平补而润，去风湿
甘平。补中益气，润心肺，悦颜色，除烦渴。
治风淫湿毒，目痛 烂（风湿），寒热 疟（ ，诗廉切，亦疟也），中风暴热，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。又有偏头痛
者，左属风与血虚，右属痰热与气虚，腰痛亦有肾虚、气滞、痰积、血瘀、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、 ，不寒不燥，大
有殊功（昂按∶葳蕤温润甘平，中和之品。若蜜制作丸，服之数斤，自有殊功。与服何首乌、
地黄者，同一理也。若仅加数分于煎剂，以为可代参、 ，则失之远矣。大抵此药性缓，久
服方能见功。而所主者，多风湿、虚劳之症。故 仙以之服食，南阳用治风温，《千金》、《
外台》亦间用之，未尝恃之重剂也。若急虚之证，必须参、 ，方能复脉回阳，斯时即用葳
蕤斤许，亦不能敌参、 数分也。时医因李时珍有可代参、 之语，凡遇虚证，辄加用之，
曾何益于病者之分毫哉？拙着《方解》∶欲采葳蕤古方可以入补剂者，终不可得，则古人之
罕用，亦可见矣）。
似黄精而差小，黄白多须（二药功用相近，而葳蕤更胜），竹刀刮去皮、节，蜜水或酒
浸蒸用。畏咸卤（陶宏景曰∶《本经》有女萎无葳蕤，《别录》有葳蕤无女蕤。功用正同，疑
名异尔）。
葳蕤性质平和且能润燥，可祛除风湿。
味甘性平。能补益中气、益气生津，滋润心肺，使面色红润光泽，消除烦渴。
治疗风邪湿毒引起的目痛溃烂（风湿所致），寒热往来的疟疾（音同“廉”，也是指疟疾），中风引起的暴热及身体不能随意动摇，头痛腰痛（大凡头痛不止的属于外感病，适宜用发散法治疗；忽痛忽止的属于内伤，适宜补虚；还有偏头痛的，左侧多属风邪与血虚，右侧多属痰热与气虚；腰痛也有肾虚、气滞、痰积、血瘀、风寒、湿热等不同成因。凡是夹杂虚证或风湿的，适宜使用葳蕤），阴茎寒冷及自汗，以及一切虚损不足的病症。用它来代替人参、黄芪，其药性不寒不燥，有显著功效（汪昂按语：葳蕤温润甘平，是中和性质的药物。如果用蜂蜜制作成丸剂，服用几斤，自然会有显著功效。这与服用何首乌、地黄的道理相同。如果仅在煎剂中加入几分量，就认为可以代替人参、黄芪，那就相差太远了。大致这种药性味缓和，长期服用才能见效。它所主治的，多是风湿、虚劳类的病症。所以葛仙翁用它作为服食养生之品，张仲景用于治疗风温，《千金方》、《外台秘要》中也偶尔使用它，从未将其作为重剂依赖。如果是急性的虚脱证候，必须用人参、黄芪，才能恢复脉象、回阳救逆，此时即使使用一斤葳蕤，也不能抵得上人参、黄芪几分的药效。当时的医生因为李时珍说过它可以代替人参、黄芪，凡是遇到虚证，就随意加入使用，这对病人的病情丝毫益处都没有啊！我写的《方解》一书中提到：想要寻找古代可以入补剂的葳蕤古方，最终也找不到，那么古人很少使用它，也就可见一斑了）。
外形类似黄精但稍小，颜色黄白且须根较多（这两种药功用相近，但葳蕤更胜一筹），用竹刀刮去外皮和节，用蜜水或酒浸泡后蒸制使用。畏惧咸卤（陶宏景说：《神农本草经》中有女萎而没有葳蕤，《名医别录》中有葳蕤而没有女蕤。两者的功用完全相同，怀疑只是名称不同罢了）。
Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (Weirui) has a mild tonifying nature and moistening properties, and can dispel wind-dampness.
It is sweet in taste and neutral in temperature. It tonifies the middle jiao and benefits qi, moistens the heart and lungs, enhances complexion, and relieves irritability and thirst.
It treats conditions caused by wind-damp toxic pathogens, such as painful eyes with ulceration (due to wind-damp), alternating chills and fever malaria (pronounced "Lian", also referring to malaria), sudden heat from wind-stroke accompanied by immobility, headache, and lower back pain (generally, persistent headaches belong to external contraction and should be treated with dispersing methods; intermittent headaches belong to internal injury and should be treated by tonifying deficiency; lateral headaches on the left are often due to wind and blood deficiency, while those on the right are often due to phlegm-heat and qi deficiency; lower back pain may also stem from kidney deficiency, qi stagnation, phlegm accumulation, blood stasis, cold-damp, or damp-heat. Cases complicated by deficiency or wind-damp are suitable for Weirui), coldness of the genitalia with spontaneous sweating, and all types of deficiency syndromes. Used as a substitute for Renshen (Ginseng Root) and Huangqi (Astragalus Root), it is neither cold nor drying, yielding remarkable effects (Wang Ang notes: Weirui is warm, moist, sweet, and neutral, a balanced herb. If prepared into pills with honey and taken in large quantities over time, it will indeed show remarkable efficacy. This is the same principle as taking Heshouwu (Polygoni Multiflori Radix) or Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix). However, if only a few fen are added to a decoction under the assumption that it can replace Renshen and Huangqi, one is far off the mark. Generally, this herb acts slowly, and its effects are seen only after long-term use. Its primary indications are wind-damp and consumptive diseases. Therefore, Ge Xian used it for dietary therapy, Zhang Zhongjing used it to treat wind-warmth, and both Qianjin Fang and Waitai Miye occasionally employed it, never relying on it as a heavy dose. In cases of acute collapse, only Renshen and Huangqi can restore the pulse and return yang; at such times, even a jin of Weirui cannot match the effect of a few fen of Renshen or Huangqi. Contemporary physicians, citing Li Shizhen's statement that it can replace Renshen and Huangqi, indiscriminately add it to prescriptions for deficiency syndromes, gaining no benefit for the patient whatsoever! In my work *Fangjie*, I noted that ancient formulas containing Weirui for tonification are hard to find, indicating that ancients rarely used it).
It resembles Huangjing (Polygonati Rhizoma) but is slightly smaller, yellowish-white in color, and has many rootlets (the functions of these two herbs are similar, but Weirui is superior). Scrape off the skin and nodes with a bamboo knife, then soak in honey water or wine and steam before use. It is incompatible with salty brine (Tao Hongjing stated: *Shennong Bencao Jing* lists Nuwei but not Weirui, while *Bielu* lists Weirui but not Nvru. Their functions are identical, suggesting they are likely different names for the same substance).