得土之冲气，兼感乎季春之令以生，故味甘，气温，无毒。甘入脾。故入足太阴阳
明，补脾健胃之要药。小儿五疳，便浊泻痢，腹虫莫不由脾虚胃弱，因而乳食停滞湿
热瘀塞而成，脾健胃开则前症俱除矣。不苦不辛，能杀疳蛔，为小儿上药，宜去壳取肉
切开，或晒或膈纸焙燥，入丸散，不入煎剂，如欲嚼食，或生或蒸熟任用，但服使君
子后，忌食熟物，热茶犯之即泻。
使君子，去白浊，除五疳，杀蛔虫，止泻痢，扶益中州，收敛虚热，杀虫药皆苦，
使君子独甘，空腹食数枚，次日虫皆死而出矣，有言其不宜食者非也。树有蠹，屋有
蚁，国有盗，祸耶福耶，但蛔虫安于脾胃消谷，若不出经，侵蚀血气，而长大盈尺，成
蛔作祟者，毋容食此杀之，并无食积者，勿概用也。
生于盛夏六阳之令而成，秋金之月，故味辛，气温，得火烈刚猛之气，其性有大
毒，一云∶生温熟寒。恐熟亦不甚寒也。入手足阳明经，此药禀火性之急速，兼辛温之
走散，故能入肠胃而荡涤一切有形积滞之物，祛暑湿温疟之邪，然性热大毒，必损真
阴，故曰不利丈夫阴，但云又能止泻。《别录》又云“∶炼饵之，能益血脉。”恐未确
也。宜去心及膜火焙研细去油用。
巴豆一名巴椒。反牵牛，破 瘕结聚，留饮痰癖，大腹水胀，温疟寒热，荡涤脏
腑，开通闭塞，除鬼毒蛊疰，杀虫，疗女人月闭烂胎，有荡涤攻击之能，诚斩关夺门之
将。凡资治病，缓急宜分，急攻为通利水谷之方，去尽皮心膜油，生用，缓治为消磨坚
积之剂，炒令黄黑烟尽熟加。生熟缓紧略殊，然耗津伤元则一。丹溪云，能去胃中寒
积，无寒积者忌之，总宜慎用。与大黄同为攻下，但大黄性寒，走血分，腑病多热者宜
之，巴豆性热，走气分，脏病多寒者宜之。士材曰∶荡五脏，涤六腑，几于煎肠刮胃，
攻坚积，破痰癖，直可斩关夺门，气血与
食，一攻而殆尽，痰虫及水，倾倒而无遗，胎见立堕，疗毒旋抽，然郁滞虽开，真阴髓
损，以少许着肌肤，须臾发泡，况肠胃脏腑柔薄之质，被其熏灼，能无溃烂之患耶！万
不得已，须炒熟去油，入少许即止，不得多用。
（使君子）禀受大地中和之气，又兼感晚春时节的气候而生，所以味道甘甜，药性温和，没有毒性。甘味入脾经。因此它归入足太阴脾经和足阳明胃经，是补益脾胃、健运胃气的关键药物。小儿患的五种疳积病、大便浑浊、腹泻痢疾，以及腹中寄生虫病，无不因为脾胃虚弱，导致乳食停滞，湿热瘀阻而形成；只要脾胃强健、胃气开通，上述病症自然消除。使君子不苦不辛，能杀灭疳积蛔虫，被视作小儿的上等药物。使用时应去掉外壳取果肉，切开，或者晒干或用隔火烘焙至干燥，用于制作丸剂或散剂，不适合入汤剂煎煮。如果想要嚼服，生吃或蒸熟均可，但服用使君子后，忌讳食用熟食和热茶，否则会引起腹泻。
使君子能去除白浊，治疗五种疳积，杀灭蛔虫，止住腹泻痢疾，扶助中焦脾胃，收敛虚热。其他杀虫药大多味苦，唯独使君子味甘。空腹吃几枚，第二天虫子就会死掉并排出体外。有人说它不宜食用，这是错误的。树有蛀虫，屋有蚂蚁，国家有盗贼，这究竟是祸还是福？如果蛔虫安于脾胃消化谷物，如果不随经络外出，侵蚀气血，长得长达一尺，成为作祟的蛔虫，那就必须允许食用此药来杀灭它们；如果没有食积的人，不要一概使用。
（巴豆）生长于盛夏六个阳气旺盛的时节而成，成熟于秋季金气当令的月份，所以味道辛辣，药性温热，禀受了火烈刚猛的气机，其性质有大毒。另一种说法是：生品性温，熟品性寒。恐怕熟品也不会太寒。它入手足阳明经，此药禀赋了火性急速的特点，兼有辛温走散的属性，所以能进入肠胃，荡涤一切有形的积滞之物，祛除暑湿、温疟等邪气。然而其性热且大毒，必定损伤真阴，所以说不利于男子的阴精，只说它能止泻是不全面的。《名医别录》又说：“炼制成饵服用，能补益血脉。”恐怕这种说法不准确。使用时应去掉心部和内膜，火焙后研成细粉，去油后使用。
巴豆又名巴椒。与牵牛子相反，能破除癥瘕结聚，消除停饮、痰癖，治疗大腹水胀、温疟寒热，荡涤脏腑，开通闭塞，去除鬼毒蛊疰，杀灭寄生虫，治疗妇女月经闭止及烂胎，具有荡涤攻击的能力，确实是像斩关夺门的将领一样勇猛。凡是用来治病，缓急应当区分：急攻是为了通利水谷的方剂，需去掉皮、心、膜、油，生用；缓治是为了消磨坚硬积滞的药剂，炒至黄黑色、烟尽熟透后加入。生用和熟用的缓急略有不同，但耗伤津液、损伤元气是一样的。朱丹溪说，它能去除胃中的寒积，没有寒积的人忌用，总之应该谨慎使用。与大黄同为攻下药，但大黄性寒，走血分，腑病多热的适宜用大黄；巴豆性热，走气分，脏病多寒的适宜用巴豆。士材说：巴豆能荡涤五脏，洗涤六腑，几乎像是煎肠刮胃，攻坚积，破痰癖，简直可以斩关夺门，气血与食物，一经攻伐便所剩无几，痰虫及水饮，倾倒无余，胎儿见到它立即堕下，疗毒随即抽出。然而郁滞虽然打开，真阴骨髓受损，只需少许接触肌肤，片刻就会发泡，何况肠胃脏腑质地柔薄，被其熏灼，怎能没有溃烂的祸患呢！万不得已时，必须炒熟去油，放入少许即止，不得多用。
(Ju Jizi, *Quisqualis Indica*) It absorbs the central qi of the earth and is influenced by the climate of late spring in its growth; therefore, its taste is sweet, its nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. Sweet flavor enters the Spleen. Thus, it enters the Foot-Taiyin Splein Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, serving as a key herb for tonifying the Spleen and strengthening the Stomach. The five types of *Gan* syndrome (malnutrition syndrome due to parasites or indigestion) in children, turbid stool, diarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal worms all arise from deficiency of the Spleen and weakness of the Stomach, leading to stagnation of milk and food, with damp-heat and blood stasis blocking the pathways. When the Spleen is healthy and the Stomach qi opens, these preceding symptoms are eliminated. Being neither bitter nor pungent, it can kill *Gan* parasites and roundworms, regarded as a superior medicine for children. The shell should be removed to take the flesh, which is then cut open, dried in the sun, or roasted between papers over fire until dry. It is used in pills and powders, not in decoctions. If chewed directly, it can be taken raw or steamed. However, after taking Ju Jizi, one must avoid eating cooked foods and drinking hot tea, as doing so will induce diarrhea.
Ju Jizi removes turbidity, treats the five *Gan* syndromes, kills roundworms, stops diarrhea and dysentery, supports the Middle Jiao (central digestive system), and consolidates deficient heat. Most vermifuges are bitter, but Ju Jizi is uniquely sweet. Eating several pieces on an empty stomach will cause the worms to die and pass out the next day. Some claim it should not be eaten, which is incorrect. Trees have borers, houses have ants, and states have thieves; whether this is a disaster or a blessing depends. If roundworms reside in the Spleen and Stomach digesting grain, and if they do not exit via the meridians but instead erode Qi and Blood, growing up to a foot long and causing disturbances, it is necessary to allow the use of this herb to kill them. For those without food stagnation, it should not be used indiscriminately.
(Ba Dou, *Croton Tiglium L.*) It forms during the peak Yang season of midsummer and matures in the Metal month of autumn; therefore, its taste is pungent, its nature is warm, and it possesses the fierce and rigid energy of Fire, making it highly toxic. Another view states: raw is warm, cooked is cold. It is likely that cooked Ba Dou is not very cold. It enters the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. This herb inherits the rapid nature of Fire and the dispersing property of Pungent-Warmth, thus entering the intestines and stomach to scour away all有形 (tangible) accumulations, dispelling pathogens such as summerheat-dampness and warm malaria. However, due to its hot nature and high toxicity, it inevitably damages True Yin. Hence, it is said to be unfavorable to men's Yin essence, and merely stating it stops diarrhea is incomplete. *Bie Lu* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica Supplement) also states: "Refined and taken as an electuary, it benefits the blood vessels." This is likely inaccurate. It should be processed by removing the heart and membrane, roasted over fire, ground into fine powder, and defatted.
Ba Dou, also known as Ba Jiao, is incompatible with Qian Niu Zi (*Pharbitidis Semen*). It breaks up masses and nodules, resolves retained fluids and phlegm-stagnation, treats abdominal distension with fluid accumulation, warm malaria with alternating chills and fever, scours the zang-fu organs, opens blockages, eliminates ghost toxins and infectious diseases, kills parasites, and treats female amenorrhea and fetal decay. It has the power of scouring and attacking, truly acting like a general who breaches city gates. In treating diseases, urgency must be distinguished: for urgent attack to promote the unblocking of water and grain, remove skin, heart, membrane, and oil, and use raw; for slow treatment to dissolve hard accumulations, stir-fry until yellow-black with no smoke remaining. Raw and cooked forms differ slightly in speed and intensity, but both consume body fluids and damage Yuan Qi. Danxi stated that it removes cold accumulation in the Stomach; those without cold accumulation should avoid it. Overall, caution is required. Like Da Huang (*Rhei Radix et Rhizoma*), it is a purgative, but Da Huang is cold-natured and enters the Blood level, suitable for fu-organ diseases which are mostly heat-related. Ba Dou is hot-natured, enters the Qi level, and is suitable for zang-organ diseases which are mostly cold-related. Shicai stated: "It scours the five zang organs and washes the six fu organs, almost like boiling intestines and scraping the stomach; it attacks hard accumulations and breaks phlegm-stagnation, effectively breaching gates. Qi, Blood, food, phlegm, worms, and water are all exhausted or poured out without remainder. Fetus is expelled immediately upon contact, and carbuncles/toxins are drawn out instantly. However, although stagnation is opened, True Yin and Marrow are damaged. If even a small amount touches the skin, blisters form in moments. How much more so for the delicate tissues of the intestines and stomach, scorched by its fumes, can they avoid ulceration? Only when absolutely necessary should it be stir-fried, defatted, and used in small amounts, stopping immediately. Do not use in large doses."