This story happened in a village of the south of the Changjiang River. There was just one herbal medicine shop in the village, so the storekeeper sought exorbitant profits by taking advantage of the favorable geographical position for that whoever was ill in the village had to take the drugs of his shop.
Once a prole's child had a fever and the condition was very serious. The prole had to look to the storekeeper for help. The storekeeper told him that in case of high fever it should take the antelope horn of which cost ten taels of silver for just 1.5g.
The prole said, "I have not enough money. Can you sell it at a bargain?"
"No. I won't sell my drugs at bargain prices." The storekeeper replied.
The prole had no choice but returned empty and cried bitterly
A pauper happened to pass by and heard of that. So he told the prole that there was another kind of drug that could treat high fever and didn't cost you any money.
"Really? What's that?" the prole asked eagerly.
"Dig some phragmites from the pond and make you child take the decoction of it."
"Can the phragmites treat high fever?" the prole asked.
"Sure!"
The prole ran to the pond immediately and dug some fresh phragmites.
After taking the decoction of the phragmites.
The child was recovered really, Being very grateful to the pauper, the prole made friends with him.
Since then, people didn't have to look to the storekeeper for help when they had a fever. They could take the phragmites without spending a coin.
The phragmites has the actions of clearing heat and engendering liquid, and relieving restlessness and checking vomiting and is indicative for the diseases and symptoms of morbid thirst due to febrile disease, vomiting due to stomach heat, cough due to lung heat, and purulent phlegm due to pulmonary welling abscess, etc. In addition, the phragmites has other actions as diuresis and outthrusting papules. It can treat scanty dark urine, and pyretic stranguria in combination with imperata [root] and plantago seed, etc.; and treat inhibited eruption of measles papules in combination with mint and cicada molting, etc.
1、江南有个山区，这地方有个开生药铺的老板。由于方圆百里之内只有他这么一家铺，所以这个药铺老板也就成了当地的一霸。不管谁生了病都得吃他的药，他要多少钱就得给多少钱。
2、有家穷人的孩子发高烧，病很重。穷人来到药铺一问，药铺老板说退热得吃“羚羊角”，五分羚角就要十两银子。
3、穷人说：“求你少要点儿钱吧，这么贵的药咱穷人吃不起呀!”
药铺老板说：“吃不起就别吃，我还不想卖呢。”
4、穷人没法，只有回家守着孩子痛哭。
5、这时，门外来了个讨饭的叫花子，听说这家孩子发高烧，家里又穷得买不起那位药铺老板的药，便说：“退热不一定非吃羚角不可，有一种药不花一个钱。”
6、 穷人急问：“什么药？”
“你到塘边挖些芦根回来吃。”
“芦根也能治病？”
“准行。”
7、穷人急忙到水塘边上，挖了一些鲜芦根。
8、他回家煎好给孩子灌下去，9、孩子果然退了热。穷人十分高兴，就跟讨饭的叫花子交了朋友。
10、从此，这里的人们发高烧时就再也用不着去求那家药铺了。芦根成了一味不花钱的中药。
芦根有清热生津、除烦止呕的作用，主治热病烦渴，胃热呕逆及肺热咳嗽、肺痈吐脓等病证。此外，芦根还有利尿与透疹作用，配伍白茅根、车前子等可治小便短赤、热淋涩涌；配伍薄荷、蝉蜕等治麻疹透发不畅。
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