补脾，涩肠，固精
甘温而涩，脾之果也。脾者黄宫，故能交水火而媾心肾，安靖上下君、相火邪（古方治
心肾不交、劳伤白浊，有莲子清心饮，补心肾有瑞莲丸）。益十二经脉血气，涩精气，浓肠
胃，除寒热。治脾泄久痢，白浊梦遗，女人崩带及诸血病。大便燥者勿服。去心、皮，蒸熟
焙干用。得茯苓、山药、白术、枸杞良。
黑而沉水者为石莲，清心除烦，开胃进食，专治噤口痢、淋浊诸证（石莲入水则沉，入
卤则浮。煎盐人以之试卤，莲浮至顶，卤乃可煎。落田野中者，百年不坏，人得食之，发黑
不老。肆中石莲，产广中树上，其味大苦，不宜入药）。
莲心为末，米饮下，疗产后血竭。
涩精
甘温而涩。精心通肾，益血固精，乌须黑发，止梦泄遗精，吐崩诸血。略与莲子同功。
凉血散瘀
涩平。解热毒，消瘀血，止吐、衄、淋、痢一切血证（和生地汁、童便服良）。藕生甘
寒，凉血散瘀（宋大官作血 ，误落藕皮，血遂涣散不凝。一人病血淋，痛胀欲死，李时珍
以发灰二钱，藕汁调服，三日而愈。《梅师方》∶产后余血上冲，煮汁服），止渴除烦（《圣惠
方》∶藕汁，蜜和服，治时气烦渴），解酒毒、蟹毒（捣烂，热酒调服）。煮熟甘温，益胃补
心（多孔象心），止泻（能实大肠）止怒，久服令人欢（益心之效）。生捣，罨金疮伤折；熟
捣，涂坼裂冻疮（《肘后方》∶卒中毒箭者，藕汁饮，多多益善。孟诜曰∶产后忌生冷，独藕
不忌，为能散瘀血也）澄粉亦佳，安神益胃。
补益脾脏，固涩肠道，巩固精气。
莲子味甘、性温而具涩味，是脾脏的果实。脾在五行中属土，位居中央黄色，因此能够协调水火，使心肾相交，安定上焦君火与下焦相火的邪气（古代方剂治疗心肾不交、劳伤导致的白浊，有用莲子清心饮；补益心肾有瑞莲丸）。莲子能补益十二经脉的气血，固涩精气，厚肠胃，消除寒热症状。用于治疗脾虚泄泻、久痢不止、白浊、梦遗，以及妇女崩漏、带下病和各种出血性疾病。大便干燥者不宜服用。使用时需去除莲心和外皮，蒸熟后焙干入药。与茯苓、山药、白术、枸杞配伍使用效果良好。
颜色黑且沉于水中的称为石莲，能清心除烦，开胃进食，专门治疗噤口痢、淋证、浊证等各种病症（石莲入水则下沉，入卤水则上浮。煎盐人用它来测试卤水的浓度，当莲子浮到水面时，说明卤水浓度适宜，可以开始煎盐。落在田野中的石莲，百年不腐烂，人们食用它可以头发变黑、延缓衰老。市面上售卖的石莲，产自广东地区的树上，味道极苦，不适合入药）。
固涩精气
莲子味甘、性温而具涩味。莲子心能通心气并关联肾脏，补益血液，固摄精气，使胡须和头发乌黑，停止梦中遗精和滑精，治疗吐血、崩漏等各种出血症状。其功效略与莲子相同。
凉血散瘀
藕性涩、平。能解除热毒，消散瘀血，止住吐血、鼻衄、淋证、痢疾等一切出血病症（与生地黄汁、童便配合服用效果良好）。生藕味甘、性寒，能凉血散瘀（宋代有一位大官制作血膏时，不小心将血滴落在藕皮上，血液随即涣散无法凝固。有一人患血淋病，疼痛胀满痛苦欲死，李时珍用二钱发灰，调以藕汁让他服用，三天后痊愈。《梅师方》记载：产后余血上冲，煮藕汁服用），止渴除烦（《圣惠方》记载：藕汁加蜂蜜调和服用，治疗时行热病引起的烦渴），解酒毒、蟹毒（将藕捣烂，用热酒调服）。煮熟后的藕味甘、性温，能益胃补心（因其多孔，形状像心脏），止泻（能使大肠充实），平息怒气，长期服用使人心情欢愉（这是补益心脏的效果）。生藕捣碎外敷，可用于金创骨折；熟藕捣碎外涂，可用于治疗皲裂和冻疮（《肘后方》记载：突然被毒箭射中，饮用藕汁，越多越好。孟诜说：产后忌食生冷，唯独藕不忌口，因为它能消散瘀血）。藕粉也很好，能安神益胃。
Tonifies the Spleen, astringes the Intestines, consolidates Essence.
Sweet, warm in nature and astringent, it is the fruit of the Spleen. The Spleen belongs to Earth and occupies the central yellow position; therefore, it can harmonize Water and Fire, facilitate the interaction between the Heart and Kidney, and pacify the pathogenic factors of the Ministerial Fire (Jinghuo) in the lower Jiao and the Sovereign Fire (Junhuo) in the upper Jiao (Ancient formulas for treating non-interaction between Heart and Kidney and white turbidity due to overwork include Lianzi Qingxin Yin [Lotus Seed Clearing Heart Decoction]; Ruilian Wan [Auspicious Lotus Pill] tonifies Heart and Kidney). It benefits the Qi and Blood of the Twelve Meridians, astringes Essence and Jing, thickens the Stomach and Intestines, and eliminates cold and heat. It treats Spleen deficiency diarrhea, chronic dysentery, white turbidity, nocturnal emission with dreams, women's metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and various blood diseases. Those with dry stools should not take it. Remove the plumule and skin, steam until cooked, then bake dry before use. It works well when combined with Poria [Fu Ling], Dioscorea [Shan Yao], Atractylodes Macrocephala [Bai Zhu], and Lycium [Gou Qi].
Those that are black and sink in water are called Shi Lian [Stone Lotus]. They clear the Heart and relieve irritability, stimulate appetite, and specifically treat Jin Kou Li [closed-mouth dysentery], Lin syndrome [dysuria], and turbid urine conditions (Shi Lian sinks in fresh water but floats in brine. Salt makers use it to test brine density; when the lotus seed floats to the top, the brine is ready for boiling. Shi Lian found in fields does not decay for a hundred years; consuming it darkens hair and prevents aging. Commercially available Shi Lian comes from trees in Guangdong, has a very bitter taste, and is unsuitable for medicinal use).
Powdered Lotus Plumule [Lian Xin] taken with rice decoction treats postpartum exhaustion of blood.
Astringing Essence
Sweet, warm in nature and astringent. Lotus Plumule connects the Heart and benefits the Kidney, nourishes Blood, consolidates Essence, darkens beard and hair, stops nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea, and treats hematemesis and metrorrhagia. Its efficacy is slightly similar to that of the Lotus Seed [Lian Zi].
Cooling Blood and Dispersing Stasis
Pungent/Neutral? No, text says "Se/Ping" -> Sour/Astringent and Neutral. Astringent, neutral. Resolves heat toxins, disperses blood stasis, and stops all types of bleeding such as hematemesis, epistaxis, Lin syndrome, and bloody dysentery (taking it with juice of Rehmannia [Sheng Di Huang] and first-void urine [Tong Bian] is effective). Raw Lotus Root [Ou] is sweet and cold, cooling blood and dispersing stasis (In the Song Dynasty, an official making blood paste accidentally dropped blood on lotus root skin, causing the blood to scatter and fail to coagulate. A patient suffering from bloody Lin syndrome, experiencing severe pain and distension nearly to death, was treated by Li Shizhen with two qian of burnt hair powder mixed with lotus root juice, cured in three days. *Mei Shi Fang* records: for residual blood rushing upward after childbirth, boil and drink the juice), relieves thirst and irritability (*Sheng Hui Fang* records: lotus root juice mixed with honey treats irritability and thirst caused by epidemic febrile diseases), resolves alcohol and crab toxicity (mash fresh, mix with hot wine). Cooked Lotus Root is sweet and warm, benefiting the Stomach and tonifying the Heart (its many pores resemble the heart structure), stops diarrhea (solidifies the Large Intestine), calms anger, and long-term consumption brings joy (effect of tonifying the Heart). Fresh mashed applied externally treats traumatic injuries and fractures; cooked mashed applied externally treats fissures and frostbite (*Zhou Hou Fang* records: for sudden poison arrow wounds, drink lotus root juice, the more the better. Meng Shen said: Postpartum patients should avoid raw and cold foods, except for lotus root, because it disperses blood stasis). Lotus starch [Ou Fen] is also excellent, calming the Spirit and benefiting the Stomach.