气温。味苦。无毒。主咳逆上气。胸中寒热结气。去蛊毒。痿 安五脏。（蜜蒸）
紫菀气温。禀天春升之木气。入手厥阴心包络经。味苦无毒。得地南方之火味。入手少
阴心
经。气升味降。阴也。心为君火。火刑肺金则咳逆上气矣。紫菀入心。味苦清火。所以主之
也。心包络手厥阴脉。起于胸中。手厥阴之筋。其支者入腋散胸中。厥阴主散寒热结气者。
厥阴有或寒或热之气结也。结而不散。厥阴病矣。紫菀气温。可以散寒。味苦可以散热也。
蛊毒者。湿热之毒。化虫成蛊也。味苦无毒。泄而杀虫。所以主之也。痿 者。肺受湿热熏
蒸。不能行清肃之令。心气热下脉厥而上。上实下虚。枢折挈胫纵不任地。而生痿 也。味
苦入心。清热降气。故主痿 也。心为君。主十二官之宰。五脏之主也。味苦益心。心安则
五脏皆安也。
制 方:
紫菀五钱煎。治肺伤咳嗽。紫菀、款冬各一两。百部五钱末。姜、乌梅煎汤。调服三钱。
治
久咳
嗽。同杏仁等分蜜丸。五味汤化服。治小儿咳嗽。同五味丸含化。治吐血痰咳。为末水服三
撮。治女人卒不小便。及小便血。
气寒。味苦。无毒。主消渴热中。除邪气。肢体浮肿。下水。补不足。益气。（去
毛盐水炒）
知母气寒。禀天冬寒之水气。入足少阴肾经。味苦无毒。得地南方之火味。入手少阴心
经。
气味俱降。阴也。肾属水。心属火。水不制火。火烁津液。则病消渴。火熏五内。则病热中
。其苦之者。苦清心火。寒滋肾水也。除邪气者。苦寒之味。能除燥火之邪气也。热胜则浮
。火胜则肿。苦能清火。寒能退热。故主肢体浮肿也。肾者水藏。其性恶燥。燥则开合不利
。而水反蓄矣。知母寒滑。滑利关门而水自下也。补不足者。苦寒补寒水之不足也。益气者
。苦寒益五脏之阴气也。
制 方:
知母同麦冬、石膏、贝母、陈皮、鳖甲、青蒿、牛膝。治久疟烦渴。同桂枝、白芍、甘
草、
饴糖。治脾虚胃热。多食而烦。同牛膝、生地、白芍、甘草、桂枝、桑枝。治手足牵引。夜
卧不安。同白芍、花粉、甘草、桂枝。治柔痉。惊呼不安卧。同黄柏、车前、木通、天冬、
甘草。治强阳不痿。
【紫菀】
性温。味苦。无毒。主治咳嗽气逆、胸中寒热郁结之气，去除蛊毒，治疗痿证并安养五脏。（用蜂蜜蒸制）
紫菀性温，禀受春天升发的木气，归入手厥阴心包经；味苦无毒，得地南方火之味，归入手少阴心经。其气升而味降，属阴。心为君火，若火邪刑克肺金，则导致咳嗽气逆。紫菀入心经，味苦能清心火，所以主治此症。手厥阴心包络脉，起于胸中；手厥阴之筋，其分支进入腋下散布于胸中。厥阴经主司疏散寒热郁结之气。若厥阴经受邪，出现或寒或热的邪气郁结，郁结不散，即为厥阴病。紫菀性温，可以散寒；味苦，可以散热。所谓蛊毒，是湿热之毒，化生为虫而成蛊。紫菀味苦无毒，能泄下并杀虫，所以主治蛊毒。所谓痿证，是肺受湿热熏蒸，不能行使清肃下降的职能，导致心气热盛，下部经脉之气厥逆而上行，上部实而下部虚，枢机折断，小腿纵缓不能站立，从而产生痿证。紫菀味苦入心，能清热降气，所以主治痿证。心为君主，主宰十二官，是五脏之主。味苦能补益心气，心气安宁则五脏皆安。
制方：
紫菀五钱煎服，治疗肺伤引起的咳嗽。紫菀、款冬花各一两，百部五钱研末，用生姜、乌梅煎汤，调服三钱，治疗久咳。与杏仁等分制成蜜丸，用五味子汤送服，治疗小儿咳嗽。与五味子丸含化，治疗吐血及痰咳。研为细末，水送服三撮，治疗妇女突然小便不通及尿血。
【知母】
性寒。味苦。无毒。主治消渴、热中，去除邪气，治疗肢体浮肿，利水，补益不足，益气。（去毛后用盐水炒）
知母性寒，禀受冬天寒冷的水气，归入足少阴肾经；味苦无毒，得地南方火之味，归入手少阴心经。其气味俱降，属阴。肾属水，心属火，若肾水不能制约心火，火邪灼烧津液，则发生消渴病；火邪熏蒸五脏内部，则发生热中病。知母的苦味，能清心火；寒性，能滋肾水。所谓除邪气，是指苦寒之味，能清除燥火之邪气。热盛则浮，火盛则肿，苦能清火，寒能退热，所以主治肢体浮肿。肾是水脏，其性质厌恶干燥，干燥则开合不利，水液反而蓄积。知母性寒滑，滑利能通利关门，水液自然下行。所谓补不足，是指苦寒之性能补益寒水（肾阴）的不足。所谓益气，是指苦寒之性能益助五脏的阴气。
制方：
知母同麦冬、石膏、贝母、陈皮、鳖甲、青蒿、牛膝配伍，治疗久疟疾烦渴。同桂枝、白芍、甘草、饴糖配伍，治疗脾虚胃热，多食且烦。同牛膝、生地、白芍、甘草、桂枝、桑枝配伍，治疗手足牵引、夜间睡眠不安。同白芍、花粉、甘草、桂枝配伍，治疗柔痉，惊呼不安卧。同黄柏、车前子、木通、天冬、甘草配伍，治疗阳强不倒（强阳不痿）。
[Radix Asteris (Zi Wan)]
Nature: Warm. Flavor: Bitter. Toxicity: Non-toxic. Indications: Cough with rebellious Qi (Ke Ni Shang Qi), chest congestion of cold and heat, removal of gu poison (Gu Du), treatment of flaccidity syndrome (Wei Zheng), and calming the five zang organs. (Preparation: Steamed with honey)
Radix Asteris is warm in nature, inheriting the spring-rising Wood Qi from heaven, entering the Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. It is bitter and non-toxic in flavor, obtaining the Fire flavor of the south from earth, entering the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Its ascending Qi and descending flavor constitute Yin. The Heart is the Sovereign Fire; if Fire insults Lung Metal, it causes cough with rebellious Qi. Radix Asteris enters the Heart, and its bitter flavor clears Fire, thus treating this condition. The Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian originates in the chest; the sinews of the Hand Jueyin have branches that enter the axilla and scatter in the chest. The Jueyin governs the dispersal of cold and heat stagnation. If Jueyin is affected by cold or heat stagnation that does not disperse, it becomes a Jueyin disease. Radix Asteris is warm to dispel cold and bitter to clear heat. Gu poison refers to damp-heat toxicity transforming into parasites. Its bitter and non-toxic nature drains downward and kills parasites, thus treating gu poison. Flaccidity syndrome occurs when the Lung is steamed by damp-heat, failing to perform its clearing and descending function, causing Heart Fire to rise while lower meridians rebel upwards, resulting in upper excess and lower deficiency, collapse of the pivot, flaccid legs unable to support the body, leading to Wei Zheng. Radix Asteris enters the Heart via its bitter flavor, clearing heat and descending Qi, thus treating flaccidity syndrome. The Heart is the Sovereign, governing the twelve officials and being the master of the five zang organs. Bitter flavor benefits the Heart; when the Heart is calm, all five zang organs are secure.
Prescriptions:
Decoct 15g of Radix Asteris to treat lung injury with cough. Mix 30g each of Radix Asteris and Flos Farfarae (Kuan Dong Hua), 15g of Radix Stemonae (Bai Bu) powdered. Decoct fresh ginger and Fructus Mume (Wu Mei) in water, mix with 9g of the powder to take. Treats chronic cough. Combine with Semen Armeniacae Amarum (Xing Ren) in equal parts, make honey pills, take with Wu Wei Zi decoction. Treats pediatric cough. Combine with Wu Wei Zi Wan for sublingual administration. Treats hemoptysis and phlegm-cough. Powder and take 4.5g with water. Treats sudden urinary retention and hematuria in women.
[Rhizoma Anemarrhenae (Zhi Mu)]
Nature: Cold. Flavor: Bitter. Toxicity: Non-toxic. Indications: Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst), Re Zhong (internal heat), removal of pathogenic factors, limb edema, promoting urination, tonifying deficiency, benefiting Qi. (Preparation: Stir-fried with salt water after removing hairs)
Rhizoma Anemarrhenae is cold in nature, inheriting the winter-cold Water Qi from heaven, entering the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. It is bitter and non-toxic in flavor, obtaining the Fire flavor of the south from earth, entering the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Both its Qi and flavor descend, constituting Yin. The Kidney belongs to Water, and the Heart belongs to Fire. If Kidney Water fails to control Heart Fire, Fire scorches body fluids, causing Xiao Ke. If Fire steams the internal organs, it causes Re Zhong. The bitterness clears Heart Fire, and the coldness nourishes Kidney Water. Removing pathogenic factors refers to the bitter-cold flavor eliminating dry-fire pathogens. Heat excess causes floating/swelling; Fire excess causes swelling. Bitterness clears fire, coldness reduces heat, thus treating limb edema. The Kidney is the Water storage, disliking dryness. Dryness impairs opening and closing, causing water accumulation. Rhizoma Anemarrhenae is cold and slippery; slipperiness opens the gates, allowing water to flow down naturally. Tonifying deficiency refers to bitter-cold nature replenishing the insufficiency of Cold Water (Kidney Yin). Benefiting Qi refers to bitter-cold nature enriching the Yin Qi of the five zang organs.
Prescriptions:
Combine with Radix Ophiopogonis (Mai Dong), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao), Rhizoma Pinelliae Preparata (Bei Mu), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Chen Pi), Carapax et Plastrum Testudinis (Bie Jia), Herba Artemisiae Annuae (Qing Hao), and Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (Niu Xi). Treats chronic malaria with irritability and thirst. Combine with Ramulus Cinnamomi (Gui Zhi), Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bai Shao), Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao), and Maltose (Yi Tang). Treats Spleen deficiency with Stomach heat, polyphagia with irritability. Combine with Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata (Sheng Di), Radix Paeoniae Alba, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Ramulus Cinnamomi, and Ramulus Mori (Sang Zhi). Treats limb traction and restless sleep at night. Combine with Radix Paeoniae Alba, Radix Platycodonis (Hua Fen), Radix Glycyrrhizae, and Ramulus Cinnamomi. Treats Rou Jing (soft spasm), crying out, restlessness, and inability to lie down. Combine with Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bo), Herba Plantaginis (Che Qian), Caulis Akebiae (Mu Tong), Radix Asparagi (Tian Dong), and Radix Glycyrrhizae. Treats persistent erection without flaccidity (Qiang Yang Bu Wei).