凡生姜之功，详于诸家本草。虽然，其说非疾医之义。盖服饵家腐谈而误世者，不为不
少矣。曰∶姜久服通神明。曰∶姜要热，则去皮。要冷，则留皮。曰∶姜制半夏、浓朴之毒。
曰∶生姜屑、生干姜，生姜，分别用之。曰∶姜能 御百邪。以上诸说，非疾医之义，奚俟
余之言哉。呜呼！如食之通神明之说，则出于伪书《本草经》。朱子尝取此说以注论语。余
虽未知其是否，何其说之迂也？陈藏器去皮留皮之言，彼岂知生姜之功，在一根之中矣乎？
又至加彼生姜制半夏、浓朴之毒之说，一何盲昧之至于此乎？若夫生姜制半夏之毒，则仲景
何用生姜半夏汤、小半夏汤乎？若夫生姜制浓朴之毒，则仲景何用浓朴生姜半夏人参甘草汤、
浓朴半夏汤乎？苟如李杲之言，半夏、浓朴，实为钝物，又与不用同焉。夫仲景之用生姜与
半夏、浓朴也，则取其毒之用耳，又何制之为？况生姜能姜御百邪之言，则时珍误裁断王安
石姜能 我者也。于毒邪臭腥寒热，皆足以御之之说，而惟云 御百邪，于义不通。安石之
说，犹且牵强，而况于时珍之言乎？是大惑后人，不可从焉。孙思邈曰∶姜为呕家圣药。陶
弘景尝谓不撤姜食，不多食，言可常食，但不可多尔，有病者是所宜矣。二子之言为得焉。
凡是关于生姜功效的记载，在各种本草著作中都有详细说明。然而，这些说法并不符合临床医生（疾医）的实际应用原则。大概服用丹药或补益类药物的人流传的一些荒谬言论误导了世人，这样的例子不在少数。有人说：长期服用生姜可以通神明（使精神清明、智慧通达）。有人说：生姜若要发挥热性，则需去皮；若要发挥凉性，则需留皮。有人说：生姜能制约半夏、厚朴的毒性。有人说：生姜屑、生干姜、生姜，应当分别使用。有人说：生姜能够抵御各种邪气。以上种种说法，都不符合临床医生的诊疗意义，哪里还需要我来说明呢？唉！像“食用生姜能通神明”这种说法，是出自伪书《神农本草经》。朱熹曾经引用这个说法来注释《论语》。我虽然不知道这是否准确，但这种说法岂不迂腐吗？陈藏器关于去皮留皮的言论，他难道不知道生姜的功效在于整根生姜的整体作用吗？又至于说生姜能制约半夏、厚朴毒性的说法，怎么糊涂到了这种地步呢？如果说生姜能制约半夏的毒性，那么张仲景为什么还要用生姜半夏汤、小半夏汤呢？如果说生姜能制约厚朴的毒性，那么张仲景为什么还要用厚朴生姜半夏甘草人参汤、厚朴半夏汤呢？如果像李杲所说，半夏、厚朴确实是迟钝之物，那与不用它们也没什么区别了。张仲景使用生姜配合半夏、厚朴，正是利用它们的毒性（指其偏性/药力），又何谈制约呢？况且“生姜能抵御百邪”的说法，则是李时珍错误地裁断王安石所说的“生姜能抵御毒邪臭腥寒热，皆足以御之”，而简略为“抵御百邪”，这在义理上是不通的。王安石的尚且牵强，何况李时珍的话呢？这是大大迷惑后人，不可听从。孙思邈说：生姜是治疗呕吐者的圣药。陶弘景曾说“不撤姜食，不多食”，意思是生姜可以经常食用，只是不能多吃罢了，有病的人是适宜食用的。这两位先生的说法才是正确的。
The efficacy of Shengjiang (Fresh Ginger, *Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens*) is detailed in various materia medica texts. However, these descriptions do not align with the principles of clinical practice. There are indeed many misleading anecdotes propagated by those who advocate dietary therapy or elixir ingestion. Some claim: "Long-term consumption of ginger promotes spiritual clarity." Others state: "To enhance its warming property, peel the ginger; to enhance its cooling property, retain the peel." Still others assert: "Ginger neutralizes the toxicity of Banxia (Pinellia Tuber) and Houpo (Magnolia Bark)." It is also claimed that "Shengjiang Xie (Ginger Powder), Sheng Ganjiang (Dried Fresh Ginger), and Shengjiang should be used separately," and that "Ginger can ward off all kinds of pathogenic factors." None of these statements reflect the true meaning of clinical medicine, so why bother with my commentary? Alas! The notion that consuming ginger promotes spiritual clarity originates from the apocryphal text *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). Zhu Xi once cited this view to annotate the *Analects*. Although I am unsure of its validity, such reasoning is overly pedantic. Chen Cangqi’s remarks on peeling or retaining the skin demonstrate a lack of understanding that the efficacy of fresh ginger lies in the integrity of the whole rhizome. Furthermore, the assertion that ginger neutralizes the toxicity of Banxia and Houpo is profoundly ignorant. If ginger truly neutralized Banxia’s toxicity, why did Zhang Zhongjing prescribe Shengjiang Banxia Tang (Fresh Ginger and Pinellia Decoction) and Xiao Banxia Tang (Minor Pinellia Decoction)? If it neutralized Houpo’s toxicity, why did he prescribe Houpo Shengjiang Banxia Renshen Gancao Tang (Magnolia Bark, Fresh Ginger, Pinellia, Ginseng, and Licorice Decoction) and Houpo Banxia Tang (Magnolia Bark and Pinellia Decoction)? Had Li Gao been correct in viewing Banxia and Houpo as merely inert substances, their use would have been equivalent to not using them at all. Zhang Zhongjing’s combination of ginger with Banxia and Houpo was precisely to utilize their potent properties (often referred to as 'toxicity' in classical terms, implying strong therapeutic action), not to neutralize them. Moreover, the statement that "ginger wards off all evils" is a flawed interpretation by Li Shizhen of Wang Anshi’s original text, which stated that ginger could counteract various toxic, smelly, fishy, cold, and hot pathogens. Li Shizhen abbreviated this to "warding off all evils," which is logically inconsistent. Wang Anshi’s view was already forced, let alone Li Shizhen’s. This misleads future generations and should not be followed. Sun Simiao stated: "Ginger is the sacred medicine for vomiting." Tao Hongjing remarked, "Do not remove ginger from meals, but do not eat too much," implying that ginger can be consumed regularly but in moderation, which is suitable for those with illnesses. These two scholars’ views are accurate.