泻火、解毒、散血消痰。
苦寒。能泻实火。火降则血散肿消，而痰结自解，故能消心脾老血。行太阴、厥阴之积
痰。
（肺、脾、肝。）治喉痹咽痛为要药。（擂汁醋和、噙之引涎。）消结核瘕疝。便毒疟母。（鳖
甲煎用之治疟母、取其降厥阴相火也。）通经闭。利大肠。镇肝明目。唯实火者宜之。虚则
大戒。扁竹花根也。（叶横铺、如乌羽及扇、故又名乌扇乌 。）泔水浸一日。 竹叶煮半日
。（普济方、二便不通、诸药不效、紫花扁竹根、生水边者佳、研汁一盏、服之通。）
一名重楼金线。
味苦微寒。专理痈疽。除虫蛇毒。（谚云∶七叶一枝花、深山是我家、痈疽如遇者、一
似手
拈拿、苏恭曰∶磨醋、敷痈肿蛇毒、甚有效、时珍曰∶虫蛇之毒、得此治之即休、故有蚤休
、螫休诸名。）兼疗惊痫。苦寒之品。中病即止。不宜多用。
一名白鹤仙。解毒。
辛甘而寒。捣汁服。解一切毒。下骨哽。涂痈肿。凡服者不可着牙。损齿极速。（余居
士取
牙方、玉簪根干者一钱、白砒三分、白 七分、蓬砂二分、威灵仙三分、草乌头一分半为末
、以少许点牙疼处、即自落。）
大泻血分、实热、下有形积滞。
大苦大寒。入足太阴（脾）、手足阳明、厥阴（大肠、胃、心包、肝。）血分。其性沉而
不浮。
其用走而不守。若酒浸。亦能引至至高之分。（仲景太阳门调胃承气汤、大黄注曰∶酒浸、
阳明门大承气汤、大黄注曰∶酒洗、少阳阳明小承气汤、大黄不用酒制、皆有分别、东垣曰
、邪气在上、非酒不至、若用生者、则遗至高之邪热、病愈后、或目赤喉痹、头肿、膈上热
疾生也。）用以荡涤肠胃。下燥结而除瘀热。治伤寒时疾。发热谵语。（大肠有燥粪、故谵语
、宜下之。）温热瘴疟。下痢赤白。腹痛里急。黄胆水肿。症瘕积聚。（积久成形谓之积、属
阴、聚散无常谓之聚、属阳、积多是血、或食或痰、聚多是气。）留饮宿食。心腹痞满。二
便不通。（皆土郁夺之。）吐血、衄血、血闭。损伤积血。一切实热。血中伏火。行水除痰。
蚀脓消肿。能推陈致新。（东垣曰∶如定祸乱以致太平、所以有将军之名、时珍曰∶仲景泻
心汤、治心气不足、吐衄血者、用大黄黄连黄芩、乃泻心包肝脾胃四经血中之伏火也、又治
心下痞满、按之软者、用大黄黄连泻心汤、亦泻脾胃之湿热、非泻心也、病发于阴而反下之
、则痞满、乃寒伤营血、邪结上焦、胃之上脘当心、故曰泻心、经曰∶太阴所至为痞满、又
曰∶浊气在上、则生 胀是已、病发于阳而反下之、则结胸、乃热邪陷入血分、亦在上脘
、故大陷胸汤丸皆用大黄、亦泻脾胃血分之邪、而降其浊气也、若结胸在气分、则用小陷胸
汤
泻心汤、或问心气不足而吐衄、何以不补心而反泻心、丹溪曰∶少
阴不足、亢阳无辅、致阴血妄行、故用大黄泻其亢盛之火、又心本不足、肺肝各受火邪而病
作、故用黄芩清肺、黄连清肝、肺者阴之主、肝者心之母、血之合也、肺肝火退、则血归经
而自安矣、宗 曰∶以苦泄其热、就以苦补其心、盖一举而两得之、士材曰∶古人用大黄、
治虚劳吐衄、意甚深微、盖浊阴不降、则清阳不升、瘀血不去、则新血不生也。）峻利猛烈
。长驱直捣。苟非血分热结。六脉沉实者。切勿轻与推荡。（病在气分而用之、是为诛伐无
过
浸、酒蒸、生、熟之不同。生用更峻。（欲取通利者、不得骤进谷
食、大黄得谷食、便不能通利、洪迈夷坚志云∶汤火伤者、捣生大黄调敷、止痛无瘢。）黄
芩为使。（梅师方、男子偏坠作痛、大黄末、醋和涂之、干则易。自半夏至大黄、皆常毒
之品。）
Purges fire, resolves toxicity, disperses blood, and eliminates phlegm.
Bitter and cold in nature. It can purge excess fire. When the fire descends, blood disperses, swelling subsides, and phlegm nodules naturally resolve; therefore, it can eliminate old blood stasis in the Heart and Spleen. It moves accumulated phlegm in the Taiyin and Jueyin meridians.
(Involve Lung, Spleen, Liver.) It is a key herb for treating throat obstruction (Hou Bi) and sore throat. (Grind into juice, mix with vinegar, hold in mouth to induce salivation.) It eliminates tubercles, masses, and hernias. Sores in the groin and malaria spleen enlargement (Nie Mu). (Used in Biejia Jian Wan to treat malaria spleen enlargement, taking advantage of its ability to descend the Ministerial Fire of Jueyin.) It unblocks amenorrhea. It benefits the Large Intestine. It calms the Liver and brightens the eyes. Only suitable for excess fire patterns. Contraindicated for deficiency patterns. It is the root of Iris tectorum. (Leaves spread horizontally, resembling crow feathers and fans, hence also named Wushan, Wu .) Soak in rice water for one day. Boil with bamboo leaves for half a day. (Pu Ji Fang records: For inability to urinate or defecate when other medicines fail, use purple-flowered Iris tectorum root, preferably from watersides, grind into juice, take one cup to restore patency.)
Also known as Chonglou Jinxian.
Bitter and slightly cold in taste. Specializes in managing carbuncles and ulcers. Eliminates insect and snake venom. (Proverb says: Seven leaves one flower, deep mountain is my home, if encountering carbuncles/ulcers, it is like picking them up by hand. Su Gong said: Grind with vinegar and apply to swellings and snake bites, very effective. Li Shizhen said: Insect and snake venoms cease upon treatment with this herb, hence names such as Zao Xiu, She Xiu.) It also treats convulsions and epilepsy. Bitter-cold substances should be stopped once the disease is cured. Do not use excessively.
Also known as Baihexian. Resolves toxicity.
Acrid, sweet, and cold. Crush and take juice. Resolves all toxins. Expels fish bones stuck in the throat. Applies to carbuncles and swellings. Those who consume it must avoid contact with teeth. It damages teeth extremely quickly. (Yu Jushi's tooth extraction formula: Dry Rhizoma Dispori 1 qian, White Arsenite 3 fen, White [missing character] 7 fen, Borax 2 fen, Radix Saposhnikoviae 3 fen, Rhizoma Aconiti Kusnezoffii 1.5 fen, grind into powder, apply a small amount to the painful tooth area, tooth falls out naturally.)
Strongly purges Blood level, excess heat, and downward expels有形 (solid) stagnation.
Extremely bitter and cold. Enters Foot Taiyin (Spleen), Hand and Foot Yangming, Jueyin (Large Intestine, Stomach, Pericardium, Liver) Blood level. Its nature is sinking and non-floating.
Its action moves without staying put. If soaked in wine, it can also guide medicinal power to the highest parts. (Zhang Zhongjing's Tiaowei Chengqi Tang in Taiyang chapter notes Da Huang as: soaked in wine; Dachengqi Tang in Yangming chapter notes Da Huang as: washed in wine; Xiaochengqi Tang in Shaoyang-Yangming chapter does not use wine-processed Da Huang; there are distinctions. Li Dongyuan said: Pathogenic factors in the upper part cannot reach without wine; if raw Da Huang is used, residual pathogenic heat at the highest level remains, leading to red eyes, throat obstruction, head swelling, or upper diaphragm heat diseases after recovery.) It is used to scour the intestines and stomach. It downbears dryness accumulation and removes blood stasis and heat. It treats Shanghan epidemic fevers. Fever and delirious speech. (Dry feces in Large Intestine cause delirium, appropriate to purge.) Warm-pestilential malaria. Dysentery with red and white discharge. Abdominal pain with tenesmus. Jaundice and edema. Zheng Jia Ji Ju. (Accumulation forming over time is called Ji, belonging to Yin; gathering and scattering irregularly is called Ju, belonging to Yang; Ji is mostly blood, or food or phlegm; Ju is mostly Qi.) Retained fluids and old food. Epigastric and abdominal fullness. Inability to urinate or defecate. (All are treated by "draining Earth depression"). Hematemesis, epistaxis, blood obstruction. Traumatic blood stasis. All excess heat. Hidden fire in blood. Moves water and eliminates phlegm. Erodes pus and reduces swelling. Can push out the old and bring forth the new. (Li Dongyuan said: Like pacifying chaos to achieve peace, hence the name General. Li Shizhen said: Zhang Zhongjing's Xiexin Tang treats Heart Qi insufficiency with hematemesis and epistaxis, using Da Huang, Huang Lian, Huang Qin; this purges hidden fire in the blood of Pericardium, Liver, Spleen, and Stomach meridians. Also treats epigastric fullness that is soft on pressure, using Da Huang Huang Lian Xiexin Tang, which purges damp-heat of Spleen and Stomach, not the Heart itself. Disease originating in Yin but wrongly purged leads to fullness; this is Cold injuring Ying-Blood, pathogen knotting in Upper Jiao, above Stomach, centering on heart, thus called "purging Heart". Jing Yi says: Taiyin arrival causes fullness. Also says: Turbid Qi in the upper part generates distension, this is the case. Disease originating in Yang but wrongly purged leads to Chest Binding; this is Heat pathogen sinking into Blood level, also in upper epigastrium, so Daxiexiong Tang/Wan both use Da Huang, also purging pathogen in Spleen/Stomach Blood level and descending turbid Qi. If Chest Binding is in Qi level, then use Xiao Xiexiong Tang. Question: Why purge Heart instead of tonifying Heart for Heart Qi insufficiency with bleeding? Zhu Danxi said: Shaoyin insufficiency, hyperactive Yang lacks support, causing reckless Yin-Blood flow, hence Da Huang is used to purge hyperactive fire. Heart is originally insufficient, Lung and Liver each suffer Fire pathogen causing disease, hence Huang Qin clears Lung, Huang Lian clears Liver. Lung is master of Yin, Liver is mother of Heart, union of Blood. When Lung/Liver fire retreats, blood returns to vessels and settles. Yu Tun said: Using bitter to drain heat, simultaneously using bitter to tonify Heart, achieving two goals with one move. Shicai said: Ancients used Da Huang to treat consumptive hematemesis/epistaxis, intent was profound. Because if turbid Yin does not descend, clear Yang cannot ascend; if blood stasis is not removed, new blood cannot generate.) It is harsh, potent, and fierce. It charges straight through. Unless it is Blood level heat-knotting with six pulses being deep and solid, do not lightly administer for pushing/purgation. (Using it for Qi level disease is punishing the innocent. Different effects of soaking, wine-steaming, raw, cooked. Raw use is more harsh. (To achieve purgative effect, do not suddenly eat grains; Da Huang cannot promote motility when combined with grain food. Hong Mai's Yijian Zhi records: For scald/burn injuries, crush raw Da Huang and apply mixed with paste, stops pain without scarring.) Huang Qin acts as an assistant. (Meishi Fang: Male unilateral testicular swelling and pain, Da Huang powder, mix with vinegar and apply, change when dry. From Banxia to Da Huang, all are commonly toxic substances.)