气味苦、平，无毒。主寒热邪气，寒湿风痹，肢节痛，下水，利小便。
张隐庵曰∶秦艽气味苦平，色如黄土，罗纹交纠，左右旋转，禀天地阴阳交感之气。盖
天气
左旋右转，地气右旋左转，左右者，阴阳之道路。主治寒热邪气者，地气从内以出外，阴气
外交于阳，而寒热邪气自散矣。治寒湿风痹肢节痛者，天气从外以入内，阳气内交于阴，则
寒湿风三邪合而成痹以致肢节痛者，可愈也。地气营运则水下，天气营运则小便利。
气味苦、温，无毒。主咳逆上气，胸中寒热结气，去蛊毒，痿 ，安五脏。
张隐庵曰∶紫者，黑赤之间色也；黑赤，水火之色也。紫菀气味苦温，禀火气也；其质
阴柔
，禀水气也。主治咳逆上气者，启太阳寒水之气从皮毛而合肺也。治胸中寒热结气者，助少
阴火热之气，通利三焦而上达也。蛊毒在腹属土，火能生土，故去蛊毒。痿 在筋属水，水
能生木，故去痿 。水火者，阴阳之征兆也，水火交则阴阳合，故安五脏。
气味苦、寒，无毒。主消渴热中，除邪气，肢体浮肿，下水，补不足，益气。
叶天士曰∶知母气寒，禀水气而入肾；味苦无毒，得火味而入心。肾属水，心属火，水
不制
火，火烁津液，则病消渴；火熏五内，则病热中；其主之者，苦清心火，寒滋肾水也。除邪
气者，苦寒之气味能除燥火之邪气也。热胜则浮，火胜则肿；苦者清火，寒能退热，故主肢
体浮肿也。肿者水脏，其性恶燥，燥则开合不利而水反蓄矣。知母寒滑，滑利关门而水自下
也。补不足者，苦寒补寒水之不足也。益气者，苦寒益五脏之阴气也。
愚按∶《金匮》有桂枝芍药知母汤，治肢节疼痛、身体 羸、脚肿如脱，可知长沙诸方，
皆
从《本经》来也。
【秦艽】
气味苦、平。主治腰背僵硬，关节屈伸不利，风痹寒湿引起的膝部疼痛，对老年人尤为适宜。
气味苦、平，无毒。主治寒热邪气，寒湿风痹，肢体关节疼痛，通利水道，使小便通畅。
张隐庵说：秦艽气味苦平，颜色像黄土，纹理交错，左右旋转，禀受了天地阴阳交感之气。大概天气是左旋右转，地气是右旋左转，左右运动，是阴阳运行的道路。主治寒热邪气的，是因为地气从体内向体外发散，阴气向外与阳气交接，那么寒热邪气自然消散。治疗寒湿风痹导致肢体关节疼痛的，是因为天气从体外向体内深入，阳气向内与阴气交接，那么由寒、湿、风三种邪气结合而成的痹症导致的肢体关节疼痛，就可以痊愈了。地气运行则水液下行，天气运行则小便通利。
【紫菀】
气味苦、温，无毒。主治咳嗽气逆，胸中寒热郁结之气，去除蛊毒，治疗痿证，安定五脏。
张隐庵说：紫色，是黑与红之间的颜色；黑色和红色，分别是水和火的颜色。紫菀气味苦温，禀受火气；其质地阴柔，禀受水气。主治咳嗽气逆的，是激发太阳寒水之气从皮毛汇聚于肺脏。治疗胸中寒热郁结之气的，是辅助少阴火热之气，通利三焦并向上通达。蛊毒在腹部属土，火能生土，所以能去除蛊毒。痿证在筋脉属水，水能生木，所以能去除痿证。水和火，是阴阳的征兆，水火相交则阴阳调和，所以能安定五脏。
【知母】
气味苦、寒，无毒。主治消渴病中的热中症状，祛除邪气，消除肢体浮肿，通利水道，补益不足，益气。
叶天士说：知母气寒，禀受水气而进入肾脏；味苦无毒，得火味而进入心脏。肾属水，心属火，如果水不能制约火，火灼烧津液，就会发生消渴病；火熏蒸五脏内部，就会发生热中病。治疗这些病症的方法，是用苦味清泄心火，用寒性滋补肾水。祛除邪气的，是因为苦寒的气味能够祛除燥火之邪气。热盛则浮肿，火盛则肿胀；苦味能清火，寒性能退热，所以主治肢体浮肿。肿胀与水脏有关，水性厌恶干燥，干燥则开合功能不利，导致水液反而蓄积。知母性寒滑，滑利能打开关门（指膀胱气化之关隘），水液自然下行。补不足的，是用苦寒之性补充寒水之不足。益气的，是用苦寒之性增益五脏的阴气。
我认为：《金匮要略》中有桂枝芍药知母汤，治疗肢体关节疼痛、身体消瘦、脚肿如脱节状，由此可知长沙先生（张仲景）的各种方剂，都是源自《神农本草经》的。
[Qin Jiao]
Taste and nature: Bitter, neutral. Indications: Mainly treats stiffness of the waist and back, laxity or spasticity of joints (Guanji huanji), knee pain caused by wind-bi and cold-dampness; particularly beneficial for the elderly.
Taste and nature: Bitter, neutral, non-toxic. Indications: Mainly treats pathogenic factors of cold and heat, wind-bi with cold-dampness, pain in limbs and joints; promotes water metabolism and facilitates urination.
Zhang Yinan stated: Qin Jiao has a bitter and neutral taste and nature, its color resembles yellow earth, with intersecting grain patterns rotating left and right, endowing it with the qi of the interaction between heaven and earth yin and yang. Generally, the qi of heaven rotates left then right, while the qi of earth rotates right then left; left and right represent the pathways of yin and yang. The treatment of pathogenic factors of cold and heat occurs because the qi of earth moves from inside to outside, allowing yin qi to interact externally with yang qi, thereby dissipating the pathogenic factors of cold and heat. The treatment of limb and joint pain caused by wind-bi with cold-dampness occurs because the qi of heaven moves from outside to inside, allowing yang qi to interact internally with yin qi, thus curing bi syndrome resulting from the combination of cold, damp, and wind pathogens. When the qi of earth circulates, water descends; when the qi of heaven circulates, urination becomes smooth.
[Zi Wan]
Taste and nature: Bitter, warm, non-toxic. Indications: Mainly treats cough with rebellious qi, stagnation of cold and heat in the chest, removes gu poison, treats flaccidity syndrome (Wei), and stabilizes the five zang organs.
Zhang Yinan stated: Purple is an intermediate color between black and red; black and red are the colors of water and fire, respectively. Zi Wan has a bitter and warm taste and nature, endowing it with fire qi; its texture is yin and soft, endowing it with water qi. The treatment of cough with rebellious qi involves stimulating the cold-water qi of the Taiyang channel to combine with the lung from the skin and hair. The treatment of stagnation of cold and heat in the chest involves assisting the fire-heat qi of the Shaoyin channel to unblock the Sanjiao and ascend. Gu poison located in the abdomen belongs to earth; since fire generates earth, it can remove gu poison. Flaccidity syndrome involving tendons belongs to water; since water generates wood, it can remove flaccidity syndrome. Water and fire are the manifestations of yin and yang; when water and fire interact, yin and yang harmonize, thus stabilizing the five zang organs.
[Zhi Mu]
Taste and nature: Bitter, cold, non-toxic. Indications: Mainly treats heat in the middle jiao associated with Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst syndrome), eliminates pathogenic factors, reduces edema of limbs, promotes water metabolism, tonifies deficiency, and benefits qi.
Ye Tianshi stated: Zhi Mu has a cold nature, endowing it with water qi that enters the kidney; its bitter and non-toxic taste allows it to enter the heart via fire flavor. The kidney belongs to water, and the heart belongs to fire. If water fails to control fire, fire scorches body fluids, leading to Xiao Ke disease; if fire steams the internal organs, it leads to Re Zhong (heat-in-the-middle) disease. The method of treating these conditions is to use bitter flavors to clear heart fire and cold properties to nourish kidney water. Eliminating pathogenic factors refers to the ability of bitter-cold tastes and natures to eliminate dry-fire pathogenic factors. Excessive heat causes swelling, excessive fire causes inflammation; bitter clears fire, and cold reduces heat, hence it mainly treats edema of limbs. Swelling relates to the water organ; water's nature abhors dryness. Dryness impairs opening and closing functions, causing water retention. Zhi Mu is cold and slippery; slipperiness facilitates the opening of the "gate" (guanmen, referring to the gate of bladder qi transformation), allowing water to descend naturally. Tonifying deficiency refers to using bitter-cold properties to supplement the deficiency of cold water. Benefiting qi refers to using bitter-cold properties to enrich the yin qi of the five zang organs.
I observe: In *Jin Gui Yao Lue*, there is the formula Guizhi Shaoyao Zhi Mu Tang, which treats pain in limbs and joints, emaciation of the body, and swollen feet as if detached. This indicates that the formulas of Changsha (Zhang Zhongjing) all originate from the *Shennong Bencao Jing*.