宣、理游风、发表胜湿。
辛苦性温。气雄而散。味薄上升。入足太阳。（膀胱）以理游风。兼入足少阴、厥阴气
分。（
肾肝）泻肝气。搜肝风。治风湿相搏。本经头痛。（同川芎、治太阳少阴头痛、凡头痛多用
风
药、以巅顶之上、惟风可到也。）督脉为病。（督脉并太阳经。）脊强而厥。刚痉柔痉。（无汗
为刚、有汗为柔、亦有血虚发痉者、大约风证宜二活、血虚忌用。）中风不语。（真中风者宜
之、若气血亏虚者、大忌。）头旋目赤。散肌表八风之邪。利周身百节之痛。为却乱反正之
主药。若血虚头痛。遍身痛者。此属内证。二活并禁用。
宣、发表、去风胜湿。
辛甘微温。升浮为阳。搜肝泻肺。散头目滞气。经络留湿。主上部见血。（用之为使、
亦能
治崩。）上焦风邪。头痛目眩。脊痛项强。周身尽痛。太阳经证。（膀胱、徐之才曰∶得葱白
、能行周身。）又行脾胃二经。为去风胜湿之要药。（凡风药皆能胜湿、东垣曰∶卒伍卑
贱之职、随所引而至、乃风药中润剂、若补脾胃、非此引用不能行。）散目赤疮疡。若血虚
痉急。头痛不因风寒。（内伤。）泄泻不因寒湿。火升作嗽。阴虚盗汗。阳虚自汗者。并禁用
。（同黄 白芍、又能实表止汗、合黄 白术、名玉屏风散、固表圣药、黄 得防风而功益
大、乃相畏而更相使也。）青州黄润者良。软芦糯体。（登州莱阳次之。关东者、性硬不
用。）恶干姜、白蔹、芫花。畏萆 。杀附子毒。
宣：能够发散表邪，调理游走性的风邪，发表并胜除湿气。
味辛、苦，性温。药气雄壮而具有发散作用，药味淡薄而趋向上升。入足太阳膀胱经，以调理游走性的风邪；兼入足少阴肾经和足厥阴肝经的气分，能泻肝气，搜剔肝风。治疗风湿相互搏结引起的本经头痛（与川芎同用，可治疗太阳经和少阴经的头痛；大凡头痛多使用风药，因为头顶之上，只有风药才能到达）。督脉发生病变（督脉与太阳经并行），出现脊背强直且四肢厥冷的症状，以及刚痉和柔痉（无汗的为刚痉，有汗的为柔痉；也有因血虚导致发痉的情况，大约风证适宜使用羌活、防风这“二活”，血虚者忌用）。中风导致的不能言语（真中风的适宜使用，若气血亏虚者，绝对禁忌）。头晕目赤，能疏散肌表八风的邪气，通利周身百节的疼痛，是纠正紊乱、恢复正常的的主药。如果是血虚引起的头痛、遍身疼痛，这属于内伤杂病，羌活、防风均禁用。
防风：能够发散表邪，去除风邪，胜除湿气。
味辛、甘，性微温。性质升浮，属阳。能搜剔肝邪，泻肺邪，散头部和眼目的滞气，疏通经络中的留湿。主治上部出血（作为引经药使用，也能治疗崩漏）。上焦的风邪，头痛目眩，脊痛项强，周身尽痛，属于太阳经证（膀胱经，徐之才说：得到葱白配合，能通行周身）。又行于脾胃二经，是去风胜湿的重要药物。（凡是风药都能胜湿，李东垣说：它地位卑贱，随所引导的药物而至，是风药中的润剂，如果要补益脾胃，不使用这些药物作为引导就不能发挥作用。）疏散目赤疮疡。如果是血虚引起的痉挛急迫，头痛不是由风寒引起（属于内伤），泄泻不是由寒湿引起，火气上冲引起的咳嗽，阴虚盗汗，阳虚自汗者，都禁用。（与黄芪、白芍同用，又能固表止汗；与黄芪、白术合用，名为玉屏风散，是固表的圣药；黄芪得到防风的配合功效更大，这是相畏而又相互使令的关系。）青州产的黄色润泽者良，芦头软糯者为佳（登州莱阳产的次之，关东产的，药性坚硬不可用）。恶干姜、白蔹、芫花。畏萆薢。能杀附子的毒性。
Xuan (Qianghuo): Can release the exterior, regulate wandering wind, and dispel wind-dampness through sweating.
Pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature. Its qi is vigorous and dispersing; its taste is light and ascending. It enters the Foot-Taiyang (Bladder) meridian to regulate wandering wind; it also enters the Qi aspect of the Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney) and Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridians, draining Liver Qi and searching out Liver wind. It treats headaches caused by the binding of wind and dampness within the primary meridian (when used with Chuanxiong Rhizome [Chuanxiong], it treats headaches of the Taiyang and Shaoyin meridians; generally, wind-dispelling herbs are used for headaches because only wind can reach the vertex). For diseases of the Du vessel (which runs parallel to the Taiyang meridian), characterized by rigidity of the spine and cold extremities, as well as rigid tetanus (Gangjing) and flaccid tetanus (Roujing) (tetanus without sweat is rigid tetanus; with sweat is flaccid tetanus; there are also cases of tetanus due to blood deficiency. Generally, wind syndromes are suitable for Qianghuo and Fangfeng, known as the "Two Huos," while those with blood deficiency should avoid them). For stroke-induced aphasia (suitable for true stroke; absolutely contraindicated for those with Qi and Blood deficiency). Dizziness and red eyes. It dissipates pathogenic factors of the eight winds from the muscle layer and benefits pain in all joints of the body. It is the principal herb for correcting chaos and restoring order. If headache and generalized body pain are due to blood deficiency, this belongs to internal disorders, and both Qianghuo and Fangfeng are strictly contraindicated.
Fangfeng: Can release the exterior, remove wind, and dispel dampness.
Pungent and sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature. It ascends and floats, belonging to Yang. It searches out Liver pathogenic factors and drains Lung pathogenic factors, dissipating stagnant Qi in the head and eyes, and removing retained dampness in the collaterals. It primarily treats bleeding from the upper part of the body (used as a guiding herb, it can also treat metrorrhagia). For wind pathogenic factors in the Upper Jiao, causing headache, dizziness, spinal pain, neck stiffness, and generalized body pain, which belong to Taiyang meridian syndromes (Bladder meridian; Xu Zhicai stated: when combined with Scallion White [Congbai], it can circulate throughout the body). It also travels through the Spleen and Stomach meridians, serving as an essential herb for dispelling wind and dampness. (All wind-dispelling herbs can dispel dampness; Li Dongyuan said: it holds a humble position, following wherever guided, acting as a moistening agent among wind herbs; if tonifying the Spleen and Stomach, these herbs must be used as guides to facilitate action). It dissipates red eyes and sores/ulcers. Contraindicated in cases of tetanic spasm due to blood deficiency, headache not caused by wind-cold (internal injury), diarrhea not caused by cold-dampness, cough due to flaming fire, night sweats due to Yin deficiency, and spontaneous sweating due to Yang deficiency. (When combined with Huangqi and Baishao, it further consolidates the exterior and stops sweating; when combined with Huangqi and Baizhu, it forms Yupingfeng San [Jade Windscreen Powder], a sacred medicine for consolidating the exterior. Huangqi's efficacy is greatly enhanced by Fangfeng, representing a relationship of mutual inhibition yet mutual facilitation). The yellow and lustrous variety from Qingzhou is superior, with soft rhizomes being best (those from Laiyang in Dengzhou are secondary; those from Guandong are hard and unusable). It is adverse to Shengjiang (Dried Ginger), Bailian (White Peony Root), and Yuanhua (Genkwa Flower). It fears Bibi (Dioscorea Hypoglauca Rhizome). It can neutralize the toxicity of Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root).