平补肝肾、除风寒湿。
苦坚肾。甘益血。（滋肝、）温养气。治失溺不节。（益肾、）脚弱腰痛。寒湿周痹。（经
曰∶
内不在脏腑、而外未发于皮、独居分肉之间、真气不能周、故曰周痹。）除风虚。强机关。
利俯仰。（滋肾益肝、则骨健而筋强。）有黄毛如狗形。故名。去毛切。酒拌蒸。萆 为使
。熬膏良。
补肾命门。
辛香甘温。入肝肾。补命门。益精气。坚筋骨。利小便。治绝阳不兴。绝阴不产。冷风
劳气
。四肢不仁。（手足麻木。）相火易动。远之。一名仙灵脾。北部淫羊。一日百合。食此藿所
致。故名。去枝。羊脂拌炒。山药为使。得酒良。（牙齿虚痛、仙灵脾为粗末、煎汤频漱、
大效。）
补肾祛风。
甘辛微温。入肾经血分。强阴益精。治五劳七伤。散风湿。治风气香港脚水肿。阴虚而相
火炽
真也。蜀产佳。（山 根似巴戟、但色白、人或醋煮以乱之。）去心。酒浸焙用。覆盆子
为使
。恶丹参。
补阳滑肠。
甘温补阴。益精兴阳。润燥养筋。（强筋、故能兴阳。）治痿弱。滑大肠。（便燥者啖之、
可
代苁蓉、煮粥弥佳。）泄泻及阳易举而精不固者。忌之。鳞甲栉比。状类男阳。酥炙。
补肾命门、滑肠。
甘酸咸温。入肾经血分。补命门相火。滋润五脏。益髓强筋。治五劳七伤。绝阳不兴。
绝阴不产。腰膝冷痛。峻补精血。（时珍曰∶补而不峻、故有苁蓉之号。）骤用恐妨心
。滑大便。功用与琐阳相仿。禁忌亦同。长大如臂。重至斤许。有松子鳞甲者良。酒浸一宿
。刷去浮甲。劈破。除内筋膜。酒蒸半日。又酥炙用。忌铁。（苏恭注唐本草曰∶今人所用
、多草苁蓉、功力稍劣。）
Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys mildly, dispels Wind-Cold-Dampness.
Bitterness solidifies the Kidney. Sweetness benefits Blood (nourishes the Liver). Warmth nourishes Qi. Treats incontinence of urine (benefits the Kidney), weakness of the legs and lower back pain. Cold-Dampness causing generalized Bi syndrome. (The Classics state: The pathogen is internally not within the Zang-Fu organs, nor externally manifested on the skin, but resides exclusively between the muscle layers; the True Qi cannot circulate freely, hence it is called generalized Bi.) Dispels Wind-deficiency syndromes, strengthens joints and tendons, facilitates flexion and extension. (Nourishing the Kidney and Liver results in strong bones and sinews.) It has yellow hair resembling a dog, hence its name. Remove the hair and slice. Steam with wine mixed. Use *Dioscorea hypoglauca* Rhizome (Bixie) as an guiding herb. Making into a paste is effective.
Tonifies the Mingmen (Gate of Life).
Pungent, aromatic, sweet, and warm. Enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. Tonifies the Mingmen, benefits Essence and Qi, strengthens bones and sinews, promotes urination. Treats impotence (Yang exhaustion without erection), infertility due to Yin deficiency (Yin exhaustion without conception), cold Wind and consumptive disorders, and numbness of the four limbs (numbness of hands and feet). If Ministerial Fire tends to move easily, avoid this herb. Also known as Xianlingpi (Immortal Spirit Spleen). The *Epimedium* from the north is called Yin Yang Huo (Horny Goat Weed), or alternatively Baihe. It is named so because goats eat its leaves. Remove the branches. Stir-fry with sheep fat. Use *Dioscorea opposita* Rhizome (Shanyao) as a guiding herb; efficacy is enhanced with wine. (For deficient toothache, grind Xianlingpi into coarse powder, decoct in water, and rinse frequently; this yields great effect.)
Tonifies the Kidney and dispels Wind.
Sweet, pungent, and slightly warm. Enters the blood aspect of the Kidney meridian. Strengthens Yin and benefits Essence. Treats the five emaciations and seven injuries, disperses Wind-Dampness. Treats Wind-induced Hongjiao (gouty arthritis) and edema. Suitable for cases where Yin deficiency leads to blazing Ministerial Fire. Produced in Shu (Sichuan) is superior. (The root resembles *Morinda officinalis* Radix (Bajitian) but is white; some people boil it in vinegar to pass it off as Bajitian.) Remove the heart. Soak in wine, bake, and use. Use *Rubus chingii* Fruit (Fupenzi) as a guiding herb. Averse to *Salvia miltiorrhiza* Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen).
Tonifies Yang and lubricates the intestines.
Sweet and warm, tonifies Yin, benefits Essence, promotes Yang erection, moistens dryness, and nourishes sinews (strengthens sinews, thus promoting Yang erection). Treats flaccidity syndromes (Wei syndrome), lubricates the Large Intestine (for those with dry stools, consuming it can replace Cistanche; making porridge is excellent). Contraindicated in diarrhea and cases where Yang rises easily but Essence is not secure. Its scales are arranged like roof tiles, resembling the male organ. Roast with butter.
Tonifies the Mingmen and lubricates the intestines.
Sweet, sour, salty, and warm. Enters the blood aspect of the Kidney meridian. Tonifies the Mingmen Ministerial Fire, moistens the Five Zang organs, benefits Marrow, and strengthens sinews. Treats the five emaciations and seven injuries, impotence, infertility, cold pain in the waist and knees, and severely tonifies Essence and Blood. (Li Shizhen stated: It tonifies without being harsh, hence the name Congrong [Cistanche].) Sudden heavy use may obstruct the Heart/Mind and cause loose stools. Its functions are similar to *Cynomorium songaricum* Radix (Suoyang), and contraindications are the same. Grows as large as an arm, weighing up to one jin (approx. 500g); those with pine-cone-like scales are superior. Soak in wine overnight, brush off floating scales, split open, remove internal fibrous membrane, steam in wine for half a day, then roast with butter. Avoid iron. (Su Gong annotated in *Tang Bencao*: What people use today is mostly herbal Cistanche, which has slightly inferior efficacy.)