本经不分苍白。功用正同。宋元以来始分用。谓白术苦甘气和。补中焦。除脾胃湿。用
以止汗。苍术苦辛气烈。能上行。除上湿。发汗功大。白术歙产者胜。陈壁土炒。苍术茅山
者良。糯泔浸焙也。
本经名薯蓣。其改称山药。避唐代宗宋英宗御名也。唐本草云。蜀道者良。今惟重怀
庆产。然六地此种实佳。有自河北来者。云在彼煮服。尚不逮六产也。里有窭人生儿乏乳。
困瘁已甚。或教糜山药饲之。始终此一物。竟得长成。且肥白无疾。胜他儿。则本草称补
虚羸。信有证矣。纲目云。入药宜野生者。今六圃产煮熟去皮。色白微碧而坚实。山中有自
生者更
胜。然但充果菜。若依法修治入药。应不在怀庆下耳。纲目列菜部。
本经主中风暴热。不能动摇。跌筋结肉诸不足。久服去面黑 。好颜色。润泽。轻身
不老。解要主别录也。纲目云。治诸不足。用代参 。不寒不燥。大有殊功。解要内同漆叶
方。即华佗漆叶青粘散。青粘世无能识。或云黄精之正叶者。或云即葳蕤也。然吾乡有两老
儒。先后服此方皆致殒。或云漆叶乃五茄皮叶。本经名豺漆也。里有兵子臂痛不能挽弓。或
教用葳蕤一斤五加皮四两浸酒饮。尽一卣。健旺胜常。岂古方正尔。纲目殆误附漆树下耶。
漆本有毒。本经久服轻身。即抱朴子云通神长生。皆难信。纲目谓因货漆人杂桐油。故多毒
。亦非。有割漆人误覆漆。遍体疮至莫救。向在中山亲见。况服食乎。弘景云。生漆毒烈是
也。古无用叶者。故气味缺。纲目殆因古方。臆立主治耳。
《本经》（《神农本草经》）中未区分白术与苍术，两者的功效原本相同。自宋代、元代以来才开始分别使用。认为白术味苦甘而气平和，能补益中焦，祛除脾胃湿气，用于止汗；苍术味苦辛而气猛烈，能上行，祛除上部湿气，发汗作用显著。白术以安徽歙县出产的为优，需用陈壁土炒制；苍术以江苏茅山出产的为良，需用糯米泔水浸泡后焙干。
《本经》称其为薯蓣，后来改称为山药，是为了避讳唐代宗李豫和宋英宗赵曙的御名。《唐本草》记载，蜀道出产的质量最好，如今只重视河南怀庆府出产的。然而其他地区如六地（泛指河北等地）所产此药其实也很佳。有从河北来的人说，在那里煮食山药，效果还不如六地产的好。乡里有一户贫寒人生子后缺乏乳汁，孩子困苦憔悴得很厉害。有人教他用山药煮粥喂养，始终只吃这一种食物，竟然得以健康成长，而且身体肥壮洁白无疾病，胜过其他孩子。那么《本草》书中称其能补益虚损羸弱，确实是有证据的。《本草纲目》记载，入药宜用野生的。如今六地产的山药煮熟去皮后，颜色白中带微碧且坚实。山中自然生长的更好。但通常只是作为水果蔬菜食用，如果按照法度修治后入药，效果应该不亚于怀庆产的。《本草纲目》将其列在菜部。
《本经》主治中风引起的发热，身体不能动摇，以及筋脉拘挛、肌肉结聚等各种不足之证。长期服用可以去除面部黑斑，使面色红润光泽，身体轻健不老。《解要》主要依据《名医别录》的内容。《本草纲目》记载，治疗各种不足之证，可用山药代替人参，因其不寒不燥，大有特殊功效。《解要》内收录了同漆叶的方剂，即华佗的漆叶青粘散。青粘草世人已无人能识别，有人说它是黄精的正叶，也有人说它就是葳蕤（玉竹）。然而我家乡有两位老儒生，先后服用此方都导致死亡。有人说漆叶其实是五加皮的叶子，《本经》称之为豺漆。乡里有位士兵手臂疼痛不能拉弓，有人教他用一斤葳蕤、四两五加皮浸泡酒饮用，喝完一坛后，身体健壮旺盛超过平常。难道古方的效力就是这样吗？《本草纲目》大概是将它错误地附会在漆树之下吧。漆本身有毒性，《本经》说久服能轻身，连《抱朴子》也说能通神长生，都难以相信。《本草纲目》认为是因为卖漆的人掺杂了桐油，所以毒性多，这也不对。我曾亲眼见到割漆人误触生漆，全身长疮无法救治的情况，何况是内服呢？陶弘景说生漆毒性猛烈是正确的。古代没有使用漆叶的，所以气味记载缺失。《本草纲目》大概是依据古方，主观臆断设立的主治功效罢了。
The *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) did not distinguish between Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba) and Cang Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), as their functions were originally identical. It was only from the Song and Yuan dynasties onwards that they began to be used separately. It is held that Bai Zhu has a bitter and sweet taste with a mild qi, tonifies the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), eliminates dampness in the Spleen and Stomach, and is used to stop sweating. Cang Zhu has a bitter and pungent taste with a fierce qi, can ascend upwards, eliminate dampness in the upper body, and has a significant diaphoretic effect. Bai Zhu produced in Shexian, Anhui, is superior and should be stir-fried with soil from old walls. Cang Zhu produced in Maoshan, Jiangsu, is good and should be soaked in rice bran water and then roasted.
In the *Bencao Jing*, it was named Shuyu (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma). The name was later changed to Shanyao (Chinese Yam) to avoid the imperial names of Emperor Daizong of Tang (Li Yu) and Emperor Yingzong of Song (Zhao Shu). The *Tang Bencao* states that those from the Shu Road are the best. Nowadays, only those produced in Huaiqing Prefecture are highly valued. However, varieties from other regions (referred to as "six places") are also quite excellent. People coming from Hebei say that boiling and eating yam there does not compare well with the produce from these six regions. In a local village, a poor family had a newborn lacking breast milk, suffering extreme exhaustion. Someone advised feeding the infant a porridge made of yam. By consuming only this food throughout, the child grew up healthy, fat, white-skinned, and disease-free, surpassing other children. Thus, the claim in the *Materia Medica* that it tonifies deficiency and emaciation is indeed evidenced. The *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica) records that wild varieties are suitable for medicinal use. Currently, yams from the "six places," when cooked, peeled, and processed, are white with a slight green tint and firm. Wild ones growing in mountains are even better. However, they are usually consumed merely as fruit or vegetables. If processed according to standard medicinal methods, their efficacy should not be inferior to those from Huaiqing. The *Bencao Gangmu* lists them in the Vegetable Section.
The *Bencao Jing* indicates its indications include heat stroke causing fever, inability to move the body, and various deficiencies such as tendon contraction and muscle nodules. Long-term consumption removes facial dark spots, improves complexion, adds luster, lightens the body, and prevents aging. The *Jieyao* (Explanation of Essentials) mainly relies on content from the *Mingyi Bielu* (Record of Famous Physicians). The *Bencao Gangmu* records that for treating various deficiencies, yam can replace Renshen (Ginseng Root), as it is neither cold nor dry, yielding great special effects. The *Jieyao* includes a formula containing Qiye (Toxicodendri Verniciflui Folium, Lacquer Tree Leaf) alongside Qingnian (Qingnian Grass, identity uncertain), which is Hua Tuo’s Qiye Qingnian San (Lacquer Leaf and Green Stick Powder). Qingnian grass is unrecognizable to people today; some say it is the true leaf of Huangjing (Polygonati Rhizoma), while others say it is Weirui (Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma). However, two elderly scholars in my hometown died after taking this formula sequentially. Some suggest that Qiye is actually the leaf of Wujia Pi (Acanthopanacis Cortex), known as Chaiqi in the *Bencao Jing*. A soldier in the locality suffered arm pain and could not draw a bow. Someone advised him to soak one jin (approx. 500g) of Weirui and four liang (approx. 200g) of Wujia Pi in wine and drink it. After finishing one jar, his health became vigorous, exceeding normal levels. Are ancient formulas really so effective? The *Bencao Gangmu* likely erroneously attached it under the Lacquer Tree. Lacquer itself is toxic. The claim in the *Bencao Jing* that long-term use lightens the body, and even the assertion in *Baopuzi* that it grants spiritual penetration and longevity, are hard to believe. The *Bencao Gangmu* attributes the toxicity to merchants mixing tung oil into lacquer, which is incorrect. I personally witnessed a lacquer harvester who accidentally spilled lacquer all over his body, resulting in incurable sores. How much more dangerous would ingestion be? Tao Hongjing correctly stated that raw lacquer is intensely toxic. Ancient texts did not use lacquer leaves, hence their flavor and aroma are missing. The *Bencao Gangmu* likely speculated on its therapeutic indications based on ancient formulas.