五倍子，一名文蛤。味辛、酸，气平，无毒。入肾经。疗齿宣疳 ，及小儿面鼻疳疮，
治风
癣痒疮，并治大人五痔下血。洗目消赤肿，止疼痛。染须髭变黑。专为收敛之剂，又禁泻痢
肠
虚，解消渴，生津，却顽疼，去热。百药煎，亦此造成。此药外治之功居多，内治之功甚少
，存之以备疮毒之用耳。
或问五倍子乃收敛之药，用之外治更宜，然而内治以固滑泻，未尝不佳，何子着《本草》，
单
为外治留之乎？曰∶痢无止法，用涩药以止痢，前人所戒。况五倍子止痢，乃不得已而用之
，止痢之品甚多，何必借此不可用之药。此铎所以只取外治，而不取内治。
皂荚，味辛、咸，气温，有小毒。入足厥阴、手少阴、手太阴三经。理气疏风，搐鼻喷
噎，
可救五绝痰迷、中风不语诸症。敷肿痛即除，吐风痰，杀痨虫精物，起风痹，治死肌，利窍
开关，破症堕孕。此物备急用之药，药笼中不可无者也。
或问皂荚开关之药，单用以取捷乎？夫皂荚之功用，不止此也。凡心疼之病，随愈而随
发者
，必用皂荚，始可除根，此《本草》所未言也。张夫子曾传余治心痛之方，实有皂荚火炒一
两、炒栀子一两、炙甘草五钱、白芍二两、广木香三钱，为细末。老黄米煮粥为丸，如米大
，滚水送下即愈，永不再发。是皂荚又可以治心疼也。然而，皂荚非治心疼之药，借其开窍
引入于心之中，使诸药直攻其邪也。
或问皂荚生用乎，抑熟用之乎？皂荚熟用则无益矣，必生用为佳。然而，生用切不可用
蛀者
。盖皂荚虫尤细，凡研末之时，蛀虫乘开关之际，直入肺中，反成大害。故必须拣不蛀者，
研为细末，即包在纸包之内，亦必须常取出经风，以防其再蛀。我有一方，制之最佳，用麝
香同包，断无再蛀之理，且又可借麝香之香，引入鼻窍，而开关更灵也。
或问用皂荚末以治中风，吐其痰而不愈，反成偏枯之症，何也？曰∶皂荚用末以吹鼻，
使中
风之人关开，实治方之功也。若入于稀涎散中吐之，非治也。盖近来中风者，皆非真中风，
尽由于阴阳水火之虚，或阴虚火炎，煎熬津液，结而为痰，热极生风，猝然仆厥。使更吐痰
，则愈损其津液矣。津液重伤，经络无水以相养，或气虚而无以相通，安得不变为拘挛偏废
之症哉。
或疑神仙传载∶崔言逢异人传皂荚刺三斤烧灰，调大黄末，以治大麻风，虽将死尚可救。
何
子注《本草》略之乎？曰∶皂角刺安能救大麻风哉，此误传也。用此方以救之，是速之死耳
。
五倍子，又名文蛤。味道辛、酸，气性平，无毒。归入肾经。治疗牙齿松动（齿宣）及疳积，以及小儿面部和鼻部的疳疮；治疗风癣引起的瘙痒疮疡，并治疗成人五种痔疮导致的便血。清洗眼睛可消除红肿，止痛。染胡须和眉毛使其变黑。它是专门用于收敛的药物，又可用于禁治腹泻痢疾和肠道虚弱，解除消渴症状，生津液，消除顽固疼痛，去除热邪。百药煎也是用此药制成的。这种药物外用功效居多，内服功效很少，保留它以备疮毒之用罢了。
有人问：五倍子是收敛的药，用于外治更为适宜，然而内服用来固涩滑脱之泻，也未尝不好，为什么您编写《本草》时，只把它留给外治使用呢？回答说：痢疾没有单纯的止法，前人告诫不要使用涩药来止痢。况且五倍子止痢，是不得已而用的，止痢的药物很多，何必借用这种不可随意使用的药。这就是我只取它的外治功效，而不取内治功效的原因。
皂荚，味道辛、咸，气性温，有小毒。归入足厥阴肝经、手少阴心经、手太阴肺经三条经脉。能理气疏风，搐鼻喷药可救急于噎阻，可以救治五绝痰迷、中风不语等各种病症。敷在肿痛处即可消除，吐出风痰，杀灭痨虫精怪之物，兴起风痹（此处指治疗风痹），治疗死肌，利窍开关，破症结堕胎孕。这是备急用的药物，药笼中不可无此物。
有人问：皂荚作为开关通窍的药，单独使用就能取得迅速效果吗？其实皂荚的功效不止于此。凡是心痛病，好了又随即复发的，必须用皂荚，才能除根，这是《本草》中没有提到的。张夫子曾传授给我治疗心痛的方法，确实含有火炒一两皂荚、炒栀子一两、炙甘草五钱、白芍二两、广木香三钱，研成细末。用老黄米煮粥做成丸药，如米粒大小，滚水送下即愈，永不复发。这样看来，皂荚又可以治疗心痛了。然而，皂荚并非直接治疗心痛的主药，而是借其开窍的作用引入心中，使其他药物直接攻击病邪。
有人问：皂荚是生用还是熟用呢？皂荚熟用就没有益处了，必须生用为佳。然而，生用时切不可使用被虫蛀的。因为皂荚虫特别细小，凡是在研磨粉末的时候，蛀虫乘着开通孔窍的机会，直接进入肺部，反而造成大害。所以必须挑选没有被虫蛀的，研为细末，即使包在纸包里，也必须经常取出吹风吹拂，以防再次被虫蛀。我有一个方子，制作最佳，用麝香一起包裹，绝对不会再有虫蛀的道理，而且还可以借助麝香的香气，引入鼻窍，从而使开关通窍更加灵验。
有人问：用皂荚末治疗中风，通过吹鼻吐痰后不痊愈，反而成了偏枯（半身不遂）的症状，为什么呢？回答说：皂荚用粉末吹鼻，使中风患者孔窍开通，这实际上是治疗方法的功劳。如果放入稀涎散中催吐，就不是正确的治疗方法了。大概近来患中风的人，都不是真正的中风，全都由于阴阳水火虚损，或是阴虚火炎，煎熬津液，凝结而成痰，热极生风，突然仆倒昏厥。如果再吐痰，就会更加损伤津液。津液严重受伤，经络无水以滋养，或者气虚而无法相通，怎么能不变为拘挛偏废的症状呢？
有人怀疑《神仙传》记载：崔言遇到异人传授皂荚刺三斤烧成灰，调和大黄末，用来治疗大麻风，虽然将死还可救活。为什么您注释《本草》时忽略了这一点呢？回答说：皂角刺怎么能救大麻风呢，这是误传。用这个方子来救他，是加速他的死亡罢了。
Wubeizi (Galla Chinensis), also known as Wen Ge. It tastes pungent and sour, has a neutral qi nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the Kidney Meridian. It treats loose teeth (Chi Xuan) and gan accumulation, as well as gan sores on the face and nose of children; it treats pruritic sores caused by wind-xuan (wind-induced dermatophytosis/eczema), and treats lower rectal bleeding from the five types of hemorrhoids in adults. Washing the eyes eliminates redness and swelling, and stops pain. It dyes beard and eyebrows black. It is a specialized astringent agent, and can also be used to stop diarrhea and dysentery and treat intestinal deficiency, resolve xiaoke (wasting-thirst syndrome), generate body fluids, eliminate stubborn pain, and remove heat. Baiyaojian (Hundred Medicines Decoction) is also made from this herb. This drug has mostly external therapeutic effects and few internal ones; it is retained for use in treating sores and toxins.
Someone asked: Wubeizi is an astringent herb, more suitable for external treatment. However, using it internally to secure against slippery diarrhea is not without merit. Why did you, in compiling the *Bencao*, reserve it only for external treatment? I replied: Dysentery does not have a simple stopping method; predecessors warned against using astringent herbs to stop dysentery. Moreover, using Wubeizi to stop dysentery is a measure of last resort. There are many other herbs that stop dysentery; why borrow this herb which should not be used casually? This is why I only adopt its external effects and not its internal effects.
Zaojia (Gleditsiae Fructus Spinae), tastes pungent and salty, has a warm qi nature, and is slightly toxic. It enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian, and Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian. It regulates qi and disperses wind. Snuffing or spraying into the nose can rescue conditions of five types of exhaustion with phlegm confusion and aphasia due to stroke. Applying it externally removes swelling and pain, expels wind-phlegm, kills tuberculosis parasites and spirit entities, treats wind-bi (wind-pain syndrome), treats dead flesh, opens orifices and unblocks passages, breaks masses, and induces abortion. This is an emergency preparation, indispensable in any medicine cabinet.
Someone asked: As an orifice-opening agent, does Zaojia achieve rapid results when used alone? The functions of Zaojia extend beyond this. For cases of heart pain that recur immediately after healing, Zaojia must be used to eradicate the root cause, a point not mentioned in the *Bencao*. Master Zhang once transmitted to me a prescription for heart pain, which indeed contains one liang of fire-roasted Zaojia, one liang of stir-fried Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus), five qian of honey-fried Gancao (Licorice Root), two liang of Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba), and three qian of Guangmuxiang (Costi Rhizoma), ground into fine powder. These are formed into pills the size of rice grains using porridge made from old yellow millet, taken with boiling water for immediate cure and permanent remission. Thus, Zaojia can also treat heart pain. However, Zaojia is not the primary herb for treating heart pain; rather, it borrows its orifice-opening property to guide other herbs directly into the heart to attack the pathogen.
Someone asked: Should Zaojia be used raw or cooked? Cooked Zaojia is ineffective; raw usage is superior. However, one must strictly avoid using worm-eaten specimens. The worms in Zaojia are extremely fine; during grinding, these worms may enter the lungs through the opened orifices, causing significant harm. Therefore, one must select uninfested specimens, grind them into fine powder, and even if stored in paper packets, they must be frequently exposed to air to prevent re-infestation. I have a formulation that works best: wrapping it together with Shexiang (Moschus) prevents infestation entirely and utilizes the fragrance of Moschus to guide the action to the nasal orifices, making the orifice-opening effect more potent.
Someone asked: When treating stroke with Zaojia powder via nasal insufflation to induce expectoration, why does it fail to cure and instead result in hemiplegia? I replied: Using Zaojia powder to insufflate the nose opens the orifices of stroke patients; this is actually the merit of the treatment method itself. If administered within Xixian San (Thin Saliva Powder) to induce vomiting, it is incorrect treatment. Generally, recent cases of stroke are not true stroke but result from deficiency of yin-yang and water-fire, or yin deficiency with flaming fire, which boils down body fluids into phlegm. Extreme heat generates wind, leading to sudden collapse. Inducing vomiting further damages body fluids. Severe injury to body fluids means meridians lack water for nourishment, or qi deficiency prevents communication, inevitably transforming into spastic hemiplegia.
Some doubt the *Shenxian Zhuan* record: Cui Yan was taught by an extraordinary person to burn three jin of Zaojia Ci (Gleditsiae Spina) to ash, mix with Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) powder, to treat leprosy, saving even those near death. Why did you omit this in your *Bencao* annotation? I replied: Can Gleditsiae Spina save leprosy? This is a misinterpretation. Using this formula to treat it would only hasten death.