泻、破血、消胀、杀虫。
味苦微寒。破血通经。杀虫消胀。治气血症瘕。下部 疮阴肿。（捣涂、发背痈疽。杨
梅毒
气。颛以驱逐为长。疮证久而虚者。斟酌用之。下地甚多。春月生苗。方茎。叶似益母对生
。夏秋开细紫花。作穗如车前穗。其子如蓬蒿子而细。根白而小。用苗叶。（集验方、男子
阴囊肿大如升、核痛、人所不能治、马鞭草捣涂之。）
泻、破血止血。
苦温。破血通经。除症下胀。止金疮血。多服令人吐利。一茎直上。叶尖长糙涩。花白
蕊黄
。如小菊花。有白絮如苦 絮。子细长。亦似苦 子。茎叶花子皆可用。（风入疮口肿痛、
刘寄奴为末、掺之即止。）
古名红蓝花。通、行血润燥。
辛苦甘温。入肝经而破瘀血。活血（瘀行则血活、有热结于中、暴吐紫黑血者、吐出为
好、
吐未尽、加桃仁红花行之、大抵鲜血宜止、瘀血宜行。）润燥。消肿止痛。（凡血热血瘀、则
作肿作痛。）治经闭便难。胎死腹中。（非活血行血不能下。）产后血晕口噤。（有产妇血闷而
死、名医陆氏、以红花数十斤煮汤、寝妇于上而熏之、汤冷再加、半日而苏、金匮有红蓝花
酒
、治妇人六十二种风证。）喉痹不通。痘疮血滞。过用、能使血行不止而毙。酒喷微焙。胭
脂活血。解痘毒。敷痘疔。（挑破、以油胭脂敷之。）子功与花同。叶捣涂游肿。
Purgation, blood-breaking, distension-resolving, and insect-killing.
Bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature. Breaks blood and unblocks the meridians. Kills insects and resolves distension. Treats zheng jia (masses formed by qi and blood stagnation). Sores and swelling of the lower yin region. (Mashed and applied topically to treat back carbuncles and sores.) Syphilis pathogen. Particularly effective in expelling pathogens. For chronic sores with deficiency, use with discretion. Widely distributed on the ground. Sprouts in spring. Square stems. Leaves opposite, resembling those of Motherwort (Leonurus japonicus). Small purple flowers bloom in summer and autumn, forming spikes like Plantago seeds. Seeds are fine, resembling Artemisia capillaris seeds but smaller. Roots are white and small. Use the shoots and leaves. (Ji Yan Fang: For men with scrotal swelling as large as a measuring cup and testicular pain, incurable by ordinary means, apply mashed Verbena officinalis externally.)
Purgation, blood-breaking, and hemostasis.
Bitter in taste, warm in nature. Breaks blood and unblocks the meridians. Eliminates masses and reduces downward distension. Stops bleeding from traumatic wounds. Excessive intake causes vomiting and diarrhea. A single stem grows upright. Leaves are pointed, long, rough, and astringent. Flowers are white with yellow stamens, resembling small chrysanthemums. White flocculence similar to Sonchus oleraceus is present. Seeds are slender, also resembling Sonchus seeds. Stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds are all usable. (For swelling and pain caused by wind entering wound openings, powder Viscum coloratum and sprinkle it on the wound to stop bleeding immediately.)
Anciently known as Hong Lan Hua (Safflower). Promotes circulation, moves blood, and moistens dryness.
Acrid, bitter, sweet, and warm. Enters the Liver meridian to break blood stasis. Invigorates blood (When blood stasis moves, blood circulation becomes smooth; if heat binds internally causing sudden vomiting of dark purple-black blood, expulsion is favorable; if not fully expelled, add Peach Kernel and Safflower to promote movement. Generally, fresh bleeding should be stopped, while blood stasis should be moved.) Moistens dryness. Reduces swelling and relieves pain. (Blood heat and blood stasis cause swelling and pain.) Treats amenorrhea and difficult defecation. Fetus dead in the uterus. (Only by invigorating and moving blood can the dead fetus be expelled.) Postpartum blood fainting and lockjaw. (A famous physician named Lu once treated a woman who died from blood suffocation by boiling tens of jin of Safflower, placing her above the steam, and fumigating her. When the liquid cooled, more was added. She revived after half a day. Jin Gui Yao Lue contains Hong Lan Hua Jiu (Safflower Wine) to treat sixty-two types of wind syndromes in women.) Throat obstruction. Blood stagnation in smallpox lesions. Overuse can cause uncontrollable bleeding leading to death. Spray with wine and lightly roast. Zhi Yan (Lipstick/Red Dye) invigorates blood. Resolves smallpox toxin. Apply to smallpox boils. (After piercing, apply oil-based red dye.) The efficacy of the seed is the same as that of the flower. Mashed leaves applied topically treat migratory swellings.