补血、泻肝、敛阴。
苦酸微寒。入肝脾血分。（白术补脾阳、白芍补脾阴、为手足太阴行经药。（肺、脾。）
泻肝
火。（酸敛肝、肝以敛为泻、以散为补。）发脾肺。固腠理。（肺主皮毛、脾主肌肉、肝木不
克土、则脾安、土旺能生金、则肺安、脾和肺安、则腠理固矣。）和血脉。收阴气。敛逆气
。（酸主收敛。）缓中止痛。（东垣曰∶损其肝者缓其中、即调血也。）除烦敛汗。退热安胎。
治泻痢后重。血虚腹痛。（泻痢俱太阴病、不可缺此、寒泻冷痛忌用、古方治腹痛、白芍四
钱
汤、
盖腹痛因营气不从、逆于肉里、白芍能调营气、甘草能缓逆气、
伐肝故也、其治腹痛、止血
虚腹痛、余痛不治、以其酸寒收敛、
无温散之功也。）胁痛。（胁者、肝胆二经来往之道、其火上冲、则胃脘痛、横行则两胁痛、
白芍能敛气泻肝火。）肺胀喘噫。（嗳同。）脾热易饥。其收降之性。又能入血海。（冲脉为
血海、男女皆有之。）而至厥阴。（肝经。）治鼻衄目涩。肝血不足。小儿痘疮。（地红血散、
毒
妇人胎产。及一切血病。（同白术补脾、同参 补气、同归地补血、
同芎 泻肝、同甘草止腹痛、同芩连止泻痢、同防风发痘疹、同姜枣和营卫、酒炒加入补中
益气汤中、治气虚下陷、尤称神妙。）又曰。产后忌用。（丹溪曰∶以其酸寒、伐生生之气也
、必不得已、酒炒用之可耳、时珍曰∶产后肝血已虚、不可更泻也、寇宗 本草衍义曰∶减
芍药、以避中寒、微寒如芍药、古人犹谆谆戒谨、况大苦大寒、可肆行而莫之忌耶、按产后
虚热多汗、阴气失散、用白芍以收敛之、取微寒以退虚热、正其相宜、前言亦失之太过耳、
景岳全书内、所论极为中正。）赤芍药（泻肝、散瘀。）泻肝火。散恶血。利小肠。治腹痛胁
痛。坚积血痹疝瘕。（邪聚外肾为疝、腹内为瘕。）经闭肠风。痈肿目赤。（皆散泻之功。）白
补而敛。赤散而泻。白益脾。能于土中泻木。赤散邪。能行血中之滞。虚者忌用。赤白各随
花色。单瓣者入药。酒炒用。（制其寒。）妇人血分醋炒，下痢后重不炒。恶芒硝、石斛。畏
鳖甲、小蓟。反藜芦。
Nourishes blood, clears and drains Liver fire, and astringes Yin.
Bitter, sour, slightly cold. Enters the Blood aspect of the Liver and Spleen meridians. (Baizhu [Atractylodis Rhizoma] tonifies Spleen Yang; Baishao [Radix Paeoniae Alba] tonifies Spleen Yin; they are channel-guiding herbs for the Foot-Taiyin and Hand-Taiyin meridians. (Referring to the Lung and Spleen.)
Drains Liver fire. (The sour flavor has an astringent property; for the Liver, astringency is considered draining, while dispersal is considered tonifying.) Stimulates Qi of the Spleen and Lung. Consolidates the Couli (interstices). (The Lung governs the skin and hair; the Spleen governs the muscles. If Liver Wood does not overact on Spleen Earth, the Spleen remains tranquil; if Spleen Earth is robust enough to generate Lung Metal, the Lung remains tranquil. When both Spleen and Lung are harmonious, the Couli become secure.) Harmonizes the blood vessels. Collects Yin Qi. Astringes rebellious Qi. (Sour flavors primarily have an astringent function.) Relieves central pain. (Li Dongyuan stated: "To treat Liver injury, soothe the center; this is essentially regulating blood.") Eliminates vexation, stops sweating. Reduces fever, calms the fetus.
Treats tenesmus after dysentery. Abdominal pain due to Blood deficiency. (Dysentery belongs to Taiyin disease; Baishao should not be omitted in its treatment. However, it is contraindicated in cold-type diarrhea and cold pain. Ancient formulas for abdominal pain use four qian of Baishao decocted in water. This is likely because abdominal pain arises from Ying (Nutrient) Qi failing to flow smoothly and rebelling within the muscle layers; Baishao can regulate Ying Qi, and Gancao [Liquorice Root] can moderate rebellious Qi, thereby subduing the Liver. It is effective for abdominal pain and hemostasis in cases of Blood deficiency, but ineffective for other types of pain because its sour-cold nature is astringent and lacks warming and dispersing properties.) Hypochondriac pain. (The hypochondrium is the pathway for the circulation of Qi and Blood in the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. If Liver Fire rushes upward, it causes epigastric pain; if it spreads horizontally, it causes bilateral hypochondriac pain. Baishao can astringe Qi and drain Liver Fire.) Lung distension with wheezing and belching. ("Yi" is synonymous with "Ai".) Easy hunger due to Spleen heat. Due to its descending and astringent nature, it can also enter the Sea of Blood. (The Chong Mai [Penetrating Vessel] is called the Sea of Blood, present in both men and women.) Reaches the Jueyin meridian. (i.e., the Liver meridian.) Treats epistaxis, dry eyes, Liver Blood deficiency, pediatric smallpox (due to blood heat and toxin dispersion), gynecological pregnancy and postpartum disorders, and all kinds of Blood diseases. (When combined with Baizhu, it tonifies the Spleen; with Renshen [Ginseng Root] or Huangqi [Astragalus Root], it tonifies Qi; with Danggui [Angelica Sinensis Root] and Shudihuang [Rehmanniae Radix Preparata], it nourishes Blood; with Xiong [Cyperi Rhizoma], it drains the Liver; with Gancao, it stops abdominal pain; with Huangqin [Scutellaria Root] and Huanglian [Coptidis Rhizoma], it stops dysentery; with Fangfeng [Saposhnikoviae Radix], it promotes eruption of smallpox; with Shengjiang [Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens] and Dazao [Jujubae Fructus], it harmonizes Ying and Wei; when stir-fried with wine and added to Buzhong Yiqi Tang [Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction], it treats sinking of Qi due to deficiency, yielding miraculous results.) It is also said that it is contraindicated postpartum. (Zhu Danxi stated: "Because it is sour and cold, it damages the vital generating energy. If absolutely necessary, it must be used after wine-frying." Li Shizhen stated: "Postpartum, Liver Blood is already deficient; it should not be drained further." Kou Zongshi, in *Bencao Yan Yi* (*Supplement to Materia Medica*), stated: "Reduce the dosage of Shaoyao to avoid middle-jiao coldness. Even mildly cold herbs like Shaoyao were strictly cautioned against by ancients; how much more so for greatly bitter and cold herbs, which should never be used recklessly without taboo?" Note: Postpartum conditions often involve deficiency-heat and excessive sweating, indicating the scattering of Yin Qi. Using Baishao to astringe, leveraging its slight coldness to reduce deficiency-heat, is precisely appropriate. The previous statement was too absolute. Zhang Jingyue's discussion in *Jingyue Quanshu* (*Complete Works of Jingyue*) is extremely balanced.) Chishao [Radix Paeoniae Rubra] (Drains Liver fire, dissipates stasis.) Drains Liver fire. Dissipates foul blood (stasis). Benefits the Small Intestine. Treats abdominal pain, hypochondriac pain, hard accumulations, Blood Bi syndrome, hernia, and mass formations. (Pathogenic factors accumulating in the external genitalia constitute hernia; those accumulating in the abdomen constitute masses.) Amenorrhea, intestinal wind (blood in stool), carbuncles, red eyes. (These are all effects of its dispersing and draining actions.) Baishao is tonifying and astringent; Chishao is dispersing and draining. Baishao benefits the Spleen, able to drain Wood within Earth. Chishao disperses pathogens, able to move stagnation within the Blood. Contraindicated in deficiency patterns. Chishao and Baishao are distinguished by flower color; single-petal varieties are used medicinally. Stir-fry with wine before use. (To mitigate its coldness.) For gynecological Blood patterns, stir-fry with vinegar; do not stir-fry for treating tenesmus after dysentery. Incompatible with Mangxiao [Natrii Sulfas] and Shihu [Dendrobii Caulis]. Feared by Biejia [Trionycis Carapax] and Xiaoji [Cephalanoplos Herba]. Inverted by Lilu [Veratri Nigrirhizoma].