平补气血而润。
甘平。补中益气。安五脏。益脾胃。润心肺。填精髓。助筋骨。除风湿。下三尸虫。以
其得
坤土之精粹。久服不饥。（气满则不饥。）却病延年。似玉竹而稍大。黄白多须。故俗呼为玉
竹黄精。又一种似白芨。俗呼为白芨黄精。又名山生姜。恐非真者。去须。九蒸九晒用。（
每蒸一次、必半日方透。）
即玉竹平补气血而润、去风湿。
甘平。补中益气。除烦渴。润心肺。治风淫湿毒。目痛 烂。（风湿。）寒热 疟。中风
不能
动摇。头痛腰痛。（凡头痛不止者、属外感、宜发散、乍痛乍止者、属内伤、宜补虚、又有
偏头风、左属风与血虚、右属痰热与气虚、腰痛亦有肾虚、气滞、痰积、瘀血、风寒、湿热
之不同、凡挟虚挟风湿者、宜葳蕤。）茎寒自汗。一切不足之证。用代参地。不寒不燥。大
有殊功。去毛。蜜水或酒浸。蒸用。畏咸卤。熬膏良。（小便猝淋、葳蕤五钱、芭蕉根二座
、水二盏、煎一盏、入滑石末一钱服。）
补气固表、生亦泻火、生阴血。
甘温。生用固表。无汗能发。有汗能止。（丹溪曰∶黄 大补阳虚自汗、若表虚有邪、
发汗
不出者、服此又能自汗。）温分肉。实腠理。补肺气。泻阴火。解肌热。炙用补中。益元气
。温三焦。壮脾胃。（脾胃一虚、土不能生金、则肺气先绝、脾胃缓和、则肺旺而肌表固
实、补中即所以固表也。）生血生肌。（气能生血、血充则肉长。）排脓内托。疮痈圣药。（毒
气化则成脓、补气故能内托、痈疽不能成脓者、死不治、毒瓦斯盛而元气衰也、痘证亦然。）
痘证不起。阳虚无热者宜之。（合人参、甘草、生姜为保元汤、治痘虚不起、或加芎 、官
桂、糯米助之、王好古汤液本草曰∶实卫气是表药、益脾胃是中州药、治伤寒尺脉不至、补
肾元是里药、甄权谓其补肾者、气为水母也、日华大明本草谓其止崩带者、气旺则无陷下之
患也、蒙筌曰∶补气药多补血药、亦从而补气、补血药多、补气药亦从而补血、益气汤虽用
当归、因势寡、功被参 所据、补血汤黄 数倍于当归、亦从当归所引而补血、补血汤、黄
一两、当归二钱、气药多而云补血者、气能生血、又有当归为引也、为补药之长、故名耆
。）形如箭竿者佳。绵软而嫩。无丫枝。（故又名绵 、切片、外白中黄、金井玉兰。五台
、口 、皆不堪入药、入补中药。）捶扁，蜜炙。如欲其稍降。盐水炒。（有谓补肾及崩带
淋浊药、宜盐水炒、汪 庵曰∶此说非也、前证用黄 、非欲抑黄 使入肾也、取其补中
升气、则肾受荫、而崩带淋浊之病自愈也、有上病下取、下病上取、补彼经而益及此经者、
此类是
酒
炒亦可。茯苓为使。恶龟甲、白藓皮。畏防风。（东垣曰∶黄 得防风
、其功益大、乃相畏而更以相使也。）按黄 极滞胃口。胸胃不宽者勿用。实表。有表邪及
表旺者勿用。助气。气实者勿用。多怒则肝气不和。亦禁用。阴虚者宜少用。恐升气于表。
而里愈虚尔。（用盐水炒、以制其升性、亦得。）熬膏良。
【黄精】
性质平和，能补益气血并滋润。
味甘、性平。能补中气、益元气。安定五脏。滋养脾胃。滋润心肺。填补精髓。辅助筋骨。祛除风湿。驱除下三尸虫。
因为它汲取了大地（坤土）的精粹物质，长期服用可以使人不感到饥饿。（因为体内气机充盈所以不饥。）能够祛除疾病、延长寿命。
外形类似玉竹但稍大一些，颜色黄白且多须根，所以俗称“玉竹黄精”。又有一种类似白芨的，俗称“白芨黄精”，又名山生姜，恐怕不是真正的黄精。
使用时去掉须根，经过九次蒸制和九次晾晒后使用。（每次蒸制必须持续半天才能透彻。）
【萎蕤（即玉竹）】
就是玉竹，性质平和，补益气血并滋润，能祛除风湿。
味甘、性平。能补中气、益元气。消除烦渴。滋润心肺。治疗风邪夹杂湿毒引起的眼痛溃烂。（由风湿引起。）寒热往来及疟疾。中风导致的肢体不能动摇。头痛腰痛。（凡是头痛不止的，属于外感病，宜用发散法；忽痛忽止的，属于内伤病，宜用补虚法；还有偏头风，左侧属风与血虚，右侧属痰热与气虚；腰痛也有肾虚、气滞、痰积、瘀血、风寒、湿热等不同情况，凡是夹杂虚弱兼有风湿的，适宜用葳蕤。）治疗因表虚导致的自汗。治疗一切虚损不足的证候。可以用它代替人参和地黄。它药性不寒不燥，有显著的功效。
使用时去掉毛，用蜜水或酒浸泡，然后蒸熟使用。忌与咸卤之物同用。熬成膏剂效果良好。（若出现小便突然淋涩，可用葳蕤五钱、芭蕉根二座、水两盏，煎至一盏，加入滑石末一钱服用。）
【黄芪】
能补益元气、固护肌表。生用能泻火、滋生阴血。
味甘、性温。生用时能固护肌表。无汗时能发汗，有汗时能止汗。（朱丹溪说：黄芪大补阳虚导致的自汗，如果表虚且有外邪，导致发汗不出的人，服用此药又能使其自汗而出。）能温煦肌肉腠理。充实皮肤纹理。补益肺气。清泻阴火。解除肌表之热。炙用能补中气。益助元气。温养三焦。强壮脾胃。（脾胃一旦虚弱，土不能生金，则肺气先绝；脾胃功能缓和，则肺旺而肌表坚固，补中气也就是为了固护肌表。）能促进血液生成和肌肉生长。（气能生血，血充足则肌肉生长。）能排脓并内托疮毒。是治疗疮痈的神圣药物。（毒气化则为脓，补气故能内托毒邪，痈疽不能化脓者，死不治，这是因为毒瓦斯盛而元气衰也，痘证也是如此。）
痘疹不起发，属于阳虚无热的适宜使用。（配合人参、甘草、生姜组成保元汤，治疗痘疹虚陷不起，或者加川芎、官桂、糯米辅助。王好古《汤液本草》说：实卫气的是表药，益脾胃的是中州药，治伤寒尺脉不至、补肾元的是里药。甄权说它能补肾，是因为气为水之母。日华子《大明本草》说它能止崩漏带下，是因为气旺则无下陷之患。蒙筌说：补气药多配补血药，也能从而补气；补血药多，补气药也从而补血。益气汤虽用当归，但因势单力薄，功效被参芪所占据。补血汤中黄芪数倍于当归，也是从当归引导而补血。补血汤中黄芪一两，当归二钱，气药多而称补血，是因为气能生血，又有当归作为引经药。它是补药中的长者，所以名为“耆”。）
形状像箭竿的佳。质地绵软而嫩，没有分叉枝条。（所以又名绵黄芪。切片后，外皮白色中间黄色，称为“金井玉兰”。五台、口等地的黄芪不堪入药，只能用于补中药中。）
捶扁后，用蜜炙。如果想要其作用稍向下行，可用盐水炒。（有人说补肾及治疗崩带淋浊的药，宜用盐水炒。汪昂说：这种说法不对。前证用黄芪，并非想抑制黄芪使其入肾，而是取其补中升气，使肾脏受荫庇，而崩带淋浊的病自愈。这是上病下取、下病上取、补彼经而益及此经的道理，此类即是。酒炒也可以。茯苓为使药。畏恶龟甲、白鲜皮。畏惧防风。（李东垣说：黄芪得到防风，功效更大，这是相畏而更以相使的关系。））
按：黄芪极容易阻滞胃口，胸胃不宽畅者勿用。实表，有表邪及表气旺盛者勿用。助气，气实者勿用。多怒导致肝气不和者，亦禁用。阴虚者宜少用，恐怕升提之气达于体表，而使里气更虚。（用盐水炒，以制约其升提之性，也可以。）熬成膏剂效果良好。
[Huangjing (Polygonati Rhizoma)]
It is mild and tonifies both Qi and Blood while moistening.
Sweet, neutral in nature. It tonifies the Middle Jiao and benefits Qi. It calms the Five Zang organs. It nourishes the Spleen and Stomach. It moistens the Lungs and Heart. It fills the Marrow and Essence. It assists the sinews and bones. It dispels Wind-Dampness. It drives out the Three Corpses (San Shi).
Because it absorbs the essence of Earth (Kun Tu), long-term use prevents hunger. (When Qi is full, there is no hunger.) It eliminates disease and prolongs life.
Its appearance is similar to Yuzhu but slightly larger, yellowish-white with many rootlets, hence commonly called "Yuzhu Huangjing". Another variety resembles Baiji, commonly called "Baiji Huangjing", also known as Shan Shengjiang, which is likely not true Huangjing.
Remove the rootlets. Process by steaming nine times and sun-drying nine times. (Each steaming must last half a day to penetrate thoroughly.)
[Weirui (Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma / i.e., Yuzhu)]
This is Yuzhu; it is mild, tonifies Qi and Blood, moistens, and dispels Wind-Dampness.
Sweet, neutral in nature. It tonifies the Middle Jiao and benefits Qi. It relieves irritability and thirst. It moistens the Lungs and Heart. It treats eye pain and ulceration caused by Wind-evil mixed with Damp-toxin. (Caused by Wind-Dampness.) It treats alternating chills and fever, and malaria. It treats stroke resulting in inability to move limbs. It treats headache and lower back pain. (For persistent headaches, it belongs to exterior contraction and should be treated with dispersing methods; for intermittent headaches, it belongs to interior injury and should be treated by tonifying deficiency; there is also lateral headache, where the left side relates to Wind and Blood deficiency, and the right side relates to Phlegm-Heat and Qi deficiency; lower back pain also varies by Kidney deficiency, Qi stagnation, Phlegm accumulation, Blood stasis, Cold-Dampness, or Damp-Heat. For cases complicated by deficiency and Wind-Dampness, Weirui is suitable.) It treats spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency. It treats all types of deficiency and insufficiency syndromes. It can replace Renshen and Dihuang. Its properties are neither cold nor dry, yielding remarkable effects.
Remove the hairs. Soak in honey water or wine, then steam before use. Avoid saline substances. Preparing as an ointment/paste is effective. (For sudden urinary strangury, use 5 qian of Weirui, 2 zuo of Banana Root, two cups of water, decoct to one cup, add 1 qian of Talcum Powder, and take orally.)
[Huangqi (Astragali Radix)]
It tonifies Original Qi, secures the Exterior. Raw use clears Fire and generates Yin-Blood.
Sweet, warm in nature. When used raw, it secures the Exterior. If there is no sweat, it induces sweating; if there is sweat, it stops it. (Zhu Danxi said: Huangqi greatly tonifies Yang-deficiency spontaneous sweating. If the exterior is deficient with pathogenic factors causing failure to sweat, taking this herb will induce sweating.) It warms the muscles and flesh. It solidifies the Cou Li (skin texture and interstices). It tonifies Lung Qi. It drains Yin-Fire. It resolves muscle-layer heat. When honey-fried, it tonifies the Middle Jiao. It benefits Original Qi. It warms the Three Jiao. It strengthens the Spleen and Stomach. (If the Spleen and Stomach are deficient, Earth fails to generate Metal, so Lung Qi perishes first; if the Spleen and Stomach function harmoniously, Lung Qi flourishes and the muscular exterior becomes solid. Tonifying the Middle is precisely how one secures the Exterior.) It promotes blood generation and tissue growth. (Qi generates Blood; when Blood is sufficient, flesh grows.) It expels pus and internally supports toxin expulsion. It is the sacred medicine for carbuncles and sores. (Toxic qi transforms into pus; tonifying Qi allows internal support. If abscesses cannot suppurate, death ensues, due to abundant toxins and depleted Yuan Qi; this applies similarly to smallpox.)
For smallpox that fails to erupt, suitable for Yang-deficiency without heat. (Combine with Renshen, Gancao, and Shengjiang to form Baoyuan Tang to treat deficient smallpox that fails to rise, or add Chuanxiong, Guigui, and Nuomi to assist. Wang Haogu's *Tangye Bencao* states: Securing Wei-Qi is an exterior drug; benefiting Spleen-Stomach is a central organ drug; treating absent radial pulse in typhoid and tonifying Kidney Yuan is an interior drug. Zhen Quan stated it tonifies the Kidney because Qi is the mother of Water. Ri Hua Zi's *Daming Bencao* stated it stops metrorrhagia and leukorrhea because abundant Qi prevents sinking conditions. Meng Quan said: Qi-tonifying herbs often include Blood-tonifying herbs, thereby also tonifying Qi; Blood-tonifying herbs often include Qi-tonifying herbs, thereby also tonifying Blood. Although Yiqi Tang uses Danggui, its influence is weak, and its efficacy is overshadowed by Renshen and Huangqi. In Xuebu Tang, Huangqi is several times the amount of Danggui, also drawing on Danggui to tonify Blood. In Xuebu Tang, Huangqi is 1 liang, Danggui is 2 qian; although Qi herbs predominate, it is called Blood-tonifying because Qi generates Blood, and Danggui acts as a guide. It is the chief among tonics, hence named "Qi" (Elder/Chief).)
Those shaped like arrow shafts are superior. They should be soft, tender, and free of branching twigs. (Hence also called Mian Huangqi. After slicing, the exterior is white and the interior yellow, known as "Jingjing Yulan". Huangqi from Wutai and Kou regions is unsuitable for medicinal use, only fit for tonic formulas.)
Pound flat, then honey-fry. To achieve a slight descending action, stir-fry with salt water. (Some say for Kidney tonification and treating metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and strangury, salt-water frying is appropriate. Wang Ang said: This view is incorrect. Using Huangqi for these conditions does not aim to suppress Huangqi to enter the Kidney, but rather to benefit the Middle and raise Qi, allowing the Kidney to receive nourishment, thus curing metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and strangury spontaneously. This exemplifies treating upper diseases by targeting the lower, lower diseases by targeting the upper, and benefiting one meridian to aid another. Stir-frying with wine is also acceptable. Poria is the guiding herb. It is incompatible with Tortoise Shell and Dictamni Cortex. It fears Fangfeng. (Li Dongyuan said: When Huangqi meets Fangfeng, its efficacy increases greatly; this is a relationship of mutual fear yet mutual assistance.))
Note: Huangqi is extremely cloying and may obstruct the stomach appetite; do not use if the chest and stomach are not open. It secures the exterior; do not use if there is an exterior pathogen or if the exterior Qi is robust. It aids Qi; do not use if Qi is excessive. Do not use if prone to anger leading to Liver Qi disharmony. Use sparingly in Yin-deficiency, lest the ascending Qi reaches the exterior and further depletes the interior. (Stir-frying with salt water can restrain its ascending nature, which is also acceptable.) Preparing as an ointment/paste is effective.