（蔓草）入胃升阳解肌退热生津
葛根（专入胃。兼入脾）。辛甘性平。轻扬升发。能入足扬明胃经鼓其胃气上行。生津
止渴。
（汪昂曰。风药多燥。葛根独能止渴者。以其能升胃气入肺而生津耳。）兼入脾经开腠发汗。
（脾主肌肉。）解肌退热。缘伤寒太阳病罢。传入阳明。则头循经而痛。胃被寒蔽。而气不
得
上升。入肺则渴。胃主肌肉。气不宣通则热。故当用此以治。俾其气升津生。肌解热退。（
因其体轻故解肌。因其气升故生津。）而无复传之势矣！（时珍曰。本草十剂云。轻可去实
。麻黄葛根之属。盖麻黄乃太阳经药。兼入肺经。肺主皮毛。葛根乃阳明经药。兼入脾经。
脾主肌肉。所以二味药皆轻扬发散。而所入迥然不同也。绣曰。麻黄入肺而不入脾。因其中
空象肺之故。葛根入脾而不入肺。因其体轻蔓延。周身通达象肌之故。）但葛根一味。必
其于头额侠之处（阳明经行于面额）。痛如刀劈。方谓邪传阳明。其药可用。（张元素曰。头
颅痛如刀破。乃阳明中风。可用葛根葱白汤。）若使未入阳明。又是引邪内入。不可用也。
即邪在于太阳而略见于阳明。则以方来之阳明为重。故必用葛根以绝其路。（仲景治太阳阳
明合病桂枝汤加葛根麻黄。又有葛根黄芩黄连解肌汤。是用以断太阳阳明之路。非太阳药也
。）若使阳明症备。而止兼有太阳。则又以未罢之太阳为重。故又不用葛根。且阳明主肌肉
者也。而用干葛大开肌肉。则津液尽从外泄。恐胃愈燥而阴立亡。至于疹痘未发。则可用此
升提。酒醉则可用此解酲。火郁则可用此升散。但亦须审中病辄止。（如丹溪云。治疟无汗
要有汗。散邪为主带补。有汗要无汗。扶正为主带散。若阳疟有汗。加参耆以敛之。无汗加
芩
葛苍术以发之。）不可过用。以致胃气有伤也。（如丹溪云。斑疹已见红点。不可更服升葛
汤。恐表虚反增斑烂。）
葛根（专门入胃经，兼入脾经）。味辛、甘，性平。质地轻扬，具有升发之性。能够进入足阳明胃经，鼓动胃气向上运行，从而生津止渴。（汪昂说：风药大多燥烈，唯独葛根能止渴，是因为它能提升胃气至肺脏而生津液。）同时进入脾经，开发腠理，发汗。（脾主肌肉。）解除肌表邪气，退热。这是因为伤寒太阳病证结束后，病邪传入阳明经，则头部沿着经络疼痛。胃被寒邪闭阻，气机不得上升，若入肺则口渴。胃主肌肉，气机不宣通则发热，所以应当用此药来治疗，使气机上升、津液生成，肌表邪解、热退，而没有病邪进一步传变的趋势了！（因为葛根质地轻，所以能解肌；因为它的药气上升，所以能生津。）（李时珍说：《本草十剂》记载：“轻可去实”，属于麻黄、葛根这类药物。大概麻黄是太阳经的药物，兼入肺经，肺主皮毛；葛根是阳明经的药物，兼入脾经，脾主肌肉。所以这两味药都具备轻扬发散的特性，但所入的经络却截然不同啊。我（黄宫绣）认为：麻黄入肺而不入脾，是因为其中空，象征肺的缘故；葛根入脾而不入肺，是因为它质地轻且蔓延，周身通达，象征肌肉的缘故。）但是，只有当患者头额两侧及面部（阳明经循行于面额部位）疼痛如刀劈一般时，才算是邪气传入阳明经，此时方可使用葛根。（张元素说：头颅疼痛如刀破，乃是阳明中风，可用葛根葱白汤。）如果病邪尚未传入阳明，使用葛根反而会引邪气内入，不可使用。即使邪气尚在太阳经，但略微显现出阳明经的症状，则以即将传入的阳明经为重，所以必须用葛根来阻断病邪传变的路径。（张仲景治疗太阳阳明合病，在桂枝汤中加入葛根、麻黄；又有葛根黄芩黄连汤用于解肌，这是用来切断太阳与阳明之间病邪传变路径的，并非单纯的太阳经药物。）如果阳明经症状完备，而仅仅兼有太阳经症状，则以尚未痊愈的太阳经为重，所以又不使用葛根。况且阳明经主司肌肉，如果使用干葛大开肌肉腠理，那么津液就会全部从体表泄出，恐怕胃会更加干燥，阴液立刻消亡。至于疹痘尚未发出时，可以用此药升提透发；酒醉时可以用此药解酒醒神；火郁证时可以用此药升散郁火。但也必须审察病情，中病即止。（如朱丹溪说：治疗疟疾无汗时要有汗，以散邪为主兼带补益；有汗时要无汗，以扶正为主兼带散邪。如果是阳疟且有汗，加人参、黄芪以收敛；无汗加黄芩、葛根、苍术以发汗。）不可过度使用，以免损伤胃气。（如朱丹溪说：斑疹已经出现红点，不可再服用升葛汤，恐怕表虚反而增加斑烂的程度。）
(Manscao) enters the Stomach channel, raises Yang Qi, resolves the muscle layer, reduces fever, and generates body fluids.
Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix) (specifically enters the Stomach channel, and concurrently enters the Spleen channel). Pungent, sweet, and neutral in nature. It is light and ascending, capable of entering the Foot-Yangming Stomach channel to stimulate Stomach Qi to ascend, thereby generating body fluids and relieving thirst. (Wang Ang stated: Wind-dispelling herbs are mostly drying; Gegen alone can relieve thirst because it can raise Stomach Qi to the Lung to generate body fluids.) It concurrently enters the Spleen channel, opens the interstices (Cou Li), and induces sweating. (The Spleen governs the muscles.) It resolves the muscle layer and reduces fever. This is because when a Cold Damage Taiyang disease pattern concludes and transmits to the Yangming channel, pain follows the channel pathway in the head. The Stomach is obstructed by cold, preventing Qi from ascending; if it affects the Lung, thirst occurs. The Stomach governs the muscles; when Qi is not freely circulating, heat arises. Therefore, this herb should be used to treat such conditions, allowing Qi to ascend and fluids to generate, resolving the muscle layer and reducing fever, thus preventing further transmission of the pathogen! (Because its substance is light, it resolves the muscle layer; because its energetic action is ascending, it generates body fluids.) (Li Shizhen stated: *Bencao Shiji* says, "Light substances can remove excess," belonging to herbs like Mahuang and Gegen. Generally, Mahuang is a Taiyang channel herb that also enters the Lung channel, and the Lung governs the skin and hair; Gegen is a Yangming channel herb that also enters the Spleen channel, and the Spleen governs the muscles. Thus, both herbs possess light and dispersing properties, yet they enter completely different channels. I (Huang Gongxiu) say: Mahuang enters the Lung but not the Spleen because its hollow structure resembles the Lung; Gegen enters the Spleen but not the Lung because its light, spreading nature permeates the whole body, resembling the muscles.) However, Gegen should only be used when there is severe pain in the forehead and temples (areas where the Yangming channel traverses the face and forehead) as if split by a knife, indicating that the pathogen has transmitted to the Yangming channel. Only then can Gegen be applied. (Zhang Yuansu stated: Headache feeling like the skull is splitting indicates Yangming wind-stroke, for which Gegen Congbai Tang may be used.) If the pathogen has not yet entered the Yangming channel, using Gegen would instead draw the pathogen inward, and it must not be used. Even if the pathogen remains in the Taiyang channel but shows slight signs of involving the Yangming channel, priority is given to the impending Yangming involvement; therefore, Gegen must be used to block the path of transmission. (Zhang Zhongjing treated concurrent Taiyang and Yangming diseases by adding Gegen and Mahuang to Guizhi Tang; he also formulated Gegen Huangqin Huanglian Tang for resolving the muscle layer. These are used to cut off the path of transmission between Taiyang and Yangming, and are not merely Taiyang channel drugs.) Conversely, if Yangming symptoms are complete while only slightly involving the Taiyang channel, priority is given to the unresolved Taiyang condition, so Gegen is not used. Furthermore, since the Yangming channel governs the muscles, using raw Gegen to excessively open the muscles would cause all body fluids to leak out through the exterior, potentially leading to greater stomach dryness and immediate depletion of Yin. Regarding rashes and smallpox that have not yet erupted, this herb can be used to lift and vent them; for alcohol intoxication, it can be used to resolve hangovers; for fire stagnation, it can be used to lift and disperse. However, one must carefully assess the condition and stop once the disease is addressed. (As Zhu Danxi said: To treat malaria without sweat, induce sweating with an emphasis on dispelling pathogens while supporting deficiency; to treat malaria with sweat, stop sweating with an emphasis on supporting righteousness while dispelling pathogens. For Yang-type malaria with sweat, add Renshen and Huangqi to consolidate; for no sweat, add Huangqin, Gegen, and Cangzhu to induce sweating.) Do not overuse it to avoid damaging Stomach Qi. (As Zhu Danxi said: Once macules and papules appear as red spots, do not continue administering Shengge Tang, as exterior deficiency may worsen the ulceration of the rash.)