味辛苦。性温。无毒。乌头为使。
【主治】主恶血。破症结积聚。喉痹。乳难。身体风痒。头痛。咳逆。小儿头疮。痈肿
阴。可作摩粉。其叶主风痒。可煮以浴。（本经）治诸风 疡。肺气胸膈满。催生堕胎。
风秘。
【归经】入肝经。为平散肝风之品。（肝以散为补兼泻肺气）
【前论】苏颂曰。古方皆用有刺者。治风明目。最良。
鳌按、向来本草书。蒺藜二种。性味功用皆浑言之。然其所主实迥然各别。今特即本经以下
诸说。分划清楚。沙苑蒺藜性温补。今列入补剂中。而不与此相混。
【炮制】雷公曰。凡使。春令刺尽。拣净砂土。蒸半日。晒干。再用酒拌蒸半日。晒干
用。
味甘。性寒。无毒。
【主治】主通利小肠。得栀子、马牙硝。硼砂。疗伤寒热狂。（嘉 ）治湿热肿满。五
淋
茎痛
【归经】入小肠膀胱二经。为通利之品。（兼泻剂 除二经血分湿热）
【前论】子和曰。治伤寒热狂者。大热利小便。釜底抽薪之义也。
【禁忌】经疏曰。性淡渗而无补益。小便不利。及诸淋由于肾虚。真阴不足者。均忌。
味苦甘。性寒。有毒。禀天地阴寒之气以生。降也。阴也。瓜蒂为使。恶远志。反甘草。
【主治】主大腹。疝瘕。腹满。面目浮肿。留饮宿食。破症坚积聚。利水谷道。（本经）
散膀
痰迷癫痫
【归经】入肺脾肾三经。为行水之品。（兼泻剂 逐隧道水湿 直达水气结处以攻决为
用能
泻肾）
【前论】喻嘉言曰。胃为水谷之海。五脏六腑之源。脾不能散胃之水精于肺。而病于中。
肺
无所
肤
水病当以健脾为主。使脾实而气运。则水自行。
鳌按、甘遂乃泄水圣药。与商陆、大戟、芫花异性同功。方家俱不甚用。但商陆专除水
肿。
去商
【禁忌】经疏曰。元气虚人。除伤寒水结胸。不得不用外。其余水肿蛊胀。谨慎用之。
【刺蒺藜】
味辛、苦。性温。无毒。以乌头为引经药。
【主治】主治恶血。破除症结积聚。治疗喉痹。乳难（乳汁不通）。身体风痒。头痛。咳逆。小儿头疮。痈肿阴部病变。可制成摩粉使用。其叶主治风痒，可煮水洗澡。（《本经》）治疗各种风邪引起的疡疾。肺气胸膈满闷。催生堕胎。风秘（因风邪导致的便秘）。
【归经】入肝经。是平散肝风的药物。（肝喜疏散，故以散为补，兼能泻肺气）
【前论】苏颂说：古方中都用带刺的蒺藜，治疗风病明目效果最好。
作者按语：向来本草书中，蒺藜有两种，性味功用都笼统地说。然而它们所主治的病证其实截然不同。现在特别依据《本经》及以下诸家说法，划分清楚。沙苑蒺藜性温补，现列入补剂中，不与此混淆。
【炮制】雷公说：凡使用，春季去掉所有刺，拣净砂土，蒸半个时辰，晒干。再用酒拌蒸半个时辰，晒干使用。
【海金沙】
味甘。性寒。无毒。
【主治】主治通利小肠。配合栀子、马牙硝、硼砂，治疗伤寒热狂。（《嘉祐本草》）治疗湿热肿满。五淋。茎痛（尿道疼痛）。
【归经】入小肠、膀胱二经。是通利药物。（兼作泻剂，清除二经血分湿热）
【前论】张子和说：治疗伤寒热狂，大热之证需利小便，这是釜底抽薪的道理。
【禁忌】缪希雍《本草经疏》说：性淡渗而无补益作用。小便不利，以及诸淋由于肾虚、真阴不足者，均忌用。
【甘遂】
味苦、甘。性寒。有毒。禀受天地阴寒之气而生。主降。属阴。以瓜蒂为使药。畏远志。反甘草。
【主治】主治大腹水肿。疝瘕。腹满。面目浮肿。留饮宿食。破除症坚积聚。利水谷道。（《本经》）消散膀胱痰迷癫痫。
【归经】入肺、脾、肾三经。是行水药物。（兼作泻剂，驱逐隧道水湿，直达水气结聚处以攻决为用，能泻肾）
【前论】喻嘉言说：胃是水谷之海，五脏六腑之源。脾不能将胃中的水精散布到肺，而病在中焦。肺无所主。水病应当以健脾为主，使脾实而气运，则水自行。
作者按语：甘遂是泄水的圣药，与商陆、大戟、芫花异性同功。医家都不甚常用。但商陆专除水肿。
【禁忌】缪希雍《本草经疏》说：元气虚弱之人，除非伤寒水结胸证不得不用的情况外，其余的水肿蛊胀，需谨慎使用。
[Translation of Tribulus Terrestris]
Taste: Pungent, Bitter. Nature: Warm. Non-toxic. Aconitum (Wutou) serves as the guiding herb.
【Indications】Mainly treats evil blood (stagnant blood). Breaks up masses and accumulations. Treats throat obstruction (Houbi). Difficulty in lactation. Pruritus due to wind over the body. Headache. Rebellious cough. Pediatric scalp sores. Carbuncles and swellings affecting the yin region. Can be made into a powder for rubbing. Its leaves treat pruritus due to wind and can be boiled for bathing. (Shennong Bencao Jing) Treats various wind-induced ulcers. Chest and diaphragm fullness due to Lung Qi. Induces labor and aborts fetus. Wind-type constipation.
【Meridian Tropism】Enters the Liver Meridian. It is an agent that pacifies and disperses Liver wind. (The Liver prefers dispersion; thus, dispersion acts as tonification, while also draining Lung Qi.)
【Preceding Discussions】Su Song stated: Ancient prescriptions all used the thorny variety, which is best for treating wind diseases and improving vision.
Author's Note: Historically, materia medica texts mentioned two types of Tribulus, discussing their nature, taste, and functions vaguely. However, their specific indications are actually quite different. Here, I specifically clarify them based on the Shennong Bencao Jing and subsequent theories. Shaoyuan Tribulus has a warm and tonifying nature and is now listed among tonifying agents, distinct from this one.
【Processing】Lei Gong said: When using it, remove all thorns in spring, pick out sand and soil, steam for half a day, and dry in the sun. Then mix with wine, steam for another half day, and dry in the sun before use.
[Translation of Jinsha]
Taste: Sweet. Nature: Cold. Non-toxic.
【Indications】Mainly promotes free flow and unblocking of the Small Intestine. Combined with Gardenia (Zhizi), Sodium Nitrate (Mayaning), and Borax (Pengsha), it treats mania due to heat from Typhoid fever (Shanghan). (Jiayou Bencao) Treats edema and distension due to damp-heat. The five types of strangury (Wulin). Pain in the penis/urethra.
【Meridian Tropism】Enters the Small Intestine and Bladder meridians. It is a promoting and unblocking agent. (Acts as a purgative, clearing damp-heat from the blood level of these two meridians.)
【Preceding Discussions】Zhang Zihe said: To treat mania due to heat from Shanghan, one must promote urination significantly in cases of great heat; this embodies the principle of "drawing firewood from under the cauldster."
【Contraindications】Miao Xiyong in Bencao Jing Shuluo stated: Its nature is bland and leaching without tonifying effects. It is contraindicated for difficulty in urination and various stranguries caused by Kidney deficiency and insufficiency of True Yin.
[Translation of Kansui]
Taste: Bitter, Sweet. Nature: Cold. Toxic. Born from the cold Yin energy of Heaven and Earth. It descends. It is Yin. Cucumis melo var. conomon (Gua Di) serves as the guiding herb. It is incompatible with Polygala (Yuanzhi) and opposes Glycyrrhiza (Gancao).
【Indications】Mainly treats abdominal distension (Da Fu). Hernia and masses (Shenjia). Abdominal fullness. Edema of the face and eyes. Retained fluid and old food stagnation. Breaks up hard masses and accumulations. Promotes drainage through the water and grain pathways. (Shennong Bencao Jing) Disperses phlegm-misting epilepsy affecting the Bladder.
【Meridian Tropism】Enters the Lung, Spleen, and Kidney meridians. It is a water-moving agent. (Acts as a purgative, driving out water-dampness from the tunnels, reaching the sites where water-Qi knots to attack and resolve, capable of draining the Kidney.)
【Preceding Discussions】Yu Jiayan said: The Stomach is the sea of water and grain, the source of the five Zang and six Fu organs. If the Spleen cannot scatter the water essence from the Stomach to the Lung, disease arises in the middle. The Lung loses its governance. For water diseases, one should primarily strengthen the Spleen. If the Spleen is solid and Qi moves, then water flows naturally.
Author's Note: Kansui is the supreme medicine for draining water. It shares the same function but different nature with Phytolacca (Shanglu), Euphorbia (Daji), and Genkwa (Yuanhua). Physicians rarely use it. However, Phytolacca specifically removes edema.
【Contraindications】Miao Xiyong in Bencao Jing Shuluo stated: In persons with deficient Yuan Qi, except when absolutely necessary for chest binding due to water retention in Shanghan, other cases of edema and ascites require cautious use.