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Moisten the lungs and descend qi.
Acrid, warm, and moistening to benefit the lungs; bitter, warm, and descending to reduce qi; resolve phlegm and relieve thirst. Treats qi stagnation caused by the knotting of cold and heat. Cough with rebellious qi ascending. Coughing up pus and blood. (Specializes in treating bloody sputum, serving as a holy medicine for blood consumption.) Deficient heat in the Lung channel. Pediatric convulsions and epilepsy. (Also applies to deficiency patterns accompanied by heat.) Can open throat obstruction (hou bi) and expel foul saliva. It can also promote urination through the small intestine. (*Bencao Hui* states: Bitterness can reach downward, acridity can benefit Metal [Lungs], thus it stops bleeding and protects the lungs, making it an excellent agent for astringency. Although its action reaches the highest level, it is adept at reaching downward, allowing Qi transformation to extend to Zhoudou [the bladder], so urination becomes smooth.) Acrid and dispersing, nature slippery. It is a temporary-use agent. Those with Yin deficiency and Lung heat should not use it exclusively or in large doses; it must be combined with Shudi Huangjing (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) and Maidong (Ophiopogonis Radix). The root with nodes, purple in color, moist, and soft is superior. (People nowadays often counterfeit it with Cheqian Cao [Plantaginis Herba] and Xuanfugen [Inulae Radix].) The white variety is called Nüwan. (Shizhen says: Purple enters the Blood aspect, white enters the Qi aspect.) Remove the head and roots. Soak in honey water and bake dry. Kuantonghua (Coltsfoot Flower) serves as the guide herb. It is incompatible with Tianxiong (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata), Qumai (Dianthi Herba), Gaoben (Ligustici Wallichii Radix), and Yuanzhi (Polygalae Radix). It fears Yinchen (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba). (For women with sudden inability to urinate, or hematuria, take Nüwan powder orally.)

Moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and stop cough.
Acrid, warm, and moistening to benefit the lungs. Eliminate phlegm and remove vexation. Calm convulsions and brighten the eyes. Treat cough with rebellious qi, asthma, and thirst. (Lung deficiency with accompanying fire.) Throat obstruction (hou bi), lung atrophy fei wu, lung abscess fei yong, coughing up pus and blood. It is an essential medicine for treating cough. (Burn the smoke and inhale it through a bamboo tube; this method is also effective. *Bencao Hui* states: In deep winter, it stands out uniquely, blooming before spring, possessing the substance of the Kidney and utilizing the function of the Kidney first. Therefore, it is the best for warming the lungs and regulating cough. Generally, cough arises from cold; cold is the Qi of winter, invading the lungs causes rebellion. Kuantong is not exclusively a Lung herb, but rather guides Lung pathogens out smoothly via the Kidney. Equal parts of Kuantonghua (Coltsfoot Flower) and Baihe (Lilii Bulbus) made into honey pills are named Baihua Gao (Hundred Flowers Paste), treating cough with bloody sputum. For all Yin deficiency labor coughs, Kuantong, Ziwann, Baihe, Shashen, Shengdi, Maidong, Wuweizi, and Yiren are commonly used. If there is internal heat and bone-steaming fever, add Mudanpi and Digupi. If it involves "cough intestines" where both viscera and bowels are diseased, with continuous cough and fever, this indicates Yin deficiency with flaming fire, which is difficult to treat.) It blooms in the eleventh and twelfth lunar months, resembling yellow chrysanthemums. (When snow accumulates and ice is hard, Kuantong flowers remain particularly vibrant, revealing their endowment of pure Yang Qi. Thus, their main uses are all acrid-warm and resolving, yet they do not assist fire, allowing for long-term use.) Flowers slightly visible but not fully opened are superior. (Grown in Hebei and Guanzhong regions; people often counterfeit it with Pipa Rui [Loquat Flower Bud].) Select clean flowers. Soak in Licorice water overnight, then sun-dry for use. It works well when combined with Ziwann. Xingren (Apricot Seed) serves as the guide herb. It is incompatible with Zaojiao (Ziziphus Spinosae Fructus), Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix), and Xiaoshi (Natrii Sulfas). It fears Xinyi (Magnoliae Flos), Qingxiangzi (Celosiae Semen), Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba), and Chuanbeimu (Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus); obtaining them actually improves efficacy. (For mouth ulcers gan chuang, mix Huanglian equal parts into powder, form into cakes using saliva. First rinse the mouth with Shechuang decoction, then apply the cake to the lesion; it disappears immediately.)