禀地中阳气以生，气则兼乎水火之用，故其味苦酸平，无毒。味浓气薄，走而能
补，性善下行，专入肝肾，宜长大肥润者，去芦。若入引火下趋药中，宜生用。若入补
药中，宜洒拌蒸晒干用。
牛膝，理一身虚羸，助十二经脉，壮筋骨，利腰膝。足痿筋挛，阴痿失尿；散恶血
而治心腹诸痛；催难产而理膏血诸淋，痈肿恶疮，金疮伤折，手足寒湿痿痹，大筋拘
挛；膀胱气化便难，小水短少；补中续绝，益阴壮阳填髓，除腰膝酸痛。单煎治老疟弗
愈，女人血 血瘕，月水行迟；产妇血晕，血虚，儿枕痛甚。同麝纳阴户，使胎即堕；
梦遗若误用，其病益增；引诸药下走如奔。凡病在腰腿下部所必用，走而能补，强阴益
精，肝肾之要药，且能引火下趋，降浊澄清，故浊阴不降，脑中作痛，喉痹齿痛，虚
火上浮，咳嗽不宁者并宜。若嚼烂罨之，能出木竹诸刺。然性能降而不能升，惟元气下
陷，血崩遗滑诸症，法当禁绝。
主治（痘疹合参） 主四肢拘挛，屈伸不便，活血生血，引药下行。且杜仲主下部
气分，牛膝主下部血分。故每相需为用。
按∶牛膝性专走下而滑窍，故梦遗精滑，脾虚下陷禁之。
禀土之冲气，兼天之冬气以生，故味甘
咸寒而无毒，肝肾膀胱三经之要药也。
车前子清肺肝风热，渗膀胱湿热，通尿管淋沥涩痛，不走精气为奇；驱风热肿目赤
痛，旋去翳膜诚妙；导湿除热烦，清暑止泻痢，湿痹堪却；生产能催，益精强阴，令人
有子。利水而复能益精明目者，盖利膀胱水窍，而不及命门精窍，故浊阴去而真阴愈
固，热去而目明也。然久服亦难免渗泻，故金匮丸用之。且《名医杂录》云∶服固精药
日久，须服此行房，即有子，其意可知矣。若阳气下陷，肾气虚脱者，勿用。根叶味甘
寒，主金疮凉血除热，治鼻衄尿血热痢下。其通淋明目，捣汁饮之，兼除小虫。
主治（痘疹合参） 善治热淋，凡痘中小便不通最宜。其功专利水道而不走清气，
又能明目养肺益精。
牛膝禀受地中的阳气而生长，其气兼具水火两方面的作用，所以它的味道是苦、酸、平性，没有毒性。气味浓厚而气薄，性质善于下行，专门进入肝经和肾经，适宜选用长得高大、肥大、滋润的，去掉芦头。如果用于引导火气下行的药物中，应当生用。如果用于补益类药物中，应当用酒拌后蒸熟晒干使用。
牛膝能调理全身虚损瘦弱，辅助十二经脉，强壮筋骨，通利腰膝。治疗足部痿软、筋脉拘挛、阳痿、小便失禁；消散恶血以治疗心腹各种疼痛；催生难产并调理产后瘀血引起的各种淋证、痈肿恶疮、刀伤骨折、手足寒湿导致的痿痹、大筋拘挛；改善膀胱气化功能不利导致的小便困难、尿量短少；补益中气、接续断绝、滋阴壮阳、填精益髓，消除腰膝酸痛。单味煎服可治疗经久不愈的老疟疾，妇女漏下出血及血瘕（腹部结块），月经推迟；产妇血晕、血虚、儿枕痛（产后腹痛）剧烈。将牛膝与麝香同纳阴道内，可使胎儿立即堕下；如果是梦遗患者误用，病情会加重；它能引导其他药物向下运行，势如奔马。凡是病位在腰腿下部的病症必定要用到它，它走而不守又能补益，强阴益精，是肝肾的重要药物，并且能引导火气下行，降浊澄清，所以对于浊阴不降导致的头痛、喉痹、齿痛，虚火上浮引起的咳嗽不安等症状都适宜使用。如果嚼烂敷在患处，能拔出木竹等刺。然而它的性能只能下降不能上升，对于元气下陷、血崩、遗精滑泄等病症，依法应当禁止使用。
主治（结合痘疹论述）：主要治疗四肢拘挛，屈伸不便，活血生血，引导药力下行。而且杜仲主要作用于下部的“气分”，牛膝主要作用于下部的“血分”。所以两者常常相互需要配合使用。
按语：牛膝的性质专门趋向下部且滑利窍道，所以对于梦遗、精液滑脱，以及脾虚气陷的情况应当禁用。
车前子禀受土气的冲和之气，兼受天时的冬气而生长，所以它的味道是甘、咸、寒性，没有毒性，是肝、肾、膀胱三经的重要药物。
车前子能清泻肺肝的风热，渗利膀胱的湿热，通利尿道治疗淋漓涩痛，且不耗散精气，这是它的奇特之处；驱除风热引起的目赤肿痛，迅速去除翳膜，确实奇妙；引导湿气、清除热烦，清解暑热、止住泻痢，湿痹症状可以消除；能促进生产，益精强阴，使人能够生育。既能利水又能益精明目的原因，在于它通利膀胱的水窍，而不涉及命门的精窍，所以浊阴排出而真阴更加稳固，热邪去除而眼睛明亮。然而长期服用也难免导致渗泄，所以《金匮要略》中的丸剂中使用它。而且《名医杂录》说：服用固精药物日久，必须服用此类行气通利之品，这样就能有子嗣，其中的意思就可以知道了。如果阳气下陷、肾气虚脱的人，不要使用。车前子的根叶味道甘寒，主要治疗刀伤凉血除热，治疗鼻衄、尿血、热痢下血。它通淋明目，捣汁饮用，还能除去小虫。
主治（结合痘疹论述）：善于治疗热淋，凡是痘疹中小便不通的情况最适合使用。它的功效专门在于利水道而不耗散清气，又能明目、养肺、益精。
Niu Xi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix) is born from the Yang Qi of the earth, and its Qi combines the functions of both Water and Fire. Therefore, its taste is bitter, sour, and neutral in nature, with no toxicity. Its flavor is strong while its aroma is light; it moves yet can tonify, has a natural tendency to descend, and specifically enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. It should be large, plump, and moist, with the root crown removed. If used in formulas designed to guide Fire downward, it should be used raw. If used in tonifying formulas, it should be mixed with wine, steamed, and dried before use.
Niu Xi treats general deficiency and emaciation of the body, assists the twelve meridians, strengthens sinews and bones, and benefits the waist and knees. It treats leg atrophy, tendon contraction, impotence, and urinary incontinence; disperses evil blood to treat various pains in the heart and abdomen; promotes difficult labor and treats postpartum lochia-related strangury, carbuncles, malignant sores, metal wounds, fractures, cold-dampness-induced atrophy and bi-syndrome of hands and feet, and great tendon contraction. It resolves difficulty in urination due to impaired Bladder Qi transformation and short urine output; tonifies the middle, restores continuity, nourishes Yin, strengthens Yang, fills the marrow, and eliminates soreness and pain in the waist and knees. Decocted alone, it treats chronic malaria that does not resolve, uterine bleeding and abdominal masses (Xue Jia), delayed menstruation; postpartum syncope due to blood loss, blood deficiency, and severe postpartum abdominal pain (Er Zhen Tong). When mixed with Moschus (She Xiang) and inserted into the vagina, it induces immediate abortion; if mistakenly used by patients with nocturnal emission, their condition will worsen; it guides other herbs downward like a galloping horse. It is essential for diseases located in the lower body, such as the waist and legs. Moving yet tonifying, it strengthens Yin and benefits Essence. It is a key herb for the Liver and Kidney, capable of guiding Fire downward, descending turbidity, and clarifying purity. Therefore, it is suitable for headaches caused by failure of turbid Yin to descend, throat obstruction, toothache, floating deficient Fire, and restless coughing. Applied crushed externally, it can extract splinters from wood or bamboo. However, its nature descends but does not ascend. For conditions involving sinking of Yuan Qi, metrorrhagia, and seminal emission/slippery discharge, it is contraindicated according to proper methods.
Main Indications (Integrated with Smallpox/Rash Treatments): Primarily treats limb contracture and difficulty in flexion and extension; invigorates blood and generates new blood; guides medicinal properties downward. Du Zhong (Eucommiae Cortex) primarily acts on the Qi aspect of the lower body, whereas Niu Xi primarily acts on the Blood aspect of the lower body. Thus, they are often used together reciprocally.
Commentary: Niu Xi’s nature specifically directs downward and lubricates the orifices. Therefore, it is contraindicated for nocturnal emission, slippery essence, and spleen deficiency with Qi sinking.
Che Qian Zi (Plantaginis Semen) is born from the harmonious Qi of Earth combined with the Winter Qi of Heaven. Therefore, its taste is sweet, salty, and cold, with no toxicity. It is a key herb for the Liver, Kidney, and Bladder meridians.
Che Qian Zi clears Wind-Heat from the Lung and Liver, leaches out Damp-Heat from the Bladder, and unblocks the urinary tract to treat dribbling and painful strangury without depleting Jing (Essence), which is remarkable. It expels Wind-Heat causing red, swollen, and painful eyes, and effectively removes corneal opacities. It guides out dampness, eliminates heat and irritability, clears summerheat, stops diarrhea and dysentery, and alleviates damp-bi syndrome. It facilitates childbirth, benefits Essence, strengthens Yin, and enables procreation. The reason it can promote diuresis while benefiting Essence and brightening the eyes is that it opens the water orifices of the Bladder without affecting the essence orifices of the Mingmen (Gate of Life). Thus, turbid Yin is expelled while True Yin becomes more secure; heat is cleared and vision is restored. However, long-term use may inevitably cause leakage/diarrhea, so it is included in pills from the *Jin Gui Yao Lue*. Furthermore, *Ming Yi Za Lu* states: "After taking essence-consolidating medicines for a long time, one must take these draining/promoting substances to conceive." The implication is clear. It should not be used for those with sinking Yang Qi or depletion of Kidney Qi. The roots and leaves have a sweet and cold taste, primarily treating metal wounds by cooling blood and eliminating heat, and treating epistaxis, hematuria, and bloody dysentery due to heat. To treat strangury and brighten the eyes, crush and drink the juice; it also eliminates small parasites.
Main Indications (Integrated with Smallpox/Rash Treatments): Excellently treats heat-strangury. It is most suitable for cases of smallpox/rash accompanied by inability to urinate. Its function specializes in promoting water pathways without dissipating clear Qi, and it can also brighten the eyes, nourish the Lung, and benefit Essence.