威灵仙，味苦，气温，可升可降，阴中阳也，无毒。入各经络。消肠中久积痰涎，除腹
内
癖气块，散爪甲皮肤风中痒痛，利腰膝胫踝湿渗冷疼，尤疗折伤，治风湿各病，皆宜用之，
以其十二经络无处不到也。但其性走而不守，祛邪实速，补正实难。用之于补气补血之中，
自得祛痛祛寒之效。倘单备此一味，或漉酒长饮，或为丸频服，未有不散人真气，败人之血
者也。
或问威灵仙乃攻痰去湿妙药，子谓散人真气，败人活血，是威灵仙乃害人之物，非益人
之物
乎
？曰∶吾戒人长饮频服者，恐风痰邪湿已去仍用之，非教人风痰邪湿之未去而用之，故戒之
也。
秦艽，味苦、辛，气平、微温，可升可降，阴中阳也，无毒。入大肠之经，养血荣筋，
通利
四肢，能止诸痛，通便利水，散黄胆。又止头风，解酒毒，疗肠风下血。但小有补血，终非
君药。前人称其能去骨蒸传尸，此乃所不敢信也。
或问秦艽散风邪之品，前人称其能去骨蒸传尸，而吾子不敢信，便余疑信相半，幸为我
论之
。曰∶骨蒸，痨瘵之渐也，内无真阴之水，以冲养其骨中之体，故夜发热而日不热也。且夜
热之时，在骨中内，皮之热反轻。此非外有邪犯，又非邪入肾中，乃精自内空。必须填补真
阴，少加退阴火之味，始能奏效。秦艽止能散内风，病既无风，用之不益加内热乎。传尸之
症，乃劳瘵之已成也，内生尸虫，食人精血，以致咳嗽不止，日事补阴尚难，秦艽况益之以
散风利水之药，以重其虚乎。此余之所不敢信，又天下之所宜共信余之言者也。
威灵仙，味道苦，性质温，既能上升又能下降，属于阴中之阳，没有毒性。进入人体的各条经络。能消除肠道中长久积聚的痰涎，去除腹内的癖气块（指腹内结块），消散指甲和皮肤中风邪引起的瘙痒疼痛，通利腰膝和小腿脚踝因湿邪渗透导致的冷痛，尤其擅长治疗跌打损伤，治疗风湿各类疾病，都适宜使用它，因为它的药性可以到达十二经络的任何地方。但是它的性质是游走而不固守，祛除邪气确实迅速，补益正气却很难做到。用在补气补血的方剂之中，自然能得到祛痛祛寒的效果。如果单独准备这一味药，或者过滤后泡酒长期饮用，或者制成丸药频繁服用，没有不散失人体真气、败坏人体血液的。
有人问：威灵仙明明是攻逐痰湿的妙药，您却说它散失人的真气、败坏人的活血，难道威灵仙是害人的东西，不是有益人的东西吗？回答说：我告诫人们不要长期饮用、频繁服用，是担心风痰邪湿已经去除后仍然继续使用它，并不是教导人们在风痰邪湿尚未去除时就使用它，所以对此进行告诫。
秦艽，味道苦、辛，性质平、微温，既能上升又能下降，属于阴中之阳，没有毒性。进入大肠经，能养血滋润筋骨，通利四肢，能够制止各种疼痛，通便利尿，散发黄疸。又能治疗头风，解酒毒，治疗肠风下血。但只有轻微的补血作用，终究不能作为君药（主药）。前人称赞它能去除骨蒸传尸（指结核病等慢性消耗性疾病），这是我都不敢相信的。
有人问：秦艽是疏散风邪的药物，前人称它能去除骨蒸传尸，而您不敢相信，让我疑惑不信参半，希望您为我论述一下。回答说：骨蒸，是痨瘵（肺结核等慢性消耗性疾病）的初期阶段，体内没有真正的阴液来冲养骨骼中的形体，所以夜间发热而白天不热。而且夜间发热的时候，热在骨头内部，体表的发热反而轻微。这并非外邪侵犯，也不是邪气进入肾中，而是精气从内部空虚。必须填补真阴，稍微加入退除阴火的药物，才能奏效。秦艽只能疏散内风，既然病中没有风邪，使用它岂不是更加增加内热吗？传尸的症状，是劳瘵已经形成的阶段，体内产生尸虫，吞噬人的精血，导致咳嗽不止，每天致力于补阴尚且困难，何况再用秦艽这种疏散风邪、通便利水的药物，来加重其虚损呢。这是我之所以不敢相信的原因，也是天下人应该共同相信我的话的原因。
Clematis Root (Weilingxian), bitter in taste, warm in nature, capable of ascending and descending, is yang within yin, and non-toxic. It enters the various meridians. It eliminates long-standing phlegm and saliva accumulated in the intestines, removes abdominal masses (Pi Qi Kuai), disperses wind-induced itching and pain in the nails and skin, benefits the waist and knees by draining dampness from the shins and ankles causing cold pain, and is especially effective for treating traumatic injuries. It is suitable for treating various rheumatic diseases because its medicinal property can reach everywhere in the twelve meridians. However, its nature is migratory and unsteadfast; it expels pathogenic factors rapidly but struggles to tonify healthy qi. When used within formulas that tonify qi and blood, it naturally achieves the effect of dispelling pain and cold. If prepared alone, or filtered into wine for long-term drinking, or made into pills for frequent consumption, it will inevitably scatter the body's true qi and damage the blood.
Someone asked: Clematis Root is a wonderful medicine for attacking phlegm and removing dampness. You say it scatters the body's true qi and damages the blood. Is Clematis Root a harmful substance rather than a beneficial one? I replied: I warn people against long-term drinking and frequent consumption because I fear they may continue using it after the wind-phlegm and pathogenic dampness have been eliminated. I do not teach people to use it when wind-phlegm and pathogenic dampness have not yet been eliminated; thus, I issue this warning.
Gentian Root (Qinjiao), bitter and acrid in taste, neutral and slightly warm in nature, capable of ascending and descending, is yang within yin, and non-toxic. It enters the Large Intestine meridian. It nourishes blood and enriches tendons, unblocks and benefits the four limbs, stops various pains, promotes urination and bowel movements, and dissipates jaundice. It also treats cephalalgia due to wind (Tou Feng), resolves alcohol toxicity, and treats intestinal wind with bleeding. However, it has only slight blood-tonifying effects and ultimately cannot serve as the sovereign drug (Jun Yao). Predecessors praised it for eliminating bone-steaming and corpse-transmission (a term referring to tuberculosis or similar chronic consumptive diseases), which I dare not believe.
Someone asked: Gentian Root is an agent that disperses wind pathogens. Predecessors claimed it could eliminate bone-steaming and corpse-transmission, yet you dare not believe them, leaving me half-doubting and half-believing. I hope you will discuss this for me. I replied: Bone-steaming is the initial stage of Lao Zhai (chronic consumptive disease like tuberculosis). The interior lacks true yin fluids to nourish the skeletal structure, resulting in fever at night but not during the day. Moreover, during the time of night fever, the heat is internal within the bones, while the heat on the skin surface is relatively mild. This is neither caused by external pathogenic invasion nor by pathogens entering the Kidneys, but rather by emptiness of essence from within. One must replenish true yin and slightly add ingredients that clear deficient fire to achieve efficacy. Gentian Root can only disperse internal wind. Since there is no wind pathogen in the disease, would not its use further increase internal heat? The symptom of corpse-transmission represents the established stage of Lao Zhai. Internal "corpse worms" consume the body's essence and blood, leading to incessant coughing. Even daily efforts to tonify yin are difficult enough; how much more so would adding Gentian Root, a drug that disperses wind and promotes diuresis, exacerbate the deficiency? This is why I dare not believe such claims, and why I believe all under heaven should trust my words.