良姜，味辛，气大温，纯阳，无毒。入心与膻中、脾、胃四经。健脾开胃，消食下气，
除胃
间逆冷，止霍乱转筋，定泻痢翻胃，祛腹痛心疼，温中却冷，大有殊功。倘内热之人误用之
，必至变生不测，又不可不慎也。高良姜止心中之痛，然亦必与苍术同用为妙。否则，有愈
、有不愈，以良姜不能祛湿故耳。
或问良姜最能解酒毒，何子之未言也？夫良姜辛温大热，治客寒犯胃者实效，倘胸腹大
热者
，愈增烦烧之苦矣。良姜宜于治寒，而不宜于治热也。酒性大热，投之解酒，不以热济热乎
，缪仲醇谓其能解酒毒，此子所不信也。
紫苏叶梗，味辛，气微温，无毒。入心、肺二经。发表解肌，疗伤风寒，开胃下食，消
胀满
，除香港脚口臭。苏子降气定喘，止咳逆，消膈气，破坚症，利大小便，定霍乱呕吐。紫苏虽
有叶与梗、子之分，而发表解肌，止喘定呕，未尝有异。但叶与梗宜少用，而子可多用也。
盖叶、梗散多于收，而子则收多于散，亦在人临症而酌用之耳。
或问苏叶表散风邪，古人加人参同治，奏功如响，何也？曰∶苏叶不得人参，其功不大。
今
人一见用人参以祛邪，辄惊骇不已，宜乎医生之不敢用，往往轻变重，而不可救。夫邪初入
人体，正气敢与邪战，用参以助正气，则正气旺，而又得祛邪之便，则群邪自行解散，此用
参于苏叶之内，大有深意也。至于风寒已感三四日，则不可轻用人参，当看虚弱壮盛而用药
矣。
或又问苏子定喘，有喘症用之而不效者，何也？盖喘症有虚、有实，未可谓苏子定喘，
而概
用之也。苏子止可定实喘耳，虚喘而用苏子，增其喘矣，岂特不效而已哉。
或疑苏子正是治虚喘之药，先生反谓虚喘用苏子而愈增喘，其义何乎？盖虚喘者，乃气
虚也
。苏子虽能定喘，而未免耗气，气耗则气愈虚而喘更甚。故治虚喘者，必须大加人参、熟地
之药，而不可增入苏子，以增其喘也。
或问苏叶散风邪之圣药，用之以发表中之风邪，尤为相宜，乃用之以散里中之风邪，往
往不
效，其必有义存焉。先生既深知《本草》之微，愿备有以教我。曰∶苏叶之义，不过散表邪
耳，原不深入于里。既不能深入，又何能散在里之风邪哉。然而以所不能深入之故，予则可
宜也。苏叶性轻而味浓，性轻则上泛，味浓则下沉，宜乎可以通达内外矣。然而，性轻而香
，味浓而辛，辛香则外驰易而内入难，故但散在表之风邪，而不散在里之风邪也。
或问宗 有言∶脾胃寒人，食紫苏多滑泄。果有之乎？曰∶紫苏乃风药也，善能平肝。
土为
木制，则人多滑泄。肝木既平，则脾土得养矣。况紫苏辛温，辛能祛湿，温能祛寒，脾胃寒
之人，宜无所忌，何致滑泄耶，惟是辛香之味，能散人真气，暂服无碍，而久服有伤，亦当
知忌也。
高良姜，味道辛，性质大温，属于纯阳之品，没有毒性。它进入心经、膻中（心包络）、脾经、胃经这四条经络。能够健脾开胃，消除食积并引导气机下行，去除胃中的逆冷之气，止住霍乱引起的转筋（肌肉痉挛），安定泻痢和翻胃（呕吐反酸），祛除腹痛和心痛，温暖中焦驱散寒气，具有显著的疗效。如果是体内有热的人误用了它，必定会导致病情发生不可预测的变化，因此必须谨慎。高良姜能止住心中的疼痛，但最好与苍术一起使用才妙。否则，有的病愈，有的不愈，是因为高良姜不能祛除湿邪的缘故。
有人问：高良姜最能解酒毒，为什么你没有提到呢？高良姜味辛性温且大热，治疗外寒侵犯胃腑确实有效；但如果胸腹有大热的人服用，只会增加烦闷烧灼的痛苦。高良姜适宜治疗寒证，而不适宜治疗热证。酒的性质是大热的，用它来解酒，岂不是以热助热吗？缪仲醇说它能解酒毒，这是我不相信的。
紫苏叶和紫苏梗，味道辛，性质微温，没有毒性。进入心经、肺经两条经络。能够发散表邪、解除肌表之邪，治疗伤于风寒，开胃促进食欲，消除胀满，去除香港脚（脚气病）和口臭。紫苏子能够降气平喘，止咳逆，消除膈间气滞，破除坚积症块，通利大小便，安定霍乱呕吐。紫苏虽然有叶、梗、子的区别，但在发表解肌、止喘定呕方面，功效并没有不同。只是叶和梗宜少用，而子可以多用。因为叶和梗偏于发散多于收敛，而子则偏于收敛多于发散，这也需要根据临证情况斟酌使用。
有人问：苏叶发散风邪，古人加入人参同治，效果如响应的迅速，为什么呢？回答说：苏叶如果没有人参配合，它的功效就不大。现在的人一见到用人参来祛邪，就惊恐不已，这导致医生不敢使用，往往使轻病变成重病，以至于无法救治。当邪气刚侵入人体时，正气敢于与邪气抗争，用人参来辅助正气，那么正气旺盛，又得到祛除邪气的便利，群邪自然解散，这就是在苏叶中加入人参的深意。至于风寒已经感受三四天，就不能轻易用人参，应当根据患者体质的虚弱或壮盛来用药。
又有人问：苏子能定喘，为什么有些喘症患者用了却不效呢？这是因为喘症有虚证、实证之分，不能说苏子能定喘，就一概使用。苏子只能安定实喘，如果是虚喘而用苏子，会增加喘息，岂止是不见效而已。
有人怀疑苏子正是治疗虚喘的药，先生反而说虚喘用苏子会加重喘息，这是什么道理呢？回答说：虚喘，是气虚的表现。苏子虽然能定喘，但未免耗气，气被耗损则气更虚，喘息更严重。所以治疗虚喘，必须大量加入人参、熟地黄等药物，而不能加入苏子，以免增加喘息。
有人问：苏叶是散风邪的圣药，用来发散表中的风邪，尤为适宜，但用来散里中的风邪，往往无效，其中一定有道理。先生既然深知《本草》的精微之处，希望详细教导我。回答说：苏叶的作用，不过是发散表邪罢了，原本就不能深入体内。既然不能深入，又怎么能散发在里的风邪呢？然而，正因为不能深入的缘故，它也有适宜的地方。苏叶性质轻而味道浓，性质轻则向上浮泛，味道浓则向下沉降，按理说可以通达内外。但是，苏叶性质轻而香，味道浓而辛，辛香之性容易向外发散而难以向内深入，所以只能散发在表的风邪，而不能散发在里的风邪。
有人问：张景岳（宗）曾说：脾胃寒的人，吃紫苏多了会滑泄。真的有这种事吗？回答说：紫苏是风药，善于平肝。如果土被木克制，人就会多滑泄。肝木既已平和，脾土就能得到滋养了。况且紫苏辛温，辛能祛湿，温能祛寒，脾胃寒的人，应该没有什么禁忌，怎么会导致滑泄呢？只是辛香的味道，能散失人的真气，暂时服用无碍，长期服用会有损伤，也应当知道忌讳。
Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang), with a pungent flavor and strongly warm nature, is purely yang and non-toxic. It enters the Heart meridian, Danzhong (Pericardium), Spleen meridian, and Stomach meridian. It strengthens the Spleen, opens the appetite, eliminates food stagnation, directs Qi downward, removes cold rebellion in the Stomach, stops Huoluan (cholera-like syndrome) with muscle spasms, stabilizes diarrhea/dysentery and Fanwei (vomiting/reflux), dispels abdominal pain and heart pain, warms the Middle Jiao to drive away cold, and possesses remarkable efficacy. If mistakenly used by persons with internal heat, it will inevitably cause unpredictable complications; thus, caution is essential. Galangal can stop pain in the heart region, but it is best used together with Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu). Otherwise, some cases may heal while others do not, because Galangal cannot dispel dampness.
One might ask: Galangal is most effective at resolving alcohol toxicity, why did you not mention this? Galangal is pungent, warm, and strongly hot; it is truly effective for treating external cold invading the Stomach. However, for those with significant heat in the chest and abdomen, it would only increase the suffering of irritability and burning. Galangal is suitable for treating cold patterns, not heat patterns. Alcohol has a strongly hot nature; using Galangal to resolve alcohol toxicity would be aiding heat with heat. Miao Zhongchun claimed it could resolve alcohol toxicity, which I do not believe.
Perilla Leaf and Stem (Zi Su Ye Geng), with a pungent flavor and slightly warm nature, are non-toxic. They enter the Heart and Lung meridians. They release the exterior and relieve the muscle layer, treat injuries from wind-cold, open the stomach to promote digestion, eliminate distension and fullness, and remove Hongxiangjiao (foot qi/beriberi) and bad breath. Perilla Seed (Zi Su Zi) descends Qi, calms asthma, stops coughing and rebellious Qi, eliminates diaphragmatic Qi stagnation, breaks hard accumulations, promotes urination and defecation, and stabilizes Huoluan vomiting. Although Perilla has distinctions among leaf, stem, and seed, their functions in releasing the exterior, relieving the muscle layer, stopping asthma, and settling vomiting are not different. However, the leaf and stem should be used in small doses, while the seed can be used in larger doses. This is because the leaf and stem are more dispersing than consolidating, whereas the seed is more consolidating than dispersing; usage should be adjusted according to clinical presentation.
One might ask: Perilla Leaf disperses wind pathogens; ancients added Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) for treatment, achieving results as quickly as an echo. Why? The answer is: Without Ginseng, the efficacy of Perilla Leaf is not great. Nowadays, people are terrified upon seeing Ginseng used to expel pathogens, causing physicians to dare not use it, often turning mild conditions into severe, incurable ones. When pathogens first enter the body, Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) dares to fight the pathogens. Using Ginseng to assist Zheng Qi makes Zheng Qi vigorous, facilitating the expulsion of pathogens, so that various pathogens disperse naturally. This is the profound meaning behind adding Ginseng to Perilla Leaf. However, if wind-cold has been present for three or four days, Ginseng should not be lightly used; medication should be prescribed based on whether the constitution is weak or robust.
Another question: Perilla Seed calms asthma, yet some asthma patients show no effect after using it. Why? Asthma patterns have deficiency and excess types; one cannot simply assume Perilla Seed calms asthma and use it universally. Perilla Seed can only calm excess asthma. Using it for deficiency asthma will worsen the wheezing, let alone failing to produce effects.
Some suspect Perilla Seed is precisely the medicine for deficiency asthma, yet you claim it worsens deficiency asthma. What is the rationale? Deficiency asthma stems from Qi deficiency. Although Perilla Seed can calm asthma, it inevitably consumes Qi. Consumed Qi leads to further Qi deficiency and more severe wheezing. Therefore, treating deficiency asthma requires large doses of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang), and Perilla Seed should not be added to avoid worsening the wheezing.
One asks: Perilla Leaf is a sacred herb for dispersing wind pathogens. It is highly suitable for dispersing wind pathogens in the exterior, but often ineffective for dispersing wind pathogens in the interior. There must be a reason. Since you deeply understand the subtleties of Bencao Materia Medica, please teach me. The answer is: The function of Perilla Leaf is merely to disperse exterior pathogens; originally, it does not penetrate deeply into the interior. Since it cannot penetrate deeply, how can it disperse wind pathogens residing in the interior? However, due to its inability to penetrate deeply, there are appropriate uses for it. Perilla Leaf has a light nature and strong flavor. Its light nature causes it to float upward, while its strong flavor causes it to sink downward, theoretically allowing it to connect the interior and exterior. Nevertheless, its light and aromatic nature combined with its strong and pungent flavor means that pungency and aroma easily move outward but are difficult to enter inward. Thus, it only disperses wind pathogens in the exterior, not in the interior.
One asks: Zhang Jingyue stated that persons with cold Spleen and Stomach experience loose stools if they consume too much Perilla. Is this true? The answer is: Perilla is a wind-dispelling herb that soothes the Liver. If Earth is controlled by Wood, one tends to have loose stools. Once Liver Wood is pacified, Spleen Earth is nourished. Moreover, Perilla is pungent and warm; pungency dispels dampness, and warmth dispels cold. Persons with cold Spleen and Stomach should have no taboos regarding it, so why would it cause loose stools? However, the pungent and aromatic flavor can scatter True Qi. Temporary consumption is harmless, but long-term use causes damage; thus, one should know to avoid prolonged use.