〔害〕性大辛，辛能僭上，亦能散气动血，损阴伤目。凡阴虚内热，咳嗽吐血，表虚有
热汗
出，自汗盗汗，脏毒痛漏下血，因热呕恶，火热腹痛，法并忌用。孕妇尤忌。痈疽人多食
，则生恶肉突出。八九月多食姜，至春多患眼损寿，减筋力。又云秋不食姜，令人泻气。
〔利〕辛热，宣肺气，燥脾湿，温经逐寒，开胃扶脾，消食去滞，理翻胃腹痛，具消痰
破血
之功，除积胀瘕症，有下气温中之效。
炮姜干姜本辛，泡之则苦，大热大燥，守而不移，非若附子行而不守也。除胃冷，祛寒湿，
能去脏腑沉寒痼冷，能止血。所谓止血者，血虚则热，热则妄行，炒黑则能引补血药入阴分
，血得补则阴生热退，此阳生阴长之义。且黑为水色，故血不妄行也。能去恶血，生新血。
血寒者多用，血热者宜少用，不过三四分，为向导而已。引附子，则入肾能通脉回阳，多用
则耗散元气。生则逐寒邪而发表，炮则除胃冷而守中。
〔修治〕九月采母姜，晒干姜，白净结实者良。如惧其散，炒黄用，或炒微黑。市医将
干姜
泡淡用之，殊属可笑。干姜炮黑，为炮姜，一名黑姜。
〔害〕元素曰∶巴豆乃斩关夺门之将，不可滥用。郁滞虽开，真阴随损。从正曰∶伤寒
风湿
，痘疮，产后用之，下膈不死亦危。观二公之言，则巴豆之为害，可畏也。此禀火烈之气，
触人肌肤，无有不灼烂。试以少许，轻擦完好之肌，须臾即发出一泡。况肠胃柔脆之质，下
咽徐徐而走，无论下后耗真阴，及脏腑被其熏灼，能免溃烂之患耶？凡一切汤剂丸散，切勿
妄投。即不得已急症，欲借其开通道路之力，亦须炒熟，压令油极净，入少许，中病即止。
〔利〕辛热，入肺、脾、胃、大小肠五经。荡五脏，涤六腑，几于煎肠刮胃，攻坚积，
破痰
癖，真可斩关夺门；气血与食，一攻而殆尽；痰虫及水，倾倒而无遗；立坠胎儿，善拔疔毒
。
〔修治〕八月采，阴干去心皮，此物不去膜则伤胃，不去心则作呕，或用壳、用仁、用
油、
生用、炒用、醋炙，烧存性用。压去油，名巴豆霜，如去心、去膜油、生用、炒用，为急治
水谷道路之剂。炒去烟令紫黑用，为缓治消坚磨积，可以止泻也。
【危害】干姜药性大辛，辛味能导致气机上逆僭越，也能发散正气、扰动血液，损伤阴液并伤害眼睛。凡是阴虚内热者，咳嗽吐血者，表虚有热而汗出者，自汗或盗汗者，脏毒引起的腹痛及便血者，因热邪导致的呕吐恶心者，火热引起的腹痛者，均应当禁忌使用。孕妇尤其忌讳。痈疽患者如果多吃姜，会导致长出恶肉突出。八九月间多吃姜，到了春天容易患眼疾，折损寿命，减弱筋骨力量。又有说法称秋天不吃姜，能防止人气泄泻。
【功效】巴豆药性辛热，能宣发肺气，燥化脾湿，温通经脉驱逐寒邪，开胃健脾，消食导滞，调理反胃腹痛，具有消除痰饮、破散瘀血的功效，能去除积胀和瘕症（腹内结块），有下气温中的效果。
炮姜：干姜原本性辛，经过炮制后变苦，药性大热大燥，性质守中而不走窜，不像附子那样行散而不守。它能去除胃中寒冷，驱除寒湿，能够祛除脏腑深处陈旧的寒气，并能止血。所谓止血，是因为血虚则生热，热盛则血液妄行，炒黑后能引导补血药物进入阴分，血液得到补益则阴液滋生、热邪退去，这是“阳生阴长”的道理。而且黑色对应水色，所以血液不会妄行。它能去除恶血，生成新血。血寒者多用，血热者宜少用，不过三四分，仅作为向导而已。若与附子同用，则入肾经能通脉回阳，但多用则会耗散元气。生干姜用于驱逐寒邪并发表，炮姜用于去除胃冷并守中。
【修治】九月采集母姜，晒干制成干姜，以白净结实者为佳。如果担心其发散太过，可炒黄使用，或炒至微黑。市井医生将干姜泡淡使用，实在可笑。干姜炮黑称为炮姜，又名黑姜。
【危害】李东垣说：巴豆是斩关夺门的猛将，不可滥用。虽然郁滞得以开通，但真阴随之受损。张从正说：伤寒风湿、痘疮、产后等情况下使用巴豆，即使不致死于膈上，也会造成危险。看这两位先生的话，巴豆的危害真是令人畏惧。此物禀受猛烈火气，接触人体肌肤，没有不灼烂的。试着取少许，轻轻擦拭完好的皮肤，片刻就会起一个水泡。何况肠胃柔嫩脆弱的质地，咽下后缓缓运行，无论是否导致真阴耗损，以及脏腑被其熏灼，难道能避免溃烂的祸患吗？凡是一切汤剂丸散，切勿随意投用。即使是不得已的急症，想要借用它开通道路的力量，也必须炒熟，压榨使其油脂极尽干净，放入少量，病愈即止。
【功效】巴豆性辛热，入肺、脾、胃、大肠、小肠五经。它能荡涤五脏，清理六腑，几乎如同煎肠刮胃，攻克坚硬积聚，破除痰癖，真可谓斩关夺门；气血与食物，一经攻伐便消耗殆尽；痰虫及水饮，倾倒无余；能立即导致堕胎，善于拔出疔毒。
【修治】八月采集，阴干后去掉心部和外皮，此物不去膜会伤胃，不去心会引起呕吐。或用壳、用仁、用油、生用、炒用、醋炙、烧存性使用。压榨去油，名为巴豆霜。如去掉心、去膜去油、生用、炒用，是治疗水谷阻滞道路的急剂。炒至冒烟呈紫黑色使用，是缓治消坚磨积，可以止泻。
[Harm] Dried Ginger (Ganjiang) is extremely pungent. The pungent flavor can cause Qi to rebel upwards, disperse healthy Qi, and disturb Blood, damaging Yin and harming the eyes. It is contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with internal heat, coughing with hemoptysis, exterior deficiency with heat and sweating, spontaneous sweating or night sweats, abdominal pain and bleeding from intestinal toxins (Zangdu), vomiting and nausea due to heat, and abdominal pain due to fire-heat. Pregnant women should especially avoid it. Patients with carbuncles and sores who consume much ginger may develop protruding malignant flesh. Consuming much ginger in the eighth and ninth lunar months often leads to eye diseases, reduced longevity, and weakened sinews and bones in the spring. It is also said that avoiding ginger in autumn prevents the leakage of Qi.
[Efficacy] Croton Seed (Badou) is acrid and hot. It disseminates Lung Qi, dries Spleen dampness, warms the meridians to expel cold, opens the stomach and supports the Spleen, resolves food stagnation, regulates regurgitation and abdominal pain, possesses the function of resolving phlegm and breaking blood stasis, removes accumulation and distension with masses (Jia Zhu), and has the effect of descending Qi and warming the middle.
Prepared Ginger (Pao Jiang): Raw Dried Ginger is originally acrid; after processing, it becomes bitter. It is extremely hot and drying, retaining its action without wandering, unlike Aconite Root (Fuzi) which moves but does not retain. It removes cold in the Stomach, dispels cold-dampness, eliminates deep-seated chronic cold in the Zang-Fu organs, and stops bleeding. The mechanism of stopping bleeding is that blood deficiency generates heat, and heat causes reckless bleeding. Stir-frying until black guides blood-nourishing herbs into the Yin aspect; when Blood is nourished, Yin grows and heat retreats, illustrating the principle of "Yang generating Yin." Moreover, black corresponds to the Water element, thus preventing reckless bleeding. It removes bad blood and generates new blood. It is used more frequently for Cold-Blood conditions and less for Heat-Blood conditions, typically only 3-4 fen, serving merely as a guide. When combined with Aconite Root, it enters the Kidney meridian to unblock pulses and restore Yang, but excessive use depletes Yuan Qi. Raw Dried Ginger expels cold pathogens and releases the exterior; Prepared Ginger removes stomach cold and retains action in the middle Jiao.
[Processing] Harvest mother ginger in the ninth lunar month, sun-dry it to make Dried Ginger. Those that are white, clean, and solid are superior. To prevent excessive dispersion, stir-fry until yellow or slightly black. It is ridiculous for market physicians to soak Dried Ginger in water to dilute it. Dried Ginger stir-fried until black is called Prepared Ginger, also known as Black Ginger.
[Harm] Li Dongyuan stated: "Croton Seed is a general who breaches gates and seizes doors; it must not be abused." Although it opens obstructions, it damages True Yin. Zhang Congzheng stated: "In cases of Cold Damage (Shanghan) wind-dampness, smallpox, and postpartum conditions, using Croton Seed may not kill immediately but will create critical danger." Considering these statements, the harm caused by Croton Seed is indeed terrifying. This herb inherits fierce Fire Qi; upon contact with skin, it invariably burns and rots. Applying a small amount to intact skin causes a blister to appear in an instant. How much more so for the tender and fragile tissues of the intestines and stomach? After swallowing, it moves slowly; regardless of whether it depletes True Yin or scorches the Zang-Fu organs, can it avoid causing ulceration? Do not arbitrarily administer any decoctions, pills, or powders containing it. Even in unavoidable emergency situations where one wishes to utilize its power to open pathways, it must be stir-fried until cooked, pressed to remove all oil, and administered in small quantities, ceasing once the disease is addressed.
[Efficacy] Croton Seed is acrid and hot, entering the Lung, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Small Intestine meridians. It sweeps through the Five Zang organs and cleanses the Six Fu organs, almost like boiling intestines and scraping stomachs. It attacks hard accumulations, breaks phlegm and癖 (masses), truly capable of breaching gates; it exhausts Qi, Blood, and food in one attack; it pours out phlegm, parasites, and water without leaving residue; it induces immediate abortion, and is good at extracting toxin from carbuncles (Ding).
[Processing] Harvest in the eighth lunar month, dry in shade, and remove the heart and peel. If the membrane is not removed, it injures the Stomach; if the heart is not removed, it induces vomiting. One may use the shell, kernel, oil, raw form, stir-fried form, vinegar-processed form, or charred-to-retain-property form. Pressed to remove oil, it is named Croton Frost (Badou Shuang). If the heart, membrane, and oil are removed, and used raw or stir-fried, it serves as an urgent remedy for clearing pathways in the digestive tract. Stir-fried until smoking and turning purple-black, it serves as a mild remedy for dissolving hardness and grinding accumulations, and can stop diarrhea.