燥，快膈，消痰
辛热纯阳。暖胃快膈，下气消痰。治寒痰食积，肠滑冷痢，阴毒腹痛，胃寒吐水，牙齿
浮热作痛（合荜茇散之）。杀一切鱼、肉、鳖、蕈（音寻，上声）毒。食料宜之，嗜之者众。
多食损肺，走气动火，发疮、痔、脏毒，齿痛目昏。
毕澄茄一类二种，主治略同。
泻，行血，解表
甘咸辛凉。入三阴血分。行血去瘀，发散表里风气（宜与防风同用）。治产后血晕（《肘
后方》∶煮汁服。《海藏方》∶加乳香，酒服），胀满欲死，血痛血瘕，经闭气壅，痈肿朴伤，
排脓止痛。多破血，少和血。出苏方国，交、爱亦有。忌铁。
重，宣，调气，补阳
辛苦性温。诸木皆浮，而沉香独沉，故能下气而坠痰涎（怒则气上，能平则下气）。能
降亦能升，气香入脾，故能理诸气而调中（东垣曰∶上至天，下至泉，用为使，最相宜）。
其色黑、体阳，故入右肾命门，暖精助阳。行气不伤气，温中不助火。
治心腹疼痛，噤口毒痢，症癖邪恶，冷风麻痹，气痢气淋。色黑、沉水者良。香甜者性
平，辛辣者热。入汤剂，磨汁用；入丸散，纸裹置怀中，待燥碾之。忌火（鹧鸪斑者，名黄
沉；如牛角黑者，名黑沉；咀之软、削之卷者，名黄腊沉，甚难得；浮者，名栈香；半沉者
，名煎香；鸡骨香虽沉而心空，并不堪用）。
胡椒：味辛性热，属纯阳之品。能温暖胃腑、宽畅胸膈，降逆气、消痰饮。主治寒痰停滞、食积不化、大便滑泄兼冷痢、阴寒毒邪所致腹痛、胃寒呕吐清水，以及牙齿因浮热而疼痛（可与荜茇配伍研末散服）。能杀灭各种鱼、肉、鳖、菌类中的毒素。作为烹饪调料适宜使用，喜爱食用的人很多。但多食会损伤肺脏，耗散正气并引动内火，诱发疮疡、痔疮、内脏毒肿及牙痛、视力模糊等症。
苏木：味甘、咸、辛，性凉。归入三阴经的血分。能通行血液、祛除瘀血，发散体表及体内的风邪之气（宜与防风同用）。主治产后血晕（《肘后方》记载：煮汁服用；《海藏方》记载：加入乳香，用酒送服）、腹部胀满欲死、血瘀疼痛、血瘕积聚、月经闭止兼气机壅滞、痈肿及跌打损伤，具有排脓止痛的功效。用量大时破血力强，用量小时和血作用为主。产自苏方国，交州、爱州也有出产。忌与铁器接触。
沉香：味辛、苦，性温。大多数木质药材质地轻浮，唯独沉香质地沉重，因此能降逆气、坠下痰涎（人发怒时气机上逆，沉香能使气机平复下行）。沉香既能降气也能升提，因其香气入脾经，故能调理全身气机、调和脾胃（李东垣说：无论病位在上至天部还是下至泉部，用它作为引导药最为适宜）。其色黑、体性偏阳，因此入右肾命门，能温养精气、助益阳气。行气而不耗伤正气，温中而不助长火热。主治心腹疼痛、噤口毒痢、症癖恶疾、冷风引起的麻痹、气痢和气淋。以颜色黑、入水即沉者为佳。香味甘甜者药性平和，气味辛辣者药性温热。入汤剂煎煮时，需磨成汁液使用；入丸散剂时，用纸包裹置于怀中，待其干燥后碾碎。忌用火直接炙烤。（鹧鸪斑纹的称为黄沉；如牛角般黑色的称为黑沉；咀嚼时柔软、削切时卷曲的称为黄腊沉，非常难得；漂浮在水面上的称为栈香；半沉半浮的称为煎香；鸡骨香虽然下沉但中心空心，均不堪药用。）
Piperis Fructus (Hu Jiao, 胡椒): Pungent and hot in nature, belonging to pure Yang. It warms the Stomach, promotes free flow in the chest and diaphragm, directs rebellious Qi downward, and resolves phlegm. It treats cold-phlegm retention, food stagnation, slippery bowels with cold dysentery, abdominal pain due to Yin-cold toxicity, vomiting of clear fluid due to Stomach-cold, and toothache caused by floating heat (can be combined with Long Pepper Fruit / Bibai for powder administration). It neutralizes toxins from all kinds of fish, meat, turtles, and mushrooms. It is suitable as a culinary spice and is widely consumed. However, excessive intake damages the Lungs, scatters healthy Qi, stirs up internal fire, and induces sores, hemorrhoids, visceral toxicity, toothache, and blurred vision.
Bichengqie (Long Pepper Fruit / Piperis Kadsurae Fructus) is of the same category but a different species; its therapeutic actions are roughly similar.
Sappan Lignum (Sumu, 苏木): Sweet, salty, and pungent, cool in nature. Enters the Blood aspect of the Three Yin meridians. It invigorates blood, removes blood stasis, and disperses Wind pathogens affecting both the exterior and interior (should be used with Saposhnikovia Root / Fangfeng). It treats postpartum syncope due to blood deficiency/stasis (Zhouhou's Essential Prescriptions records: decoct and drink the juice; Haizang's Formulas records: add Frankincense Resin / Ruxiang, taken with wine), severe abdominal distension, blood-stasis pain, blood masses (Xuejia), amenorrhea with Qi stagnation, carbuncles and sores, traumatic injuries, promoting pus discharge, and relieving pain. In large doses, it breaks blood strongly; in small doses, it harmonizes blood. Originating from Sufang Country, it is also produced in Jiaozhou and Aizhou. Avoid contact with iron.
Agarwood (Chenxiang, 沉香): Pungent and bitter, warm in nature. Most woody materials float, but Agarwood sinks, thus it can direct Qi downward and sink phlegm-fluids (when one is angry, Qi ascends; Agarwood calms and directs Qi downward). It can both descend and ascend Qi. Its fragrance enters the Spleen meridian, thus it regulates Qi throughout the body and harmonizes the Middle Jiao (Li Dongyuan stated: whether the pathology is high as heaven or low as spring, using it as a guiding herb is most appropriate). Its color is black and its nature is Yang, thus it enters the Right Kidney and Mingmen, warming essence and assisting Yang. It moves Qi without damaging healthy Qi, and warms the Middle without aiding Fire. It treats epigastric and abdominal pain, anorexic toxic dysentery, accumulations and malignant growths, numbness caused by cold-Wind, Qi-dysentery, and Qi-strangury. Those that are black and sink in water are of superior quality. Those with a sweet aroma have a neutral nature; those with a pungent-spicy odor are hot in nature. For decoctions, grind into juice for use; for pills and powders, wrap in paper and keep in the bosom until dry, then pulverize. Avoid direct fire roasting. (Those with partridge-spot patterns are called Huangchen; those black like ox horn are called Heichen; those soft when chewed and curling when sliced are called Huanglac hen, which are very rare; those that float are called Zhanxiang; those half-sinking are called Jianxiang; Chicken Bone Fragrance, though sinking, has a hollow core and is unsuitable for medicinal use.)