痘科所用紫茸，即紫草之嫩苗也。《活幼新书》云∶紫草性寒，小儿脾实者可用，脾虚者反能作泻。古方惟用茸，取
其初得阳气，以类触类，用发痘疮。今人于前四朝，凉血利窍，则用紫草，若痘局布齐后，改用紫茸，以血热未清，于
凉血中兼寓升发之义也。今肆中所用，色紫而形如松膏者，乃系洋内树脂，与紫草茸迥异，医俱不察而用之，不可不急
为之辨。
郁金一物，出于川产，野者色黑，不可多得。其川中所种者，皆系外白内黄，即今人误呼为姜黄子者也。至肆中所
用川郁金，乃莪术中拣出莪术之子，因其色黑，与川中野郁金相似而混之也。医俱不究，反以川中种本之黄郁金谓广郁
金，或谓姜黄子，殊堪捧腹。余于弱冠时入川，即曾深究此品，当以种本之外白内黄者为是，勿泥姜黄子之说而废之。
大豆黄卷，古人罕用。《本草》载其性曰，治湿痹，筋挛膝痛，五脏不足，益气宜胃，破妇人恶血，除胃中积热，消
水气胀满。即《金匮·虚劳门》薯蓣丸，于气血并补方中佐之，后之着方解者，有宣发肾气之论，亦未谓其发表也，近
来误作表药者，其故何欤？盖因吾吴人喜服轻方，而昔之治病，俱于医家取药，有云马元仪先生预用麻黄汤浸豆发 ，
凡遇应用麻黄者，方开豆卷，俾病家无所疑惧，渠得药投中病，曲以两全，此心亦良苦矣。后医不明细底，竟认豆卷与
豆豉同类，公然影射作为表剂，但肆中豆卷岂亦有麻黄汤浸发者乎？即以格致之理论之，豆得水而发 ，或能些微宣湿，
亦不能为通用表药也。若用二三钱之豆卷，即可表汗，世人以此为菜蔬者，每食盈簋，何不汗至亡阳耶？一笑！
痘科（治疗痘疹的科室）所使用的紫茸，就是紫草的嫩苗。《活幼新书》记载：紫草性寒，小儿脾胃充实者可以使用，脾胃虚弱者使用反而会导致腹泻。古方中只使用紫茸，是取其初得阳气，以同类相触的原理，用来透发痘疮。现在的人在痘疹的前四朝（初期），为了凉血利窍，就使用紫草；如果痘疹出齐后，则改用紫茸，这是因为血热尚未清除，在凉血的同时兼寓升发之意。如今药铺中所用的，颜色紫黑且形状像松脂膏一样的，乃是来自海外的树脂，与紫草茸完全不同，医生们都不加考察而使用它，不能不急于为它辨明真伪。
郁金这一味药，产于四川，野生的颜色黑，不容易多得。四川所种植的，都是外表白内里黄，就是现在人误称为姜黄子的那个东西。至于药铺中使用的川郁金，是从莪术中挑选出的莪术的种子，因为它的颜色黑，与四川野生的郁金相似从而混淆了它们。医生们都不去探究根源，反而把四川种植的本来的黄郁金称为广郁金，或者称为姜黄子，实在令人捧腹大笑。我在二十岁刚成年时进入四川，曾经深入研究过这味药，应当以外白内黄的种植品种为正确，不要拘泥于姜黄子的说法而废弃它。
大豆黄卷，古人很少使用。《本草》记载它的药性是：治疗湿痹、筋脉拘挛、膝盖疼痛，补五脏不足，益气养胃，破除妇女的瘀血，清除胃中的积热，消除水气引起的胀满。即使是《金匮要略·虚劳门》中的薯蓣丸，在气血双补的方剂中辅助使用它，后来的方解作者，有宣发肾气的论述，也没有说它是发表药。近来有人误把它当作表药，这是什么原因呢？大概是因为我们吴地的人喜欢服用轻灵的方剂，而过去治病，都是从医家那里取药，有人说马元仪先生预先用麻黄汤浸泡豆子使其发芽，凡是遇到需要应用麻黄的情况，才开具豆卷，让病人没有疑虑和恐惧，他得以用药投治并击中病症，曲意周全两全其美，这颗心也是良苦啊。后来的医生不明白详细底细，竟然认为豆卷与豆豉属于同类，公然影射将其作为表剂。但是药铺里的豆卷难道也有用麻黄汤浸泡发芽的吗？即使从格物致知的理论来分析，豆子遇水发芽，或许能稍微宣散湿气，也不能作为通用的表药。如果使用二三钱重的豆卷，就能发汗，世人把这当作蔬菜，每次吃满满一簋，为什么不出汗导致亡阳呢？真是可笑！
The Zi Rong (Purple Velvet, referring to the tender shoots of *Arnebiae Radix et Rhizoma*) used in the department of smallpox (痘科) is actually the tender shoot of Zicao (*Arnebiae Radix et Rhizoma*). The *Huoyou Xinshu* (New Book for Living Infants) states: Zicao has a cold nature; it can be used for children with solid spleen-stomach conditions, but for those with deficient spleens, it may instead cause diarrhea. Ancient prescriptions only used Zi Rong, taking advantage of its initial acquisition of Yang Qi, applying the principle of "like affecting like," to promote the eruption of smallpox lesions. Nowadays, during the first four stages of the disease, to cool blood and open orifices, Zicao is used; if after the lesions have fully erupted, Zi Rong is switched to, this is because the heat in the blood has not yet cleared, and within the action of cooling blood, there is simultaneously an intention of ascending and venting. What is currently used in pharmacies, which is purple in color and shaped like pine resin, is actually a foreign resin, completely different from Zi Rong. Physicians do not examine this carefully before using it, so it is urgent to clarify this deception.
Yujin (Curcuma Aromatica Rhizome) is a single herb produced in Sichuan. Wild ones are black in color and hard to obtain in large quantities. Those cultivated in Sichuan are white on the outside and yellow inside, which is what people nowadays mistakenly call Jianghuangzi (the seed of Turmeric). As for the Chuan Yujin used in pharmacies, it is actually the seed of Ezhu (*Zedoary Rhizome*) picked out from Ezhu. Because its color is black, it resembles the wild Yujin from Sichuan and is confused with it. Physicians do not investigate the origin, and instead wrongly refer to the originally cultivated yellow Yujin from Sichuan as Guang Yujin (Guangdong Yujin) or call it Jianghuangzi, which is truly laughable. When I entered Sichuan at the age of twenty, I had deeply studied this herb. One should consider the cultivated variety that is white outside and yellow inside as correct, and not adhere to the theory of Jianghuangzi to the point of discarding it.
Dadou Huangjuan (Sojae Semen Praeparatum) was rarely used by ancient practitioners. The *Bencao* records its properties as treating damp-bi syndrome, tendon spasms, knee pain, insufficiency of the five zang organs, benefiting qi and harmonizing the stomach, breaking up evil blood in women, removing accumulated heat in the stomach, and dissipating water retention and distension. Even in the Shuyu Wan (Dioscorea Pill) from the *Jinkui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), under the section on Deficiency Consumption, it is used as an assistant in formulas that tonify both qi and blood. Later commentators who explained these formulas discussed its ability to diffuse Kidney Qi, but none claimed it was a surface-releasing agent. Why have recent practitioners mistakenly treated it as a surface-releasing drug? It is likely because people in our Wu region prefer light-formula prescriptions. In the past, when seeking medicine from physicians, it was said that Mr. Ma Yuanyi would pre-soybeans in Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) to sprout them. Whenever Mahuang was clinically indicated, he would prescribe Doujuan (Sprouted Soybean) instead, so that patients would not feel suspicious or fearful. This allowed him to administer the correct medicine effectively while satisfying the patient's preference, a well-intentioned compromise. Later physicians, unaware of the details, assumed that Doujuan belonged to the same category as Douchi (Fermented Soybean) and openly treated it as a surface-releasing agent. However, are the Doujuan in pharmacies really sprouted via soaking in Mahuang Tang? Even analyzing it through the lens of empirical investigation, beans sprouting upon contact with water might slightly disperse dampness, but they cannot serve as a universal surface-releasing drug. If two or three qian of Doujuan could induce sweating, and since common people eat it as a vegetable, consuming full bowls regularly, why do they not sweat to the point of Yang collapse? What a joke!