\r桔梗\pq9.bmp\r
为诸药之舟楫。开提肺气散风寒。扫上部之邪氛。清利咽喉平咳逆。升而复降。宣胸
快膈有功。苦且辛平。泄郁消痰多效。（桔梗味苦而辛。性平入肺。一切肺部风寒风热皆可
用。此解散之从辛也。其降气下痰从苦也。肺喜清肃。以下行为顺。外邪固束。则肺气不降
。肺不降则生痰。桔梗能治之。惟阴虚气升者不宜耳。桔梗色白。为肺之专药。凡一切肺痿
肺痈寒热咳嗽皆可治耳。）
\r黄连\pq10a1.bmp\r
味苦性寒。体阴质燥。能化心脾湿热。蕴留之痞满全消。可除痢疫虫疮。
粘腻之热邪悉去。伏梁成积。可破可宣。目赤攀睛。能清能降。瘀郁火邪均解退。口疳鼻
尽蠲除。（黄连味极苦。性极寒。质极燥。专入心脾。清有余之实火。而化湿邪。治上焦则
酒炒。治中焦用姜汁炒。治下焦以盐水炒。欲其治何脏腑之湿火。则加各经引导之药。然苦
降之性为多。即其治痢治目治痞等法。非有湿热实火者不可轻用。出川中雅州者更胜。气味
俱
浓。惟心脾有湿热瘀积者为宜。不特阳虚当禁。即阴虚有火邪者。亦不宜用。恐苦燥之气。
反助火化耳。）
\r胡黄连\pq10a.bmp\r
沉寒入肝胆有功。治湿热稽留。小儿疳积。苦燥与川连相似。理伤寒劳复。男子黄
瘅。（胡黄连从胡地来。其性与川连相似。而苦寒无川连之盛。古人虽称其入肝胆二经。然
苦寒之品。断无不及于心脾者。观其治小儿疳热。大人劳复黄胆等病。非脾之湿热而何。故
用药不可执泥也。大抵川连之与胡黄连。亦如柴胡之与银柴胡。故银柴胡胡黄连二物。每每
并用。胡黄连其根外黄中黑。与黄连之纯黄者不同。故此入肝胆之功。较川连为尤胜也。）
作为引导诸药上行的舟楫。宣发提举肺气以疏散风寒。清除上部的邪气氛围。清利咽喉并平息咳嗽气逆。其性升散之后又能复降，在宣通胸膈、宽畅中焦方面功效显著。味苦且辛平，对于泄除郁结、消除痰饮多有疗效。（桔梗味苦而辛，性平，归入肺经。一切肺部受风寒或风热之邪均可使用。此处解散外邪依靠其辛散之性。其降气下痰则依靠其苦味。肺喜清肃，以下行为顺。若外邪束缚肌表，则肺气不能下降。肺气不降则生痰。桔梗能治疗此症。唯独阴虚导致气机上逆者不宜使用。桔梗色白，是肺经的专药。凡一切肺痿、肺痈、寒热咳嗽等病症皆可治疗。）
味苦，性寒。体属阴而质地燥烈。能化解心脾两经的湿热，使蕴留停滞导致的痞满症状完全消除。可去除痢疾、疫病、虫毒、疮疡中粘腻的热邪。对于伏梁病形成的积块，可攻破并可宣散。对于目赤肿痛、胬肉攀睛，能清热并能降火。瘀滞郁结的火邪均能解除消退，口疳、鼻痔等症皆可蠲除治愈。（黄连味道极苦，性质极寒，质地极燥。专入心、脾二经。清除有余的实火，并化除湿邪。治疗上焦疾病时用酒炒，治疗中焦疾病用姜汁炒，治疗下焦疾病用盐水炒。想要治疗哪一脏腑的湿火，就加入各经的引经药。然而其苦降的性质居多。即使用它来治痢、治眼、治痞等方法，若非有湿热实火者不可轻易使用。出自四川雅州地区的品质更佳。气味都非常浓厚。只有心脾有湿热瘀积者才适宜使用。不仅阳虚者应当禁用，即使阴虚而有火邪者，也不宜使用。恐怕其苦燥之气，反而助长火化。）
沉降大寒，入肝胆经有功。治疗湿热稽留不去。用于小儿疳积。其苦燥之性与川连（黄连）相似。调理伤寒病愈后因劳累而复发的劳复证。男子黄疸。（胡黄连产自胡地。其性质与川连相似，但苦寒之性不如川连猛烈。古人虽然称其入肝胆二经，然而苦寒的药物，断没有不及于心脾的。观察它治疗小儿疳热、大人劳复、黄疸等疾病，如果不是脾的湿热又是什么呢？所以用药不可拘泥固执。大致而言，川连与胡黄连的关系，就像柴胡与银柴胡的关系。因此银柴胡和胡黄连这两味药，常常并用。胡黄连其根外部黄色内部黑色，与黄连纯黄色的不同。所以它入肝胆的功效，比川连更为优越。）
Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix)
Serves as the "boat and oar" to guide other herbs upward. It raises and lifts Lung Qi to disperse Wind-Cold, sweeps away pathogenic factors in the upper body, clears and benefits the throat, and calms cough and rebellious Qi. Its action ascends and then descends; it is effective in diffusing the chest and promoting comfort in the diaphragm. Bitter and acrid in flavor, neutral in nature, it is highly effective in draining depression and eliminating phlegm. (Jiegeng is bitter and acrid, neutral in nature, and enters the Lung meridian. It can be used for all cases of Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat affecting the Lungs. The dispersing action relies on its acridity. Its ability to descend Qi and eliminate phlegm relies on its bitterness. The Lung prefers clarity and肃ness (cleanliness and descending), with downward movement being favorable. When external pathogens constrain the exterior, Lung Qi cannot descend. If Lung Qi does not descend, phlegm is generated. Jiegeng treats this condition. However, it is contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with ascending Qi. Being white in color, Jiegeng is a specific herb for the Lung. It can treat all conditions such as Lung萎 (withering lung), Lung abscess, fever, chills, and cough.)
Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizome)
Bitter in flavor, cold in nature. Its substance is Yin and its texture is dry. It can transform Damp-Heat in the Heart and Spleen, completely resolving fullness and stagnation caused by accumulation. It can eliminate sticky Heat pathogens from dysentery, epidemics, parasites, and sores. For Fu Liang (a type of abdominal mass) forming accumulations, it can break them down and diffuse them. For red eyes and pterygium, it can clear heat and descend fire. Stagnant, depressed, and Fire pathogens are all resolved and recede; mouth ulcers and nasal polyps are all eliminated and cured. (Huanglian is extremely bitter, extremely cold, and extremely dry. It specifically enters the Heart and Spleen meridians. It clears excess Excess-Fire and transforms Dampness. To treat the Upper Jiao, it is stir-fried with wine; to treat the Middle Jiao, it is stir-fried with ginger juice; to treat the Lower Jiao, it is stir-fried with salt water. To target damp-fire in specific Zang-Fu organs, guiding herbs from corresponding meridians should be added. However, its bitter-descending property is predominant. Therefore, methods such as treating dysentery, eye diseases, and epigastric fullness should not be used lightly unless there is Excess-Damp-Heat and Excess-Fire. Those from Yazhou in Sichuan are superior. The aroma and flavor are very strong. It is suitable only for those with Damp-Heat and blood stasis in the Heart and Spleen. It is not only contraindicated for Yang deficiency but also for Yin deficiency with Fire pathogens, lest its bitter-dry nature aggravates the Fire transformation.)
Huhuanglian (Picrorhizae Rhizoma)
Deeply cold and entering the Liver and Gallbladder meridians with merit. It treats lingering Damp-Heat and pediatric Gan syndrome (malnutrition). Its bitter-dry nature is similar to Chuanlian (Huanglian). It regulates Lao Fu (relapse due to overexertion after febrile disease) in typhoid and Jaundice in men. (Huhuanglian comes from Hu regions. Its nature is similar to Chuanlian, but its bitter-cold potency is less intense than that of Chuanlian. Although ancients stated it enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians, bitter-cold herbs inevitably affect the Heart and Spleen. Observing its treatment of pediatric Gan heat, adult relapse due to exhaustion, and jaundice, these are clearly Spleen Damp-Heat. Thus, one must not rigidly adhere to theories. Generally, the relationship between Chuanlian and Huhuanglian is like that between Chaihu and Yin Chaihu. Therefore, Yin Chaihu and Huhuanglian are often used together. The root of Huhuanglian is yellow outside and black inside, differing from the pure yellow of Huanglian. Hence, its efficacy in entering the Liver and Gallbladder is superior to that of Chuanlian.)