一名千金子。泻、行水、破血解毒。
辛温。行水破血。治冷气胀满。症瘕痰饮。血结月闭。蛊毒鬼疰。利大小肠。下恶滞物。
涂
疥癣疮。（时珍曰∶续随与大戟、泽漆、甘遂茎叶相似、主疗亦相似、长于利水、用之得当
、亦要药也。）攻击猛挚。肿胀月闭等证。各有成病之由。当求其本。不可概施。脾虚便滑
者。服之必死。（斗门方、治水气肿胀、用千金子一两、去壳研、压去油、重研、分作七服
、每治一人、用一服、五更酒服、当下利至晓、肿胀顿消、忌盐醋一百日、今走方者俱用此
、加百草霜等在内、使人不能认识、诳言秘传、将草头炼就单方、庸俗信而服之、一泻而肿
胀立消、索谢而去、未几再作、无药可救、间有气体壮实者、愈后竟不复发、然暗损真气、
不过于数年之内、患他病而不起、数十年来、洛之目击心伤者、不可枚举、其奈习俗瞢瞢、
率犹长夜之不醒何、予欲呼之、用斯代柝、愿卫生者、勿蹈复辙以促生也、至于医者明知故
犯、则伤人必多、孽镜当前、悔之何及、今玉枢丹用之治百病、元气强者、间有小效、稍稍
挟虚、无不受其害、总之、执一方治百病、多见其失也。）去壳。取色白者研细。纸包。压
去油。（黑痣赘疣、涂之自落。）
大泻气分湿热。
辛热属火。善走入肺经。泻气分湿热。（肺主气、辛能泄气。）达右肾命门。走精隧。通
下焦
郁遏。及大肠风秘气秘。利大小便。逐水消痰。杀虫坠胎。治水肿喘满。 癖气块。（东垣
曰∶有谓牵牛苦寒、误矣、其味辛辣、久嚼猛烈雄壮、所谓苦寒安在哉、乃泻气之药、比诸
辛药、泄气尤甚、若湿从下受、下焦主血、血中之湿、宜苦寒之味、而反用辛热之药、泄
上焦之气、是血病泻气、使气血俱损也、好古曰∶以气药引则入气、以大黄引则入血、时珍
曰∶一妇肠结、年几六十、服养血润燥药、则泥结、服硝黄药、则若罔知、如此三十余年、
其人体肥、膏粱而多郁、日吐酸痰乃宽、此乃三焦气滞、有升无降、津液皆化为痰、不能下
润肠腑、非血燥也、润剂留滞、硝黄入血、不能入气、故无效、用牵牛为末、皂角膏丸、才
服便通、外甥素多酒色、病二便不通、胀痛呻吟七昼夜、用通利药不效、予思此乃湿热之邪
在精道、壅隧路、病在二阴之间、故前阻小便、后阻大便、病不在大肠膀胱也、用楝实、茴
香、穿山甲诸药、倍牵牛、三服而平。）凡气虚及湿热在血分者大忌。（主治多在肺脾、肺脾
之病、多因虚起、何赖泻药、况诸证应用药物、神良者不少、何至舍其万全、而就不可必之
毒物哉、东垣谆复其词、以戒后人勿用、盖目击子和旦暮用之、故辟之甚力、世俗不知、取
快一时、后悔奚及、丹溪曰∶牵牛属火善走、黑者兼属水、白者兼属金、若非病形与证俱实
、不胀满、不大便秘者、不可轻用、驱逐致虚、先哲深戒。）有黑白二种。（此药本经不收、
仲景诸方亦未见、别录始载之、宋后乃有用者。）黑者力速。（亦名黑丑。）取子。淘去浮者
。舂去皮。酒蒸。研细。得木香、干姜良。（摘元方、用鸡子清调黑丑末、涂面上雀斑
、夜傅旦洗、效。圣济总录、湿热头痛、黑丑七粒、砂仁一粒、研末、井华水调、仰灌鼻
中、涎出即愈。生生编、小儿夜啼、黑牵牛末一钱、水调敷脐上、即止。）
续随子，又名千金子。具有泻下、行水、破血解毒的功效。
味辛性温。能行水破血。治疗冷气引起的腹胀满闷、症瘕（腹内结块）、痰饮、血瘀导致的月经闭止、蛊毒及鬼疰（古代指一种传染性极强的恶疾）。通利大小肠，排出肠道内的恶浊积滞之物。
外涂可治疥癣疮疡。（李时珍说：续随子与大戟、泽漆、甘遂的茎叶相似，主治功效也相似，擅长利水，使用得当也是要药。）但其药力猛烈峻急。对于肿胀、月经闭止等证候，各有其致病根源，应当探究根本原因，不可一概施用。脾虚大便溏泄者，服用此药必死无疑。（《斗门方》记载：治疗水气肿胀，用千金子一两，去壳研碎，压榨去油后再次细研，分成七次服用，每人每次服一次，五更天时以酒送服，次日清晨会腹泻，肿胀顿时消除，忌食盐醋一百天。如今江湖郎中都用此法，加入百草霜等药物在内，使人无法辨认，谎称是秘传单方，将草药头炼成单方，庸俗之人相信并服用，一泻之后肿胀立即消除，索取报酬离去，不久病情复发，无药可救。间或有体质壮实的人，痊愈后竟不复发，然而暗中损伤真气，不过几年之内，因患其他疾病而死亡，几十年来，我亲眼目睹心中伤痛的事例，数不胜数，无奈习俗蒙昧不明，如同长夜不醒一般，我想呼吁大家用它来代替打更报晓的梆子，希望注重养生的人，不要重蹈覆辙从而缩短寿命。至于医生明知故犯，则伤害的人必然很多，面对孽镜台般的因果审判，后悔又有什么用呢？现在玉枢丹中使用它来治疗百病，元气强盛的人，偶尔有小效；稍微夹杂虚证，没有不受其害的。总之，执着于一个方子治疗百病，多见其失误。）去壳，取色白者研细，用纸包裹，压榨去油。（黑痣赘疣，涂抹后自然脱落。）
牵牛子，大泻气分湿热。
味辛性热，属火。善于走入肺经，泻除气分的湿热。（肺主气，辛味能泄气。）通达右肾命门，走窜精隧，疏通下焦郁遏之气，以及大肠的风秘和气秘，通利大小便，逐水消痰，杀虫坠胎，治疗水肿喘满、癖气块。（李东垣说：有人说牵牛苦寒，这是错误的，其味辛辣，久嚼起来猛烈雄壮，所谓的苦寒在哪里呢？它是泻气的药，比起其他辛药，泄气更为严重。如果湿气从下部受邪，下焦主血，血中的湿气适宜用苦寒之味，反而使用辛热之药，泄上焦之气，这是血病却泻气，使气血都受损。王好古说：用气药引导则入气分，用大黄引导则入血分。李时珍说：有一位妇人肠结，年近六十，服用养血润燥药，则如泥般凝结；服用硝黄药，则毫无知觉，如此三十多年。她身体肥胖，饮食膏粱厚味且多郁结，每天吐酸痰才觉宽舒，这是三焦气滞，有升无降，津液都化为痰，不能下润肠腑，并非血燥。润剂导致留滞，硝黄入血不能入气，所以无效。用牵牛为末，皂角膏丸，刚服用就通畅了。我的外甥平时多饮酒色欲，病二便不通，胀痛呻吟七昼夜，用通利药无效。我思考这乃是湿热之邪在精道，壅塞隧道，病在二阴之间，所以前阻小便，后阻大便，病不在大肠膀胱。用楝实、茴香、穿山甲等药，加倍使用牵牛，三服而平复。）凡是气虚及湿热在血分者大忌。（主治多在肺脾，肺脾的疾病，多因虚而起，怎能依赖泻药？况且各种证候应用的药物，神良者不少，何至于舍弃万全之策，而去追求那不可必免的毒物呢？李东垣反复告诫，以此警告后人不要使用，大概是因为他亲眼目睹张子和早晚使用它，所以极力排斥。世俗之人不知，只求一时痛快，后悔莫及。朱丹溪说：牵牛属火善于走窜，黑色的兼属水，白色的兼属金，如果不是病形与证候都属实证，不胀满、不大便秘者，不可轻用，驱逐致虚，先哲深深戒惧。）有黑白两种。（此药《本经》未收录，张仲景各方也未见，陶弘景《别录》始载，宋代以后才有使用的。）黑色的药力迅速。（又名黑丑。）取种子，淘去浮者，舂去皮，酒蒸，研细。配合木香、干姜效果良好。（《摘元方》记载：用鸡蛋清调黑丑末，涂敷面部雀斑，夜间涂抹早晨清洗，有效。《圣济总录》记载：湿热头痛，黑丑七粒，砂仁一粒，研末，井华水调匀，仰头灌入鼻中，出涎即愈。《生生编》记载：小儿夜啼，黑牵牛末一钱，水调敷脐上，即止。）
Suixingzi (Euphorbia lathyris), also known as Qianjinzi (Thousand Gold Seed). It has the effects of purging, promoting water metabolism, breaking blood stasis, and detoxifying.
Pungent and warm in nature. It promotes water metabolism and breaks blood stasis. It treats abdominal distension and fullness caused by cold qi, zheng jia (abdominal masses), phlegm-fluid retention, amenorrhea due to blood stasis, gu du (poisonous parasites) and gui zhu (highly contagious malignant diseases). It unblocks the large and small intestines and expels foul stagnant matter from the bowels.
Applied externally, it treats scabies, tinea, sores, and ulcers. (Li Shizhen said: Suixingzi is similar to Daji (Euphorbia pekinensis), Zeqi (Euphorbia helioscopia), and Gansui (Kansui Root) in stems and leaves, and its therapeutic actions are also similar. It excels at promoting water metabolism; when used appropriately, it is an important herb.) However, its action is fierce and potent. For conditions such as swelling and amenorrhea, there are specific causes for each disease. One must seek the root cause and cannot apply it indiscriminately. Those with Spleen deficiency and loose stools will certainly die if they take this herb. (The *Doumen Fang* records: To treat edema caused by water qi, use one liang of Qianjinzi, remove the shell, grind it, press out the oil, and grind finely again. Divide into seven doses. Each person takes one dose, administered with wine at the fifth watch (early morning). Diarrhea will occur by dawn, and the swelling will vanish instantly. Salt and vinegar must be avoided for one hundred days. Nowadays, itinerant practitioners use this method, adding Baicaoshuang (Charred Grass Ash) and other substances within, making it unrecognizable to people, and falsely claiming it is a secret formula refined from herbal tops. Vulgar people believe and take it. After one purge, the swelling disappears immediately; they demand payment and leave. Soon after, the condition recurs, and there is no medicine that can save them. Occasionally, those with robust constitution recover without recurrence, but their true qi is secretly damaged, and within a few years, they succumb to other illnesses and die. In the past decades, I have witnessed and been heartbroken by countless such cases. Alas, customs are ignorant, like a long night that does not wake up. I wish to call upon people to use this warning instead of a clapper, hoping those who value health will not tread the same path again and shorten their lives. As for physicians who knowingly commit this error, they will harm many people. Facing the mirror of karma, what good is regret? Now, Yushu Dan uses it to treat a hundred diseases. For those with strong Yuan Qi, there is occasionally a slight effect; but for those slightly deficient, all suffer harm. In short, adhering to one formula to treat a hundred diseases often leads to errors.) Remove the shell, select the white ones, grind finely, wrap in paper, and press out the oil. (Applied to black moles and skin tags, they will fall off naturally.)
Qian Niuzi (Pharbitis Seed) strongly purges damp-heat from the Qi level.
Pungent and hot in nature, belonging to Fire. It enters the Lung Meridian proficiently, purging damp-heat from the Qi level. (The Lung governs Qi, and pungency can drain Qi.) It reaches the Mingmen Gate of the Right Kidney, travels through the essence tunnels, unblocks stagnation in the Lower Jiao, and treats wind constipation and Qi constipation of the Large Intestine. It promotes urination and defecation, drives out water, eliminates phlegm, kills parasites, induces abortion, and treats edema, wheezing, and fullness, as well as pi qi blocks (accumulated masses). (Li Dongyuan said: Some say Qian Niu is bitter and cold; this is wrong. Its taste is pungent and spicy, and when chewed for a long time, it is fierce and vigorous. Where is the bitterness and cold? It is an herb that drains Qi. Compared to other pungent herbs, it drains Qi even more severely. If dampness is contracted from below, and the Lower Jiao governs Blood, dampness in the Blood should be treated with bitter-cold flavors. Instead, using pungent-hot herbs drains the Qi of the Upper Jiao. This is draining Qi for a Blood disease, causing damage to both Qi and Blood. Wang Haogu said: Guided by Qi-moving herbs, it enters the Qi level; guided by Dahuang (Rhubarb Root), it enters the Blood level. Li Shizhen said: A woman had intestinal obstruction, nearly sixty years old. Taking blood-nourishing and moistening-drying herbs resulted in mud-like stagnation; taking Xiaoshi (Mirabilite) and Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome) resulted in no sensation. This lasted for over thirty years. Her body was fat, she consumed rich foods, and had much depression. She felt relieved only after vomiting sour phlegm daily. This was stagnation of Qi in the Three Jiao, ascending without descending, where all fluids transformed into phlegm and could not moisten the intestines downward. It was not dryness of Blood. Moistening agents caused stagnation; Xiaoshi and Huang enter Blood but not Qi, hence ineffective. Using Qian Niu as powder, formed into pills with Zaogao (Gleditsia Sinensis Gum), she passed stool immediately after the first dose. My nephew frequently indulged in alcohol and sex, suffering from inability to pass urine and feces, with distending pain and groaning for seven days and nights. Promoting unblocking medicines were ineffective. I reasoned this was damp-heat evil in the essence tunnel, obstructing the pathway. The disease was between the two yins, thus blocking urine anteriorly and feces posteriorly. The disease was not in the Large Intestine or Bladder. Using Lianshi (Melia Fruit), Huixiang (Fennel Fruit), Chuanshanjia (Pangolin Scale), and other herbs, with doubled Qian Niu, three doses brought peace.) It is strictly contraindicated for Qi deficiency and damp-heat in the Blood level. (Its main indications are in the Lung and Spleen. Diseases of the Lung and Spleen often arise from deficiency. How can one rely on purging herbs? Moreover, for various conditions, there are many excellent medicinal options. Why abandon the sure cure to pursue a toxic substance whose efficacy is uncertain? Li Dongyuan repeatedly warned against its use to caution later generations, likely because he witnessed Zhang Hezi using it day and night, so he opposed it vigorously. The vulgar public does not understand, seeking momentary relief, and regrets come too late. Zhu Danxi said: Qian Niu belongs to Fire and moves swiftly. Black Qian Niu also belongs to Water; White Qian Niu also belongs to Metal. Unless the disease presentation and syndrome are both excess patterns, without distension/fullness or constipation, it must not be used lightly. Purging leads to deficiency. The sages deeply cautioned against this.) There are two types: black and white. (This herb was not recorded in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, nor seen in Zhang Zhongjing's formulas. It was first recorded in Tao Hongjing's *Bielu*. It came into use after the Song Dynasty.) Black Qian Niu acts quickly. (Also called Hei Chou.) Take the seeds, wash away floating ones, pound off the husks, steam with wine, and grind finely. It works well with Muxiang (Aucklandia Root) and Ganjiang (Dried Ginger). (The *Zhaiyuan Fang* records: Mix Hei Chou powder with egg white, apply to facial freckles at night, wash off in the morning; effective. The *Shengji Zonglu* records: For damp-heat headache, take seven Hei Chou seeds and one Amomum fruit, grind into powder, mix with well water drawn before sunrise, instill upward into the nose; recovery occurs when phlegm is discharged. The *Shengsheng Bian* records: For infant night crying, apply one qian of Black Qian Niu powder mixed with water to the umbilicus; crying stops immediately.)