麦冬∶味甘，性凉，气微香，津液浓浓，色兼黄白。能入胃以养胃液，开胃进食，更能入脾以助脾散精于
肺，定喘宁嗽，即引肺气清肃下行，统调水道以归膀胱。盖因其性凉、液浓、气香，而升降濡润之中，兼具开
通之力，故有种种诸效也，用者不宜去心
黄连∶味大苦，性寒而燥。为苦为火之味，燥为火之性，故善入心以清热，心中之热清，则上焦之热皆清，
故善治脑膜生炎、脑部充血、时作眩晕、目疾肿疼、 肉遮睛（目生云翳者忌用），及半身以上赤游丹毒。其
色纯黄，能入脾胃以除实热，使之进食（西人以黄连为健胃药，盖胃有热则恶心懒食，西人身体强壮且多肉食，
胃有积热故宜黄连清之），更由胃及肠，治肠 下利脓血。为其性凉而燥，故治湿热郁于心下作痞满（仲景小
陷胸汤，诸泻心汤皆用之），女子阴中因湿热生炎溃烂。
徐灵胎曰∶“苦属火性宜热此常理也。黄连至苦而反至寒，则得火之味与水之性，故能除水火相乱之病，
水火相乱者湿热是也。是故热气目痛、 伤、泪出、目不明，乃湿热在上者；肠 、腹痛、下利，乃湿热在中
者；妇人阴中肿痛，乃湿热在下者，悉能除之矣。凡药能去湿者必增热，能除热者必不能去湿，惟黄连能以苦
燥湿，以寒除热，一举而两得焉。”
黄连治目之功不必皆内服也。愚治目睛胀疼者，俾用黄连淬水，乘热屡用棉花瓤蘸擦眼上，至咽中觉苦
乃止，则胀疼立见轻。又治目疾红肿作疼者，将黄连细末调以芝麻油，频频闻于鼻中，亦能立见效验。
麦冬：味道甘甜，性质凉润，气息微香，津液丰富浓郁，颜色兼有黄白。它能进入胃中滋养胃部的津液，开启胃口促进进食；更能进入脾脏，帮助脾脏将精微物质输布到肺部，从而平息喘息、安定咳嗽，这实际上是引导肺气清肃下行，统摄调节水道使其归于膀胱。大概是因为它性质凉润、津液浓稠、气息芳香，在升降濡润之中，兼具开通的力量，所以具有种种功效，使用的时候不宜去掉心部。
黄连：味道极苦，性质寒凉而燥烈。苦属于火的味，燥属于火的性，所以善于进入心脏以清除热邪，心中的热邪清除后，上焦的热邪也就随之清除，因此善于治疗脑膜炎症、脑部充血、时常发生的眩晕、眼部疾病引起的肿痛（患有目生云翳者忌用），以及半身以上出现的赤游丹毒。它的颜色纯黄，能进入脾胃以清除实热，使患者能够进食（西方人将黄连视为健胃药，大概是因为胃中有热就会恶心、懒得吃东西，西方人身体强壮且多吃肉类，胃中常有积热，所以适宜用黄连来清解），药效更由胃传导至肠道，治疗痢疾下脓血。因为它的性质凉而燥，所以能治疗湿热郁结在心下导致的痞满感（张仲景的小陷胸汤，各种泻心汤都使用它），以及女性外阴因湿热引发的炎症溃烂。
徐灵胎说：“苦味属于火性，按理应该是热的，这是常理。但黄连极苦却反而极寒，这是得到了火的味和水的性，所以能消除水火相乱（即湿热）的病症。所谓水火相乱就是湿热。因此，热气导致的眼痛、流泪、视物不明，是湿热在上部；肠鸣、腹痛、腹泻，是湿热在中部；妇女外阴肿痛，是湿热在下部，这些都能被黄连清除。凡是药物能去湿的必然会增加热性，能除热的必然不能去湿，只有黄连能以苦味燥湿，以寒性除热，一举两得。”
黄连治疗眼疾的功效不一定都要内服。我治疗眼睛胀痛的患者，让他们用黄连浸泡的水，趁热多次用棉絮蘸取擦拭眼部，直到喉咙里感觉到苦味才停止，那么胀痛立刻就会减轻。又治疗眼疾红肿疼痛的患者，将黄连研成细末，用芝麻油调和，频繁地让患者闻嗅鼻中，也能立即见效。
Ophiopogon Tuber (Maidong): It has a sweet taste, a cool nature, a faint fragrance, and is rich in thick fluids. Its color is a mix of yellow and white. It can enter the Stomach to nourish Stomach fluids (Wei Ye), open the appetite, and promote food intake. Furthermore, it can enter the Spleen to assist the Spleen in distributing essence to the Lungs, thereby calming asthma and relieving cough. This action essentially guides Lung Qi to descend with clarity and purity, regulating the water passages so they return to the Bladder. Because of its cool nature, thick fluids, and fragrant aroma, it possesses both ascending-descending and moistening properties, along with an opening power. Thus, it yields various effects. Users should not remove its heart.
Coptis Rhizome (Huanglian): It has a strongly bitter taste and a cold, dry nature. Bitterness corresponds to the flavor of Fire, and dryness corresponds to the nature of Fire. Therefore, it is good at entering the Heart to clear heat. Once the heat in the Heart is cleared, the heat in the Upper Jiao is also cleared. Consequently, it is effective in treating meningitis, cerebral congestion, frequent vertigo, eye diseases causing swelling and pain (contraindicated for those with corneal opacity or nebula), and erysipelas affecting the upper half of the body. Its pure yellow color allows it to enter the Spleen and Stomach to clear excess heat, thereby improving appetite (Westerners regard Coptis as a stomachic; this is because heat in the Stomach causes nausea and loss of appetite. Westerners are generally robust and consume much meat, leading to accumulated heat in the Stomach, which is suitable for clearing with Coptis). The effect extends from the Stomach to the Intestines, treating dysentery with pus and blood. Due to its cool and dry nature, it treats fullness and obstruction caused by damp-heat stagnating in the epigastrium (used in Zhang Zhongjing's Xiaoxianxiong Tang and all Xiexin Decoctions), as well as inflammatory ulceration of the female vulva due to damp-heat.
Xu Lingtai stated: "Bitterness belongs to the nature of Fire and should be hot; this is common sense. However, Coptis is extremely bitter yet extremely cold, meaning it obtains the flavor of Fire and the nature of Water. Thus, it can eliminate diseases caused by the disorder of Water and Fire, which refers to damp-heat. Therefore, eye pain, tearing, and blurred vision caused by heat are damp-heat in the upper part; borborygmus, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are damp-heat in the middle part; and swelling and pain of the female genitals are damp-heat in the lower part. Coptis can eliminate all these. Generally, herbs that remove dampness increase heat, and those that clear heat cannot remove dampness. Only Coptis can dry dampness with bitterness and clear heat with coldness, achieving two goals with one stroke."
The efficacy of Coptis in treating eye diseases need not always be achieved through internal administration. When I treated patients with distending and painful eyes, I instructed them to use water infused with Coptis. While still hot, they would repeatedly dip cotton wool into the liquid and wipe their eyes until they felt bitterness in their throat. At that point, the distending pain would immediately subside. In another case, for eye diseases presenting with redness, swelling, and pain, I mixed fine powder of Coptis with sesame oil and had the patient frequently inhale the scent through the nose, which also produced immediate results.