出 城平泽田野间。汴东陕西河北州郡亦有。近以彭城曹州者为胜。他处不堪用。
苗叶。高六七寸。三月开微黄花。结角列子如黍粒。微长而黄。味苦。其入顶微甘者。
也。 月令。孟夏靡草死。即此物。宜立夏后采实阴干。有苦甜二种。其形则一。辛苦。
大寒。气薄味浓。阳中之阴。沉也。手太阴经正药。亦入手阳明足太阳经。 苦者下
甜则稍缓不伤胃。量病患虚实用之。得酒良。宜大枣榆皮为之使。 主治积聚结气
气。疗肺壅上气咳嗽。止喘促。治皮间邪水上出面目浮肿。（同辛酸用以导肿气）
下膀胱伏留热气。除胸中痰饮。（诸本草） 与大黄皆大苦寒。彼泄血闭。此泄气闭。
阳分肺中之闭）亦能泄大便。（东垣） 牵牛黑白二色。急缓不同。葫芦甘苦二味。良毒亦
异
不
捣末
亦
两
五
十枚煮汁。去枣。入葶苈末。煎至可丸。如梧子。每饮服六十丸。渐加。以微利为度。不可
过剂。令人不堪。
〔论〕 葶苈子气寒。味苦为阴。何以能泄阳分肺中之闭。（体轻象阳） 抑至孟夏而
死。何
气以告
水中具
夫金不
苈之疗
而气
之气
肺而还至膻中。以达离中之坎也。）抑肺为主气之脏。而能致气化于水者。岂徒
子固恋
以致或
勿过
葶苈属火性急。走而不守。不利于脾胃虚弱及真阴不足之人。凡肿满由脾虚不能制水。
水肿
〔修治〕 同糯米微焙。俟米熟。去米。捣碎用。
生长在城外的平原、沼泽和田野之间。汴东、陕西、河北等地的州郡也有出产。近来以彭城和曹州产的质量最好，其他地方产的则不堪使用。
植株的茎叶，高度约六七寸。三月开出微黄色的花，结出角果，里面的种子像黍米颗粒一样，略微细长且呈黄色，味道苦，其中进入顶端的部分略带甜味。
《月令》记载：“孟夏时节靡草枯死”，指的就是这种植物。适宜在立夏之后采收果实并阴干。有苦、甜两种，外形相同，但味道辛苦。性大寒，气味轻薄而味浓，属于阳中之阴，性质沉降。是手太阴肺经的正药，也入手阳明大肠经和足太阳膀胱经。苦味的葶苈子下行力强，甜味的稍缓和不伤胃，需根据病患虚实情况酌情使用。与酒同用效果良好。宜以大枣、榆皮作为引经药或佐使药。
主治积聚结气，治疗肺气壅滞、上逆引起的咳嗽，止喘促，治疗皮肤间邪水外溢导致的面目浮肿（配合辛味和酸味药物以引导肿气消退）。下泄膀胱中伏留的热气，清除胸中的痰饮。（出自诸本草）与大黄一样都属大苦大寒之品，大黄泻血分之闭结，此药泻气分之闭结（即阳分肺中之闭结），也能通泄大便。（李东垣语）牵牛子有黑白二色，作用急缓不同；葫芦瓜有甘苦二味，良毒亦异。
【用法用量】不捣碎成末，取五十枚煮汁，去掉大枣，加入葶苈子末，煎至可制成丸剂，如梧桐子大小。每次饮酒送服六十丸，逐渐加量，以轻微腹泻为度，不可过量，否则令人难以忍受。
〔论述〕 葶苈子气寒，味苦属阴，为何能泄除阳分肺中的闭结？（因其体轻象阳）抑或在孟夏时节死亡，是何种气机所致？水中具备……金不……葶苈治疗……之气……肺而还至膻中，以达离中之坎也。）抑肺为主气之脏，而能使气化行于水者，岂仅仅……葶苈属火性急，走而不守，不利于脾胃虚弱及真阴不足之人。凡肿胀满闷由脾虚不能制水所致的水肿……
Grows in the plains, marshes, and fields outside city walls. It is also found in the prefectures of Bian East, Shaanxi, and Hebei. Recently, those from Pengcheng and Caozhou are considered superior; those from other places are unsuitable for use.
The stems and leaves reach a height of about six or seven cun. In the third lunar month, it blooms with slightly yellow flowers, forming pod-like fruits containing seeds resembling millet grains, which are slightly elongated and yellowish. The taste is bitter, with a slight sweetness at the apex.
The *Yueling* (Monthly Ordinances) states: "In early summer, soft-leafed plants die," referring to this herb. It is suitable to harvest the fruits after the Start of Summer and dry them in the shade. There are two types: bitter and sweet, which share the same shape but differ in taste—bitter and acrid. It is greatly cold in nature, with a light qi and strong flavor, belonging to yin within yang, and has a sinking property. It is the principal herb for the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, and also enters the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian and Foot-Taiyin Bladder Meridian [Note: Text says Foot-Taiyang, likely referring to Bladder or general water metabolism context, but standard TCM associates Tinglizi with Lung/Large Intestine/Bladder via fluid metabolism]. Bitter varieties descend strongly, while sweet ones act more gently and do not injure the stomach; they should be used according to the patient's deficiency or excess. It works well when combined with wine. Jujube (*Ziziphus jujuba*) and Elm bark (*Ulmus* sp.) are suitable as guiding or adjunct herbs.
It treats accumulations and stagnant qi, relieves lung congestion and rebellious qi causing coughing, stops wheezing and shortness of breath, and treats edema of the face and eyes caused by pathological fluids accumulating in the skin (when combined with acrid and sour herbs to guide out swelling qi). It drains latent heat from the Bladder and removes phlegm-fluids from the chest. (From various Materia Medica texts) Like Da Huang (*Rhei Radix et Rhizoma*), it is greatly bitter and cold; Da Huang drains blood stasis obstruction, whereas Tinglizi drains qi obstruction (i.e., obstruction in the Yang aspect of the Lungs), and can also promote bowel movements. (Li Dongyuan) Qian Niu Zi (*Pharbitidis Semen*) comes in black and white colors with different speeds of action; Hu Lu Gua (*Lagenariae Spongiosa Fructus*) has sweet and bitter tastes with differing degrees of toxicity.
[Usage] Do not grind into powder initially. Boil fifty seeds in water, remove the jujubes, add the Tinglizi powder, and decoct until it can be formed into pills the size of wu-tong seeds. Take sixty pills per dose with warm liquid, gradually increasing the amount, stopping when mild diarrhea occurs. Do not overdose, as it causes severe discomfort.
[Discussion] Tinglizi is cold in qi and bitter in taste, belonging to yin. How can it drain obstruction in the Yang aspect of the Lungs? (Its body is light, resembling Yang.) Or does it die in early summer due to specific qi dynamics? Water contains... Metal does not... Tinglizi treats... Qi... returns from the Lungs to the Shanzhong (Chest Center), reaching Kan within Li.) The Lung is the organ governing Qi and enables Qi transformation in water. Is it merely... Tinglizi belongs to Fire in nature, acts swiftly without staying put, and is unfavorable for individuals with Spleen-Stomach deficiency or True Yin insufficiency. Edema and fullness caused by Spleen deficiency failing to control water... Edema...
[Processing] Lightly roast together with glutinous rice until the rice is cooked, remove the rice, and crush the seeds for use.