补肝肾、理筋骨。
苦辛微温。补肝肾。通血脉。理筋骨。主劳伤。暖子宫。缩小便。止遗泄。破瘀血。治
腰痛
胎漏。（怀妊沥血。）崩带肠风血痢。（平胃散一两、用续断二钱半、每服二钱、米饮下、治
时痢甚效。）痈痔肿毒。又主金疮折跌。（以功命名。）止痛生肌。女科外科。需为上剂。（补
而不滞、行而不泄、取用宏多。）川产良。状如鸡脚。皮黄皱节。节断者真。（草茅根、形似
续断、误服令人筋软。）去向里硬筋。酒浸。地黄为使。恶雷丸。（叶捣罨打扑伤损。）
燥、补肾命、除寒湿。
苦温纯阳。入右肾命门，暖丹田，壮元阳。治肾脏虚冷。阳气不能归元。（同附子硫黄。）
瘕
疝冷气。（同茴香巴戟川乌川楝吴茱萸。）寒湿香港脚。相火炽盛。阴血亏少者禁之。出岭南。
番舶者良。云是番莱菔子。淘净。酒浸曝。或蒸或炒。（小肠气痛、胡卢巴为末、每服二钱
、茴香汤下。）
宣理气血、燥逐寒热。
苦辛。生温熟热。纯阳之性。能回垂绝之元阳。通十二经。走三阴。（太、少、厥。）理
气血
。逐寒湿。暖子宫。止诸血。温中开郁。调经安胎。（胎动腰痛下血、胶艾汤良、胶
艾煎服、亦治虚痢。）治吐衄崩带。（治带要药。）腹痛冷痢。血痢。霍乱转筋。杀蛔治癣。（
醋煎服、外科有用干艾作汤、投白矾二三钱、洗疮、然后敷药、盖人气血冷、必假艾力以佐
阳、而艾性又能杀虫也。）以之灸火。能透诸经而除百病。（丹田气弱、脐腹冷者、以熟艾装
袋
气亦宜、以此夹入袜内。）纯阳香燥。凡血燥生热者。禁与灸火。
亦大伤阴血。虚者宜慎。陈久者良。揉捣如绵。谓之熟艾。灸火用。妇人丸散。醋煮捣饼。
再为末用。（入茯苓数片同研、则易细。）煎服宜鲜者。醋、香附为使。（艾附丸、调妇人诸
病、宋时重汤阴艾、自明成化来、则以蕲州艾为胜、云灸酒坛、一灸便透、蒙筌、发明、并
以野艾为真蕲艾、虽香、实非艾种、今人多以蓬蒿伪蕲艾。）
续断：
补益肝肾，调理筋骨。
味苦、辛，性微温。能补益肝肾，疏通血脉，调理筋骨。主治劳损外伤，温暖子宫，缩小便，止遗精泄泻，破除瘀血。治疗腰痛、胎漏（妊娠期间点滴出血）、崩漏带下及肠风血痢。（用平胃散一两，加入续断二钱半，每次服用二钱，米汤送服，治疗时行痢疾非常有效。）痈疽痔疮肿毒。又主治金创骨折跌打损伤。（因其功效而得名。）能止痛生肌。是妇科和外科的上等药物。（其特点为补益而不滞涩，通行而不泄气，应用广泛。）四川产的质量好。形状像鸡脚，皮色黄且有皱纹，节段分明者为真品。（草茅根外形类似续断，误服会导致筋脉软弱。）使用时需去掉内部坚硬的筋，用酒浸泡。与地黄配伍使用效果更佳。畏雷丸。（叶子捣碎外敷可治疗跌打损伤。）
胡卢巴：
燥湿，补肾命门，祛除寒湿。
味苦，性温，属纯阳之药。入右肾命门经，温暖丹田，壮元阳。治疗肾脏虚冷，阳气不能归元。（可与附子、硫黄同用。）瘕疝冷气。（可与茴香、巴戟天、川乌、川楝子、吴茱萸同用。）寒湿引起的香港脚（足部肿痛）。相火炽盛、阴血亏少者禁用。产于岭南地区。由海外商船运来的质量好。说是番莱菔子。淘洗干净后，用酒浸泡并晒干，或者蒸或炒。（小肠气痛，将胡卢巴研成末，每次服用二钱，茴香汤送服。）
艾叶：
宣通调理气血，燥湿驱逐寒热。
味苦、辛。生用时性温，熟用时性热。具有纯阳的性质。能挽回即将衰竭的元阳，通达十二经脉，行走于三阴经（太阴、少阴、厥阴）。调理气血，驱逐寒湿，温暖子宫，止各种出血，温中散结开郁，调经安胎。（胎动腰痛下血，胶艾汤效果好；胶艾煎服，也治疗虚寒痢疾。）治疗吐血、衄血、崩漏带下。（是治疗带下的要药。）腹痛冷痢，血痢，霍乱转筋，杀蛔虫治癣。（醋煎服。外科有用干艾煮汤，加入白矾二三钱，清洗疮口，然后敷药，这是因为人气血寒冷，必须借助艾的力量来辅助阳气，而艾的性质又能杀虫。）用它做灸火，能透达各条经脉而除去百病。（丹田气弱，脐腹寒冷的人，可以用熟艾装袋，气息也能适宜，把它夹在袜子里。）纯阳香燥。凡是血燥生热的人，禁止使用灸法。
也会大伤阴血，体虚者宜谨慎。陈久的艾叶质量好。揉捣如棉絮状，称为熟艾，用于灸火。妇人用的丸散剂，用醋煮捣成饼，再研成末使用。（加入几片茯苓同研，则容易研细。）煎服宜用新鲜的艾叶。醋、香附作为引经药。（艾附丸，调理妇人各种疾病。宋代重视汤阴产的艾，自明代成化年间以来，则以蕲州产的艾为优，据说灸酒坛，一灸就穿透。蒙筌发明，并以野艾为真蕲艾，虽然香，实际上不是艾种，现在人多以蓬蒿伪充蕲艾。）
Xuduan (Dipsaci Radix):
Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys, regulates tendons and bones.
Bitter, pungent, slightly warm. Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys, unblocks blood vessels, regulates tendons and bones. Indicated for labor injuries, warms the uterus, reduces urination frequency, stops enuresis and seminal emission, breaks up blood stasis. Treats lower back pain, fetal leakage (spotting during pregnancy), metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, and bloody dysentery due to intestinal wind. (Use Pingwei San 1 liang, add Xuduan 2 qian 5 fen, take 2 qian per dose with rice water; highly effective for epidemic dysentery.) Carbuncles, hemorrhoids, swelling and toxicity. Also indicated for traumatic injuries and fractures/dislocations. (Named after its efficacy.) Stops pain and generates flesh. It is a premier agent for gynecology and surgery. (Its characteristic is tonifying without stagnation, moving without leakage, and having broad applications.) Produced in Sichuan is of good quality. Shape resembles a chicken's foot, skin is yellow and wrinkled with distinct nodes; those with broken nodes are authentic. (Caomaogen has a similar shape to Xuduan; accidental ingestion causes tendon softness.) Remove the hard internal tendons before use. Soak in wine. Synergistic with Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix). Averse to Leiwan (Polyporus Umbellatus). (Leaves crushed and applied externally treat contusions and injuries.)
Huluba (Trigonellae Semen):
Dries dampness, tonifies the Kidney and Mingmen, dispels cold-dampness.
Bitter, warm, purely Yang. Enters the Right Kidney and Mingmen channels, warms the Dantian, strengthens Yuan Yang. Treats Kidney deficiency-cold, where Yang Qi fails to return to its source. (Used with Fuzi [Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata] and Liuhuang [Sulfur].) Cold qi in jia and shan syndromes. (Used with Huixiang [Foeniculi Fructus], Bajitian [Morindae Officinalis Radix], Chuanwu [Aconiti Radix], Chuanlianzi [Meliae Toosendan Fructus], Wuzhuyu [Evodiae Fructus].) Hongzhijiao (podagra/foot swelling) caused by cold-dampness. Contraindicated in cases of flourishing ministerial fire and deficient Yin-blood. Produced in Lingnan. Those imported by foreign ships are of good quality. Said to be Fan Laifu Zi (Radish seeds). Wash clean. Soak in wine and dry in sun, or steam or stir-fry. (For Xiao Chang Qi pain, powder Huluba, take 2 qian per dose with Huixiang decoction.)
Aiye (Artemisiae Argyi Folium):
Promotes and regulates Qi and Blood, dries dampness and expels cold-heat.
Bitter, pungent. Raw: warm; Cooked: hot. Purely Yang nature. Can restore nearly exhausted Yuan Yang. Unblocks the Twelve Meridians. Travels through the Three Yin meridians (Taiyin, Shaoyin, Jueyin). Regulates Qi and Blood. Expels cold-dampness. Warms the uterus. Stops various types of bleeding. Warms the Middle and resolves depression. Regulates menstruation and calms the fetus. (For fetal restlessness with lower back pain and bleeding, Jiao'ai Tang is effective; Jiao'ai decoction also treats deficiency-type dysentery.) Treats hematemesis, epistaxis, metrorrhagia, and leukorrhea. (Key herb for treating leukorrhea.) Abdominal pain with cold dysentery, bloody dysentery, cholera with muscle cramps. Kills roundworms and treats tinea. (Decoct with vinegar. In external medicine, dry Aiye is boiled into a decoction, added with 2-3 qian of Baifan [Alumen], used to wash sores before applying medication. This is because human Qi and Blood are cold, requiring Ai's power to assist Yang, and Ai's nature can kill parasites.) Used for moxibustion, it can penetrate all meridians and eliminate hundred diseases. (For those with weak Dantian Qi and cold umbilical/abdomen, pack cooked Aiye into a bag; the warmth is suitable, or place it inside socks.) Purely Yang, aromatic, and drying. Contraindicated for moxibustion in cases of dry Blood generating heat.
It can severely damage Yin and Blood; those with deficiency should exercise caution. Old Aiye is of good quality. Rubbed and pounded until cotton-like, it is called Shu Ai (Prepared Aiye), used for moxibustion. For women's pills and powders, boil with vinegar, pound into cakes, then grind into powder. (Add several slices of Fuling [Poria] when grinding to facilitate fine powder.) For decoction, fresh Aiye is preferred. Vinegar and Xiangfu [Cyperi Rhizoma] act as guides. (Aifu Wan regulates various women's diseases. In Song Dynasty, Tangyin Ai was valued; since Chenghua era of Ming Dynasty, Qizhou Ai is considered superior, reputed to pierce through a wine jar with one moxa cone. Meng Quan clarified that wild Ai is not true Qizhou Ai; although fragrant, it is not the true Ai species. Nowadays, many people pass off Penghao [Artemisia argyi var. artemisioides] as fake Qizhou Ai.)