泻肺，解肌，润燥，下气
辛苦甘温而利。泻肺解肌（能发汗），除风散寒，降气行痰，润燥消积（索面、豆粉，
近之则烂），通大肠气秘。治时行头痛，上焦风燥，咳逆上气（杏仁炒研，蜜和为丸，含咽），
烦热喘促。有小毒，能杀虫治疮，制狗毒（可毒狗，消狗肉积）、 毒。肺虚而咳者禁用（东
垣曰∶杏仁下喘治气，桃仁疗狂治血，俱治大便秘。当分气血，昼便难属阳气，夜便难属阴
血。妇人便秘，不可过泄。脉浮属气，用杏仁、陈皮；脉沉属血，用桃仁、陈皮。肺与大肠
相表里，贲门上主往来，魄门下主收闭，为气之通道，故并用陈皮佐之。贲门胃之上口，魄
门，即肛门。杏仁、紫菀，并能解肺郁，利小便）。去皮、尖，炒研，发散连皮、尖研。双
仁者杀人。得火良。恶黄 、黄芩、葛根。
涩肠，敛肺
酸涩而温。脾、肺血分之果，敛肺（肺欲收，急食酸以收之）涩肠，涌痰消肿，清热解
毒，生津止渴，醒酒杀虫。
治久咳泻痢（梁庄肃公血痢，陈应之用乌梅、胡黄连、灶下土等分为末，茶调服而愈。
曾鲁公血痢百余日，国医不能疗，应之用盐梅肉研烂，合腊茶入醋服，一啜而安）。瘴疟（诸
症初起者，皆禁用）霍乱，吐逆反胃，劳热骨蒸（皆取其酸收），安蛔厥（蛔虫上攻而眩仆。
虫得酸则伏，仲景有蛔厥乌梅丸），去黑痣，蚀恶肉（痈疮后生恶肉，烧梅存性，研末敷之）。
多食损齿伤筋（经曰∶酸走筋，筋病无多食酸）。
白梅功用略同。治痰厥僵仆，牙关紧闭（取肉揩擦牙龈，涎出即开。盖酸先入筋，齿软
则易开。若用铁器撬开，恐伤其齿），惊痫喉痹，敷乳痈肿毒，刺入肉中（嚼烂罨之即出。
疮中 肉。捣饼贴之即收）。
青梅薰黑为乌梅（稻灰汁淋蒸，则不蠹。孟诜云∶乌梅十颗，汤煮去核，纳肛中，通大
便），盐渍为白梅（时珍曰∶梅、花于冬，而实于夏，得木之全气，故最酸。胆为甲木，肝
为乙木。人舌下有四窍，两通胆液，故食酸则津生。食梅齿 者，嚼胡桃即解。衣生霉点者，
梅叶煎汤洗之。捣洗葛衣亦佳）。
泻肺，解肌，润燥，下气
杏仁味辛苦甘，性温而具有通利之效。能泻肺解肌（能够发汗），祛除风邪散寒，降气行痰，润燥消积（若靠近索面、豆粉等食物，则易导致腐烂），通畅大肠因气滞引起的大便秘结。治疗时行感冒引起的头痛，上焦风燥，咳嗽气逆（将杏仁炒熟研碎，用蜂蜜调和制成丸药，含在口中咽下），烦热喘促。杏仁有小毒，能杀虫治疗疮疡，制约狗毒（可用于毒杀狗，或消除狗肉积滞）、[蛇]毒。肺气虚弱的咳嗽者禁用（李东垣说：杏仁降喘治气分病，桃仁疗狂治血分病，两者都能治疗大便秘结。应当区分气血，白天排便困难属于阳气问题，夜晚排便困难属于阴血问题。妇女便秘，不可过度攻泄。脉浮属气分病，用杏仁、陈皮；脉沉属血分病，用桃仁、陈皮。肺与大肠相表里，贲门（胃的上口）主管气机往来，魄门（即肛门）主管收闭，是气的通道，所以并用陈皮作为佐使药。贲门是胃的上口，魄门就是肛门。杏仁、紫菀，都能解除肺郁，通利小便）。使用时需去皮、尖，炒后研碎；用于发散表邪时连皮、尖一起研碎。双仁的杏仁有毒，能致人死亡。用火处理效果良好。畏恶黄柏、黄芩、葛根。
涩肠，敛肺
乌梅味酸涩，性温。它是脾、肺血分的果实，能敛肺（肺脏喜欢收敛，急需食用酸味食物来收敛它）涩肠，涌吐痰涎消肿，清热解毒，生津止渴，醒酒杀虫。
治疗久咳、腹泻痢疾（梁庄肃公患血痢，陈应之使用乌梅、胡黄连、灶心土等分为末，用茶调服而痊愈。曾鲁公患血痢百余日，国医无法治疗，陈应之使用盐渍梅肉研烂，配合腊茶加入醋服用，一次饮用后即安定）。瘴疟（各种症状初起者，均禁用）、霍乱，呕吐逆气反胃，劳热骨蒸（都是取其酸收的作用），安蛔厥（蛔虫上攻导致眩晕仆倒。虫子遇到酸味就会伏藏，张仲景有治疗蛔厥的乌梅丸），去除黑痣，腐蚀恶肉（痈疮愈合后生长的恶肉，将乌梅烧存性，研成末敷贴）。多吃会损伤牙齿和筋骨（《内经》说：酸味走筋，患有筋病的人不要多吃酸味食物）。
白梅的功效大致相同。治疗痰厥僵仆，牙关紧闭（取梅肉擦拭牙龈，流出涎液后牙关即开。因为酸味先入筋，牙齿变软则容易张开。如果用铁器撬开，恐怕损伤牙齿），惊痫喉痹，敷贴乳痈肿毒，刺入肉中的异物（嚼烂敷贴即可排出。疮中[残留]肉。捣成饼贴敷即可收敛）。
青梅熏黑成为乌梅（用稻灰汁淋蒸，则不被虫蛀。孟诜说：乌梅十颗，用水煮去核，纳入肛门中，可通大便），盐渍成为白梅（李时珍说：梅花于冬季开放，果实于夏季成熟，得木之全气，所以味道最酸。胆为甲木，肝为乙木。人舌下有四个窍，两个通向胆液，所以吃酸味食物则津液产生。吃梅子导致牙齿[酸软/受损]的人，嚼胡桃即可缓解。衣服生霉点的人，用梅叶煎汤洗涤。捣碎梅叶清洗葛布衣也很好）。
Xie Fei (Drain Lung), Jie Ji (Release Muscle Layer), Run Zao (Moisten Dryness), Xia Qi (Descend Qi)
Bitter, pungent, sweet, warm, and penetrating. It drains the Lung and releases the muscle layer (can induce sweating), dispels wind and scatters cold, descends Qi and moves phlegm, moistens dryness and dissipates accumulation (if placed near noodles or bean powder, it will rot), and unblocks constipation due to Qi stagnation in the large intestine. It treats headache from epidemic pathogens, upper jiao wind-dryness, cough with rebellious Qi (stir-fried and ground Xing Ren, mixed with honey into pills, held in mouth and swallowed), vexation, heat, panting, and shortness of breath. It has slight toxicity, can kill parasites and treat sores, neutralize dog poison (can be used to poison dogs, or eliminate dog meat accumulation), and [snake] poison. Contraindicated for cough due to Lung deficiency (Li Dongyuan said: Xing Ren descends wheezing and treats Qi disorders, Tao Ren cures mania and treats blood disorders; both treat constipation. One must distinguish between Qi and Blood: difficulty defecating during the day belongs to Yang Qi, while difficulty at night belongs to Yin Blood. For women with constipation, one should not over-drain. Floating pulse indicates Qi disorder, use Xing Ren and Chen Pi; sinking pulse indicates Blood disorder, use Tao Ren and Chen Pi. The Lung and Large Intestine are exterior-interiorly related. Fen Men (upper opening of stomach) governs the passage of Qi, Po Men (i.e., anus) governs closure, serving as the channel for Qi; thus, Chen Pi is used as an assistant. Fen Men is the upper opening of the stomach, Po Men is the anus. Xing Ren and Zi Wan can both resolve Lung depression and promote urination). Remove skin and tips, stir-fry and grind; when used for releasing the exterior, grind with skin and tips intact. Double-kernel Xing Ren is lethal. Processing with fire is beneficial. It is incompatible with Huang Bo, Huang Qin, and Ge Gen.
Se Chang (Astringe Intestines), Lian Fei (Astringe Lung)
Sour, astringent, warm. It is a fruit of the Spleen and Lung blood levels. It astringes the Lung (the Lung desires consolidation, urgently requiring sour food to consolidate it) and astringes the intestines, induces vomiting of phlegm to reduce swelling, clears heat and detoxifies, generates fluids and stops thirst, awakens from drunkenness and kills parasites.
It treats chronic cough, diarrhea, and dysentery (Liang Zhuangsu Gong suffered from bloody dysentery; Chen Yingzhi used equal parts of Wu Mei, Hu Huang Lian, and Zao Xia Tu powdered, taken with tea, resulting in recovery. Zeng Lu Gong suffered from bloody dysentery for over a hundred days, untreatable by imperial physicians; Chen Yingzhi used salted plum flesh ground into a paste, combined with La Cha and vinegar, administered once, leading to stability). It treats zhang malaria (contraindicated for all symptoms in their early stages), cholera, vomiting, reverse flow of Qi, gastric reflux, labor-heat, and bone-steaming fever (all utilizing its sour-astringent properties), calms ascendant Liver Wind due to roundworms causing dizziness and collapse (roundworms subside upon encountering sourness; Zhang Zhongjing had the Wu Mei Wan for treating Hui Jue), removes black nevi, and corrodes malignant flesh (malignant flesh growing after ulcer healing: burn Wu Mei until carbonized but retaining nature, grind into powder and apply). Excessive consumption damages teeth and sinews (The Classic says: Sour flavor travels to sinews; those with sinew diseases should not consume much sour food).
Bai Mei (White Plum) has similar functions. It treats Tan Jue (phlegm-jue) with rigidity and collapse, lockjaw (take flesh to rub gums; saliva flows out and jaw opens. Because sour flavor enters sinews first, teeth soften and open easily. Using iron tools to pry open may damage teeth), Jing Xian (startling epilepsy), Hou Bi (throat obstruction), applies to Ru Yong (breast abscess) and toxic swellings, and extracts thorns embedded in flesh (chew thoroughly and apply to extract immediately. [Residual] flesh in wounds: mash into cake and apply to contract/heal).
Qing Mei (Green Plum) smoked black becomes Wu Mei (steamed with rice ash juice to prevent insect damage. Meng Shen said: Ten Wu Meis, boiled in water, pitted, inserted into anus to unblock stool); salt-pickled becomes Bai Mei (Li Shizhen said: Plum flowers in winter, fruits in summer, obtaining the full Qi of Wood, hence most sour. Gallbladder is Jia Wood, Liver is Yi Wood. Humans have four orifices under the tongue, two connecting to gallbladder fluid, hence eating sour food generates saliva. Those whose teeth [are affected/sore] from eating plums can chew walnuts to relieve it. For clothes with mold spots, wash with decoction of plum leaves. Crushing plum leaves to wash ge cloth is also good).