气味甘、苦、温，冷利，有小毒。主咳逆上气，雷鸣喉痹，下气产乳，金疮，寒心奔
豚。（汤泡去皮。双仁者，大毒勿用）
陈修园曰∶杏仁气味甘苦，其实苦重于甘，其性带湿，其质冷利（冷利者，滋润之意也）。
下气二字，亦足以尽其功。肺实而胀，则为咳逆上气。雷鸣喉痹者，火结于喉为痹痛，痰声
之响如雷鸣也；杏仁下气，所以主之。气有余便是火，气下即火下，故乳汁可通，疮口可合
也。心阳虚，则寒水之邪，自下上奔，犯于心位；杏仁有下气之功，伐寒水于下，即所以
保心阳于上也。凡此皆治有余之症，若劳伤咳嗽之人，服之必死。时医谓产于叭哒者，味纯
甘可用，而不知纯甘非杏仁之正味。既无苦降之功，徒存其湿以生痰，甘以壅气，阴受其害
，至死不悟，惜哉！
气味酸、温、平、涩，无毒。主下气，除热，烦满，安心，止肢体痛，偏枯不仁，死
肌，去青黑痣，蚀恶肉。
陈修园曰∶乌梅气平，禀金气而入肺；气温，禀木气而入肝；味酸无毒，得木味而入肝；
味
涩即酸之变味也。味胜于气，以味为主。梅得东方之味，花放于冬，成熟于夏，是禀冬令之
水精，而得春生之气而上达也。主下气者，生气上达，则逆气自下矣。热烦满、心不安，《
伤寒论》厥阴症，以气上撞心，心疼热等字概之，能下其气，而诸病皆愈矣。脾主四肢，木
气克土，则肢体痛；肝主藏血，血不灌溉，则偏枯不仁，而为死肌；乌梅能和肝气，养肝血
，所以主之。去青黑痣及蚀恶肉者，酸收之味，外治能消痣与肉也。
张隐庵云∶后人不体经义，不穷物理，但以乌梅为酸敛收涩之药，而春生上达之性未之
讲也。惜哉！
【杏仁】
气味：甘、苦，性温，质地冷利（滋润滑利），有小毒。主治咳嗽气逆，喉中痰鸣如雷及喉痹，降气以助产乳通畅，治疗金疮（金属利器造成的创伤），以及寒邪引起的奔豚病。（用法：用热水浸泡后去皮。双仁的杏仁毒性极大，禁止使用。）
陈修园说：杏仁的气味是甘和苦，但实际上苦味重于甘味，其性质带有湿气，其质地冷利（所谓冷利，是指滋润的意思）。“下气”这两个字，足以概括它的全部功效。肺气实盛而胀满，就会导致咳嗽气逆。所谓“雷鸣喉痹”，是指火邪结聚于咽喉导致痹痛，痰液流动的声音像打雷一样响；杏仁能降气，所以主治此症。气有余就会化为火，气降下来则火也随之而降，因此乳汁可以通畅，疮口可以愈合。心阳虚衰，寒水之邪就会从下向上奔冲，侵犯心脏部位；杏仁具有降气的功效，在下焦驱除寒水，也就是在上焦保护心阳。以上这些情况都是治疗实证（有余之症），如果是因劳损受伤导致的咳嗽病人，服用杏仁必定致死。当时的医生认为产自叭哒（地名或品种）的杏仁，味道纯甘可以使用，却不知道纯甘并不是杏仁的正味。既然没有苦味降泄的功效，只会保留湿气而生痰，甘味会壅滞气机，阴分受到损害，直到死也不醒悟，真是可惜啊！
【乌梅】
气味：酸，性温、平，味涩，无毒。主治降气，清除热邪，消除烦闷，安心神，停止肢体疼痛，治疗半身不遂及麻木不仁，消除死肌（坏死的肌肉组织），去除青黑色的痣，腐蚀恶肉（坏死的腐肉）。
陈修园说：乌梅的气平，禀受金气而进入肺脏；气温，禀受木气而进入肝脏；味酸且无毒，得木之味而进入肝脏；涩味就是酸味的变化形态。味胜于气，以味为主。梅树获得东方的木味，花朵在冬天开放，果实夏天成熟，这是禀受了冬令的水精，并得到春生之气而向上通达。主治降气，是因为生气向上通达，那么上逆之气自然就会下降。热、烦、满、心神不安，《伤寒论》中的厥阴病证，用“气上撞心，心中疼热”等字词概括，乌梅能降下逆气，那么各种病症都能痊愈。脾主四肢，木气克制土气，就会导致肢体疼痛；肝主藏血，血液不能灌溉全身，就会导致偏枯（半身不遂）和麻木不仁，进而形成死肌；乌梅能够调和肝气，滋养肝血，所以主治这些病症。去除青黑痣及腐蚀恶肉的，是因为酸收的味道，在外治方面能消除痣和腐肉。
张隐庵说：后世的人不理解经典的本义，不探究事物的物理规律，仅仅把乌梅当作酸敛收涩的药物，而没有讲明它春生上达的特性。真是可惜啊！
[Apricot Seed / Xingren]
Odor and Flavor: Sweet, bitter; Warm in nature; Cold and slippery (moistening and lubricating) in texture; Slightly toxic. Indications: Cough with rebellious Qi (Ke Ni Shang Qi), throat obstruction with roaring phlegm sounds (Lei Ming Hou Bi), descending Qi to facilitate lactation, treatment of metal wounds (Jin Chuang), and Ben Tun disease caused by cold pathogen. (Preparation: Soak in hot water and remove the skin. Double-kernel apricot seeds are highly toxic and must not be used.)
Chen Xiuyuan stated: The odor and flavor of Apricot Seed are sweet and bitter, but actually the bitter taste predominates over the sweet. Its nature carries dampness, and its texture is cold and slippery (cold and slippery refers to a moistening quality). The phrase "descending Qi" sufficiently encompasses its entire efficacy. When Lung Qi is excess and distended, it results in cough with rebellious Qi. "Roaring throat obstruction" refers to fire pathogen knotting in the throat causing obstruction and pain, with the sound of phlegm moving resembling thunder; Apricot Seed descends Qi, thus treating this condition. Excess Qi transforms into fire; when Qi descends, fire also descends. Therefore, milk flow can be unblocked, and wound surfaces can heal. If Heart Yang is deficient, cold water pathogenic factors will rush upward from below, invading the Heart position; Apricot Seed possesses the function of descending Qi, eliminating cold water at the lower jiao, thereby protecting Heart Yang at the upper jiao. All these cases treat conditions of excess (redundant pathogens). For patients suffering from cough due to labor injury and deficiency, administering Apricot Seed will certainly lead to death. Contemporary physicians claim that Apricot Seeds produced in Bada (a place name or variety), which have a purely sweet taste, are usable. However, they do not know that a purely sweet taste is not the true flavor of Apricot Seed. Lacking the descending function of bitter taste, it merely retains dampness to generate phlegm; the sweet taste stagnates Qi, harming the Yin aspect, leading to death without realization. What a pity!
[Dried Plum / Wumei]
Odor and Flavor: Sour; Warm, Neutral in nature; Astringent; Non-toxic. Indications: Descending Qi, clearing heat, relieving vexation and fullness, calming the mind, stopping limb pain, treating hemiplegia and numbness (Pian Ku Bu Ren), eliminating necrotic tissue (Si Ji), removing dark moles, and cauterizing foul flesh (E Rou).
Chen Xiuyuan stated: The Qi of Dried Plum is neutral, inheriting Metal Qi to enter the Lung; it is warm, inheriting Wood Qi to enter the Liver; its sour flavor and non-toxicity correspond to Wood flavor entering the Liver; the astringent taste is a variation of the sour taste. The flavor outweighs the Qi, with flavor being primary. The plum tree acquires the flavor of the East (Wood); flowers bloom in winter, and fruit matures in summer. This indicates it inherits the Water Essence of Winter and obtains the Spring-generating Qi to ascend and reach upwards. Regarding "descending Qi": when the generating Qi ascends and reaches upwards, rebellious Qi naturally descends. Heat, vexation, fullness, and an unsettled mind are summarized in the Jue Yin syndrome of *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage) by phrases such as "Qi rushing up to strike the heart" and "painful heat in the heart." By descending the rebellious Qi, all these diseases can be cured. The Spleen governs the four limbs; if Wood Qi overacts on Earth Qi, limb pain occurs; the Liver stores Blood; if Blood fails to irrigate, hemiplegia and numbness occur, forming necrotic tissue; Dried Plum can harmonize Liver Qi and nourish Liver Blood, thus treating these conditions. To remove dark moles and cauterize foul flesh relies on the astringent flavor; externally, it can eliminate moles and flesh.
Zhang Yinan said: Later generations failed to comprehend the meaning of the classics and did not explore the physical principles of substances, merely treating Dried Plum as an acid-astringent and收敛 (collecting/astringent) herb, without discussing its characteristic of spring-generation and upward reaching. What a pity!