味辛、苦，微温，有小毒。主胸胁痛如刀刺，腹满，肠鸣幽幽，惊恐悸气。利五脏肠胃，
补血气，除寒热风痹，温中消谷，疗喉咽痛，下蛊毒。一名利如，一名房图，一名白药，一
名梗草，一名荠 ，生嵩高山谷及宛朐。二、八月采根，曝干。
节皮为之使。得牡蛎、远志疗恚怒，得硝石、石膏疗伤寒。畏白芨、龙眼、龙胆。近道
处处有，叶名隐忍。二、三
月生，可煮食之。桔梗疗蛊毒甚验。俗方用此，乃名荠 。今别
有荠 ，能解药毒，所谓乱人参者便是，非此桔梗，而叶甚相似。但荠 叶下光明、滑泽，
无毛为异，叶生又不如人参相对者尔。
〔谨案〕人参，苗似五加阔短，茎圆，有三、四丫，
丫头有五叶。陶引荠 乱人参，谬矣。且荠 、桔梗，又有叶差互者，亦有叶三、四对者
，皆一茎直上，叶既相乱，惟以根有心、无心为别尔。
味苦、甘，寒、大寒，有毒。主大腹疝瘕，腹满，面目浮肿，留饮宿食，破症坚积聚，
利水谷道，下五水，散膀胱
留热，皮中痞，热气肿满。一名主田，一名甘 ，一名陵 ，一名
川谷。二月采根，阴干。
瓜蒂为之使，恶远志，反甘草。中山在代郡。先第一本出太山，江东比来用京口者，大
不相似。赤皮者胜，白皮都
下亦有，名草甘遂，殊恶，盖谓膺伪草耳，非言草石之草也。
〔谨
案〕所谓草甘遂者，乃蚤休也，疗体全别。真甘遂苗似泽漆，草甘遂苗一茎，茎端六、七叶
，如蓖麻、鬼臼叶等。生食一升，亦不能利，大疗痈疽蛇毒。且真甘遂皆以皮赤肉白，作连
珠实重者良。亦无皮白者，皮白乃是蚤休，俗名重台也。
【桔梗】
味辛、苦，性微温，有小毒。主治胸胁疼痛如刀刺般，腹部胀满，肠鸣音低沉，以及惊恐、心悸等气机紊乱之症。能通利五脏及肠胃，补血益气，祛除寒热风湿痹痛，温暖中焦以助消化，治疗咽喉肿痛，并排出蛊毒。又名利如、房图、白药、梗草、荠𦸼（注：此处原文为“荠 ”，结合上下文及《新修本草》校勘，通常指代某种混淆品或别名，暂保留原字或依语境理解为特定植物名，此处依原文直译）。生长于嵩高山谷及宛朐地区。二、八月采集根部，晒干。
以橘皮（节皮）作为引经药。与牡蛎、远志配伍可治疗因愤怒引起的病症；与硝石、石膏配伍可治疗伤寒。畏忌白芨、龙眼肉、龙胆草。近处各地均有分布，其叶名为隐忍。二、三月生出，可煮食。桔梗治疗蛊毒非常有效。民间方剂中使用此物时，常称之为荠𦸼。现在另有荠𦸼，能解药物中毒，也就是所谓混淆人参的那种，并非此桔梗，但两者的叶子非常相似。只是荠𦸼的叶片下面光亮、滑润，没有绒毛，这是不同之处；且叶子生长方式也不像人参那样相对而生。
〔谨案〕人参，幼苗形状类似五加科植物，叶片较宽短，茎圆形，有三到四个分叉，每个分叉上有五片叶子。陶弘景引用荠𦸼来混淆人参的说法是错误的。况且荠𦸼和桔梗，有的叶子是互生的，有的叶子是三到四片对生的，都是一根茎直立向上生长，叶子容易混淆，只能通过根部中心是否有髓心来区分。
【甘遂】
味苦、甘，性寒、大寒，有毒。主治大腹部的疝气瘕积，腹部胀满，面目浮肿，体内留饮和陈旧食物停滞，破除坚硬积聚，通利大小便，排除五种水邪，消散膀胱内的余热，消除皮肤中的痞块和热气导致的肿胀。又名主田、甘𦸼、陵𦸼、川谷。二月采集根部，阴干。
以瓜蒂作为引经药。恶忌远志，反甘草。中山地区的甘遂产于代郡。最早的本子记载出自太山，近来江东地区多用京口出产的，但与前者大不相同。赤色皮的品质较好，白色皮的在下也有，称为草甘遂，气味恶劣，大概是指伪冒的草药，并非指草木之草。
〔谨案〕所谓的草甘遂，实际上是蚤休，其疗效完全不同。真正的甘遂幼苗类似泽漆，而草甘遂幼苗只有一根茎，茎端有六到七片叶子，类似蓖麻、鬼臼的叶子。生吃一升也不能起到泻下作用，主要用于治疗痈疽蛇毒。而且真正的甘遂都以皮红肉白、呈连珠状且质地坚实沉重的为佳。也没有皮白的，皮白的乃是蚤休，俗称重台也。
[Platycodonis Radix (Jiegeng)]
Taste: Acrid, Bitter. Nature: Slightly Warm. Toxicity: Slightly toxic.
Indications: Primarily treats stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, abdominal fullness, low-pitched borborygmus (intestinal rumbling), and conditions involving fright, palpitations, and qi disturbance. It benefits the five zang organs and the stomach and intestines, nourishes blood and qi, dispels wind-cold-dampness bi syndrome (painful obstruction), warms the middle jiao to promote digestion, treats sore throat, and expels gu poison (parasitic toxin).
Synonyms: Li Ru, Fang Tu, Bai Yao, Geng Cao, Qi Fan (Note: The text uses a character often associated with confusion with other plants, here transliterated as Qi Fan based on context of "Qi ").
Habitat: Grows in valleys of Mount Song and Wan Qu.
Harvesting: Roots are collected in the second and eighth months and dried in the sun.
Processing/Compatibility: Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi) is used as an adjuvant. Combined with Oyster Shell (Muli) and Polygala Root (Yuanzhi), it treats ailments caused by indignation/anger. Combined with Niter (Xiaoshi) and Gypsum (Shigao), it treats Taiyang disease (Shanghan). Adverse interactions: Aversion to Bletilla Rhizome (Baiji), Longan Aril (Longyan Rou), and Gentian Root (Longdan).
Distribution: Found everywhere in nearby regions. The leaves are named Yin Ren. They emerge in the second and third months and can be boiled for consumption. Platycodonis Radix is highly effective in treating gu poison. Folk prescriptions use this herb, often calling it Qi Fan. However, there is another plant also called Qi Fan, which can detoxify medicines, known as the one that confuses Ginseng. This is not Platycodonis Radix, although their leaves are very similar. The distinguishing feature is that the underside of the Qi Fan leaves is bright, smooth, and hairless, whereas the leaf arrangement is not opposite like that of Ginseng.
[Commentary]: Ginseng seedlings resemble Eleutherococcus senticosus (Wujia), with broad, short leaves, round stems, three to four branches, each bearing five leaves. Tao Hongjing's citation of Qi Fan confusing with Ginseng is erroneous. Furthermore, both Qi Fan and Platycodonis Radix have leaves that are either alternate or arranged in whorls of three to four, all growing on a single upright stem. Since the leaves are easily confused, they are distinguished only by whether the root has a pith (heart) or not.
[Kansui Radix (Gansui)]
Taste: Bitter, Sweet. Nature: Cold, Greatly Cold. Toxicity: Toxic.
Indications: Primarily treats large abdominal hernias and masses (zheng jia), abdominal fullness, edema of the face and eyes, retained fluids and old food stagnation, breaking hard accumulations, promoting urination and defecation, eliminating five types of water retention, dissipating residual heat in the bladder, and resolving痞 (fullness/stagnation) and heat-induced swelling in the skin.
Synonyms: Zhu Tian, Gan Fan, Ling Fan, Chuan Gu.
Harvesting: Roots are collected in the second month and dried in the shade.
Processing/Compatibility: Trichosanthes Fruit Peduncle (Gua Di) is used as an adjuvant. Aversion to Polygala Root (Yuanzhi). Incompatibility with Licorice Root (Gancao).
Origin: Kansui from Zhongshan originates from Dai Commandery. The earliest texts state it comes from Mount Tai. Recently, Jiangdong regions use those from Jingkou, which are quite different. Those with red bark are superior. White-barked varieties exist in the capital region, called Grass Gansui, which have a foul odor, likely referring to counterfeit herbs rather than true botanical grasses.
[Commentary]: The so-called "Grass Gansui" is actually Paris polyphylla (Zaoxiu), which has completely different therapeutic properties. True Gansui seedlings resemble Euphorbia lathyris (Ze Qi), whereas Grass Gansui seedlings have a single stem with six to seven leaves at the tip, resembling Ricinus communis (Bimamu) or Podophyllum (Guibai). Consuming one sheng raw does not cause purging but is mainly used to treat carbuncles, ulcers, and snake venom. True Gansui is of best quality when it has red bark, white flesh, appears bead-like (linked pearls), and is solid and heavy. There are no white-barked true Gansui; white-barked ones are actually Zaoxiu, commonly known as Chongtai.