桃仁，味苦、甘，气平，苦重于甘，阴中阳也，无毒。入手足厥阴经。主瘀血血闭，血
结血
燥，症瘕邪气，杀小虫，除卒暴，通润大便，活血通经止痛。苦以破滞血，甘以生新血。花
味苦，三月三日采，阴干者佳，然亦不必拘泥。总以布单盛之自落者俱可用，花摘者，转无
功效也。杀鬼疰，令人好颜色，除水肿石淋，利大小便，下三虫。渍酒服之，能除百病也。
桃仁，即能花所结之子，而攻补实殊，其故何也？盖桃花，仙种也。仙者阳之极，鬼乃阴象
，阳能辟阴，故能却鬼。桃花得仙人之气而生，随风飘堕，其气发扬，故利益之功多。桃仁
则不然，花辨已谢，其气已尽，树中津液全注精于桃肉，所存之仁，无非阴气耶。少有微阳
，仅可自守以传种，又何能变攻为补乎，故一木而彼此不同。从来《本草》不言，而余独发
异议者，实之本岐天师之教我也。桃花瓣自落者佳，然制之不得法，亦徒然也。布单盛贮，
须于日下晒干。然而一日不能干也，必须夜间用扇煽干为佳。盖花瓣得风则香，得火则死，
故不可火焙。若夜间
天自有风，不必扇煽，第二日再晒，无不干者。干则用砂瓶盛贮，俟泡酒时入之佳绝也。
或问桃仁用之于承气汤中，泻肠中之血乎，抑泻脾中之邪也？顾桃仁泻血，何待问哉。但谓
泻血而不泻邪，则是又不可。夫血之所以瘀者，邪瘀之也。血之所结者，邪结之也。泻血即
所以泻邪，泻邪即所以泻血，原不可分视之也。况用之于承气汤中，纯是散邪之药，谓其散
血而不散邪，得乎？独是桃仁长于散血，而短于散邪，用之于承气汤中，毕竟散瘀结之血是
其专功也。
或疑桃仁散血而不散邪，何以邪结之症用之，奏功如响？不知瘀血之症，邪结之也。桃
仁攻
坚而散血，则邪无巢穴，何以能聚，故血散而邪亦散。其实，桃仁散血而不能散邪也。
桃仁，味道苦、甘，性质平和，苦味重于甘味，属于阴中寓阳之品，无毒。归入手足厥阴经。主治瘀血阻滞、经闭不通、血液凝结及血燥，症瘕积聚及邪气，能杀灭小虫，消除突然发作的急症，通润大便，活血通经并止痛。苦味能破除停滞之瘀血，甘味能生成新血。
桃花味道苦，在农历三月三日采集，阴干者最佳，但也不必过于拘泥。总之，用布单承接自然脱落的桃花均可使用，若是人工采摘的花朵，反而没有功效。桃花能驱除鬼疰（一种由鬼神或疫气引起的慢性消耗性疾病），使人面色红润，消除水肿和石淋（尿路结石），通利大小便，排出三种寄生虫。浸泡在酒中服用，能祛除百病。
桃仁是桃花结出的果实，但其攻补作用截然不同，这是什么原因呢？原来桃花是仙家之物。仙人代表阳气之极，鬼代表阴象，阳气能辟除阴邪，所以桃花能驱鬼。桃花得仙人之气而生，随风飘落，其气发扬，所以利益的功效很多。桃仁则不然，花瓣已经凋谢，其气已尽，树中的津液全部灌注到桃肉中，所剩下的桃仁，无非都是阴气罢了。只有少许微弱的阳气，仅够自我保守以传宗接代，又怎么能变攻为补呢？所以同一棵树上的花和仁，性质却不同。历来《本草》书中没有提及，而我独自提出异议，实在是受到岐天师（岐伯）教诲的结果。
桃花瓣以自然脱落者为佳，但如果炮制方法不得当，也是徒劳。用布单盛装贮存，必须在阳光下晒干。然而一天之内不能晒干，必须夜间用扇子扇干为佳。因为花瓣遇到风则香气保留，遇到火则香气丧失，所以不可用火烘焙。如果夜间天自有风，不必扇扇，第二天再晒，没有不干的。干燥后用砂瓶盛装贮存，等到泡酒时放入效果极佳。
有人问：桃仁用在承气汤中，是泻肠中之血呢，还是泻脾中之邪呢？看桃仁泻血，何必多问呢？但是如果说它只泻血而不泻邪，那就不对了。血液之所以瘀滞，是因为邪气瘀阻；血液之所以凝结，是因为邪气凝结。泻血就是泻邪，泻邪就是泻血，原本不可分开看待。况且用在承气汤中，全是散邪的药物，如果说它只散血而不散邪，说得通吗？只是桃仁长于散血，而短于散邪，用在承气汤中，毕竟消散瘀结之血是它的专长。
有人怀疑桃仁只散血而不散邪，为什么在治疗邪气凝结的病证中使用它，见效如响？不知道瘀血之证，是由邪气凝结所致。桃仁攻坚破结而散血，那么邪气就没有巢穴，何以能聚集？所以血散了，邪气也就散了。其实，桃仁只能散血而不能直接散邪。
Tao Ren (Persicae Semen), with bitter and sweet tastes, and a neutral nature, where the bitterness outweighs the sweetness, belongs to the category of Yin containing Yang. It is non-toxic. It enters the Jueyin meridians of the hand and foot. It primarily treats blood stasis, amenorrhea due to blood obstruction, blood coagulation and dryness, masses and growths (Zhengjia), and pathogenic factors; it kills small parasites, eliminates sudden acute conditions, moistens and unblocks the intestines to facilitate bowel movements, invigorates blood, unblocks the meridians, and alleviates pain. The bitter taste breaks stagnant blood, while the sweet taste generates new blood.
The flower of the peach tree has a bitter taste. It should be harvested on the third day of the third lunar month; shade-dried flowers are best, though one need not be overly rigid about this. In general, flowers caught in cloth sheets that have fallen naturally can all be used. Flowers picked by hand lose their efficacy. The flower can expel "Guizhu" (a chronic wasting disease attributed to ghostly or epidemic pathogens), improve complexion, eliminate edema and stone strangury (Shilin), promote urination and defecation, and expel three types of intestinal parasites. Soaked in wine and taken orally, it can cure myriad diseases.
Tao Ren is the fruit produced by the peach blossom, yet its actions of attacking and tonifying are significantly different. Why is this? Peach blossoms are considered immortal substances. Immortals represent the extreme of Yang, while ghosts represent Yin. Yang can repel Yin, thus peach blossoms can drive away ghosts. Peach blossoms grow by receiving the Qi of immortals; they drift and fall with the wind, their Qi spreading forth, so their beneficial effects are numerous. Tao Ren is different. Once the petals have withered, its Qi is exhausted. The fluids from the tree are fully concentrated into the peach flesh. The remaining kernel consists essentially of Yin Qi. There is only a trace of weak Yang, sufficient merely for self-preservation to propagate seeds, let alone transforming attack into tonification. Thus, although from the same tree, the flower and the kernel differ in nature. Previous Materia Medica texts did not mention this, but I alone raised objections, truly guided by the teachings of Tianshi Qibo (the Heavenly Master Qibo).
Peach petals that fall naturally are best, but if processed improperly, the effort is futile. They should be stored in cloth sheets and sun-dried. However, they cannot be dried in just one day; it is best to fan them dry at night. This is because petals retain their fragrance when exposed to wind but lose it when exposed to fire, so they must not be roasted over fire. If there is natural wind at night, fanning is unnecessary; drying them again on the second day ensures they are completely dry. Once dry, store them in a clay jar. They are best added when preparing medicinal wine.
Someone asks: When Tao Ren is used in Chengqi Tang (Cathartic Decoction), does it purge blood from the intestines, or does it purge pathogenic factors from the spleen? Regarding Tao Ren purging blood, why ask? But to say it purges blood without purging pathogenic factors is incorrect. The reason blood becomes stagnant is because pathogenic factors cause stasis. The reason blood coagulates is because pathogenic factors cause knotting. Purging blood is purging pathogenic factors; purging pathogenic factors is purging blood. They originally cannot be viewed separately. Moreover, when used in Chengqi Tang, which consists entirely of herbs that scatter pathogenic factors, how could one claim it scatters blood but not pathogenic factors? However, Tao Ren excels at scattering blood but is short in scattering pathogenic factors. When used in Chengqi Tang, its specific merit lies in dissipating blood stasis and knots.
Some doubt that since Tao Ren scatters blood but not pathogenic factors, why does it yield rapid results when used for conditions of pathogenic knotting? One does not realize that in cases of blood stasis, it is the pathogenic factor that causes the knotting. Tao Ren breaks hardness and scatters blood; once the blood is scattered, the pathogenic factor has no nest or abode, so how can it gather? Therefore, when blood scatters, the pathogenic factor also scatters. In reality, Tao Ren scatters blood but cannot directly scatter pathogenic factors.