Loading...
Chapter 16 of 33
神农本草经
This is the 1/2 section of the main text of a chapter from Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica. Please only faithfully and completely translate the following content into English, preserving the markdown format and structure. Do not add any preface, conclusion, section numbers, or explanations. Output the translation of this section directly:
This chapter covers the middle grade of the Herb Section of Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica, recording a total of forty-nine herbal medicines. The ancients classified medicines into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The middle grade "primarily nourishes one's nature and responds to the human body," holding that these medicines can regulate illness when disease is present and nourish when disease is absent. They possess dual functions of both expelling pathogens and supplementing deficiencies, with many medicines leaning toward "simultaneously attacking and supplementing."
Below, the original text is paraphrased section by section according to primary functions:
Dried Ginger
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats fullness and oppression in the chest, cough with qi surging upward (cough-counterflow with qi ascending), warms the middle burner to stop bleeding, induces sweating, expels wind pathogens, treats damp bi (arthritic pain of joints and limbs caused by dampness), dysentery (intestinal agitation), and diarrhea. Fresh ginger is even more effective; prolonged use can remove halitosis and body odor, bringing clarity to the spirit. Grows in mountainous river valleys.
Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica)
Sweet flavor, warm nature. Treats cough with qi surging upward, warm malaria (malaria characterized predominantly by fever), alternating chills and fever, as well as a sensation of insects crawling on the skin (washing in the skin). Treats women's uterine bleeding (leakage), infertility, various malignant sores, and trauma (metal wounds). Suitable for decocting and drinking. Also known as Gan Gui.
Ma Huang (Ephedra)
Bitter flavor, warm nature. Treats wind stroke, headache due to cold damage, warm malaria. It can induce sweating and release the exterior, expel pathogenic heat and qi, stop cough and calm wheezing (cough-counterflow with qi ascending), eliminate alternating chills and fever, and break up abdominal masses (accumulations and gatherings). Also known as Long Sha.
Bai Zhi (Angelica Dahurica)
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats women's red and white vaginal discharge (leakage with red and white), amenorrhea (blood closure), swelling and pain of the genital area, chills and fever, wind headache, itchy eyes with tearing. Can moisturize the skin and be made into facial paste (an ancient skincare product). Also known as Fang Xiang.
Jia Su (Jing Jie / Schizonepeta)
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats chills and fever, mouse fistula (cervical lymph node tuberculosis ulcerating into a fistula), scrofula (enlarged cervical lymph nodes) with sores, breaks up accumulating qi, moves static blood downward, and eliminates damp bi. Also known as Shu Ming.
Huang Qin (Scutellaria)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats various heat conditions, jaundice, dysentery with diarrhea, expels water to reduce swelling, opens amenorrhea, treats malignant sores, erosive sores, and fire sores (sores caused by heat). Also known as Fu Chang.
Ku Shen (Sophora Root)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats binding qi in the chest and abdomen, abdominal masses (accumulations), jaundice, dribbling urination, expels water to reduce swelling, eliminates abscesses, supplements the middle, brightens the eyes and stops tearing. Also known as Shui Huai.
Bai Xian (Dictamnus Root Bark)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats wind headache, jaundice, cough with qi counterflow, dribbling urination, swelling and pain of the female genital area, and numbness of flesh due to damp bi (dead muscle), difficulty in flexing and extending joints, and difficulty walking.
Bai Jiang (Patrinia)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats sores due to sudden heat (fire sores), red skin rashes, scabies with itching, jaundice, hemorrhoids, saddle sores, and various symptoms caused by heat pathogens. Also known as Lu Chang. Tao Hongjing noted that its odor resembles that of spoiled paste, hence its name [Bai Jiang literally means "spoiled paste"].
Zi Cao (Gromwell Root)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats pathogenic qi in the chest and abdomen, five types of jaundice, supplements the middle and boosts qi, unblocks the nine orifices, and regulates the water passage. Also known as Zi Dan.
Ji Xue Cao (Centella)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats severe heat, malignant sores, abscesses and cellulitis, spreading sores, red and burning hot skin, and generalized body heat.
Bai Wei (Cynanchum Root)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats sudden wind stroke, generalized heat with full sensation in the limbs, loss of consciousness (suddenly unaware of surroundings), mania and confusion, pathogenic qi, chills and fever with aching pain, and warm malaria with regular paroxysms.
Shu Yang Quan (Bittersweet Herb)
Bitter flavor, slightly cold nature. Treats baldness of the scalp, malignant sores, scabies with itching caused by heat pathogens, scabs and parasitic skin conditions, and dental caries.
Jue Chuang (Rostellularia)
Salty flavor, cold nature. Treats lower back and spinal pain so severe one cannot lie on the bed, difficulty bending and extending, and clears heat. May be decocted for washing.
Zhi Mu (Anemarrhena)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats wasting-thirst (excessive drinking and urination), internal heat (heat in the middle), eliminates pathogenic qi, treats generalized edema, draws water downward to reduce swelling, supplements deficiencies, and boosts qi. Also known as Chi Mu.
Yuan Shen (Scrophularia / Figwort Root)
Bitter flavor, slightly cold nature. Treats cold-heat accumulations in the abdomen, residual illness after childbirth in women, tonifies kidney qi, and brightens the eyes. Also known as Chong Tai.
Gua Lou Gen (Trichosanthes Root)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats wasting-thirst, generalized heat, irritability and fullness, severe heat, supplements deficiency and settles the center, and rejoins tendons and bone (mends severed injuries). Also known as Di Lou.
Shao Yao (Peony Root)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats abdominal pain due to pathogenic qi, breaks blood bi (impaired blood circulation), disperses hard accumulations, chills and fever, hernia masses, stops pain, promotes urination, and boosts qi.
Zi Shen (Salvia / Purple Ginseng)
Bitter and pungent flavor, cold nature. Treats accumulations in the chest and abdomen, cold-heat pathogenic qi, unblocks the nine orifices, and promotes bowel movements and urination. Also known as Mu Meng.
Ze Lan (Lycorus / Bugleweed)
Bitter flavor, slightly warm nature. Treats internal injury after childbirth in women (inner affliction of nursing mothers), sequelae of wind stroke, abdominal fluid and edema, systemic and limb swelling, fluid accumulation in joints, metal wounds, abscesses, and purulent sores. Also known as Hu Lan.
Wang Gua (Melon Vine Fruit)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats wasting-thirst, internal bi, static blood, amenorrhea (monthly closure), chills and fever, aching pain, boosts qi, and treats deafness. Also known as Tu Gua.
Di Yu (Sanguisorba / Burnet Root)
Bitter flavor, slightly cold nature. Treats breast pain due to breast abscess in women (mammary contracture pain), seven impairments, vaginal discharge conditions, stops pain, removes putrid flesh, stops sweating, and treats metal wounds.
Zi Wan (Aster Root)
Bitter flavor, warm nature. Treats cough with qi surging upward, binding qi with cold and heat in the chest, removes gu toxin (parasitic toxin) and wilting-weakness of the limbs (atrophy with flaccidity), and settles the five viscera.
Ma Xian Hao (Pedicularis)
Neutral nature. Treats chills and fever, ghost affliction (the ancients' concept of certain stubborn diseases), wind stroke, damp bi, vaginal discharge in women, and infertility. Also known as Ma Niao Hao.
Qin Jiao (Gentian Root)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats cold-heat pathogenic qi, cold-dampness, wind bi, joint pain, promotes water metabolism to reduce swelling, and promotes urination.
Gou Ji (Cibotium Rhizome)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats stiffness and rigidity of the lower back and spine, contraction and urgency of sinews and vessels (slackness and urgency), wandering bi (migratory generalized bi pain), cold-dampness, knee pain, and is particularly beneficial for the elderly. Also known as Bai Zhi (lit. Hundred Branches).
Shi Long Rui (Ranunculus / Buttercup Herb)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats wind-cold-damp bi, pathogenic qi in the chest and abdomen, benefits joints, and stops irritability and fullness. Prolonged use may lighten the body, brighten the eyes, and delay aging.
Fang Ji (Stephania Root)
Pungent flavor, neutral nature. Treats wind-cold, warm malaria, various abscesses caused by heat pathogens, eliminates pathogenic qi, and promotes bowel movements and urination. Also known as Jie Li.
Bi Xie (Dioscorea Root)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats lower back and spinal pain, strengthens bones and joints, expels wind-cold-damp pathogens, treats wandering bi, non-healing malignant sores, and heat pathogens.
Wang Sun (Kingsomely / Male Fern)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats pathogenic qi in the five viscera, cold-damp bi, aching pain in the four limbs, and cold pain of the knees.
Tong Cao (Tetrapanax / Rice Paper Plant Pith)
Pungent flavor, neutral nature. Treats expelling noxious insects from the body, eliminates cold and heat from the spleen and stomach, unblocks the nine orifices, blood vessels, and joints, and enhances memory. Also known as Fu Zhi.
Qu Mai (Dianthus)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats qi blockage (simultaneous urinary obstruction and vomiting), various retention-type urinary difficulties, urinary obstruction, expels foreign bodies (extruding thorns), eliminates abscesses, brightens the eyes and removes opacities, breaks blood and unblocks menstruation, and expels dead fetus. Also known as Ju Qu Mai.
Shi Wei (Pyrrosia Leaf)
Bitter flavor, neutral nature. Treats consumptive heat with pathogenic qi, five types of urinary difficulty, urinary obstruction, and unblocks the water passage.
Hai Zao (Seaweed)
Bitter flavor, cold nature. Treats goiter (thyroid enlargement), nodules below the neck, softens hardness and disperses accumulations, treats abscesses, abdominal masses, hard qi, rumblings up and down in the abdomen, and reduces edema. Also known as Luo Shou.
Shui Ping (Duckweed)
Pungent flavor, cold nature. Treats sudden heat with body itching, promotes water metabolism to reduce swelling, relieves alcohol intoxication, promotes hair and beard growth, and treats wasting-thirst. Prolonged use lightens the body. Also known as Shui Hua.
Mao Gen (Imperata Root / Cogongrass Rhizome)
Sweet flavor, cold nature. Treats consumptive injury with vacuity and emaciation, supplements the middle and boosts qi, removes static blood, unblocks amenorrhea, reduces chills and fever, and promotes urination. Its sprout can promote water metabolism to reduce swelling. Also known as Lan Gen.
Li Shi (Iris Seed)
Sweet flavor, neutral nature. Treats skin chills and fever, heat qi in the stomach, cold-damp bi, strengthens sinews and bones, and improves appetite. Prolonged use lightens the body. Its flowers and leaves can expel tapeworms (intestinal parasites). Also known as Ju Cao.
Kuan Dong Hua (Tussilago / Coltsfoot Flower)
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats cough with qi surging upward, wheezing, throat bi (sore swollen throat), various fright epilepsies, and cold-heat pathogenic qi. Also known as Tu Wu.
Bei Mu (Fritillaria)
Pungent flavor, neutral nature. Treats febrile irritability due to cold damage, dribbling urination, hernia masses, throat bi, insufficient breast milk after childbirth (difficulty lactating), metal wounds, and wind tetany (tetanus-type spasms). Also known as Kong Cao.
Bai He (Lily Bulb)
Sweet flavor, neutral nature. Treats abdominal distension and heart pain due to pathogenic qi, promotes bowel movements and urination, and supplements the middle and boosts qi.
Yin Yang Huo (Epimedium)
Pungent flavor, cold nature. Treats impotence (yin wilting), sinew injury with severance injuries, pain in the center of the penis, promotes urination, boosts qi and strength, and strengthens resolve. Also known as Gang Qian.
Xi Er Shi (Xanthium Fruit / Cocklebur)
Sweet flavor, warm nature. Treats wind headache, cold pain, wind-dampness, wandering bi, contraction of the four limbs, pain, and removes putrid flesh and dead muscle. Prolonged use boosts qi, sharpens hearing and eyesight, strengthens resolve, and lightens the body. Also known as Hu Xi.
Ge Gen (Kudzu Root)
Sweet flavor, neutral nature. Treats wasting-thirst, severe generalized heat, vomiting, various bi conditions, raises and stimulates yang qi (rises yin qi), and resolves various toxins. Ge gu (seeds of kudzu) treats chronic dysentery (of ten or more years). Also known as Ji Qi Gen.
Gao Ben (Ligusticum Root)
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats women's hernia masses, cold pain in the genital area, abdominal contraction, expels wind headache, moisturizes the skin, and improves the complexion. Also known as Gui Qing.
Mu Dan (Tree Peony Root Bark)
Bitter and pungent flavor, cold nature. Treats chills and fever, wind stroke, convulsions (clonic spasms), tetany, fright epilepsy, pathogenic qi, removes hard accumulations, static blood in the stomach and intestines, settles the five viscera, and treats abscesses and sores. Also known as Lu Jiu.
Suan Jiang (Physalis / Ground Cherry)
Sour flavor, neutral nature. Treats irritability, heat and fullness, stabilizes the emotions, boosts qi, and unblocks the water passage. Swallowing its fruit during difficult labor in pregnancy can assist delivery. Also known as Cu Jiang.
Nv Wan (Aster Vaccaria / Lady Root)
Pungent flavor, warm nature. Treats chills due to wind pathogens (shivering), sudden turmoil disorder (cholera-like illness), diarrhea and dysentery, intestinal rumbling with variable location, fright epilepsy, and a hundred diseases of cold and heat.
Qiao Gen (Forsythia Root)
Sweet flavor, cold nature (some sources say bitter, neutral). Treats lowering heat and qi, benefits essence-yin, beautifies the complexion, and brightens the eyes. Prolonged use lightens the body and endures aging.
The "middle grade herbs" recorded in this chapter embody the core positioning of "the middle grade nourishes one's nature" in Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica. Its academic thought can be summarized in the following aspects:
I. Simultaneous Attack and Supplementation, Focus on Harmonization
Unlike the upper grade which focuses more on "nourishing life," middle-grade medicines generally possess dual functions of expelling pathogens and supporting the upright. For instance, Dang Gui can both treat "cough with qi surging upward" (expelling pathogens) and treat "women's uterine bleeding with childlessness" (supplementation); Shao Yao both "breaks hard accumulations" and "boosts qi"; Zhi Mu both "eliminates pathogenic qi" and "supplements deficiency and boosts qi." This reflects the ancient treatment philosophy of "balance as the goal"—the key to human health lies in the balance of yin and yang, qi and blood, rather than mere supplementation or attack.
II. Treatment Based on Syndrome Differentiation, Guiding According to Conditions
The functional descriptions of middle-grade medicines reveal the ancients' nascent syndrome differentiation thinking. Among heat-clearing medicines, Huang Qin tends to clear heat from the upper burner and liver-gallbladder damp-heat (jaundice, heat diarrhea), Ku Shen tends to clear damp-heat from the lower burner (residual dribbling after urination), while Bai Xian additionally dispels wind and stops itching. This shows the ancients already recognized that different disease locations and tendencies call for different medicinal choices.
III. The Thought of Unblocking Runs Throughout
Expressions such as "unblock," "expel water," "break up accumulations," and "down-bear qi" appear abundantly among middle-grade medicines. For example, Tong Cao "unblocks the nine orifices, blood vessels, and joints," Qu Mai "treats qi blockage and various urinary retention accumulations," and Hai Zao "breaks apart and disperses binding qi." This reflects an important understanding of disease among the ancients: many diseases originate from "blockage"—blockage of qi and blood, blockage of the water courses, congestion of the nine orifices. Therefore, "supplementing through unblocking" and "employing through unblocking" became important treatment principles.
IV. Medicinal Nature Theory and Its Association with the Five Viscera
The original text repeatedly presents associations between medicines and the five viscera, such as Zi Wan "settles the five viscera," Wang Sun "treats pathogenic qi in the five viscera," and Mu Dan "settles the five viscera." This reflects the penetration of the traditional Chinese medical visceral manifestation theory into pharmacology—the ultimate effect of a medicine must be realized through the regulation of the five viscera's functions.
Historical Value Worth Affirming:
The Embryonic Form of Classification Thinking: The "three-grade classification method" of Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica is one of the earliest medicinal classification systems in the world. Though divided by "nourishing life, nourishing nature, treating disease," it already demonstrates a rudimentary awareness of functional classification.
Accumulation of Clinical Experience: Many records reflect practical medicinal experience accumulated over thousands of years. For example, the record of Ma Huang "inducing sweating" remains one of the most important pharmacological properties of ephedra today; the record of Hai Zao treating "goiter" (thyroid enlargement) aligns to a degree with the modern discovery that seaweed contains iodine capable of treating iodine-deficiency goiter; the record of Ge Gen "treating wasting-thirst" also accords with modern research directions indicating puerarin possesses a certain blood-glucose-lowering effect.
The Expression of the Unity of Medicine and Food: For instance, Bai He (lily), Sheng Jiang (ginger / dried ginger), and Mao Gen remain common dietary ingredients to this day, confirming the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "medicine and food share a common origin."
Limitations Requiring Rational Consideration:
Vague Efficacy Descriptions with Overgeneralization: Expressions such as "prolonged use lightens the body" and "prolonged use eliminates odor and connects with the spirit" lack rigorous basis for verification and carry a distinctly speculative quality of their era.
Some Reported Effects Lack Support from Modern Pharmacology: For instance, the claims for Yin Yang Huo "strengthens resolve" and Shui Ping "promotes beard growth" still lack reliable scientific evidence.
Concepts such as "ghost affliction" and "gu toxin": These reflect the ancient time-bound conceptual framework for understanding certain diseases and should not be directly matched with modern medical terms.
Some medicines carry a degree of toxicity: For example, Ma Huang contains ephedrine, Xi Er Shi (cocklebur) has hepatorenal toxicity, and Mu Dan is noted as "bitter, toxic according to Huangdi (Yellow Emperor)." Although these medicines have effects recorded in the original text, they must never be used carelessly or without proper guidance.
From the middle-grade medicines described in this chapter, we can distill some non-therapeutic health preservation perspectives:
Align with the Four Seasons; Be Cautious of Cold and Warmth
A large number of the middle-grade medicines relate to "cold and heat," which reminds us that daily living should emphasize avoiding wind-cold and being attentive to temperature changes. Especially during seasonal transitions, adjust clothing appropriately to avoid invasion by external pathogens.
Eat Moderately and Nourish the Spleen and Stomach
The frequent appearance of drugs that "tonify the Middle" and "settle the Middle" suggests that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution. Daily diet should be regular and light, avoiding excessive fullness or hunger, and reducing intake of raw, cold, and greasy foods.
Exercise Moderately to Promote Joint Mobility
The repeated records of conditions such as "dampness bi syndrome," "wandering bi syndrome," and "pain in the limbs and joints" indicate that prolonged sitting and dampness obstruction are important triggers for joint problems. In daily life, one should engage in moderate physical activity and avoid staying in damp environments for long periods.
Keep Emotions Balanced and Avoid Stagnation
Concepts such as "bound qi" and "accumulations" suggest that emotional disharmony and qi stagnation are the internal root causes of many diseases. Maintaining a cheerful mood and learning to relieve stress are essential aspects of health preservation.
Maintain a Regular Schedule and Conserve Essence and Qi
The repeated mention of "supplement deficiency" and "boost qi" reminds us to balance work and rest and avoid excessive depletion. Adequate sleep and a regular routine are the foundation for nurturing healthy qi.
The above are general health maintenance suggestions and are not directed at any specific illness or individual.
Related Concepts:
Further Reading:
This content is based on classical Chinese medicine texts and is provided solely for the study and research of traditional culture. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, medication advice, or treatment recommendation. If you feel unwell, please seek medical attention promptly.