\r大枣\pq95a.bmp\r
甘可缓中。温能养血。补脾益胃。润中州能益气调营。止渴生津。和百药而强神助脉
。红枣之功不及黑。入营之力胜于乌。（大枣。枣为脾果。种类甚多。大抵以肉浓多脂味甘
核小者为佳。味甘性温。入脾胃。补阴血。生津液。和营卫。强神益气。实为中土之良药。
惟有湿热者不宜服之。以其易助湿热。易生虫患耳。○红枣性味相同。功力不及。惟入营和
血。仅堪润养耳。）
\r芡实\pq95.bmp\r
扶脾止泻。治水则同气相求。固肾益精。性味则甘平无毒。（芡实生于水而能治水。
诸家本草皆谓甘平性涩。然尝之似无涩味。仅觉甘淡而已。此亦邪水去而真水固也。味甘入
脾。水属入肾。扶土利水。是其本功。毕竟称其能涩精固气。恐亦未必。岂一物而有通涩
二用哉。或此药同山药等味则补。同苡仁等味则利。同金樱子等则涩。各随其用耳。）
\r乌梅\pq96a1.bmp\r
酸先入肝。肺络脾经均可及。黑能走血。肠红嗽疾久堪医。因其温涩之功。虚痢可疗
汗可敛。假此酸收之品。风痰能化噤能开。蛔厥难安。得酸则伏。恶疮翻凸。捣贴能除。白
霜梅。善豁痰涎。梅核膈。宜求含咽。（乌梅则青梅之半黄时用火熏黑者也。味酸性温。专
入肝家血分。脾肺大肠。皆其旁及者也。其功专主收敛止涩。故凡久咳久利。虚汗亡血等证
。皆可用之。能安蛔者。虫得酸则伏也。○白霜梅即青梅。用盐水浸之。日晒夜浸。十日后
。即有霜起乃成矣。味酸咸。性平。入肝达胃。善豁顽痰。治中风喉痹。牙关紧闭等证。以
酸咸之性。咸能润下。酸能涌泄也。开牙噤者。齿得梅则 。肝气以津液上泄之故。然最易
伤肾。故多食损齿耳。）
大枣
甘味能够缓急和中。温性能够滋养血液。补益脾脏，增益胃气。滋润中焦（脾胃）能够益气并调和营卫。止渴并生津液。调和各种药物，并能强健精神、辅助脉道。红枣的功效不如黑枣。进入营分的力量胜过乌梅。（大枣：枣是脾的果实，种类很多。大致以肉质浓厚、多脂、味甘、核小的为佳。味甘性温，入脾胃经，补益阴血，生津液，调和营卫，强健精神，益气，确实是中土（脾胃）的良药。只有湿热体质的人不宜服用，因为它容易助长湿热，容易引发虫患。○红枣性味与黑枣相同，但功力不及黑枣。仅能润养，用于入营和血。）
芡实
扶持脾脏，止住腹泻。治疗水湿病证则是同气相求的原理。固摄肾脏，益精。性味为甘平，无毒。（芡实生长在水中却能治疗水湿病证。各家本草都记载其味甘平、性涩。然而品尝起来似乎没有涩味，只觉得甘淡而已。这也是邪水去除而真水固摄的道理。味甘入脾，水性入肾，扶土利水是其基本功效。毕竟称赞它能涩精固气，恐怕也未必如此。难道一味药同时具有通利和收涩两种作用吗？或许此药配合山药等味则起补益作用，配合薏苡仁等味则起利水作用，配合金樱子等则起收涩作用。各随其配伍用途而定。）
乌梅
酸味先入肝经。肺络和脾经也都能涉及。黑色能走血分，肠红（便血）和咳嗽痰疾久治不愈的可以医治。凭借它温涩的功效，虚寒痢疾可以治疗。汗出可收敛。借助这种酸收的药物，风痰能够化解，牙关紧闭能够开启。蛔厥难以安宁，得到酸味则蛔虫伏藏。恶疮翻凸，捣碎贴敷能够消除。白霜梅，善于豁除痰涎。梅核膈（梅核气），宜寻求含服咽下。（乌梅是将青梅在半黄时用火熏黑的产物。味酸性温，专入肝家血分，脾、肺、大肠都是其旁及的经络。它的功效主要在于收敛止涩，所以凡是久咳、久利、虚汗、亡血等证候，都可以使用。能安蛔的原因，是虫子遇到酸味就会伏藏。○白霜梅即青梅，用盐水浸泡，日晒夜浸，十日后，表面出现白霜就形成了。味酸咸，性平，入肝达胃，善于豁除顽痰，治疗中风喉痹、牙关紧闭等证候。因为酸咸之性，咸能润下，酸能涌泄。开启牙关的原因，是牙齿得到梅子的津液上泄的缘故。然而最容易伤肾，所以多吃会损齿。）
Jujube (Da Zao)
The sweet flavor can moderate the middle jiao. The warm nature can nourish blood. It tonifies the spleen and benefits the stomach. Moistening the central earth (spleen and stomach) can augment qi and harmonize Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive levels). It stops thirst, generates body fluids, harmonizes various herbs, strengthens the spirit, and assists the pulse. Red jujube's efficacy is inferior to black jujube. Its power to enter the Ying level surpasses that of dark plum. (Jujube: Jujube is the fruit of the spleen, with many varieties. Generally, those with thick flesh, rich in fat, sweet in taste, and small pits are considered superior. Sweet in taste and warm in nature, it enters the spleen and stomach meridians, tonifies yin-blood, generates body fluids, harmonizes Ying and Wei, strengthens the spirit, augments qi, and is indeed a fine medicine for the central earth. However, it is not suitable for those with damp-heat, as it easily aids damp-heat and may induce parasitic infestations. ○ Red jujube has the same nature and flavor but inferior potency. It is merely sufficient for moistening and nourishing when entering the Ying to harmonize blood.)
Euryale Seed (Qian Shi)
It supports the spleen and stops diarrhea. Treating water-dampness follows the principle of similar energies seeking each other. It secures the kidney and benefits essence. Its nature and flavor are sweet, neutral, and non-toxic. (Euryale seed grows in water yet can treat water-dampness. All materia medica texts state it is sweet, neutral, and astringent. However, tasting it reveals no astringency, only sweetness and blandness. This is also the principle of eliminating pathogenic water while consolidating true water. Sweet flavor enters the spleen; water nature enters the kidney. Supporting earth to benefit water flow is its fundamental function. To claim it can astringe essence and secure qi is likely inaccurate. Can one herb possess both purgative and astringent effects? Perhaps this herb acts tonically when combined with herbs like Dioscorea opposita (Shan Yao), diuretically when combined with Coix seed (Yi Yi Ren), or astringently when combined with Rubus chingii (Jin Ying Zi). Its use depends on the combination.)
Dark Plum (Wu Mei)
Sour flavor first enters the liver. Lung collaterals and spleen meridians are also involved. Black color can move into the blood; chronic intestinal bleeding (red stool) and cough with phlegm can be treated. Due to its warm and astringent properties, deficiency-type dysentery can be cured. Sweating can be consolidated. Relying on this sour-astringent substance, wind-phlegm can be resolved, and trismus (lockjaw) can be opened. Ascaris colic is difficult to calm; getting sour causes them to subside. Malignant ulcers protruding can be eliminated by crushing and applying externally. White-frosted plum is good at resolving phlegm. Plum-pit qi (globus hystericus) should seek swallowing while holding in the mouth. (Dark plum is made by smoking green plums over fire when they are half-yellow. Sour and warm in nature, it specifically enters the liver blood level; spleen, lung, and large intestine are secondary involvements. Its main function is astringency and stopping leakage. Therefore, it can be used for chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, deficiency sweating, and loss of blood. It calms roundworms because parasites subside upon encountering sourness. ○ White-frosted plum is green plum soaked in salt water, sun-dried during the day and soaked at night. After ten days, a white frost appears, forming the product. Sour and salty in taste, neutral in nature, it enters the liver and reaches the stomach, excelling at resolving stubborn phlegm, treating stroke throat obstruction, and trismus. Due to its sour and salty nature, salt can moisten downward, and sour can induce vomiting and drainage. Opening the jaw occurs because teeth receive plum juice flowing upward. However, it easily damages the kidney, so excessive consumption harms the teeth.)