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Bamboo Sap (Zhu Li, Bamboo Juice): Sweet in taste, slightly cool in nature, Yin and descending. Treats sudden wind-stroke with phlegm obstruction, aphonia, chest heat and vexation; stops vexation, palpitations, and thirst. Zhu Danxi stated: For wind-phlegm or deficiency-phlegm lodged in the chest and diaphragm causing mania, or phlegm in the meridians, limbs, and subcutaneous tissues, this substance is essential for its penetrating action.

Light Bamboo Leaf (Dan Zhu Ye, Lophatheri Herba): Sweet and bland in taste, neutral and slightly cool in qi, Yin with slight Yang, light in aroma and flavor. Clears upper Jiao Qi, treats cough with reverse flow of Qi, wheezing, and shortness of breath; resolves phlegm and saliva, relieves heat-induced mania, reduces deficiency fever, restlessness, and insomnia; treats high fever, headache, and hematemesis. Specifically cools the Heart Meridian and also clears Spleen Qi. Disperses wind-heat, stops vexation and thirst, generates fluids, promotes urination, relieves throat obstruction, and treats pediatric wind-heat convulsions.

Light Bamboo Sheath (Dan Zhu Ru, Bambusae Caulis in Taenia): Sweet in taste, slightly cool. Treats lung atrophy with expectoration, spitting blood, hematemesis, epistaxis, and hematuria; stomach heat with vomiting, hiccup, and dysphagia; women’s blood-heat with metrorrhagia, fetal movement, and pediatric wind-heat epilepsy, phlegm-wheezing cough, and hot, astringent urination.

Heavenly Bamboo Slime (Tian Zhu Huang, Bambusae Concretio Silicea): Sweet and acrid in taste, cool in nature, descending, Yin containing Yang. Excellent at opening wind-phlegm and descending heat-phlegm; treats stroke with aphonia, phlegm stagnation in the chest and diaphragm, vexation, and epilepsy. Clears Heart fire, calms Heart Qi, awakens Spleen and soothes Liver. Brightens eyes, calms fright and palpitations. Treats pediatric wind-phlegm acute fright and external shock; its nature is mild and gentle, making it highly suitable. Also treats traumatic injuries and internal heat from medicinal toxicity.

Official Cinnamon Bark (Guan Gui, Cinnamomi Cortex): Acrid and sweet in taste, extremely hot in qi, Yang within Yang. Slightly toxic; only those with a sweet taste should be used. Cinnamon is hot and excellent at assisting Yang, especially entering the Blood level; for cold diseases in the limbs, nothing else can reach them like this. Cinnamon Twig (Gui Zhi) has light Qi, thus it travels to the exterior; because it harmonizes Ying and Wei, it treats Cold Damage, expels pathogenic sweat, treats Wind Injury, and stops Yin-sweat.

Meat Cinnamon Bark (Rou Gui, Cinnamomi Ramulus Cortex): Heavy in flavor, thus it warms and tonifies the Gate of Vitality (Mingmen), strengthens sinews and bones, unblocks vessels, treats cold Qi in the heart and abdomen, headache, cough, nasal congestion, cholera with muscle cramps, pain in waist, feet, umbilicus, and abdomen, and all chronic cold-deep-seated diseases. As the king of woods, it pacifies Yin pathogens of the Liver Wood and aids the Yang Qi of Liver and Gallbladder. Due to its sweet taste, it best tonifies Earth (Spleen); for Liver pathogen overacting on Earth without Fire, it is excellent. Combined with Ginseng, Aconite, and Rehmannia, it best descends deficient Fire and treats deficiency of Yuan Yang in the Lower Jiao. Combined with Angelica Sinensis and Ligusticum, it best treats postpartum blood stasis, uterine mass pain, and pediatric vaccine rash deficiency-cold with itching and failure to erupt. Although it can induce abortion and move blood, caution is needed for these two conditions. For Lower Jiao deficiency-cold requiring guiding Fire back to its source, it is a key herb; do not adhere rigidly to misconceptions.

Clove (Ding Xiang, Caryophylli Flos): Extremely acrid in taste, warm in temperature, Pure Yang. Enters Kidney, Stomach, and Lung organs. Disperses aromatic qualities, repels evil and removes pathogens, warms the Middle and moves Qi. Treats upper Jiao hiccup and regurgitation, cholera vomiting, resolves alcohol toxicity, eliminates masses and Ben Tun (running piglet) cold, heart and abdominal fullness with cold pain, warms Lower Jiao waist and knee cold pain, strengthens Yang pathway, suppresses Yin pathogens, removes stomach cold diarrhea, kills ghost infestation and gu poison, parasitic worms, bad breath, strengthens teeth, and treats women’s seven emotions and five depressions, pediatric vomiting and diarrhea, vaccine rash stomach cold with grayish-white eruption.

White Sandalwood (Tan Xiang, Santali Albi Lignum): Acrid in taste, warm in temperature. Disperses wind-heat, repels foul and evil Qi, reduces swelling and detoxifies, drives away demons. Decoction and ingestion disperse cold Qi, stop heart and abdominal pain, stabilize cholera, harmonize Stomach Qi, open dysphagia, stop vomiting, promote appetite. Also treats black spots on the face; wash with hot water nightly, grind into juice and apply for good effect.

Agarwood (Chen Xiang, Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum): Acrid in taste, slightly warm in qi, Yang, capable of ascending and descending. Its nature is warm, thus it suppresses Yin and assists Yang, supports and supplements Ministerial Fire; its qi is acrid, thus it connects heaven and earth, smooths all Qi. Relieves muscle cramps and cholera, harmonizes anorexic dysentery, regulates vomiting, gastric reversal, and asthma urgency, stops heart and abdominal fullness and pain, breaks masses, treats cold phlegm, harmonizes Spleen and Stomach, drives away ghost infestation and evil Qi, and treats rheumatism, joint numbness, skin itching, and Qi stagnation.

Lindera Root (Wu Yao, Linderae Radix): Acrid and warm in taste and qi, excellent at moving all Qi, enters Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Kidney, Sanjiao, and Bladder meridians. Treats sudden evil, ghost Qi, and gu poison, opens chest and diaphragm, removes all cold Qi, stops heart and abdominal pain, asthma urgency, cholera, regurgitation and fullness, warms intestines and stomach, moves retained food, stops diarrhea, removes epidemic miasma, Qi-jue headache, Bladder and Kidney Qi attacking heart and abdomen, hernia, and gout, carbuncles, scabies, and leprosy, as well as women’s blood and Qi disorders, pediatric worm accumulation, frequent urination, Qi strangury, turbid leukorrhea, and hundreds of cat and dog diseases; all can be ground into juice and administered.

Goji Berry (Gou Qi Zi, Lycii Fructus): Sweet and slightly acrid in taste, warm in temperature, capable of ascending and descending. Heavy and pure in flavor, thus it tonifies Yin; Yin contains Yang, thus it tonifies Qi, so it nourishes Yin without causing Yin decline and assists Yang to make Yang vigorous. Although the proverb says "Do not eat Goji when traveling a thousand miles," merely referring to its Yang-assisting property, this may not necessarily be true. This herb slightly assists Yang without being stimulating, so using it to assist Prepared Rehmannia is excellent. Its functions include brightening eyes and ears, strengthening spirit and soul, adding essence and solidifying marrow, strengthening bones and sinews, treating labor injury, and especially stopping thirst. For true Yin deficiency with incessant umbilical and abdominal pain, heavy use is miraculous.

Dogwood Bark (Di Gu Pi, Lycii Cortex): The root of Goji. Southern ones have light bitterness with slight sweetness and acridity; northern ones are extremely bitter and inferior quality; only southern roots are suitable for medicine. Nature is acrid and cold, excellent at entering Blood level, Liver, Kidney, Sanjiao, and Gallbladder meridians. Reduces Yin-deficiency blood heat, bone-steaming with sweating, stops hematemesis and epistaxis, resolves thirst, treats latent fire in Lung, Kidney, and uterus due to Yin deficiency. Decoction for mouthwash stops gum bleeding. Best for heat in essence and Yin levels not caused by wind-cold. Cool but not harsh, can treat consumptive disease. Light and acrid in qi, thus also clears Lung. Do not use for false heat.

Magnolia Bark (Hou Po, Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex): Bitter and acrid in taste, extremely hot in qi, dense in aroma and flavor, Yin within Yang, capable of ascending and descending. Slightly toxic. Used for its warming, descending, and dispersing stagnation properties. Processed with ginger juice stir-frying. Treats cholera with muscle cramps, resolves phlegm and directs Qi downward, stops cough, vomiting, acid regurgitation, kills intestinal parasites, retains food indigestion, removes fluid retention, breaks old blood, removes cold-damp diarrhea, warms Spleen and Stomach, moves cold Qi. In summary, it is a key herb for driving out excess pathogens, reducing distension, dissipating nodules, and treating chest and abdominal pain. If original vitality is weak, mistaken use depletes true Qi. Contraindicated in pregnancy; causes abortion.

Jujube Seed (Suan Zao Ren, Ziziphi Spinosae Semen): Slightly sweet in taste, neutral in qi. Red in color, flesh is sour, hence named Sour Jujube. Kernel is central, thus nature is astringent and enters Heart. Raw for hypersomnia, roasted for insomnia. Calms mind, stops deficiency sweating, resolves thirst and removes vexation, calms spirit and nourishes blood, benefits Liver and tonifies Middle, consolidates soul and essence.

Eucommia Bark (Du Zhong, Eucommiae Cortex): Sweet, acrid, and bland in taste, warm and neutral in temperature. Thin in aroma and flavor, Yang containing Yin. Function enters Kidney. Moistened with ginger juice or salt water, stir-fried to remove fibers. Tonifies Middle, strengthens will, boosts Kidney and adds essence, excellent for lower back pain, immediate effect for foot pain. Removes damp-cold in scrotum, stops nocturnal emission during urination. Due to warm temperature, warms uterus; due to stabilizing nature, secures fetus. Use cautiously in cases of internal heat and fire prosperity.

Cornus Fruit (Shan Zhu Yu, Corni Fructus): Sour and astringent, main function is astringency, neutral and slightly warm in qi, Yang within Yin. Enters Liver and Kidney organs. Consolidates Yin, tonifies essence, warms waist and knees, strengthens Yin Qi, astringes leukorrhea and turbidity, regulates urination, benefits marrow, stimulates Yang, regulates menstruation and collects blood. If Spleen Qi is severely weak and fears sourness, temporarily stop use, or combine with Licorice and baked ginger.

Sappan Wood (Su Mu, Sappan Lignum): Slightly sweet and acrid in taste, warm and neutral in nature, capable of ascending and descending, a Blood-level herb for Three Yin meridians. Small dose harmonizes and invigorates blood; large dose moves and breaks blood. Mainly treats irregular menstruation in women, heart and abdominal pain, blood masses and Qi congestion. For postpartum blood stasis with dangerous fullness, use 5 liang, decoct in water to take thick juice. Also reduces abscess swelling and dead blood, drains pus and stops pain, and bruises with blood stasis can be applied externally. For tetanus, powder with wine for immediate effect.

Sichuan Pepper (Chuan Jiao, Zanthoxyli Pericarpium): Acrid in taste, hot in nature, slightly toxic. Originally Pure Yang, nature descends, Yang containing Yin. Warms Middle and directs Qi downward, opens interstices, disperses surface cold pathogens, removes cold pain in organs, eliminates retained fluid in chest and abdomen, stagnant phlegm and retained food, resolves depression, warms Spleen and Stomach, stops cough and vomiting, drives out cold-damp wind-pain, treats Cold Damage and warm malaria, edema and damp jaundice, removes toothache, warms waist and knees, collects Yin sweat, reduces urination, warms Mingmen, stops diarrhea and dysentery, seminal emission and rectal prolapse, kills roundworms, ghost infestation, gu poison, snake and insect toxins. Long-term use clarifies spirit, solidifies interstices, harmonizes vessels, strengthens teeth, grows beard and hair, brightens eyes and ears, regulates joints, resists cold and heat. If poisoned, only cold water and hemp seed slurry can resolve it.

Black Pepper (Hu Jiao, Piperis Nigrum Fructus): Acrid in taste, extremely hot in nature, Pure Yang. Excellent at moving Qi level. Warms Middle and directs Qi downward, warms intestines and stomach, digests retained food, repels foul odors, removes cold-food cold-phlegm and cold-fluid vomiting, stops regurgitation, vomiting, and cholera, deficiency-cold distension, heart and abdominal pain, removes cold accumulation and Yin toxins, strengthens Kidney Qi, treats Large Intestine cold slippery cold dysentery, kills all insect, fish, turtle, mushroom, and medicinal/food Yin-condensing toxins. For wind-worm toothache, combine with Dioscorea Hypoglauca powder, melt wax into small pills, insert into cavity for cure.

Cherokee Rose Hip (Jin Ying Zi, Rosae Laevigatae Fructus): Astringent in taste, neutral in nature. Raw is green, sour and astringent; ripe is yellow, sweet and astringent. Best used when nearly ripe, slightly sour, sweet, and astringent. Nature is consolidating and astringent; astringency consolidates Yin and treats prolapse, sweetness tonifies Middle and benefits Qi. Thus excellent for nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, stops hematemesis and epistaxis, generates fluids, calms soul, collects deficiency sweat,敛s deficient fire, benefits essence and marrow, strengthens bones and sinews, tonifies Five Viscera, nourishes blood and Qi, calms cough, stabilizes asthma urgency, treats palpitations and fright, stops Spleen diarrhea and bloody dysentery, and urinary incontinence. This is an excellent herb for consolidating and nourishing Yin, yet long neglected; it should be cherished henceforth.

Sophora Flower Bud (Huai Rui, Sophorae Flos): Bitter in taste, cold in nature. Clears Fire of Heart, Lung, Spleen, Liver, and Large Intestine, removes internal vexation and heat, heart and abdominal hot pain, treats red and painful eyes with tears. Chew roasted fragrant buds for aphonia and throat obstruction. Stops hematemesis and epistaxis, intestinal wind bleeding, women’s metrorrhagia and leakage, and skin wind-heat. Cools Large Intestine, kills childhood malnutrition worms, treats carbuncles and sores, yin sores, wet itch, fistula, resolves syphilis and hidden toxins, highly effective.

Biota Seed (Bai Zi Ren, Platycladi Semen): Sweet and neutral in taste, slightly cool in nature. Moistens Heart and Lung, nourishes Liver and Spleen, moistens Kidney dryness, calms spirit and soul, benefits will and intent. Thus stabilizes fright, palpitations, and anxiety, benefits Yin Qi, beautifies complexion, treats deficiency, benefits blood and stops sweating, moistens Large Intestine, relieves deficiency constipation, also dispels evil spirits and pediatric convulsions. In summary, aroma is clear and fragrance, nature is lubricating; although an excellent agent for nourishing Yin and blood, if seeking to cultivate the root, it is not the strength of clear agents.

Aurantium Peel (Zhi Ke, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus): Late-harvested and larger Aurantium fruit. Compared to immature fruit, its Qi is slightly dispersed, nature slightly slower, functions largely similar. But immature fruit is heavy and mainly descends to break hardness, while this is light in Qi, thus mainly ascends to break Qi. Unblocks joints, strengthens Spleen and opens stomach, calms Lung Qi, stops vomiting, regurgitation, cholera, cough, resolves phlegm and food, breaks heart and abdominal Qi stagnation, masses and parasites, opens chest and hypochondriac fullness and phlegm stagnation, drives out edema, water-damp diarrhea, intestinal wind, hemorrhoids, anal swelling and pain. Due to slight slowness, can be used to secure and calm fetus, roasted hot for compressing hemorrhoid swelling. Use sparingly in deficiency to avoid damaging Original Qi.

Immature Bitter Orange (Zhi Shi, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus): Bitter and slightly sour, slightly cold, dense in aroma and flavor, Yin with slight Yang. Nature is sinking, more urgent than Zhi Ke. Removes distension, digests retained food, breaks hard accumulations, transforms thick phlegm, breaks stagnant Qi, calms cough and wheezing, drives out blood stasis and retained water, resolves Cold Damage chest binding, removes damp-heat in Stomach. With Atractylodes, can strengthen Spleen; with Rhubarb, greatly sweeps. Can damage true Yuan, contraindicated in weakness and emaciation.

Vitex Fruit (Man Jing Zi, Viticis Fructus): Bitter and acrid in taste, clear in qi, warm in nature, ascending, Yang. Enters Foot Taiyang, Yangming, and Jueyin meridians. Mainly disperses wind pathogens, benefits seven orifices, unblocks joints, removes various wind headaches and tinnitus, heavy and dizzy head, searches Liver wind, stops inner eye pain and tearing, brightens eyes and strengthens teeth, treats cold-heat-damp bi and spasms between sinews and bones, also removes tapeworms.

Five-Axis Tree Bark (Wu Jia Pi, Acanthopanacis Cortex): Acrid in taste, warm in nature. Removes wind-damp, moves blood vessels, strengthens sinews and bones, brightens eyes and directs Qi downward. Treats joint and limb spasms, leg bi-pain, wind weakness and five flaccidities, impotence and scrotal dampness, hernia and abdominal pain, dribbling urine, women’s vulvar itch. Among all wine-infused herbs, only Wu Jia Pi combines well with wine, greatly benefiting humans and tasting good. Immortals value this, saying long-term use grants longevity, hence: "Better a handful of Wu Jia than a cart full of gold and silver." Though perhaps not literally true, it must have valuable qualities.

Toosendan Fruit (Chuan Lian Zi, Meliae Fructus): Bitter in taste, cold in nature, slightly toxic, Yin. Treats Cold Damage and plague with fever, mania, and agitation, promotes urination, drains Liver fire, damp-heat in Small Intestine and Bladder, various hernia pains, kills three worms and scabies/leprosy, also reduces yin hemorrhoids. Suitable for pills, powders, and decoctions; Zhen Quan said it does not enter decoctions, which is incorrect.

Kutcha Root (Ku Lei Gen, Toosendan Radix): Extremely bitter. Kills all worms, especially excellent at expelling roundworms. Benefits Large Intestine, treats wandering wind-heat toxin and malignant sores. Mixed with vinegar for application on tinea is excellent.

Privet Fruit (Nu Zhen Zi, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus): Bitter in taste, cool in nature, Yin, descending. Nourishes Yin Qi, calms Yin fire, resolves vexation, heat, and bone-steaming, stops deficiency sweating and thirst, strangury, turbidity, metrorrhagia, bloody stool and urine, yin sores, hemorrhoid, and fistula pain. Also clears Liver fire, can brighten eyes and stop tearing.

Mulberry Root Bark (Sang Bai Pi, Mori Radicis Cortex): Sweet, slightly acrid, and slightly bitter in taste, cold in qi. Thin in aroma and flavor, ascending containing descending, Yang containing Yin. Enters Hand Taiyin Lung organ. Cold qi and acrid flavor drain Lung fire; sweet flavor makes it mild and not harsh. Stops wheezing, cough, and spitting blood, resolves thirst and resolves phlegm, removes deficiency-labor guest heat and headache. Water originates from high sources, thus clearing Lung also promotes urination. Removes tapeworms, kills abdominal parasites. Juice treats pediatric opisthotonos, convulsions, and external shock; paste for thrush is highly effective. Can be made into thread for suturing traumatic wounds. Since it drains Lung excess, claiming it tonifies Qi is unlikely.

Phellodendron Bark (Huang Bo, Phellodendri Cortex): Bitter and slightly acrid, cold in qi, Yin with slight Yang, descending, excellent at draining Fire of Sanjiao. Processing varies by category, but nature is mostly sinking, especially specific to Liver and Kidney, hence called the guiding herb for Foot Shaoyin, Foot Taiyang, and Jueyin meridians. Clears Stomach fire, vomiting, hiccups, and roundworms; removes latent fire, bone-steaming, and vexation; removes intestinal wind, hot dysentery, and bleeding; drives out evil fire and binding strangury in urination and defecation.
Upper: resolves heat-thirst, mouth ulcers, throat obstruction, carbuncles, and sores;
Lower: removes damp-heat in feet and knees, pain, flaccidity, and paralysis. Its nature is cold, moist, and descending, removing fire fastest. Dan Xi said it controls Dragon Fire and tonifies Kidney strong Yin. But how can Dragon Fire be removed by sinking cold? How can dried water be supplemented by bitter inferiority? In Yin deficiency and water exhaustion, descending leads to further loss; extinguishing Yuan Yang, nothing is worse. If water is not dry but fire is prosperous, using it to draw fire out is acceptable; if water is exhausted and heat is dry, using it to tonify Yin is difficult. Practitioners must not mistake it for a tonic.
I once heard Dan Xi say: There are two Fires: Jun Fire is Human Fire, Heart Fire, can be subdued by dampness, extinguished by water, directly折reduced; Coptis can control it. Xiang Fire is Heavenly Fire, Dragon-Thunder Fire, Yin Fire, cannot be reduced by water and dampness, should follow its nature to subdue it; only Phellodendron can descend it. Analyzing this argument, it seems profound but is actually forced and misleading. "Following its nature" refers to the "Counter-treatment" in Neijing. Classic says: Zheng treatment is standard treatment, Cong treatment is counter-treatment. Standard treatment is using water to control fire, cold to treat heat. Counter-treatment is using fire to aid fire, heat to treat heat, also known as sweet-warm to remove great heat. How can Coptis be standard and Phellodendron counter? Even if Coptis treats Heart Fire and Phellodendron treats Kidney Fire, for bloody stool and urine, Coptis is suitable, isn't it a Lower Jiao herb for Bladder and Large Intestine? For tongue and mouth ulcers, Phellodendron is suitable, isn't it an Upper Jiao herb for Heart and Spleen? In summary, both Coptis and Phellodendron are extremely bitter and cold, yet saying Coptis is Water and Phellodendron is not, Coptis is draining and Phellodendron is tonifying, is illogical. Adhering to this theory misleads many, truly misleads many.

Gardenia Fruit (Zhi Zi, Gardeniae Fructus): Bitter in taste, cold in qi. Dense flavor, thin qi, floating qi, descending flavor, Yin containing Yang. Due to floating qi, clears Heart and Lung fire, resolves thirst, removes heat depression, treats epidemic irritability, heart vexation and discomfort, heat oppression preventing sleep, heat-jue headache, wind-heat red/swollen/painful eyes and ears, cholera with muscle cramps. Due to descending flavor, drains Liver, Kidney, and Bladder fire, unblocks five stranguries, treats Large and Small Intestine heat constipation and binding, five types of jaundice, Sanjiao depressed fire, heat depression hernia below umbilicus, hematemesis, epistaxis, bloody dysentery, bloody strangury, lower abdominal trauma blood stasis. With assistants, treatments vary: add Artemisia to remove damp-heat jaundice; add Fermented Soybean to remove Heart fire and vexation; add Magnolia Bark and Immature Bitter Orange to remove vexation and fullness; add Ginger and Tangerine Peel to remove vomiting and hiccups; together with Corydalis, breaks heat-stagnation blood stasis abdominal pain. Additionally suitable for red face, alcoholic rosacea, heat-toxin burns, sore swelling and pain. Zhang Zhongjing used it as an emetic due to floating qi and bitterness easily inducing vomiting, to remove upper Jiao phlegm stagnation. Dan Xi said it resolves depressed heat and moves bound Qi. Its nature curves downward, greatly descending fire to exit via urination, unknown to people.

Bush Cherry Seed (Yu Li Ren, Pruni Semen): Bitter and acrid, Yin containing Yang, moist and descending. Thus directs Qi downward, digests food, promotes water pathways, reduces edema of face, eyes, limbs, and abdomen, opens intestinal bound and stagnant Qi, blockage and dryness, constipation, breaks blood accumulation and food masses. Suitable for women and children with excess heat and binding dryness.

Chebula Fruit (He Zi, Terminaliae Chebulae Fructus): Bitter, sour, and astringent, warm in temperature. Heavy bitterness, light sourness, sinking and descending nature, Yin. Digests retained food and distension, stops vomiting and cholera, stabilizes asthma and stops cough, breaks bound Qi, stabilizes chronic dysentery, stops intestinal wind bleeding, directs phlegm and Qi downward, opens stagnant intestines, unblocks fluids, treats women’s metrorrhagia, fetal leakage, leukorrhea, irregular menstruation. For chronic dysentery with urgent anal pain or postpartum yin pain, mix with wax, burn smoke for fumigation, or decoct for washing. For phlegm-cough with throat obstruction, hold several pieces in mouth, swallow saliva for special effect. Those with Upper Jiao Original Qi deficiency/sinking should avoid its bitter-descending nature.

Chinese Tallow Tree (Ce Bai Ye, Platycladi Cacumen): Bitter in taste, acrid in qi, cold in nature. Excellent at clearing and cooling blood, stopping hematemesis, epistaxis, bloody diarrhea, hematuria, metrorrhagia with red and white discharge, removing damp-heat and damp-bi, joint pain. Pounded and applied for erysipelas, reduces mumps swelling and heat-toxin, burns, stops pain and removes scars. Roasted and pounded for frostbite. Burned juice applied to hair moisturizes and darkens it.