古圣之制方也，有大小奇偶复缓急之殊，有君臣佐使之别。方之祖始于仲景，后之作者日以增益，至千百而未有已。余不揣固陋，搜辑古今名方，分门别类，详其主治，析其配合，使后之学者读之，可以循序而入，不致望洋而叹。
今译古代圣人制定方剂，有大方、小方、奇方、偶方、复方，还有缓方、急方的区别；又有君、臣、佐、使之分。方书之祖当推张仲景，后来的著者日益增补，至千百家而未有穷尽。我不揣浅陋，搜集古今名方，分门别类，详述各方的主治，剖析其配伍，使后学读之，可以循序渐进，不致望洋兴叹。
When the sages of antiquity composed formulas, they distinguished among large and small, odd and even, compound, slow, and urgent formulations, and observed the ranking of sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy. The ancestor of all formula books is Zhongjing, and later authors added to the tradition until the formulas numbered in the thousands without end. Undeterred by my own shallow learning, I have gathered celebrated prescriptions ancient and modern, classified them by category, detailed their indications, and analyzed their compositions, so that later students may advance step by step without being overwhelmed.
四物汤方解
Exegesis of Si Wu Tang
补养之剂
四物汤 当归酒洗、生地酒洗、川芎、芍药酒炒，治一切血虚及妇人经病。当归辛温，养血而行血中之气；川芎辛温，行血中之气滞；芍药酸寒，敛阴而和营；地黄甘寒，滋阴而补血。四药相济，血虚得之以补，血瘀得之以行，血热得之以凉，血寒得之以温——诚血分之总司也。
今译四物汤：酒洗当归、酒洗生地、川芎、酒炒芍药，主治一切血虚及妇人经病。当归味辛温，养血而行血中之气；川芎味辛温，行血中的气滞；芍药味酸寒，敛阴而和营；地黄味甘寒，滋阴而补血。四药相辅相成，血虚者得之以补，血瘀者得之以行，血热者得之以凉，血寒者得之以温——实为血分之总司。
Si Wu Tang — wine-washed Dang Gui, wine-washed Sheng Di, Chuan Xiong, and wine-stir-fried Shao Yao — treats every variety of blood deficiency and gynecological menstrual disorder. Dang Gui, pungent and warm, nourishes blood and moves the qi within the blood. Chuan Xiong, pungent and warm, frees stagnant qi within the blood. Shao Yao, sour and cool, astringes yin and harmonizes the nutritive. Di Huang, sweet and cool, enriches yin and replenishes blood. The four herbs mutually complete one another: blood deficiency is thereby supplemented, blood stasis thereby moved, blood heat thereby cooled, and blood cold thereby warmed — truly the grand commander of the blood aspect.
六味丸 熟地黄八两、山茱萸、山药各四两、泽泻、茯苓、牡丹皮各三两，治肾水不足，虚火上炎，腰膝痿软，骨蒸潮热，盗汗遗精，消渴淋沥。熟地滋肾填精为君；山茱萸养肝涩精，山药补脾固肾为臣；泽泻泻肾降浊，丹皮泻肝火，茯苓渗脾湿为佐。补泻兼施，三补三泻，所以为平补肾阴之良方也。
今译六味丸：熟地黄八两，山茱萸、山药各四两，泽泻、茯苓、牡丹皮各三两。主治肾水不足、虚火上炎所致腰膝痿软、骨蒸潮热、盗汗遗精、消渴淋沥诸症。熟地滋肾填精为君药；山茱萸养肝涩精、山药补脾固肾为臣药；泽泻泻肾中之浊、丹皮泻肝中之火、茯苓渗脾中之湿为佐药。补泻兼施，三补三泻，所以成为平补肾阴的良方。
Liu Wei Wan — Shu Di Huang eight liang; Shan Zhu Yu and Shan Yao four liang each; Ze Xie, Fu Ling, and Mu Dan Pi three liang each — treats insufficiency of Kidney water with deficient fire flaring upward, causing lumbar and knee weakness, steaming-bone tidal fever, night sweats and seminal emissions, wasting-thirst and dribbling urination. Shu Di Huang enriches the Kidney and fills essence as sovereign; Shan Zhu Yu nourishes the Liver and astringes essence, while Shan Yao tonifies the Spleen and secures the Kidney, serving as ministers; Ze Xie drains turbidity from the Kidney, Mu Dan Pi drains fire from the Liver, and Fu Ling percolates dampness from the Spleen, serving as assistants. Supplementation and drainage are combined — three tonifying and three draining — whereby the formula becomes the excellent moderate supplement of Kidney yin.
龙胆泻肝汤 龙胆草酒炒、黄芩炒、栀子酒炒、泽泻、木通、车前子、当归酒洗、生地酒洗、柴胡、甘草生用。治肝经实火、湿热下注，胁痛耳聋，阴肿阴痒，筋痿，阴湿，热痒，小便淋浊。胆草大苦大寒，直折肝胆之火为君；黄芩、栀子清上中之火为臣；泽泻、木通、车前导湿热从小便而出为佐；当归、生地养血益阴，使泻火而不伤阴；柴胡引诸药入肝经，甘草缓中和药。
今译龙胆泻肝汤：酒炒龙胆草、炒黄芩、酒炒栀子、泽泻、木通、车前子、酒洗当归、酒洗生地、柴胡、生甘草。主治肝经实火、湿热下注所致胁痛耳聋、阴部肿痒、筋萎、阴湿、热痒、小便淋浊。龙胆草大苦大寒，直折肝胆之火，为君药；黄芩、栀子清上中之火为臣；泽泻、木通、车前子导湿热从小便而出为佐；当归、生地养血益阴，使泻火而不伤阴；柴胡引诸药入肝经，甘草缓中和诸药。
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang — wine-stir-fried Long Dan Cao, stir-fried Huang Qin, wine-stir-fried Zhi Zi, Ze Xie, Mu Tong, Che Qian Zi, wine-washed Dang Gui, wine-washed Sheng Di, Chai Hu, and raw Gan Cao. Treats excess fire in the Liver channel and damp-heat pouring downward, causing rib pain and deafness, swelling and itching of the genitals, sinew atrophy, genital dampness, feverish itching, and turbid strangury. Long Dan Cao, intensely bitter and cold, directly breaks the fire of the Liver and Gallbladder and serves as sovereign. Huang Qin and Zhi Zi clear fire in the upper and middle burners as ministers. Ze Xie, Mu Tong, and Che Qian Zi guide damp-heat out through the urine as assistants. Dang Gui and Sheng Di nourish blood and boost yin, so that fire is drained without harming yin. Chai Hu leads the herbs into the Liver channel, and Gan Cao moderates the middle and harmonizes them all.
九味羌活汤 羌活、防风、苍术各一钱半，细辛五分，川芎、白芷、生地黄、黄芩、甘草各一钱。治外感风寒湿邪，内有蕴热，恶寒发热，无汗头痛，肢体酸楚疼痛，口苦而渴。羌活散太阳之寒湿为君；防风、苍术散风胜湿为臣；细辛、白芷、川芎分解少阴、阳明、厥阴之寒邪为佐；黄芩、生地清里热，防辛温之燥；甘草调和诸药。此方以'分经论治'而闻名，为表里同治之良方。
今译九味羌活汤：羌活、防风、苍术各一钱半，细辛五分，川芎、白芷、生地黄、黄芩、甘草各一钱。主治外感风寒湿邪、内有蕴热所致恶寒发热、无汗头痛、肢体酸楚疼痛、口苦而渴。羌活散太阳经之寒湿为君；防风、苍术散风胜湿为臣；细辛、白芷、川芎分别解少阴、阳明、厥阴经之寒邪为佐；黄芩、生地清里热，以防辛温之燥伤阴；甘草调和诸药。此方以'分经论治'著称，是表里同治的良方。
Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang — Qiang Huo, Fang Feng, and Cang Zhu, one and a half qian each; Xi Xin, five fen; Chuan Xiong, Bai Zhi, Sheng Di Huang, Huang Qin, and Gan Cao, one qian each. Treats externally contracted wind-cold-damp with accumulated interior heat, producing aversion to cold with fever, absent sweating with headache, aching limbs, and a bitter mouth with thirst. Qiang Huo disperses cold-damp from the Tai Yang channel as sovereign. Fang Feng and Cang Zhu disperse wind and overcome dampness as ministers. Xi Xin, Bai Zhi, and Chuan Xiong each release cold pathogen from the Shao Yin, Yang Ming, and Jue Yin channels respectively, serving as assistants. Huang Qin and Sheng Di clear interior heat, guarding against the drying effect of the pungent-warm herbs. Gan Cao harmonizes them all. This formula is famed for its 'channel-differentiated treatment' and is an exemplar of treating exterior and interior simultaneously.