（麻麦稻）降气宽肠消积
荞麦（专入肠胃）。味甘性寒。治能降气宽肠。消积去秽。凡白带白浊泄痢。痘疮溃烂。
汤火
灼伤。气盛湿热等症。是其所宜。且炒焦热水冲服。以治绞肠痧腹痛。醋调涂之。以治小儿
丹毒赤肿亦妙。盖以味甘入肠。性寒泻热。气动而降。能使五脏滓滞。皆炼而去也。（俗言
一年沉积在肠胃者即去也。）若使脾胃虚弱。不堪服食。食则令人头眩。作面和猪羊肉食。
食则令人须眉脱落。又不可合黄鱼以食。皆是其性动降之故。（时珍曰。荞麦最降气宽肠。
故能炼肠胃滓滞。而治浊带泄痢腹痛上气之疾。气盛有湿热者宜之。）麦秆烧灰淋汁。即碱
。用化锻石。能去靥肉。
平泻者。从轻酌泻之意也。凡人脏气不固。或犯实邪不泻。则养虎胎患。过泻则真元有
损。
故仅酌其微苦微寒。至平至轻之剂以进。如泻脾胃虚热。不必过用硝黄。但取石斛轻淡以泻
脾。茅根以泻胃。柿蒂以敛胃蕴热邪。粳米甘米甘凉以固中而已。泻肺不必进用黄芩知母。
但用沙参清肺火热。百部除肺寒郁。百合清肺余热。薏苡仁清肺理湿。枇杷叶清肺下气。金
银花清肺解毒而已。泻肝不必进用胆草青黛。但用鳖甲入肝清血积热。消劳除蒸。旱莲草入
肝凉血。青蒿草清三焦阴火。伏留骨节。白芍入肝敛气。钩藤入肝清热除风而已。泻心不必
黄连山栀。但用麦冬清心以宁肺。连翘清心以解毒。竹叶清心以涤烦。萱草清心以醒忧利水
。郁金入心以散瘀。丹参入心以破血而已。泻肾不必进用黄柏童便知母。但用丹皮以除无汗
骨
蒸。地骨皮以除有汗骨蒸而已。至于调剂阴阳。则或用以阴阳水止嗽消渴。解毒则或用以荠
。散瘀行血则或用以蒲黄没药苦酒。开郁则或用以木贼蒙花谷精草而已。凡此虽属平剂。
但用之得宜。自有起死回生之力。未可忽为浅常已也！
荞麦（专门作用于肠胃）。味道甘甜，性质寒凉。治疗功效在于降气宽肠，消除积滞，去除秽浊。凡是白带、白浊、泄泻痢疾、痘疮溃烂、汤火灼伤、气盛湿热等症状，都是它适宜治疗的范畴。并且将其炒焦后用热水冲服，可以治疗绞肠痧引起的腹痛；用醋调匀涂抹患处，治疗小儿丹毒赤肿也非常奇妙。这是因为味甘入肠，性寒能泻热，气机主动而下行，能使五脏的滓滞都被炼化排出。（俗语说：一年沉积在肠胃中的废物都能随之清除。）如果脾胃虚弱，则不堪服用，食用后会导致头晕目眩；如果用荞麦面与猪羊肉同食，食用后会导致胡须眉毛脱落；又不可与黄鱼一起食用，这些都是因为它药性动而降泄的缘故。（李时珍说：荞麦最能降气宽肠，所以能炼化肠胃中的滓滞，从而治疗浊带、泄痢、腹痛、上气等疾患，气盛且有湿热者适宜服用。）麦秆烧成灰淋出的汁液，就是碱，用来溶解化锻石，能够去除疣肉赘生物。
所谓“平泻”，是指从轻处斟酌泻下的意思。大凡人体脏气不固，或者遭受实邪侵袭而不宜峻泻，否则会养虎为患（留下后患）；但如果泻下太过，则会损伤真元。因此，只酌情选用微苦、微寒、性质平和且轻灵的药剂来进补治疗。例如泻除脾胃的虚热，不必过度使用芒硝、大黄，只需取石斛之轻淡以泻脾热，茅根以泻胃热，柿蒂以收敛胃中蕴藏的邪热，粳米甘凉以固护中气罢了。泻肺不必进用黄芩、知母，只需使用沙参清肺火热，百部除肺寒郁结，百合清肺余热，薏苡仁清肺理湿，枇杷叶清肺下气，金银花清肺解毒罢了。泻肝不必进用龙胆草、青黛，只需使用鳖甲入肝清血分积热，消除劳热骨蒸，旱莲草入肝凉血，青蒿草清三焦阴火，伏留于骨节之间，白芍入肝敛气，钩藤入肝清热除风罢了。泻心不必用黄连、山栀，只需使用麦冬清心以宁肺，连翘清心以解毒，竹叶清心以涤除烦闷，萱草清心以醒忧利水，郁金入心以散瘀，丹参入心以破血罢了。泻肾不必进用黄柏、童便、知母，只需使用牡丹皮以除无汗骨蒸，地骨皮以除有汗骨蒸罢了。至于调剂阴阳，则有的用以阴阳水止嗽消渴，解毒则有的用以荠菜，散瘀行血则有的用以蒲黄、没药、苦酒，开郁则有的用以木贼、密蒙花、谷精草罢了。凡此种种虽然属于平和之剂，但只要使用得当，自有起死回生的力量，不可轻视认为是浅显平常之物啊！
(Hemp seed, Wheat, Rice) possess the functions of descending Qi, widening the intestines, and eliminating accumulations.
Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) (specifically enters the Stomach and Intestines). Its taste is sweet, and its nature is cold. Its therapeutic efficacy lies in descending Qi, widening the intestines, eliminating accumulations, and removing turbidity. It is suitable for treating conditions such as leukorrhea, white turbid discharge, diarrhea and dysentery, ulceration of smallpox lesions, burns from hot liquids or fire, and syndromes characterized by excess Qi with damp-heat. Furthermore, when stir-fried until charred and taken with hot water, it can treat abdominal pain caused by "Jiao Chang Sha" (intestinal colic); when mixed with vinegar and applied topically, it is also excellent for treating erysipelas and red swelling in children. This is because its sweet taste enters the intestines, and its cold nature clears heat; its Qi moves downward, enabling the turbid residues in the five Zang organs to be refined and expelled. (As the common saying goes: waste accumulated in the intestines and stomach for a year can be cleared.) However, if the Spleen and Stomach are weak, it should not be consumed; ingestion may cause dizziness. Consuming it mixed with flour alongside pork or mutton may lead to hair loss of the beard and eyebrows. It should not be eaten together with yellow croaker fish. All these adverse effects are due to its moving and descending nature. (Li Shizhen stated: Tartary buckwheat is most effective at descending Qi and widening the intestines, thus refining turbid residues in the gastrointestinal tract and treating disorders such as turbid leukorrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain, and rebellious Qi. It is suitable for those with excess Qi and damp-heat.) The ash obtained from burning wheat straw, when leached with water, yields alkali, which can be used to dissolve calcined magnesium carbonate (Hua Duan Shi), capable of removing skin tags or warts.
The term "Ping Xie" (Mild Purging/Draining) refers to the concept of purging gently and cautiously. Generally, if the internal Qi of the Zang organs is insecure, or if one is afflicted by excess pathogens that do not require aggressive purging, harsh treatment may nurture the tiger's cub (i.e., create future troubles); conversely, excessive purging will damage the True Yuan (Original Qi). Therefore, only mild agents with slightly bitter and cold properties, which are extremely平和 (balanced) and light, are selected for administration. For instance, to drain deficient heat from the Spleen and Stomach, there is no need to overuse Mang Xiao (Mirabilite) or Da Huang (Rhubarb); instead, one may simply use Shi Hu (Dendrobium) for its light and bland nature to drain Spleen heat, Mao Gen (Imperata Rhizome) to drain Stomach heat, Shi Di (Persimmon Calyx) to astringe latent pathogenic heat in the Stomach, and Jing Mi (Glutinous Rice) for its sweet and cool nature to secure the Middle Jiao. To drain Lung heat, there is no need to employ Huang Qin (Scutellaria Root) or Zhi Mu (Anemarrhena Rhizome); rather, one may use Sha Shen (Glehnia Root) to clear Lung fire, Bai Bu (Stemona Root) to resolve Lung cold stagnation, Bai He (Lily Bulb) to clear residual Lung heat, Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed) to clear the Lung and regulate dampness, Pi Pa Ye (Loquat Leaf) to clear the Lung and descend Qi, and Yin Hua (Honeysuckle Flower) to clear the Lung and detoxify. To drain Liver heat, there is no need to use Dan Cao (Gentian Root) or Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis); instead, one may use Bie Jia (Turtle Shell) entering the Liver to clear blood stasis and heat, eliminating consumption fever and bone-steaming sensations; Han Lian Cao (Eclipta Herb) entering the Liver to cool the blood; Qing Hao (Artemisia Annua) clearing Yin fire of the San Jiao, lingering in the joints; Bai Shao (White Peony Root) entering the Liver to astringe Qi; and Gou Teng (Uncaria Ramulus) entering the Liver to clear heat and dispel wind. To drain Heart heat, there is no need to use Huang Lian (Coptis Rhizome) or Shan Zhi (Gardenia Fruit); instead, one may use Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber) to clear the Heart and calm the Lung; Lian Qiao (Forsythia Fruit) to clear the Heart and detoxify; Zhu Ye (Bamboo Leaf) to clear the Heart and wash away vexation; Xuan Cao (Daylily Rhizome) to clear the Heart, alleviate sorrow, and promote urination; Yu Jin (Curcuma Aromatica Rhizome) entering the Heart to dissipate blood stasis; and Dan Shen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root) entering the Heart to break blood stasis. To drain Kidney heat, there is no need to use Huang Bo (Phellodendron Bark), Tong Bian (Human Urine), or Zhi Mu; instead, one may use Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex) to eliminate bone-steaming without sweating, and Di Gu Pi (Lycium Bark) to eliminate bone-steaming with sweating. As for regulating Yin and Yang, some are used with Yin-Yang Water to stop coughing and relieve thirst; for detoxification, some are used as Ji Cai (Shepherd's Purse); for dissipating stasis and promoting blood circulation, some are used as Pu Huang (Typha Pollen), Mo Yao (Myrrh), and Ku Jiu (Vinegar); for opening depression, some are used as Mu Zei (Equisetum Hiemale), Meng Hua (Buddleja Flower), and Gu Jing Cao (Centipeda Herb). Although all these belong to mild formulas, if applied appropriately, they possess the power to revive the dying. They must not be dismissed as trivial or ordinary!