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Xuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix): Black in color, sweet with a slight bitter taste, cool in nature and rich in fluid. It is originally a herb that clears and tonifies the Kidney Meridian. Its center is hollow and white in color (this is its natural color; pharmacies often dye it with black soybean peel water, obscuring the whiteness), thus it can also enter the Lung to clear dryness-heat in the Lung, detoxify and reduce fire, making it most suitable for lung tuberculosis and cough due to lung heat. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats residual diseases after childbirth. This is because its nature is cool but not cold, it excels at nourishing yin, and possesses tonifying properties (any herb named "Shen" contains tonifying qualities). Therefore, it is most appropriate for postpartum blood deficiency generating heat, as well as various postpartum conditions involving cold or warm pathogens, where heat has entered the Yangming stage. Throughout my career, in treating severe cases of postpartum exogenous excess heat, I use Baihu Jia Renshen Tang (White Tiger Plus Ginseng Decoction) replacing Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma) with Xuan Shen; for mild cases, I use my own formulated Ziyin Qingwei Tang (Nourish Yin Clear Stomach Decoction), which can also achieve cure. Indeed, while cooling herbs are contraindicated postpartum, if exogenous excess heat exists, cooling herbs must be used to clear heat. Only Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) and Xuan Shen are explicitly recorded in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* to treat postpartum conditions, so I dare to use them boldly. However, when using Shigao, one must add Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) to support it, and dare not combine it with Zhimu. In Ziyin Qingwei Tang, where Xuan Shen is heavily used, it must be assisted by Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) and Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) from Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction). This is what is meant by combining caution with boldness without contradiction. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* further states that Xuan Shen can brighten the eyes. This is indeed because the Liver opens into the eyes, and Xuan Shen can benefit Kidney Water to nourish Liver Wood, thereby brightening the eyes. Moreover, vision depends on sufficient "Shen Shui" (Spirit Water) in the pupil; Shen Shui is essentially the essence of the Kidney manifesting externally. Combining Xuan Shen with Baishi (Platycladi Semen) and Gouqi (Lycii Fructus) to treat blurred vision caused by heat generated from Liver-Kidney deficiency often yields rapid effects. Additionally, when high fever from exogenous pathogens has subsided, but the patient suffers from true yin depletion, dry tongue without saliva, consumption of stomach fluids, bitter taste in the mouth, and loss of appetite, I frequently use Xuan Shen (30g), adding Ludangshen (Codonopsis Radix) 6-9g, taken continuously for several doses until self-healing occurs.

Dang Gui: Sweet with a slight pungent taste, fragrant odor, thick fluid, warm in nature. It is the primary herb for generating and invigorating blood, and can also disseminate Qi, ensuring that Qi and Blood each return to their proper places, hence the name "Dang Gui" (Returning to the Proper Place). Its power can ascend (due to its dense and warm Qi) and descend (due to its dense and pungent taste); it moistens internal Zang-Fu organs internally (due to its dense and sweet fluid) and reaches the exterior muscle layer (due to its pungent and warm taste). It can moisten the dryness of Lung Metal, so the *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats rebellious Qi and upward cough; it can relieve the urgency of Liver Wood, so the Danggui Shaoyao San (Dang Gui and White Peony Powder) in the *Jingui Yaolue* treats various abdominal pains in women; it can tonify Spleen Blood, giving luster to skin and flesh; it generates new blood while resolving stasis, thus treating generalized numbness, limb pain, and painful swelling of sores; it invigorates blood while stopping bleeding, thus treating hematemesis and epistaxis (must be stir-fried with vinegar to utilize its descending property), and bleeding from both bowels and urine (must be stir-fried with wine to utilize its ascending property); it moistens the large intestine while promoting urination. All conditions of blood deficiency, blood exhaustion, and yin deficiency are suitable for its use. However, it is strictly contraindicated in cases of consumptive disease with profuse sweating and loose stools.
Although Dang Gui is warm in nature, it can be used for blood deficiency with heat, because generating blood implies nourishing yin, and nourishing yin implies reducing heat. Although its dispersing power is weak, it is quite good at expelling wind, because wind pathogens attaching to the body often cause blood bi-obstruction; when blood flows freely, the obstruction opens, and wind naturally departs. Regarding women experiencing convulsions postpartum due to wind invasion, heavy use of Dang Gui is particularly suitable. Postpartum convulsions are half due to wind invasion and half due to blood deficiency (blood deficiency failing to nourish sinews). Dang Gui can both invigorate blood to expel wind and generate blood to tonify deficiency. Thus, in treating such conditions, I frequently use a heavy dose of Dang Gui (30g), adding a small amount of wind-expelling herbs as assistants, achieving immediate results.
[Attached Case] A young woman, physically frail, experienced menstruation becoming progressively lighter, eventually reducing to only a scanty flow. She asked for treatment methods. At that time, I had just begun studying medicine and dared not prescribe formulas. I advised her to boil and drink 24g of Dang Gui alone daily. By the next cycle, her menstrual flow returned to normal, demonstrating the blood-generating efficacy of Dang Gui.
A man in his forties suffered from hematuria. He cured himself by drinking decoction made from 30g of Dang Gui boiled in wine. Later, the illness recurred. Using the original formula again was ineffective. He sought medical help. I prescribed him to take fifty peeled Yadanzi (Brucea Fructus) pills delivered with rock sugar dissolved in water, which cured him. Later, the illness recurred again. Taking the Brucea formula twice more was ineffective. He then resumed drinking the wine-boiled Dang Gui decoction and was cured. The person remained the same, the condition remained the same. The formula that cured him previously became effective or ineffective later on. This may be due to differences in cold and heat patterns before and after the blood disorder. Nevertheless, this case also demonstrates that Dang Gui can stop lower jiao bleeding.