救荒。
甘平。补虚羸损乏。温肠胃。止呕逆。久食健人。轻身不饥。（博物志云∶东海洲上有
草、
名曰 、有实、食之如大麦、七月熟、民敛获至冬乃讫、呼为自然谷、亦曰禹余粮、李 南
海药谱曰∶ 实如球子、八月收之、彼民常食、中国未曾见也、方孝孺逊志斋集、有海米行
、盖亦 草之类也、其诗云∶海边有草名海米、大非蓬蒿小非荠、妇女携篮昼作群、采摘仍
于海中洗、归来涤釜烧松枝、煮米为饭充朝饥、莫辞苦涩咽不下、性命聊假须臾时。）
救荒。
辛甘。苦微寒。作饭食。益气宜脾。故曹植有芳菰精稗之称。根苗。（金疮及伤损出血
不已
、捣敷、或研末掺之即止、甚验。）
补脾肺、通行水。
甘淡微寒而属土。阳明药也。（胃、）甘益胃。土胜水。淡渗湿。泻水所以益土。故健脾。
治
水肿湿痹。香港脚疝气。泄痢热淋。益土所以生金。故补肺清热。（色白入肺、微寒清热。）治
肺
猪
肺蘸末服、良。）扶土所以抑木。故治风热筋急拘挛。（厥阴风木
主筋、然治筋骨之病、以阳明为本、阳明主润宗筋、宗筋主束骨而利机关者也、阳明虚则宗
筋纵弛、故经曰∶治痿独取阳明、又曰∶肺热叶焦、发为痿 、盖肺者、相傅之官、治节出
焉、阳明湿热上蒸于肺、则肺热叶焦、气无所主而失其治节、故痿 、薏苡得土之燥、禀秋
之凉、故能燥脾湿、善祛肺热。筋、寒则急、热则缩、湿则纵、然寒湿久留、亦变为热、
又有热气熏蒸、水液不行、久而成湿者、薏苡去湿要药。）令人能食。大便燥结。因寒筋急
。勿用。其力和缓。用之须倍于他药。炒熟微研。
用于救荒。
味甘、性平。能补益虚弱消瘦和气血亏乏，温养肠胃，止住呕吐逆气。长期食用使人健康，身体轻健且不觉饥饿。（《博物志》记载：东海的洲岛上有一种草，名叫“䅟”，有果实，吃起来像大麦，七月成熟，百姓收割到冬天才结束，称之为“自然谷”，也叫“禹余粮”。李南海在《药谱》中说：“䅟”的果实像球子，八月采收，当地百姓常吃，中原地区未曾见过。方孝孺的《逊志斋集》中有《海米行》，大概也是这类草的诗作。诗中写道：“海边有草名海米，大非蓬蒿小非荠，妇女携篮昼作群，采摘仍于海中洗，归来涤釜烧松枝，煮米为饭充朝饥，莫辞苦涩咽不下，性命聊假须臾时。”）
（另一种稗实）味辛、甘，苦，微寒。可做饭食。能益气健脾。所以曹植有“芳菰精稗”的美称。其根和苗（可用于金创及损伤出血不止的情况，捣碎外敷，或研成粉末撒在伤口上即可止血，效果非常显著。）
（薏苡仁）补脾肺，通行水液。
味甘、淡，微寒，五行属土。是阳明经的药物。（对应胃腑）。甘味能补益胃气，土能胜水，淡味能渗湿。泻除水湿从而有益于脾土，所以能健脾。治疗水肿、湿痹、香港脚（足部肿胀疼痛）、疝气、泄泻痢疾、热淋。补益脾土从而滋生肺金，所以能补肺清热。（薏苡仁色白入肺，微寒能清热。）治疗肺病（可将猪肺蘸取薏苡仁粉末服用，效果良好。）扶助脾土从而抑制肝木，所以治疗风热引起的筋脉拘急挛缩。（厥阴风木主司筋脉，然而治疗筋骨疾病，以阳明经为本，因为阳明经主润宗筋，宗筋主束骨而利关节。阳明虚则宗筋纵弛，所以经文说：“治痿独取阳明”，又说：“肺热叶焦，发为痿躄”。盖肺者，相傅之官，治节出焉。阳明湿热上蒸于肺，则肺热叶焦，气无所主而失其治节，故发为痿躄。薏苡仁得土之燥性，禀受秋季之凉气，故能燥脾湿，善祛肺热。筋脉遇寒则拘急，遇热则收缩，遇湿则纵弛。然而寒湿久留，也会变为热邪；又有热气熏蒸，水液不行，久而成湿的情况，薏苡仁是去湿的要药。）令人食欲增加。大便燥结者，因寒邪导致的筋脉拘急者，勿用。其药力和缓，使用时剂量需加倍于其他药物。炒熟后微研使用。
Used for famine relief.
Sweet and neutral in nature. Tonifies deficiency, emaciation, and exhaustion; warms the stomach and intestines; stops vomiting and reflux. Long-term consumption promotes health, lightens the body, and prevents hunger. (*Bowuzhi* records: On the isles of the East Sea, there is a grass named *Ci*, bearing fruit that tastes like barley. It ripens in July, and people harvest it until winter, calling it "Natural Grain" or "Yu's Surplus Grain." Li Nanhai in *Yaopu* states: The fruit of *Ci* is ball-shaped, harvested in August. Locals consume it regularly, but it has never been seen in China. Fang Xiaoru's *Xunzhizhai Ji* contains the poem "Hai Mi Xing," likely describing this type of grass. The poem reads: "By the sea grows a grass named Hai Mi, larger than mugwort but smaller than shepherd's purse. Women gather in groups with baskets by day, washing their harvest in the sea water. Returning home, they clean the pots and burn pine branches to cook rice for morning hunger. Do not complain of its bitterness making it hard to swallow; life depends on it for a brief moment.")
(Another variety of barnacle grain) Pungent, sweet, bitter, and slightly cold. Can be cooked as food. Benefits Qi and harmonizes the spleen. Hence, Cao Zhi praised it as "Fragrant Colocasia and Refined Barnacle." Its roots and shoots (can be used for traumatic injuries and bleeding from wounds that does not stop. Crushed externally or applied as powder, it stops bleeding effectively.)
(Bi Yu Ren / Coicis Semen) Tonifies the Spleen and Lungs, promotes the circulation of fluids.
Sweet, bland, and slightly cold, belonging to Earth. It is a herb of the Yangming channel (corresponding to the Stomach). Sweetness tonifies the Stomach; Earth overcomes Water; blandness leaches out dampness. Draining water benefits Earth, thus strengthening the Spleen. It treats edema, bi-syndrome due to dampness, Hong Kong foot (swelling and pain in the feet), hernia, diarrhea, dysentery, and hot strangury. Tonifying Earth generates Metal, thus benefiting the Lungs and clearing heat. (Its white color enters the Lung, and its slight coldness clears heat.) Treats lung diseases (cooking pig lungs and dipping them in Bi Yu Ren powder yields good results.) Supporting Earth suppresses Wood, thus treating wind-heat causing tendon stiffness and spasms. (Jueyin Wind-Wood governs tendons, yet treating bone and tendon diseases takes the Yangming channel as the root, because Yangming moistens the Zongjin [major tendons], which bind bones and facilitate joint movement. If Yangming is deficient, Zongjin becomes lax, hence the classic says: "In treating Wei syndrome, focus solely on Yangming." It also states: "Lung heat scorches the leaves, leading to Wei Bi [flaccidity syndrome]. The Lung is the official of ministerial assistance, where governance and regulation originate. Damp-heat from Yangming steams upward to the Lung, scorching its leaves, causing Qi to lose its master and governance, resulting in Wei Bi. Bi Yu Ren obtains the dryness of Earth and the coolness of Autumn, thus drying Spleen dampness and clearing Lung heat. Tendons contract when cold, shrink when hot, and become lax when damp. However, long-standing cold-dampness can transform into heat; conversely, heat steaming causes fluid stagnation, eventually forming dampness. Bi Yu Ren is an essential herb for removing dampness.) Promotes appetite. Contraindicated in cases of dry stool constipation or tendon stiffness due to cold. Its action is mild and gentle; dosage should be doubled compared to other herbs. Use after stir-frying and lightly grinding.