其性味功用、并似黄连、故名。
今诸家俱用以治小儿潮热五疳等证。（喻嘉言曰∶凡治小儿五疳、即大人五劳也、幼科
知用
五疳之成方、而不知五劳之曲折次第、初起者治之、可以得效、胃虚者服之、有死而已、盖
胆草、芦荟、黄连、胡黄连之类、极苦大寒、儿不能胜尔、大方亦然、设妄谓五脏虚劳之
外、又有实劳、而恣用苦寒诸药、如是死者、医杀之尔。）解吃烟毒。（二允曰∶解吃烟毒、
合茶服之、效。）出波斯国。今秦陇南海亦有之。心黑外黄。折之尘出如烟者。乃为真也。
其
泻火除湿。
苦入心。寒胜热。泻中焦实火。除脾家湿热。治 痢腹痛。（寒痛忌用、凡腹痛、有寒
热、
虚实、食积、瘀血、痰湿之不同、寒宜温、热宜清、虚宜补、实宜攻、食宜消导、瘀血宜行
散、湿痰宜化痰利湿、痛时手不可按者、为实痛、按之痛止者、为虚痛。）寒热往来。（邪在
少阳。）黄胆五淋血闭。（实热在血分。）气逆痈疽疮疡。及诸失血。降痰。（丹溪曰∶黄芩降
痰、假其降火也、痰因火动、当先降火。）解渴安胎。（胎孕宜清热凉血、血不妄行、则胎安
。）
酒炒则上行。泻肺火。利胸中气。（肺主气、热伤气、泻热所以利气。）治上焦之风热湿
热。
（丹溪曰∶黄芩、上中二焦药。）火嗽喉腥。（五臭、肺为腥。）目赤肿痛。（黄芩得柴胡、退
寒热、得芍药、治痢、得浓朴黄连、止腹痛、得桑皮、泻肺火、得白术、安胎之圣药、时珍
曰∶仲景治少阳证、小柴胡汤、太阳少阳合病下痢、黄芩汤、少阳证下后心满、泻心汤并用
之、盖黄芩苦寒入心、泻热、除脾家湿热、使胃火不流入肺、不致刑金、即所以保肺也、肺
虚不宜者、苦寒伤土、损其母也、少阳证虽在半表半里、而心膈痞满、实兼心肺上焦之邪、
心烦喜呕、默默不欲食、又兼脾胃中焦之证、故用黄芩以治手足少阳相火、黄芩亦少阳药也
、杨士瀛直指方曰∶柴胡退热、不及黄芩、时珍曰∶柴胡乃苦以发之、散火之标也、黄芩
乃寒能胜热、折火之本也、东垣治肺热、身如火燎、烦躁引饮而昼盛者、宜一味黄芩汤、以
泻肺经气分之火、黄芩一两、煎服、本事方、治崩中暴下。）苦寒伤胃。虚寒者。均宜戒。
胎前若非实热而服之。阴损胎元矣。中虚者名枯芩。即片芩。泻肺火。清肌表之热。（轻飘
者上行。）内实者名条芩。即子芩。泻大肠火。（坚重者下降。）上行酒炒。泻肝胆火猪胆汁
炒。山茱、龙骨为使。畏丹皮、丹砂。
胡黄连的性味和功效，与黄连相似，因此得名。
如今各家医家都使用它来治疗小儿潮热、五疳等证候。（喻嘉言说：凡是治疗小儿的五疳病，其实就相当于大人的五劳病。儿科医生知道使用治疗五疳的成方，却不知道五劳病的复杂演变过程。如果是初起阶段，及时治疗可以见效；但如果脾胃虚弱者服用这些药物，只会导致死亡罢了。因为龙胆草、芦荟、黄连、胡黄连这类药物极苦大寒，小儿身体承受不住。大人用药也是如此。如果错误地认为在五脏虚劳之外还有“实劳”，从而肆意使用各种苦寒药物，这样治死的病人，是医生害死了他们。）此外还能解除吸食鸦片（烟毒）的毒性。（二允说：解吸食鸦片的毒性，配合茶水服用，有效。）产于波斯国。现在秦州、陇右、南海等地也有出产。心部颜色黑，外表黄色。折断时有粉尘冒出像烟一样，这才是真品。
（黄芩）具有泻火、除湿的功效。
苦味入心经，寒性能胜热邪。能泻中焦的实火，清除脾脏的湿热。治疗痢疾腹痛。（寒性疼痛忌用。凡是腹痛，有寒、热、虚、实、食积、瘀血、痰湿等不同类型。寒证宜温，热证宜清，虚证宜补，实证宜攻，食积宜消导，瘀血宜行散，湿痰宜化痰利湿。疼痛时手不能按压的，为实痛；按压后疼痛缓解的，为虚痛。）治疗寒热往来。（病邪在少阳经。）治疗黄疸、五种淋证、血闭。（实热在血分。）治疗气逆、痈疽、疮疡以及各种失血。降痰。（朱丹溪说：黄芩降痰，是借助其降火的作用。痰是因为火动而生，应当先降火。）止渴、安胎。（怀孕适宜清热凉血，血液不妄行，则胎儿安稳。）
酒炒后药性上行，能泻肺火，通畅胸中气机。（肺主气，热邪伤气，泻热所以能利气。）治疗上焦的风热、湿热。（朱丹溪说：黄芩是作用于上、中二焦的药物。）治疗火咳、喉间腥臭。（五臭中，肺对应腥味。）治疗目赤肿痛。（黄芩配伍柴胡，退寒热；配伍芍药，治痢疾；配伍厚朴、黄连，止腹痛；配伍桑白皮，泻肺火；配伍白术，安胎，这些都是圣药。李时珍说：张仲景治疗少阳证，用小柴胡汤；太阳少阳合病下痢，用黄芩汤；少阳证下法后心下痞满，用泻心汤，都使用了黄芩。大概因为黄芩苦寒入心经，泻热，清除脾家湿热，使胃火不流入肺，不至于克制肺金，这就是保护肺的方法。肺虚的人不宜使用，因为苦寒会伤脾胃，损伤母脏。少阳证虽然在半表半里，但心膈痞满，实际上兼有心肺上焦的邪气；心烦喜呕，默默不欲饮食，又兼有脾胃中焦的证候，所以用黄芩来治疗手足少阳相火，黄芩也是少阳经的药。杨士瀛《直指方》说：柴胡退热，不如黄芩。李时珍说：柴胡是苦以发之，疏散火的表象；黄芩是寒能胜热，折服火的根本。东垣治疗肺热，身体如火烧，烦躁引饮且白天加重者，宜用一味黄芩汤，以泻肺经气分之火，黄芩一两，煎服。《本事方》治疗崩中暴下。）黄芩苦寒伤胃。虚寒体质者，均宜禁忌。产前如果不是实热而服用它，会损伤阴液进而损害胎元。
中间空心的叫枯芩，即片芩，泻肺火，清肌表之热。（质地轻飘的向上行。）内部充实的叫条芩，即子芩，泻大肠火。（质地坚重的向下行。）上行用酒炒，泻肝胆火。猪胆汁炒。山茱萸、龙骨为使药。畏丹皮、丹砂。
Its nature, flavor, and functions are similar to those of Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), hence the name.
Currently, various practitioners use it to treat childhood tidal fever (fever that rises at a specific time each day) and the five types of infantile malnutrition syndromes (Wugan). (Yu Jiayan stated: "Treating the five Wgan in children is essentially treating the five exhaustion syndromes (Wulao) in adults. Pediatricians know the established formulas for Wgan but fail to understand the complex progression of Wulao. If treated in the early stages, efficacy can be achieved; however, if administered to those with Spleen deficiency, it may lead to death. This is because herbs like Longdancao (Gentianae Radix), Lushui (Aloe), Huanglian, and Huhuanglian are extremely bitter and cold, which children cannot tolerate. The same applies to adults. If one erroneously assumes that beyond the deficiency-exhaustion of the five Zang organs there exists a 'deficiency-exhaustion with excess' and recklessly uses various bitter-cold drugs, such deaths are caused by the physician.") It also resolves opium toxicity. (Er Yun stated: "To resolve opium toxicity, take it with tea; this is effective.") It originates from Persia. Currently, it is also produced in Qinzhou, Longyou, and Nanhai regions. The interior is black, and the exterior is yellow. When broken, dust emerges like smoke; this indicates authenticity.
(Huangqin) clears fire and removes dampness.
Bitter flavor enters the Heart meridian; cold nature overcomes heat. It drains excess fire in the Middle Jiao and eliminates damp-heat in the Spleen. It treats dysentery with abdominal pain. (Contraindicated for cold-type pain. Abdominal pain varies by cold, heat, deficiency, excess, food stagnation, blood stasis, and phlegm-dampness. Cold requires warming, heat requires clearing, deficiency requires tonifying, excess requires purging, food stagnation requires digestion-promoting, blood stasis requires moving and dispersing, and phlegm-dampness requires resolving phlegm and promoting diuresis. Pain that worsens upon pressure indicates excess pain; pain that alleviates upon pressure indicates deficiency pain.) It treats alternating chills and fever (pathogen in the Shaoyang meridian). It treats jaundice, the five types of strangury, and blood obstruction (excess heat in the Blood level). It treats Qi rebellion, carbuncles, sores, ulcers, and various hemorrhages. It descends Phlegm. (Zhu Danxi stated: "Huangqin descends phlegm by leveraging its ability to descend fire. Phlegm arises due to fire agitation; thus, one must first descend the fire.") It relieves thirst and calms the fetus. (Pregnancy benefits from clearing heat and cooling blood; when blood does not move recklessly, the fetus remains secure.)
When stir-fried with wine, its action moves upward, clearing Lung fire and benefiting Qi in the chest. (The Lung governs Qi; heat injures Qi; clearing heat thereby benefits Qi.) It treats wind-heat and damp-heat in the Upper Jiao. (Zhu Danxi stated: "Huangqin acts on the Upper and Middle Jiao.") It treats fire-induced cough and fishy odor in the throat. (Among the five odors, the Lung corresponds to fishiness.) It treats red, swollen, and painful eyes. (When Huangqin is combined with Chaihu, it reduces chills and fever; with Shaoyao, it treats dysentery; with Houpo and Huanglian, it stops abdominal pain; with Sangbaipi, it clears Lung fire; with Baizhu, it calms the fetus; these are all sage combinations. Li Shizhen stated: "Zhang Zhongjing used Xiaochaihu Tang for Shaoyang syndrome; Huangqin Tang for Taiyang-Shaoyang combined syndrome with dysentery; and Xiexin Tang for post-purging epigastric fullness in Shaoyang syndrome, employing Huangqin in all. This is because Huangqin is bitter and cold, entering the Heart meridian to drain heat and eliminate Spleen damp-heat, preventing Stomach fire from flowing into the Lung and damaging Metal, thus protecting the Lung. Those with Lung deficiency should avoid it, as bitter-cold damages Earth, injuring the mother organ. Although Shaoyang syndrome is half-exterior and half-interior, epigastric fullness involves pathogenic factors of the Heart, Lung, and Upper Jiao; irritability, desire to vomit, and silent anorexia involve the Middle Jiao of the Spleen and Stomach. Thus, Huangqin is used to treat the Ministerial Fire of the Hand and Foot Shaoyang; Huangqin is also a Shaoyang herb. Yang Shiying's *Zhizhi Fang* stated: 'Chaihu reduces fever less effectively than Huangqin.' Li Shizhen stated: 'Chaihu is bitter and dispersing, scattering the superficial aspect of fire; Huangqin is cold and overcoming heat, subduing the root of fire.' Dong Yuan treated lung heat where the body felt like burning, with irritability, excessive thirst, and worsening during the day, using Yiwu Huangqin Tang to drain qi-level fire in the Lung meridian: one liang of Huangqin, decocted and taken. *Ben Shi Fang* treated sudden severe metrorrhagia.") Huangqin is bitter and cold and damages the Stomach. Those with deficiency-cold constitution should strictly avoid it. In pregnancy, if taken without excess heat, it will damage Yin and harm the fetal origin.
The hollow center is called Kuku Qin, or Pianku Qin, which clears Lung fire and releases heat from the muscle surface. (Light and floating substances move upward.) The solid interior is called Tiaoku Qin, or Ziku Qin, which drains Large Intestine fire. (Heavy and solid substances move downward.) For upward movement, stir-fry with wine to drain Liver and Gallbladder fire. Stir-fry with pig bile. Cornus officinalis (Shanzhuyu) and Fossilized Bones (Longgu) serve as guiding herbs. It is incompatible with Moutan Cortex (Danpi) and Cinnabar (Dansha).