按徐之才曰。药有宣、通、补、泻、轻、重、滑、涩、燥、湿十种。是药之大体。而本
经不言。后人未述。凡用药者。审而详之。则靡所遗失。诚哉是言也。内经发挥宣通等义亦
甚
时不可治热。热有时不可治寒。訾为背谬。因去寒热而增升降二剂。夫缪之訾陶。其说良是。
但即升降二义绎之。十剂中如宣轻则兼有升义。泻滑则兼有降义且诸药性。非升即降。或可
升可降。或升多降少。或升少降多。别无不升不降专为宣通等性者。则升降二字可以概群药。
不得另立二门次于十剂后。宜之才以十剂为药之大体。靡所遗失也。自神农着本经。历代药
性书。悉以草木金石等依类相次。读者几忘十字之义。并忘药有此十种之性。宜其制方用药。
相反相戾。错杂以出之也。余辑是书援据十剂以分门类。非敢好异。欲阅者晓然于药之各有
其性。因各有其用。庶临症时可无背云尔。
沈金鳌自书。
一、要药者。寻常日用必需之药。所以别乎险僻之味也。古人云。良药治病。十痊八九。
毒药治病。治不一二。可见用药之当慎矣。兹编所录。止四百余品。稍涉险僻者。概摒去之。
一、是编照十剂分类。欲人晓然于药之各有其性。而宣、通、补、泻、轻、重、滑、涩、
燥
一、每药首明主治。见药之功用不一也。次详归经。见药与经各有所入。不相袭也。次
列前人议论。见药之味性运用有至当也。次标禁忌。见药之于症宜详审也。次及炮制。见药
之味性有偏。其相救相制。不可略也。
一、前人云。用药依本经所治。总无大错。故是编所录之药。凡有本经者。无不首列。
至名医别录。所以补本经未备者。亦无不录。其历代诸贤。发明诸药功用。又足备别录之缺。
悉
一、上自本经。下至纲目备要等。所言治法。或不与是药相合。即删削之。或又彼此所
言相
一、引前人议论。必于是药功用。及与是经所治病。发挥精切。其旨画一者。方始录之。
非
一、主治及前论俱直书前人之语。不敢改窜。以其语皆至当莫易也。随各注其名或字。
不敢
一、归某经下。必着为如何之品句。此数字。或括是药全性。或专及是药最重之用。其
故不
一、仲淳经疏。为自来本草第一精细之书。其着简误。尤为审量极至。故是编禁忌一宗
之。
一、编中有不列炮制者。或以是药无甚制法。或制法众共皆知。便不复赘。
据徐之才所说，药物具有宣、通、补、泻、轻、重、滑、涩、燥、湿这十种性质。这是药物的总体特征，但《神农本草经》（简称本经）中并未提及，后人也没有详细阐述。凡是使用药物的人，如果仔细审察并详尽研究，就不会有所遗漏。这话确实说得对啊。《内经发挥》中对宣、通等含义的阐发也非常及时。
热证有不可用寒药治疗的时候，寒证也有不可用热药治疗的时候。有人指责陶华（字节庵，号养正子，著有《伤寒六书》）的观点是背谬的，因为他去除了“寒”、“热”两剂，而增加了“升”、“降”两剂。对于缪希雍（字仲淳，著有《本草经疏》）指责陶华的说法，我认为其理由是很充分的。但是，从“升”和“降”这两个意义来推演，在徐之才的十剂中，“宣”和“轻”兼有“升”的意义，“泻”和“滑”兼有“降”的意义。况且各种药物的药性，不是升就是降，或者可升可降，或者升多降少，或者升少降多，没有不升不降、专门具备宣、通等性质的药物。那么，“升”和“降”两个字就可以概括所有的药物，不应该另外设立两个门类放在十剂之后。徐之才以十剂作为药物的总体特征，认为这样就没有遗漏了。自从神农撰写《神农本草经》以来，历代记载药性的书籍，都是按照草木金石等类别依次排列，读者几乎忘记了“十字”（指宣通补泻轻重滑涩燥湿）的含义，也忘记了药物具有这十种性质。难怪他们制定方剂和用药时，会出现相反相悖、杂乱无章的情况。我编纂这本书，援引“十剂”的原则来分类编排，不敢说是喜好标新立异，而是希望阅读者能清楚地明白每种药物各有其特性，因而各有其用途，以便在临症时能够不违背药性罢了。
沈金鳌自序。
一、所谓“要药”，是指日常生活中必需的药物，以此来区别于那些险峻偏僻的药味。古人说：“良药治病，十痊八九；毒药治病，治不一二。”可见用药必须谨慎。本书所收录的，只有四百多种，稍微涉及险僻性质的，一概摒弃不去。
一、本书依照“十剂”进行分类，目的是让人清楚地明白药物各有其特性，即宣、通、补、泻、轻、重、滑、涩、燥、湿。
一、每味药首先明确主治功效，以显示药物的功用不止一种；其次详细列出归经，以显示药物与各经络各有归属，互不混淆；再次列举前人的议论，以显示药物的气味、性质及运用都有极其恰当之处；接着标明禁忌，以显示用药针对病症需要详细审察；最后涉及炮制方法，以显示药物的气味、性质存在偏颇，其相互补救、制约的关系不可忽视。
一、前人曾说：“用药依据《神农本草经》所载的主治，总不会有大错。”所以本书所收录的药物，凡是有《神农本草经》记载的，无不首先列出。至于《名医别录》，是用来补充《神农本草经》未备内容的，也无不收录。那些历代贤人发明阐发的药物功用，又足以弥补《名医别录》的缺失，也都一并收录。
一、上起《神农本草经》，下至《本草纲目备要》等书，其中所说的治疗方法，如果不与本书所收药物相符，就予以删削；或者彼此所言相互矛盾冲突的，也予以处理。
一、引用前人的议论，必须是关于该药物功用，以及与本经所治疾病阐发精切、主旨一致的，才予以收录。不符合这些要求的，不收录。
一、主治及前人论述都直接书写前人的原话，不敢擅自改动窜改，因为这些话语都是极其恰当、不可更改的。随后分别注明他们的名字或字号，不敢省略。
一、在“归某经”之下，必定写着如何性质的品句。这几个字，或是概括该药物的全部特性，或是专指该药物最重要的作用，其中的原因不再赘述。
一、缪仲淳（缪希雍）的《本草经疏》，是自古以来本草书中最为精细的一部。其中关于“著简误”（指出错误和简略之处）的部分，更是审慎衡量到了极致。所以本书在“禁忌”一项完全遵循他的观点。
According to Xu Zhicai, medicines possess ten major properties: Xuan (dispersing), Tong (unblocking), Bu (tonifying), Xie (draining), Qing (light), Zhong (heavy), Hua (slippery), Se (astringent), Zao (drying), and Shi (moistening). These constitute the general framework of medicinal properties. However, this was not mentioned in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), nor has it been elaborated upon by later scholars. Therefore, those who use medicines must examine them carefully and in detail to avoid any omissions. This statement is indeed true. The *Neijing Fahui* (Elaborations on the Inner Canon) also expounded on the meanings of Xuan, Tong, etc., quite timely.
There are times when heat syndromes cannot be treated with cold-natured herbs, and there are times when cold syndromes cannot be treated with hot-natured herbs. Some criticized Tao Hua (Tao Jie'an) for being contradictory because he removed the "Cold" and "Heat" categories and added "Ascending" and "Descending" categories. Regarding Miao Xiyong (Zichun) criticizing Tao Hua, his reasoning is sound. However, if we deduce from the principles of "Ascending" and "Descending," within the Ten Categories, "Xuan" and "Qing" incorporate the meaning of Ascending, while "Xie" and "Hua" incorporate the meaning of Descending. Moreover, the nature of all herbs is either ascending or descending; some can ascend or descend, some ascend more than they descend, and some descend more than they ascend. There are no herbs that neither ascend nor descend but specifically possess only the properties of Xuan, Tong, etc. Thus, the terms "Ascending" and "Descending" can encompass all herbs, and there is no need to establish two separate categories following the Ten Categories. Xu Zhicai regarded the Ten Categories as the general framework of medicines, leaving nothing out. Since Shennong wrote the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, successive materia medica books have arranged herbs according to categories such as plants, minerals, and metals. Readers have almost forgotten the significance of the "Ten Characters" (referring to the ten properties) and forgotten that herbs possess these ten natures. No wonder their prescription formulation and herb usage often appear contradictory, chaotic, and inconsistent. I compiled this book using the Ten Categories as a classification system, not to show off novelty, but to make readers clearly understand that each herb has its own specific nature and thus its own specific application, so that in clinical practice, one may avoid violating these principles.
Preface by Shen Jin'ao.
1. "Essential Herbs" refers to medicines commonly required in daily life, distinguishing them from dangerous or eccentric substances. The ancients said, "Good medicines cure eight or nine out of ten cases; toxic medicines cure rarely." This shows that the use of medicine must be cautious. This compilation records only over four hundred items, generally excluding those with slightly dangerous or eccentric properties.
2. This compilation follows the classification of the Ten Categories, aiming to make clear that each herb has its own nature, namely: Xuan (dispersing), Tong (unblocking), Bu (tonifying), Xie (draining), Qing (light), Zhong (heavy), Hua (slippery), Se (astringent), Zao (drying), and Shi (moistening).
3. For each herb, the primary indications are stated first to show that a herb's functions are diverse. Next, the Meridian Tropism (Gui Jing) is detailed to show that herbs enter specific meridians without overlapping indiscriminately. Then, discussions from predecessors are listed to demonstrate that the flavor, nature, and application of herbs are appropriately matched. Next, contraindications are marked to emphasize the need for careful examination of symptoms before prescribing. Finally, processing methods (Pao Zhi) are included to show that since herbs have biased flavors and natures, their mutual remediation and restraint through processing cannot be overlooked.
4. Predecessors stated, "Using herbs according to the treatments specified in the *Bencao Jing* will rarely lead to major errors." Therefore, for all herbs recorded in this book that appear in the *Bencao Jing*, they are listed first. As for the *Mingyi Bielu* (Record of Famous Physicians), which supplements the deficiencies of the *Bencao Jing*, it is also fully included. Furthermore, the functional discoveries by sages of subsequent dynasties, which compensate for the gaps in the *Mingyi Bielu*, are also comprehensively recorded.
5. Treatments described in texts ranging from the *Bencao Jing* down to works like *Bencao Gangmu Beiyao*, if they do not align with the properties of the herbs in this book, are deleted; or if they contradict each other, they are handled accordingly.
6. Quotations from predecessors are included only if they precisely elucidate the herb's function and its relation to diseases treated in the *Bencao Jing*, maintaining a consistent theme. Those that do not meet these criteria are not recorded.
7. Primary indications and predecessor discussions are quoted directly without alteration, as these words are deemed irreplaceable and highly appropriate. Their names or courtesy names are noted subsequently without omission.
8. Under the section "Enters Which Meridian," a descriptive phrase characterizing the herb's nature is always provided. These few characters either summarize the herb's entire nature or focus on its most critical application. The rationale is self-evident.
9. Liu Zhongchun's (Liu Xiyong) *Bencao Jing Shuluo* (Clarifications on the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) is considered the most meticulous materia medica work to date. Its section on identifying errors and oversights is particularly rigorous. Therefore, the "Contraindications" section in this book strictly adheres to his standards.
10. Some herbs in this book do not list processing methods because either they require no special processing or the processing methods are universally known, thus avoiding redundancy.