玄参为之使。恶贝母、漏芦、菟丝子。反藜芦。伏汞。制雌黄、焰硝。
苦、寒。入足少阴经。治湿郁伏热，烦躁口渴，大风癞疾，目痛流泪，痈肿斑疹，肠风
泻血
，热痢腹痛，黄胆遗浊，赤白带下，小便赤涩，杀疳虫，解酒毒。得枯矾，治齿缝出血、鼻
疮脓臭。得枳壳，治风癞热毒。配牡蛎，治赤白带下。配白术、牡蛎、雄猪肚，治梦遗。配
生地、黄芩，治妊娠尿难。佐荆芥，治肾脏风毒。
糯米泔浸一宿去腥气，蒸用。醋炒，治少腹热痛。酒炒，治时症热结。肝肾虚而无热者
禁用
。（苦伤阴水。）久服病腰。
一名白膻
恶桔梗、茯苓、萆 、螵蛸。
苦、寒、性燥。入足太阴、阳明经。除湿热，治诸黄，利九窍，通关节，祛风痹，行水
道，
疗疥癣鼠 ，退女人阴肿。酒拌炒。下部虚寒者禁用。
一名玄胡索
苦、辛、温。入手足太阴、厥阴经血分。能行血中气滞、气中血滞。理一身内外上下诸
痛，
调月经，止痢疾，利小便，破症癖跌扑凝瘀，善落胎，治产后诸血病。得乳香、钩藤，治盘
肠气痛。配全蝎，治疝气危急。配川楝子，治热厥心痛。（并治小便不通。）配益母草，行产
妇恶血。
破血，生用。调血，炒用。行血，酒炒。止血，醋炒。上部，酒炒。中部，醋炒。下部，
盐
水炒。虚人血逆，当兼补药用。经事先期，虚而崩漏，或经血枯少不利，产后虚运，或气虚
作痛者，皆禁用。
Xuan Shen (Radix Scrophulariae) serves as its guiding herb. It is incompatible with Bei Mu (Fritillariae Bulbus), Lou Lu (Euphorbiae Humifusae Herba), and Tu Si Zi (Cuscutae Semen). It is chemically antagonistic to Li Lu (Veratri Rhizoma). It can suppress the toxicity of mercury. It can be processed with Ci Huang (Realgar) and Yan Xiao (Saltpeter).
Bitter, cold. Enters the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Treats latent heat caused by dampness stagnation, restlessness, thirst, severe leprosy-like diseases, eye pain with tearing, carbuncles, sores, macules, and rashes, intestinal wind with bloody stool, painful dysentery due to heat, jaundice with turbid urination, red and white leukorrhea, dark and scanty urination, kills pinworms, and resolves alcohol toxicity. Combined with Ku Fan (Alumen), it treats bleeding from gum fissures and nasal ulcers with purulent discharge and foul odor. Combined with Zhi Ke (Aurantii Fructus), it treats wind-leprosy and heat toxins. Paired with Mu Li (Ostreae Concha), it treats red and white leukorrhea. Paired with Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Mu Li (Ostreae Concha), and Xiong Zhu Du (Stomach of Sus Scrofa domestica, male), it treats nocturnal emission. Paired with Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix) and Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix), it treats difficult urination during pregnancy. Assisted by Jing Jie (Schizonepetae Herba), it treats kidney wind-toxin.
Soak in rice washing water overnight to remove the fishy smell, then steam before use. Stir-fried with vinegar, it treats hot pain in the lower abdomen. Stir-fried with wine, it treats heat accumulation in epidemic febrile diseases. Contraindicated in cases of Liver and Kidney deficiency without heat. (Bitter flavors damage Yin fluids.) Long-term consumption causes backache.
(This section refers to Bai Xian Pi) Also known as Bai Shan.
Incompatible with Jie Geng (Platycodonis Radix), Fu Ling (Poria), Bi Xie (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma), and Piao Xiao (Sepiae Endoconcha).
Bitter, cold, drying nature. Enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. Clears damp-heat, treats various types of jaundice, unblocks the nine orifices, unites joints, dispels wind-bi, promotes water pathways, treats scabies, tinea, and scrofula, and reduces vulvar swelling in women. Stir-fried with wine. Contraindicated in cases of deficiency-cold in the lower jiao.
(This section refers to Yan Hu Suo) Also known as Xuan Hu Suo.
Bitter, acrid, warm. Enters the blood level of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, and Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. It can move qi stagnation within blood and blood stagnation within qi. Regulates all kinds of pain inside and outside, above and below the body, regulates menstruation, stops dysentery, promotes urination, breaks up masses (zheng) and stasis from falls and bruises, is effective in inducing abortion, and treats various blood disorders postpartum. Combined with Ru Xiang (Olibanum) and Gou Teng (Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis), it treats intestinal colic pain. Paired with Quan Xie (Scorpio), it treats critical hernia conditions. Paired with Chuan Lian Zi (Meliae Fructus), it treats heart pain due to heat-jue. (Both treat urinary retention.) Paired with Yi Mu Cao (Leonuri Herba), it expels lochia in postpartum women.
To break blood stasis, use raw. To harmonize blood, stir-fry. To promote blood circulation, stir-fry with wine. To stop bleeding, stir-fry with vinegar. For the upper part of the body, stir-fry with wine. For the middle part, stir-fry with vinegar. For the lower part, stir-fry with salt water. In cases of deficiency with rebellious blood flow, combine with tonifying herbs. Contraindicated in cases of early menstruation with deficiency-induced metrorrhagia, or scanty and obstructed menses due to blood depletion, postpartum dizziness due to deficiency, or pain due to qi deficiency.