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Qinghao (Herba Artemisiae Annuae) is born from the fragrant and potent qi of heaven and earth. Its taste is bitter, its nature is cold, it has a fragrant aroma and is non-toxic. Bitterness can drain heat and kill parasites; coldness can reduce fever and eliminate latent heat in the yin aspect. Therefore, it treats postpartum consumptive fever (Ru Lao Xu Re), as well as emaciation and bone-steaming tidal fever (Gu Zheng) in men and women due to consumption. Generally, bitter-cold herbs often damage stomach qi; only Qinghao’s fragrant qi enters the spleen, does not offend the stomach, and can clear and drain damp-heat in the spleen. However, it should not be used for those with deficiency-cold diarrhea due to middle-jiao qi deficiency. If decocted into an ointment, it miraculously treats postpartum consumptive fever; this is made by crushing fresh leaves with child’s urine (Tong Bian) to extract juice and boiling it down. Qinghao is the same as Cao Hao, which is used in the preparation of Shen Qu. Decocted with child’s urine, it retreats bone-steaming consumption fever; crushed raw and juice extracted, it treats heart pain, hot jaundice, polyp swelling, and carbuncles; burnt to ash and washed with thick decoction, it points to treat dysentery and Gui Qi (ghost qi); ground into powder and swallowed with rice water, it cures wind-rash and scabies/itching. It stops deficiency vexation and night sweats, opens the appetite, brightens the eyes, wards off evil and kills parasites, excels at regulating blood-deficiency with heat, and specifically eliminates Gui Zhu Chuan Shi (ghostly transmission corpse disease).

When ghost qi invades the body, drawing in external pathogens, wandering through the skin, piercing through the zang-fu organs, causing stabbing pain upon each onset, and changing unpredictably, it is called Fei Shi (Flying Corpse); attaching to bones and flesh, attacking meridians and vessels, appearing upon seeing corpses or hearing cries, it is called Dun Shi (Escaping Corpse); overflowing and leaping in the four extremities, unaware of where the pain lies, appearing in a trance-like state upon each onset, worsening with wind and cold, it is called Feng Shi (Wind Corpse); knotted within zang-fu organs, rushing and pulling the heart and hypochondrium, causing severe twisting pain upon each onset, worsening with cold, it is called Chen Shi (Sunken Corpse); whole-body heaviness, mental confusion, feeling faint and paralyzed, flaring up greatly during solar terms, it is called Shi Zhu (Corpse Transmission). Li Shizhen said: *Yueling Tongzuan* states that on Geng days within the Dog Days, harvesting Qinghao and hanging it at the gate can ward off evil; taking two qian on Winter Solstice and New Year’s Day is also good. Thus, Qinghao’s treatment of Gui Zhu likely has its basis.

Note: Generally, bitter-cold drugs damage stomach qi; only Qinghao, being fragrant and entering the spleen, is suitable for those with blood deficiency and heat, precisely because it does not damage stomach qi. However, it lacks tonifying effects and must be assisted with qi and blood tonics to be effective.

Baiwei (Radix Cynanchi Atrati) is born from the yin qi of heaven and earth; thus, its taste is bitter and salty, its nature is cool and large-cold, and it is non-toxic.
Baiwei is bitter, salty, and cold; it enters the Heart and Kidney channels, benefits yin qi, and promotes the downward movement of water qi. It treats body heat and skin fullness due to Wind Stroke, alternating chills and fever with soreness and pain due to Warm Malaria, and can repel madness and Gui Zhu. It can eliminate Shang Zhong Lin Lu (middle injury with dripping discharge). It promotes qi flow and benefits essence, promotes downward movement and渗湿 (leaches out dampness), treats wind-warmth burning heat, excessive sleepiness, enuresis, hot strangury, and blood syncope.