（山草）肺火薰蒸
沙参（专入肺）。甘苦而淡。性寒体轻。故能入肺以泄热。及泻肺火。凡久嗽肺萎。金
受火克
者。服此最宜。盖以热气熏蒸。非用甘苦轻淡。不能以制焚烁之势。故嗽必借此止。若寒客
肺中作嗽。切勿妄用。以嗽既属寒成。复以寒药为治。不更使寒益甚乎？至书有言补肺养肝
。及益脾肾。皆是从肺子母受累推究而出。服此肺不受刑。子母皆安。即肝亦不受累。诸脏
并见安和耳。非真能以补阴也。（热在于肺宜用。肺热清而阴不受累。故书言人参补五脏之
阳。沙参补五脏之阴。）凡书所载药性补泻。类多如斯。不独沙参为然。似人参而体轻松白
实者良。生沙地长大。生黄土者瘦小。恶防己。反藜芦。
（稷粟）清肺热除脾湿
薏苡仁（专入肺脾胃）。书载上清肺热。下理脾湿。以其色白入肺。性寒泻热。味甘入
脾。味
淡渗湿故也。然此升少降多。凡虚火上乘。而见肺痿肺痈。因热生湿。而见水肿湿痹。香港脚
疝
气。泄痢热淋。并风热筋急拘挛等症。皆能利水而使筋不纵弛。（筋为厥阴所主。而亦藉于
阳明胃土以为长养。盖阳明胃土。内无湿热以淫。则肺上不熏蒸焦叶。而宗筋亦润。宗筋润
则筋骨束而机关利。所以痿厥多因肺热焦叶。机关不利。而治痿则独取于阳明。故薏苡清热
除湿。实为治痿要药。震亨曰。寒则筋急。热则筋缩。急因于坚强。缩因于短促。若受湿则
弛。弛则引长。然寒与湿。未尝不挟热。三者皆因于湿。然外湿非内湿启之不能成病。故湿
之为病。因酒而鱼肉继之。甘滑陈久烧炙并辛香。皆致湿之因也。筋急寒热皆有。因热筋急
。当用薏苡清热除湿。因寒筋急。法当散寒除湿。似不宜用薏苡泻热之剂。汪昂不然衍义之
说。亦非确论。）非若白术气味苦温。寒性不见。号为补脾要药矣。此止清热利水之味。用
于汤剂。性力和缓。须倍他药。若津枯便秘。阴寒转筋。及有孕妇女。不宜妄用。以性专下
泄也。杀蛔取根同糯米炒熟。或盐汤煮过用。
（山草类）肺火熏蒸
沙参（专入肺经）。味甘、苦而淡。性质寒凉，质地轻清。因此能够进入肺经以清除热邪，并泻除肺火。凡是久咳导致肺叶枯萎，或因金（肺）受火（心/热邪）克制的人，服用此药最为适宜。因为热气熏蒸，如果不使用甘苦轻淡的药物，就不能遏制焚烧灼热的病势。所以咳嗽必须借此药才能停止。如果是寒邪客居肺中引起的咳嗽，千万不要胡乱使用。既然咳嗽属于寒证成因，再用寒性药物治疗，岂不是让寒气更加严重吗？至于书中说它能补肺养肝，以及益脾肾，都是从肺与子母脏腑相互牵连的道理推究出来的。服用此药后，肺不受刑伤，子母脏腑都安宁，就连肝也不受牵连，各脏腑都呈现安和的状态。这并不是真正能补阴。（热邪在肺宜用此药。肺热清除而阴液不受累及，所以书中说人参补五脏之阳，沙参补五脏之阴。）凡书籍所载药物的补泻性质，大多如此，不只是沙参这样。外形像人参但体质轻松、颜色白且坚实的是好药。生长在沙地上的长得高大，生长在黄土上的瘦小。畏忌防己，反藜芦。
薏苡仁（专入肺、脾、胃经）。书中记载上能清肺热，下能理脾湿。这是因为它色白入肺，性质寒凉能泻热；味甘入脾，味淡能渗湿的缘故。然而它升提作用少而降泄作用多。凡是虚火上炎，出现肺痿、肺痈；因热生湿，出现水肿、湿痹、香港脚、疝气、泄痢、热淋，以及风热导致的筋脉拘急挛缩等症状，都能通过利水使筋脉不致松弛纵缓。（筋脉由厥阴肝所主，但也依赖阳明胃土来滋养。如果阳明胃土内部没有湿热浸淫，那么肺上部就不会熏蒸焦枯肺叶，宗筋也会滋润。宗筋滋润则筋骨约束有力，关节滑利。所以痿证多因肺热焦枯，关节不利，而治疗痿证独取阳明经。因此薏苡仁清热除湿，确实是治疗痿证的重要药物。朱震亨说：寒则筋脉紧急，热则筋脉收缩。紧急是因为筋脉坚强，收缩是因为筋脉短促。如果受湿邪则筋脉弛缓，弛缓则引长。然而寒与湿，未尝不夹杂热邪。这三种情况都因于湿。但是外湿不是由内湿引发是不能成病的，所以湿邪致病，往往是因为饮酒而后又吃鱼肉，甘甜滑腻、陈久发酵、烧炙以及辛香食物，都是导致湿邪的原因。筋脉紧急既有寒也有热，因热导致的筋脉紧急，应当用薏苡仁清热除湿；因寒导致的筋脉紧急，法当散寒除湿，似乎不宜使用薏苡仁这种泻热的药剂。汪昂不同意《衍义》的说法，但这也不是确切的结论。）不像白术气味苦温，没有寒性，号称是补脾的要药。薏苡仁只是清热利水的药物，用于汤剂时，药性和缓，需要加倍其他药物用量。如果是津液枯竭导致便秘，阴寒导致的转筋，以及孕妇，不宜胡乱使用，因为其性质专门向下泄降。杀蛔虫取根部同糯米炒熟，或者用盐汤煮过后使用。
(Mountain Herbs) Lung Fire Steaming
Sha Shen (Adenophorae Radix / Glehniae Radix) [Sha Shen (Glehnia Root)] (Exclusively enters the Lung meridian). It is sweet, bitter, and bland in flavor. Its nature is cold and its substance is light. Therefore, it can enter the Lung to drain heat and purge Lung fire. For those suffering from chronic cough leading to lung atrophy (Fei Wei), or where Metal (Lung) is overcome by Fire (Heart/Heat pathogen), taking this herb is most suitable. This is because when hot qi steams and roasts, without using sweet, bitter, light, and bland herbs, one cannot control the scorching intensity. Thus, cough must be stopped with the aid of this herb. If cough is caused by cold pathogens lodging in the Lung, do not use it recklessly. Since the cough arises from cold, treating it with cold medicines would only exacerbate the cold. As for books stating that it tonifies the Lung and nourishes the Liver, as well as benefits the Spleen and Kidney, these deductions are derived from the mutual influence between the Lung and its mother-child organs. After taking this herb, the Lung is not subjected to punishment, the mother and child organs are at peace, and even the Liver is not affected, with all viscera appearing harmonious. This does not mean it truly tonifies Yin. (It is suitable when heat resides in the Lung. Once Lung heat is cleared, Yin is not impaired; hence, books state that Ren Shen tonifies the Yang of the five Zang organs, while Sha Shen tonifies their Yin.) The properties of tonification and purgation described in books are mostly like this, not just limited to Sha Shen. Those resembling Ren Shen but being lighter in texture, white in color, and solid in substance are good. Those grown in sandy soil grow large, while those in yellow earth grow small. It is incompatible with Fang Ji and opposes Li Lu.
(Grains) Clearing Lung Heat and Removing Spleen Dampness
Yi Yi Ren (Coicis Semen) [Job's Tears Seed] (Exclusively enters the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach meridians). Books record that it clears Lung heat above and regulates Spleen dampness below. This is because its white color enters the Lung, its cold nature drains heat, its sweet flavor enters the Spleen, and its bland taste leaches out dampness. However, its ascending action is slight while its descending action is predominant. It can benefit water metabolism and prevent tendons from becoming flaccid and lax in cases such as floating deficiency fire rising manifesting as lung atrophy or lung abscess; heat generating dampness manifesting as edema, damp-bi, Hong Kong foot (podagra/gout-like symptoms), hernia, diarrhea/dysentery, hot strangury, and wind-heat causing tendon spasm and contracture. (Tendons are governed by the Jueyin Liver but also rely on the Yangming Stomach Earth for nourishment. If there is no damp-heat overflowing within the Yangming Stomach Earth, the upper Lung will not steam and scorch the lung leaves, and the Zong Jin (major tendons) will be moist. When Zong Jin is moist, bones and tendons are bound tightly, and joints move freely. Therefore, Wei syndrome often results from Lung heat scorching the leaves and joint dysfunction, so treating Wei syndrome focuses exclusively on the Yangming meridian. Thus, Yi Yi Ren clearing heat and removing dampness is indeed a key herb for treating Wei syndrome. Zhu Zhenheng said: Cold causes tendon tightness, heat causes tendon contraction. Tightness stems from rigidity, contraction stems from shortening. If affected by dampness, tendons become flaccid and elongated. However, cold and dampness are not devoid of accompanying heat. All three conditions stem from dampness. Yet, external dampness cannot cause disease unless initiated by internal dampness. Therefore, diseases caused by dampness often result from drinking alcohol followed by eating fish and meat; sweet, slippery, aged, fermented, roasted, and spicy-aromatic foods are all causes of dampness. Tendon tightness can be due to either cold or heat. For tightness due to heat, Yi Yi Ren should be used to clear heat and remove dampness; for tightness due to cold, the method should be to scatter cold and remove dampness, and it seems inappropriate to use Yi Yi Ren, a heat-draining agent. Wang Ang disagreed with the theory in Yan Yi, but this is not necessarily a definitive conclusion.) It is unlike Bai Zhu, which has a bitter-warm aroma, lacks cold properties, and is hailed as a key herb for tonifying the Spleen. Yi Yi Ren is merely an herb for clearing heat and promoting urination. When used in decoctions, its action is mild and gentle, requiring doubling the dosage of other herbs. It should not be used recklessly in cases of dry fluids with constipation, Yin-cold causing muscle cramps, or pregnant women, because its nature is specifically downward-draining. To kill roundworms, take the root, stir-fry it with sticky rice until cooked, or boil it in salted water before use.