通、去湿热。
甘凉。煮食。治小便赤涩。去烦热。利湿热。除酒疸。作菹利胸膈。安五脏。令人欢乐
忘
忧。轻身明目。根治沙淋。下水气。（小便不通、煎水频饮甚良、遍身水肿亦效。）除酒疸。
（
黄色遍身者、捣汁服。）吹乳乳痈肿痛。（擂酒服、外以滓封之。）
补阴润燥。
苦平。补阴气不足，治失精茎冷。令人皮肤光泽，有子。（时珍曰∶石龙芮、乃平补之
药、
古方多用之、其功与枸杞覆盆子相埒、而世不知用、何哉。）逐诸风。利关节。止烦渴。明
耳目。用子。（根皮功用相仿、差不及尔。）
叶（名水堇、俗呼胡椒菜。）甘微辛。苦涩寒。除心下烦热。主寒热鼠 。瘰 生疮。
结核聚
气。（食疗本草、堇菜日干为末、油煎成膏、日三五度、摩之便瘥。）下瘀血。（易简方、血
疝初起、胡椒菜 按揉之。）止霍乱。解诸毒。（唐本草、捣汁洗马毒疮、并服之、又涂蛇蝎
毒、及痈肿。淮南万毕术、蛇咬生疮、生堇杵汁涂之。）
疣目贯发。以茎穿之即干灭。凡赤眼拳毛倒睫者。翻转目睑。以一二茎蘸水。戛去恶血。
甚
良。一名莠。（莠之乱苗即此。）又名光明草。（治目疾、故名。）
通、破血解毒。
苦平。解毒排脓。治痈肿。破凝血。疗产后诸病。（时珍曰∶败酱乃手足阳明、厥阴药
也、
善排脓破血、故仲景治痈、及古方妇人科、产后腰痛腹痛等证多用之、后人不知用、盖未遇
识者尔。）一名苦菜。用根苗。（杨氏疗乳方、治蠼 尿疮绕腰者、败酱煎汁、涂之甚良。）
Promotes free flow, eliminates damp-heat.
Sweet and cool in nature. Boiled for food, it treats red and scanty or painful urination, removes irritability and heat, promotes the discharge of damp-heat, and eliminates jaundice caused by alcohol consumption. Prepared as pickles, it benefits the chest and diaphragm, calms the five zang organs, brings joy and forgets worries, lightens the body, and improves vision. The root cures sand-like strangury (Sha Lin), and directs water qi downward. (For urinary retention, frequent drinking of the decoction is very effective; it is also effective for generalized edema.) Eliminates alcoholic jaundice. (For generalized yellowing of the body, take the crushed juice.) Treats mastitis (Chui Ru) and breast abscess with swelling and pain. (Grind and take with wine; apply the dregs externally to seal the area.)
Nourishes yin and moistens dryness.
Bitter and neutral in nature. Tonifies insufficient yin qi, treats seminal emission and cold penis. Makes the skin lustrous and aids fertility. (Li Shizhen said: Shi Long Rui is a mild tonic herb, frequently used in ancient prescriptions. Its efficacy is comparable to Gouqi and Fupenzi, yet people today do not know to use it. Why?) Expels various wind pathogens, benefits the joints, stops irritability and thirst, and brightens the eyes and ears. Use the seeds. (The root bark has similar functions but is slightly less potent.)
Leaves (named Shui Jin, commonly called Hu Jiao Cai). Sweet and slightly acrid, bitter and astringent, cold in nature. Clears irritability and heat in the epigastrium. Primarily treats alternating chills and fever, scrofula (Shu Lou), scrofulous sores, tuberculous masses, and qi accumulation. (*Shi Liao Ben Cao* records: Dry the Jin Cai, grind into powder, fry with oil into a paste, and rub on the affected area three to five times daily for recovery.) Directs blood stasis downward. (*Yi Jian Fang* records: For early-stage blood hernia, press and massage with Hu Jiao Cai.) Stops cholera-like vomiting and diarrhea, resolves various toxins. (*Tang Ben Cao* records: Crush and extract juice to wash horse poison sores, and ingest; also apply to snake and scorpion bites, and carbuncles. *Huai Nan Wan Bi Shu* records: For snake bite sores, apply fresh juice of Jin Cai.)
Verrucae (Warts) penetrating hair. Pierce the wart with the stem, and it will dry up and disappear. For those suffering from red eyes, trichiasis (Quan Mao Dao Jie), flip the eyelid, dip one or two stems in water, and scrape away the evil blood. This is very effective. Also named You. (You refers to this plant, which confuses seedlings.) Also named Guang Ming Cao. (Named so because it treats eye diseases.)
Promotes free flow, breaks blood stasis, and detoxifies.
Bitter and neutral in nature. Detoxifies and discharges pus, treats carbuncles and swellings, breaks coagulated blood, and treats various postpartum conditions. (Li Shizhen said: Bai Jiang is a herb of the Foot and Hand Yangming and Jueyin meridians. It excels at discharging pus and breaking blood stasis. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing used it for treating carbuncles, and ancient gynecological formulas frequently used it for postpartum lower back pain, abdominal pain, etc. Later generations did not know to use it, likely because they had not met those who recognized its value.) Also named Ku Cai. Use the roots and shoots. (*Yang Shi Liao Ru Fang* records: To treat Qu Su Niao Chuang encircling the waist, decoct Bai Jiang and apply the juice; this is very effective.)