（蔓草）清肺通乳利水
通草（专入肺胃）。气味甘淡。体轻色白。有类灯心。（时珍曰。有细孔。两头皆通。故
名通
草。即今所谓木通也。今之通草。乃古之通脱木也。颂曰。古方所用通。皆今之木通。其通
脱木。稀有用者。）功同入肺。引热下降。及利小便。通淋治肿。（杲曰。通草泻肺利小便。
甘平以缓阴血也。与灯草同功。宜生用之。）然灯心质小气寒。则兼降心火。此则兼入胃通
气上达而下乳汁之为异耳。（时珍曰。通草色白而气寒。疏淡而体轻。）况此体大气轻。渗淡
殆甚。能升能降。既可入肺而清热。复能上行而通胃。东垣用此以治五种水肿癃闭。非取气
寒能降。味淡能升之意乎？仲景用此合当归芍药桂枝细辛大枣甘草。名为当归四逆汤。以治
伤寒邪入厥阴。非取通草以通营卫之意乎？但孕妇勿服。
（蔓草）消水除湿尤解杨梅结毒
土茯苓（专入胃肝。兼入肾肠）。甘淡气平。功有等于萆 。治能除湿消水。去清分浊。
然此
尤解杨梅疮毒。盖杨梅疮多由岚瘴熏蒸。与淫秽湿热之邪交互而成。（时珍曰。杨梅疮古方
不载。亦无病者。近时起于岭表。传及四方。盖岭表风土卑炎。岚瘴熏蒸。饮啖辛热。男女
淫猥。湿热之邪蓄积既深。发为毒疮。遂致互相传染。自南而北。遍及海宇。然皆淫邪之人
病之。）其症多属阳明（胃）厥阴。（肝）而兼及他经。盖相火寄于厥阴。肌肉属于阳明故也。
如兼少阴太阴。则发于咽喉。兼太阳少阳。发于两角。若用轻粉劫剂。毒瓦斯窜入经络筋骨。
莫之能出。变为筋骨挛拘。发为结痛。遂成痼疾。（时珍曰。水银性走而不守。加以盐矾。
升为轻粉银朱。其性燥烈。善逐痰涎。涎乃脾之液。此物入胃。气归阳复。故涎被劫。随火
上升。从喉颊齿缝而出。故疮即干痿而愈。若服之过剂。及用不得法。则毒瓦斯窜入经络筋
骨之间。莫之能出。痰涎既去。血液耗涸。筋骨失其所养。营卫不从。筋骨挛痛。发为痈毒
疳漏。久则生虫为癣。手足皴裂。遂成痼疾。）须用此一两。外用金银花防风木通木瓜白藓
皮各五分。皂荚子四分。人参当归各七分。日服三剂。（时珍曰。用此能健脾胃。去风湿。
脾胃健则营卫健。风湿去则筋骨利。故诸症多愈。又云。此名搜风解毒汤。犯轻粉病深者月
余。浅者半月即愈。）忌饮茶酒肉面盐醋。并戒房劳百日。渴饮土茯苓汤。半月方愈。取其
湿热斯除。而浊阴得解矣。白者良。忌茶。
（蔓草）清肺通乳利水
通草（专入肺经和胃经）。气味甘淡。质地轻而颜色白。类似灯心草。（李时珍说：它有细孔，两头都相通，所以名叫通草，就是现在所说的木通。现在的通草，是古代的通脱木。苏颂说：古方中使用的“通”，都是现在的木通。而通脱木，很少使用。）功效与入肺经相同，引导热邪下降，以及利尿、通淋、治疗水肿。（张元素说：通草泻肺火、利小便，味甘性平以缓和阴血。与灯心草功效相同，宜生用。）然而灯心草质地小、气寒，则兼有降心火的作用；此药则兼入胃经，通气上达并下通乳汁，这是它的不同之处。（李时珍说：通草色白而气寒，疏淡而体轻。）况且此药体大气轻，渗湿利水作用极强，能升能降，既可入肺清热，又能上行通胃。李东垣用此药治疗五种水肿和小便不通，难道不是取其气寒能降、味淡能升的意思吗？张仲景用此药合当归、芍药、桂枝、细辛、大枣、甘草，名为当归四逆汤，用来治疗伤寒邪气侵入厥阴经，难道不是取通草疏通营卫的意思吗？但孕妇不要服用。
（蔓草）消水除湿尤解杨梅结毒
土茯苓（专入胃经和肝经，兼入肾经和肠经）。甘淡气平，功效等同于萆薢。治疗能除湿消水，分清去浊。然而此药尤其能解杨梅疮之毒。大概杨梅疮多由山岚瘴气熏蒸，与淫秽湿热之邪交互而成。（李时珍说：杨梅疮古方不记载，也没有这种病人，近代兴起于岭表地区，传播到四方。大概因为岭表风土卑湿炎热，山岚瘴气熏蒸，饮食辛辣燥热，男女行为淫乱，湿热之邪蓄积很深，发为毒疮，于是互相传染，从南向北，遍及全国。然而这都是淫邪之人得的病。）其症状多属于阳明经（胃）和厥阴经（肝），而兼及其他经络。大概因为相火寄居于厥阴经，肌肉归属于阳明经的缘故。如果兼及少阴经和太阴经，则发作于咽喉；兼及太阳经和少阳经，则发作于两角。如果使用轻粉等劫剂，毒气窜入经络筋骨，无法排出，变为筋骨挛缩拘急，发作结痛，遂成顽固疾病。（李时珍说：水银性质走而不守，加上盐矾，升华为轻粉和银朱，其性质燥烈，善于驱逐痰涎。涎液是脾的津液，此物进入胃中，气归阳气恢复，所以涎液被劫夺，随火上升，从喉颊齿缝而出，所以疮口即干燥萎缩而痊愈。如果服药过量，以及使用方法不当，则毒气窜入经络筋骨之间，无法排出。痰涎既去，血液耗竭干枯，筋骨失去滋养，营卫不和，筋骨挛痛，发作痈毒、疳疮、漏管，久了生虫成为癣疾，手足皮肤皲裂，遂成顽固疾病。）需要用此药一两，外用金银花、防风、木通、木瓜、白鲜皮各五分，皂荚子四分，人参、当归各七分，每日服用三剂。（李时珍说：用此药能健脾胃，去风湿。脾胃健运则营卫调和，风湿去除则筋骨便利，所以各种症状大多痊愈。又说：此方名为搜风解毒汤，犯轻粉病深的患者月余，浅的患者半月即可痊愈。）忌饮茶、酒、肉、面、盐、醋，并戒房事百日。口渴时饮用土茯苓汤，半个月才能痊愈。取其湿热得以清除，而浊阴得以化解。白色的为好，忌茶。
(Manscao) Clears the Lung, promotes lactation, and promotes urination.
Tongcao (specifically enters the Lung and Stomach meridians). Flavor is sweet and bland. Nature is light and color is white. Resembles Junci Medulla (Dengxincao). (Shizhen says: It has fine pores, open at both ends, hence named Tongcao, which is what is now called Mutong. The current Tongcao is actually the ancient Tongduomu. Song says: The "Tong" used in ancient prescriptions is all Mutong as it exists today. Tongduomu is rarely used.) Its efficacy is similar to entering the Lung meridian, guiding heat downward, promoting urination, relieving strangury, and treating edema. (Gao says: Tongcao drains Lung heat and promotes urination; its sweet and neutral nature moderates Yin blood. It shares the same function as Dengxincao and should be used raw.) However, Dengxincao is small in substance and cold in nature, thus also descending Heart fire. This herb, on the other hand, additionally enters the Stomach meridian, unblocks Qi ascending upward and promoting lactation downward, which is its difference. (Shizhen says: Tongcao is white in color and cold in nature, sparse and bland in flavor, and light in substance.) Moreover, this herb is large in Qi yet light in substance, with extremely strong渗湿 (seeping out dampness) and bland-draining properties. It can ascend and descend. It can enter the Lung to clear heat, and also ascend to unblock the Stomach. Dongyuan used this to treat five types of edema and urinary retention. Is it not taking advantage of the cold nature to descend and the bland flavor to ascend? Zhongjing used this combined with Danggui, Shaoyao, Guizhi, Xixin, Dazao, and Gancao, named Danggui Sini Tang, to treat Cold Damage pathogen invading the Jueyin meridian. Is it not taking advantage of Tongcao to unblock Ying and Wei? However, pregnant women should not take it.
(Manscao) Eliminates water, removes dampness, and especially resolves Yamei chancroid toxins.
Tufuling (specifically enters the Stomach and Liver meridians, additionally enters the Kidney and Intestine meridians). Flavor is sweet, bland, and nature is neutral. Efficacy is equal to Bibi. Treatment can remove dampness, eliminate water, separate the clear from the turbid. However, this herb especially resolves Yamei chancroid toxins. Generally, Yamei chancroid arises mostly from mountain miasma steaming, interacting with obscene damp-heat pathogens. (Shizhen says: Yamei chancroid is not recorded in ancient prescriptions, nor were there patients with this disease. It recently arose in the Lingbiao region and spread to all directions. Probably because the wind and soil in Lingbiao are low, humid, hot, and steaming with miasma, diet consists of spicy and hot foods, and sexual conduct is licentious. Damp-heat pathogens accumulate deeply, manifesting as toxic sores, leading to mutual contagion, spreading from south to north, covering the whole empire. However, these are diseases of those engaging in licentious acts.) Symptoms mostly belong to the Yangming (Stomach) and Jueyin (Liver) meridians, while involving other meridians. This is because Ministerial Fire resides in Jueyin, and muscles belong to Yangming. If involving Shaoyin and Taiyin, it erupts in the throat; if involving Taiyang and Shaoyang, it erupts in the two corners (angles of the mouth/eyes). If using Qingfen (Calomel) or other drastic agents, toxin qi窜入 (crawls into) the meridians, collaterals, sinews, and bones, unable to exit, transforming into sinew and bone contraction and stiffness, erupting as knotting pain, thus becoming a stubborn disease. (Shizhen says: Shuiyin [Mercury] has a nature that moves without staying. Added with Yanfan (Salt and Alum), it is sublimated into Qingfen and Yinzhu. Its nature is dry and fierce, good at driving out phlegm-saliva. Saliva is the fluid of the Spleen. When this substance enters the Stomach, Qi returns to Yang and recovers, so saliva is robbed, rises with fire, and exits from the throat, cheeks, and teeth gaps. Thus the sore dries up, atrophies, and heals. If taken in excess, or used improperly, then toxin qi crawls into the meridians, collaterals, sinews, and bones, unable to exit. Once phlegm-saliva is gone, blood and essence are exhausted, sinews and bones lose their nourishment, Ying and Wei do not follow, sinews and bones contract and hurt, erupting as carbuncles, sores, fistulas. Over time, insects grow, becoming tinea, skin cracking on hands and feet, thus becoming a stubborn disease.) One must use one liang of this herb. Externally, use Jinyinhua, Fangfeng, Mutong, Mugua, Baixianpi each 5 fen, Zaojiazi 4 fen, Renshen and Danggui each 7 fen. Take three doses daily. (Shizhen says: Using this herb strengthens the Spleen and Stomach, removes wind-dampness. When Spleen and Stomach are healthy, Ying and Wei are harmonious; when wind-dampness is removed, sinews and bones are flexible, so most symptoms heal. Also says: This formula is named Soufeng Jiedu Tang. For those with deep infection from Qingfen, it takes over a month; for shallow cases, half a month suffices.) Avoid tea, alcohol, meat, noodles, salt, and vinegar. Abstain from sexual activity for one hundred days. Drink Tufuling decoction when thirsty. It takes half a month to heal. Taking advantage of clearing damp-heat and resolving turbid Yin. White ones are good. Avoid tea.