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( Gardeniae Fructus ) clears and drains the fire of the Heart, Lung, and Sanjiao (Triple Burner).
Its nature is bitter and cold. Its light and floating quality corresponds to the Lung; its red color enters the Heart channel. It drains pathogenic heat from the Heart and Lung, causing it to descend through a curved path and exit via urination. (Zhang Yuansu stated: Some use it as a diuretic, but it does not directly promote urination; rather, when Lung Qi is clear, fluid metabolism proceeds normally, and the Bladder, as the organ of fluids, excretes urine through this Qi transformation.) It resolves heat-jue (cold extremities due to heat) caused by stagnant fire in the Sanjiao. (Jue syndrome has two types: cold jue and heat jue.) It calms heart pain. (Zhu Zhenheng stated: When treating heart pain, one must distinguish between new and chronic conditions. If initially caused by cold or food stagnation, warm dispersal is appropriate. If chronic, stagnation transforms into heat; using warm agents would only aggravate the pain. Ancient formulas often used Gardeniae Fructus as the chief herb, with hot herbs as guides, so that pathogens dissipate easily. Although this condition may persist for a long time without eating without being fatal, if one indulges in food after pain cessation, the disease will recur.) It stops bleeding, resolving conditions such as hematemesis (vomiting blood), epistaxis (nosebleed), metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding), stranguria (dysuric disorders), and bloody dysentery. (It is most effective in clearing blood-heat in the stomach region; taken as a blackened powder, or blown into the nasal cavity, it treats epistaxis.) It treats mental restlessness, vexation, insomnia. (Zhang Zhongjing used Gardeniae and Fermented Soybean Decoction. Li Gao stated: Vexation belongs to Qi pathology, while agitation belongs to Blood pathology. Thus, Gardeniae Fructus treats Lung Qi vexation, while Fermented Soybean treats Kidney Qi agitation. It is also used as an emetic because pathogens are in the Upper Jiao; vomiting causes them to scatter, as stated in the Classics: "Where the pathogen is high, induce vomiting." Note: Gardeniae and Fermented Soybean Decoction expels deficiency-vexation and guest-heat; Cucumis Trichosanthes Powder expels phlegm-heat and guest-cold.) It treats five types of jaundice. (Ancient formulas often combined Gardeniae Fructus with Yinchen [Artemisiae Scopariae Herba].) It treats five types of stranguria, red eyes, purpura, white li (psoriasis-like diseases), and sores and ulcers. (Because skin and pores are governed by the Lung, it can treat these dermatological conditions.) However, it damages Stomach Qi and depletes healthy Qi; those who are deficient should avoid it. For heart and abdominal pain not caused by fire, it is strictly contraindicated. People often use it to treat bleeding, unaware that cold congeals blood, which may lead to deteriorating conditions. (Bencao Hui stated: In excess patterns, blood returns to its vessels naturally; in deficiency-fire bleeding, nourishing righteousness is primary. Strong Qi naturally controls blood. Zhu Zhenheng stated: Treating bleeding cannot be done solely by moving blood or stopping blood, nor purely with cold-cooling herbs. Excess Qi rising upward transforms into fire; regulating Qi is equivalent to descending fire.) Use the kernel for internal heat, and the peel for external heat. Raw use drains fire; charred use stops bleeding; stir-fried with ginger juice stops vexation and vomiting. (Charred and blown into the nose stops epistaxis.)