泻伏火而补血
辛甘寒微。入手足少阴（心、肾）、厥阴（心包、肝）。泻血中伏火（色丹故入血分。时
珍曰∶伏火即阴火也，阴火即相火也。世人专以黄柏治相火，不知丹皮之功更胜，故仲景肾
气丸用之），和血、凉血而生血（血热则枯，凉则生），破积血（积瘀不去则新血不生），通
经脉。
为吐衄必用之药（血属阴本静，因相火所逼，故越出上窍）。治中风，五劳，惊痫螈
（筋脉伸缩抽掣为螈 。或手足抽掣，口眼 斜，卒然眩仆，吐涎身软，时发时止为痫。皆
阴虚血热，风火相搏，痰随火涌所致），除烦热，疗痈疮（凉血），下胞胎，退无汗之骨蒸（张
元素曰∶丹皮治无汗之骨蒸，地骨皮治有汗之骨蒸。神不足者手少阴，志不足者足少阴，故
仲景肾气丸用丹皮，治神志不足也。按《内经》曰∶水之精为志，故肾藏志。火之精为神，
故心藏神）。
单瓣花红者入药，肉浓者佳。酒拌蒸用。畏贝母、菟丝、大黄。忌蒜、胡荽、伏砒（时
珍曰∶花白者补，赤者利，人所罕悟，宜分别之）
补肝肾，理筋骨
苦温补肾、辛温补肝。能宣通血脉而理筋骨。主伤中，补不足（《经疏》曰∶味甘故然）
暖子宫，缩小便，破瘀血。
治腰痛胎漏（怀妊沥血），崩带遗精，肠风血痢（《是斋方》∶平胃散一两，川续断二钱
半，每服二钱，米饮下，治时痢亦验），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。川产良。状如鸡脚，皮黄皱节节断者真。去向里硬筋，酒浸用。地黄
为使。
泻除潜伏之火而补血。
味辛、甘，性寒微凉。归入手少阴心经和足少阴肾经，以及手厥阴心包经和足厥阴肝经。
泻除血中潜伏之火（因色红故入血分。李时珍说：伏火即阴火，阴火即相火。世人专门用黄柏治疗相火，不知道牡丹皮的功效更胜一筹，所以张仲景在肾气丸中使用它），调和血液、凉血而生血（血热则干枯，凉则生新），破除积瘀之血（积瘀不去则新血不生），疏通经脉。
是治疗吐血、衄血必用的药物（血属阴本静，因相火逼迫，所以溢出上窍）。治疗中风、五劳、惊痫抽搐（筋脉伸缩抽掣称为瘛疭。或手足抽掣，口眼歪斜，突然眩晕仆倒，吐涎沫身体软，时发时止称为痫证。都是阴虚血热，风火相搏，痰随火涌所致），消除烦热，治疗痈疮（凉血作用），下胎堕胎，退去无汗的骨蒸潮热（张元素说：牡丹皮治疗无汗的骨蒸，地骨皮治疗有汗的骨蒸。神不足者涉及手少阴心经，志不足者涉及足少阴肾经，所以张仲景在肾气丸中使用牡丹皮，治疗神志不足。按《内经》所说：水的精华为志，所以肾藏志。火的精华为神，所以心藏神）。
单瓣红色的花入药，肉质厚实的为佳。用酒拌后蒸制使用。畏贝母、菟丝子、大黄。忌食蒜、胡荽、伏砒（李时珍说：白色的花补益，红色的花通利，人们很少领悟这一点，应该加以区分）。
补益肝肾，调理筋骨。
味苦温补肾，味辛温补肝。能宣通血脉而调理筋骨。主治内伤，补益不足（《经疏》说：因为味甘所以如此）。温暖子宫，缩小便，破除瘀血。
治疗腰痛、胎漏（怀孕期淋漓出血）、崩漏带下、遗精，肠风血痢（《是斋方》：平胃散一两，川续断二钱半，每次服用二钱，米汤送下，治疗时行痢疾也有效），痈痔肿毒。又主治金创骨折（以功效命名），止痛生肌。
妇科和外科，需要将其作为上等药材。四川产的优良。形状像鸡脚，皮黄皱缩、节节断裂的是真品。去掉内部坚硬的筋，用酒浸泡使用。地黄为使药。
Clears latent fire and nourishes blood.
Pungent, sweet, cold with slight coolness. Enters the Hand-Shaoyin (Heart), Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney), Hand-Jueyin (Pericardium), and Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridians.
Clears latent fire in the blood (due to its red color, it enters the blood level. Li Shizhen said: Latent fire is Yin fire, and Yin fire is Ministerial fire. People usually use Huangbai [Phellodendri Cortex] to treat Ministerial fire, unaware that Mudanpi [Moutan Cortex] is more effective; thus, Zhang Zhongjing uses it in Shenqi Wan), harmonizes blood, cools blood to generate blood (blood heat causes dryness, cooling generates new blood), breaks up accumulated blood stasis (if stasis remains, new blood cannot be generated), and unblocks meridians.
It is an essential herb for treating hematemesis (vomiting blood) and epistaxis (nosebleed) (Blood belongs to Yin and is originally still, but due to the forcing of Ministerial fire, it overflows from the upper orifices). Treats wind-stroke, five types of exhaustion, fright and epilepsy with convulsions (convulsive twitching of sinews and vessels is called chi-zhong [spasm]. Or convulsions of hands and feet, deviation of mouth and eyes, sudden dizziness and collapse, spitting saliva, soft body, occurring intermittently is called epilepsy. All are caused by Yin deficiency and blood heat, wind-fire clashing, and phlegm surging with fire), eliminates vexation and heat, treats carbuncles and sores (cooling blood action), expels the fetus, and retreats bone-steaming tidal fever without sweat (Zhang Yuansu said: Mudanpi treats bone-steaming fever without sweat, while Digupi [Lycii Cortex] treats bone-steaming fever with sweat. Lack of Shen [Spirit] involves the Hand-Shaoyin meridian, lack of Zhi [Will] involves the Foot-Shaoyin meridian; thus, Zhang Zhongjing uses Mudanpi in Shenqi Wan to treat insufficiency of Spirit and Will. According to the *Neijing*: The essence of Water is Zhi, therefore the Kidney stores Zhi. The essence of Fire is Shen, therefore the Heart stores Shen).
Single-petaled red flowers are used medicinally, those with thick flesh are superior. Stir-fry with wine and steam before use. Averse to Beimu [Fritillariae Bulbus], Tusizi [Cuscutae Semen], and Dahuang [Rhei Radix et Rhizoma]. Avoid garlic, Huisu [Coriandri Fructus], and Fu Pi (Arsenic trioxide). (Li Shizhen said: White flowers tonify, red flowers promote circulation; this is rarely understood by people and should be distinguished.)
Tonifies Liver and Kidney, regulates sinews and bones.
Bitter-warm tonifies Kidney, pungent-warm tonifies Liver. It can circulate and unblock blood vessels and regulate sinews and bones. Mainly treats internal injury, tonifies insufficiency (*Jingshu* says: because it is sweet, it does so). Warms the uterus, reduces urination, breaks up blood stasis.
Treats lower back pain, fetal leakage (dribbling bleeding during pregnancy), metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, intestinal wind bloody dysentery (*Shizhai Fang*: Pingwei San 1 liang, Chuanxuduan 2 qian 5 fen, take 2 qian per dose, swallow with rice water; also effective for epidemic dysentery), carbuncles, hemorrhoids, swelling, and toxins. Also mainly treats metal wounds and fractures (named after its efficacy), stops pain and generates flesh.
In Gynecology and Surgery, it is required as a top-grade agent. Those produced in Sichuan are good. Shape like chicken feet, yellow wrinkled skin with segmented joints indicates authenticity. Remove the hard tendons inside, soak in wine before use. Dihuang [Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata] acts as the guiding drug.