补血、泻肝、敛阴。
苦酸微寒。入肝脾血分。（白术补脾阳、白芍补脾阴、为手足太阴行经药。（肺、脾。）
泻肝
火。（酸敛肝、肝以敛为泻、以散为补。）发脾肺。固腠理。（肺主皮毛、脾主肌肉、肝木不
克土、则脾安、土旺能生金、则肺安、脾和肺安、则腠理固矣。）和血脉。收阴气。敛逆气
。（酸主收敛。）缓中止痛。（东垣曰∶损其肝者缓其中、即调血也。）除烦敛汗。退热安胎。
治泻痢后重。血虚腹痛。（泻痢俱太阴病、不可缺此、寒泻冷痛忌用、古方治腹痛、白芍四
钱
汤、
盖腹痛因营气不从、逆于肉里、白芍能调营气、甘草能缓逆气、
伐肝故也、其治腹痛、止血
虚腹痛、余痛不治、以其酸寒收敛、
无温散之功也。）胁痛。（胁者、肝胆二经来往之道、其火上冲、则胃脘痛、横行则两胁痛、
白芍能敛气泻肝火。）肺胀喘噫。（嗳同。）脾热易饥。其收降之性。又能入血海。（冲脉为
血海、男女皆有之。）而至厥阴。（肝经。）治鼻衄目涩。肝血不足。小儿痘疮。（地红血散、
毒
妇人胎产。及一切血病。（同白术补脾、同参 补气、同归地补血、
同芎 泻肝、同甘草止腹痛、同芩连止泻痢、同防风发痘疹、同姜枣和营卫、酒炒加入补中
益气汤中、治气虚下陷、尤称神妙。）又曰。产后忌用。（丹溪曰∶以其酸寒、伐生生之气也
、必不得已、酒炒用之可耳、时珍曰∶产后肝血已虚、不可更泻也、寇宗 本草衍义曰∶减
芍药、以避中寒、微寒如芍药、古人犹谆谆戒谨、况大苦大寒、可肆行而莫之忌耶、按产后
虚热多汗、阴气失散、用白芍以收敛之、取微寒以退虚热、正其相宜、前言亦失之太过耳、
景岳全书内、所论极为中正。）赤芍药（泻肝、散瘀。）泻肝火。散恶血。利小肠。治腹痛胁
痛。坚积血痹疝瘕。（邪聚外肾为疝、腹内为瘕。）经闭肠风。痈肿目赤。（皆散泻之功。）白
补而敛。赤散而泻。白益脾。能于土中泻木。赤散邪。能行血中之滞。虚者忌用。赤白各随
花色。单瓣者入药。酒炒用。（制其寒。）妇人血分醋炒，下痢后重不炒。恶芒硝、石斛。畏
鳖甲、小蓟。反藜芦。
补血，清泻肝火，收敛阴液。
味苦、酸，性微寒。入肝经和脾经的血分。（白术补益脾阳，白芍补益脾阴，是手足太阴经的引经药。（肺、脾。）
清泻肝火。（酸味具有收敛作用，对肝而言，收敛即是清泻，发散即是补益。）激发脾肺之气，固密腠理。（肺主皮毛，脾主肌肉，若肝木不克制脾土，则脾脏安宁；脾气旺盛能生肺气，则肺脏安宁；脾和肺都安宁，那么腠理就固密了。）调和血脉，收摄阴气，敛降逆乱之气。（酸味主要作用是收敛。）缓急止痛。（李东垣说：损伤肝脏的要缓和中焦，这就是调血的方法。）消除烦热，止汗，退热安胎。
治疗痢疾后的里急后重感，血虚引起的腹痛。（痢疾属于太阴病，治疗时不可缺少白芍，但寒性腹泻导致的冷痛忌用。古方治疗腹痛用白芍四钱煎汤，大概是因为腹痛由于营气运行不畅，逆乱于肌肉纹理之间，白芍能调理营气，甘草能缓解逆乱之气，从而抑制肝木过亢。它治疗腹痛和血虚腹痛有效，但对于其他类型的疼痛无效，因为它的酸寒性质具有收敛作用，没有温通散邪的功效。）胁痛。（胁部是肝胆二经气血往来的通道，肝火上冲则胃脘痛，横逆则两胁痛，白芍能收敛气机并清泻肝火。）肺胀气喘嗳气。（“噫”同“嗳”。）脾热导致容易饥饿。白芍的收降特性，又能进入血海。（冲脉被称为血海，男女都有。）到达厥阴经。（即肝经。）治疗鼻出血、眼睛干涩、肝血不足、小儿痘疮（地红血散毒）、妇人胎产及一切血证。（与白术同用可补脾，与人参、黄芪同用可补气，与当归、熟地黄同用可补血，与川芎同用可泻肝，与甘草同用可止腹痛，与黄芩、黄连同用可止泻痢，与防风同用可透发痘疹，与生姜、大枣同用可调和营卫。酒炒后加入补中益气汤中，治疗气虚下陷，尤为神妙。）又说，产后忌用。（朱丹溪说：因为白芍酸寒，会伐伤生生之气。如果不得已要用，必须酒炒后用。李时珍说：产后肝血已虚，不可再行清泻。寇宗奭在《本草衍义》中说：减少芍药的用量，以避免中寒。像芍药这样微寒的药物，古人还谆谆告诫谨慎使用，何况是大苦大寒的药物，怎么可以肆意使用而不加禁忌呢？按：产后多虚热和多汗，阴气耗散，使用白芍来收敛，利用其微寒之性退虚热，正是适宜。前面的说法也过于绝对了，《景岳全书》中的论述非常中正。）赤芍药（清泻肝火，消散瘀血。）清泻肝火，消散恶血，利小肠。治疗腹痛胁痛，坚硬积聚、血痹、疝气、瘕块。（邪气聚集在外生殖器为疝，在腹内为瘕。）月经闭止、肠风便血、痈肿、目赤。（这些都是赤芍散泻功效的体现。）白芍补益而收敛，赤芍发散而清泻。白芍益脾，能在健脾的同时清泻肝木；赤芍散邪，能行血中之滞涩。虚证患者忌用。赤芍和白芍各随花朵颜色而定，单瓣者入药。酒炒使用。（以制约其寒性。）妇人血分疾病用醋炒，治疗痢疾后重不炒。畏恶芒硝、石斛。害怕鳖甲、小蓟。反藜芦。
Nourishes blood, clears and drains Liver fire, and astringes Yin.
Bitter, sour, slightly cold. Enters the Blood aspect of the Liver and Spleen meridians. (Baizhu [Atractylodis Rhizoma] tonifies Spleen Yang; Baishao [Radix Paeoniae Alba] tonifies Spleen Yin; they are channel-guiding herbs for the Foot-Taiyin and Hand-Taiyin meridians. (Referring to the Lung and Spleen.)
Drains Liver fire. (The sour flavor has an astringent property; for the Liver, astringency is considered draining, while dispersal is considered tonifying.) Stimulates Qi of the Spleen and Lung. Consolidates the Couli (interstices). (The Lung governs the skin and hair; the Spleen governs the muscles. If Liver Wood does not overact on Spleen Earth, the Spleen remains tranquil; if Spleen Earth is robust enough to generate Lung Metal, the Lung remains tranquil. When both Spleen and Lung are harmonious, the Couli become secure.) Harmonizes the blood vessels. Collects Yin Qi. Astringes rebellious Qi. (Sour flavors primarily have an astringent function.) Relieves central pain. (Li Dongyuan stated: "To treat Liver injury, soothe the center; this is essentially regulating blood.") Eliminates vexation, stops sweating. Reduces fever, calms the fetus.
Treats tenesmus after dysentery. Abdominal pain due to Blood deficiency. (Dysentery belongs to Taiyin disease; Baishao should not be omitted in its treatment. However, it is contraindicated in cold-type diarrhea and cold pain. Ancient formulas for abdominal pain use four qian of Baishao decocted in water. This is likely because abdominal pain arises from Ying (Nutrient) Qi failing to flow smoothly and rebelling within the muscle layers; Baishao can regulate Ying Qi, and Gancao [Liquorice Root] can moderate rebellious Qi, thereby subduing the Liver. It is effective for abdominal pain and hemostasis in cases of Blood deficiency, but ineffective for other types of pain because its sour-cold nature is astringent and lacks warming and dispersing properties.) Hypochondriac pain. (The hypochondrium is the pathway for the circulation of Qi and Blood in the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. If Liver Fire rushes upward, it causes epigastric pain; if it spreads horizontally, it causes bilateral hypochondriac pain. Baishao can astringe Qi and drain Liver Fire.) Lung distension with wheezing and belching. ("Yi" is synonymous with "Ai".) Easy hunger due to Spleen heat. Due to its descending and astringent nature, it can also enter the Sea of Blood. (The Chong Mai [Penetrating Vessel] is called the Sea of Blood, present in both men and women.) Reaches the Jueyin meridian. (i.e., the Liver meridian.) Treats epistaxis, dry eyes, Liver Blood deficiency, pediatric smallpox (due to blood heat and toxin dispersion), gynecological pregnancy and postpartum disorders, and all kinds of Blood diseases. (When combined with Baizhu, it tonifies the Spleen; with Renshen [Ginseng Root] or Huangqi [Astragalus Root], it tonifies Qi; with Danggui [Angelica Sinensis Root] and Shudihuang [Rehmanniae Radix Preparata], it nourishes Blood; with Xiong [Cyperi Rhizoma], it drains the Liver; with Gancao, it stops abdominal pain; with Huangqin [Scutellaria Root] and Huanglian [Coptidis Rhizoma], it stops dysentery; with Fangfeng [Saposhnikoviae Radix], it promotes eruption of smallpox; with Shengjiang [Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens] and Dazao [Jujubae Fructus], it harmonizes Ying and Wei; when stir-fried with wine and added to Buzhong Yiqi Tang [Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction], it treats sinking of Qi due to deficiency, yielding miraculous results.) It is also said that it is contraindicated postpartum. (Zhu Danxi stated: "Because it is sour and cold, it damages the vital generating energy. If absolutely necessary, it must be used after wine-frying." Li Shizhen stated: "Postpartum, Liver Blood is already deficient; it should not be drained further." Kou Zongshi, in *Bencao Yan Yi* (*Supplement to Materia Medica*), stated: "Reduce the dosage of Shaoyao to avoid middle-jiao coldness. Even mildly cold herbs like Shaoyao were strictly cautioned against by ancients; how much more so for greatly bitter and cold herbs, which should never be used recklessly without taboo?" Note: Postpartum conditions often involve deficiency-heat and excessive sweating, indicating the scattering of Yin Qi. Using Baishao to astringe, leveraging its slight coldness to reduce deficiency-heat, is precisely appropriate. The previous statement was too absolute. Zhang Jingyue's discussion in *Jingyue Quanshu* (*Complete Works of Jingyue*) is extremely balanced.) Chishao [Radix Paeoniae Rubra] (Drains Liver fire, dissipates stasis.) Drains Liver fire. Dissipates foul blood (stasis). Benefits the Small Intestine. Treats abdominal pain, hypochondriac pain, hard accumulations, Blood Bi syndrome, hernia, and mass formations. (Pathogenic factors accumulating in the external genitalia constitute hernia; those accumulating in the abdomen constitute masses.) Amenorrhea, intestinal wind (blood in stool), carbuncles, red eyes. (These are all effects of its dispersing and draining actions.) Baishao is tonifying and astringent; Chishao is dispersing and draining. Baishao benefits the Spleen, able to drain Wood within Earth. Chishao disperses pathogens, able to move stagnation within the Blood. Contraindicated in deficiency patterns. Chishao and Baishao are distinguished by flower color; single-petal varieties are used medicinally. Stir-fry with wine before use. (To mitigate its coldness.) For gynecological Blood patterns, stir-fry with vinegar; do not stir-fry for treating tenesmus after dysentery. Incompatible with Mangxiao [Natrii Sulfas] and Shihu [Dendrobii Caulis]. Feared by Biejia [Trionycis Carapax] and Xiaoji [Cephalanoplos Herba]. Inverted by Lilu [Veratri Nigrirhizoma].