地栗粉，即荸荠，又名乌芋。切片，晒干入药。最消痞积，与鳖甲同用最佳，又不耗人
真气
。近人未知之，余故时表出之。地栗有家种、野产之分，用药宜野产为佳。然无野产，即拣
家种之佳者，切片，连皮晒干用之，不特消痞积，更能辟瘴气也。
或问荸荠，吴越人喜啖，而吴越人最多痞积，似乎荸荠非攻消之品也，且其味甘甜，宜
带补
性。不知荸荠独用，乃消肾气者，泻无补。与鳖甲、神曲、白术、茯苓、枳壳之类并投，乃
能健脾去积，有补兼攻。所以单食乃无功，而同用乃有益也。
丹参，味苦，气微寒，无毒。入心、脾二经。专调经脉，理骨筋酸痛，生新血，去恶血，
落
死
胎，安生胎，破积聚症坚，止血崩带下。脚痹软能健，眼赤肿可消。辟精魅鬼祟，养正祛邪
，治肠鸣亦效。仅可佐使，非君臣之药，用之补则补、用之攻乃攻，药笼中所不可缺也。其
功效全在胎产之前后，大约产前可多加，产后宜少用，自然成功多，而取败少也。
或问丹参世所共用，吾子又亟称之，吾恐损胃伤脾不少也。是言何变余之深也。虽然余
誉丹
参，一乃曰仅可佐使，再乃曰产后多用取败，非戒之辞乎。可用而用，非教人不可用而又用
也。
白薇，味苦、咸，气平、大寒，无毒。入心、脾二经。主中风身热腹满，忽忽不知人事。
疗
温疟，寒热酸疼洒洒，发作有时。狂惑鬼邪堪却，伤中淋露可除。利气益精，下水渗湿。此
佐使要药，非君臣主药也。用之必须用参、苓、柴、术，始可奏功。然又不可出二钱之外，
以其大寒损胃也。
或问白薇却邪定神，是有益于正气之药，多用何伤？夫邪病多热，白薇寒以解热而却邪，
非
补正消邪也。大寒之物，多乃损胃，所以戒之也。
或问白薇功用止此乎？夫白薇功用不止此
，而其尤效者，善能杀虫。用之于补阴之中，乃能杀劳瘵之虫也。用之健脾开胃之中，乃能
杀寸白蛔虫也。以火焚之，可以辟蝇断虱；以酒敷之，可以愈疥而敛疮也。
地栗粉，就是荸荠，别名乌芋。将其切片，晒干后入药。它最能消除痞块积滞，与鳖甲配合使用效果最佳，而且不会耗损人体的真气。近代人不知道这一点，所以我特意把它揭示出来。地栗有家种和野生的区别，用药以野生为佳。如果没有野生的，就挑选家种中品质好的，切片，连皮一起晒干使用，不仅能消除痞块积滞，还能驱除瘴气。
有人问：荸荠，吴越地区的人喜欢食用，但吴越地区的人患痞块积滞的却最多，这似乎说明荸荠不是攻伐消积的药物，况且它的味道甘甜，应该带有补益的性质。殊不知荸荠单独使用，是消耗肾气的，只有泻的作用没有补的作用。如果与鳖甲、神曲、白术、茯苓、枳壳等药物一起投用，才能健脾去积，起到补益兼攻伐的作用。所以单吃它没有功效，而配合其他药物使用则有益处。
丹参，味苦，气微寒，无毒。归心经、脾经。专门调理经脉，缓解筋骨酸痛，生成新血，去除瘀血，堕下死胎，安固活胎，破除积聚症坚，治疗崩漏带下。脚部痹痛软弱能使其强健，眼睛红肿可使其消退。驱避精魅鬼祟，扶正祛邪，治疗肠鸣也有效。只能作为佐使药，不能作为君臣主药，用它来补益就能补益，用它来攻伐就能攻伐，是药箱中不可缺少的药物。它的功效主要体现在胎产前后，大约产前可以多加，产后宜少用，这样自然成功多而失败少。
有人问：丹参世人都在共用，您又极力称赞它，我担心它会损伤脾胃不少。这话为什么改变我的看法这么深呢？虽然如此，我赞誉丹参，一是说它仅可作为佐使药，二是说产后多用会取败，这不是告诫之辞吗？可以用而用，并不是教人不可用却又用。
白薇，味苦、咸，气平、大寒，无毒。归心经、脾经。主治中风身热腹满，神情恍惚不知人事。治疗温疟，寒热交替身体酸痛洒洒恶寒，发作有定时。狂惑鬼邪可以驱却，伤中淋露可以除去。利气益精，利水下渗湿浊。这是佐使要药，不是君臣主药。使用时必须配合人参、茯苓、柴胡、白术，才能奏效。但又不能超过二钱，因为它大寒会损伤胃气。
有人问：白薇驱邪定神，是对正气有益的药物，多用有什么伤害？邪病多属热证，白薇性寒以解热而驱邪，并非补正消邪。大寒之物，多用会损伤胃气，所以对此加以告诫。
有人问：白薇的功效只有这些吗？白薇的功效不止这些，其中特别有效的，是善于杀虫。用在补阴的药物中，就能杀灭劳瘵（肺结核）的虫。用在健脾开胃的药物中，就能杀灭寸白蛔虫。用火焚烧它，可以驱赶苍蝇断绝虱子；用酒敷涂它，可以治愈疥疮并使疮口收敛。
Di Li Fen (Dioscorea esculenta powder), also known as Di Lu (Water Chestnut) or Wu Yu, is prepared by slicing the rhizome and drying it for medicinal use. It is most effective in resolving masses and accumulations; when used in combination with Bie Jia (Tartar Testudinis), its efficacy is optimal, without depleting the body's True Qi (Zhen Qi). Contemporary practitioners are largely unaware of this, which is why I have brought it to light. There are cultivated and wild varieties of Di Lu; for medicinal purposes, the wild variety is preferred. However, if wild ones are unavailable, select the best cultivated specimens, slice them, and dry them with the skin on. This not only resolves masses and accumulations but also dispels miasma (Zhang Qi).
One might ask: People in the Wu and Yue regions enjoy eating Water Chestnuts, yet they suffer from masses and accumulations more than others. Does this not suggest that Water Chestnut is not a drug for attacking and resolving? Furthermore, its sweet taste suggests it should possess tonifying properties. The truth is that when used alone, Water Chestnut consumes Kidney Qi, offering draining action without tonification. However, when administered together with Bie Jia (Tartar Testudinis), Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Fu Ling (Poria), and Zhi Ke (Aurantii Fructus), it can strengthen the Spleen, remove accumulations, and achieve both tonification and attack. Therefore, consuming it alone yields no benefit, whereas using it in combination proves advantageous.
Dan Shen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) has a bitter flavor and a slightly cold nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the Heart and Spleen meridians. It specializes in regulating the collaterals, relieving soreness and pain in bones and tendons, generating new blood, eliminating stasis, expelling dead fetus, stabilizing living fetus, breaking up accumulations and hard masses, stopping metrorrhagia and leukorrhea. It strengthens weak legs affected by bi-syndrome and reduces redness and swelling of the eyes. It repels malevolent spirits, nourishes righteousness while dispelling evil, and is effective in treating borborygmus. It serves only as an assistant (Zuo Shi) herb, not as a sovereign or minister herb. Depending on how it is used, it can tonify or attack; it is an indispensable item in the medicine cabinet. Its efficacy is particularly prominent before and after childbirth: generally, the dosage may be increased prenatally, while it should be used sparingly postnatally to ensure success and minimize failure.
One might ask: Dan Shen is commonly used by everyone, and you praise it highly; I fear it causes considerable damage to the Stomach and Spleen. Why does your view change mine so profoundly? Although I praise Dan Shen, I first stated it serves only as an assistant herb, and secondly warned that excessive use postpartum leads to failure. Is this not a cautionary statement? Using it when appropriate is not teaching people to use it when inappropriate.
Bai Wei (Cynanchi Atrati Radix) has a bitter and salty flavor, and a neutral to very cold nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the Heart and Spleen meridians. It primarily treats wind-stroke with fever and abdominal fullness, and mental confusion or loss of consciousness. It manages warm malaria characterized by alternating chills and fever, body aches, and periodic attacks. It drives away madness and malevolent influences, and removes symptoms of internal injury with dribbling discharge. It promotes the flow of Qi, benefits Essence, promotes urination, and leaches out dampness. This is an essential assistant herb, not a sovereign or minister herb. When used, it must be combined with Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Fu Ling (Poria), Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), and Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) to be effective. However, the dosage should not exceed two qian, as its extreme cold nature damages the Stomach.
One might ask: Bai Wei dispels evil and calms the spirit, benefiting righteous Qi; what harm is there in using it in large doses? Pathogenic diseases often involve heat; Bai Wei uses its cold nature to resolve heat and dispel evil, rather than tonifying righteousness and eliminating evil. As a substance of extreme cold, excessive use damages the Stomach, hence the warning.
One might ask: Are these the only functions of Bai Wei? Bai Wei’s functions extend beyond this; notably, it is excellent at killing parasites. When incorporated into formulas that nourish Yin, it kills the worms of tuberculosis (Lao Zhai). When included in formulas that strengthen the Spleen and open the appetite, it kills tapeworms (Cun Bai Hui Chong). Burning it repels flies and eliminates lice; applying it with wine cures scabies and promotes the healing of sores.