江广蜀川皆有之。根叶都似郁金。其花春生于根。与苗并出。花先叶生。入夏花烂。
秋中渐凋。不结实。其根盘屈。黄色类生姜而圆有节。八月采根。片切曝干用。（苏 颂）
近
味辛苦。气辛香。性温燥。阳中阴也。入足太阴。亦入足厥阴经。主治祛邪辟恶。疗心
腹结积冷气。心腹胀痛。风痹臂痛。消痈肿。及女子产后血气冲心。方书治气证痞证。胀满
喘噎。胃脘痛。腹胁肩背及臂痛痹。疝。姜黄郁金 药三物。形状功用皆相近。但郁金入心
治血。 药则入肝。兼治气中之血。而姜黄兼入脾。兼治气。为不同。（濒湖）能入手臂。
治痛。其兼理血中之气可知。（又）力行升出之机。夺土大之郁。土用行而黄中理矣。（之颐）
得当归生地牛膝延胡肉桂。治一切积血在腹中作痛。中寒心痛难忍。姜黄一两。桂三两。为
末。醋汤服一钱。
附案 一妇冬月怯寒头痛。其背部重坠而痛。下引腰腿及腿肚更甚。又臂痛不能举。医
以五积散加羌活乌药。散寒行滞。其怯寒腰痛果除。而头及腿腿肚右臂之痛少轻。至背部重
坠而痛则毫未应。此由只知行胃肾之气。而不知达胸中之阳故也。夫阳受气于胸中。背固胸
中之府也。以姜黄为君。入羌活白术甘草四之一。更加附子三分。一剂知。再剂已。详此以
见姜黄能达上焦之阳。勿混于治血可也。
〔论〕姜黄春末方生。花并苗出。是力行生出之机以宣木火之用也。花先叶生。秋仲渐
凋。是独畅火大之用以对寒凉之治也。不结实即于八月采根。是畅火大之气而归于金。即并
火金之力以归乎土。有合于入脾之说也。夫火之气以风木昌。更以燥金化。始于木。终于金。
归于土。而绝不受寒水之气以成其火金之用。是则兹物所理者气。而所兼者血。以气昌则血
生。气化则血畅耳。夫气化于金。何以更归于土。盖金为火妻。以育离中之坎。此阳必得阴
乃化也。气化则归于土矣。人身木火之相生。必经于胃。而胃乃以浊中之清上注于肺。火金
之相化。亦必归于胃。而肺乃以清中之浊内注于经。下溜于海。是中土固成始而成终者也。
一有不归于胃者。必其火金不能相化。非气不能生血。即血不足以化气矣。得归于土。则胃
合脾。以达气于三阴三阳。乃畅于脏腑。而彻于形体矣。此卫先而营随之义。姜黄适有合焉。
不
缪氏云。凡臂痛腹痛因于血虚。而非瘀凝气壅作胀者。切勿误用。误则血愈伤。病转剧。
〔修治〕不宜见火。盖辛胜是其功用。见火则辛去矣。
江、广、蜀、川等地都有姜黄生长。它的根和叶子都像郁金。它的花在春天从根部生出，与苗同时长出。花先于叶开放，到了夏天花朵腐烂，秋季逐渐凋谢，不结种子。它的根盘曲交错，颜色发黄，形状像生姜但更圆且有节。八月采集根部，切片后晒干使用。（苏颂）
味道辛苦，气味辛香，性质温燥，属于阳中阴。归入足太阴脾经，也归入足厥阴肝经。主要功效是祛除邪气、辟除秽恶之气，治疗心腹部的结积冷气、心腹胀痛、风痹引起的臂痛，消除痈肿，以及妇女产后血气上冲心胸的症状。医书中记载用于治疗气证、痞证、胀满、喘噎、胃脘痛、腹部胁部肩背部及手臂的疼痛痹症、疝气等。姜黄、郁金、莪术这三味药，形状和功用都很相近，但郁金入心经治疗血分病，莪术则入肝经，兼治气中之血，而姜黄兼入脾经，兼治气分，这是它们的不同之处。（李时珍）姜黄能入手臂经络，治疗疼痛，由此可知它也能调理血中的气机。（又注）它能强力发挥升发之机，破除脾胃（土）的大郁滞，使脾土功能运行，中焦黄色之气得以调理。（张元素）配合当归、生地黄、牛膝、延胡索、肉桂，可以治疗一切腹中积血引起的疼痛，以及中寒导致的心痛难以忍受的情况。取姜黄一两，肉桂三两，研为细末，用醋汤送服一钱。
附案：一位妇女在冬天怕冷且头痛，背部沉重坠痛，向下牵引腰腿和小腿肚疼痛更甚，另外手臂疼痛不能抬起。医生用五积散加羌活、乌药，以散寒行滞。她怕冷腰痛的症状果然消除了，头部、腿部、小腿肚及右臂的疼痛稍微减轻，但背部的沉重坠痛却毫无反应。这是因为只知道调理胃肾之气，而不知道通达胸中之阳气。阳气受气于胸中，背部确实是胸中的府库。以姜黄为君药，加入羌活、白术、甘草各四分之一，再加附子三分，服用一剂见效，两剂痊愈。详细分析此案可见，姜黄能够通达上焦之阳气，不要将其混同于仅治疗血分的药物。
〔论述〕姜黄在春末刚刚生长，花与苗一起长出，这是强力发挥生发之机以宣通木火之用。花先于叶开放，仲秋时节逐渐凋谢，这是独畅火土之用以对治寒凉之法。不结种子而在八月采集根部，这是畅达火土之气而归于金，即并合火金之力以归于土，符合入脾的说法。火的生气依靠风木昌盛，更依靠燥金转化，始于木，终于金，归于土，而不接受寒水之气来成就其火金之用。那么此物所治理的是气，而兼治的是血，因为气旺盛则血生，气通畅则血流畅。气化于金，为何又归于土？盖因金为火之妻，以孕育离卦中的坎水，这阳气必须得到阴的配合才能化生。气化则归于土。人身中木火相生，必经由胃，而胃将浊中之清上注于肺；火金相化，也必归于胃，而肺将清中之浊内注于经脉，下流于海。所以中土（脾胃）既是开始也是终结。如果有不归于胃的情况，必然是火金不能相化，要么气不能生血，要么血不足以化气。若能归于土，则胃合脾，将气通达于三阴三阳，从而畅达于脏腑，彻达于形体。这就是卫气先行而营气跟随的意义，姜黄恰好与此相符。
缪希雍说：凡是手臂痛、腹痛由于血虚引起，而不是瘀凝气壅导致胀满的，千万不要误用。误用则血更伤，病情加重。
〔修治〕不宜见火，因为辛味胜是其功用所在，见火则辛味就消失了。
Jiang, Guang, Shu, and Chuan regions all have this herb. The roots and leaves resemble *Curcuma aromatica* (Yujin, 郁金). Its flowers sprout from the root in spring, emerging together with the shoots. The flowers appear before the leaves; by summer they rot, and gradually wither in autumn, producing no seeds. The roots are tortuous, yellow in color, resembling ginger but rounder and jointed. The roots are harvested in August, sliced, and dried in the sun for use. (Su Song)
The taste is pungent and bitter. The qi is pungent and fragrant. The nature is warm and dry, belonging to yin within yang. It enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and also the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. Its main indications include dispelling evil pathogens and warding off foul odors, treating cold qi accumulation in the heart and abdomen, abdominal distension and pain, bi-syndrome causing arm pain, resolving carbuncles and swellings, and addressing postpartum blood and qi rushing to the heart in women. Medical texts record its use for qi disorders, plugging syndromes, distension, wheezing and choking, epigastric pain, pain and bi-syndrome in the abdomen, flanks, shoulders, back, and arms, and hernia. Among these three herbs—*Curcuma longa* (Jianghuang, 姜黄), *Curcuma aromatica* (Yujin, 郁金), and *Curcuma zedoaria* (Ezhu, 莪术)—their shapes and functions are quite similar. However, Yujin enters the Heart to treat blood disorders, Ezhu enters the Liver and treats blood within qi, whereas Jianghuang additionally enters the Spleen and treats qi; this is their difference. (Li Shizhen) Jianghuang can enter the arm meridians to treat pain, indicating it can also regulate qi within the blood. (Note) It vigorously promotes ascending mechanisms, breaking through major stagnation in the Earth element. When the Spleen-Earth function operates, the central yellow qi is regulated. (Zhang Yuansu) Combined with *Angelicae Sinensis Radix* (Danggui, 当归), *Rehmanniae Radix* (Shengdihuang, 生地黄), *Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix* (Niuxi, 牛膝), *Corydalis Rhizoma* (Yanhusuo, 延胡索), and *Cinnamomi Ramulus* (Rougui, 肉桂), it treats all kinds of accumulated blood in the abdomen causing pain, and severe heart pain due to cold invasion. Take one qian of Jianghuang and three liang of Rougui, grind into powder, and take one qian with vinegar-infused water.
Case Record: A woman suffered from aversion to cold and headache in winter. Her back felt heavy, dragging, and painful, extending downward to cause worse pain in the waist, legs, and calf muscles. Additionally, her arm was painful and unable to lift. The physician used Wuji San (Five Accumulations Powder) augmented with Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) and Wuyao (Linderae Radix) to disperse cold and promote stagnation. Her aversion to cold and lower back pain were indeed resolved, and the pain in her head, legs, calves, and right arm slightly lightened. However, the heaviness and pain in her back showed no response at all. This occurred because the treatment only addressed the qi of the Stomach and Kidney, failing to unblock the yang qi of the chest. Yang qi receives its influence from the chest; the back is indeed the mansion of the chest's qi. Using Jianghuang as the sovereign herb, combined with one-quarter dose each of Qianghuo, Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), plus three fen of Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), she improved after one dose and recovered after two doses. Detailed analysis of this case reveals that Jianghuang can reach the upper jiao to unblock yang qi; it should not be confused with herbs that only treat blood.
[Discussion] Jianghuang sprouts in late spring, with flowers emerging alongside shoots, vigorously exerting the mechanism of growth to disseminate the function of Wood and Fire. Flowers appearing before leaves and withering gradually in mid-autumn indicates it uniquely promotes the function of Fire and Earth to counteract cold and cool treatments. Not bearing seeds and being harvested in August for its roots signifies promoting the qi of Fire and Earth to return to Metal, combining the forces of Fire and Metal to return to Earth, aligning with the theory of entering the Spleen. The qi of Fire prospers through Wind-Wood and transforms via Dryness-Metal, starting with Wood, ending with Metal, and returning to Earth, without accepting Cold-Water qi to complete its Fire-Metal function. Thus, this herb governs qi while simultaneously managing blood; when qi prospers, blood is generated, and when qi flows smoothly, blood circulates freely. Qi transforms in Metal, why does it return to Earth? Because Metal is the wife of Fire, nurturing Kan water within Li fire; thus, yang must obtain yin to transform. Once transformed by qi, it returns to Earth. In the human body, the mutual generation of Wood and Fire must pass through the Stomach, which sends the clear part of turbidity upward to the Lung. The mutual transformation of Fire and Metal must also return to the Stomach, where the Lung sends the turbid part of clarity inward to the meridians, flowing down to the Sea. Therefore, the Central Earth (Spleen/Stomach) is both the beginning and the end. If anything fails to return to the Stomach, it implies Fire and Metal cannot transform mutually; either qi cannot generate blood, or blood is insufficient to transform qi. If it returns to Earth, the Stomach combines with the Spleen to deliver qi to the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians, thereby flowing freely through the zang-fu organs and penetrating the physical form. This embodies the principle that Wei (Defensive) qi moves first and Ying (Nutritive) qi follows; Jianghuang coincides with this.
Miao Xiyong stated: For arm pain or abdominal pain caused by blood deficiency, rather than stasis condensation and qi stagnation causing distension, do not mistakenly use this herb. Mistaken use will further injure the blood and aggravate the disease.
[Processing] It should not be exposed to fire, as its pungent flavor is key to its efficacy; exposure to fire causes the loss of its pungency.