宣、开胃健脾、泻、行气、消积。
甘温。能助胃气上行。而资健运。快脾宽肠。和中下气。消食除胀。散结祛痰。化一切
米面
果食积。尤善通乳。（薛立斋治一妇人丧子、乳胀欲成痈、单用麦芽一二两、炒煎服、立
消、其破血散气如此。）以谷消谷。有类从之义。停谷食者宜之。然有积消积。无积消肾气。
今人多用大麦者。非也。炒用。
宣、健脾消食。
甘温。快脾开胃。下气和中。消食化积。功同麦芽。而性不损元。（味甘气和、具生化
之性
、故为健脾温中之圣药。）炒用。
补中缓脾。
甘温。益气补中。健脾化痰。润肺止嗽。（仲景建中汤用之、取其甘以补脾缓中也。）过
用能
动火生痰。凡中满吐逆。酒病牙疳。咸忌之。肾病尤不可服。（误吞稻芒、频食饴、妙。）
解毒。
咸冷利。杀百药及热汤火毒。并一切鱼肉菜蔬蕈毒。入药当用豆酱。陈久弥佳。（轻粉
毒、
陈酱化水漱。）
敛气血、散瘀、消痈肿。
酸苦温。散瘀。治产后血晕。（烧红炭投醋中、使闻其气。）除症疗心腹诸痛。涂痈疮肿。
杀
鱼肉毒。愈黄胆黄汗。多食损筋骨。损胃。损颜色。用米醋。
宣、行药势。
大热有毒。辛者能散。苦者能降。甘者居中而缓。浓者尤热而毒。淡者利小便。用为向
导。
可以通行一身之表。引药至极高之分。热饮伤肺。温饮和中。少饮则和血行气。壮神御寒。
辟邪逐秽。暖水脏。行药势。过饮则伤神耗血。（最能乱血、故饮之身面俱赤。）损胃烁精。
动火生痰。发怒助欲。致生湿热诸病。（相火上炎、肺经受烁、致生痰嗽、脾因火而困怠、
胃因火而呕吐、心因火而昏狂、肝因火而善怒、胆因火而忘惧、肾因火而精枯、以致吐血
消渴、痨损蛊膈、痈疽失明、为害无穷、汪颖曰∶人知戒早饮、而不知夜饮更甚、醉饱就床
、热壅三焦、伤心损目、夜气收敛、酒以发之、乱其清明、劳其脾胃、停湿动火、因而致病
者多矣、景岳曰∶酒成于酿、其性则热、而质化为水、其质则寒、阴虚者饮之则伤阴、阳虚
者饮之则败阳、故或致血不养筋、则为中风、或致伤脾、则为痰饮泻痢、或湿热上浮、则为
喘
为螈 疼痛、或致动血伤精、则为劳损吐衄、或致伤肌腐肉、则为
烂疮痔漏、其有积渐日久而成水鼓者、则尤多也。）烧酒、散寒破结。损人尤甚。醇而无灰
。陈久者佳。（腊月酿造、藏之得法、数十年不坏。）畏绿豆粉、枳 子、葛花、咸卤。（得
咸则解、水制火也。）以上造酿类。
宣：具有开胃健脾、泻下、行气、消积的作用。
味甘、性温。能助胃气上行，从而资助脾胃的健运功能；使脾快肠宽，调和中焦并降逆下气；消除食积、去除胀满；消散结聚、祛除痰饮；化解各种米面及果食类的积滞。尤其善于通乳。（薛立斋曾治疗一位丧子后乳房胀痛欲成痈疽的妇人，单用麦芽一两至二两，炒后煎服，立刻消散，其破血散气的功效如此显著。）以谷物之谷来消化谷物，符合“同类相从”的道理。停食谷类食物者适宜服用。然而，有积滞则消积滞，无积滞则会消耗肾气。现在的人多用大麦（芽），这是不对的。应当炒用。
宣：具有健脾消食的作用。
味甘、性温。使脾快胃开，降逆和中，消食化积，功效与麦芽相同，但药性不损伤元气。（因为味甘气和，具备生化的性质，所以是健脾温中的圣药。）应当炒用。
补中缓脾。
味甘、性温。益气补中，健脾化痰，润肺止咳。（张仲景在建中汤中使用它，是取其甘味以补脾缓急的意思。）过量使用能动火生痰。凡是中焦痞满、呕吐逆气、饮酒致病、牙疳等症，都应当忌用。肾病尤其不可服用。（如果误吞稻芒，频繁食用饴糖，效果奇妙。）
解毒。
味咸、性冷利。能杀灭各种药物毒性以及热汤、火毒，以及一切鱼肉、蔬菜、菌菇类的毒素。入药时应当使用豆酱，陈久的更好。（轻粉中毒，用陈年豆酱化水漱口即可化解。）
收敛气血、散瘀、消痈肿。
味酸、苦，性温。能散瘀，治疗产后血晕。（将烧红的炭投入醋中，让人闻其气味即可。）消除症瘕，治疗心腹各种疼痛；外涂可治痈疮肿毒；能杀鱼肉毒；治愈黄疸和黄汗。多吃会损伤筋骨、损伤胃气、损害面色。应当使用米醋。
宣：行药势。
大热，有毒。辛味的能发散，苦味的能降泄，甘味的居中而缓和，浓度高的尤其热且毒性强；淡味的能利小便。用作向导，可以通行一身之表，引导药物到达身体最高处。热饮伤肺，温饮调和中焦；少量饮用能和血行气、壮神御寒、辟邪逐秽、温暖水脏、行药势；过量饮用则伤神耗血。（最能扰乱血液，所以饮酒后人面部和身体都会发红。）损伤胃气，灼伤精气，动火生痰，发怒助欲，导致产生湿热等各种疾病。（相火上炎，肺经被灼伤，导致生痰咳嗽；脾因火困怠；胃因火呕吐；心因火昏狂；肝因火善怒；胆因火忘惧；肾因火精枯；以致吐血、消渴、劳损蛊膈、痈疽失明，危害无穷。汪颖说：人们知道戒除早晨饮酒，却不知道夜晚饮酒更严重，醉饱后就床休息，热气壅塞三焦，伤心损目，夜气收敛，酒反而激发它，扰乱清明之气，劳累脾胃，停湿动火，因此致病的人很多。张景岳说：酒酿成之后，其性则是热的，但其质化为水，其质则是寒的。阴虚者饮用则伤阴，阳虚者饮用则败阳，所以有的导致血不养筋，成为中风；有的导致伤脾，成为痰饮泻痢；有的湿热上浮，成为喘证、抽搐、疼痛；有的导致动血伤精，成为劳损吐衄；有的导致伤肌腐肉，成为烂疮痔漏；那些积渐日久而成水鼓病的，尤其多。）烧酒，散寒破结，对人损害尤其严重。纯厚而无灰渣的，陈久的更好。（腊月酿造，收藏得当，数十年不坏。）畏惧绿豆粉、枳椇子、葛花、咸卤。（遇到咸味就能解酒，这是水制火的道理。）以上是造酿类。
Xuan (Dispersing): Opens the stomach, strengthens the spleen, purges downward, promotes Qi movement, and resolves accumulation.
Sweet and warm. It can assist the Stomach Qi to ascend, thereby nourishing and supporting healthy transportation and transformation; it quickens the spleen, relaxes the intestines, harmonizes the middle jiao, directs Qi downward, resolves food stagnation, removes distension, dissipates nodules, expels phlegm, and transforms all kinds of rice, flour, fruit, and food accumulations. It is especially good at promoting lactation. (Xue Lizhai treated a woman who, after losing her child, suffered from breast swelling and tension threatening to become an abscess. He used only one or two taels of Mai Ya (Folium Hordei Germinatum), stir-fried and decocted for oral administration, which resolved immediately. Its ability to break blood stasis and disperse Qi is thus demonstrated.) Using grain to digest grain follows the principle of "similar things attract each other." It is suitable for those with stagnant grain food. However, if there is accumulation, it resolves the accumulation; if there is no accumulation, it consumes Kidney Qi. Nowadays, people mostly use Da Mai (Hordei Fructus) [sprouts], which is incorrect. It should be used after stir-frying.
Xuan (Dispersing): Strengthens the spleen and resolves food stagnation.
Sweet and warm. It quickens the spleen, opens the stomach, directs Qi downward, harmonizes the middle jiao, resolves food, and transforms accumulation. Its efficacy is similar to Mai Ya (Folium Hordei Germinatum), but its nature does not damage the Yuan Qi. (Because its taste is sweet and its qi is mild, possessing the nature of generation and transformation, it is therefore a supreme medicine for strengthening the spleen and warming the middle.) It should be used after stir-frying.
Tonifies the center and moderates the spleen.
Sweet and warm. Benefits Qi, tonifies the center, strengthens the spleen, transforms phlegm, moistens the lungs, and stops coughing. (Zhang Zhongjing used it in Jianzhong Tang, taking advantage of its sweet nature to tonify the spleen and moderate urgency.) Overuse can generate fire and produce phlegm. It is strictly contraindicated in cases of middle jiao fullness, vomiting and regurgitation, alcohol-induced diseases, and gum disease. It must not be taken by patients with Kidney disease. (If rice awns are accidentally swallowed, frequently eating Yi Tang (Maltose) yields wonderful results.)
Detoxification.
Salty, cold, and draining. Kills toxins from various medicines, hot soup, burns, and all toxins from fish, meat, vegetables, and mushrooms. When used in prescriptions, Dou Jiang (Fermented Soybean Paste) should be used; the older, the better. (For Qing Fen (Calomel) poisoning, rinse the mouth with water made from aged bean paste.)
Astringes Qi and Blood, disperses blood stasis, and resolves carbuncles and swellings.
Sour, bitter, and warm. Disperses blood stasis and treats postpartum blood vertigo. (Throw red-hot charcoal into vinegar and let the patient inhale the fumes.) Eliminates mass formations (Zheng Jia) and treats various pains in the heart and abdomen; applied externally, it treats carbuncles, sores, and swellings; kills fish and meat toxins; cures jaundice and yellow sweat. Excessive consumption damages sinews and bones, harms the Stomach, and deteriorates complexion. Rice vinegar should be used.
Xuan (Dispersing): Propagates the action of medicines.
Greatly hot and toxic. Pungent flavors can disperse, bitter flavors can descend, sweet flavors remain central and moderate, strong concentrations are particularly hot and toxic, while bland flavors promote urination. Used as a guide, it can circulate through the exterior of the entire body and lead medicines to the highest parts. Hot drinks damage the Lungs; warm drinks harmonize the middle jiao; small amounts harmonize blood, move Qi, strengthen the spirit, ward off cold, dispel evil, eliminate filth, warm the Water Zang organs, and propagate the action of medicines. Excessive drinking damages the spirit and consumes blood. (It is most capable of disturbing blood, hence the face and body turn red after drinking.) It damages the Stomach, scorches essence, generates fire and phlegm, induces anger and aids lust, leading to damp-heat and other diseases. (Ministerial Fire flares upward, scorching the Lung Meridian, causing phlegm and cough; the Spleen becomes fatigued due to fire; the Stomach vomits due to fire; the Heart becomes confused and manic due to fire; the Liver becomes irritable due to fire; the Gallbladder becomes fearful and forgetful due to fire; the Kidneys lose essence due to fire; resulting in hematemesis, Xiao Ke (Wasting and Thirsting Syndrome), consumptive diseases, Gu Ge (abdominal masses), carbuncles, ulcers, blindness, causing infinite harm. Wang Ying said: People know to avoid morning drinking but do not realize night drinking is worse. Going to bed drunk and full causes heat to obstruct the three jiao, damaging the Heart and eyes. Night Qi converges, but wine stimulates it, disrupting clarity, exhausting the Spleen and Stomach, retaining dampness, and generating fire, leading to many illnesses. Zhang Jingyue said: Wine is formed through fermentation; its nature is hot, but its substance turns into water, so its substance is cold. Yin-deficient persons who drink it damage Yin; Yang-deficient persons who drink it destroy Yang. Thus, some develop stroke due to blood failing to nourish sinews; some develop phlegm-fluids, dysentery, and diarrhea due to Spleen damage; some develop wheezing, convulsions, and pain due to floating damp-heat; some develop consumptive diseases and bleeding due to disturbed blood and damaged essence; some develop rotting sores and hemorrhoids due to damaged muscle and corrupted flesh; those who gradually develop Shui Gu (Ascites) over time are particularly numerous.) Shao Jiu (Baijiu/White Liquor) disperses cold and breaks stagnation, harming people even more. Pure liquor without dregs, aged for a long time, is best. (Brewed in the twelfth lunar month, stored properly, it remains unspoiled for decades.) It is incompatible with Lv Dou Fen (Mung Bean Powder), Zhi Ju Zi (Hovenia Dulcis Seed), Ge Hua (Puerariae Flos), and salty brine. (Saltiness resolves alcohol toxicity, representing Water controlling Fire.) The above belong to the category of brewing and fermentation.