泻肺火，补肾水，润燥痰
甘苦大寒，入手太阴（肺）气分，清金降火，益水之上源（肺为肾母），下通足少阴肾
（苦能坚肾，寒能去肾家湿热，故亦治骨痿）。滋肾润燥，止渴消痰（《蒙筌》曰∶肾主津液，
燥则凝而为痰，得润剂则痰化，所谓治痰之本也），泽肌肤，利二便。
治肺痿肿痈（肺痿者，属于风寒咳嗽，短气鼻塞胸胀，久而成痿，有寒痿、热痿二证。
肺痈者，热毒蕴结，咳吐脓血，胸中隐痛。痿重而痈稍轻。治痿宜养血、补气、保肺、清火
；治痈宜泻热、豁痰、开提、升散。痈为邪实，痿为正虚，不可误治），吐脓吐血（苦泄血
滞，甘益元气，寒止血妄行），痰嗽喘促，消渴嗌干（烦渴引饮，多食善饥，为消渴，由火
盛津枯），足下热痛，虚劳骨蒸，阴虚有火之证。然性冷利，胃虚无热及泻者忌用。
取肥大明亮者，去心皮，酒蒸。地黄、贝母为使，恶鲤鱼。二冬熬膏并良（天冬滋阴助
元消肾痰，麦冬清心降火止肺咳）。
补肺，清心，泻热，润燥
甘微苦寒。清心润肺（东垣曰∶入手太阴气分），强阴益精，泻热除烦（微寒能泻肺
火，火退则金清，金旺则水生，阴得水养，则火降心宁而精益），消痰止嗽（午前嗽多属胃
火，宜芩、连、栀、柏、知母、石膏；午后嗽及日轻夜重者，多属阴虚，宜五味、麦冬、知
母、四物），行水生津（肺清则水道下行，故治浮肿；火降则肾气上腾，故又治消渴）。
治呕吐（胃火上冲则呕，宜麦冬。又有因寒、因食、因痰、因虚之不同），痿蹶（手足
缓纵曰痿蹶。阳明湿热上蒸于肺，故肺热叶焦，发为痿蹶。《经疏》曰∶麦冬实足阳明胃经
之正药），客热虚劳，脉绝短气（同人参、五味，名生脉散。盖心主脉，肺朝百脉，补肺清
心，则气充而脉复。又有脉绝将死者，服此能复生之。夏月火旺灼金，服之尤宜。东垣曰∶
人参甘寒，泻火热而益元气；麦冬苦寒，滋燥金而清水源；五味酸温，泻丙火而补庚金，益
五脏之气也。丙火小肠，庚金大肠，并主津液），肺痿吐脓，血热妄行，经枯乳闭。明目悦
颜（益水清火）。但性寒而泄，气弱胃寒人禁用。
肥大者良，去心用。入滋补药酒浸（制其寒）。地黄、车前为使。恶款冬花、苦参、青
葙、木耳。
泻除肺火，补益肾水，滋润燥痰。
味甘、苦，性大寒，归入手太阴肺经的气分，能清肃肺气、降泄火热，并补益肾水的上源（因为肺为肾之母），向下通达足少阴肾经。
（苦味能坚固肾脏，寒性能去除肾中的湿热，因此也能治疗骨痿）。滋补肾阴、润燥止渴、消除痰饮（《蒙筌》说：肾主司津液，津液干燥则凝结成痰，得到滋润的药物则痰液化解，这就是治痰的根本方法），润泽肌肤，通利大小便。
治疗肺痿、肺肿、肺痈（肺痿属于风寒咳嗽，表现为短气、鼻塞、胸胀，日久形成痿证，分为寒痿和热痿两种证型。肺痈是热毒蕴结，咳吐脓血，胸部隐痛。痿证病情较重而痈证稍轻。治疗痿证宜养血、补气、保肺、清火；治疗痈证宜泻热、豁痰、开提、升散。痈证属于邪气实盛，痿证属于正气虚弱，不可误治），吐血、咳吐脓血（苦味能泄血滞，甘味能补益元气，寒性能制止血液妄行），痰嗽气喘急促，消渴咽干（烦渴多饮，吃得多容易饿，称为消渴，由火盛津液枯竭引起），脚底发热疼痛，虚劳骨蒸，阴虚火旺的证候。然而其性质寒冷滑利，胃虚无热及腹泻者忌用。
选取肥大明亮的药材，去掉心部和外皮，用酒蒸制。地黄、贝母作为辅药，忌与鲤鱼同食。天门冬和麦门冬熬制成膏剂效果良好（天冬滋阴助元、消除肾痰，麦冬清心降火、止住肺咳）。
补益肺气，清心火，泻热，润燥。
味甘、微苦，性寒。清心润肺（东垣说：归入手太阴肺经气分），强壮阴精，泻热除烦（微寒能泻肺火，火退则肺气清肃，肺气旺盛则肾水滋生，阴精得到滋养，则心火下降、心神安宁而精液充足），消除痰饮、止嗽（午前咳嗽多属胃火，宜用黄芩、黄连、栀子、黄柏、知母、石膏；午后咳嗽及白天轻夜间重者，多属阴虚，宜用五味子、麦冬、知母、四物汤），行水利尿、生津液（肺清肃则水道下行，故治疗浮肿；火降则肾气上腾，故又治疗消渴）。
治疗呕吐（胃火上冲导致呕吐，宜用麦冬。又有因寒、因食积、因痰、因虚等不同原因引起的呕吐），痿蹶（手足弛缓无力称为痿蹶。阳明湿热上蒸于肺，导致肺热叶焦，发为痿蹶。《经疏》说：麦冬是治疗足阳明胃经的正药），客热虚劳，脉绝短气（与人参、五味子同用，名为生脉散。因为心主血脉，肺朝百脉，补肺气清心火，则气充而脉复。又有脉搏微弱将死者，服用此方能恢复生机。夏季火旺灼伤肺金，服用尤为适宜。东垣说：人参甘寒，泻火热而益元气；麦冬苦寒，滋润燥金而清水源；五味子酸温，泻丙火而补庚金，补益五脏之气。丙火指小肠，庚金指大肠，二者均主管津液），肺痿吐脓，血热妄行，经血枯竭、乳汁闭塞。明目美容（通过滋肾水、清心火实现）。但性质寒凉且具泄下作用，气弱胃寒之人禁用。
以肥大者为佳，去掉心部使用。入滋补药方时需用酒浸泡（以制约其寒性）。地黄、车前子作为辅药。忌与款冬花、苦参、青葙子、木耳同食。
To drain Lung Fire, tonify Kidney Water, and moisten dryness-phlegm.
Sweet, bitter, and extremely cold in nature; enters the Qi level of the Hand-Taiyin (Lung) meridian; clears Metal and descends Fire; benefits the upper source of Water (the Lung is the mother of the Kidney); and communicates downward to the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney meridian.
(Bitterness can firm the Kidney, and coldness can remove damp-heat from the Kidney house, thus it also treats bone atrophy). It nourishes the Kidney, moistens dryness, relieves thirst, and eliminates phlegm (Meng Quan states: The Kidney governs body fluids; when dry, they congeal into phlegm; with moistening agents, the phlegm resolves, which is called treating the root of phlegm). It moistens the skin and promotes urination and defecation.
It treats lung萎 (pulmonary fibrosis/atrophy), lung swelling, and lung abscess (Lung萎 belongs to wind-cold cough, characterized by shortness of breath, nasal congestion, chest distension, progressing to萎 over time, divided into cold萎 and heat萎 syndromes. Lung abscess involves accumulation of toxic heat, coughing up pus and blood, and dull pain in the chest. 萎 is severe while abscess is slightly milder. Treatment for 萎 should involve nourishing blood, tonifying qi, protecting the Lung, and clearing fire; treatment for abscess should involve draining heat, resolving phlegm, lifting, and dispersing. Abscess is excess pathogen, while 萎 is deficiency of healthy qi, so they must not be treated incorrectly). It treats coughing up pus and blood (Bitterness drains blood stasis, sweetness benefits original qi, and coldness stops reckless bleeding). It treats cough with phlegm, wheezing, and rapid breathing; xiao ke (wasting-thirst syndrome) with dry throat (irritable thirst with excessive drinking, polyphagia, caused by excessive fire and depleted fluids); heat and pain in the soles of the feet; deficiency exhaustion with steaming bone disorder; and syndromes of yin deficiency with fire. However, its nature is cold and purgative; it is contraindicated in cases of empty stomach without heat or diarrhea.
Select those that are plump and bright; remove the heart and peel; steam with wine. Radix Rehmanniae Preparata (Dihuang) and Fritillariae Bulbus (Beimu) act as assistants; it is incompatible with carp. Both Dongtian (Asparagus Root) and Dongmai (Ophiopogon Root) made into paste are excellent (Tian Dong nourishes yin, assists yuan, and eliminates Kidney phlegm; Mai Dong clears the Heart, descends fire, and stops Lung cough).
Tonifies the Lung, clears the Heart, drains heat, and moistens dryness.
Sweet, slightly bitter, and cold in nature. Clears the Heart and moistens the Lung (Dong Yuan states: enters the Qi level of the Hand-Taiyin meridian); strengthens yin and benefits essence; drains heat and removes irritability (slight coldness can drain Lung fire; when fire recedes, Metal becomes clear; when Metal is prosperous, Water is generated; when yin is nourished by water, heart fire descends, the mind calms, and essence increases). It eliminates phlegm and stops cough (cough in the forenoon often belongs to Stomach fire, suitable for Scutellariae Radix (Qinhua), Coptidis Rhizoma (Lian), Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi), Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai), Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhimu), and Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao); cough in the afternoon or lighter by day and heavier by night often belongs to yin deficiency, suitable for Schisandrae Fructus (Wuweizi), Ophiopogonis Radix (Maidong), Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhimu), and Siwu Decoction). It promotes water metabolism and generates fluids (when the Lung is clear, the water passages descend, thus treating edema; when fire descends, Kidney qi ascends, thus treating wasting-thirst).
It treats vomiting (Stomach fire rushing upward causes vomiting, suitable for Maidong; there are also different causes such as cold, food stagnation, phlegm, and deficiency). It treats wei jue (flaccidity and paralysis; flaccidity and paralysis refer to relaxed and weak limbs. Yangming damp-heat steams upward to the Lung, causing Lung heat and scorched leaves, leading to wei jue. Jingshu states: Maidong is the principal herb for treating the Foot-Yangming Stomach meridian). It treats external heat and deficiency exhaustion; pulse disappearance and shortness of breath (used with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Schisandrae Fructus (Wuweizi), named Shengmai San (Generate the Pulse Powder). Because the Heart governs the vessels and the Lung faces all vessels, tonifying the Lung and clearing the Heart replenishes qi and restores the pulse. For those whose pulse is nearly absent and near death, taking this can restore life. In summer, when fire is prosperous and scorches Metal, taking it is especially suitable. Dong Yuan states: Renshen is sweet and cold, draining fierce heat and benefiting original qi; Maidong is bitter and cold, moistening dry Metal and clearing the water source; Wuweizi is sour and warm, draining Bing fire and tonifying Geng Metal, benefiting the qi of the five zang organs. Bing fire refers to the Small Intestine, Geng metal refers to the Large Intestine, both governing body fluids). It treats lung萎 with pus expectoration, reckless bleeding due to blood heat, dried-up menstruation, and closed lactation. It brightens the eyes and beautifies the complexion (by nourishing Water and clearing fire). However, its nature is cold and purgative; it is strictly contraindicated in people with weak qi and cold stomach.
Those that are plump are good; remove the heart before use. When entering tonic prescriptions, soak in wine (to restrain its coldness). Radix Rehmanniae Preparata (Dihuang) and Plantaginis Semen (Cheqianzi) act as assistants; it is incompatible with Adenophorae Radix (Kuandonghua), Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (Kushen), Celosiae Semen (Qingxiang), and Auricularia Auricula-Judae (Mu'er).