黄芩汤中芍药品种辨析

Discrimination of varieties of peony in Huangqin decoction

笔者通过对芍药品种的本草考证和对黄芩汤配伍组方的分析,探寻白芍与赤芍在品种、产地加工、炮制方法、临床疗效等方面的异同;并从功能主治等方面加以比较,探讨《伤寒论》"黄芩汤"中的芍药究竟是赤芍还是白芍。在进行考证时,笔者从芍药本草记载的本原,即最早收录该品种的本草古籍,按照主流本草发展的脉络,理清该品种在历史各个时期的发展与变迁,并以功能主治为主线,搞清赤白芍之间的关系。众所周知,现代白芍的应用大约起始于宋代,它与赤芍的区别主要是加工方式不同,而其原植物品种是相同的。笔者从历史源流、植物基原、产地加工、炮制方法的角度搞清了芍药品种的来龙去脉,探讨和分析了赤白芍从不分用到分开使用的发展变化,以及黄芩汤中芍药的品种。最终,笔者通过考证历代本草书籍,证实在2 000多年前《伤寒论》成书时白芍尚未出现,而根据《名医别录》所载"二月八月采根,暴干"的产地加工方法推断,"黄芩汤"中使用赤芍更符合当时的历史事实。

By studying the varieties of peony and analyzing the prescription of Huangqin decoction,the authors explored the differences between Paeoniae Radix Alba and Radix Paeoniae Rubra in varieties,origin,processing method and clinical efficacy and compare their efficacies to define Paeoniae Radix Alba or Paeoniae Radix Rubra in Huangqin decoction recorded in Treatise on Febrile Diseases. In the study,the authors clarified the development and change of the variety in various historical periods according to the earliest ancient herbal book recording the variety and the development sequence of main herbs,and made clear the relations between Paeoniae Radix Alba and Paeoniae Radix Rubra. The modern application of Paeoniae Radix Alba started in the Song Dynasty. Although it was processed in different ways from Paeoniae radix Rubra,they shared the same original plant varieties. On the basis of the historical origin,botanical origin,producing place and processing method,the authors made clear the evolvement of peony varieties,discussed and analyzed the developments and changes for the combined to the separate administration of Paeoniae Radix Alba and Paeoniae Radix Rubra and defined the peony variety in Huangqin decoction. Through the textual research on ancient herbal books,the authors confirmed that more than 2 000 years ago,Paeoniae Radix Alba didn＇t appear when Treatise on Febrile Diseases was written. According to the records in Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians that ″its roots were collected and dried in February and August″,it was inferred that the use of Paeoniae Radix Rubra conformed to the historical facts.