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Clears latent fire and nourishes blood.
Pungent, sweet, cold with slight coolness. Enters the Hand-Shaoyin (Heart), Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney), Hand-Jueyin (Pericardium), and Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridians.
Clears latent fire in the blood (due to its red color, it enters the blood level. Li Shizhen said: Latent fire is Yin fire, and Yin fire is Ministerial fire. People usually use Huangbai [Phellodendri Cortex] to treat Ministerial fire, unaware that Mudanpi [Moutan Cortex] is more effective; thus, Zhang Zhongjing uses it in Shenqi Wan), harmonizes blood, cools blood to generate blood (blood heat causes dryness, cooling generates new blood), breaks up accumulated blood stasis (if stasis remains, new blood cannot be generated), and unblocks meridians.
It is an essential herb for treating hematemesis (vomiting blood) and epistaxis (nosebleed) (Blood belongs to Yin and is originally still, but due to the forcing of Ministerial fire, it overflows from the upper orifices). Treats wind-stroke, five types of exhaustion, fright and epilepsy with convulsions (convulsive twitching of sinews and vessels is called chi-zhong [spasm]. Or convulsions of hands and feet, deviation of mouth and eyes, sudden dizziness and collapse, spitting saliva, soft body, occurring intermittently is called epilepsy. All are caused by Yin deficiency and blood heat, wind-fire clashing, and phlegm surging with fire), eliminates vexation and heat, treats carbuncles and sores (cooling blood action), expels the fetus, and retreats bone-steaming tidal fever without sweat (Zhang Yuansu said: Mudanpi treats bone-steaming fever without sweat, while Digupi [Lycii Cortex] treats bone-steaming fever with sweat. Lack of Shen [Spirit] involves the Hand-Shaoyin meridian, lack of Zhi [Will] involves the Foot-Shaoyin meridian; thus, Zhang Zhongjing uses Mudanpi in Shenqi Wan to treat insufficiency of Spirit and Will. According to the *Neijing*: The essence of Water is Zhi, therefore the Kidney stores Zhi. The essence of Fire is Shen, therefore the Heart stores Shen).
Single-petaled red flowers are used medicinally, those with thick flesh are superior. Stir-fry with wine and steam before use. Averse to Beimu [Fritillariae Bulbus], Tusizi [Cuscutae Semen], and Dahuang [Rhei Radix et Rhizoma]. Avoid garlic, Huisu [Coriandri Fructus], and Fu Pi (Arsenic trioxide). (Li Shizhen said: White flowers tonify, red flowers promote circulation; this is rarely understood by people and should be distinguished.)

Tonifies Liver and Kidney, regulates sinews and bones.
Bitter-warm tonifies Kidney, pungent-warm tonifies Liver. It can circulate and unblock blood vessels and regulate sinews and bones. Mainly treats internal injury, tonifies insufficiency (*Jingshu* says: because it is sweet, it does so). Warms the uterus, reduces urination, breaks up blood stasis.
Treats lower back pain, fetal leakage (dribbling bleeding during pregnancy), metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, intestinal wind bloody dysentery (*Shizhai Fang*: Pingwei San 1 liang, Chuanxuduan 2 qian 5 fen, take 2 qian per dose, swallow with rice water; also effective for epidemic dysentery), carbuncles, hemorrhoids, swelling, and toxins. Also mainly treats metal wounds and fractures (named after its efficacy), stops pain and generates flesh.
In Gynecology and Surgery, it is required as a top-grade agent. Those produced in Sichuan are good. Shape like chicken feet, yellow wrinkled skin with segmented joints indicates authenticity. Remove the hard tendons inside, soak in wine before use. Dihuang [Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata] acts as the guiding drug.