【气味】
苦平无毒。阴中之阳。入手足少阳以黄芩为佐。入手足厥阴以黄连为佐。在脏主血
。在经主气。
【主治】
除心下烦热。诸痰热结实。治热痨骨蒸。骨节烦痛。时疾内外热不解。胸胁气满。
能引清气而行阳道。又能引胃气上升而行春令。十二经疮疽中须用之以散诸经之血结气聚。
妇人经水适来适断。伤寒杂病表寒肌热。寒热往来如疟状。劳乏羸瘦有实热。非此项俱不能
为功也。欲上升则用根以酒浸。欲中及下降则用梢。
恶（皂荚） 畏（女芫藜芦）
【气味】
苦微寒无毒。阳中之阴。降也。（凡用以刀刮去苍黑皮。甜竹沥浸令润。日中晒干
用。）
入手足太阳阳明经。
【主治】
痰热喘嗽。痞膈呕逆。伤寒寒热。小儿疳气。有推旧致新之绩。降痰下气之功。
恶（与柴胡同） 畏（亦同）
【气味】
甘平无毒。可升可降。阴中阳也。入足太阴足厥阴足少阴三经。又甘能入脾。归其
所喜。
【主治】
五脏六腑寒热邪气。温中下气。烦满短气。伤脏咳嗽。止渴通经脉。解百药毒。生
用则气平。补脾胃不足而大泻内火。炙之则气温。补三焦元气而散表寒。除邪热。去咽痛。
养阴血。大约热药得之缓其热。寒药得之缓其寒。寒热相杂者用之得其平。故附子理中汤用
甘草。恐其僭上也。调胃承气汤用甘草。恐其速下也。小柴胡汤用之以和柴胡黄芩之寒。人
参半夏之温。建中汤用之以补中而缓脾急。凤髓丹用之以生元气而缓肾急。若中满而用生甘
草为之泻。能引诸药直至满所。
反（大戟 芫花 海藻 甘遂） 恶（远志） 忌（猪肉）
【气味】
味苦，性平，无毒。属于阴中之阳。进入手少阳经和足少阳经时，以黄芩作为佐药；进入手厥阴经和足厥阴经时，以黄连作为佐药。在脏腑层面主要作用于血分，在经络层面主要作用于气分。
【主治】
清除心下部位的烦热，治疗各种痰热结实之证。治愈虚劳引起的骨蒸潮热，关节烦痛，时行疫病内外热邪不解，胸胁部气机壅满。能够引导清气运行于阳道，又能引导胃气上升而施行春生之令。十二经的疮疽中必须使用它来消散各经的血结和气聚。妇女月经适来或适断之时，伤寒杂病中表寒未解而肌表发热，寒热往来像疟疾发作一样的症状，劳累乏力、身体消瘦而有实热的情况，如果不是这些病症都不能发挥功效。想要药力上升则用根部并以酒浸泡；想要药力在中焦及下降则用梢部。
畏（皂荚） 恶（女芫藜芦）
【气味】
味苦，微寒，无毒。属于阳中之阴，具有沉降作用。（凡是用柴胡时，用刀刮去苍黑色的外皮，用甜竹沥浸泡使其湿润，在日中晒干后使用。）
进入手太阳经、足太阳经、手阳明经和足阳明经。
【主治】
痰热引起的喘咳，痞闷膈塞，呕吐逆气，伤寒引起的寒热，小儿疳积之气。有推陈致新的功效，具有降痰下气的功用。
畏（与柴胡同） 恶（亦同）
【气味】
味甘，性平，无毒。可升可降，属于阴中之阳。进入足太阴经、足厥阴经和足少阴经三条经脉。另外甘味能入脾脏，归其所喜之处。
【主治】
五脏六腑的寒热邪气。温中下气，治疗烦闷胀满、呼吸短促，损伤脏腑引起的咳嗽。止渴，通利经脉，解除百药毒。生用则气平，补益脾胃不足并大力清泻内火；炙用则气温，补益三焦元气并解散表寒。清除邪热，去除咽痛，滋养阴血。大致而言，热药得到甘草则缓和其热性，寒药得到甘草则缓和其寒性，寒热混杂者使用它能达到平衡。所以附子理中汤中使用甘草，是担心药性僭越上冲；调胃承气汤中使用甘草，是担心泻下过快；小柴胡汤中使用它是为了调和柴胡、黄芩的寒性和人参、半夏的温性；建中汤中使用它是为了补益中焦并缓解脾急；凤髓丹中使用它是为了生发元气并缓解肾急。如果中焦胀满而使用生甘草来泻之，能引导诸药直达胀满之处。
反（大戟 芫花 海藻 甘遂） 恶（远志） 忌（猪肉）
[Properties and Flavors]
Bitter, neutral in nature, non-toxic. It is Yang within Yin. When entering the Hand-Shaoyang (Triple Burner) and Foot-Shaoyang (Gallbladder) meridians, Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) serves as an assistant herb; when entering the Hand-Jueyin (Pericardium) and Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridians, Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma) serves as an assistant herb. In the Zang-Fu organs, it primarily governs blood; in the meridians, it primarily governs Qi.
[Indications]
It eliminates vexatious heat in the epigastrium, treats various conditions of phlegm-heat accumulation and solidification, cures bone-steaming fever due to consumptive disease, painful and vexed joints, unresolved internal and external heat from epidemic diseases, and fullness of Qi in the chest and hypochondrium. It can guide clear Qi to circulate along the Yang pathways, and can also guide Stomach Qi to ascend and execute the Spring-like function. In sores and carbuncles of the twelve meridians, it must be used to dissipate blood stasis and Qi stagnation in various meridians. For women whose menstruation has just begun or just ceased, for exterior cold with interior muscle heat in Shanghan (Cold Damage) and miscellaneous diseases, for alternating chills and fever resembling malaria, and for fatigue, emaciation accompanied by excess heat, these are the conditions where it cannot fail to achieve its effect. To direct the action upward, use the root soaked in wine; to direct the action to the middle or downward, use the tips.
Aversion: (Saponis Fructus [Zaojia])
Dislike: (Nüwan Li Lu [Veratri Nigrum Rhizoma et Radix])
[Properties and Flavors]
Bitter, slightly cold, non-toxic. It is Yin within Yang, possessing a descending nature. (When used, scrape off the dark grayish-black skin with a knife, soak in sweet bamboo sap until moist, and dry in the sun.)
Enters the Hand-Taiyang (Small Intestine), Foot-Taiyang (Bladder), Hand-Yangming (Large Intestine), and Foot-Yangming (Stomach) meridians.
[Indications]
Treats wheezing and coughing due to phlegm-heat, oppression and diaphragmatic obstruction, vomiting and regurgitation, chills and fever due to Shanghan (Cold Damage), and infantile malnutrition (Gan syndrome). It has the merit of pushing out the old and generating the new, and possesses the function of descending phlegm and lowering Qi.
Aversion: (Same as Chaihu)
Dislike: (Also same)
[Properties and Flavors]
Sweet, neutral in nature, non-toxic. It can ascend and descend, belonging to Yang within Yin. Enters the Foot-Taiyin (Spleen), Foot-Jueyin (Liver), and Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney) meridians. Furthermore, the sweet flavor enters the Spleen, returning to what it prefers.
[Indications]
Treats cold and heat pathogens in the five Zang and six Fu organs. Warms the middle and lowers Qi, treats vexation and fullness, shortness of breath, cough caused by damaged organs, stops thirst, unblocks meridians, and resolves the toxicity of hundred herbs. Raw usage results in a level Qi, tonifying deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach while strongly purging internal fire; honey-fried usage results in warm Qi, tonifying Yuan Qi of the Triple Burner and dispersing exterior cold. Clears pathogenic heat, removes throat pain, and nourishes Yin blood. Generally speaking, hot herbs become milder when combined with it; cold herbs become less cold when combined with it; for mixed cold and heat conditions, it brings balance. Therefore, Gancao (Licorice Root) is used in Fuzi Lizhong Tang because it is feared that the harsh nature might rebel upwards; it is used in Tiaowei Chengqi Tang because it is feared that purgation might be too rapid; it is used in Xiaochaihu Tang to harmonize the cold of Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix) and Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) with the warmth of Renshen (Ginseng Radix) and Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma); it is used in Jianzhong Tang to tonify the middle and relieve Spleen urgency; it is used in Fengsui Dan to generate Yuan Qi and relieve Kidney urgency. If there is fullness in the middle jiao and raw Gancao is used to purge, it can guide other herbs directly to the site of fullness.
Incompatible with: (Daji [Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix], Yuanhua [Genkwa Flos], Haizao [Sargassum], Gansui [Kansui Radix])
Dislikes: (Yuanzhi [Polygalae Radix])
Avoid: (Pork)