一名酸浆
伏白矾。煮三黄。炼硝、硫。
苦，寒。入手太阴经气分。利湿热，治咽痛，消痰嗽。
入滋阴清火药，疗虚人咳嗽。
即苦菜
苦，平。入足厥阴，兼入足阳明经。破血排脓。去疽痔，除痈肿。配米仁、附子，下腹
痈。
入四物，治恶露不止。
得紫菀良。杏仁为之使。畏贝母、麻黄、辛夷、黄芩、黄 、连翘、青葙。恶玄参
、皂荚、硝石。
辛，温。入手太阴经气分。开痰止嗽，下气除烦。却喉痹，疗肺痿。配白薇、贝母、百
部，
治鼻塞。配川连，敷口疳。烧烟以筒吸烟之，治久嗽。
去蒂、梗、壳，甘草水浸一宿，晒干用。蜜水拌更润。阴虚火动，肺气虚咳，二者禁用。
实为之使。恶大麻子。
甘、苦，微寒。入足厥阴经。除肝热，和肝气。凡因血热，以致头风、鼻衄、肿毒、目
翳赤
泪、唇口青色者，均得此而愈。得生甘草，治发背初起。配地肤子，治青盲雀目。
苦、甘，寒。入足太阳经气分。利膀胱水，去皮肤热。除客热丹肿，疗 疝溲数，煎洗
一切
疮疥。得生地，治风热赤眼。得甘草，治虚热。配生姜、热酒，治雷头风肿。佐地榆、黄芩
，治血痢。佐白术、肉桂，治狐疝阴 。（忌生葱、桃、李。）
叶，苦、寒。煎汤洗浴，去皮间风热。频洗眼，除雀盲涩痛。
捣汁服，治泄泻淋症。
[Shuhui Hua (Hibiscus Mutabilis Flower)]
Sweet, cold. Red flowers treat red leukorrhea; white flowers treat white leukorrhea. Red flowers treat blood dryness; white flowers treat qi dryness.
Also known as: Suanjiang.
Contraindications and Processing: Avoid using with Fu Bai Fan (Alum treated with Longdan); do not decoct with Sanhuang (Rhizoma Coptidis, Radix Scutellariae, Radix Anemarrhenae); do not refine with Xiaosha (Natrii Sulfas) and Liuhuang (Sulfur).
[Difuzi (Fructus Kochiae)]
Bitter, cold. Enters the Qi level of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Promotes urination to drain damp-heat, treats sore throat, resolves phlegm and cough.
When combined with herbs that nourish Yin and clear fire, it treats cough in patients with deficiency.
Also known as: Jikucai.
Bitter, neutral. Enters the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, and also enters the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. Breaks blood stasis and expels pus. Removes ulcers and hemorrhoids, eliminates carbuncles and swelling. Combined with Yiren (Coicis Semen) and Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), it treats abdominal abscesses.
Added to Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction), it treats persistent lochia.
[Ziwann (Radix Asteris)]
Works well when combined with Ziwan. Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum) acts as its guiding herb. Contraindicated with Beimu (Fritillariae Bulbus), Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba), Xinyi (Magnoliae Flos), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Huang [missing character, likely Huangqi or Dahuang], Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus), Qingxiang (Celosiae Semen). Averse to Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix), Zaojia (Gleditsiae Spina), and Xiaosha (Natrii Sulfas).
Pungent, warm. Enters the Qi level of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Opens phlegm and stops cough, directs Qi downward and relieves irritability. Treats Houbi (sore throat with obstruction), heals Feiwei (lung atrophy). Combined with Baiwei (Cleitradis Radix), Beimu (Fritillariae Bulbus), and Baibu (Stemonae Radix), it treats nasal congestion. Combined with Chuanlian (Coptidis Rhizoma), applied externally to treat oral ulcers. Burned and inhaled through a tube to treat chronic cough.
Usage: Remove the calyx, stem, and husk. Soak in Licorice water overnight, then sun-dry for use. Mixing with honey water makes it more moistening. Contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with hyperactive fire, and in cases of cough due to Lung Qi deficiency.
[Juemingzi (Cassiae Semen)]
The fruit (seed) acts as its guiding herb. Averse to Damaizi (Cannabis Semen).
Sweet, bitter, slightly cold. Enters the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. Clears Liver heat, harmonizes Liver Qi. All conditions caused by blood heat, such as Toufeng (head wind/headache), Biju (epistaxis), Zhongdu (swelling and toxicity), Muyi (cornea opacity), red eyes with tearing, and bluish lips and mouth, can be cured with this herb. Combined with raw Gancao (Licorice Root), it treats early-stage Fabei (back carbuncle). Combined with Difuzi (Kochiae Fructus), it treats Qingmang Quemu (blindness and night blindness).
[Cheqianye (Plantago Leaf)]
Bitter, sweet, cold. Enters the Qi level of the Foot-Taiyin Bladder Meridian. Promotes urination to benefit the bladder, removes skin heat. Clears exogenous heat and erysipelas swelling, treats hernia and frequent urination. Decocted and washed externally to treat all sores and scabies.
Combined with Shengdi (Rehmanniae Radix), it treats red eyes due to wind-heat. Combined with Gancao (Licorice Root), it treats deficiency heat. Combined with Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) and hot wine, it treats Leitoufengzhong (swelling due to thunder-head wind). Assisted by Diyü (Sanguisorbae Radix) and Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), it treats bloody dysentery. Assisted by Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) and Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex), it treats Huxian yinchong (scrotal hernia). (Avoid raw green onion, peach, and plum.)
Leaves: Bitter, cold. Decocted for bathing to remove wind-heat from the skin. Frequent eye washing removes Quemang sietong (night blindness and aching pain).
Juiced and taken orally, it treats Xiexie Linzheng (diarrhea and strangury).