气味苦、温，无毒。主中风伤寒头痛，温疟，发表出汗，去邪热气，止咳逆上气，除
寒热，破症坚积聚。（去节根。）
陈修园曰∶麻黄气温，禀春气而入肝；味苦无毒，得火味而入心。心主汗，肝主疏泄，
故为
发汗上药。其所主皆系无汗之症。太阳证中风伤寒头痛、发热、恶寒、无汗而喘系宜麻黄以
发汗。但热不寒，名曰温疟，热甚无汗、头痛，亦宜麻黄以发汗。咳逆上气，为手太阴之寒
证；发热恶寒，为足太阳之表证；亦宜麻黄以发汗。即症坚积聚为内病，亦系阴寒之气，凝
聚于阴分之中，日积月累而渐成；得麻黄之发汗，从阴出阳，则症坚积聚自散。凡此皆发汗
之功也。
根节古云止汗，是引止汗之药，以达于表而速效，非麻黄根节自能止汗，旧解多误。
气味甘、辛、平，无毒。主消渴，身大热，呕吐，诸痹，起阴气，解诸毒。
气味甘、平，无毒。主下痢十岁以上。
叶天士曰∶葛根气平，禀天秋平之金气，入手太阴肺经；味甘辛无毒，得地金土之味，
入足
阳明燥金胃。其主消渴者，辛甘以升腾胃气，气上则津液生也。其主身大热者，气平为秋气
，秋气能解大热也。脾有湿热，则壅而呕吐，葛根味甘，升发胃阳，胃阳鼓动，则湿热下行
而呕吐止矣。诸痹皆起于气血不流通，葛根辛甘和散，气血活诸痹自愈也。阴者从阳者也，
人
味
；平者，金之和气；所以解诸毒也。
张隐庵曰∶元人张元素谓∶“葛根为阳明仙药，若太阳初病用之，反引邪入阳明等论，
皆臆
方，有葛根汤治太阳病项背几几；又治太阳与阳明合病。”若阳明本
病，只有白虎承气诸汤，并无葛根汤证，况葛根主宣通经脉之正气以散邪，岂反引邪内入耶！
前
人学不明经，屡为异说，李时珍一概收录，不加辨正，学人看本草发明，当
合经论参究，庶不为前人所误。
【麻黄】
气味：苦，温，无毒。主治中风、伤寒引起的头痛，温疟，发表发汗，祛除邪热，止咳逆上气，消除寒热症状，破除症坚积聚。（使用时需去除节和根。）
陈修园说：麻黄气温，禀受春气而入肝经；味苦且无毒，得火之味而入心经。心主汗液，肝主疏泄，因此麻黄是发汗的要药。麻黄所主治的都是无汗的症状。太阳病中的中风或伤寒导致的头痛、发热、恶寒、无汗且气喘，适宜用麻黄来发汗。但热不寒，称为温疟，若热势严重且无汗、头痛，也适宜用麻黄来发汗。咳逆上气，属于手太阴肺经的寒证；发热恶寒，属于足太阳膀胱经的表证；也都适宜用麻黄来发汗。即使是症坚积聚这种内伤病，也是阴寒之气凝聚在阴分之中，日积月累逐渐形成；得到麻黄的发汗作用，使病邪从阴分出至阳分，那么症坚积聚自然消散。以上这些都是麻黄发汗的功效。
关于根节古语说能止汗，这是利用止汗的药性引导药力到达体表以迅速见效，并非麻黄的根和节本身能止汗，旧有的解释大多有误。
【葛根】
气味：甘，辛，平，无毒。主治消渴，身体大热，呕吐，各种痹证，起阴气，解除各种毒素。
【葛谷】
气味：甘，平，无毒。主治十年以上的久痢。
叶天士说：葛根气平，禀受秋天平和的金气，入手太阴肺经；味甘辛且无毒，得地中金土的味道，入足阳明燥金胃经。它主治消渴，是因为辛甘之味能升腾胃气，气上升则津液生成。它主治身体大热，是因为气平对应秋气，秋气能解大热。脾有湿热，就会壅滞导致呕吐，葛根味甘，能升发胃阳，胃阳鼓动，则湿热下行，呕吐停止。各种痹证都起因于气血流通不畅，葛根辛甘温和发散，气血通畅后各种痹证自然痊愈。阴依附于阳；平，是金的和气；所以能解除各种毒素。
张隐庵说：元代医家张元素认为：“葛根是阳明经的仙药，如果在太阳病初起时使用，反而会引邪进入阳明等言论，都是主观臆断。”如果有葛根汤治疗太阳病项背强几几（拘急不舒）；又治疗太阳与阳明合病。如果是阳明本经的病，只有白虎汤、承气汤等方剂，并没有葛根汤的适应证，况且葛根主要宣通经脉的正气以驱散邪气，怎么会反而引邪内入呢！前人学理不明，屡遭异说误导，李时珍一概收录，不加辨正，学习的人阅读本草发明类著作时，应当结合经典理论参究，才不至于被前人误导。
[Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba)]
Flavor and Nature: Bitter, warm, non-toxic. Main indications include headache due to wind-stroke or cold damage, warm malaria, releasing the exterior and inducing sweating, dispelling pathogenic heat, relieving cough with rebellious qi, eliminating chills and fever, and breaking up masses and accumulations. (Remove the nodes and roots before use.)
Chen Xiuyuan stated: Mahuang has a warm nature, inheriting the Qi of spring to enter the Liver meridian; its bitter flavor and non-toxicity allow it to enter the Heart meridian by acquiring the flavor of fire. The Heart governs sweat, and the Liver governs dispersion and excretion; therefore, Mahuang is a premier herb for inducing sweating. Its main indications all relate to conditions without sweating. For Taiyang syndrome involving wind-stroke or cold damage presenting with headache, fever, aversion to cold, absence of sweating, and wheezing, Mahuang is indicated to induce sweating. When there is heat without chills, it is termed warm malaria; if the heat is severe with no sweating and headache, Mahuang is also indicated to induce sweating. Cough with rebellious qi belongs to cold syndromes of the Hand-Taiyin Lung meridian; fever with aversion to cold belongs to exterior syndromes of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder meridian; both are suitable for treatment with Mahuang to induce sweating. Even for internal diseases such as masses and accumulations, these result from Yin-cold Qi condensing within the Yin compartments, accumulating day by day and month by month until gradually formed. Through the sweating action of Mahuang, the pathogen exits from Yin to Yang, causing the masses and accumulations to dissipate naturally. All these are functions of inducing sweating.
Regarding the ancient saying that the root and nodes stop sweating, this refers to using herbs that stop sweating to guide efficacy to the exterior for rapid effect, not that the root and nodes of Mahuang themselves can stop sweating. Old interpretations are mostly erroneous.
[Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix]
Flavor and Nature: Sweet, acrid, neutral, non-toxic. Main indications include thirst (Xiao Ke), high body heat, vomiting, various Bi syndromes, raising Yin Qi, and resolving various toxins.
[Gegu (Puerariae Flos)]
Flavor and Nature: Sweet, neutral, non-toxic. Main indication: chronic dysentery lasting more than ten years.
Ye Tianshi stated: Gegen has a neutral nature, inheriting the neutral Metal Qi of autumn, entering the Hand-Taiyin Lung meridian; its sweet and acrid flavors and non-toxicity allow it to enter the Foot-Yangming Dryness-Metal Stomach meridian by acquiring the flavors of Earth and Metal. It treats thirst because the acrid and sweet flavors ascend and raise Stomach Qi; when Qi ascends, body fluids are generated. It treats high body heat because its neutral nature corresponds to Autumn Qi, which can resolve high heat. When Spleen damp-heat causes stagnation leading to vomiting, Gegen’s sweet flavor raises Stomach Yang; once Stomach Yang is stirred, damp-heat moves downward, and vomiting ceases. Various Bi syndromes arise from the lack of circulation in Qi and Blood; Gegen’s acrid and sweet properties harmonize and disperse, allowing Qi and Blood to circulate freely, thus healing the Bi syndromes. Yin follows Yang; neutrality represents the harmonious Qi of Metal; therefore, it resolves various toxins.
Zhang Yinan stated: The Yuan dynasty physician Zhang Yuansu claimed: “Gegen is an immortal herb for the Yangming channel; assertions that using it in early Taiyang disease would instead draw pathogens into Yangming, etc., are all subjective speculations.” There are Ge Gen Tang formulas treating Taiyang disease with stiffness and tightness of the neck and back (Ji Ji); and treating combined Taiyang and Yangming diseases. If it were a primary Yangming disease, only Bai Hu Tang and Cheng Qi Tang formulas would apply, with no indication for Ge Gen Tang. Moreover, Gegen primarily promotes the righteous Qi of meridians to scatter pathogens; how could it draw pathogens inward? Previous scholars lacked clarity in understanding the classics and were repeatedly misled by heterodox views. Li Shizhen included them all without differentiation or correction. Students reading commentaries on Materia Medica should cross-reference with classic theories to avoid being misled by predecessors.