【气味】
苦平无毒。轻清而浮升。阴中阳也。入手足少阳手阳明经。又入手少阴经。
【主治】
泻心经客热。去上焦诸热。为疮家圣药。疮疡瘤瘿结核。治有神功者。以其状似人
心两片合成。其中有仁甚香。乃少阴心经厥阴胞络气分主药也。
【气味】
苦微寒无毒。其体沉而降。阴中阳也。专主下焦血分。
【主治】
肠风下血。泻血下血。疗妇人乳疾七伤带下。治下部脓血水泻。白痢不可轻使。热
血痢间多用之。
恶（麦门冬 雄黄 伏丹砂 硫黄）
【气味】
辛微寒无毒。沉而降。阴也。入足阳明手太阴少阴经气分。
【主治】
除胃热肺热。散阴邪。缓脾益气。止阳明经头痛发热恶寒。日晡潮热。大渴引饮。
中暑潮热牙痛。凡风喜伤阳。寒喜伤阴。荣卫阴阳为风寒所伤。则非轻剂所能独散。必须轻
重之剂同散之。乃得去阴阳之邪。和荣卫之气。是以大青龙汤以石膏为之使。以苦甘散热而
直达肌表也。又阳明经中热。发热恶寒。燥热。日晡潮热。肌肉壮热。小便浊赤。大渴引饮
。自汗头痛。此邪在阳明。肺受火制。必用辛寒以清肺气。仲景之用白虎汤是也。若无以上
诸症者。则多有血虚发热象白虎汤症。及脾胃虚劳形体病症。初得之时与此症亦同。俱不宜
服之。若不识而误用。不可胜救也。立夏前多服白虎汤者。令人小便不禁。此乃降令太过。
阳明津液不能上输于肺。肺之清气亦复下降故也。大抵非腹有极热者。不宜轻用。轻用之令
人寒胃不食也。
【气味】
味苦，性平，无毒。质地轻清，具有向上向外升浮的特性。属于阴中有阳的药物。归入手少阳经、足少阳经、手阳明经。又归入手少阴经。
【主治】
清除心经中的客热（外感或内生的邪热）。去除上焦部位的各类热证。是治疗疮疡疾病的圣药。对于疮疡、肿瘤、瘿瘤（甲状腺肿大等）、淋巴结结核等疾病，治疗有神奇功效。这是因为它的外形像两片人心合成，中间有仁，气味非常芳香，是主入少阴心经和厥阴胞络气分的药物。
【气味】
味苦，微寒，无毒。质地沉重，具有向下沉降的特性。属于阴中有阳的药物。专门主治下焦血分疾病。
【主治】
治疗肠风便血（大便带血，血色鲜红或暗红，伴有肛门瘙痒或疼痛）。治疗泻血（便血量大且急）。治疗妇女乳房疾病、七伤（泛指多种虚损劳伤）及带下病。治疗下部脓血便、水样腹泻。白痢疾不可轻易使用此药。在热毒血痢中经常多用此药。
禁忌：畏麦门冬、雄黄、伏丹砂、硫黄。
【气味】
味辛，微寒，无毒。质地沉重，具有向下沉降的特性。属于阴。归入足阳明经、手太阴经、手少阴经的气分。
【主治】
清除胃热和肺热。驱散阴邪。舒缓脾脏，益气生津。治疗阳明经头痛、发热、恶寒。治疗下午定时发作的潮热（日晡潮热）。治疗极度口渴、引水自救。治疗中暑引起的潮热和牙痛。大凡风邪容易损伤阳气，寒邪容易损伤阴气。当营卫之气和阴阳被风寒所伤时，仅靠轻扬发散的药物不能单独解散病邪。必须将轻剂与重剂配合使用共同发散，才能去除阴阳之邪，调和营卫之气。因此，在大青龙汤中，石膏作为使药，利用其苦甘之性散热，并直达肌表。另外，对于阳明经中的热证，表现为发热、恶寒、燥热、下午定时发作的潮热、肌肉壮热、小便浑浊赤黄、极度口渴引水、自汗、头痛，这是邪气在阳明经，肺受到火邪制约，必须用辛寒性质的药物来清泄肺气，张仲景使用的白虎汤就是这类代表方剂。如果没有上述各种症状，却出现类似白虎汤证的发热现象，这多是由于血虚发热，或者是脾胃虚劳导致的形体病症。在疾病初起时，这些情况的表现也与上述症状相似，但都不宜服用白虎汤。如果不加辨识而误用，后果不堪设想。在立夏之前过多服用白虎汤，会导致人小便失禁。这是因为降泄之力太过，导致阳明津液不能向上输布到肺，肺中的清气也随之下降的缘故。大体来说，如果不是腹部有极热的情况，不宜轻易使用石膏。如果轻率使用，会导致胃寒而不思饮食。
[Odor and Flavor]
Bitter, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Light and clear, possessing ascending and floating properties. It is yin containing yang. Enters the Hand-Shaoyang, Foot-Shaoyang, and Hand-Yangming meridians. Also enters the Hand-Shaoyin meridian.
[Indications]
Drains exogenous heat from the Heart channel. Eliminates various types of heat in the Upper Jiao. It is regarded as the supreme medicine for treating sores and ulcers. It performs miraculous functions in treating sores, ulcers, tumors, goiters (enlargement of the thyroid gland), and tuberculous lymphadenitis. This is because its shape resembles two halves of a human heart joined together, with a kernel inside that has a very fragrant aroma. It is the principal herb governing the Qi level of the Shaoyin Heart channel and the Jueyin Pericardium/Capillary Vessels.
[Odor and Flavor]
Bitter, slightly cold, non-toxic. Heavy in texture, possessing descending properties. It is yin containing yang. Specifically governs blood-level disorders of the Lower Jiao.
[Indications]
Treats wind-intestinal bleeding (hematochezia with itching or pain). Treats profuse bloody diarrhea. Treats women's breast diseases, seven injuries (a general term for various deficiency and exhaustion syndromes), and leukorrhea. Treats purulent and bloody stools, watery diarrhea in the lower body. It should not be used lightly for white dysentery. It is frequently used in cases of heat-toxin bloody dysentery.
Incompatibilities: Avoid Maimendong (Ophiopogonis Radix), Xionghuang (Realgar), Fudansha (Cinnabaris), Liuhuang (Sulfur).
[Odor and Flavor]
Pungent, slightly cold, non-toxic. Heavy in texture, possessing descending properties. It is yin. Enters the Qi level of the Foot-Yangming, Hand-Taiyin, and Hand-Shaoyin meridians.
[Indications]
Eliminates stomach heat and lung heat. Disperses yin pathogens. Soothes the Spleen and benefits Qi. Treats Yangming channel headache, fever, and aversion to cold. Treats tidal fever occurring at dusk (Ribu Chaore). Treats extreme thirst with excessive drinking. Treats tidal fever and toothache caused by summerheat. Generally, wind pathogens tend to damage Yang, and cold pathogens tend to damage Yin. When Ying-Wei Qi and Yin-Yang are damaged by wind-cold, light dispersing agents alone cannot resolve the pathogen. It is necessary to combine light and heavy dispersing agents to jointly expel the pathogen, thereby removing the Yin-Yang pathogens and harmonizing the Ying-Wei Qi. Therefore, in Da Qinglong Tang (Major Blue Dragon Decoction), Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) serves as the guiding drug; utilizing its bitter and sweet properties to dissipate heat and reach directly to the muscle layer. Furthermore, for heat in the Yangming channel manifesting as fever, aversion to cold, dryness and heat, tidal fever at dusk, intense heat in the muscles, turbid and reddish urine, extreme thirst with excessive drinking, spontaneous sweating, and headache, this indicates the pathogen is in the Yangming channel, and the Lung is constrained by fire. One must use pungent and cold herbs to clear Lung heat; Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) used by Zhang Zhongjing is the representative formula. If the aforementioned symptoms are absent, but fever resembling Baihu Tang syndrome appears, it is mostly due to blood-deficiency fever or physical manifestations of Spleen-Stomach deficiency and exhaustion. At the initial stage of these conditions, the presentation may also resemble the aforementioned symptoms, but Baihu Tang should not be taken. If misused without proper differentiation, the consequences are beyond rescue. Excessive consumption of Baihu Tang before Lixia (Start of Summer) causes urinary incontinence. This is because the descending action is too strong, preventing Yangming fluids from being transported upward to the Lung, causing the clear Qi of the Lung to descend as well. Generally speaking, if there is no extreme heat in the abdomen, Shigao should not be used lightly. Indiscriminate use leads to cold Stomach and loss of appetite.