连翘，味苦，气平、微寒，性轻而浮，升也，阳也，无毒。入少阴心经，手足少阳、阳
明。
泻心中客热，脾胃湿热殊效，去痈毒，寸白蛔虫，疮科攸赖。通月经，下五淋，散诸经
血凝
气聚。但可佐使，非君臣主药，可用之以攻邪，不可恃之以补正，亦可有可无之品。近人无
论虚实，一概乱投，为可哂焉。
或问连翘为升科要药，是亦药中之甘草也，吾子以为可有可无，何也？连翘实不足轻重
也。
盖败毒必须用甘草；化毒必须用金银花；消毒必须用矾石；清毒必须加用芩、连、栀子；杀
毒必须加用大黄。是治毒之法，无一件可劳连翘，无之不加重，有之不减轻。但有之以为佐
使，则攻邪有力，又未必无小补也。
射干，味苦，气平，微温，阴中阳也，无毒。入肺、肝、脾三经。散结气，平痈毒，逐
瘀血
，通月经，止喉痹气痛，祛口热臭秽，化湿痰、湿热，平风邪作喘殊效，仍治胸满气胀，咳
嗽气结。此物治外感风火湿热痰症，可以为君，但可暂用，而不可久用者也。久用只可为佐
使矣。
或问射干治外感痰喘，喉中作水鸡声者，必用射干汤治之，是射干必用之需明矣。但云
可暂
用而不可久用者，何也？夫喘症，未必有不伤气者，肺气为邪之所伤，风痰随挟之而上冲。
射干入肺，而能散气中之结，故风痰遇之而消。但有结则散
结，无结则散气。肺气前为风痰所伤，复为射干所损，势必实喘而实为虚喘矣也。人不悟其
故，以为从前射干之能定喘也，更用射干治之，不益伤肺气乎。此予所以谓可暂用，而不可
久用也。推之他病，何独不然矣。
连翘，味道苦，气性平和、微寒，药性轻扬而浮散，具有升发之性，属于阳经药物，没有毒性。进入手少阴心经以及手足少阳经、阳明经。
它能清除心中客居的热邪，对脾胃湿热有显著疗效，能消除痈肿毒邪，治疗寸白虫（绦虫）和蛔虫，是外科疮疡科所依赖的药物。它能疏通月经，消除五种淋证（石淋、血淋、膏淋、劳淋、热淋），消散各经络中气血的凝滞和气机的郁结。但是，它只能作为佐药或使药使用，不能作为君药或臣药的主攻药物；可以用它来攻逐邪气，不能依靠它来补益正气，因此也可以说是一种可有可无的药物。近代人不论患者体质虚实，一概胡乱投用，真是令人讥笑。
有人问：连翘是升发科目的要药，也是药物中的甘草（指调和诸药），您却认为它可有可无，为什么呢？连翘实际上并不起决定性作用。
大概而言，败解毒邪必须用甘草；化解毒邪必须用金银花；消毒邪必须用矾石；清解毒邪必须加用黄芩、黄连、栀子；杀解毒邪必须加用大黄。所以治疗毒邪的方法中，没有哪一样需要连翘，没有它不会加重病情，有了它也不会减轻病情。只有把它作为佐药或使药时，攻逐邪气才更有力量，这或许也有一点小补益的作用。
射干，味道苦，气性平和，微温，属于阴中有阳的药物，没有毒性。进入肺、肝、脾三经。它能消散结聚之气，平复痈肿毒邪，驱逐瘀血，疏通月经，止住喉痹引起的气痛，祛除口中热气及秽浊气味，化解湿痰和湿热，平息因风邪引起的喘息有显著疗效，仍然能治疗胸满气胀、咳嗽气机郁结。这种药物治疗外感风火湿热痰症，可以作为君药使用，但只能暂时使用，不可以长期使用。长期使用就只能作为佐药或使药了。
有人问：射干治疗外感引起的痰喘，喉咙里发出像青蛙叫一样的声音时，必须用射干汤来治疗，这说明射干是必用的药物，这是明确的。但为什么说可以暂时使用而不可以长期使用呢？喘息病症，未必有不损伤正气的，肺气被邪气所伤，风痰随之挟带向上冲逆。射干入肺经，能够消散气中的结滞，所以风痰遇到它就会消散。但是，有结滞它就消散结滞，没有结滞它就耗散正气。肺气先前已被风痰所伤，再次被射干所损耗，势必导致实证喘息最终转化为虚证喘息。人们不明白其中的缘故，认为以前射干能定喘，就继续用射干来治疗，这不是更加损伤肺气吗？这就是我所说的可以暂时使用，而不可以长期使用的原因。推及其他疾病，难道唯独不是这样吗？
Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus), with a bitter taste and neutral, slightly cold nature, possesses a light and floating quality, exhibiting ascending properties; it belongs to the Yang aspect and is non-toxic. It enters the Shaoyin Heart Meridian, as well as the Hand-Shaoyang, Foot-Shaoyang, and Yangming meridians.
It clears guest-heat in the heart, is particularly effective for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, eliminates carbuncle toxins, treats Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) and Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), and is relied upon by dermatological practitioners. It unblocks menstruation, reduces the five types of strangury (Shi, Xue, Gao, Lao, Re Lin), and disperses blood stasis and Qi stagnation in various meridians. However, it can only serve as an assistant or guide herb (Zuo Shi), not as a sovereign or minister herb; it may be used to attack pathogenic factors but should not be relied upon to tonify healthy Qi. Thus, it can be considered an optional ingredient. In recent times, people indiscriminately prescribe it regardless of deficiency or excess conditions, which is laughable.
One might ask: Lianqiao is a key herb for ascending disorders and is likened to Licorice Root (Gancao) among herbs; why do you consider it dispensable? Lianqiao actually holds little weight.
Generally speaking, to defeat toxins, one must use Gancao (Licorice Root); to resolve toxins, one must use Yinhua (Honeysuckle Flower); to disinfect, one must use Fanshi (Alum); to clear toxins, one must add Huangqin (Scutellaria Root), Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome), and Zhizi (Gardenia Fruit); to kill toxins, one must add Dahuang (Rhubarb Root). Therefore, none of the methods for treating toxins require Lianqiao; its absence does not worsen the condition, nor does its presence alleviate it. Only when used as an assistant or guide herb does it strengthen the attack on pathogens, offering perhaps a minor benefit.
Shegan (Belamcanda Rhizome), with a bitter taste and neutral, slightly warm nature, represents Yang within Yin, and is non-toxic. It enters the Lung, Liver, and Spleen meridians. It dissipates Qi nodules, calms carbuncle toxins, drives out blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, relieves Qi pain caused by throat obstruction (Hou Bi), removes foul breath due to oral heat, transforms damp-phlegm and damp-heat, and is highly effective in calming wind-induced asthma. It also treats chest fullness, abdominal distension, cough, and Qi knotting. This herb can serve as the sovereign herb for external contraction involving wind, fire, damp-heat, and phlegm syndromes, but it should only be used temporarily and not for long periods. Long-term use restricts it to the role of an assistant or guide herb.
One might ask: Shegan is essential for treating external contraction-induced phlegmatic asthma characterized by a frog-like sound in the throat, necessitating the use of Shegan Tang, proving its necessity. Why then is it said that it can be used temporarily but not long-term? Asthma syndromes invariably injure Qi; when Lung Qi is damaged by pathogens, wind-phlegm rises along with them. Shegan enters the Lung meridian and can dissipate Qi knots, causing wind-phlegm to disperse upon contact. However, where there are knots, it dissipates them; where there are no knots, it scatters Qi. Since Lung Qi was previously injured by wind-phlegm, further damage by Shegan will inevitably transform an excess asthma into a deficiency asthma. People fail to understand this mechanism; believing that since Shegan previously stopped asthma, they continue to use it, thereby further injuring Lung Qi. This is why I stated it can be used temporarily but not long-term. By analogy, this applies to other diseases as well.