之，土湿主于缓而水胜之，故能然也。若能燥湿而坚火者，苦也。《易》曰∶燥万物者，
莫燥乎火。凡物燥则坚也。甘能缓苦急而散结。甘者，土也。燥能急结，故缓则急散也。辛能散抑、散
结、润燥。辛者，金也。金主散落，金生水故也。况抑结散，则气液宣行而津液生也。《藏气法
时论》曰∶肾苦燥，急食辛以润之。开腠理，致津液，通气也。咸能软坚。咸者，水也。水润而柔
，故胜火之坚矣。此五脏之味也。其为五味之本也淡也。淡，胃土之味也。胃土者，地也。地
为万物之本，胃为一身之本。《天元纪大论》曰∶在地为化，化生五味。故五味之本淡也。
以配胃土，淡能渗泄利窍。夫燥能急结，而甘能缓之；淡为刚土，极能润燥，缓其急结，令气通
行，而致津液渗泄也。故消渴之人，其药与食，皆宜淡剂。《至真要大论》曰∶辛甘发散为
阳，酸苦涌泄为阴；咸味涌泄为阴，淡味渗泄为阳。六者，或散，或收，或缓，或急，或燥，或
润，或坚，或软，所以利而行之，调其气也。《本草》云∶药有三品∶上品为君，主养命，
小毒，以应天；中品为臣，主养性，常毒，以应人；下品为佐使，主治病，大毒，以应地。
不在三品者，气毒之物也。凡此君臣佐使者，所以明药之善恶也。处方之道，主治病者为君
，佐君者为臣，应臣之用者为佐使。适其病之所根，有君、臣、佐、使、奇、偶、小、大之
制；明其岁政君臣脉位，而有逆、顺、反、正、主疗之方，随病所宜以施用。
其治法多端，
温者清之，清者温之，结者散之，散者收之，微者逆而制之，甚者从而去之，燥者润之，湿
者燥之，坚者软之，软者坚之，急者缓之，客者除之，留者却之，劳者温之，逸者行之，惊
者平之，衰者补之，甚者泻之，吐之下之，摩之益之，薄之劫之，开之发之，灸之制之，适
足为用，各安其气，必清必净，而病气衰去，脏腑和平，归其所宗，此治之大体也。
《阴阳
加，气之所衰，不可以为功也。
今集诸经验方附于篇末。
湿气困脾导致脉象缓弱，而肾水偏胜克制了脾土，所以会出现这种情况。如果能通过苦味来燥湿并坚固火势，那是可以的。《易经》说：“使万物干燥的，没有比火更干燥的了。”凡是物体被火烤干就会变得坚硬。甘味能缓解苦味的急迫并消散结滞。甘味对应五行中的土。燥性能使结滞变得急迫，所以用甘味缓和它，急迫的结滞就能消散。辛味能疏散郁抑、消散结滞、滋润干燥。辛味对应五行中的金。金主分散和落泄，这是因为金能生水。况且郁结消散后，气机和水液就能宣通运行，津液也就生成了。《素问·藏气法时论》说：“肾脏苦于干燥，应当紧急食用辛味药物来滋润它。”这是通过开发腠理，促使津液生成，以通畅气机。咸味能软化坚硬。咸味对应五行中的水。水性润柔，所以能胜过火的刚坚。这就是五脏对应的五味。五味的根本是淡味。淡味是胃土的味道。胃土就像大地一样。大地是万物的根本，胃气是人体生命的根本。《素问·天元纪大论》说：“在地表现为化生，由化生产生五味。”所以五味的根本在于淡味。将淡味配属给胃土，淡味能渗利排泄、通利窍道。燥性能使结滞急迫，而甘味能缓和它；淡味属于刚土，极能滋润干燥，缓和急迫的结滞，使气机通畅运行，从而促使津液渗利排泄。所以消渴病患者，其药物和饮食，都适宜使用淡味剂。《素问·至真要大论》说：“辛味和甘味发散属于阳，酸味和苦味涌吐泄下属于阴；咸味涌吐泄下属于阴，淡味渗利排泄属于阳。”这六种味道，有的发散，有的收敛，有的缓和，有的急迫，有的燥湿，有的润燥，有的坚阴，有的软坚，以此来疏通引导气机，调和气血。《神农本草经》说：药物分为三品：上品作为君药，主要保养生命，毒性小，以应合天道；中品作为臣药，主要保养性情，毒性常（中等），以应合人道；下品作为佐使药，主要治疗疾病，毒性大，以应合地道。不属于这三品的，是有气毒的物质。凡是用君、臣、佐、使来区分，是为了说明药物的优劣性质。处方的原则，主治疾病的药物为君，辅助君药的药物为臣，配合臣药发挥作用的为佐使。根据病邪的根本所在，制定有君、臣、佐、使、奇方、偶方、小制、大制的法则；明确当年的岁运、君臣脉位，而有逆治、顺治、反治、正治的主疗方剂，根据病情适宜的情况来施用。
治疗方法多种多样：温热的病证用清凉法治疗，清凉的病证用温热法治疗；结滞的用消散法，涣散的用收敛法；病势轻微的用逆治法制约它，病势严重的用从治法去除它；干燥的用滋润法，潮湿的用燥湿法；坚硬的用软坚法，柔软的用坚阴法；拘急的用缓急法，外邪入侵的用祛除法；留滞不行的用驱除法；虚劳的用温补法，安逸停滞的用行气法；惊恐的用平复法；虚衰的用补益法；病势严重的用泻下法；在上部的用吐法，在下部的用下法；按摩以增益正气，攻伐以劫夺邪气；开泄以发散邪气，艾灸以制约病气。只要适合应用，各自安顿其气机，必须保持清静洁净，这样病气就会衰退去除，脏腑恢复和平，回归其所归属的本源，这就是治疗的总体原则。
Dampness in the Earth element leads to a slow pulse, and when Water overcomes it, this condition arises. If one can dry dampness and solidify Fire using Bitter flavors, it is acceptable. The *I Ching* states: "Nothing dries things more than Fire." When things are dried by Fire, they become hard. Sweet flavors can relieve the urgency of Bitter flavors and dissipate stagnation. Sweet corresponds to the Earth element. Dryness causes stagnation to become urgent; therefore, using Sweet to relax it allows the urgent stagnation to dissipate. Acrid flavors can disperse depression, dissipate stagnation, and moisten dryness. Acrid corresponds to the Metal element. Metal governs dispersal and falling because Metal generates Water. Moreover, when depression and stagnation are dissipated, Qi and fluids circulate freely, and body fluids are generated. The *Suwen: Zangqi Fashi Lun* states: "The Kidney suffers from dryness; urgently consume Acrid flavors to moisten it." This opens the interstices (couli), promotes the production of body fluids, and unblocks Qi. Salty flavors can soften hardness. Salty corresponds to the Water element. Water is moist and flexible, thus overcoming the hardness of Fire. These are the five flavors corresponding to the five Zang organs. The root of these five flavors is Dan (Bland) flavor. Dan is the flavor of Stomach Earth. Stomach Earth is like the earth. The earth is the root of all things, and Stomach Qi is the root of the entire body. The *Suwen: Tianyuanji Dalun* states: "On earth, it manifests as transformation, which generates the five flavors." Thus, the root of the five flavors lies in Dan. Matching Dan with Stomach Earth, Dan can permeate, drain, and benefit the orifices. Dryness causes urgent stagnation, while Sweet relieves it; Dan belongs to rigid Earth and is extremely effective at moistening dryness, relieving urgent stagnation, allowing Qi to flow smoothly, thereby promoting the permeation and excretion of body fluids. Therefore, for patients with Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst syndrome), both their medications and diet should preferably use Dan (Bland) agents. The *Suwen: Zhizhen Yao Dalun* states: "Acrid and Sweet flavors that disperse belong to Yang; Sour and Bitter flavors that induce vomiting and purging belong to Yin; Salty flavors that induce vomiting and purging belong to Yin; Dan (Bland) flavors that permeate and drain belong to Yang." These six flavors either disperse, collect, relax, urge, dry, moisten, harden, or soften, thereby facilitating circulation and regulating Qi. The *Bencao Jing* states: Medicines are divided into three grades: The Superior grade serves as the Sovereign (Jun) herb, primarily nourishing life, with slight toxicity, corresponding to Heaven; the Middle grade serves as the Deputy (Chen) herb, primarily nourishing nature/character, with common toxicity, corresponding to Humanity; the Inferior grade serves as the Assistant (Zuo/Shi) herb, primarily treating disease, with great toxicity, corresponding to Earth. Those not among the three grades are substances with gaseous toxins. All these Sovereign, Deputy, Assistant, and Envoy distinctions clarify the good and bad qualities of medicines. The principle of prescription dictates that the herb primarily treating the disease is the Sovereign (Jun); those assisting the Sovereign are Deputies (Chen); and those responding to the utility of the Deputies are Assistants and Envoys (Zuo/Shi). According to the root of the disease, there are formulations involving Sovereign, Deputy, Assistant, Envoy, Odd (Qi), Even (Ou), Small, and Large structures; clarifying the annual governance, Sovereign/Deputy pulse positions, there are methods of Counter-treatment (Ni), Conventional treatment (Shun), Reverse treatment (Fan), and Direct treatment (Zheng), applying formulas according to the suitability of the disease.
Treatment methods are diverse: Heat is treated with Cooling, Cold is treated with Warming, Stagnation is dispersed, Laxity is consolidated, Mild cases are treated by counteracting them, Severe cases are treated by following them, Dryness is moistened, Dampness is dried, Hardness is softened, Softness is hardened, Urgency is relaxed, Invading pathogens are eliminated, Retained pathogens are expelled, Exhaustion is warmed, Idleness is moved, Shock is calmed, Deficiency is tonified, Excess is purged, Upper pathogens are induced to vomit, Lower pathogens are purged downward, Massage benefits, Attack seizes, Opening disperses, Moxibustion controls. As long as they are suitable for use, each settles its Qi, ensuring clarity and purity, so that pathogenic Qi declines, Zang-Fu organs return to harmony, and revert to their origin. This is the general framework of treatment.
Yin-Yang imbalance arises from the decline of Qi, which cannot achieve efficacy.
Now, various empirical prescriptions are appended to the end of this chapter.