（瓜菜）助湿胀脾滞气
南瓜（专入脾胃肠）。味甘气温。体润质滑。食则令人气胀湿生。故书载此品类之贱。
食物之
所不屑。凡人素患香港脚。于此最属不宜。服则湿生气壅。黄胆湿痹。用此与羊肉同食。则病
尤见剧迫。惟有太阴湿土口渴舌干服。差见其有益耳。至经有言补中益气。或者津枯燥涸。
得此津回气复。以为补益之自乎！否则于理其有不合矣。
（瓜菜）解热散血宽肠利气
茄子（专入肠胃）。性禀地阴。外假阳火。皮赤肉白。阳包乎阴。花实香紫。故书载治
寒热脏
痨。并或散血止痛。宽肠利气。然味甘气寒。质滑而利。服则多有动气。生疮损目。腹痛泄
泻之虞。孕妇食之。尤见有害。此瓜菜中无益之物也。（李延飞曰。秋后食此损目。生生编
云。女人服此。能伤子宫。宗 曰。冷人食此。动气发疮及痼疾。）蒂治肠风下血。及擦癜
风。（时珍曰。治癜风用茄蒂烧灰。同硫黄末擦之。取其渗血也。）花治金疮牙痛。（烧灰涂
痛处。）根及枯根叶。皆治冻疮皴裂。煮汤渍之。
（瓜菜）清暑热利水道
胡瓜（专入脾胃大肠）。气味甘寒。服此止能清热利水。别无裨益。故北人坐炕。用此
以为席
珍。南人值暑。用此以为供蔬。并或咽喉肿痛。用此入药以为吹消。（用老黄瓜去子。以芒
硝填满。阴干为末。每以少许吹之。）枚疮火眼。用此纳硝刮粉以为点搽。汤火伤灼。用此
掐碎入瓶取水以为刷敷。水病肚胀。用此连子醋煮空心以为投服。小儿热痢。用此同蜜以为
投治。皆以取其甘寒解毒之意。然使脏寒气阴。复则能以动气发热作疟。且发香港脚生疮。小
儿过服。尤易作泻生疳。不可不慎。叶则苦平小毒。能治小儿闪癖。（一岁用一叶。生 搅
汁服。得吐下良。）
南瓜（专门入脾、胃、肠经）。味道甘甜，性质温和。质地滋润而滑利。食用后容易使人产生气胀和湿气。因此医书记载这类食物地位低贱，是饮食者所不屑一顾的。凡是平时患有香港脚（足癣或湿热下注之症）的人，最不适合食用。如果服用，会导致湿气加重、气机壅滞，出现黄疸、湿痹等症状。如果用此与羊肉同食，病情会更加严重紧迫。只有在太阴湿土证中出现口渴、舌干的情况下，才稍微显得有益。至于经文中所说的“补中益气”，或许是因津液枯燥枯竭，得到南瓜后津液回复、气机恢复，从而误认为是它的补益功效吧！否则从医理上讲是不合逻辑的。
茄子（专门入胃、肠经）。禀受地之阴气，外表借假阳火之气。皮呈红色，肉呈白色，阳气包裹着阴气。花和果实香气紫色。因此医书记载其能治疗寒热往来及脏痨（内脏虚劳），以及散血止痛、宽肠利气。然而它味道甘甜，性质寒凉，质地滑利。服用后多有引发气机逆乱、生疮、损伤视力、腹痛腹泻等隐患。孕妇食用，尤其有害。这是瓜菜中无益的食物。（李延飞说：秋后食用此物会损伤视力。《生生编》说：女人服用此物，能伤害子宫。宗氏说：体寒之人食用此物，会引发气机逆乱、疮疡及旧疾复发。）茄蒂可治疗肠风下血，以及擦拭白癜风。（李时珍说：治疗白癜风用茄蒂烧成灰，配合硫黄末擦拭，取其渗透血液的作用。）茄花可治疗金创（金属利器造成的创伤）和牙痛。（烧成灰涂抹于疼痛处。）茄根及枯死的根叶，都能治疗冻疮皴裂，煮汤浸泡患处。
（瓜菜类）清解暑热，通利水道
胡瓜（即黄瓜，专门入脾、胃、大肠经）。气味甘寒。服用此物只能清热利水，没有其他益处。所以北方人坐在炕上，用它作为席间珍馐；南方人在暑天，用它作为蔬菜供应。或者咽喉肿痛时，用它入药作为吹喉消散之用。（用老黄瓜去掉籽，填满芒硝，阴干后研为粉末，每次取少许吹入咽喉。）杨梅疮（梅毒）和火眼（急性结膜炎），用它加入芒硝刮取粉末作为点眼或搽敷。汤火烫伤，用它掐碎放入瓶中取水，用来刷涂患处。水肿腹胀，用它连子醋煮空腹服用。小儿热痢，用它加蜜服用治疗。这些都是取其甘寒解毒的意思。但是，如果脏腑寒气重且阴液不足，反而会引起气机逆乱、发热、疟疾，并且诱发香港脚和疮疡。小儿过量服用，更容易导致腹泻和疳积。不可不谨慎。茄叶则味苦性平，有小毒，能治疗小儿闪癖（小儿腹部痞块或惊风等症）。（一岁的婴儿用一片叶子，生捣绞汁服用，以吐出或泻下为佳。）
(Gourd and Vegetable Category) Promotes Dampness, causes Spleen Distension, and obstructs Qi movement.
Pumpkin (specifically enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Intestine meridians). Its taste is sweet, and its nature is warm. Its texture is moist and slippery. Consumption leads to Qi distension and the generation of Dampness. Therefore, medical texts record this category as lowly, despised by those who value food. For individuals who habitually suffer from Hong Kong foot (Tinea pedis or syndromes of Damp-Heat pouring downward), it is most unsuitable. Ingestion exacerbates Dampness and causes Qi stagnation, leading to Jaundice and Bi syndrome due to Dampness. Consuming it with mutton will make the condition even more severe and urgent. It is only slightly beneficial in cases of Taiyin Damp-Earth syndrome presenting with thirst and a dry tongue. Regarding the classic statement "tonifies the Middle and benefits Qi," it may be that due to fluid exhaustion and dryness, the restoration of fluids and Qi after consumption is mistaken for its tonifying effect! Otherwise, this contradicts medical logic.
(Gourd and Vegetable Category) Clears Heat, dissipates Blood stasis, relaxes the Intestines, and promotes Qi flow.
Eggplant (specifically enters the Stomach and Intestine meridians). It inherits Yin energy from the Earth, while its exterior borrows Yang fire. The skin is red, the flesh is white, with Yang enveloping Yin. The flowers and fruits have a purple fragrance. Thus, medical texts record its ability to treat alternating chills and fever, and visceral consumptive disease (Zang Lao), as well as dissipating Blood stasis, relieving pain, relaxing the intestines, and promoting Qi flow. However, its taste is sweet and its nature is cold; its texture is slippery and purgative. Ingestion often risks causing Qi rebellion, sores, eye damage, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Pregnant women consuming it are particularly harmed. This is an unbeneficial item among gourds and vegetables. (Li Yanfei stated: Consuming this in autumn damages the eyes. *Shengsheng Bian* states: Women consuming this can injure the uterus. Zong stated: Cold constitutions consuming this trigger Qi rebellion, sores, and chronic diseases.) The calyx treats intestinal wind with bleeding and can be rubbed on vitiligo. (Li Shizhen stated: To treat vitiligo, burn the eggplant calyx to ash, mix with sulfur powder, and rub, utilizing its blood-penetrating property.) The flower treats metal wounds and toothache. (Burn to ash and apply to the painful area.) The root and withered leaves treat frostbite and cracked skin; boil in water and soak the affected area.
(Gourd and Vegetable Category) Clears summer-heat and promotes urination.
Cucumber (specifically enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians). Its odor and taste are sweet and cold. Ingestion only clears heat and promotes diuresis, offering no other benefit. Hence, northerners use it as a delicacy while sitting on heated kang beds; southerners use it as a vegetable during summer. Or, for sore throat and swelling, it is used medicinally as a powder for insufflation into the throat. (Use old cucumber, remove seeds, fill with Mirabilite, dry in shade, grind to powder, and insufflate a small amount each time.) For yaws and fiery eyes, mix with Mirabilite, scrape the powder, and apply to the eyes. For scalds and burns, crush it, place in a bottle to collect juice, and brush/apply to the wound. For edema and abdominal distension, cook with vinegar including seeds and take on an empty stomach. For pediatric dysentery due to heat, administer with honey. All these uses rely on its sweet-cold detoxification properties. However, if there is internal cold and Yin deficiency, it may instead cause Qi rebellion, fever, malaria, and trigger Hong Kong foot and sores. Overconsumption by children easily leads to diarrhea and infantile malnutrition (Gan syndrome). Caution is required. The leaves are bitter, neutral, and slightly toxic; they treat pediatric abdominal masses or convulsions (Shan Pi). (For one-year-olds, use one leaf, crush fresh to extract juice, and administer; vomiting or purging is desirable.)