三四月花开根下。五六月成实。实在根下。仁藏壳内。取密藏之意。故名。八月采者。
气味完固。
味辛微苦而涩。气温芳窜。可升可降。降多于升。阳也。入手足太阴阳明太阳足少阴七
经。得白檀香豆蔻为使入肺。得人参益智为使入脾。得黄柏茯苓为使入肾。得赤白石脂为使
入大小肠。主脾胃气结滞不散。醒脾开胃。益肾和中。行气。散寒饮。消宿食。治胀痞。噎
膈呕吐。止冷气痛。疗虚劳冷泻及休息痢。调女子崩中。安胎止痛。（行气故也）除咽喉口
齿浮热。（所治皆通行结滞之功）缩砂属土。芳香入脾。和合五脏冲和之气。能引诸药归宿
丹田。故补肾药用同地黄丸蒸。取其达下也。（韩 ）香达脾。辛润肾。故为开脾胃之要药。
和中气之正品。若兼肾虚气不归元。用为向导。殆胜桂附热毒之药多矣。日华用主一动气。
转筋霍乱。缘是病必由脾胃为邪所干。其气壅滞闭塞而成也。花实在根下。固甲函孚。界列
八膈。砂粒攒簇。敛缩密藏。犹夫其息以踵。而孕毓元阳。保任冲举。是故升出降入。靡不
合宜。观其补虚安胎。填崩镇惊。滑可涩。脱可收。渗可弥。奔豚可下。及秋不能从外而内。
冬不能
土。及春不能自下而上。夏不能从内而外者。亦可使之从升从出矣。乃若解毒散滞。伸筋舒
郁。化痞却痛。彻饮调中。开噎膈。摄吐逆。此正开发上焦。宣五谷味。苏胃醒脾之力也。
毋仅瞻其升出。失却其降入之原。（之颐）得人参橘皮。宜藿香茯苓白芍炙草。治泄泻呕吐。
及不思食。得藿香陈皮木瓜。治霍乱转筋。腹痛吐泻。独用两许。炒为末。入食盐三钱。滚
汤一碗泡浸冷服。治干霍乱累效。
〔论〕缩砂密初尝之酸辣而有咸。后转微苦。仍兼酸辣咸之味。苦味尽处带澹甜酸意。
而唾渣有余香。（大抵辛苦居多。而辛尤胜。咸酸为少。而酸尤劣。）夫咸水气。土之元。酸
木气。土之用。辛金气。土之化。辛具于咸酸中。是咸酸之味。得辛气以畅也。因而转苦者。
达
咸味。）苦尽而微有澹甜者。五味皆归中土以达其化也。唾渣有余香者。金气同于火气。以
终始之也。夫中土为四气所生。而四气即由中土所成。是以脾为己土。其本味咸。其兼味有
辛甘酸苦。脾之属土而本味亦咸者。缘水土合德以立地。（所谓咸者水气为土之原）此物带
有咸味。故能理肾气归元。而引诸药入丹田也。岂徒花实结于根下。可想见归元之义乎。顾
或以所治皆虚冷结滞之病。其用当偏于辛温。而所谓兼四味备四气者。谅犹不切。不知缩砂
乃气分药也。人身水中有火而气生。（气之体也）水上合于火而气化。（气之用也）此品华于
春夏。实于盛夏。洵为合于火以全气之用者。其假之祛冷行滞。虽与辛温之他味无殊。而究
其有异于他味者。全在乎具体耳。观夫华实俱藏根下。而实中即具四味。则其由水木以至火
者。全以归土。而终始又皆金气以宣之。非令中土为水火之极。体全而后用畅。是以能理气
归肾而还元乎。然则但以辛温毕治疗之能。固非其用之全矣。至濒湖所谓理元气。通滞气。
其功将合五脏冲和之气。如韩氏说乎。抑辛苦温实居其胜。如诸本草乎。曰。此物明具四味。
谓非
蟠之用。缩砂惟具体而微。致用而宏。故其醒脾开胃。理元气。通滞气。功超他味。洵乎不
虚。第水至于火。火固达水之用。若火伤乎水。则是体之不存。用归何地。所以凤髓丹用寒
化以救水。而存气之体。然后入兹味为中土宣行气化之权舆。非可倒行逆施而漫谓其能补虚
也。（水胜于火。则伤气之用。血之体。火胜于水。则伤气之体。血之用。前哲于治气病。
切戒
热。脾为己土。其味本咸。其兼味辛甘酸苦。人身以水火为气元。而水火之枢属中土。为气
生化
入之经。皆本于调脾中之肾。肾中之脾。盖脾肾原相因。而诸脏又因于脾胃者也。
缪氏云。此味固辛温阳药。凡腹痛属火。泻滞得之暑热。胎动由于血热。咽痛由于火炎。
肿满由于湿热。咳逆由于火冲迫肺。及小儿脱肛由于气虚。皆难概用。本非肺经药亦有用之
于咳嗽者。乃寒邪郁肺。气不得舒之证。非此弗用。性燥火炎者。忌之。胎妇气虚。多服反
致难产。不可不知。（士材）
〔修治〕略炒。吹去衣。研用。入汤丸。法与后白蔻同。
三四月间，花朵在根部下方开放。五六月间，果实成熟。果实生长在根部下方，种子包裹在壳内，取“密藏”之意，因此得名。八月采收时，药气味完整坚固。
味道辛、微苦且涩，气温芳香走窜，既可升散又可降泄，以降为主，属阳经药物。它进入手太阴肺经、手阳明大肠经、足太阴脾经、足阳明胃经、足太阳膀胱经以及足少阴肾经这七条经脉。若配伍白檀香、豆蔻作为引经药，则入肺经；配伍人参、益智仁作为引经药，则入脾经；配伍黄柏、茯苓作为引经药，则入肾经；配伍赤石脂、白石脂作为引经药，则入大小肠经。
本品主要治疗脾胃气机郁结停滞不散，能醒脾开胃，益肾和中，行气散寒饮，消除积食，治疗腹胀痞满、噎膈呕吐，止冷气疼痛，治疗虚劳冷泻及休息痢（久痢不止），调理女子崩漏，安胎止痛。（因其具有行气作用）清除咽喉口齿浮热。（所治诸症皆得益于其通行结滞的功效）缩砂密属土，芳香入脾，调和五脏冲和之气，能引导诸药归宿丹田，所以补肾药常同地黄丸一起蒸制，取其通达下焦的作用。（韩氏观点）香气通达脾脏，辛味滋润肾脏，因此它是开通脾胃的要药，调和中气的正品。如果兼有肾虚导致气不归元，用它作为向导药，效果远胜于桂枝、附子等热毒之药。日华子认为它主治一动气、转筋霍乱，因为这类疾病必定是由脾胃被邪气干扰，气机壅滞闭塞而形成的。花在根下开，果在根下长，确实像甲壳包裹、孚尹显露，界限分明如八膈，砂粒攒聚簇拥，收敛紧缩密藏，犹如气息从脚跟生发，孕育元阳，保任冲脉与任脉。因此升降出入，无不适宜。观察它补虚安胎、填补崩漏、镇惊安神，滑可固涩，脱可收敛，渗利可弥补缺损，奔豚气可下行，以及秋季不能由外入内、冬季不能入土、春季不能自下而上、夏季不能由内出外的情况，也可以使其顺应升发出散的趋势。至于解毒散滞、伸筋舒郁、化痞消痛、彻除水饮、调和中焦、开通噎膈、摄纳吐逆，这正是开发上焦、宣发五谷精微、苏醒胃气、唤醒脾脏的力量。不要只看到它的升发出散，而忽略了它降入的根本。（李东垣观点）配伍人参、橘皮，适宜加藿香、茯苓、白芍、炙甘草，治疗泄泻呕吐及不思饮食；配伍藿香、陈皮、木瓜，治疗霍乱转筋、腹痛吐泻；单用二两，炒成粉末，加入食盐三钱，用滚开水一碗浸泡后冷服，治疗干霍乱屡见成效。
〔论述〕缩砂密初尝时酸辣并带有咸味，随后转为微苦，仍兼有酸辣咸的味道，苦味尽头带有淡淡的甜酸意，且唾液残渣有余香。（大抵辛苦味居多，其中辛味尤胜，咸酸味较少，其中酸味更劣。）咸对应水气，是土的根源；酸对应木气，是土的作用；辛对应金气，是土的转化。辛味蕴含在咸酸之中，使得咸酸之味因辛气而畅达。进而转化为苦味，是通达了咸味的本质。苦味尽处微带淡甜，是因为五味都归于中土以达成其转化。唾液残渣有余香，是因为金气同于火气，以此贯穿始终。中土由四气所生，而四气又由中土所成，所以脾为己土，其本味为咸，兼味有辛、甘、酸、苦。脾属土而其本味亦为咸，是因为水土合德以立地。（所谓咸者，是水气为土之原）此物带有咸味，故能理肾气归元，并引导诸药入丹田。岂止花实结于根下，由此可想见其归元的意义吗？有人或许认为它所治疗的都是虚冷结滞之病，其用法应当偏于辛温，而所谓兼有四味备有四气，恐怕并不确切。殊不知缩砂密是气分药。人身水中含有火而生生气。（气的本体）水上合于火而气化。（气的作用）此物在春夏开花，在盛夏结果，确实是合乎火以完成气之用。它借以祛除寒冷、运行滞气，虽然与其他辛温之味没有不同，但究其不同之处，全在于具备完整的体性。看它花实都藏在根下，而果实中即具备四味，那么它由水木至于火，全部归于土，而终始都由金气来宣通。这不是让中土成为水火之极，体性完备而后作用通畅，因此能理气归肾而还元吗？然而如果仅仅以辛温来完成治疗的功能，固然不是它作用的全面。至于是像李时珍所说理元气、通滞气，其功效将合五脏冲和之气，如韩氏所说那样呢？还是说辛苦温实际上占据优势，如其他本草记载那样？回答说：此物明确具备四味，如果说它不具备蟠曲深奥的作用，缩砂密只是具体而微小，但致用却宏大，所以它醒脾开胃、理元气、通滞气，功效超越其他药物，确实不虚。只是水至于火，火固然通达水的作用，但如果火伤害了水，那就是体的不存在，用归何处？所以凤髓丹用寒化来救水，保存气的体性，然后才以此味为中土宣行气化的开端，不可倒行逆施而漫称其能补虚。（水胜于火，则伤气之用、血的体性；火胜于水，则伤气的体性、血之用。前哲在治疗气病时，深切告诫不可滥用热药。脾为己土，其味本咸，兼味辛甘酸苦。人身以水火为气元，而水火之枢纽属于中土，为气生化之经，都本于调脾中之肾、肾中之脾。盖脾肾原本相互依存，而诸脏又依赖于脾胃。）缪希雍说：此味虽然是辛温助阳药，但凡是腹痛属火证、泻滞得之暑热、胎动由于血热、咽痛由于火炎、肿满由于湿热、咳逆由于火冲迫肺，以及小儿脱肛由于气虚，都难以一概使用。本非肺经药但也有用于咳嗽的，那是寒邪郁肺、气不得舒展的证候，不用此药不行。性燥火炎者忌用。孕妇气虚，多服反而导致难产，不可不知。（徐士材观点）
〔修治〕略炒，吹去外皮，研碎使用。入汤剂或丸剂，方法与后面的白豆蔻相同。
In the third and fourth months, flowers bloom beneath the roots. In the fifth and sixth months, fruits mature. The fruits grow beneath the roots, with seeds enclosed within shells, embodying the meaning of "secretly stored," hence the name. When harvested in the eighth month, the medicinal properties are complete and solid.
The taste is pungent, slightly bitter, and astringent; the nature is warm, aromatic, and penetrating. It can ascend and descend, but descending predominates over ascending. It belongs to the Yang aspect. It enters the seven meridians: Hand-Taiyin Lung (Fei Jing), Hand-Yangming Large Intestine (Da Chang Jing), Foot-Taiyin Spleen (Pi Jing), Foot-Yangming Stomach (Wei Jing), Foot-Taiyang Bladder (Pang Guang Jing), and Foot-Shaoyin Kidney (Shen Jing). When used with Bai Tan Xiang (Santalum album) and Dou Kou (Amomi Fructus Rotundus) as guiding herbs, it enters the Lung meridian; when used with Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Yi Zhi Ren (Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus), it enters the Spleen meridian; when used with Huang Bo (Phellodendri Cortex) and Fu Ling (Poria), it enters the Kidney meridian; when used with Chi Shi Zhi (Halloysit Rubrum) and Bai Shi Zhi (Halloysit Albus), it enters the Large and Small Intestines.
It primarily treats stagnation and accumulation of Qi in the Spleen and Stomach that fails to disperse. It awakens the Spleen, opens the appetite, benefits the Kidney, harmonizes the Middle Jiao, promotes Qi movement, disperses cold-fluid retention, eliminates retained food, treats abdominal distension and fullness, dysphagia, vomiting, stops pain from cold Qi, treats deficiency-wasting with cold diarrhea and chronic dysentery (Xiu Xi Li), regulates uterine bleeding (Beng Zhong) in women, calms the fetus, and relieves pain. (This is due to its ability to promote Qi movement.) It clears floating heat from the throat, mouth, and teeth. (All treated conditions benefit from its efficacy in unblocking stagnation.) Suo Sha Mi belongs to Earth; its aroma enters the Spleen and harmonizes the balanced Qi of the five Zang organs. It can guide various herbs to return to the Dantian. Therefore, kidney-tonifying medicines are often steamed together with Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Pill), taking advantage of its ability to reach the lower body. (View of Han Shi) Its fragrance reaches the Spleen, and its pungency moistens the Kidney; thus, it is an essential herb for opening the Spleen and Stomach and a genuine agent for harmonizing Middle Qi. If there is concurrent Kidney deficiency causing Qi to fail to return to its source, using it as a guiding agent yields results far superior to those of hot-toxic drugs like Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Fu Zi (Aconite Lateralis Radix Preparata). Ri Hua Zi stated that it mainly treats moving Qi, muscle twitching, and Huo Luan (cholera-like syndrome), because such diseases necessarily arise from pathogenic factors disturbing the Spleen and Stomach, leading to Qi congestion and blockage. Flowers bloom beneath the roots, and fruits grow beneath the roots; indeed, they are like armor enclosing jade, clearly demarcated like eight diaphragms, with sand grains clustered together, contracting and storing tightly. This is akin to breath originating from the heel, nurturing Yuan Yang, and supporting the Chong and Ren vessels. Thus, ascending and descending, entering and exiting, all are appropriate. Observing its ability to tonify deficiency, calm the fetus, fill uterine bleeding, and settle fright, it uses slipperiness to secure astringency, emptiness to gather, and permeability to replenish; it can direct Ben Tun (running piglet qi) downward. Even when autumn cannot move from outside to inside, winter cannot enter the earth, spring cannot rise from below upward, and summer cannot move from inside outward, it can still make them follow ascending and exiting trends. Regarding detoxification, dispersing stagnation, extending sinews, relieving depression, resolving masses, eliminating pain, clearing fluid retention, harmonizing the middle, opening dysphagia, and controlling vomiting, this precisely demonstrates its power to open the Upper Jiao, disseminate the flavors of the five grains, revive the Stomach, and awaken the Spleen. Do not only focus on its ascending and exiting aspects, neglecting its original function of descending and entering. (View of Li Dongyuan) Combined with Ren Shen and Ju Pi, it is suitable to add Huo Xiang, Fu Ling, Bai Shao, and Zhi Gan Cao to treat diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Combined with Huo Xiang, Chen Pi, and Mu Gua, it treats Huo Luan with muscle twitching, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Used alone in amounts of two liang, stir-fried into powder, mixed with three qian of salt, soaked in one bowl of boiling water, and taken cold, it effectively treats dry Huo Luan repeatedly.
[Discussion] Suo Sha Mi initially tastes sour, spicy, and salty, then turns slightly bitter, retaining the sour, spicy, and salty flavors. At the end of the bitterness, there is a faint sweet and sour aftertaste, and the saliva residue leaves a lingering fragrance. (Generally, pungent and bitter flavors predominate, with pungency being strongest; salty and sour flavors are less, with sourness being weakest.) Salty corresponds to Water Qi, which is the origin of Earth; Sour corresponds to Wood Qi, which is the function of Earth; Pungent corresponds to Metal Qi, which is the transformation of Earth. Pungency is contained within salty and sour, allowing these flavors to flow freely through Pungency. The subsequent transformation into bitterness reaches the essence of the salty flavor. The slight sweetness at the end of bitterness indicates that the five flavors all return to Central Earth to achieve their transformation. The lingering fragrance in saliva residue occurs because Metal Qi aligns with Fire Qi to span the beginning and end. Central Earth is generated by the four Qi, and the four Qi are formed by Central Earth. Therefore, the Spleen is Ji Earth (Self Earth); its primary flavor is salty, with secondary flavors of pungent, sweet, sour, and bitter. The reason the Spleen, belonging to Earth, has a primary flavor of salty is that Water and Earth combine their virtues to establish the ground. (As stated, salty represents Water Qi as the origin of Earth.) Since this herb carries a salty flavor, it can regulate Kidney Qi to return to its source and guide other herbs into the Dantian. Is it not merely because flowers and fruits knot beneath the roots that we can infer the meaning of returning to the source? Some might argue that since it treats deficiency-cold stagnation diseases, its use should lean towards pungent-warm, and the claim that it possesses four flavors and four natures seems inaccurate. However, one must not realize that Suo Sha Mi is a Qi-class herb. In the human body, Qi arises from Fire within Water. (The substance of Qi) Water combines with Fire to generate Qi transformation. (The function of Qi) This herb blooms in Spring and Summer and fruits in mid-Summer, truly conforming to Fire to complete the function of Qi. Although its use in dispelling cold and moving stagnation is no different from other pungent-warm substances, its distinction lies entirely in its comprehensive embodiment. Observing that both flowers and fruits hide beneath the roots, and the fruit contains all four flavors, its progression from Water and Wood to Fire all returns to Earth, while the beginning and end are all proclaimed by Metal Qi. This does not make Central Earth the extreme of Water and Fire; rather, once the substance is complete, the function flows smoothly. Hence, it can regulate Qi to return to the Kidney and restore the source. However, if treatment capabilities were limited solely to pungent-warm actions, it would certainly not represent its full utility. Does it, as Li Shizhen suggested, regulate Yuan Qi and unblock stagnant Qi, thereby harmonizing the balanced Qi of the five Zang organs as Han Shi described? Or do pungent, bitter, and warm actually hold the advantage, as recorded in other Materia Medica? The answer is: This herb clearly possesses four flavors. To say it lacks profound utility is incorrect. Suo Sha Mi is small in form but grand in application; thus, its ability to awaken the Spleen, open the stomach, regulate Yuan Qi, and unblock stagnant Qi surpasses other herbs, truly without falsehood. Yet, when Water reaches Fire, Fire naturally facilitates the function of Water. But if Fire damages Water, the substance ceases to exist, and where does the function go? Therefore, Feng Sui Dan uses cold-processing to save Water, preserving the substance of Qi, before introducing this herb as the starting point for promoting Qi transformation in Central Earth. One must not act contrary to nature and falsely claim it can tonify deficiency. (When Water exceeds Fire, it damages the function of Qi and the substance of Blood; when Fire exceeds Water, it damages the substance of Qi and the function of Blood. Ancient sages strictly warned against using hot drugs when treating Qi disorders. The Spleen is Ji Earth; its primary flavor is salty, with secondary flavors of pungent, sweet, sour, and bitter. In the human body, Water and Fire are the origin of Qi, and the pivot of Water and Fire belongs to Central Earth, serving as the meridian for Qi generation and transformation. All stem from regulating the Kidney within the Spleen and the Spleen within the Kidney. The Spleen and Kidney originally depend on each other, and all Zang organs depend on the Spleen and Stomach.) Miao Xi Yong stated: Although this herb is a pungent-warm yang-aiding drug, it is difficult to apply generally in cases of abdominal pain due to Fire, diarrhea/stagnation due to summer-heat, fetal restlessness due to blood-heat, sore throat due to flaming fire, swelling/fullness due to damp-heat, cough/counterflow due to fire rushing to oppress the Lung, and infant anal prolapse due to Qi deficiency. It is not originally a Lung meridian herb, yet it is sometimes used for coughs; this is specifically for syndromes where cold pathogens constrain the Lung and Qi cannot diffuse, in which case this herb is indispensable. It is contraindicated for those with dryness and flaming fire. Pregnant women with Qi deficiency should avoid excessive use, as it may cause difficult labor. This must be known. (View of Xu Shicai)
[Processing] Lightly stir-fry, blow off the outer skin, and grind for use. When added to decoctions or pills, the method is the same as that for Bai Dou Kou (Amomi Fructus).