味苦酸。性平。无毒。禀天地之阴。兼得甲木之气以生。升而微降。阳中阴也。
【主治】〔白芍〕主缓中。去水气。利膀胱。大小肠。中恶腹痛腰痛。女人一切病。胎前
产
腠理。和血
逆喘咳。太
溶溶如坐水
逐贼血。
鳌按、本草载芍药气性功用。向来皆不分赤白。至经疏始条析之。其旨精微。今因从之。
【归经】入脾肺肝三经。为收敛之品。（兼补剂泻剂 脾肺引经药 肝脾血分药）
【前论】丹溪曰。芍药泻脾火。性味酸寒。冬月必以酒炒。凡腹痛都是血脉凝涩。亦必
酒
后
仲
时珍曰。白芍益脾。能于土中泻木。赤芍散邪。能行血中之滞。产后肝血已虚。不可更
泻。
家血
补
白名金芍药。赤名木芍药。白补而赤泻。白收而赤散。白补血。赤行血。白下气。赤补气。
白止痛。赤利小便。
【禁忌】经疏曰。白芍酸寒。凡中寒腹痛。中寒作泄。腹中冷痛。肠胃中觉冷等症。均
忌。
味、皮甘。肉酸。核辛苦。都具咸味。性温。无毒。得地之阴。兼天之阳气以生。
可降。阴中微阳也。苁蓉为使。恶玉竹。
【主治】主益气。咳逆上气。劳伤羸瘦。补不足。强阴。益男子精。（本经） 养五脏
除
热。
足。收
庵）
【归经】入肺肾二经。为收敛滋润之品。（兼补剂 肺经血分药 肾经气分药）
【前论】东垣曰。酸以收逆气。肺寒气逆。宜此与干姜同治之。又五味收肺气。乃火热
必用
分量
水脏
气浮
鳌按、东垣丹溪。皆以五味为治火热之药。独寇氏专据本经性温。谓治肺虚寒。不取其
除热
宜
【禁忌】经疏曰。嗽初起脉数。有实火。及肝家有动气。肺家有实热。痧疹初发。及一
切停
【炮制】时珍曰。凡使。以北产紫黑者良。入滋补药。蜜浸蒸。入劳嗽药。生用。俱捶
碎核
味苦、酸。性平。无毒。禀受天地之阴气，兼得甲木之气以生发。药势升而微降，属于阳中阴。
【主治】〔白芍〕主要缓解中焦拘急疼痛（缓中），去除水湿之气，通利膀胱及大小肠，治疗中恶邪所致的腹痛腰痛，以及妇女各种疾病，包括产前产后诸症；调和营血，平抑逆乱之喘咳；消除如坐水中般的溶溶不适感；驱逐瘀血。
鳌按：本草记载芍药的气性与功用，向来都不区分赤芍与白芍，直到《本草经疏》才开始详细辨析。其旨意精微，如今我因此遵从它的观点。
【归经】入脾、肺、肝三经，属于收敛性质的药物。（兼作补剂与泻剂，是脾、肺的引经药，也是肝、脾血分的药物）
【前论】朱丹溪说：芍药能清泻脾火，性味酸寒，冬季服用必须用酒炒制。凡是腹痛都是血脉凝涩所致，也必须用酒炒后使用。
李时珍说：白芍益脾，能在土中清泻木气；赤芍散邪，能行血中之滞。产后肝血已虚，不可再行清泻。
白色者名为金芍药，红色者名为木芍药。白色主补而红色主泻，白色主收敛而红色主发散，白色主补血而红色主行血，白色主下气而红色主补气，白色主止痛而红色主利小便。
【禁忌】《本草经疏》说：白芍酸寒，凡是中寒腹痛、因中寒导致的泄泻、腹中冷痛、肠胃中感觉寒冷等症状，均忌用。
五味子，皮甘，肉酸，核辛苦，整体都带有咸味。性温。无毒。得地之阴气，兼天之阳气以生发。药势可降，属于阴中微阳。以肉苁蓉为使药，畏玉竹。
【主治】主要益气，治疗咳逆上气，劳伤导致的身体消瘦羸弱，补益不足，强壮阴精，增益男子精气。（出自《本经》）滋养五脏，清除虚热，使足部温暖，收敛肺气。
【归经】入肺、肾二经，属于收敛滋润性质的药物。（兼作补剂，是肺经血分药，肾经气分药）
【前论】李东垣说：酸味能收敛逆气。肺寒气逆，适宜将此药与干姜同用治疗。另外五味子收敛肺气，乃是火热病证必用的药物（此处原文似有缺漏或歧义，结合下文寇氏观点，通常五味子用于收敛，若为火热需慎用或配伍）。
鳌按：李东垣、朱丹溪都将五味子视为治疗火热病的药物，唯独寇宗奭专门依据《本经》性温的说法，认为它治疗肺虚寒，不取其除热的功效。
【禁忌】《本草经疏》说：咳嗽初起脉数，有实火，以及肝家有动气，肺家有实热，痧疹初发，以及一切停积之证，均忌用。
【炮制】李时珍说：凡使用五味子，以北地产紫黑色者为佳。入滋补药方中，用蜂蜜浸泡后蒸制；入治疗劳嗽的药方中，生用。都要捶碎果核。
Bitter and sour. Neutral in nature. Non-toxic. It inherits the Yin energy of Heaven and Earth, and is generated by combining with the Qi of Jia Wood (Wood element). Its action ascends slightly and descends slightly; it is Yin within Yang.
[Indications] [White Peony Root] Primarily relieves central tension and pain (Huan Zhong), eliminates damp-fluid accumulation, promotes urination through the Bladder and Large and Small Intestines, treats abdominal and lower back pain caused by sudden evil invasion (Zhong E), and various diseases in women, including conditions before and after childbirth; harmonizes blood, calms rebellious Qi causing wheezing and coughing; resolves a sensation of fluid retention as if sitting in water; expels pathogenic blood stasis.
Ao's Note: Materia Medica texts have traditionally not distinguished between Red and White Peony Root regarding their properties and functions. It was not until *Ben Cao Jing Shu* (Commentary on the Materia Medica) that they were analyzed separately. Its principles are subtle and profound; I therefore follow its view.
[Meridian Tropism] Enters the Spleen, Lung, and Liver meridians. It is an astringent substance. (Also serves as both a tonifying and draining agent; it is a guiding herb for the Spleen and Lung meridians, and acts on the Blood aspect of the Liver and Spleen.)
[Prior Discussions] Zhu Danxi said: Peony drains Spleen Fire. Its nature and flavor are sour and cold. In winter, it must be stir-fried with wine. All abdominal pain is due to coagulation and stagnation of blood vessels, so it must also be used after wine processing.
Li Shizhen said: White Peony benefits the Spleen and can drain Wood Qi from within Earth. Red Peony disperses pathogens and moves stagnation in the blood. After childbirth, Liver Blood is already deficient, so one should not further drain it.
The white variety is named Jin Peony (Metal Peony), and the red variety is named Mu Peony (Wood Peony). White tonifies while Red drains; White astringes while Red disperses; White nourishes Blood while Red invigorates Blood; White directs Qi downward while Red supplements Qi; White stops pain while Red promotes urination.
[Contraindications] *Ben Cao Jing Shu* states: White Peony is sour and cold. It is contraindicated in cases of Cold invading the middle causing abdominal pain, diarrhea due to Cold, cold pain in the abdomen, and sensations of cold in the intestines and stomach.
Five-flavor Berry (Wuweizi): The skin is sweet, the flesh is sour, the seeds are bitter and pungent, and the whole fruit possesses a salty taste. Warm in nature. Non-toxic. It derives from the Yin of the Earth and combines with the Yang of Heaven to generate. Its action descends; it is slight Yang within Yin. It uses Cistanche Herba (Rou Cong Rong) as an assistant herb, and is incompatible with Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome (Yuzhu).
[Indications] Primarily supplements Qi, treats rebellious Qi causing coughing and asthma, emaciation and weakness due to overwork and injury, supplements deficiencies, strengthens Yin, and benefits male essence. (From *Shennong Ben Cao Jing*). Nourishes the Five Zang organs, clears deficiency heat, warms the feet, and astringes Lung Qi.
[Meridian Tropism] Enters the Lung and Kidney meridians. It is an astringent and moistening substance. (Also serves as a tonifying agent; it is a blood-aspect herb for the Lung meridian and a Qi-aspect herb for the Kidney meridian.)
[Prior Discussions] Li Dongyuan said: Sour flavors astringe rebellious Qi. For Lung Cold with rebellious Qi, this herb should be treated together with dried Ginger. Furthermore, Wuweizi astringes Lung Qi and is essential for treating heat-fire conditions.
Ao's Note: Both Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi regarded Wuweizi as a herb for treating heat-fire. Only Kou Zongshi, relying solely on the *Ben Cao Jing*'s statement that its nature is warm, claimed it treats Lung deficiency-cold and did not emphasize its ability to clear heat.
[Contraindications] *Ben Cao Jing Shu* states: It is contraindicated in early-stage cough with rapid pulse indicating excess fire, presence of moving Qi in the Liver home, excess heat in the Lung home, initial eruption of scarlet fever, and all types of stagnant accumulations.
[Processing] Li Shizhen said: When using Wuweizi, those produced in the North that are purple-black are superior. For tonifying formulas, soak in honey and steam. For formulas treating chronic cough due to consumption, use raw. Always crush the seeds.