（山草）入心包肝凉血解毒
紫草（专入心包肝）。甘咸气寒。色紫质滑。专入厥阴血分凉血。血凉则九窍通。二便
利。故
凡血热毒闭。而见心腹急痛。水肿不消。五疸 癣恶疮。及痘疮血热毒盛。二便闭涩者。治
当用此。俾血得寒而凉。得咸而降。得滑而通。得紫而入。血凉毒消。而二便因以解矣！（
活幼书云。紫草性寒。小儿脾实者可用。脾虚者反能作泻。）奈世误以为宣发之药。不论毒
闭与否辄用。殊失用药意义矣！泻者忌服。茸得阳气之早。用宜取茸为正。酒洗用。（紫草
去头须。本经云。能补中益气。似非。）
（隰草）入肝肾凉血
旱莲草（专入肝肾）。即书所云鳢肠草金陵草者是也。味甘而酸。性平色黑。功专入肝
入肾。
为止血凉血要剂。是以血痢煎膏用之。其血即止。须白汁涂。变白为黑。火疮发红。其红即
退。齿牙动摇。擦之即固。合冬青子。名二至丸。以补肝肾。但性阴寒。虽善凉血。不益脾
胃。（经疏）若不同以姜汁椒红相兼修服者。必腹痛作泻。苗如旋复。实似莲房。断之有汁。
须臾而黑。熬膏良。
（芳草）泻肝血热
赤芍（专入肝）。与白芍主治略同。但白则有敛阴益营之力。赤则止有散邪行血之意。
白则能
于土中泻木。赤则能于血中活滞。故凡腹痛坚积。血瘕疝痹。经闭目赤。（邪聚外肾为疝。
腹内
为瘕。）因于积热而成者。用此则能凉血逐瘀。（成无己曰。白补而赤泻。白收而赤散。酸以
收之。甘以缓之。故酸甘相合。用补阴血逆气而除肺燥。）与白芍主补无泻。大相远耳！大
明指为赤白皆补。其说不切。日华子指为赤能补气。白能治血。其说尤不切耳。不可不知。
至云产后忌用。亦须审其脉症。及脏偏胜若何耳。不可尽拘。（如脏阳脉症俱实者。虽在产
后。亦所不忌。脏阴脉症俱虚。即在产前。不得妄施。凡治病以能通晓脉症虚实为是。）恶
芒硝石斛。畏鳖甲小蓟。反藜芦。
紫草（专入心包经和肝经）。味甘、咸，气寒。色泽紫，质地滑润。专门进入厥阴经的血分以凉血。血液清凉则九窍通畅，大小便通利。因此，凡是血热毒邪闭阻，出现心腹急痛、水肿不消、五种黄疸、癣疾及恶疮，以及痘疮因血热毒盛导致的大小便闭涩者，治疗应当使用此药。使血液得寒性而变凉，得咸味而降泄，得滑润而通达，得紫色而入血分。血液清凉则毒邪消除，大小便因此得以通畅！（《活幼新书》记载：紫草性寒，小儿脾实者可以使用，脾虚者服用反而会导致腹泻。）然而世人误将其当作宣散发散的药物，不论是否有毒邪闭阻都随意使用，严重违背了用药的本意！腹泻患者忌服。采收宜取嫩茸部分为正用，需酒洗后使用。（紫草去头须，《神农本草经》记载其能补中益气，似乎与此不符。）
旱莲草（专入肝经和肾经）。即书中所说的鳢肠草、金陵草。味甘酸，性平，色黑。功效专门入肝入肾。是止血凉血的重要药剂。因此血痢煎膏服用时，出血即可停止。其白色汁液涂抹头发，可使白发变黑。火疮发红，涂抹后红色即退。牙齿松动，擦拭后即可坚固。与冬青子合用，名为“二至丸”，用以补益肝肾。但其性质阴寒，虽然善于凉血，但不利于脾胃。（《本草经疏》认为：若不与姜汁、椒红等温性药物配合服用，必然导致腹痛腹泻。其苗叶类似旋覆花，果实类似莲房，折断后有汁液，片刻后变黑。熬制成膏效果良好。）
赤芍（专入肝经）。与白芍的主治功能大致相同，但白芍有收敛阴气、益养营血的作用，赤芍仅有疏散邪气、行活血瘀的意图。白芍能在土（脾）中泻木（肝），赤芍能在血中疏通滞涩。因此，凡是因积热引起的腹痛坚硬积聚、血瘕疝气痹痛、闭经目赤（邪气聚集于外生殖器为疝，聚集于腹部内为瘕），使用此药能够凉血逐瘀。（成无己说：白芍主补而赤芍主泻，白芍主收而赤芍主散。酸味以收敛，甘味以缓急，所以酸甘相合，用于补益阴血、调理逆气并去除肺燥。）这与白芍主补无泻的功能大相径庭！缪希雍（大明）指赤白芍皆能补，这种说法不够确切；日华子指赤芍能补气、白芍能治血，这种说法尤其不切实际。不可不知道这一点。至于说产后忌用，也必须审察脉象症状，以及脏腑偏胜的情况如何。不能完全拘泥于此。（如脏腑阳脉症状俱实者，即使在产后，也不忌讳；脏腑阴脉症状俱虚者，即使在产前，也不得妄加施用。凡治病以能通晓脉症虚实为正确原则。）畏恶芒硝、石斛，畏惧鳖甲、小蓟，反藜芦。
(Mountain Herbs) Enter the Pericardium and Liver meridians, cool blood, and resolve toxicity.
**Lithospermi Radix (Zicao)** (Specifically enters the Pericardium and Liver meridians). Sweet and salty in flavor, cold in nature. Purple in color and smooth in texture. It specifically enters the Blood aspect of the Jueyin meridian to cool blood. When blood is cooled, the nine orifices become unobstructed, and urination and defecation become free. Therefore, for conditions where heat-toxity in the blood causes blockage, manifesting as acute pain in the heart and abdomen, persistent edema, five types of jaundice, tinea, malignant sores, and measles with excessive blood-heat and toxin causing constipation of urine and stool, this herb should be used in treatment. This allows the blood to be cooled by its cold nature, descended by its salty taste, unblocked by its smoothness, and entered into the blood by its purple color. Once the blood is cooled and toxins eliminated, urination and defecation are thereby resolved! (*Huoyou Shu* states: Zicao is cold in nature; it can be used for children with solid Spleen conditions, but may cause diarrhea if used for those with deficient Spleens.) However, people nowadays mistakenly regard it as a drug for dispersing and releasing exterior pathogens, using it indiscriminately regardless of whether there is toxic blockage, which severely deviates from the true meaning of medication. It is contraindicated for patients with diarrhea. Harvesting should prioritize the tender shoots; use after wine washing. (Removing the head and roots of Zicao, *Shennong Bencao Jing* claims it can tonify the middle and boost Qi, which seems inconsistent.)
(Wetland Herbs) Enter the Liver and Kidney meridians, and cool blood.
**Ecliptae Herba (Hanliancao)** (Specifically enters the Liver and Kidney meridians). Also known as Licang Cao or Jinling Cao mentioned in texts. Sweet and sour in flavor, neutral in nature, black in color. Its efficacy specifically targets the Liver and Kidney. It is an essential agent for stopping bleeding and cooling blood. Thus, when decocted into a paste for bloody dysentery, the bleeding stops immediately. Its white juice applied to hair turns white hair black. For burns with redness, application reduces the redness. For loose teeth, rubbing with it stabilizes them. Combined with **Ilicis Fructus (Dongqingzi)**, it forms the formula **Erzhi Wan**, used to tonify the Liver and Kidneys. However, its nature is yin-cold; although good at cooling blood, it does not benefit the Spleen and Stomach. (*Bencao Jing Shuluo* notes: If not processed and taken together with ginger juice and pepper red for warming, it will inevitably cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. The seedlings resemble *Inulae Flos (Xuanfuhua)*, the fruits resemble lotus pods, exuding juice upon breaking that turns black shortly after. Boiling into a paste is effective.)
(Fragrant Herbs) Drain heat from Liver blood.
**Paeoniae Radix Rubra (Chishao)** (Specifically enters the Liver meridian). Its indications are roughly similar to **Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao)**. However, Baishao has the power to astringe Yin and nourish Ying (Nutrient) Qi, whereas Chishao only has the intent to disperse pathogens and move blood stasis. Baishao can drain Wood (Liver) within Earth (Spleen), while Chishao can activate stagnation within the blood. Therefore, for abdominal pain, hard accumulations, blood masses, hernias, bi-syndrome, amenorrhea, and red eyes caused by accumulated heat, using this herb can cool blood and drive out stasis. (Cheng Wuji stated: Baishao tonifies while Chishao drains; Baishao gathers while Chishao disperses. Sour flavors gather, sweet flavors moderate, so combining sour and sweet is used to tonify Yin-blood, regulate rebellious Qi, and remove Lung dryness.) This is vastly different from Baishao, which primarily tonifies without draining! Miao Zhizhong (Daming) claimed both red and white Paeonia roots tonify, which is inaccurate; Ri Huazi claimed Red Paeonia tonifies Qi and White Paeonia treats blood, which is even more inaccurate. This must be understood. Regarding the claim that it is contraindicated postpartum, one must also examine the pulse and symptoms, and determine the excess or deficiency of the zang organs. One cannot adhere rigidly to this rule. (If the zang organ's Yang pulse and symptoms are all excess, it is not contraindicated even postpartum; if the zang organ's Yin pulse and symptoms are all deficiency, it should not be used recklessly even prenatally. In treating diseases, understanding the excess and deficiency of pulses and symptoms is correct.) It clashes with **Mangxiao (Natrii Sulfas)** and **Dendrobii Caulis (Shihu)**; fears **Bieja (Trionycis Carapax)** and **Cirsii Herba (Xiaoji)**; is incompatible with **Veratri Rhizoma (Lilu)**.