气温味甘，气味俱轻，阳也。亦有微阴，故温中微寒，甘中微苦，入手太阴而能泻心
火也。还须配茯神佐枣仁为良。治脾肺，壮元阳，补而缓中，气短气促气少者俱用，更泻脾
肺胃中火邪。气不足而亡血者，须参补之。里虚而腹痛者，亦参补之。且通经活血，乃气中
之血药也，生脉散中用之，正以经通血活，则脉生矣。古人用之于解散药及发表药者，取其
通经走表也。又曰，肺寒方可服者，何也？盖肺惟寒则脉濡滞而行迟，假参之力而通经活血，
则元气遂生发矣。肺热又伤肺者，何也？盖肺惟热则气血激行，再加通迅，则助激速，而肺
气遂耗散矣。与蜜炙黄 同用，则助其补表。与土炒白术同用，则助其补中。用升麻为使，
而佐以柴胡，则能引之上升而补上。用熟地为使，而佐以白茯，则能引之补脾胃，及肾中之
虚寒。多用麦冬，大能止渴生津。加以山楂，极会去滞消积。手经有疾，桂枝为使。足经有
疾，附子为使。大哉参之功乎，其补中益气之要药乎，其和中温元之圣德乎。气药用之以补
气固矣，然血药用之，亦能补血者，何也？盖血附气而行，气行则血行，此其理也，苟不少
加参以引导之，则血且滞矣，虽有诸补血之药，竟何用哉。况血、阴也，气、阳也，独阴不
成，必借阳气一嘘，而后阴赖之以受成，此阳昌阴和之妙用，顾学人自悟何如耳。经曰，一
阴一阳之谓道，旨哉斯言也。痘家灰白虚寒之症，酌宜重用，若红紫实热者，乃肺热痰盛，
不可轻犯。反藜芦，畏灵脂。
人参性温，味甘，气味均轻，属阳。但也含有微阴的成分，因此性质表现为温中兼微寒，味甘中兼微苦，归入手太阴肺经，同时能清泻心火。
人参主治脾肺疾病，能壮元阳，补益且缓和地滋养中焦，对于气短、呼吸急促、气虚不足的症状均可使用，更能清泻脾、肺、胃中的火邪。
对于气不足导致失血的患者，必须用人参来补益。对于里虚导致腹痛的患者，也需用人参来补益。
此外，人参能通经络、活血脉，是气分中的血药。在生脉散中使用它，正是为了通过通经络、活血脉，从而使脉象恢复生机。
古人将人参用于解散表邪的药物及发表药物中，是取其能通达经络、走窜体表的作用。
又问：只有肺寒时才可以服用的人参，为什么呢？因为肺只有在受寒时，脉象才会濡滞而运行迟缓，借助人参的力量来通经络、活血脉，元气便能随之生发。
若肺热反而损伤肺脏，为什么呢？因为肺受热时气血运行急迫迅疾，如果再加上人参的通迅作用，就会助长这种急速，导致肺气耗散。
将人参与蜜炙黄芪同用，则能增强其补益体表的功效。将人参与土炒白术同用，则能增强其补益中焦的功效。使人参以升麻为引经药，并佐以柴胡，则能引导药力上升以补益上焦。使人参以熟地为引经药，并佐以茯苓，则能引导药力补益脾胃，以及肾中的虚寒。
大量使用麦冬，能极大地止渴生津。加入山楂，极善于去除积滞、消食化积。手经（手三阴/手三阳经）有疾病，以桂枝为使药；足经（足三阴/足三阳经）有疾病，以附子为使药。
人参的功效真是伟大啊！它是补中益气的要药，是具有调和其中、温养元阳的圣德之品。
气分用药用它来补气固然正确，然而血分用药用它，也能补血，为什么呢？因为血依附于气而行进，气行则血行，这是其中的道理。如果不稍加人参作为引导，血液就会停滞，即使有各种补血药物，又有什么用处呢？
况且血属阴，气属阳，独阴不能成形，必须借阳气的一嘘一吸，然后阴才能依赖阳气而生成，这是阳盛阴和的奇妙作用，只是求学之人自己领悟如何罢了。
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) is warm in temperature and sweet in flavor. Its qi and flavor are both light, belonging to Yang. However, it also contains a slight Yin quality; thus, its nature is warm with slight cold, its sweetness has a slight bitterness, it enters the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, yet it can drain Heart Fire. It should be paired with Fu Shen (Poria with Hostwood) and assisted by Zao Ren (Ziziphus Seed) for optimal efficacy. It treats Spleen and Lung disorders, strengthens Yuan Yang (Primal Yang), and tonifies gently. It is used for symptoms of shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and deficiency of Qi, and further drains Fire pathogenic factors from the Spleen, Lung, and Stomach. In cases where Qi is insufficient accompanied by blood loss, Ren Shen must be used to tonify. For internal deficiency accompanied by abdominal pain, Ren Shen is also used to tonify. Moreover, it unifies meridians and invigorates blood; it is a Blood-invigorating agent within Qi-tonifying herbs. When used in Sheng Mai San (Generate the Pulse Powder), it precisely achieves this because when meridians are unified and blood is invigorated, the pulse is generated. Ancients used it in dispersing formulas and exterior-releasing formulas, taking advantage of its ability to unify meridians and travel to the exterior. It is also said that it can only be taken when the Lungs are cold; why is this? Because when the Lungs are cold, the pulse becomes soggy and stagnant, moving slowly. With the power of Ren Shen to unify meridians and invigorate blood, Yuan Qi (Original Qi) can then arise and develop. If the Lungs are hot, why does it injure the Lungs? Because when the Lungs are hot, Qi and Blood move rapidly and urgently. Adding Ren Shen's swift and penetrating nature would accelerate this urgency, causing Lung Qi to dissipate. When used together with Mi Zhi Huang Qi (Honey-fried Astragalus Root), it assists in tonifying the exterior. When used together with Tu Chao Bai Zhu (Earth-fried Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), it assists in tonifying the Middle Jiao. When used with Sheng Ma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) as a guiding herb and assisted by Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), it can guide the action upward to tonify the Upper Jiao. When used with Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia Root) as a guiding herb and assisted by Bai Fu Ling (White Poria), it can guide the action to tonify the Spleen and Stomach, as well as deficiency-cold in the Kidneys. Using a large amount of Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber) greatly stops thirst and generates fluids. Adding Shan Zha (Crataegi Fructus) is extremely effective at removing stagnation and digesting accumulations. For diseases of the Hand Meridians, Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus) serves as the guiding herb. For diseases of the Foot Meridians, Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) serves as the guiding herb. How great are the merits of Ren Shen! It is the essential herb for tonifying the Middle and benefiting Qi, possessing the sacred virtue of harmonizing the interior and warming the Primal Qi. While it is true that Qi-herbs use it to tonify Qi, Blood-herbs can also use it to tonify Blood. Why is this? Because Blood attaches to Qi to travel; when Qi moves, Blood moves. This is the principle. If one does not add a little Ren Shen to guide it, Blood will stagnate. Even with various Blood-tonifying herbs, what use would they be? Furthermore, Blood is Yin, and Qi is Yang. Solitary Yin cannot form; it must borrow the breath of Yang Qi before Yin can rely on it to take shape. This is the subtle application of Yang flourishing and Yin harmonizing. It is up to the student to realize this. The Classics state: "One Yin and one Yang is called the Dao." How profound these words are! For patients with smallpox presenting grayish-white deficiency-cold syndromes, it should be heavily used according to circumstances. However, if the presentation is red-purple excess-heat, indicating Lung heat and abundant phlegm, it must not be lightly administered. Ren Shen is incompatible with Li Lu (Veratri Radix) and fears Ling Zhi (Trogopterori Faeces).