解肌、调营卫。
辛甘而温。气薄升浮。入太阴肺、太阳膀胱经。温经通脉。发汗解肌。（能利肺气、经
曰∶
辛甘发散为阳。）治伤风头痛。（无汗能发。）伤寒自汗。（有汗能止、桂枝为君、芍药甘草为
佐、加姜枣、名桂枝汤、能和营实表。）调和营卫。使邪从汗出。而汗自止。（王好古曰∶或
问桂枝止烦出汗。仲景治伤寒发汗、数处皆用桂枝汤、又曰∶无汗不得用桂枝、汗多者、
桂枝甘草汤、此又能闭汗也、二义相通否乎、曰∶仲景云∶太阳病、发热汗出者、此为营弱
卫强、阴虚阳必凑之、故以桂枝发其汗、此乃调其营气、则卫气自和、风邪无所容、遂自汗
而解、非若麻黄能开腠理、发出其汗也、汗多用桂枝者、以之调和营卫、则邪从汗解、而汗
自止、非桂枝能闭汗孔也。亦惟有汗者宜之、若伤寒无汗、则当以发汗为主、而不独调其
营卫矣、故曰∶无汗不得服桂枝、有汗不得服麻黄、以桂枝汤中有芍药故也。）亦治手足痛
风胁风。（痛风有风痰、风湿、
湿痰、瘀血、气虚、血虚之异、桂枝用作引经、胁风属肝、桂枝能平肝、东垣曰∶桂枝横行
手臂、以其为枝也、又曰∶
气薄则发泄、桂枝上行而解表、气浓则发热、肉桂下行而补肾、李士材曰∶肉桂乃近根之最
浓者、桂心即在中之次浓者、
桂枝即顶上细枝、肉桂在下、主治下焦、桂心在中、主治中焦、桂枝在上、主治上焦、此本
乎天
之道也。）桂性偏阳。阴虚之人。一切血证。（最能动血。）不可误投
。木犀花辛温。同百药煎、孩儿茶。作膏饼噙。生津辟臭化痰。治风虫牙痛。同麻油蒸熟。
润发及作面脂。桂叶捣碎浸水。洗发去垢。除风。
桂心：性大燥，能补益阳气、活血。入心和脾的血分。能引导血液转化为汗液或脓液，内托痈疽和痘疮（与丁香同用，可治疗痘疮塌陷不起）。消除瘀血，促进肌肉生长，补虚寒。宣通气血，利关节。治疗风痹症瘕、噎膈腹满、心腹部各种疼痛。
桂枝：性轻，能解肌、调和营卫。味辛甘而温，气薄主升浮。入太阴肺经和太阳膀胱经。温通经脉，发汗解肌。（能疏通肺气，《内经》说：辛甘发散为阳。）治疗伤风头痛。（无汗时能发汗。）治疗伤寒自汗。（有汗时能止汗，以桂枝为君药，芍药甘草为佐药，加生姜大枣，名为桂枝汤，能调和营卫、充实体表。）调和营卫，使邪气随汗排出，从而汗自止。（王好古问：有人问桂枝既能止烦出汗，张仲景治疗伤寒发汗，多处都用桂枝汤；又说无汗者不能用桂枝；汗多者用桂枝甘草汤，这又能闭汗吗？这两种说法相通吗？答：张仲景说：太阳病，发热汗出的，这是营弱卫强，阴虚则阳气必凑之，所以用桂枝发其汗，这是调和营气，那么卫气自然和谐，风邪无处容身，于是自汗而解，不像麻黄能开腠理发汗。汗多用桂枝的，是用它来调和营卫，那么邪气随汗而解，汗自然停止，并不是桂枝能关闭汗孔。这也只有有汗者适宜，如果伤寒无汗，则应当以发汗为主，而不只是调和营卫了，所以说无汗不得服桂枝，有汗不得服麻黄，因为桂枝汤中有芍药的缘故。）也治疗手足痛风、胁风。（痛风有风痰、风湿、湿痰、瘀血、气虚、血虚的不同，桂枝用作引经药。胁风属肝，桂枝能平肝。李东垣说：桂枝横行手臂，因为它是有枝条的部分。又说：气薄的则发泄，桂枝上行而解表；气浓的则发热，肉桂下行而补肾。李士材说：肉桂是靠近根部最浓的部分，桂心是在中间的次浓部分，桂枝是顶端的细枝。肉桂在下，主治下焦；桂心中间，主治中焦；桂枝在上，主治上焦。这符合天道自然之理。）桂枝性偏阳。阴虚之人，一切血证（最容易动血），不可误投。
木犀花（桂花）：辛温。同百药煎、孩儿茶一起制成膏饼含服。生津、辟臭、化痰。治疗风虫牙痛。同麻油蒸熟。润泽头发及作面部脂膏。桂叶捣碎浸水。洗发去垢。除风。
Guixin (Cinnamon Heart): It is extremely drying and tonifies Yang blood. It enters the Blood aspect of the Heart and Spleen. It can guide blood to transform into sweat or pus, and internally support carbuncles and smallpox sores (when used together with Dingxiang, it treats collapsed smallpox lesions). It eliminates stasis and generates flesh. It tonifies deficiency-cold. It disseminates Qi and Blood, benefits joints, and treats wind-bi, zheng jia (abdominal masses), dysphagia, abdominal fullness, and various pains in the heart and abdomen.
Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig): It is light, releases the muscle layer, and harmonizes Ying and Wei. Its flavor is acrid, sweet, and warm; its qi is thin and ascending/floating. It enters the Taiyin Lung meridian and the Taiyang Bladder meridian. It warms meridians and unblocks vessels, induces sweating and releases the muscle layer (it can benefit Lung Qi; as stated in the classics: "Acrid and sweet dispersing agents are Yang"). It treats headache due to wind-cold injury (it can induce sweating when there is no sweat). It treats spontaneous sweating due to cold damage (it can stop sweating when there is sweat; with Guizhi as the sovereign herb, Shaoyao and Gancao as assistant herbs, plus Shengjiang and Dazao, it forms Guizhi Tang, which harmonizes Ying and Wei and secures the exterior). It harmonizes Ying and Wei, allowing pathogens to exit via sweat, thereby stopping sweating naturally. (Wang Haogu asked: Someone asked whether Guizhi stops vexation and induces sweating. Zhang Zhongjing uses Guizhi Tang in many places for inducing sweating in cold damage treatment, yet also says "those without sweat must not use Guizhi"; those with excessive sweat use Guizhi Gancao Tang, which seems to close sweat pores. Are these two meanings compatible? Answer: Zhang Zhongjing said: In Taiyang disease, fever with sweating indicates weak Ying and strong Wei; Yin deficiency allows Yang to encroach, so Guizhi is used to induce sweating. This is to harmonize Ying Qi, after which Wei Qi becomes harmonious, wind pathogens have no place to reside, and thus resolution occurs through natural sweating. This is different from Mahuang, which opens the cou li to force out sweat. When sweat is excessive, Guizhi is used to harmonize Ying and Wei, so pathogens resolve with sweat and sweating stops naturally; this is not because Guizhi closes sweat pores. Therefore, it is suitable only for those with sweat. If there is no sweat in cold damage, the primary method should be inducing sweating, not merely harmonizing Ying and Wei. Hence, it is said that one must not take Guizhi if there is no sweat, nor Mahuang if there is sweat, because Guizhi Tang contains Shaoyao.) It also treats gouty pain in hands and feet and hypochondriac wind. (Gout differs by wind-phlegm, wind-dampness, damp-phlegm, blood stasis, Qi deficiency, and Blood deficiency; Guizhi serves as a guiding herb. Hypochondriac wind belongs to the Liver; Guizhi can calm the Liver. Li Dongyuan said: Guizhi travels horizontally in the arms because it consists of branches. He also said: Thin qi dissipates; Guizhi ascends to release the exterior; thick qi generates heat; Rougui descends to tonify the Kidney. Li Shicai said: Rougui is the thickest part near the root; Guixin is the next thickest part in the middle; Guizhi is the fine branch at the top. Rougui is lower, treating the Lower Jiao; Guixin is middle, treating the Middle Jiao; Guizhi is upper, treating the Upper Jiao. This follows the Way of Heaven.) Guizhi nature is biased toward Yang. For individuals with Yin deficiency, all blood disorders (which easily move blood) should not be mistakenly treated with it.
Muxihua (Osmanthus Flower): Acrid and warm. Made into paste cakes to be held in the mouth together with Baiyaojian and Haiercha. Generates fluids, dispels bad breath, resolves phlegm. Treats wind-worm toothache. Steamed with Sesame Oil. Moistens hair and serves as facial cream. Guiye (Cinnamon Leaf) crushed and soaked in water. Used for washing hair to remove dirt. Dispels wind.