苗似桔梗。根似沙参。故奸商通以乱人参。又名杏参。即杏叶沙参也。一名白面。根
茎色青白。叶似杏叶而小。微尖。面背白。杪间开五瓣白碗子花。亦有碧色者。根形如野胡
萝卜。颇肥。皮色灰黝。中间白毛。根有一芦三四芦者。
独芦佳 根气味甘寒。主解百药毒。杀蛊毒。治热狂温疾。利肺气和中。明目止痛。
治消瘅。封
疔肿窨毒箭。疗蛇虫咬（诸本草）
一药而兼解众毒者惟荠 。汁浓饮二升。或煮嚼之。亦可作散。
附方 疔疮肿毒。生荠 根捣汁服一合。以滓敷之。不过三度。解诸蛊毒。荠 根捣末。
饮服方寸匕。立瘥。强中消渴。茎长兴盛。不交精出。消渴之后。即发痈疽。（由恣意色欲
或饵金石所致）用荠 丸。荠 大豆茯神石斛磁石熟地元参栝蒌根地骨皮鹿茸各一两。人参
沉香各五钱。为末。以猪 治净煮烂。杵和丸。梧子大。每服七十丸。空心盐汤下。又猪肾
荠汤。用猪肾一具。荠 石膏各三两。人参茯苓磁石知母黄芩葛根栝蒌根甘草各二两。黑
大豆一升。水一斗半。先煮猪肾大豆。取汁一斗。去渣下药。再煮三升。分三服。（后人名
石子荠 汤）
〔论〕 桔梗与荠 。形似相乱。第桔梗味苦辛。荠 味甘寒。因味以别之。固易明也。
荠与沙参。根后相似。亦就其味别之。沙参甘淡而寒。且有言其甘而微苦者。若荠 根味
甜绝甘。能解毒。绝甘而且寒者。更解百药之毒热也。（沙参甘而微苦。即不能解百毒。故
用荠 须究其形似。更精审于味。庶乎无误。）
荠菜的幼苗形状像桔梗。根部形状像沙参。所以奸诈的商人常用来冒充人参。它又被称为杏参，也就是杏叶沙参。还有一个名字叫白面。它的根茎颜色呈青白色。叶子像杏叶但较小，尖端微尖。叶片正面和背面都是白色的。梢头开出五瓣像白碗一样的花，也有碧绿色的。根部形状像野胡萝卜，比较肥大。表皮颜色灰黑，中间有白色的毛。根部有的有一个芦头，有的有三个或四个芦头。独个芦头的品质较好。
荠菜的根气味甘、寒。主要功效是解除各种药物的毒性，杀灭蛊毒。治疗热病狂躁、温病瘟疫。疏通肺气，调和脾胃。明目止痛。治疗消渴（糖尿病类症状）。外敷可治疗疔疮肿毒及中毒箭伤。治疗蛇虫咬伤。（以上记载见于各类本草书籍）
一种药物能同时解除多种毒素的只有荠菜。将浓汁饮用二升，或者煮烂嚼食。也可以制成散剂服用。
附方：治疗疔疮肿毒。取生荠菜根捣汁服用一合，并将药渣敷在患处。不超过三次即可痊愈。解除各种蛊毒。将荠菜根捣成粉末，用温水送服一方寸匕的量，立刻就能痊愈。治疗强中症（阴茎异常勃起）、消渴症，表现为阴茎持续勃起兴盛，不交合时精液自出。消渴症发作后，随即引发痈疽。（这是由于纵欲过度或服用金石类药物所致）。使用荠菜丸。配方为：荠菜、大豆、茯神、石斛、磁石、熟地黄、玄参、栝楼根、地骨皮、鹿茸各一两；人参、沉香各五钱。研成细末，用猪脂洗净煮烂，捣碎混合做成丸药，大小如梧桐子大。每次服用七十丸，空腹时用盐汤送下。又有猪肾荠菜汤。使用猪肾一个，荠菜、石膏各三两；人参、茯苓、磁石、知母、黄芩、葛根、栝楼根、甘草各二两；黑豆一升。水一斗半。先煮猪肾和黑豆，取汁一斗，去掉药渣，加入其他药物，再煮至三升，分三次服用。（后世人名之为石子荠菜汤）
〔论述〕 桔梗与荠菜，外形相似容易混淆。只是桔梗味道苦辛，荠菜味道甘寒，通过味道来区分它们，本来就容易明白。荠菜与沙参，根部后面部分相似，也是通过味道来区分。沙参味道甘淡而寒，并且有人说它味甘微苦。如果荠菜根的味道甜得极致甘甜，能够解毒，那么这种既极甘又寒的特性，更能解除各种药物引起的毒热。（沙参味甘微苦，就不能解除百种毒素，所以使用荠菜时必须考究其外形相似之处，更要在味道上精细审慎，这样才能没有错误。）
The seedlings resemble *Platycodonis Radix* (Jiegeng, 桔梗). The root resembles *Adenophorae Radix* (Shashen, 沙参). Therefore, dishonest merchants often use it to pass off as *Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma* (Renshen, 人参). It is also known as Xingshen (Apricot Root), which is *Adenophorae Radix* with apricot-like leaves. Another name is Baimian (White Flour). The root and stem are greenish-white in color. The leaves resemble apricot leaves but are smaller, with slightly pointed tips. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves are white. At the tips, flowers open with five petals resembling small white bowls; some are also blue-green. The root shape resembles wild carrots and is quite fleshy. The skin color is grayish-black, with white hairs in the center. Some roots have one "lu" (node/rhizome scar), while others have three or four. Roots with a single node are of superior quality.
The root has a sweet flavor and cold nature. It primarily resolves the toxicity of various medicines, kills gu poison (parasitic toxins), treats heat-induced mania and warm febrile diseases, benefits lung qi, harmonizes the middle jiao, brightens the eyes, and relieves pain. It treats xiaodan (wasting-thirst syndrome/diabetes mellitus). Applied externally, it seals ding sores (carbuncles/furuncles) and treats poisoned arrow wounds. It heals snake and insect bites. (Recorded in various Bencao materia medica texts)
Among herbs, only Jiqing (Shepherd's Purse) can resolve multiple toxins simultaneously. Drink two sheng of its thick juice, or boil and chew it. It can also be made into a powder.
Attached Formulas: For ding sores and swelling/toxicity. Crush fresh Jiqing root, take one he of the juice orally, and apply the dregs topically. Not more than three doses are needed for recovery. To resolve various gu poisons. Powder the Jiqing root, take one fangcun bi (a measure roughly equivalent to a tablespoon) with water, and recovery will be immediate. For Qiangzhong syndrome (priapism/abnormal erection), xiaoke (wasting-thirst), where the penis remains erect and vigorous, and semen leaks without intercourse. After xiaoke develops, carbuncles and ulcers may appear. (Caused by excessive sexual desire or ingestion of mineral drugs). Use Jiqing Wan (Shepherd's Purse Pill). Ingredients: Jiqing, Soybean (*Glycine max*), Fushen (Poria with Hostwood), Shihu (Dendrobium), Cishi (Magnetitum), Shudihuang (Prepared Rehmanniae Radix), Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix), Gualougen (Trichosanthis Radix), Digupi (Lycii Cortex), Lurong (Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum) each 1 liang; Renshen (Ginseng), Chenxiang (Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum) each 5 qian. Grind into powder. Clean and boil pork lard until soft, crush and mix to form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take 70 pills per dose, on an empty stomach with salted water. There is also Zhushen Jiqing Tang (Pork Kidney Shepherd's Purse Decoction). Ingredients: One pork kidney, Jiqing and Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) each 3 liang; Renshen, Fuling (Poria), Cishi, Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), Gualougen, Gancao (Licorice) each 2 liang; Heidoudou (Black Soybean) 1 sheng. Water 1 dou 5 sheng. First boil the pork kidney and soybeans, obtain 1 dou of liquid, remove dregs, add remaining herbs, boil down to 3 sheng, divide into three doses. (Later generations named this Shizi Jiqing Tang).
[Discussion] Jiegeng and Jiqing look similar and are easily confused. However, Jiegeng tastes bitter and acrid, while Jiqing tastes sweet and cold. Distinguishing them by taste makes it clear. Jiqing and Shashen have similar-looking roots at the base, also distinguished by taste. Shashen is sweet, bland, and cold, with some sources stating it is sweet and slightly bitter. If Jiqing root is extremely sweet and capable of resolving toxins, its combination of extreme sweetness and coldness allows it to even better resolve the toxic heat of various medicines. (Since Shashen is sweet and slightly bitter, it cannot resolve all toxins. Therefore, when using Jiqing, one must investigate its morphological similarities and be precise in assessing its taste to avoid errors.)