即木通（古方通草。即今之木通。俗所谓通草。乃通脱木。）泽潞汉中江淮湖南州郡皆
有之。绕树蔓藤。大者径三五寸。每节三二枝。枝即通草。通理细孔。含取一头吹之。气出
彼头。色黄白者良。黑褐色者。用之无力。（此商人因其质轻易得。多致船篷上。为雨 所
浸。以致腐黑。）或谓木通即葡萄苗者。误。
苦辛甘淡而微寒。气平味薄。降也。阳中阴也。入手厥阴手太阳。并及足太阳。主除脾
胃寒
浮大
可去
助西方
湿热癃
胫酸脚
通大肠。治
宜木通以
周身表里之
白虎历节风。遍
木通服。不效。
随手没去。出
畅而痛除矣。
面赤唇干。咬
甘草。治尿血
〔论〕木通主治。类知为利水。而本经所云通利九窍血脉关节。殊未深究。夫水与血。
是二
于肺
知木
贯。
通
原非
则胸膈血散。膻中血聚。则小肠壅滞。是则血脉通利。即其通利
其通利血脉之功也。上而火中之水。在小肠之气和而能化。则下而
亦应之而化。故非利小肠而无与于膀胱。但病于因膀胱者。不得专
以湿多属血分。不利之病也。至风热之病于血者亦用之。以风脏即
脉关节之义。至女子妊娠养胎。自肝始。脏腑相滋。各三十日。惟
养经之数。无胎则下为月水。有胎则
凡精滑不梦自遗。及阳虚气弱。内无湿热者。禁用。妊娠忌之。（仲淳）
〔修治〕去皮节。生用。
这就是木通（古方中的“通草”，即现在的木通。民间所谓的“通草”，其实是通脱木）。泽州、潞州、汉中、江淮、湖南等地的州郡都有出产。它缠绕在树上生长，呈蔓藤状。粗大的直径有三五寸。每个节上有两三枝，这些枝条就是通草，其内部贯通着细小的孔道，从一头含住吹气，气会从另一头出来。颜色黄白色的品质好，黑褐色的药效无力。（这是因为商人因为它的质地轻而容易获取，多将其放在船篷上，被雨水浸泡，导致腐烂变黑。）有人说木通就是葡萄苗，这是错误的。
味道苦、辛、甘、淡，性质微寒。气平味薄，具有沉降之性，属于阳中之阴。归入手厥阴心包经和手太阳小肠经，并涉及足太阳膀胱经。主要功效是清除脾胃的寒湿浮大之气，可以去除助长西方燥金的湿热癃闭，缓解胫酸脚软，通畅大肠。治疗宜用木通来疏通周身表里的……白虎历节风（一种以关节剧烈疼痛如虎咬为特征的痹证），遍身……木通服用后，若无效，则随手丢弃不用。出……畅达而疼痛消除。面赤唇干，咬……甘草，治疗尿血。
〔论述〕木通的主治作用，大家大概都知道是利水，但《神农本草经》所说的“通利九窍、血脉、关节”，人们并没有深入探究。水和血，本是两回事，原非……贯串。知木……通……于肺。如果胸膈的血散乱，膻中的血淤积，就会导致小肠壅滞。这说明血脉通利，也就是它通利血脉的功效。上而在火中的水，在小肠之气调和并能气化时，下而……也应之而化。所以并非只利小肠而与膀胱无关，但如果病因在于膀胱，就不能专门……以湿多属血分，是不利于……的病。至于风热之邪病在血分的，也使用它，因为风脏即……脉关节的意义。至于女子妊娠养胎，自肝开始，脏腑相互滋助，每三十日一变。只有……养经的数量，无胎则下行成为月经，有胎则……凡精滑不梦自遗（不因梦境而精液自行滑出），以及阳虚气弱，体内没有湿热的人，禁用。孕妇忌服。（仲淳）
〔炮制〕去掉皮和节，生用。
This is *Mutmugong* (In ancient prescriptions, "Tongcao" referred to what is now known as *Mutmugong*. The common folk term "Tongcao" actually refers to *Tetrapanacis Medulla*). It is produced in various prefectures such as Zezhou, Luzhou, Hanzhong, Jianghuai, and Hunan. It grows as a vine winding around trees. The thicker stems have a diameter of three to five cun. Each node has two or three branches; these branches constitute the medicinal part, characterized by fine, penetrating pores. If one end is placed in the mouth and air is blown in, it exits from the other end. Those with a yellowish-white color are of good quality, while those that are blackish-brown are ineffective in usage. (This is because merchants, finding them light and easy to obtain, often stored them on boat sails where they were soaked by rain, causing them to rot and turn black.) Some claim that *Mutmugong* is the shoot of the grapevine; this is incorrect.
Its taste is bitter, acrid, sweet, and bland, with a slightly cold nature. Its qi is level and its flavor is thin; it has a descending property and belongs to Yin within Yang. It enters the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin and the Small Intestine Meridian of Hand-Taiyang, and also relates to the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang. It primarily eliminates floating and excessive cold-dampness from the Spleen and Stomach, resolves damp-heat strangury, alleviates soreness in the shins and weakness in the feet, and unblocks the Large Intestine. Treatment should utilize *Mutmugong* to unblock the exterior and interior of the whole body... Baihu Lijie Feng (White Tiger Joint-Biting Wind, a type of Bi syndrome characterized by severe joint pain), widespread... Upon taking *Mutmugong*, if there is no effect, it is discarded immediately. [The text implies] when flow becomes smooth, pain is relieved. Red face and dry lips, biting... Licorice (*Gancao*), used to treat hematuria.
[Discussion] The main therapeutic action of *Mutmugong* is generally understood to be promoting urination. However, the statement in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* regarding "unblocking the nine orifices, blood vessels, and joints" has not been deeply investigated. Water and blood are two distinct entities, originally non-intersecting... Penetrating... Knowing *Mutmugong*... Unblocking... Regarding the Lung. If blood in the chest and diaphragm scatters, and blood in the Danzhong accumulates, it leads to stagnation in the Small Intestine. This demonstrates that the unblocking of blood vessels is indeed its efficacy in unblocking blood vessels. Water within Fire above, when the Qi of the Small Intestine harmonizes and transforms, then below... should also transform accordingly. Therefore, it is not merely about benefiting the Small Intestine without affecting the Bladder; but if the pathology originates in the Bladder, one cannot solely... Dampness mostly belongs to the Blood aspect; it is a disease unfavorable to... For diseases caused by wind-heat affecting the blood, it is also used, because the Wind Zang relates to the meaning of unblocking blood vessels and joints. Regarding women's pregnancy and nourishing the fetus, it begins with the Liver; the Zang-Fu organs mutually nourish each other, changing every thirty days. Only the number of menstrual cycles... Without a fetus, it flows down as menstruation; with a fetus, it... For cases of seminal emission without dreams, as well as Yang deficiency and Qi weakness where there is no internal damp-heat, it is contraindicated. Pregnant women should avoid it. (Zhongchun)
[Processing] Remove the skin and nodes; use raw.