黄芩，味苦，气平，性寒，可升可降，阴中微阳，无毒。入肺经、大肠。退热除烦，泻
膀胱
之火，止赤痢，消赤眼，善安胎气，解伤寒郁蒸，润燥，益肺气。但可为臣使，而不可为君
药。近人最喜用之，然亦必肺与大肠、膀胱之有火者，用之始宜，否则，不可频用也。古人
云黄芩乃安胎之圣药，亦因胎中有火，故用之于白术、归身、人参、熟地、杜仲之中，自然
胎安。倘无火，而寒虚胎动，正恐得黄芩而反助其寒，虽有参、归等药补气、补血、补阴，
未必胎气之能固也，况不用参、归等药，欲望其安胎，万无是理矣。
或问黄芩清肺之品也，肺经之热，必须用之，然亦有肺热用黄芩而转甚者，何也？曰∶
用黄
芩以清肺热，此正治之法也。正治者，治肺经之实邪也。肺经有实邪，黄芩用之，可以解热
；肺经有虚邪，黄芩用之，反足以增寒。盖实邪宜正治，而虚邪宜从治也。
或问黄芩举世用而无疑，与用知母、黄柏颇相同，乃先生止咎用知母、黄柏之误，而不
咎用
黄芩，何也？曰∶黄芩亦非可久用之药，然其性寒而不大甚，但入于肺，而不入于肾。世人
上热多，而下热者实少，清上热，正所以救下寒也。虽多用久用，亦有损于胃，然肾经未伤
，本实不拨，一用温补，便易还原，其弊尚不至于杀人。若知母、黄柏泻肾中之火矣，肾火
消亡，脾胃必无生气，下愈寒而上愈热，本欲救阴虚火动，谁知反愈增其火哉。下火无根，
上火必灭，欲不成阴寒世界得乎。此用黄柏、知母之必宜辟也。
或问黄芩乃清肺之药，肺气热，则肾水不能生，用黄芩以清肺金，正所以生肾水乎？曰∶
黄
芩但能清肺中之金，安能生肾中之水。夫肺虽为肾经之母，肺处于上游，居高润下，理之常
也，何以清金而不能生水。盖肺中之火乃邪火，而非真火也，黄芩止清肺之邪火耳，邪火散
而真水自生，安在不可下生肾水。不知肾水之生，必得真火之养，黄芩能泻邪火，而不能生
真火，此所以不能生肾水也。予之取黄芩者，取其暂用以全金，非取其久用以益水。
或疑黄芩之寒凉，不及黄柏、知母，以黄芩味轻，而性又善散，吾子攻黄柏、知母宜也，
并
及黄芩，毋乃过乎？曰∶黄芩之多用，祸不及黄柏、知母远甚，余未尝有过责之辞，独是攻
击知母、黄柏，在于黄芩门下而畅论之，似乎并及黄芩矣。谁知借黄芩以论黄柏、知母，意
重
在黄柏、知母也。见黄芩之不宜多用，益知黄柏、知母之不可重用矣。世重寒凉，病深肺腑
，不如此，又何以救援哉。
黄芩，味道苦，气平，性质寒凉，作用趋势既可上升又可下降，属于阴中带有微阳之性，没有毒性。归入肺经和大肠经。能够退热除烦，清泻膀胱之火，治疗赤痢，消除眼部红肿（赤眼），善于安定胎气，解除伤寒病中的郁热蒸腾感，滋润燥邪，补益肺气。但是，它只能作为臣药或使药使用，而不能作为君药。近代人最喜欢使用它，然而也必须是肺、大肠、膀胱有火邪的情况下，使用它才适宜，否则，不可以频繁使用。古人说黄芩是安胎的圣药，也是因为胎中有火，所以将它配合白术、当归身、人参、熟地黄、杜仲一起使用，自然能使胎气安定。假如没有火邪，而是因寒虚导致的胎动不安，恐怕得到黄芩反而会助长寒气，即使有人参、当归等药物来补气、补血、补阴，未必就能固摄住胎气，更何况如果不使用人参、当归等药物，却希望它能安胎，这是绝对没有道理的。
有人问：黄芩是清肺的药物，肺经有热必须使用它，然而也有肺热用了黄芩反而加重的情况，为什么呢？回答说：用黄芩来清肺热，这是正治法。所谓正治，是针对肺经的实邪进行治疗。肺经如果有实邪，使用黄芩可以解热；如果肺经有虚邪，使用黄芩反而足以增加寒气。因为实邪应当用正治法，而虚邪应当用从治法。
有人问：黄芩被举世使用而没有疑问，它与使用知母、黄柏颇为相似，但先生只指责使用知母、黄柏的错误，而不指责使用黄芩，为什么呢？回答说：黄芩也不是可以长期使用的药物，然而它的性质寒凉但不算太严重，而且只进入肺经，不进入肾经。世上人上焦热多，而下焦热的确实很少，清除上焦的热，正是为了救助下焦的寒。虽然多用久用也会损伤胃气，但肾经未受伤害，根本未被动摇，一旦使用温补药物，就容易恢复，其弊端还不至于导致死亡。至于知母、黄柏是泻肾中之火的，肾火消亡后，脾胃必然失去生气，下焦更寒而上焦更热，本意是想救助阴虚火动，谁知反而更加增加了火势呢。下焦的火没有了根基，上焦的火必然熄灭，难道能不成一个阴寒的世界吗？这就是为什么必须排斥使用黄柏、知母的原因。
有人问：黄芩是清肺的药，肺气热，则肾水不能滋生，用黄芩来清肺金，正是为了生肾水吗？回答说：黄芩只能清除肺中的金气之热，怎么能生肾中的水呢。虽然肺是肾经的母亲，肺处于上游，居高位而润泽下方，这是常理，为什么清金就不能生水呢。这是因为肺中的火是邪火，而不是真火，黄芩只是清除肺中的邪火罢了，邪火散去而真水自然产生，怎么说不可以下生肾水呢。不知道肾水的生成，必须得到真火的滋养，黄芩能泻邪火，但不能生真火，这就是它不能生肾水的原因。我选用黄芩，是取它暂时使用以保全肺气（金），不是取它长期使用以滋补肾水。
有人怀疑黄芩的寒凉程度不及黄柏、知母，因为黄芩味道轻清，而且性质善于发散，我攻击黄柏、知伯是应该的，并及于黄芩，是不是太过分了？回答说：黄芩的多用，祸害远不及黄柏、知母严重，我未曾有过责备的话，唯独是在黄芩的门下畅论攻击知母、黄柏，似乎并及了黄芩。谁知道我是借讨论黄芩来论述黄柏、知母，重点在于黄柏、知母啊。看到黄芩的不宜多用，更加知道黄柏、知母不可重用。世人重视寒凉药物，疾病深入肺腑，不如此做，又用什么来救援呢。
Huangqin (Radix Scutellariae), with a bitter taste and neutral qi, possesses a cold nature. Its action can ascend or descend, belonging to yin with slight yang characteristics, and is non-toxic. It enters the Lung Meridian and Large Intestine Meridian. It reduces fever, relieves irritability, drains fire from the Bladder, stops bloody dysentery, eliminates red eyes, excels at calming fetal movement, resolves the stagnant steaming heat of Shanghan (Cold Damage disease), moistens dryness, and benefits Lung qi. However, it can serve only as an assistant minister (Chen) or envoy (Shi) herb, not as a sovereign (Jun) herb. People in recent times favor its use greatly; yet, it is suitable only when there is fire in the Lungs, Large Intestine, or Bladder. Otherwise, it should not be used frequently. The ancients stated that Huangqin is the sacred medicine for calming the fetus, which is because there is fire within the fetus. Thus, when used among Baizhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Dangguishen (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), and Duzhong (Eucommiae Cortex), it naturally calms the fetus. If there is no fire, but rather fetal movement due to cold deficiency, obtaining Huangqin might instead exacerbate the cold. Even with herbs like Renshen and Dangguishen to tonify qi, blood, and yin, securing the fetal qi may not be achieved. Furthermore, without using Renshen, Dangguishen, and other herbs, expecting them to calm the fetus is absolutely unreasonable.
One asked: "Huangqin is a substance that clears the Lungs. Heat in the Lung meridian requires its use. Yet, there are cases where lung heat worsens after using Huangqin. Why?" The response was: "Using Huangqin to clear lung heat is the direct treatment method (Zhengzhi). Direct treatment addresses excess pathogens (Shi xie) in the Lung meridian. If there are excess pathogens in the Lung meridian, Huangqin can resolve the heat. However, if there are deficient pathogens (Xu xie) in the Lung meridian, using Huangqin will merely increase the cold. Excess pathogens should be treated directly, while deficient pathogens should be treated indirectly (Congzhi)."
One asked: "Huangqin is used universally without doubt, similar to the use of Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma) and Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex). Yet, you only blame the errors of using Zhimu and Huangbai, not Huangqin. Why?" The response was: "Huangqin is also not a herb for long-term use. However, its cold nature is not extreme, and it enters the Lungs but not the Kidneys. Most people have heat in the upper jiao, while very few have heat in the lower jiao. Clearing upper heat is precisely to rescue lower cold. Although frequent and long-term use may damage the Stomach, the Kidney meridian remains unharmed, and the root foundation is not shaken. Once warm-tonifying herbs are used, recovery is easy, and the harm does not reach the point of causing death. In contrast, Zhimu and Huangbai drain fire from the Kidneys. If Kidney fire is extinguished, the Spleen and Stomach will lose their vital energy. The lower becomes colder, and the upper becomes hotter. Intending to rescue yin deficiency with hyperactive fire, one inadvertently increases the fire further. With lower fire lacking a root, upper fire must extinguish; how could this avoid becoming a world of yin-cold? This is why the use of Huangbai and Zhimu must be rejected."
One asked: "Huangqin clears the Lungs. When Lung qi is hot, Kidney water cannot be generated. Does using Huangqin to clear Lung metal aim to generate Kidney water?" The response was: "Huangqin can only clear the heat of metal in the Lungs; how can it generate water in the Kidneys? Although the Lungs are the mother of the Kidney meridian, and the Lungs reside upstream, high up, moistening downward—which is the normal principle—why would clearing metal fail to generate water? This is because the fire in the Lungs is pathogenic fire, not true fire. Huangqin merely clears the pathogenic fire in the Lungs. Once pathogenic fire disperses, true water generates itself. How can it be said that it cannot generate Kidney water downward? One fails to realize that the generation of Kidney water requires the nourishment of true fire. Huangqin can drain pathogenic fire but cannot generate true fire; therefore, it cannot generate Kidney water. My selection of Huangqin is to take advantage of its temporary use to preserve Lung metal, not its long-term use to benefit water."
One suspected: "The cold-cooling property of Huangqin is inferior to that of Huangbai and Zhimu. Since Huangqin has a light taste and a nature good at dispersing, my attack on Huangbai and Zhimu is justified, but including Huangqin seems excessive." The response was: "The harm caused by the overuse of Huangqin is far less severe than that of Huangbai and Zhimu. I have never used words of reproach against it. My criticism of Zhimu and Huangbai, discussed under the banner of Huangqin, seems to include Huangqin as well. Who knows that I am using Huangqin to discuss Huangbai and Zhimu, with the emphasis on Huangbai and Zhimu? Seeing that Huangqin should not be used frequently, one realizes even more strongly that Huangbai and Zhimu should not be used heavily. The world values cold-cooling herbs; when diseases deepen into the Lungs and intestines, what else can be done to provide rescue besides this?"