古名通脱木。轻、通、利水退热。
色白气寒。体轻味淡。气寒则降。故入肺经。引热下行而利小便。味淡则升。故入胃经。
通
气上达而下乳汁。治五淋水肿。目昏耳聋。鼻塞失音。（淡通窍、寒降火、利肺气。）退热催
生。中寒者勿服。（百一选方、治洗头风痛、新通草瓦上烧存性、研末二钱、热酒下、牙关
紧者、挖口灌之。）
通、活血消肿。
苦温。疏气活血。治风劳腹痛。妊娠水肿。叶似葛。圆而小。有白毛。根有须。四时不
凋。
（一云即青木香藤。集效方、天仙藤一两、好酒一盏、煎半盏服之、治疝气作痛、神效。）
轻、宣、解肌、升阳散火。
辛甘性平。轻扬升发。入阳明经。能鼓胃气上行。生津止渴。（风药多燥、葛根独能止
渴者
、以其升胃气入肺而生津尔。）兼入脾经。开腠发汗。解肌退热。（脾主肌肉。）为治清气下
陷泄泻之圣药。（经曰∶清气在下、则生飧泄、葛根能升阳明清气。）疗伤寒中风。阳明头痛
。（元素曰∶头痛如破、乃阳明中风、可用葛根葱白汤、若太阳初病、未入阳明而头痛者、
不可便服升葛汤发之、反引邪气入阳明也、仲景治太阳阳明合病、桂枝汤加葛根麻黄、又有
葛根黄芩黄连解肌汤、是用以断太阳入阳明之路、非太阳药也。）血痢温疟。（丹溪曰∶凡治
疟、无汗要有汗、散邪为主、带补、有汗要无汗、扶正为主、带散、若阳疟有汗、加参 白
术以敛之、无汗、加柴葛苍术以发之。）肠风痘疹。（能发痘疹、丹溪曰∶凡斑疹已见红点、
不可更服升葛汤、恐表虚反增斑烂也。）又能起阴气。散郁火。解酒毒。（葛花尤良。）利二
便。杀百药毒。上盛下虚之人。虽有脾胃病。亦不宜服。即当用者。亦宜少用。多则反伤胃
气。以其升散太过也。（夏月表虚汗多、尤忌。）生葛汁大寒。解温病大热。吐衄诸血。
古时候称为通脱木。其性轻，能通利水道，退热。
颜色白，气味寒凉。质地轻，味道淡。气味寒凉则主降，所以入肺经，引导热邪下行而通利小便。味道淡则主升，所以入胃经。
通（此处指天仙藤，或指通草之通利作用，结合下文“气上达而下乳汁”及“活血消肿”，前段主要讲通草利水，后段讲天仙藤活血，但原文排版易混，根据《本草从新》体例，第一段为通草，第二段开头“通”字实为天仙藤的简称或误植，通常天仙藤即青木香藤。此处依原文结构翻译）：
气机上达而促进乳汁分泌。治疗五种淋证和水肿。目昏耳聋，鼻塞失音。（因其味淡能通窍，性寒能降火，利肺气。）退热催生。中焦虚寒者不要服用。（《百一选方》记载：治疗洗头风痛，将新通草在瓦上烧存性，研成末二钱，用热酒送服；牙关紧闭者，撬开嘴巴灌入。）
通（指天仙藤），能活血消肿。
苦温。疏理气机，活血。治疗风劳腹痛，妊娠水肿。叶子像葛叶，圆形而小，有白色绒毛，根有须，四季不凋谢。
（另一种说法认为就是青木香藤。《集效方》记载：天仙藤一两，好酒一盏，煎至半盏服用，治疗疝气作痛，效果神奇。）
轻，宣散，解肌，升阳散火。
辛甘，性平。性质轻扬升发，入阳明经，能鼓舞胃气上行，生津止渴。（风药大多燥烈，唯独葛根能止渴，是因为它提升胃气入肺而生津液。）兼入脾经，开发腠理，发汗，解除肌表之热。（脾主肌肉。）是治疗清气下陷导致泄泻的圣药。（《内经》说：清气在下，就会发生完谷不化的泄泻，葛根能提升阳明经的清气。）治疗伤寒中风，阳明头痛。（李东垣说：头痛如破，是阳明中风，可以用葛根葱白汤；如果是太阳病初期，邪气未传入阳明而出现头痛，不可以立即服用升提葛根的汤剂发散，否则会反而引邪气进入阳明。张仲景治疗太阳阳明合病，用桂枝汤加葛根、麻黄；又有葛根黄芩黄连汤解肌，这是用来阻断太阳病邪传入阳明的路径，不是治疗太阳病的药物。）治疗血痢和温疟。（朱丹溪说：凡是治疗疟疾，无汗的要使其有汗，以散邪为主，兼顾补益；有汗的要使其无汗，以扶正为主，兼顾散邪。如果是阳疟且有汗，加人参、白术来收敛；无汗，加柴胡、葛根、苍术来发散。）治疗肠风和痘疹。（能促使痘疹发出，朱丹溪说：凡是斑疹已经出现红点，不可再服用升提葛根的汤剂，恐怕表虚反而增加斑烂。）又能起阴气，散郁火，解酒毒。（葛花尤其好。）通利大小便，杀各种药物毒。上盛下虚的人，即使有脾胃病，也不宜服用。即使应当使用，也应该少量服用，多了反而会损伤胃气，因为它的升散作用太过猛烈。（夏季表虚多汗，尤其忌讳。）生葛汁大寒，能解温病的大热，以及吐血、衄血等各种出血症。
It was formerly known as *Tongduomu* (Pherocaulis Caulis). It is light, promotes urination to reduce fever.
Its color is white and its nature is cold. Its texture is light and its taste is bland. The cold nature descends, so it enters the Lung Meridian, guiding heat downward to promote diuresis. The bland taste ascends, so it enters the Stomach Meridian.
Promotes Qi ascent and lactation. Treats five types of strangury (Wu Lin) and edema. Blurred vision, deafness, nasal congestion, and loss of voice. (Its blandness opens orifices, its coldness clears fire, and it benefits Lung Qi.) Reduces fever and facilitates childbirth. Those with middle-jiao cold should avoid taking it. (According to *Bai Yi Xuan Fang*: For headache caused by wind from washing hair, burn fresh *Tongcao* on a tile until carbonized, grind into powder, take two qian with hot wine; for trismus, pry open the mouth and administer.)
*Tong* (referring to *Tianxianteng*), invigorates blood and reduces swelling.
Bitter and warm. Regulates Qi and invigorates blood. Treats abdominal pain due to wind-lao and edema during pregnancy. Leaves resemble those of Kudzu, round and small, covered with white hairs; roots have fibrous roots, evergreen throughout the year.
(Another view holds that it is the vine of *Qingmuxiang*. According to *Ji Xiao Fang*: Take one liang of *Tianxianteng* and one cup of good wine, decoct until half remains, then take orally. It treats painful hernia with miraculous effect.)
Light, dispersing, resolving the muscle layer, raising Yang and dissipating fire.
Acrid, sweet, and neutral in nature. Light and ascending, it enters the Yangming Meridian, stimulating Stomach Qi to ascend, generating fluids and quenching thirst. (Most wind-dispersing herbs are drying, but only *Gegen* can quench thirst because it raises Stomach Qi to the Lung to generate fluids.) It also enters the Spleen Meridian, opening the interstices, inducing sweating, and resolving exterior heat to reduce fever. (The Spleen governs muscles.) It is the supreme herb for treating diarrhea caused by sinking of clear Qi. (The *Classic of Internal Medicine* states: "When clear Qi sinks below, it generates undigested stool diarrhea"; *Gegen* can raise the clear Qi of the Yangming Meridian.) It treats cold damage and wind-stroke, and Yangming headache. (Li Dongyuan stated: "Headache as if splitting is Yangming wind-stroke, for which Gegen and Scalliver Decoction can be used. However, if it is early-stage Taiyang disease with headache before entering Yangming, do not immediately use ascending formulas containing Gegen to disperse, as this may draw pathogenic factors into the Yangming. Zhang Zhongjing treated combined Taiyang-Yangming disease using Guizhi Tang added with Gegen and Ephedra; there is also Gegen Huangqin Huanglian Tang to resolve the muscle layer, which is used to block the path from Taiyang to Yangming, not a Taiyang herb.") It treats bloody dysentery and warm malaria. (Zhu Danxi stated: "In treating malaria, if there is no sweat, induce sweating to scatter pathogens, supplemented by tonification; if there is sweat, stop sweating to support healthy Qi, supplemented by scattering. For Yang-malaria with sweat, add Ginseng and Atractylodes Macrocephala to consolidate; without sweat, add Bupleurum, Kudzu, and Atractylodes Lancea to disperse.") It treats intestinal wind and smallpox/rubella eruptions. (It can promote eruption; Zhu Danxi stated: "Once maculopapular rash appears as red spots, do not take ascending Gegen formulas again, lest deficiency of the exterior worsens the ulceration.") It can also raise Yin Qi, dissipate stagnant fire, and resolve alcohol toxicity. (Kudzu Flower is especially effective.) It promotes urination and defecation, and detoxifies various medicines. Persons with excess above and deficiency below should not take it even if they have Spleen-Stomach diseases. If used, it should be taken in small amounts; excessive use damages Stomach Qi due to its overly strong ascending and dispersing action. (Especially contraindicated in summer when the exterior is deficient and sweating is profuse.) Raw Kudzu juice is very cold, resolving high fever from warm diseases, and bleeding such as hematemesis and epistaxis.