气微温。味辛。有小毒。主胸胁痛如刀刺。腹满。肠鸣幽幽。惊恐悸气。
桔梗气微温。禀天初春稚阳之木气。入足少阳胆经。味辛有小毒。得地西方阴惨之金味。
入
手太阴肺经。气味俱升。阳也。胸者肺之分也。胁者胆之分也。胆气不升。肺气不降。则滞
于胸胁。痛如刀刺矣。其主之者。辛以散之。温以达之也。足之三阴。从足走腹。太阴行气
于三阴者也。肺亦太阴。通调上下。相传之职。太阴不能通调。则腹饱满矣。其主之者。辛
以调气。温以行气也。大肠者燥金之腑也。大肠湿热。则鸣幽幽。肺与大肠为表里。桔梗辛
以益肺。肺通调水道。则湿热行而肠鸣自止。胆为中正之官。胆者担也。胆气伤。则不能担
当而惊恐悸矣。桔梗辛温。则扶苏条达。遂其生发之性。复其果敢之职。而惊恐悸自平也。
制 方:
桔梗同贝母、巴霜。名结胸汤。治痰在中焦。同人参、北味、麦冬。治小便不通。同枳
壳。
治胸满不痛。同甘草。名甘桔汤。治肺痈。 同生姜。治妊娠中恶心腹痛。
气平。微寒。味苦。无毒。主风湿寒热邪气。热结黄胆。久服轻身益气。耐老。
面白悦。长年。
茵陈气平微寒。禀天秋平冬寒金水之气。入手太阴肺经、足太阳寒水膀胱经。味苦无毒。
得
地
南方之火味。入手少阴心经。气味俱降。阴也。风为阳邪。湿为阴邪。风湿在太阳。阳邪发
热。阴邪发寒也。其主之者。气寒清热。味苦燥湿也。心为君火。火郁太阴。则肺不能通调
水道。下输膀胱。而热与湿结矣。太阴乃湿土之经。所以蒸土色于皮毛而成黄胆也。其主之
者。苦平可以清心肺。微寒可以解湿热也。久服则燥胜。所以身轻。平寒清肺。肺主气。所
以益气。心主血。味苦清心。清则血充华面。所以耐老。而面白可悦也。心为十二官之主。
心安十二官皆安。所以长年也。
制 方:
茵陈同川莲、干葛、黄柏、苡仁、北味。治酒疸。同二术、茯苓、泽泻、车前、木通、
陈皮
、神曲、红曲。治谷疸。同生地、石斛、木瓜、牛膝、黄柏。治女劳疸。
【桔梗】
气味微温，味辛，有小毒。主治胸胁疼痛如刀刺，腹部胀满，肠鸣音低沉，以及惊恐、心悸等气机紊乱症状。
桔梗性微温，禀受初春时节稚嫩的阳气之木气，入足少阳胆经；味辛且有小毒，得西方阴冷肃杀的金味，入手太阴肺经。其气味皆主升发，属阳。胸廓是肺所主的部位，胁肋是胆所主的部位。若胆气不升，肺气不降，则气机阻滞于胸胁之间，导致疼痛如刀刺一般。治疗此症，是利用其辛味以发散郁结，温性以通达气机。足部的三条阴经从足部走向腹部，其中太阴经负责在三阴经中运行气机。肺也属于太阴，具有通调上下气机的职能。若太阴不能通调，则会导致腹部胀满。治疗此症，是利用其辛味以调理气机，温性以推动气行。大肠是燥金之腑，若大肠湿热蕴结，则会出现低沉的肠鸣声。肺与大肠互为表里，桔梗用辛味补益肺气，使肺能通调水道，则湿热得以排出，肠鸣自然停止。胆被称为“中正之官”，“胆”字意为担当。若胆气受损，则无法担当重任，从而出现惊恐、心悸等症状。桔梗辛温，能扶持并舒展条达，顺应其生发的本性，恢复其果敢决断的职能，从而使惊恐心悸自行平复。
制方方法：
桔梗与贝母、巴豆霜同用，名为“结胸汤”，治疗痰浊停滞在中焦；与人参、北五味子、麦冬同用，治疗小便不通；与枳壳同用，治疗胸满但不疼痛；与甘草同用，名为“甘桔汤”，治疗肺痈；与生姜同用，治疗妊娠期间的恶心腹痛。
【茵陈】
气味平和偏寒，味苦，无毒。主治风湿寒热等邪气，以及热结导致的黄疸。长期服用可使人身体轻健、益气、抗衰老，面色白而润泽，延年益寿。
茵陈性平微寒，禀受秋季平和、冬季寒冷之金水之气，入手太阴肺经和足太阳寒水膀胱经；味苦无毒，得南方火热之味，入手少阴心经。其气味皆主沉降，属阴。风为阳邪，湿为阴邪，风湿之邪侵犯太阳经时，阳邪导致发热，阴邪导致恶寒。治疗此症，是利用其寒性清热，苦味燥湿。心为君火，若火郁结于太阴，则肺不能通调水道，向下输送至膀胱，导致热与湿相互结聚。太阴是湿土之经，因此会将蒸腾的土色反映于皮毛，形成黄疸。治疗此症，是利用其苦平之性清心肺，微寒之性解湿热。长期服用则燥胜湿除，所以身体轻健；平和寒凉之性能清肺，肺主气，所以能益气；心主血，苦味能清心，心清则血液充盈而荣华于面部，所以能抗衰老，面色白而悦目。心是十二脏腑的主宰，心安则十二脏腑皆安，所以能延年益寿。
制方方法：
茵陈与川黄连、干葛根、黄柏、薏苡仁、北五味子同用，治疗酒疸；与苍术、白术、茯苓、泽泻、车前子、木通、陈皮、神曲、红曲同用，治疗谷疸；与生地、石斛、木瓜、牛膝、黄柏同用，治疗女劳疸。
[Jie Geng (Platycodon Root)]
The nature is slightly warm. The flavor is pungent. It has slight toxicity. It primarily treats stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, abdominal fullness, low-pitched borborygmus, and qi disorders such as fright and palpitations.
Jie Geng has a slightly warm nature, inheriting the young yang Qi of early spring (Wood Qi), entering the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Its pungent flavor with slight toxicity derives from the cold and肃 (desolate) Metal flavor of the West, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Both its flavor and nature are ascending, belonging to Yang. The chest is the domain governed by the Lung; the hypochondrium is the domain governed by the Gallbladder. If the Gallbladder Qi fails to ascend and the Lung Qi fails to descend, stagnation occurs in the chest and hypochondrium, causing pain as if stabbed by a knife. To treat this, the Pungent flavor disperses the stagnation, and the Warm nature unblocks the Qi. The three Yin meridities of the foot travel from the foot to the abdomen, with the Taiyin meridian responsible for circulating Qi among the three Yin meridians. The Lung also belongs to Taiyin and has the duty of regulating Qi up and down. If the Taiyin cannot regulate, abdominal fullness results. To treat this, the Pungent flavor regulates Qi, and the Warm nature promotes Qi movement. The Large Intestine is the fu-organ of Dry Metal. Damp-Heat in the Large Intestine causes low-pitched borborygmus. The Lung and Large Intestine are exterior-interior pairs. Jie Geng uses its Pungent flavor to benefit the Lung; when the Lung regulates the water passages, Damp-Heat moves, and borborygmus stops naturally. The Gallbladder is called the "Official of Justice"; "Dan" (Gallbladder) implies bearing responsibility. If Gallbladder Qi is injured, it cannot bear responsibility, leading to fright and palpitations. Jie Geng's Pungent-Warm nature supports and spreads smoothly, following its generating nature, restoring its courageous function, thereby calming fright and palpitations spontaneously.
Formulation Methods:
When combined with Bei Mu (Fritillaria Bulb) and Ba Shuang (Croton Seed Residue), it is named Jie Xiong Tang (Chest Knot Decoction), treating Phlegm stagnating in the Middle Jiao. When combined with Ren Shen (Ginseng Root), Bei Wei (Schisandra Berry), and Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber), it treats difficulty in urination. When combined with Zhi Ke (Aurantium Fruit), it treats chest fullness without pain. When combined with Gan Cao (Licorice Root), it is named Gan Jie Tang (Sweet and Platycodon Decoction), treating Lung Abscess. When combined with Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger Rhizome), it treats nausea and abdominal pain during pregnancy.
[Yin Chen (Artemisia Capillaris Herb)]
The nature is neutral and slightly cold. The flavor is bitter. It is non-toxic. It primarily treats pathogenic factors such as Wind-Dampness, Cold, Heat, and alternating chills and fever, as well as Jaundice caused by Heat accumulation. Long-term use makes the body light, benefits Qi, delays aging, keeps the complexion white and radiant, and prolongs life.
Yin Chen has a neutral and slightly cold nature, inheriting the Metal-Water Qi of autumn's neutrality and winter's cold, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian and the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. Its bitter flavor, being non-toxic, derives from the Fire flavor of the South, entering the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Both its flavor and nature are descending, belonging to Yin. Wind is a Yang pathogen; Dampness is a Yin pathogen. When Wind-Dampness affects the Taiyang, the Yang pathogen causes Fever, and the Yin pathogen causes Chills. To treat this, the Cold nature clears Heat, and the Bitter flavor dries Dampness. The Heart is the Sovereign Fire. If Fire is depressed in the Taiyin, the Lung cannot regulate the water passages to transport downward to the Bladder, resulting in the knotting of Heat and Dampness. The Taiyin is the meridian of Damp Earth; therefore, it steams the color of earth onto the skin and hair, forming Jaundice. To treat this, the Neutral-Bitter flavor clears the Heart and Lung, and the Slightly Cold nature resolves Heat and Dampness. Long-term use leads to Dryness overcoming Dampness, hence the body becomes light. Neutral-Cold clears the Lung; since the Lung governs Qi, it benefits Qi. The Heart governs Blood; the Bitter flavor clears the Heart. Clarity leads to abundant Blood, which flourishes on the face, thus delaying aging and keeping the complexion white and pleasing. The Heart is the master of the twelve organs. When the Heart is calm, all twelve organs are calm, thus prolonging life.
Formulation Methods:
When combined with Chuan Lian (Coptis Rhizome), Gan Ge (Pueraria Root), Huang Bo (Phellodendron Bark), Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed), and Bei Wei (Schisandra Berry), it treats Wine Jaundice. When combined with Er Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala and Atractylodes Lanceata), Fu Ling (Poria), Ze Xie (Alisma Rhizome), Che Qian (Plantago Seed), Mu Tong (Akebia Stem), Chen Pi (Citrus Peel), Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven), and Hong Qu (Red Yeast Rice), it treats Grain Jaundice. When combined with Sheng Di (Rehmannia Root), Shi Hu (Dendrobium Stem), Mu Gua (Chaenomeles Fruit), Niu Xi (Achyranthes Root), and Huang Bo (Phellodendron Bark), it treats Woman-Labor Jaundice.