蜀椒,味辛,气温、大热,浮也,阳中之阳,有毒。入心、脾、肾之经。却心腹疼痛及
寒温
痹疼,杀鬼疰蛊毒并虫鱼毒蛇,除皮肤骨节死肌,疗伤寒温疟,退两目翳膜,驱六腑沉寒,
通气脉,开鬼门,乃调关节,坚齿发,暖腰膝,尤缩小便,理风邪,禁咳逆之邪,治噫气,
养中和之气,消水肿、黄胆,止肠癖、痢红。多食乏气失明,久服黑发耐老。功用实多,不
只书上所载。然而少用则益,多用则转损。入于补阴之药,可以久服;入于补阳之剂,未可
常施也。
按∶蜀椒功用实胜于近处所产,以蜀椒味轻,转有益也。土产之椒,其辛香倍于蜀产,
虽功
用少薄,未尝不可用也。大约蜀椒用一两者,土产必须一两二钱,何必专觅蜀椒哉。
或问蜀椒可以乌须,而乌须之方似可用之也?夫蜀椒未能乌须也,取其引乌须之药,入
任、
督之路耳,大约乌须药多寒,而蜀椒性热,相侔同用,尤能制阴寒之气,所以易于奏功,而
变黑甚速也。但热药宜少用,不可多用耳。
吴茱萸,味辛、苦,气温,大热,可升可降,阳中阴也,有小毒。入肝、脾、肾之经。
主咽
塞气不通,散气膈冷气窒塞,驱脾胃停寒,脐腹成阵绞痛,逐膀胱受湿,阴囊作疝剜痛,开
腠理,解风邪,止呕逆,除霍乱。因顺折肝木之性,治吞吐酸水如神。厥阴头疼,引经必用
。气猛,不宜多食,令人目瞪口开。久服亦损元气,肠虚泄者尤忌。可逆用之以祛寒,复可
顺用之以解热。大约祛寒可以多用,而解热难以多投也。
按∶吴萸入四神丸中,以治肾泄,非用之以祛寒耶。然而,四神丸中用吴茱萸者,非尽
去
寒也,亦借其性燥以去湿耳。夫肾恶燥,而泻久则肾正苦湿也。吴茱萸正喜其燥,以投肾之
欢,入诸肾脏之逐其水而外走于膀胱,不走于大肠也。
或疑吴茱萸性热祛寒,恐不可用之以解热。不知从治之道,宜顺而不宜逆。逆其性,致
有相
格之忧;顺其性,始有相投之庆也。
蜀椒,味道辛,药性温、大热,质地轻浮,属于阳中的阳,有毒。归入心、脾、肾经。能消除心腹疼痛及寒湿痹痛,杀灭鬼疰蛊毒以及虫鱼毒蛇之毒,去除皮肤和骨节间的死肌,治疗伤寒和温疟,消退两目翳膜,驱散六腑深处的寒邪,疏通血脉,开启汗孔(鬼门),调和关节,坚固牙齿头发,温暖腰膝,尤其能缩小便,调理风邪,制止咳逆之气,治疗嗳气,养护中和之气,消除水肿和黄胆,止住肠癖和痢疾下血。多吃会耗气导致失明,长期服用能使头发变黑并延缓衰老。功效实在很多,不只是书上记载的那些。然而少量使用有益,大量使用反而有害。加入补阴的药物中,可以长期服用;加入补阳的药剂中,则不可经常施用。
按语:蜀椒的功效确实胜过当地所产的胡椒,因为蜀椒气味较轻,反而更有益处。本地出产的胡椒,其辛香程度是蜀产的两倍,虽然功效稍弱,并非不能使用。大致上蜀椒用一两,本地胡椒必须用一两二钱,何必专门寻找蜀椒呢?
有人问:蜀椒可以使胡须变黑,那么乌须的方剂似乎可以用它了?其实蜀椒并不能直接使胡须变黑,它是用来引导乌须的药物进入任脉和督脉的路径。大概乌须的药物多属寒性,而蜀椒性热,两者配合使用,更能制约阴寒之气,所以容易见效,而且变黑的速度很快。但是热性的药物应当少用,不可多用。
吴茱萸,味道辛、苦,药性温,大热,既可升又可降,属于阳中的阴,有小毒。归入肝、脾、肾经。主治咽喉堵塞气不通畅,消散气膈间冷气窒塞,驱除脾胃停滞的寒邪,缓解脐腹阵发性绞痛,驱逐膀胱受湿,治疗阴囊疝气引起的剧烈疼痛,开启腠理,解除风邪,止住呕吐逆气,消除霍乱。因为它顺应折损肝木的特性,治疗吞酸吐酸水效果神奇。厥阴经头痛,引经用药必用吴茱萸。药性猛烈,不宜多吃,否则令人眼睛瞪大、嘴巴张开。长期服用也会损伤元气,肠道虚弱泄泻者尤其忌讳。可以逆向使用以祛除寒邪,也可以顺向使用以解除热邪。大致上祛寒可以多用,而解热难以大量投用。
按语:吴茱萸进入四神丸中,用来治疗肾泄,这难道不是用它来祛寒吗?然而,四神丸中使用吴茱萸,并不完全是为了去寒,也是借助它的燥性来去湿。肾脏厌恶燥,但腹泻久了肾脏正苦于湿邪。吴茱萸正好喜欢它的燥性,以投合肾脏的喜好,进入各肾脏后引导水液向外走向膀胱,而不走向大肠。
有人怀疑吴茱萸性热用于祛寒,恐怕不能用它来解热。不知道从治之道,适宜顺应而不宜违背。违背其本性,会导致相互格拒的担忧;顺应其本性,才会有相互投合的喜庆效果。
Shu Jiao (Sichuan Pepper), with a pungent taste and warm, extremely hot nature, is light and floating, belonging to the Yang within Yang. It is toxic. It enters the Heart, Spleen, and Kidney meridians. It eliminates abdominal pain caused by cold and dampness, bi-syndrome pain, kills toxins from ghostly affections, gu-poison, insects, fish, and venomous snakes, removes dead flesh in the skin and joints, treats shanghan (Cold Damage) and wen-nue (Warm Malaria), reduces nebulae in both eyes, drives away deep-seated cold in the six fu-organs, unblocks blood vessels, opens the "ghost gates" (sweat pores), harmonizes joints, strengthens teeth and hair, warms the waist and knees, particularly reduces urination volume, regulates wind-pathogens, stops rebellious qi causing cough, treats belching, nourishes the harmonious qi, resolves edema and jaundice, stops intestinal dysentery and bloody stool. Excessive consumption depletes qi and causes blindness; long-term use darkens hair and delays aging. Its functions are numerous, exceeding those recorded in books. However, small doses are beneficial, while large doses are harmful. When added to yin-nourishing formulas, it can be taken for a long time; when added to yang-tonifying preparations, it should not be used frequently.
Note: The efficacy of Shu Jiao (Sichuan Pepper) produced in Shu region indeed surpasses that of locally produced pepper, as Shu Jiao has a lighter aroma and is thus more beneficial. Locally produced pepper has twice the pungency and fragrance of Shu production; although its efficacy is slightly weaker, it is still usable. Generally, if one liang of Shu Jiao is used, one liang and two qian of local pepper must be used. Why seek exclusively Shu Jiao?
One might ask: Shu Jiao can darken beard hair, so shouldn't it be used in formulas for darkening hair? In fact, Shu Jiao cannot directly darken hair; it serves to guide hair-darkening herbs into the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) and Du Mai (Governing Vessel). Most hair-darkening herbs are cold in nature, whereas Shu Jiao is hot. Their combined use can better restrain yin-cold qi, thus achieving results easily and turning hair black very quickly. However, hot herbs should be used sparingly, not excessively.
Wu Zhu Yu (Evodia Fruit), with a pungent and bitter taste, warm and extremely hot nature, can ascend and descend, belonging to Yin within Yang. It has slight toxicity. It enters the Liver, Spleen, and Kidney meridians. It primarily treats throat obstruction and blocked qi, disperses cold qi stagnation in the chest and diaphragm, drives away stagnant cold in the Spleen and Stomach, relieves paroxysmal colic in the umbilical and abdominal regions, expels dampness from the Bladder, treats severe pain from hernia in the scrotum, opens the couli (skin pores), resolves wind-pathogens, stops vomiting and rebellious qi, and eliminates cholera-like disorders. By following and moderating the nature of Liver Wood, it miraculously treats regurgitation of sour fluid. For Jueyin headache, Wu Zhu Yu is essential as a guiding herb. Its qi is fierce; excessive consumption causes staring eyes and open mouth. Long-term use damages Yuan Qi (Original Qi); it is especially contraindicated in cases of intestinal deficiency with diarrhea. It can be used inversely to dispel cold, or directly to resolve heat. Generally, it can be used in larger doses to dispel cold, but rarely in large doses to resolve heat.
Note: Wu Zhu Yu is included in Si Shen Wan (Four Spirit Pill) to treat Kidney diarrhea. Is this not using it to dispel cold? However, the use of Wu Zhu Yu in Si Shen Wan is not solely for dispelling cold, but also to borrow its drying property to remove dampness. The Kidney dislikes dryness, but prolonged diarrhea makes the Kidney suffer from dampness. Wu Zhu Yu's drying nature pleases the Kidney. Upon entering the Kidney system, it guides water outward to the Bladder rather than the Large Intestine.
One may doubt that since Wu Zhu Yu is hot and used to dispel cold, it cannot be used to resolve heat. One must understand the principle of treating according to the disease's nature (Cong Zhi): it is appropriate to follow rather than oppose. Opposing its nature leads to mutual rejection; following its nature brings mutual harmony and success.