健脾燥湿。
止可用以调补常病之虚者。及病后调理脾胃。若生死关头。断难恃以为治。阴虚燥渴。
肝肾
有筑筑动气者。勿服。产浙江台州燕山。亦以冬月采者为佳。并无鹤颈与须。反肥大于野术
。熬膏良。（云术形长大、性燥劣、人或切片以杂之。）江西白术。其形甚小。与浙江野术相
似。虽有鹤颈而甚短。其体坚实。其味苦劣。（如野术不可得、唯用台术为稳、余俱不可用
。）
补脾燥湿、宣、升阳解郁。
苦温辛烈。燥胃强脾。发汗除湿。能升发胃中阳气。（上行雄壮、能除湿、治中气下陷、
下
安太阴、使邪气不入脾。）止吐泻。逐痰水。（许叔微本事方曰∶苍术能破水饮之 囊、盖燥
脾以去湿、崇土以补脾、方用苍术一斤、大枣五十枚、去皮捣、油麻半两、水二盏、研滤汁
和
实脾土、燥脾湿、是治痰之本。）消肿满。辟恶气。（为除邪气之上
品、辟一切岚瘴邪恶鬼气、阴湿处焚之佳。）散风寒湿。为治痿要药。（阳明虚、则宗筋纵弛
、带脉不引、故痿 、苍术阳明经药、经曰∶治痿独取阳明、合黄柏为二妙散、加牛膝名三
妙散。）又能总解痰、火、气、血、湿、食六郁。（丹溪曰∶诸郁皆因传化失常、气不得升降
、病在中焦、将欲升之、必先降之、将欲降之、必先升之、越鞠丸用苍术、香附、苍术、能
径入诸经、疏泄阳明之湿、通行敛涩、香附乃阴中快气之药、一升一降、故郁散而平。）
及脾湿下流。肠风带浊。（带浊赤者热伤血分、白者湿伤气分、并有寒热二证、亦有因痰而
带
柴。）燥结多汗者忌用。出茅山。坚小有朱砂点者良。糯米泔浸
。焙干。同芝麻炒。以制其燥。二术皆防风、地榆为使。古本草不分苍白。陶隐居分两种。
始各施用。（因湿气身痛者、苍术泔浸、切、煎取浓汁、熬膏、白汤点服。）
健脾燥湿。
仅可用于调理补益慢性虚弱之症，以及病后调理脾胃功能。若在生死攸关的危急时刻，绝不能依赖它来治疗。阴虚导致的口干口渴者，肝肾部位有悸动不安感（筑筑动气）的人，禁止服用。产于浙江台州燕山，也以冬季采挖的为佳。没有像野白术那样的“鹤颈”和须根，反而比野白术更肥大。熬成膏剂效果良好。（有人说白术形状长大、药性燥烈且品质较差，有人将其切片混入其中。）江西产的白术，形状非常小，与浙江的野白术相似，虽然有短小的“鹤颈”，但质地坚实，味道苦涩且劣等。（如果买不到野白术，只有使用台州产的道地白术才稳妥，其余的都不可用。）
补脾燥湿，宣散升阳以解郁结。
味苦温而辛烈，能燥胃强脾，发汗除湿，能够升发胃中的阳气。（其性上行雄壮，能祛除湿邪，治疗中气下陷；下行安定太阴脾经，使邪气不侵入脾脏。）止住呕吐腹泻，驱逐痰饮水湿。（许叔微在《本事方》中说：苍术能破除水饮积聚，这是因为通过燥脾来去湿，培土以补脾。方子用苍术一斤，大枣五十枚，去皮捣烂，加入油麻半两，水二盏，研磨过滤取汁，调和实脾土、燥脾湿，这是治疗痰饮的根本方法。）消除肿胀痞满，辟除恶浊之气。（它是祛除邪气的上品，能辟除一切山岚瘴气及邪恶鬼气，在阴暗潮湿处焚烧效果更佳。）散风寒湿邪，是治疗痿证的重要药物。（阳明经虚损，则宗筋弛纵，带脉不能约束，所以导致痿证。苍术是阳明经的药物，《内经》说：治疗痿证独取阳明。苍术配合黄柏组成二妙散，加入牛膝名为三妙散。）又能总解痰、火、气、血、湿、食六种郁滞。（朱丹溪说：各种郁滞都是因为传化失常，气机升降失调，病位在中焦。想要升发，必先降逆；想要降逆，必先升发。越鞠丸中使用苍术、香附。苍术能直接进入各条经络，疏泄阳明经的湿邪，通行收敛涩滞之性；香附是阴中快气的药物，一升一降，所以郁滞解散而平复。）以及脾湿下流导致的肠风便血或白带浑浊。（白带色赤的是热邪伤及血分，色白的是湿邪伤及气分，均有寒证和热证两种情况，也有因痰湿导致的白带。）燥结多汗者忌用。产于茅山，质地坚硬细小且有朱砂点者为良。用糯米泔水浸泡，焙干，同芝麻一起炒制，以制约其燥性。白术和苍术都以防风、地榆为使药。古代本草不分苍、白二术，陶隐居分为两种，才开始分别施用。（因湿气导致身体疼痛者，可用苍术经泔水浸泡，切片，煎取浓汁，熬成膏，用白开水送服。）
Invigorate the spleen and dry dampness.
It can only be used to regulate and tonify chronic deficiency conditions, and to regulate the spleen and stomach after illness. In critical situations involving life and death, it is absolutely unreliable as a treatment. It is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with dry thirst, and for those with palpitations or restless sensations (Zhuzhu Dongqi) in the liver and kidney regions.
It originates from Yanshan, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. The roots harvested in winter are considered superior. They lack the "crane's neck" (a constricted neck part) and rootlets found in wild Atractylodes, and are generally fatter and larger than wild varieties. Making them into an extract/paste is effective. (Some claim that cultivated Atractylodes grows large, has a drying nature, and is of inferior quality; some slice them to mix with other herbs.)
White Atractylodes from Jiangxi Province is very small in shape, resembling the wild Atractylodes from Zhejiang. Although it has a short "crane's neck," its body is solid and its taste is bitter and inferior. (If wild Atractylodes cannot be obtained, only using the authentic Taizhou variety is stable/safe; all others are unusable.)
Tonify the spleen, dry dampness, diffuse, and raise yang to resolve stagnation.
It is bitter, warm, pungent, and acrid. It dries the stomach and strengthens the spleen, induces sweating to remove dampness, and can raise the clear yang qi in the stomach. (Its action ascends vigorously, removing dampness and treating sinking of middle qi; descending, it calms the Taiyin (Spleen), preventing pathogenic factors from entering the spleen.) It stops vomiting and diarrhea, and expels phlegm-fluids. (Xu Shuwei stated in *Ben Shi Fang*: Cangzhu can break through accumulations of fluid-dampness. This is because it dries the spleen to remove dampness and fortifies the earth to tonify the spleen. The formula uses one jin of Cangzhu, fifty large dates (pitted and pounded), half liang of sesame oil/seeds, and two zhan of water. Grind, filter, and mix. This solidifies the spleen-earth and dries spleen-dampness, which is the root treatment for phlegm.) It reduces swelling and fullness, and repels foul odors/pathogenic qi. (It is a premier herb for eliminating pathogenic qi, repelling all mountain miasma and evil influences; burning it in damp, dark places is excellent.) It disperses wind-cold-dampness and is a key herb for treating flaccidity syndromes (Wei syndrome). (Deficiency of the Yangming meridian leads to laxity of the sinews and failure of the Dai meridian to constrain, resulting in flaccidity. Cangzhu is a herb for the Yangming meridian. The *Neijing* states: "In treating Wei syndrome, focus solely on the Yangming." Combined with Huangbai, it forms Er Miao San; adding Niuxi creates San Miao San.) It can also resolve the six types of stagnation: phlegm, fire, qi, blood, dampness, and food. (Zhu Danxi said: All stagnations arise from dysfunction of transmission and transformation, where qi fails to ascend and descend properly, causing disease in the middle jiao. To raise, one must first lower; to lower, one must first raise. Yueju Wan uses Cangzhu and Xiangfu. Cangzhu enters the meridians directly, venting dampness in the Yangming, and promoting circulation while resolving constriction/stagnation. Xiangfu is a herb that moves qi within yin. One raises and one lowers, thus dispersing stagnation and restoring balance.) It treats spleen-dampness flowing downward, causing intestinal wind (blood in stool) or turbid leukorrhea. (Red leukorrhea indicates heat injuring the blood level; white leukorrhea indicates dampness injuring the qi level. Both have cold and heat patterns. Some cases of leukorrhea are due to phlegm.) It is contraindicated in cases of dryness-constipation and excessive sweating.
It originates from Maoshan. The hard, small roots with cinnabar-like spots are considered good. Soak in rice-washing water, bake dry, and stir-fry with sesame seeds to moderate its drying nature. Both Bai Zhu and Cang Zhu use Fang Feng and Di Yu as guiding herbs. Ancient materia medica did not distinguish between Cang and Bai Zhu. Tao Hongjing separated them into two types, and they began to be used separately. (For body pain caused by dampness, soak Cangzhu in rice-washing water, slice, decoct to obtain a thick liquid, boil down to a paste, and take with plain boiled water.)