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Dispersing, searching out wind pathogens, releasing the exterior, overcoming dampness.
The flavor is pungent and bitter, the nature is drying for dampness (Note: Original text says 'damp', likely a typo for 'warm' or referring to its ability to dry dampness; translated as 'drying for dampness' to maintain fidelity while making sense in context), the qi is vigorous and dispersing, the taste is light and ascending.
It enters the Foot-Taiyang (Bladder) meridian to treat wandering wind, and concurrently enters the Qi aspect of the Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney) and Foot-Jueyin (Liver) meridians.
It drains Liver Qi, searches out Liver wind, penetrating everywhere without exception, opening all pathways without obstruction.
It treats headaches caused by the binding of wind-dampness (This effect is similar to Chuanxiong Rhizoma [Chuanxiong], treating Taiyang and Shaoyin headaches. The reason why wind-dispelling herbs are often used for headaches is that only wind herbs can reach the top of the head). It treats diseases of the Du Mai (Governing Vessel) characterized by rigidity of the spine and syncope (The Du Mai runs parallel with the Taiyang meridian). It treats Gang Jing (Stiff Spasm) and Rou Jing (Flaccid Spasm) (Rigidity of the spine and syncope constitute the Jing syndrome. Cold damage with no sweating is called Gang Jing; Wind strike with sweating is called Rou Jing. There are also cases of spasm caused by Blood deficiency. Generally, wind syndromes are suitable for Qiang Huo and Du Huo, but they are contraindicated in Blood deficiency). It treats aphasia due to stroke (Commentary: In ancient times, the treatment of stroke mostly focused on external contraction, commonly using formulas such as Xuming Tang and Yufeng Tang to release the exterior, and Sanhua Tang and Mahuang Wan to purge the interior. With the emergence of Liu Wansu, he stated that stroke is not caused by exogenous wind, but rather by sudden excess of Heart Fire and deficiency of Kidney Water. Li Dongyuan considered it a disease of the original Qi itself. Zhu Danxi believed it arose from Dampness generating Phlegm, Phlegm generating Heat, and Heat generating Wind. People later distinguished between 'True Stroke' in the North, where winds are fierce and constitutions are robust, and 'Resembling Stroke' in the South, where the land is low and damp and constitutions are weak. They failed to consider that Qibo stated there are four main types of stroke: 1. Pian Ku (Hemiplegia); 2. Feng Fei (Paralysis of limbs); 3. Feng Yin (Sudden loss of consciousness/aphonia); 4. Feng Bi (Wind-like Bi syndrome). Thus, wind syndromes were fully categorized; where did the distinction between True Stroke and Resembling Stroke come from? These conditions are all caused by deficiency of Qi and Blood. Physicians who fail to nourish Blood and tonify Qi to secure the root, and instead merely use Aconite Root [Wutou], Prepared Aconite Root [Fuzi], Notopterygium Rhizome [Qianghuo], and Saposhnikovia Root [Duhuo] to expel wind, cause 'deficiency leading to further deficiency,' misleading many. True stroke is indeed more severe than resembling stroke. How can resembling stroke be attributed to internal injury while true stroke is solely attributed to external contraction! Liu Wansu and Li Dongyuan were both northerners; how could they discard the conditions of northerners to exclusively treat southern diseases?). It treats dizziness and red eyes (A key herb for red eyes). It dissipates the Eight Winds pathogenic factors from the muscle layer, benefits pain in all joints of the body, and serves as the principal herb to restore order and correct deviations. However, if the headache and generalized body pain are due to Blood deficiency (this belongs to internal disorders), both Qiang Huo and Du Huo are strictly contraindicated.