【气味】
辛微温无毒。浮而升。阳也。
【主治】
久服去臭气。通神明。其用有四。制浓朴半夏毒。发散风邪。温中去湿。益脾胃药
中之佐。主伤寒头痛鼻塞。通四肢关节。开五脏六腑。与大枣同用。调和脾胃。与芍药同用
。温经散寒。或问生姜辛温入肺。何以云入胃口。曰俗以心下为胃口者非也。咽门之下。受
有形之物。及累之系。便是胃口。与肺系同行。故能入肺而开胃口也。又或问夜间勿食生姜
。令人闭气何也。曰生姜辛温。主开发。夜则气本收敛。反开发之。则违天道。故夜不宜食
也。凡早行山谷。口含少许。不犯雾露清湿之气。及山岚不正之邪。凡中风中暑中气中毒中
恶干霍乱一切卒暴之病。用姜汁与童便服之。立可解散。不彻姜食。言可常食以通神明也。
不多食。恐其太辛走气也。秋不食姜。令人泻气。以夏月火旺。宜汗散之。故食之不禁。秋
则肺气宜收。所当禁也。去皮用则温。留皮则凉。
【气味】
酸温无毒。可升可降。阴中微阳。入手太阴血分。足少阴气分。
【主治】
收散气止嗽。补元气不足。止泻痢。生津液。止渴壮水。镇阳强阴。益男子精。明
目暖水脏。凡黄昏喘嗽。乃火气浮入肺中。不宜用凉药。唯五味子能敛而降之。或以其食之
多致虚热者。辄云用治肺之虚寒。则更不取其除热之说。岂知其能收肺气。即是除热。补肾
之功。即是暖水脏之功也。但有外邪者。不可骤用。恐闭其邪气。必先发散而后用之。乃为
良耳。又五六月宜常服五味子汤。以益肺金之气。盖五味子之酸能泻丙火而益庚金也。仲景
八味丸用此述类形象为肾气丸。总以五味悉具。酸咸入肝而补肾。辛苦入心而补肺。甘入中
宫而益脾胃。在上则滋源。在下则益水也。
【主治】
长期服用可去除体内异味，通达神明。其功效主要有四个方面：制约厚朴和半夏的毒性；发散风邪；温暖中焦并祛除湿气；作为益脾胃药物的辅助佐使。主要治疗伤寒引起的头痛、鼻塞；疏通四肢关节；开通五脏六腑的气机。与大枣同用，可调和脾胃；与芍药同用，可温通经脉、散除寒邪。有人问生姜辛温入肺经，为什么说它入胃口？回答说：世俗认为心下部位是胃口，这是错误的。咽门之下，接受有形食物，以及连接食物的系带，这才是胃口。它与肺系（呼吸系统通道）同行，所以能入肺而开通胃口。又有人问为什么夜间不宜吃生姜，让人气机闭塞呢？回答说：生姜辛温，主发散开发。夜间人体气机本应收敛，若反其道而行之进行开发，就违背了自然天道，所以晚上不宜食用。凡是早晨在山谷行走，口中含少许生姜，可不受雾露清湿之气及山间不正邪气的侵害。凡是中风、中暑、中气、中毒、中恶、干霍乱等一切突发暴病，用姜汁配合童便服用，立即可以解散病邪。所谓“不彻姜食”，意思是说可以经常食用生姜以通达神明；但不可多食，恐怕其过于辛散而耗伤正气。秋季不宜吃生姜，因为会使人泻气。由于夏季火旺，适宜通过发汗来疏散，所以夏天吃姜不禁忌；秋季肺气宜收敛，所以应当禁食。去皮使用则性温，留皮则性凉。
【气味】
酸味，温，无毒。药性既可升也可降，属阴中略带阳。入手太阴肺经血分，足少阴肾经气分。
【主治】
收敛耗散之气，止咳；补益元气不足；止泻痢；生津液；止渴并壮水制火；镇潜阳气，强固阴精；增益男子精气；明目，温暖肾（水脏）。凡是黄昏时分出现气喘咳嗽，这是由于火气浮越入肺中，不宜使用凉药，只有五味子能收敛并使其下降。有人因为它吃得过多导致虚热，就说用它来治疗肺的虚寒，这就不符合它清热的主张了。哪里知道它能收敛肺气，就是清热；补肾的功效，就是温暖水脏的功效啊。但是如果有外邪存在，不可突然使用，恐怕会闭门留寇，闭阻邪气。必须先发散外邪之后再使用，才是良策。另外，五六月间宜常服五味子汤，以补益肺金之气。大概是因为五味子的酸味能泻丙火（小肠/心包之火）而益庚金（大肠/肺之金）。张仲景在八味丸中使用此药，依据取类比象原理制成肾气丸。总之，五味子具备酸、咸、苦、辛、甘五味。酸、咸入肝而补肾；苦、辛入心而补肺；甘入中宫而益脾胃。在上则滋养水源，在下则补益肾水。
[Flavor and Nature]
Pungent, slightly warm, non-toxic. The therapeutic action is floating and ascending, belonging to Yang.
[Indications]
Long-term consumption eliminates foul odors and clarifies the mind. Its functions are fourfold: it neutralizes the toxicity of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (Houpo) and Pinelliae Rhizoma (Banxia); it disperses wind pathogens; it warms the middle jiao and dispels dampness; and it serves as an adjunctive herb in formulas that benefit the spleen and stomach. It primarily treats headache and nasal congestion caused by cold damage (Shanghan); it unblocks the joints of the four limbs; it opens the qi mechanisms of the five zang organs and six fu organs. When used with Jujubae Fructus (Dazao), it harmonizes the spleen and stomach; when used with Paeoniae Radix Alba (Shaoyao), it warms the meridians and disperses cold. One might ask: Ginger is pungent and warm, entering the Lung meridian; why is it said to enter the "stomach gate"? The answer is: The common belief that the area below the heart is the "stomach gate" is incorrect. Below the pharyngeal gate, where solid food enters and is connected by tissue, lies the true "stomach gate." It travels along the same pathway as the Lung system, thus it can enter the Lungs and open the stomach gate. Another question arises: Why should ginger not be eaten at night, causing breath closure? The answer is: Ginger is pungent and warm, promoting dispersion and development. At night, the body's qi naturally converges; acting against this by promoting dispersion violates the Way of Heaven, hence it is unsuitable for evening consumption. Whenever traveling through valleys in the morning, holding a small piece of ginger in the mouth prevents invasion by misty, dewy, damp, and turbid pathogens, as well as malignant miasmas of the mountains. For all sudden acute conditions such as wind stroke, heat stroke, qi stagnation, poisoning, evil invasion, or dry huoluan, administering ginger juice mixed with child's urine can instantly resolve the pathogen. The phrase "not abandoning ginger food" implies that ginger can be consumed regularly to clarify the spirit; however, excessive consumption is discouraged as its pungency may disperse qi too much. Ginger should not be eaten in autumn as it causes qi leakage. In summer, fire is flourishing, and sweating is appropriate for dispersion, so ginger consumption is permitted. In autumn, Lung qi should converge, so ginger should be prohibited. Peeling ginger makes it warm; leaving the peel makes it cool.
[Flavor and Nature]
Sour, warm, non-toxic. Its action can ascend or descend, belonging to Yin with slight Yang characteristics. It enters the Blood aspect of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian and the Qi aspect of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.
[Indications]
It consolidates scattered qi, stops coughing, supplements insufficient primordial qi, stops diarrhea and dysentery, generates body fluids, relieves thirst, strengthens Water to control Fire, anchors Yang and fortifies Yin, benefits male essence, brightens the eyes, and warms the Water Organ (Kidney). Wheezing and coughing occurring at dusk are due to floating Fire invading the Lungs; cool herbs should not be used. Only Schisandrae Fructus (Wuweizi) can consolidate and descend this qi. Some argue that because excessive consumption causes deficient heat, it should be used to treat deficient cold of the Lung, which contradicts its heat-clearing properties. However, one must realize that its ability to consolidate Lung qi is itself a method of clearing heat; its function of tonifying the Kidney is itself a method of warming the Water Organ. Nevertheless, if external pathogens are present, it should not be used abruptly, lest it trap the pathogen inside. External pathogens must first be dispersed before using this herb, which is the proper approach. Furthermore, during the fifth and sixth lunar months, it is advisable to frequently consume Schisandra Decoction to supplement the Qi of Metal (Lung). This is because the sour flavor of Schisandra can drain Bing Fire (Fire of the Small Intestine/Pericardium) and benefit Geng Metal (Metal of the Large Intestine/Lung). Zhang Zhongjing included this herb in the Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia Root (Bawei Wan), creating the Kidney Qi Pill based on the principle of taking analogies from form and image. In summary, Schisandra possesses all five flavors. Sour and salty enter the Liver to tonify the Kidney; bitter and pungent enter the Heart to tonify the Lung; sweet enters the Central Palace to benefit the Spleen and Stomach. Above, it nourishes the source; below, it benefits Water.