气味甘、微温，无毒。主五劳七伤，补中，除茎中寒热痛，养五脏，强阴，益
精气，多子，妇人症瘕。久服轻身。
陈修园曰∶肉苁蓉是马精落地所生，取治精虚者，同气相求之义也。凡五劳七伤，久而
不愈，未有不伤其阴者。苁蓉补五脏之精，精足则阴足矣。茎中者，精之道路，精虚则寒热
而痛，精足则痛已矣。（又滑以去着）。精生于五脏，而藏之于肾，精足则阳举，精坚令人多
子矣。妇人症瘕，皆由血淤，精足则气充，气充则淤行也。叶天士注∶症瘕之谓其咸
以坚，滑以去着，温以散结，犹浅之乎测苁蓉也。
张隐庵曰∶马为火畜，精属水阴。苁蓉感马精而生，其形似肉，气味甘温，盖禀少阴水
火之气，而归于太阴坤土之药也。土性柔和，故有苁蓉之名。
气味甘、寒，无毒。主折跌绝筋，伤中，逐血痹，填骨髓，长肌肉。作汤除寒热
积聚，除痹。生者尤良。久服轻身不老。
（参叶天士） 地黄气寒，入足少阴肾经。味甘无毒，入足太阴脾经。气味重浊，阴也；
阴者，中之守也；伤中者，守中真阴伤也。地黄甘寒，补中焦之精汁，所以主之。血痹者，
血虚闭而不运也。地黄味甘以滋脾血，气寒以益肾气，气血行而闭者开矣。肾主骨，益肾则
水足而
润脾则土滋而肌肉丰也。作汤除寒热积聚者，汤者荡也，或寒或热之积
聚，汤能荡之也。盖味甘可以缓急，性滑可以去着也。又曰∶除痹者，言不但逐血痹，更除
皮肌筋骨之痹也。除皮肉筋骨之痹，则折跌绝筋亦可疗矣。久服轻身不老，以先后二天交换
，元气与谷气俱纳也。生者尤良，谓其本性俱在也。
陈修园曰∶地黄，《本经》名地髓，《尔雅》名 ，又名芑。唐以后几蒸几晒为熟地黄
，苦味尽除，入于温补肾经丸剂，颇为相宜；若入汤剂及养血凉血等方，甚属不合。盖地黄
专取其性凉而滑利流通，熟则腻滞不凉，全失其本性矣。徐灵胎辨之甚详，无如若辈竟执迷
不悟也。
又曰∶百病之极，穷必及肾。及肾，危证也。有大承气汤之急下法，有桃花汤之温固法
，有四逆汤、白通汤之回阳法，有猪苓汤、黄连鸡子黄汤之救阴法，有真武汤之行水法，有
附子汤之温补法，皆所以救其危也。张景岳自创邪说，以百病之生，俱从肾治。误以《神农
本经》上品服食之地黄，认为治病之药。（《内经》云∶五谷为养，五果为助，五菜为充，
毒药攻邪。神农所列上品，多服食之品，即五谷、五果、五菜之类也，玩“久服”二字可见
。圣人药到病瘳，何以云久服？凡攻邪以去病，多取毒药。）滋润胶粘，反引邪气敛存于少
阴
而无出路，以后虽服姜、附不热，服芩、连不寒，服参、术不补，服硝、黄不下，其故何哉
？盖以熟地黄之胶粘善着。女人有孕服四物汤为主，随证加入攻破之药而不伤，以四物汤中
之熟地黄能护胎也。知其护胎之功，便可悟其护邪之害。胶粘之性最善着物，如油入面，一
着遂不能去也。凡遇有邪而误用此药者，百药不效。病家不咎其用熟地黄之害，反以为曾用
熟地黄而犹不效者，定为败症，岂非景岳之造其孽哉？
【肉苁蓉】
气味：甘、微温，无毒。主治五劳七伤，补益中气，消除尿道中的寒热疼痛，滋养五脏，强健阴精，增加精气，促进生育，治疗妇人腹内结块（症瘕）。长期服用可使身体轻盈。
陈修园说：肉苁蓉是马精落地后所生之物，取用它来治疗精液亏虚者，符合“同气相求”的道理。凡是五劳七伤，日久不愈的，没有不损伤其阴精的。苁蓉能补益五脏之精，精充足则阴精也就充足了。尿道是精液运行的通道，精虚则会出现寒热交替并伴有疼痛，精足则疼痛自止。（另外，其滑利之性可以去除黏着之邪）。精液由五脏化生，而贮藏于肾，精足则阳气振奋勃起，精坚则使人多子。妇人的症瘕，多由血瘀引起，精足则气充，气充则瘀血得以运行。叶天士注解道：认为症瘕是因为咸味能软坚、滑性能去着、温性能散结，这是对苁蓉作用的理解过于浅显了。
张隐庵说：马属于火畜，精液属于水阴。苁蓉感应马精而生，其形状像肉，气味甘温，大概是禀受了少阴水火之气，而归于太阴坤土性质的药物。土性柔和，所以有“苁蓉”这个名字。
【地黄】
气味：甘、寒，无毒。主治跌打骨折筋断，内伤，驱除血痹，填补骨髓，生长肌肉。煎汤服用可消除寒热积聚，祛除痹证。鲜生地效果更佳。长期服用可使身体轻盈，延缓衰老。
（参考叶天士观点）地黄气寒，入足少阴肾经。味甘无毒，入足太阴脾经。气味重浊，属阴；阴是体内的守持者；所谓“伤中”，是指守持中焦的真阴受损。地黄甘寒，能补益中焦的精汁，所以主治此症。血痹，是由于血虚闭阻而不运行。地黄味甘能滋养生脾血，气寒能益助肾气，气血运行通畅则闭阻得以解开。肾主骨，益肾则肾水充足而滋润脾土，脾土滋润则肌肉丰满。煎汤服用以消除寒热积聚，汤剂具有荡涤的作用，无论是寒积还是热积，汤剂都能将其荡涤清除。大概因为味甘可以缓解急迫，性滑可以去除黏着。又说：祛除痹证，意思是不仅驱除血痹，更祛除皮、肌、筋、骨部位的痹证。祛除了皮肉筋骨的痹证，那么跌打骨折筋断也可以治疗了。长期服用身体轻盈不老，是因为先后天二气相互交换，元气与谷气共同纳藏。鲜生地效果更佳，是说其本性完全保留。
陈修园说：地黄，《本经》称为地髓，《尔雅》称为芑。唐代以后经过多次蒸晒成为熟地黄，苦味尽除，进入温补肾经的丸剂中，颇为适宜；但如果用于汤剂及养血凉血等方剂，就非常不合适了。大概地黄专门取其性凉而滑利流通的特性，煮熟后则腻滞且不凉，完全失去了其本性。徐灵胎对此辨析得很详细，无奈那些人竟然执迷不悟。
又说：百病发展到极点，穷尽必波及肾脏。波及肾脏，是危重证候。有大承气汤的急下法，有桃花汤的温固法，有四逆汤、白通汤的回阳法，有猪苓汤、黄连鸡子黄汤的救阴法，有真武汤的行水法，有附子汤的温补法，这些都是用来挽救危重症的方法。张景岳自创邪说，认为百病的产生，都从肾脏治疗。错误地将《神农本草经》上品中用于服食的地黄，当作治病的药物。（《内经》说：五谷为养，五果为助，五菜为充，毒药攻邪。神农所列的上品，多是服食之品，即五谷、五果、五菜之类，从“久服”二字可见。圣人用药到病愈，怎么会说长期服用？凡是攻邪去病，多取用毒药。）熟地黄滋润胶粘，反而引邪气收敛存留于少阴经而无出路，此后虽然服用姜、附不再发热，服用芩、连不再发冷，服用参、术不再补益，服用硝、黄不再通便，这是什么原因呢？这是因为熟地黄胶粘善著的特性。女人怀孕时服用四物汤为主药，随证加入攻破的药物而不伤胎，是因为四物汤中的熟地黄能护胎。知道它能护胎的功效，就可以领悟它护住邪气的危害。胶粘的性质最善于附着，就像油混入面粉中，一旦粘上就无法去除。凡遇到有邪气却误用此药的，百药无效。病人不责怪使用熟地黄的危害，反而认为曾经用过熟地黄却还无效的，就定为败症，这难道不是张景岳造下的孽吗？
[Cistanche Herba (Rou Cong Rong)]
Flavor and Nature: Sweet, slightly warm; non-toxic. It primarily treats five types of exhaustion and seven types of injuries, tonifies the middle jiao, eliminates cold-heat pain in the urethra, nourishes the five zang organs, strengthens yin, benefits essence and qi, promotes fertility, and treats abdominal masses (zheng jia) in women. Long-term use makes the body feel light.
Chen Xiuyuan stated: Cistanche is generated from horse essence falling to the ground. Using it to treat deficiency of essence follows the principle of "similar energies seeking each other." Whenever five types of exhaustion and seven types of injuries persist for a long time without healing, they invariably damage one's yin. Cistanche tonifies the essence of the five zang organs; when essence is sufficient, yin becomes sufficient. The urethra is the pathway for essence; when essence is deficient, cold-heat sensations and pain occur; when essence is sufficient, the pain ceases. (Furthermore, its slippery nature removes adhesion.) Essence is produced by the five zang organs but stored in the kidney. When essence is sufficient, yang qi rises and erects; firm essence leads to fertility. Abdominal masses (zheng jia) in women are all caused by blood stasis; when essence is sufficient, qi becomes充盈 (abundant); when qi is abundant, stasis moves. Ye Tianshi annotated: To say that zheng jia is treated because salty flavors soften hardness, slippery flavors remove adhesion, and warm flavors dissipate nodules is a superficial understanding of Cistanche.
Zhang Yin'an stated: Horses are fire animals, while essence belongs to water-yin. Cistanche arises from sensing horse essence; its shape resembles flesh, and its flavor is sweet and warm. It likely inherits the qi of Shaoyin water and fire and returns to the earth element of Taiyin Kun. Earth has a gentle nature, hence the name "Cong Rong" (soft and pliable).
[Rehmanniae Radix (Di Huang)]
Flavor and Nature: Sweet, cold; non-toxic. It primarily treats fractures with severed tendons, internal injury, expels blood bi (obstruction), fills the bone marrow, and promotes muscle growth. Decoction can eliminate cold-heat accumulations and remove bi syndrome. Fresh root is particularly effective. Long-term use makes the body light and prevents aging.
(Referencing Ye Tianshi): Rehmannia has a cold nature and enters the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Its sweet flavor is non-toxic and enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Its heavy and turbid aroma indicates yin; yin is the guardian within. "Internal injury" refers to the damage of true yin guarding the middle jiao. Rehmannia is sweet and cold, replenishing the essential fluids of the middle jiao, thus treating this condition. Blood bi is characterized by blood deficiency causing obstruction and stagnation. Rehmannia's sweet flavor nourishes spleen blood, and its cold nature benefits kidney qi; when qi and blood circulate, obstructions open. The kidney governs bones; benefiting the kidney ensures sufficient water to moisten the spleen; moistening the spleen ensures sufficient earth to make muscles plump. Decoctions eliminate cold-heat accumulations because decoctions have a sweeping action, capable of clearing both cold and heat accumulations. Generally, sweet flavors relieve urgency, and slippery flavors remove adhesion. Furthermore, removing bi means not only expelling blood bi but also removing bi affecting the skin, muscles, tendons, and bones. Removing bi from these tissues allows for the treatment of fractures and severed tendons. Long-term use results in a light body and youthfulness because the congenital and acquired sources exchange qi, allowing primordial qi and grain qi to be retained together. Fresh root is superior because its original nature is preserved.
Chen Xiuyuan stated: In the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, Rehmannia was called "Earth Marrow" (Di Sui); in the *Erya*, it was called "Qi". After the Tang Dynasty, it underwent multiple steaming and drying processes to become Prepared Rehmannia (Shu Di Huang), removing its bitter taste. This is quite suitable for pills tonifying the kidney-warming meridians; however, it is highly inappropriate for decoctions or formulas for nourishing blood and cooling blood. Essentially, Rehmannia relies on its cool and slippery, circulating properties. Once cooked, it becomes cloying and loses its coolness, completely losing its original nature. Xu Lingtai analyzed this in detail, yet some practitioners remain obstinate.
He further stated: When diseases reach their extreme, they inevitably affect the kidneys. Affecting the kidneys indicates a critical condition. There are urgent purgative methods like Dachengqi Tang, warming and consolidating methods like Taohua Tang, methods to restore yang like SiNi Tang and Baitong Tang, methods to rescue yin like Zhuling Tang and Huanglian Jizihuang Tang, methods to promote water metabolism like Zhenwu Tang, and warming-tonifying methods like Fuzi Tang. All these are used to save critical conditions. Zhang Jingyue created heretical theories, claiming that all diseases arise from the kidney and should be treated from the kidney. He mistakenly regarded Rehmannia, listed as a top-grade tonic in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, as a medicinal herb for treating disease. (*Neijing* states: Grains nourish, fruits assist, vegetables fill, and toxic drugs attack pathogens. The top-grade herbs listed by Shennong are mostly dietary items like grains, fruits, and vegetables, evident from the phrase 'long-term use'. If sages' medicines cured diseases instantly, why mention long-term use? Attacking pathogens usually involves toxic drugs.) Rehmannia is moistening and cloying, which instead draws pathogenic qi to linger in the Shaoyin meridian without an exit. Consequently, even if Ginger and Aconite no longer generate heat, Scutellaria and Phellodendron no longer clear cold, Ginseng and Atractylodes no longer tonify, and Mirabilite and Rhubarb no longer purge, what is the reason? It is due to the cloying and adhesive nature of Prepared Rehmannia. Pregnant women take Sigewu Tang as the main formula; adding attacking and breaking herbs according to symptoms does not harm the fetus because the Prepared Rehmannia in Sigewu Tang protects the fetus. Understanding its ability to protect the fetus reveals its harmful ability to protect pathogens. Cloying substances adhere best, like oil mixing into flour; once attached, they cannot be removed. Whenever pathogens are present but this drug is misused, all medicines fail. Patients do not blame the harm of using Prepared Rehmannia; instead, they consider cases ineffective despite prior use of Prepared Rehmannia as terminal syndromes. Is this not the sin created by Zhang Jingyue?