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Sweet and slightly bitter, non-toxic. Use after removing the nodes.

[Invention] Mu Zei (Equiseti Herba) has similar morphology and properties to Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba), thus it can induce sweating and release the muscle layer, ascend and disperse fire stagnation and wind-dampness. It specifically treats sudden cataracts and tearing of the eyes caused by wind-heat, taking advantage of its ability to disperse wind-pathogens from the Liver and Lungs. However, excessive use causes eye swelling; it is not suitable for patients with chronic cataracts or blood deficiency. Furthermore, it should not be used for redness and swelling caused by heatstroke or sudden anger.

Also known as Long Xu (Dragon's Beard), which is Xi Cao (Imperatae Rhizoma).
Bitter and slightly cold, non-toxic.
The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats evil qi in the heart and abdomen, difficulty in urination, strangury and retention, wind-dampness, and Guizhu (ghostly consumption/tuberculosis).

[Invention] Long Chu (a variant name for Xi Cao) grows in water and its nature is particularly effective at promoting diuresis. The "evil qi in the heart and abdomen" mentioned in the *Bencao Jing* is also caused by the accumulation of damp-water. It treats strangury and urinary obstruction. Ancients boiled it for administration, but burning it to ash and taking it with wine is more effective.

Sweet and cold, non-toxic. For pill formulations, grind it using rice starch paste.

[Invention] Deng Xin Cao (Junci Medulla) is light, void, sweet, and bland, thus it can drain Lung heat and promote urination. It treats acute throat bi (obstruction); burn it to ash and insufflate into the affected area. Burn it to ash, apply to breast milk, and feed to infants to stop night crying. Burn it to ash, combine with Qing Fen (Calamina) and Shexiang (Moschus) to treat Yin Gan (childhood malnutrition with genital involvement).

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* names it Di Sui (Earth Marrow), also known as [Character missing/variant], pronounced "Hu".
Sweet and bitter, cold, non-toxic. Avoid contact with iron; avoid Radish (Lai Fu Zi) and various blood products.
Fresh roots harvested are used directly as Sheng Dihuang (Raw Rehmanniae Radix); dried by roasting and baking for storage is Gan Dihuang (Dried Rehmanniae Radix); processed by specific methods is Shu Dihuang (Prepared Rehmanniae Radix).
The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats internal injury to the middle jiao, expels blood bi (stagnation), fills the marrow, promotes muscle growth, and decoctions remove cold-heat accumulations. It treats fractures and tendon injuries. Long-term use makes the body light and prevents aging. Fresh material is especially good.

[Invention] Sheng Dihuang possesses extreme yin nature and its function specializes in dispersing blood. It enters the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian, Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, and Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, and also acts on the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian. Qian Zhongyang's Dao Chi San uses it together with Mutong (Akebiae Caulis) to clear Bing-Ding fire (Heart and Small Intestine fire). The *Bielu* records it treating women with Bengzhong (metrorrhagia) and continuous bleeding, postpartum blood rushing to the heart, fetal movement with lower bleeding, epistaxis, and hematemesis; all are treated by drinking the crushed juice, because it can disperse blood, resolve stasis, and relieve vexation. For treating contusions causing facial and ocular bruising and swelling, crushing Sheng Dihuang and applying it externally resolves the swelling immediately. This aligns with the meaning of the *Bencao Jing* treating internal injury, blood bi, and fracture-tendon damage. Since the Liver stores blood and governs tendons, if there is no stagnation in the Liver, Ying-Blood harmonizes, and internal injury heals spontaneously; if tendons have no pathogen attachment, the three Qi flow freely, and blood bi is removed. Decoctions removing cold-heat accumulations work because when blood harmonizes, knots dissipate, and various symptoms calm down. Filling marrow and growing muscles occurs because when pathogens have no attachment, form and spirit naturally recover. Ancients treated heart pain by making cold noodles with Sheng Dihuang juice and eating them to induce vomiting; if vomiting did not occur, long worms were expelled via diarrhea, akin to stabilizing the uterus. This is a verification of the *Bencao Jing*'s statement on removing cold-heat accumulations. In dietary prescriptions, it is used to assist other herbs, expel the three parasites, and facilitate their exit through Youmen. Reflecting on this, in *Qianjin Fang*'s Lingfei San, if fresh Sheng Dihuang is urgently unavailable, dried ones are often used. Thus, I realize that the phrase "fresh is better" added later in the *Bencao Jing* reveals the painstaking effort of ancient sages, leaving nothing to chance. I observe: Sheng Dihuang and Gan Dihuang have different functions and cannot be discussed interchangeably. According to Xu Zhicai's *Bielu*: Sheng Dihuang refers to newly dug fresh roots and is a specialized herb for dispersing blood. Observing that the indications in the *Bencao Jing* refer to fresh material, the reason various pharmacopoeias never explicitly stated this is due to distant origins and the fact that only dried roots are available in pharmacies, while fresh ones are extremely rare, leading to inevitable misuse. How could one know that since Gan Dihuang has been roasted and dried, its power lies in stopping bleeding, how could it possibly treat internal injury, blood bi, or fracture-tendon damage? As for prolonged internal injury with internal formation of accumulations and external manifestation of cold-heat, fresh material decocted to lead other herbs is appropriate to jointly assist in breaking old blood and generating new blood. If dried material is mixed in, blood stasis will become more consolidated, and one cannot hope for results of filling marrow and growing flesh. I have comprehensively reviewed various formulas: any herb not subjected to fire processing has a dispersing nature; those subjected to roasting and drying have a stabilizing nature in the center. This applies not only to Dihuang.