紫菀，味苦、辛，温，无毒。入手太阴，兼入足阳明。主咳逆上气，胸中寒热结气，去
蛊毒
，疗咳唾脓血，止喘悸、五劳体虚，治久嗽。然亦只可为佐使，而不可单用以取效。
或问缪仲醇云∶观紫菀能开喉痹，取恶涎，则辛散之功烈矣。然而又云∶其性温，肺病
咳逆
喘嗽，皆阴虚肺热症也，不宜多用等语，似乎紫菀并不可以治嗽也。曰∶紫菀舍治嗽之外，
原无多奇功。治缠喉风、喉闭者，正取其治肺经咳逆、阴虚肺热也，而仲醇以此相戒，何哉
。夫喉闭，未有非下寒上热之症也。紫菀性温，而又兼辛散，从其火热之性而解之，乃从治
之法，治之最巧者也。仲醇最讲阴虚火动之旨，何独于紫菀而昧之，此铎所不解也。
或谓紫菀治肺之热，而性温而辛散，从火热之性而解之是矣。然而肺经最恶热，以热攻
热，
必伤肺矣。吾恐邪去而肺伤也。曰∶久嗽则肺必寒，以温治寒，则肺且受益，何伤之有。
贝母，味苦，气平、微寒，无毒。入肺、胃、脾、心四经。消热痰最利，止久嗽宜用，
心中
逆气多愁郁者可解，并治伤寒结胸之症，疗人面疮能效。难产与胞衣不下，调服于人参汤中
最神。黄瘅赤眼，消渴除烦，喉痹，疝瘕，皆可佐使，但少用足以成功，多用或以取败。宜
于阴虚火盛，不宜于阳旺湿痰。世人不知贝母与半夏，性各不同，惧半夏之毒，每改用贝母
。不知贝母消热痰，而不能消寒痰，半夏消寒痰，而不能消热痰也。故贝母逢寒痰，则愈增
其寒；半夏逢热痰，则大添其热。二品泾渭各殊，乌可代用。前人辨贝母入肺，而不入胃，
半夏入脾胃，而不入肺经，尚不知贝母之深也。盖贝母入肺、胃、脾，心四经，岂有不入脾
、胃之理哉。正寒热之不相宜，故不可代用也。（〔批〕辨得入微尽妙。）
或问贝母之疗人面疮，可信不可信乎？曰∶此前人之成效，胡必疑之。然而有可疑者。
人面
疮，口能食而面能愁，盖有祟凭之矣。祟凭必须解祟，何以用贝母即解，予久不得其故，后
遇岐天师于燕市，另传治法，而后悟贝母之疗人面疮也，亦消其痰而已矣。夫怪病多起于痰
，贝母消痰，故能愈也。如半夏亦消痰圣药，何治人面疮无效？不知人面疮，乃热痰结成热
毒，半夏性燥，燥以治热，更添热矣。贝母乃治热痰圣药，以寒治热，而热毒自消，又何
疑哉。
或问贝母消痰，消热痰也，然火沸为痰，非热乎，何以用之而绝无效耶？曰∶火沸生痰，
乃肾中之火上沸，非肺中之火上升。贝母只可治肺中之火痰，不化肾中之火痰也。岂惟不
能化肾中之火痰，且动火而生痰矣。夫肾中之火，非补水不能除，肾火之痰，亦非补水不能
消。贝母消肺中之痰，必铄肺中之气，肺虚则肾水之化源竭矣，何以生肾水哉。肾水不生，
则肾火不降。肾火不降，又何以健脾而消痰哉。势必所用水谷不化精而化痰矣。然则用贝母
以治火沸为痰，不犹添薪而望止沸乎。毋怪沓无功效也。
或疑贝母不可治火沸为痰之症，吾用之六味丸中，亦可以治之乎？曰∶六味汤止治火沸
为痰
之圣药也，加入贝母，则不效矣。盖火沸为痰，乃肾中之真水上沸而成痰，非肺中之津液上
存而为痰也。六味汤补水以止沸，非化痰以止火，倘加入贝母，则六味欲趋于肾中，而贝母
又欲留于肺内，两相牵掣，则药必停于不上不下之间，痰既不消，火又大炽，不更益其沸，
而转添其咳嗽哉。此贝母断不可入于六味汤丸之中，治火沸为痰之病也。
紫菀，味道苦、辛，性质温，没有毒性。归入手太阴肺经，兼入足阳明胃经。主治咳嗽气逆，胸中寒热郁结之气，去除蛊毒，治疗咳吐脓血，平息气喘心悸、五劳体虚，治愈久咳。然而它只能作为佐药或使药使用，不能单独使用来取得疗效。
有人问缪仲醇说：看紫菀能开通喉痹，引出恶涎，那么它辛散的功效是很强烈的了。但是又说：它的性质是温的，肺病引起的咳嗽气逆喘嗽，都是阴虚肺热的症状，不适宜多用等话，似乎紫菀并不可以用来治疗咳嗽。回答说：紫菀除了治疗咳嗽之外，原本没有多少奇特的功效。治疗缠喉风、喉闭症，正是利用它治疗肺经咳嗽气逆、阴虚肺热的特性，而缪仲醇用这一点来告诫人，为什么呢？那喉闭症，没有不是下寒上热的症状。紫菀性质温，又兼有辛散的作用，顺着火热之性来解除它，这是从治的方法，是最巧妙的治疗方法。缪仲醇最讲究阴虚火动的宗旨，为什么唯独对紫菀感到不明白呢？这是我陈士铎所不能理解的。
有人称紫菀治疗肺的热邪，而性质温且辛散，顺着火热之性来解除它是正确的。然而肺经最厌恶热邪，以热攻热，必定会损伤肺脏。我担心邪气去除而肺脏受伤。回答说：久咳则肺脏必定寒凉，用温性的药物来治疗寒证，那么肺脏将会受益，有什么可损伤的呢？
贝母，味道苦，气平、微寒，没有毒性。进入肺、胃、脾、心四经。消除热痰最为有利，停止久咳适宜使用，心中逆气多愁闷抑郁的可以解除，并治疗伤寒结胸的症状，治疗人面疮能够见效。难产与胞衣不下，调服于人参汤中最神奇。黄疸赤眼，消渴除烦，喉痹，疝瘕，都可以作为佐使药，但少用足以成功，多用或许会导致失败。适宜于阴虚火盛的人，不适宜于阳旺湿痰的人。世人不知道贝母与半夏，性质各自不同，害怕半夏的毒性，每每改用贝母。却不知道贝母消除热痰，而不能消除寒痰，半夏消除寒痰，而不能消除热痰。所以贝母遇到寒痰，就会更加增加其寒性；半夏遇到热痰，就会大大增添其热性。这两味药泾渭分明，怎么可以互相替代使用呢？前人辨析贝母入肺，而不入胃，半夏入脾胃，而不入肺经，这还不算了解贝母的深意啊。大概贝母进入肺、胃、脾、心四经，哪有不入脾、胃的道理呢。正是因为寒热不相适宜，所以不可互相替代使用。（〔批注〕辨析得入微尽妙。）
有人问贝母治疗人面疮，可信不可信呢？回答说：这是前人的有效案例，何必怀疑呢。然而有可疑的地方。人面疮，口能进食而面部表情愁苦，大概是有鬼祟依附了。驱除鬼祟必须解祟，为什么用贝母就能解决呢？我长久以来不得其解，后来在燕市遇到岐天师，另外传授治疗方法，这才领悟到贝母治疗人面疮，也是消除其痰而已。那些怪病大多起于痰，贝母消除痰，所以能痊愈。如果半夏也是消除痰的圣药，为什么治疗人面疮无效呢？不知道人面疮，是热痰结成热毒，半夏性质燥烈，用燥治热，更是增添热邪了。贝母是治疗热痰的圣药，以寒治热，而热毒自然消除，又有什么可怀疑的呢？
有人问贝母消除痰，消除的是热痰，然而火沸为痰，不是热吗？为什么用它却完全无效呢？回答说：火沸生痰，是肾中之火上沸，不是肺中之火上升。贝母只可以治疗肺中之火痰，不能化解肾中之火痰。岂止是不能化解肾中之火痰，而且还会动火而生痰。那肾中之火，不补水就不能清除，肾火之痰，也不补水就不能消除。贝母消除肺中之痰，必定会销铄肺中之气，肺虚则肾水化的源头枯竭了，怎么能生出肾水呢。肾水不生，则肾火不降。肾火不降，又怎么能健脾而消除痰呢？势必导致所用水谷不能化为精微而化为痰了。那么用贝母来治疗火沸为痰，不就像是添加柴薪希望止住沸腾的水吗？难怪多次使用都没有功效。
有人怀疑贝母不可以治疗火沸为痰的症状，我用它在六味丸中，也可以治疗这种症状吗？回答说：六味汤是治疗火沸为痰的圣药，加入贝母，就不效验了。因为火沸为痰，是肾中之真水上沸而成痰，不是肺中之津液上存而为痰。六味汤通过补水来止沸，而不是通过化痰来止火，倘若加入贝母，那么六味汤想要趋向肾中，而贝母又想留在肺内，两者相互牵制，那么药力必定停滞在不上不下的位置，痰既不消除，火又大炽，不更加助长其沸腾，反而增添咳嗽吗。因此贝母断不可放入六味汤丸之中，用于治疗火沸为痰的疾病。
Ziwan (Radix Asteris), with a bitter and pungent taste, is warm in nature and non-toxic. It enters the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian and concurrently enters the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. It primarily treats cough with rebellious Qi, accumulation of cold-heat obstructing Qi in the chest, removes gu poison (parasitic toxins), heals coughing up of pus and blood, stops wheezing and palpitations, addresses five consumptions and physical deficiency, and cures chronic cough. However, it can only be used as an assistant or guide herb, and cannot be used alone to achieve efficacy.
Someone asked Miu Zhongchun: Observing that Ziwan can open throat obstruction (hou bi) and extract foul saliva, its pungent dispersing power must be intense. Yet you also stated: Its nature is warm; lung diseases causing cough, rebellious Qi, wheezing, and cough are all symptoms of Yin deficiency with lung heat, so it should not be used in large doses. This seems to imply that Ziwan cannot be used to treat cough. I replied: Aside from treating cough, Ziwan originally has few other remarkable merits. In treating strangling wind (chan hou feng) and throat closure (hou bi), one precisely utilizes its ability to treat lung meridian cough with rebellious Qi and Yin deficiency lung heat. Why did Miu Zhongchun warn against this? Throat closure is invariably a condition of lower cold and upper heat. Ziwan is warm and pungently dispersing; by following the nature of fire and heat to resolve it, this is a "conforming treatment" (cong zhi) method, which is the most ingenious approach. Miu Zhongchun emphasizes the principle of Yin deficiency with fire agitation; why is he ignorant regarding Ziwan? This is what I, Chen Shiduo, do not understand.
Some argue: Ziwan treats lung heat, yet its nature is warm and pungently dispersing. Following the nature of fire and heat to resolve it is correct. However, the Lung Meridian abhors heat; using heat to attack heat will inevitably damage the lungs. I fear that while the pathogen is expelled, the lungs will be injured. I replied: Chronic cough implies the lungs must be cold; using warmth to treat cold benefits the lungs, so how can there be injury?
Beimu (Fritillariae Bulbus), with a bitter taste and neutral to slightly cold qi, is non-toxic. It enters the Lung, Stomach, Spleen, and Heart meridians. It is most beneficial for eliminating phlegm-heat, suitable for stopping chronic cough, resolves rebellious Qi in the heart accompanied by melancholy and depression, and treats the syndrome of cold damage with chest binding (jie xiong). It is effective in treating human-faced sores (ren mian chuang). For difficult labor and retained placenta, taken with Ginseng Decoction, it is miraculous. For jaundice, red eyes, thirst with vexation, throat obstruction, and hernia masses, it can serve as an assistant or guide herb; a small dose is sufficient for success, but a large dose may lead to failure. It is suitable for Yin deficiency with flourishing fire, but unsuitable for Yang excess with damp-phlegm. People of the world do not know that Beimu and Banxia have different natures. Fearing the toxicity of Banxia, they often substitute Beimu. They do not realize that Beimu eliminates phlegm-heat but cannot eliminate cold-phlegm, whereas Banxia eliminates cold-phlegm but cannot eliminate phlegm-heat. Thus, when Beimu encounters cold-phlegm, it increases the cold; when Banxia encounters phlegm-heat, it greatly adds to the heat. These two herbs are distinct as the Jing and Wei rivers; how can they be substituted for each other? Predecessors辨析ed that Beimu enters the Lung but not the Stomach, and Banxia enters the Spleen and Stomach but not the Lung Meridian; this still does not reveal the depth of Beimu. Since Beimu enters the Lung, Stomach, Spleen, and Heart meridians, how could it not enter the Spleen and Stomach? Precisely because their cold and heat natures are incompatible, they cannot be substituted. ([Commentary: The analysis is subtle and exquisite.])
Someone asked: Is it credible that Beimu treats human-faced sores? I replied: This is an effective case recorded by predecessors; why doubt it? However, there is something suspicious. Human-faced sores can eat with their mouths and look sorrowful on their faces, implying possession by spirits. To dispel spirits, one must resolve the possession. How can Beimu resolve this? I could not find the reason for a long time. Later, meeting Master Qi at the Yan market, who taught me another treatment method, I then realized that Beimu's treatment of human-faced sores is merely eliminating phlegm. Strange diseases mostly arise from phlegm; since Beimu eliminates phlegm, it can cure them. If Banxia is also a sage medicine for eliminating phlegm, why is it ineffective for human-faced sores? One does not know that human-faced sores are formed by phlegm-heat condensing into heat-toxin. Banxia is drying in nature; using dryness to treat heat adds more heat. Beimu is a sage medicine for treating phlegm-heat; using cold to treat heat causes the heat-toxin to dissipate naturally. What is there to doubt?
Someone asked: Beimu eliminates phlegm, specifically phlegm-heat. However, "fire boiling generates phlegm," which is not heat? Why is it completely ineffective when used? I replied: "Fire boiling generating phlegm" refers to fire boiling up from the Kidney, not fire rising from the Lung. Beimu can only treat fire-phlegm in the Lung, not fire-phlegm in the Kidney. Not only can it not transform Kidney fire-phlegm, but it also agitates fire and generates phlegm. Fire in the Kidney cannot be removed without nourishing water; phlegm from Kidney fire cannot be eliminated without nourishing water. Beimu eliminates phlegm in the Lung, which inevitably consumes Qi in the Lung. When the Lung is deficient, the source of transformation for Kidney Water is exhausted. How can Kidney Water be generated? If Kidney Water is not generated, Kidney Fire will not descend. If Kidney Fire does not descend, how can it strengthen the Spleen to eliminate phlegm? Consequently, ingested food and drink will fail to transform into essence and instead transform into phlegm. Therefore, using Beimu to treat "fire boiling generating phlegm" is like adding firewood hoping to stop boiling water. No wonder repeated use yields no efficacy.
Someone suspects: Beimu cannot treat conditions of "fire boiling generating phlegm." Can I use it within Liuwei Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) to treat such conditions? I replied: Liuwei Tang (Six-Ingredient Decoction) is a sage medicine for treating "fire boiling generating phlegm." Adding Beimu renders it ineffective. Because "fire boiling generating phlegm" is caused by true water in the Kidney boiling up to form phlegm, not by fluids accumulating in the Lung. Liuwei Tang stops the boiling by nourishing water, not by eliminating phlegm to stop fire. If Beimu is added, Liuwei Tang aims toward the Kidney, while Beimu aims to remain in the Lung. The two pull against each other, causing the medicinal force to stagnate between ascending and descending. Phlegm will not be eliminated, fire will blaze fiercely, further exacerbating the boiling, and even increasing coughing. Therefore, Beimu must absolutely not be included in Liuwei Tang or Wan when treating diseases of "fire boiling generating phlegm."