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To unblock strangury, tonify deficiency.
Sweet and bitter, slightly cold. Clears Lung Metal to nourish the source of transformation (any drug that promotes water metabolism must first clear Lung fire), unblocks the Bladder and benefits the water passages. Benefits essence and Qi, tonifies the five deficiencies (This utilizes its function of promoting dampness drainage and clearing heat. Gao Yangsheng used Shiwei for Emperor Xuan's treatment of labor injury). Treats strangury, metrorrhagia, and back carbuncle (Stir-fry into powder, mix with cold water, take with wine).

Grows on shady stones, flexible like leather, with yellow hairs on the back. Remove hairs, use after slight roasting. Xingren (Apricot Seed), Huashi (Talcum), and Shegan (Belamcanda Rhizome) act as guiding herbs; it works well with Changpu (Acorus Rhizome). Those growing on ancient tiles are named Wa Wei, treating strangury.

Unblock strangury, drain damp-heat.
Sweet, cold, and bland, penetrating and draining. Removes damp-heat from the blood aspect of the Small Intestine and Bladder.
Treats swelling and fullness, the five types of strangury, and penile pain. Combined with Zhizi (Gardenia Fruit), Yaxiao (Natrii Sulfas), and Pengsha (Borax), it treats typhoid fever with mania (Promoting urination in large quantities clears heat, embodying the principle of "removing firewood from under the cauldron").

The stem is thin as a thread, climbing bamboo or wood. Leaves have folds where yellow-red sandy substances appear. Avoid fire.

Unblock, promote damp-drainage, treat various jaundices.
Bitter dries dampness, cold overcomes heat. Enters the Foot-Taiyang (Bladder) meridian. Induces sweating and promotes urination to vent damp-heat of the Taiyin and Yangming (Spleen, Stomach).
It is the chief herb for treating jaundice (When damp-heat exists in the Spleen and Stomach, jaundice appears; yellow corresponds to the color of the Spleen. In severe heat, the body resembles an orange color, sweat resembles cypress juice. There is also jaundice caused by cold-dampness, where the body is smoked-yellow and dark in color. Generally, Yinchen (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba) is the main herb; for Yang Jaundice, add Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) and Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus); for Yin Jaundice, add Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) and Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), treating according to cold or heat patterns). It also treats typhoid and epidemic diseases, manic febrile malarial disorders, headache and vertigo, and women's jian masses (all are diseases caused by damp-heat).

Disperse, unblock, promote damp-drainage, clear summerheat.
Pungent disperses steaming heat from the skin, warm resolves coagulation in the heart and abdomen. Belongs to Metal and Water, governs the Lung, and is the chief herb for clearing summerheat. When Lung Qi is clear, urination flows freely and heat descends (Summerheat always combines with dampness; treating summerheat must involve promoting damp-drainage; without dampness, it is merely dry heat, not summerheat).
Treats vomiting and edema (Boil into paste, take; when urination increases, edema subsides), beriberi and bad breath (Decoct soup for gargling or external application). Taken alone to treat cholera with muscle cramps (Shizhen said: In summer, seeking coolness and drinking cold beverages causes Yang Qi to be suppressed by Yin pathogens, which then invade internally, resulting in headache, fever with aversion to cold, irritability, thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, and cholera. It is suitable to use here to vent Yang Qi, scatter summerheat, and harmonize the Spleen for recovery. However, for those injured by irregular diet or overwork, suffering from summerheat disease with high fever, extreme thirst, profuse sweating like rain, irritability, panting, either diarrhea or vomiting, this is an internal injury syndrome. It is suitable to use Qingshu Yiqi Tang (Clear Summerheat and Tonify Qi Decoction) or Renshen Baitu Tang (Ginseng and White Tiger Decoction) to purge fire and benefit Yuan Qi. Using Xiangru (Moslae Herba) would further deplete the exterior and assist heat. Xiangru is a summer exterior-releasing drug, similar to Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba) in winter; those with Qi deficiency should especially avoid taking it in excess. Nowadays, people believe it can clear summerheat and generally use it as tea, which is a mistake! Lishicai said: Xiangru is a summer sweating drug; its nature is warm and hot, suitable only for those with yin-type summerheat (Zhongshu). If those with yang-type summerheat (Zhonger) take it by mistake, it will cause great harm, which the world does not yet know. According to Jiegu: Summerheat (Zhongshu) is a Yin syndrome, characterized by deficiency; summer-heat (Zhonger) is a Yang syndrome, characterized by excess. The classics state: Excess Qi with cold body results from Cold Damage; Deficient Qi with hot body results from Summerheat Injury. Therefore, Zhongshu should be treated with warm dispersion, while Zhonger should be treated with cooling. The word "cold" in "cold body" should be read as "hot"; Cold Damage inevitably manifests as heat). Aged material is superior (Suitable to drink with chilled beverages; taken hot, it causes diarrhea).