通、润肠利窍。
甘寒。淡滑润燥。利窍。通营卫。行津液。利二便。消水肿。（用榆皮等分煎。）通关格。
下
乳滑胎。秋葵复种。经冬至春作子者。名冬葵子。根叶同功。春葵子亦滑。不堪入药。蜀葵
花。赤者治赤带。白者治白带。赤者治血燥。白者治气燥。亦治血淋关格。皆取其寒润滑利
之功。（汤火伤疮、冬葵叶为末敷之。）
通淋、泻湿热。
甘寒淡渗。除小肠膀胱血分湿热。治肿满。五淋茎痛。得栀子、牙硝、蓬砂。治伤寒热
狂。
（大热利小便、此釜底抽薪之义。）唯热在太阳经血分者宜之。产黔中及河南。收曝日中。
小
干。以纸衬之。以杖击之。有细砂落纸上。且曝且击。以尽为度。茎细如线。引竹木上。叶
纹皱处。有砂黄赤色。忌火。
通、利湿热、治诸黄。
苦燥湿，寒胜热。入足太阳经。（膀胱。）发汗利水。以泄太阴、阳明之湿热。（脾、胃。）
为
治黄胆之君药。（脾胃有湿热则发黄、黄者脾之色、身如橘色、汗如 汁而色明者热多、熏
黄而色暗者湿多、须五苓之类、佐助成功。）又治伤寒时疾。狂热瘴疟。头痛头旋。女人瘕
疝。（皆湿热为病。）按黄胆须分阴黄、阳黄。阳黄宜茵陈。阴黄宜温补。若用茵陈。多致不
救。
大泻气闭、通、行水。
辛苦大寒。性急。大能下气。行膀胱水。肺中水气 急者。非此不能除。破积聚症结。
伏留
热气。消肿除痰。止嗽定喘。（皆水湿泛溢。）通经利便。（十剂曰∶泄可去闭、葶苈大黄
之属是也、大黄泄阴分血闭、葶苈泄阳分气闭。）性峻。不可混服。有甜苦二种。甜者力稍
缓
葶苈大枣泻肺汤、治肺气喘急不得卧、 庵曰∶辅以大枣、补土
所以制水。）子如黍米微长。色黄。糯米微炒。去米。或酒拌炒。榆皮为使。（头风疼痛、葶
苈子为末、以汤淋汁、沐头三四度、即愈。）
通利窍道，润肠通便。
味甘、性寒，味淡、质滑，能润燥。通利窍道，调和营卫，运行津液，通利大小便，消除水肿。（可与榆皮等量煎服。）治疗上下不通的关格病。
下乳，滑胎。秋葵可以复种，经过冬至到春天结籽的，称为冬葵子。其根和叶功效相同。春葵子也滑利，但不适合入药。蜀葵花，红色的治疗赤白带下，白色的治疗白带；红色治疗血燥，白色治疗气燥。也能治疗血淋和关格病，都是利用其寒润滑利的功效。（对于汤火烫伤疮口，可将冬葵叶研成末敷用。）
通淋，泻除湿热。
味甘、性寒、味淡而渗利。清除小肠和膀胱血分中的湿热，治疗肿胀满闷，五种淋证及茎中疼痛。配合栀子、牙硝、蓬砂使用，可治疗伤寒引起的热狂。
（大热症通过利小便来治疗，这是釜底抽薪的道理。）只有热邪在太阳经血分的患者适宜使用。产于黔中和河南地区。采收后在阳光下曝晒，稍微晒干即可，用纸垫着，用杖敲击，有细砂落在纸上，边晒边敲，直到没有细砂落下为止。茎细如线，攀引竹木生长。叶脉皱褶处有黄色或赤色的砂粒。忌用火炒。
通利，清利湿热，治疗各种黄疸。
味苦能燥湿，性寒能胜热。入足太阳经（膀胱）。发汗利水，以泄除太阴、阳明经的湿热（脾、胃）。是治疗黄疸的主药。（脾胃有湿热则发黄，黄色对应脾的颜色，身体像橘子色，出汗如汁且颜色明亮的是热多，熏黄且颜色暗淡的是湿多，需用五苓散之类药物辅助成功。）又治疗伤寒时行疾病，热狂瘴疟，头痛头晕。女性癥疝。（都是湿热导致的疾病。）按：黄疸必须区分阴黄和阳黄。阳黄适宜用茵陈，阴黄适宜温补。如果使用茵陈，大多会导致病情无法挽救。
大力泻除气闭，通利，行水。
味辛、苦，性大寒。药性急猛，最能下气。运行膀胱的水液，肺中水气上逆急迫者，非此药不能去除。破除积聚症结，清除伏留的热气，消肿化痰，止咳定喘。（都是水湿泛溢所致。）通经利便。（《十剂》说：泄法可以去闭塞，葶苈、大黄这类药物就是如此，大黄泄除阴分血闭，葶苈泄除阳分气闭。）药性峻烈，不可混服。有甜、苦两种，甜的药力稍缓。葶苈大枣泻肺汤，治疗肺气喘急不能平卧，汪昂说：辅以大枣，补益脾气所以制约水邪。）种子像黍米一样微长，颜色黄。糯米微炒，去掉米粒，或用酒拌炒。榆皮为使药。（头风疼痛，将葶苈子研成末，用热水淋取汁液，洗头三四次，即可痊愈。）
To unblock orifices, moisten the intestines, and promote urination.
Sweet and cold in nature; bland, slippery, and moistening to dryness. Promotes the flow of orifices, harmonizes Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) Qi, circulates Body Fluids, promotes urination and defecation, and reduces edema. (Decoct with equal parts of Ulmus macrophylla bark.) Treats Guan Ge (obstruction syndrome characterized by inability to swallow or vomit).
Promotes lactation, facilitates delivery. Autumn okra can be replanted; seeds produced from winter solstice to spring are called Dong Kui Zi (Malvae Semen). The roots and leaves have the same efficacy. Chun Kui Zi (Spring Okra Seed) is also slippery but unsuitable for medicinal use. Shu Kui Hua (Hibiscus mutabilis flower): red varieties treat bloody leukorrhea, white varieties treat non-bloody leukorrhea; red treats blood dryness, white treats Qi dryness. Also treats Xue Lin (blood strangury) and Guan Ge, all utilizing its cold, slippery, and lubricating properties. (For burns and scalds, apply powder of Dong Kui Ye [Malvae Folium] topically.)
Promotes urination, drains damp-heat.
Sweet, cold, and bland with a penetrating quality. Clears damp-heat from the Blood aspect of the Small Intestine and Bladder. Treats swelling and fullness, five types of strangury (Wu Lin), and pain in the glans penis. When combined with Gardenia jasminoides fruit (Zhi Zi), Mirabilite (Ya Xiao), and Alum (Peng Sha), it treats heat mania caused by Cold Damage (Shang Han).
(Promoting urination to clear severe heat follows the principle of "removing firewood from under the cauldron".) It is suitable only when heat resides in the Blood aspect of the Taiyang (Greater Yang) channel. Produced in Qianzhong and Henan regions. Harvested and sun-dried until slightly dry, placed on paper, and beaten with a stick until fine sand falls onto the paper. Beating continues while drying until no more sand falls. Stems are thin as threads, climbing bamboo and wood. Yellowish-red granules appear in the wrinkles of the leaf veins. Avoid frying over fire.
Unblocks, clears damp-heat, treats various jaundice.
Bitter to dry dampness, cold to overcome heat. Enters the Foot-Taiyang channel (Bladder). Induces sweating and promotes diuresis to drain damp-heat from the Taiyin (Spleen) and Yangming (Stomach) channels. It is the chief herb for treating Huang Dan (Jaundice). (When Spleen and Stomach have damp-heat, yellowing occurs; yellow corresponds to the Spleen's color. If the body resembles an orange peel, sweat is like juice, and the color is bright, there is excess heat; if it is smoky yellow and dark, there is excess dampness; formulas like Wu Ling San should be used to assist success.) It also treats Cold Damage and epidemic diseases, heat mania, miasmic malaria, headache, and vertigo. In women, it treats Jia Jian (masses and hernias). (All are diseases caused by damp-heat.) Note: Jaundice must be differentiated into Yin Jaundice and Yang Jaundice. Yang Jaundice is suitable for Yin Chen Hao (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba); Yin Jaundice requires warming and tonifying. Using Yin Chen Hao for Yin Jaundice often leads to untreatable conditions.
Powerfully drains Qi obstruction, unblocks, moves water.
Pungent, bitter, and very cold in nature. Action is rapid. It powerfully descends Qi. Moves water in the Bladder. For cases where Water Qi in the Lung causes urgent rebellion, this herb is indispensable for removal. Breaks up accumulations and masses. Clears latent retained heat, reduces swelling, eliminates phlegm, stops cough, and calms wheezing. (All due to flooding overflow of water-dampness.) Unblocks meridians and promotes urination. ("Ten Categories" states: Draining methods remove obstruction; herbs like Ting Li Zi and Da Huang belong here. Da Huang drains Blood obstruction in the Yin aspect; Ting Li Zi drains Qi obstruction in the Yang aspect.) The action is峻烈 (severe/forceful) and must not be mixed indiscriminately. There are two types: sweet and bitter. The sweet type has a slightly milder effect. Ting Li Da Zao Tang (Ting Li Zi and Jujube Decoction) treats Lung Qi rebellion with wheezing and inability to lie flat. Wang Ang stated: By assisting with Da Zao (Jujube), one tonifies Earth to control Water.) Seeds resemble millet grains, slightly elongated, yellow in color. Lightly stir-fry with glutinous rice, then remove the rice. Or stir-fry with wine. Ulmus macrophylla bark serves as a guiding drug. (For Tou Feng Tong Tong [Head Wind Pain], powder Ting Li Zi, rinse with hot water, wash hair 3-4 times, and it will heal.)