泻、下气散满。
苦降能泻实满。辛温能散湿满。（胀满证不同、消补贵得其宜、气虚宜补气、血虚宜补
血、
食积宜消导、痰滞宜行痰、挟热宜清热、湿盛宜利湿、寒郁者散寒、怒郁者行气、蓄血者消
瘀、不宜专用行散药。）入足太阴、阳明。（脾、胃。）平胃调中。（佐苍术为平胃散、平湿土
之太过、以致于中和。）消痰化食。行结水。破宿血。散风寒。杀脏虫。治反胃呕逆。喘咳
泻痢。冷痛霍乱。一切客寒犯胃。湿气侵脾之证。但可施于元气未虚。邪气方盛。若脾胃虚
者。切勿沾唇。虽一时未见其害。而清纯冲和之气。潜伤默耗矣。孕妇服之。大损胎元。榛
树皮也。肉浓紫润、味辛者良。刮去粗皮。切片。姜汁炒。干姜为使。恶泽泻、硝石。忌豆
。（犯之动气。）
一名皂角。宣、通窍搜风。
辛咸而温。有小毒。入肺、大肠。兼入肝经。性极尖利。搜风泄热。吹之导之。则通上
下关
窍。而涌吐痰涎。搐鼻立作喷嚏。治中风口噤。胸痹喉痹。（凡中风不醒人事、口噤不能
进药、急提头发、手掐人中、用皂荚末或半夏末、吹入鼻中、有嚏者生、无嚏者为肺气已绝
、死、或用稀涎散吐之、皂荚末一两、白矾五钱、每用一钱、温水调灌、或加藜芦、麝少许
、鹅翎探喉、令微吐稀涎、再用药治、年老气虚者忌用。）服之则除湿去垢。（最去油腻、刮
人肠胃。）宣壅导滞。（取中段、汤泡服、治老人风秘。）消痰破坚。杀虫下胎。治风湿风癞
。痰喘肿满。坚症囊结。（厥阴肝脉络阴器、寒客肝经、则为囊结。）涂之则散肿消毒。煎膏
贴
辟瘟疫湿气。济急颇有神效。稍涉虚者。切勿轻与。孕妇忌之。
一种小如猪牙。一种长而枯燥。一种肥浓多脂者良。去皮子弦。或蜜炙、酥炙。绞汁烧灰。
柏实为使。恶麦冬。畏人参、苦参。（性能消铁、不结荚者、凿树一孔、入铁封之、则结荚
矣
故
此木不能烧爨。）子、去皮水浸软。煮糖渍食之。治大肠燥结。
（汪机曰∶其性得湿则滑、时珍曰∶亦辛以润之之义、非得湿则滑也。）瘰 恶疮。（卒病头
痛、皂荚末吹鼻取嚏、 不通、皂荚末吹之。）
泻下，降气，消除胀满。
苦味能下降以泻除实性胀满。辛温之性能散除湿性胀满。（胀满证的类型不同，消导与补益贵在适宜：气虚应当补气，血虚应当补血，食积应当消食导滞，痰湿阻滞应当行化痰浊，兼有热邪应当清热，湿气盛应当利湿，寒邪郁结应当散寒，怒气郁结应当行气，瘀血蓄积应当化瘀，不宜专门使用行气消散的药物。）入足太阴脾经、足阳明胃经。（即脾、胃二脏。）能够平调脾胃。（配合苍术组成平胃散，以平抑湿土之气的太过，从而达到中和的状态。）消除痰浊，化除食积。运行停滞的水饮。破除陈旧的血瘀。散发风寒。杀灭脏腑寄生虫。治疗反胃呕吐逆气，气喘咳嗽，腹泻痢疾，冷痛霍乱，一切外感寒邪侵犯胃部，以及湿气侵袭脾脏的病证。但仅适用于元气尚未虚弱，而邪气正盛的阶段。如果脾胃已经虚弱，千万不要沾唇服用。虽然暂时未见其害，但清纯冲和之气会被暗中损伤消耗。孕妇服用，会严重损伤胎元。这是榛树的树皮。肉质浓厚紫润、味道辛的为好。刮去粗皮，切成片，用姜汁炒制。干姜作为引经药。畏恶泽泻、硝石。忌与豆类同服。（若同服会扰动气机。）
另一种名为皂角。宣通，开窍，搜剔风邪。
味辛咸，性温，有小毒。入肺经、大肠经，兼入肝经。药性极其尖利，能搜剔风邪，泄除热邪。吹入鼻腔或引导使用，则能通达上下关窍，并引起涌吐痰涎。搐鼻可立即引发喷嚏。治疗中风导致的口噤不开，胸痹喉痹。（凡是中风昏迷不醒人事，口噤不能进药，急提头发，用手掐人中穴，用皂荚末或半夏末，吹入鼻中，有嚏声的存活，无嚏声的为肺气已绝，死亡。或用稀涎散催吐，皂荚末一两，白矾五钱，每次取一钱，温水调匀灌服，或加藜芦、麝香少许，用鹅毛探喉，令其微吐稀涎，然后再用药治疗，年老气虚者忌用。）服用它能除湿去垢。（最能去除油腻，刮涤肠胃。）宣通壅滞，导除积滞。（取中段，汤泡后服用，治疗老人风秘。）消除痰浊，破除坚积。杀虫，下胎。治疗风湿、风癞（麻风病）。痰喘肿胀满闷，坚硬症候及囊结。（厥阴肝经络循阴器，寒邪客于肝经，则形成囊结。）涂敷它能消散肿毒。煎膏贴敷可辟除瘟疫湿气。急救颇有神效。稍涉虚证者，切勿轻易给予。孕妇忌用。
一种小如猪牙，一种长而枯燥，一种肥厚浓润多脂的为良。去皮、子、弦。或用蜜炙、酥炙。绞汁烧成灰。柏实作为使药。畏恶麦冬。畏惧人参、苦参。（其性能溶解铁，不结荚的树，凿树一孔，放入铁块封住，则能结荚了，所以此木不能用来烧火做饭。）种子，去皮水浸软，煮糖渍食之。治疗大肠燥结。
（汪机说：它的性质得湿则滑；李时珍说：这也是“辛以润之”的道理，并非非得湿才滑。）治疗瘰疬、恶疮。（突发头痛，皂荚末吹鼻取嚏；大便不通，皂荚末吹之。）
Purgative, descends Qi, dissipates fullness.
Bitter flavor can descend to purge excess fullness. Acrid and warm nature can dissipate dampness-induced fullness. (The types of distension and fullness differ; purging and tonifying must be appropriate: for Qi deficiency, tonify Qi; for Blood deficiency, tonify Blood; for food stagnation, digest and guide out; for phlegm obstruction, move and transform phlegm; with heat, clear heat; with excessive dampness, promote diuresis; with cold constraint, dissipate cold; with anger constraint, move Qi; with retained blood, resolve stasis; do not exclusively use acrid-moving drugs.) Enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen and Foot-Yangming Stomach meridians. (Spleen, Stomach.) Calms and regulates the middle Jiao. (Combined with Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) to form Pingwei San (Calm the Stomach Powder), to moderate the excess of damp-earth Qi, thereby achieving harmony.) Transforms phlegm, digests food. Moves stagnant water. Breaks old blood stasis. Dissipates wind-cold. Kills internal parasites. Treats regurgitation and vomiting, wheezing and coughing, diarrhea and dysentery, cold pain and cholera, all cases of external cold invading the stomach, and conditions where dampness invades the spleen. However, it is only applicable when Yuan Qi (Original Qi) is not yet deficient and pathogenic factors are abundant. If the Spleen and Stomach are deficient, do not consume it under any circumstances. Although no harm may be seen immediately, the pure and harmonious Qi will be secretly damaged and consumed. Pregnant women taking it severely damages the fetal origin. This is the bark of the Zhen tree (Ostrya). The flesh should be thick, purple, and moist; those with an acrid taste are superior. Scrape off the rough bark, slice, stir-fry with Ginger Juice (Jiangzhi). Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) acts as a guiding herb. Adverse interaction with Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma) and Xiaoshi (Natrii Nitras). Avoid beans. (Consumption disturbs Qi movement.)
Another name is Zaojiao (Gleditsiae Sinensis Fructus). Promotes diffusion, opens orifices, searches out wind pathogens.
Acrid, salty, and warm, slightly toxic. Enters the Lung and Large Intestine meridians, also enters the Liver meridian. Its nature is extremely sharp and penetrating, searching out wind and draining heat. Blown into the nose or guided in use, it unblocks the upper and lower orifice gates, inducing vomiting of phlegm and saliva. Nasal insufflation immediately induces sneezing. Treats stroke with locked jaw, chest bi syndrome, and throat bi syndrome. (In cases of stroke with unconsciousness and inability to open the mouth for medication, urgently pull the hair, pinch the Renzhong point (GV26), blow Zaojiao powder or Banxia powder into the nose. If sneezing occurs, survival is likely; if no sneeze, Lung Qi is exhausted, indicating death. Alternatively, use Xixian San (Thin Saliva Powder) to induce vomiting: 1 liang of Zaojiao powder, 5 qian of Baifan (Alumen), take 1 qian each time, mix with warm water and administer, or add a small amount of Lülü (Veratri Radix) and Shexiang (Moschus), probe the throat with a goose feather to induce slight vomiting of thin saliva, then treat with other medicines. Elderly with Qi deficiency should avoid this.) Taking it removes dampness and dirt. (Most effective at removing grease, scraping the intestines and stomach.) Diffuses congestion, guides out stagnation. (Take the middle section, soak in decoction, and ingest to treat elderly constipation due to wind.) Transforms phlegm, breaks hardness. Kills parasites, expels fetus. Treats wind-dampness and wind-leprosy. Phlegm-wheezing, swelling, and fullness. Hard masses and scrotal knots. (The Jueyin Liver meridian connects with the genitalia; cold invading the Liver meridian forms scrotal knots.) Applied externally, it dissipates swelling and detoxifies. Decocted into paste and applied, it wards off epidemic qi and dampness. It has miraculous effects in emergencies. Do not give lightly to those with any deficiency. Pregnant women should avoid it.
One type is small like pig teeth, one is long and dry, one is plump, thick, and fatty is superior. Remove skin, seeds, and strings. Or honey-fry, or su-fry (fry with rendered animal fat). Extract juice and burn to ash. Baishi (Platycladi Semen) acts as the envoy herb. Adverse interaction with Maidong (Ophiopogonis Radix). Feared by Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Kushen (Sophorae Flavescentis Radix). (Its nature can dissolve iron; trees that do not produce pods, if a hole is drilled and iron inserted and sealed, will produce pods; therefore, this wood cannot be used for firewood.) Seeds, remove skin, soak in water until soft, boil with sugar and eat. Treats dry constipation of the Large Intestine.
(Wang Ji said: Its nature becomes slippery when wet; Li Shizhen said: This is also the meaning of "acridity moistens," not merely becoming slippery due to wetness.) Treats Luoli (scrofula) and malignant sores. (Sudden headache, blow Zaojiao powder into nose to induce sneezing; bowel obstruction, blow Zaojiao powder.)