白头翁寒温考辨

Textual Research on Cold or Warm of Baitouweng

历代医家对白头翁药性的认识有寒温之异,对其功效的认识基本相同,即达郁升阳。历代医家对其药性认识不同的原因在于医理之不明、经典之误读、药性之未解。人体之热,多为寒湿郁滞而成、热无出路所致,如果只见标证之热利,不见病本之寒湿,认为白头翁苦寒,用其治热利是热者寒之之法,此误便有本可循。但治病必求于本,病本为下焦寒湿,寒湿郁滞而化热,下焦湿热盛,欲寻出路,故见热利下重之证,用白头翁之苦温治其病本寒湿,而黄连、黄柏、秦皮方为治标之药,故白头翁性味当为苦温。

The understanding of the medicinal properties of Baitouweng(Radix Pulsatillae)in the past dynasties has difference in cold or warm,but the understanding of its efficacy is basically the same,that is,to expel stagnation and ascend yang.The reasons for the different understanding of the medicinal properties of Baitouweng lie in the unclear medical theory,the misunderstanding of classics and the unsolved nature of it.The heat of human body is mostly caused by stagnation of cold and dampness,and there is no way out for heat.If there is only heat dysentery as secondary aspect rather than cold and dampness as primary aspect,if it is believed that treating heat dysentery by using bitter cold of Baitouweng is the method of treating heat syndrome with cold medicinals,there is a basis for this misunderstanding.But the treatment must be based on the root cause.The root cause of the disease is cold-dampness in the lower energizer.The stagnation of excessive cold-dampness leads to heat,so severe heat dysentery occurs for a way out.Baitouweng with bitter warm is often used to remove cold and dampness,while Huanglian(Rhizoma Coptidis),Huangbai(Cortex Phellodendri Chinensis)and Qinpi(Cortex Fraxini)are used to treat secondary aspects,so the medicinal properties of Baitouweng is bitter warm.