\r木香\pq48a1.bmp\r
燥脾土以疏肝。香利三焦破气滞。味苦辛而散逆。温宣诸痛解寒凝。理气则生用摩冲
。止泻则面煨取用。(木香苦辛而温。芳香而燥。入肝脾气分。宣散上下一切寒凝气滞。温
中止痛。辟鬼除邪。然纯阳之性。阴虚液涸者切勿沾唇。煨熟可止泻利。因木香气味俱浓。
且熟则无走散之性。惟觉香燥而守。故能实大肠。凡治泄泻恒用之。肝喜调达。脾喜温燥。
木香固为两脏之所喜。而燥散太过。宜与补药同用乃佳。)
\r川芎\pq48a.bmp\r
辛甘微苦。力能解郁调经。润泽且香。功可和营理气。愈头风之偏正。性喜上升。补
肝燥之虚衰。善通奇脉。温宣之性。能疏血分风寒。走窜无方。防劫阴中元气。(川芎。本
名芎 。因出川地。故名川芎。至于台芎抚芎。皆因其地而名辛苦甘温。芳香润泽。血中气
药也。然走散上升之性。惟血分有郁滞者最宜。至若阴虚血少。宜静不宜动者。不可用之。)
\r当归\pq48.bmp\r
引诸血各归其经。甘苦辛温香且润。虽理血仍能调气。心肝脾脏畅而和。能解表以温
中。可养营而止痛。下行破血。尾力为强。补血守中。归身独得。调营血自然风灭。诸痹
仗此以宣通。行脏腑旁及奇经。胎产须知能受益。(当归性味与川芎相近。而甘味为多。不
如川芎之走窜耗散。功专养血活血。能理血中之气。同补药则补。同泻药则泻。虽为血病中
之要药。然总属辛香走散。阴虚者仍宜禁之。肠滑者不宜用。虽能调经。妇人亦不可多服。
易成淋滞等病。以其性滑耳。)
木香
燥湿健脾以疏泄肝气。香气通利三焦,破除气机阻滞。味道苦辛而能散逆气。性温宣通,解除诸痛及寒邪凝滞。用于调理气机时生用,磨粉冲服;用于止泻时煨熟取用。(木香味苦、辛,性温,气味芳香且燥烈,入肝、脾两脏的气分,宣散上下全身一切寒凝气滞,温中止痛,辟除鬼邪。然而其纯阳之性,阴虚津液枯竭者切勿服用。煨熟后可止泻利,因为木香气味浓厚,且煮熟后失去走散之性,只觉香燥而守中,故能固涩大肠。凡治疗泄泻常使用此药。肝喜条达,脾喜温燥,木香确实为这两脏所喜,但因其燥散太过,宜与补益药同用效果更佳。)
川芎
味辛、甘,微苦,力量能解郁结、调经血。质地润泽且芳香,功效可调和营血、理气机。治愈头风引起的偏头痛和正头痛,其性喜上升。补益肝脏因燥热导致的虚衰,善于通达奇经八脉。具有温宣之性,能疏解血分中的风寒。走窜无定方,但需防止劫夺阴中元气。(川芎,原名芎䓖,因产于四川地区,故名川芎。至于台芎、抚芎,皆是因地名而得名。味辛、甘、温,芳香润泽,是血中之气药。然而其走散上升之性,只有血分有郁滞者最适合。至于阴虚血少,宜静不宜动的情况,不可使用。)
当归
引导诸血各归其经脉。味甘、苦、辛,性温,气味芳香且润泽。虽然调理血液仍能调节气机,使心、肝、脾三脏通畅和谐。能解表邪并温中焦,可滋养营血并止痛。下行破血,当归尾的作用最强;补血守中,当归身独有此效。调和营血自然风邪自灭,各种痹证依靠它来宣通。运行脏腑并旁及奇经八脉,孕妇及产妇须知服用此药能受益。(当归的性味与川芎相近,但甘味更多,不如川芎那样走窜耗散。功效专于养血活血,能调理血中之气。与补药同用则具补益之功,与泻药同用则具泻下之效。虽然它是血病中的重要药物,但总属辛香走散之品,阴虚者仍宜禁忌。肠滑者不宜使用。虽然能调经,妇女也不宜多服,容易形成淋证、滞涩等疾病,因为其性质滑利。)
Mu Xiang (Aucklandiae Radix)
Dries the spleen earth to soothe the liver. Its fragrance promotes the sanjiao and breaks qi stagnation. Bitter and pungent in taste, it disperses rebellious qi. Warm and diffusing in nature, it resolves various pains and cold coagulation. For regulating qi, use raw, ground, and taken with water; for stopping diarrhea, use baked. (Mu Xiang is bitter and pungent, warm in nature, aromatic and drying. It enters the qi aspect of the liver and spleen meridians, diffusing and dispersing all cold coagulation and qi stagnation throughout the upper, middle, and lower jiaos. It warms the middle and stops pain, expels evil spirits and pathogens. However, due to its pure yang nature, those with yin deficiency and fluid exhaustion should strictly avoid it. When baked, it can stop diarrhea and dysentery because Mu Xiang has strong aroma and flavor, and when cooked, it loses its scattering property, becoming aromatic, drying, and astringent, thus consolidating the large intestine. It is commonly used in treating diarrhea. The liver likes free flow, and the spleen likes warmth and dryness. Although Mu Xiang is favored by both organs, its drying and scattering action is too strong, so it is best used in combination with tonifying herbs.)
Chuan Xiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma)
Pungent, sweet, and slightly bitter. Its power can resolve depression and regulate menstruation. Moistening and aromatic, its function harmonizes the nutritive level and regulates qi. It cures migraine and frontal headache due to wind-stroke, as its nature tends to ascend. It supplements liver deficiency caused by dryness and excels at unblocking the extraordinary vessels. With its warming and diffusing nature, it can disperse wind-cold in the blood level. Its wandering and penetrating nature requires caution to prevent depletion of yuan qi in the yin. (Chuan Xiong, originally named Xiong, was named Chuan Xiong because it originates from the Sichuan region. Taichuan and Fuchuan are also named after their places of origin. Pungent, sweet, and warm, aromatic and moistening, it is a qi herb within the blood. However, its wandering and ascending nature is most suitable only for cases where there is stagnation in the blood level. In cases of yin deficiency and blood insufficiency, where stillness is preferred over movement, it should not be used.)
Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix)
Guides the various bloods back to their respective meridians. Sweet, bitter, and pungent, warm in nature, aromatic and moistening. Although it regulates blood, it can also regulate qi, making the heart, liver, and spleen smooth and harmonious. It can release the exterior and warm the interior, nourish the nutritive level and stop pain. Descending to break blood stasis, the tail has the strongest effect; tonifying blood and staying in the center, the root body alone achieves this. Harmonizing the nutritive level naturally extinguishes wind; various bi syndromes rely on it for diffusion and unblocking. It circulates through the zang-fu organs and extends to the extraordinary vessels; pregnant women and postpartum women should know that benefiting from it. (The nature and flavor of Dang Gui are similar to Chuan Xiong, but with more sweetness, and less wandering and dissipating than Chuan Xiong. Its function specializes in nourishing and invigorating blood, regulating qi within the blood. Combined with tonics, it tonifies; combined with purgatives, it purges. Although it is an important herb for blood diseases, it generally belongs to pungent, aromatic, and wandering/dissipating substances, so those with yin deficiency should still avoid it. Those with loose bowels should not use it. Although it regulates menstruation, women should not take it in excess, as it may easily lead to strangury and stagnation diseases due to its slippery nature.)