气味苦、温,无毒。主咳逆上气,温疟,寒热洗洗在皮肤中,妇人漏中绝子,诸
恶疮疡,金疮。煮汁饮之。
(参各家说) 当归气温,禀木气而入肝;味苦无毒,得火味而入心。其主咳逆上气者,
心主血、肝存血,血枯则肝木挟心火而刑金;当归入肝养血,入心清火,所以主之也。肝为
风,心为火,风火为阳,阳盛则为但热不寒之温疟;而肺受风火之邪,肺气怯不能为皮毛之
主,故寒热洗洗在皮肤之中;当归能令肝血足而风定,心血足而火息,则皮肤中之寒热可除
也。
心火
,血足则心火息矣。金疮无不失血,血长则金疮瘳矣。“煮汁饮之”四字,则言先圣大费苦
心,谓“中焦受气,取汁变化而赤是谓血”,当归煮汁,滋中焦之汁,与地黄作汤同义。可
知时传炒燥土炒,反涸其自然之汁,大失经旨。
气味辛、温,无毒。主中风入脑,头痛,寒痹,筋挛缓急,金疮,妇人血闭无子
陈修园曰∶芎 气温,禀春气而入肝;味辛无毒,得金味而入肺。风为阳邪,而伤于上
,风气通肝,肝经与督脉会于颠顶而为病,芎 辛温而散邪,所以主之。血少不能热肤,故
生寒而为痹;血少不能养筋,故筋结而为挛,筋纵而为缓,筋缩而为急;芎 辛温而活血,
所以主之。治金疮者,以金疮从皮肤以伤肌肉。芎 禀阳明金气,能从肌肉而达皮肤也。妇
人以血为主,血闭不通,则不生育;芎 辛温,通经而又能补血,所以治血闭无子也。
【当归】
气味苦、温,无毒。主治咳逆上气(咳嗽气喘),温疟(一种先热后寒或但热不寒的疟疾),皮肤中阵阵恶寒发热,妇人子宫出血导致的不孕症,各种恶疮疡肿,以及金疮(金属利器造成的创伤)。将药材煮汁饮用。
(参考各家学说)当归气温,禀受木气而进入肝脏;味苦且无毒,得火之味而进入心脏。它主治咳逆上气的道理在于:心主血,肝藏血,若血液枯竭,则肝木挟带心火来克制肺金(五行中金克木,此处指木反侮金或火克金导致肺伤);当归进入肝脏以养血,进入心脏以清火,因此能主治此症。肝对应风,心对应火,风与火均属阳,阳气过盛则表现为只有发热而没有恶寒的温疟;同时肺受到风火邪气的侵袭,肺气虚弱不能主宰皮毛,所以出现皮肤中阵阵恶寒发热的症状;当归能使肝血充足从而风息,心血充足从而火灭,那么皮肤中的寒热症状即可消除。
心火平息,血液充足,心火自然熄灭。金疮必然伴随失血,血液生长恢复,金疮就能痊愈。“煮汁饮之”这四个字,说明了古代圣人的良苦用心,意指“中焦接受水谷之气,提取汁液变化为红色即为血”,当归煮汁,是滋养中焦的汁液,这与用生地黄煎汤的意义相同。由此可知,当时流传的用炒燥土炒制的方法,反而耗干了药材自然的汁液,大大违背了《神农本草经》的宗旨。
【川芎】
气味辛、温,无毒。主治中风邪气侵入脑部引起的头痛,寒痹(因寒邪导致的肢体疼痛麻木),筋脉拘挛或弛缓急迫,金疮,以及妇人血闭不通导致的不孕症。
陈修园说:川芎气温,禀受春气而进入肝脏;味辛且无毒,得金之味而进入肺脏。风为阳邪,容易伤害人体上部,风气通应于肝,肝经与督脉会合于头顶从而引发疾病,川芎辛温能够发散邪气,因此能主治此症。血液不足不能温煦肌肤,所以产生寒冷而导致痹证;血液不足不能濡养筋脉,所以筋脉结聚导致拘挛,筋脉松弛导致弛缓,筋脉收缩导致急迫;川芎辛温能够活血,因此能主治此症。治疗金疮,是因为金疮从皮肤损伤到肌肉。川芎禀受阳明金气,能够从肌肉层面通达至皮肤表面。妇女以血为本,血闭不通,就不能生育;川芎辛温,既能通经又能补血,因此能治疗血闭不孕。
[Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis)]
Taste and nature: Bitter, warm, non-toxic. Indications: Cough with rebellious Qi (Ke Ni Shang Qi), warm malaria (Wen Nüe), chills and fever shivering in the skin, uterine bleeding leading to infertility in women, various malignant sores and ulcers, and metal weapon injuries (Jin Chuang). Decoct in water and drink.
(Referencing various scholars' theories) Danggui has a warm temperature, inheriting Wood Qi to enter the Liver; its bitter taste and non-toxicity allow it to enter the Heart via Fire flavor. Its ability to treat cough with rebellious Qi is explained as follows: The Heart governs Blood, and the Liver stores Blood. When Blood is depleted, Liver Wood may carry Heart Fire to oppress Metal (Lung); Danggui enters the Liver to nourish Blood and enters the Heart to clear Fire, thus treating this condition. The Liver corresponds to Wind, and the Heart corresponds to Fire; both Wind and Fire are Yang pathogens. Excess Yang results in warm malaria characterized by heat without cold. Meanwhile, the Lung is invaded by Wind and Fire pathogens, and due to deficient Lung Qi failing to govern the skin and hair, chills and fever shiver within the skin. Danggui can enrich Liver Blood to settle Wind and enrich Heart Blood to extinguish Fire, thereby eliminating the chills and fever in the skin.
When Heart Fire subsides and Blood is sufficient, Heart Fire naturally ceases. Metal weapon injuries invariably involve blood loss; as Blood regenerates, the injury heals. The phrase "decoct in water and drink" reveals the profound intention of the ancient sages, referring to the concept that "the Middle Jiao receives Qi, extracts fluids, transforms them into red, which is called Blood." Decocting Danggui nourishes the fluids of the Middle Jiao, sharing the same principle as decocting Shengdi Huang (Rehmanniae Radix). This demonstrates that the contemporary practice of stir-frying with dry soil destroys the natural juices of the herb, greatly deviating from the original intent of the classic text.
[Xiongqiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong)]
Taste and nature: Pungent, warm, non-toxic. Indications: Headache caused by wind-stroke invading the brain, cold-bi syndrome (Han Bi), tendon spasms or flaccidity/tightness, metal weapon injuries, and amenorrhea leading to infertility in women.
Chen Xiuyuan stated: Xiongqiong has a warm temperature, inheriting Spring Qi to enter the Liver; its pungent taste and non-toxicity allow it to enter the Lungs via Metal flavor. Wind is a Yang pathogen that tends to injure the upper body. Wind Qi connects with the Liver, and the Liver Meridian meets the Du Meridian at the vertex, causing disease. Xiongqiong is pungent and warm, capable of dispersing pathogens, thus treating this condition. Insufficient Blood cannot warm the skin, resulting in cold and bi-syndrome; insufficient Blood cannot nourish tendons, leading to tendon knotting and spasms, tendon laxity and flaccidity, and tendon contraction and tightness. Xiongqiong is pungent and warm, capable of invigorating Blood, thus treating these conditions. Regarding the treatment of metal weapon injuries, since such injuries damage muscles through the skin, Xiongqiong inherits Yangming Metal Qi, allowing it to reach from the muscles to the skin surface. Women are primarily governed by Blood; if Blood is closed and obstructed, reproduction is impossible. Xiongqiong is pungent and warm, capable of unblocking meridians and nourishing Blood, thus treating amenorrhea and infertility.