一名假苏
轻，宣，发表，祛风，理血
辛苦而温，芳香而散。入肝经气分，兼行血分。其性升浮能发汗（又云∶止冷汗、虚汗）
，散风湿，清头目，利咽喉。治伤寒头痛，中风口噤，身强项直，口面 斜，目中黑花。
其气温散，能助脾消食（气香入脾），通利血脉。治吐衄肠风，崩中血痢，产风血运（产
后去血过多，腹内空虚，则自生风。故常有崩运之患，不待外风袭之也。荆芥最能散血中之
风，华佗愈风散，荆芥三钱，微焙为末，豆淋酒调服，或童便服，诸家云甚效），瘰 疮肿
。清热散瘀，破结解毒（结散热清，则血凉而毒解，为风病、血病、疮家圣药）。荆芥功本
治风，又兼治血者，以其入风木之脏，即是藏血之地也。李士材曰∶风在皮里膜外，荆芥主
之，非若防风能入骨肉也。
连穗用（穗在于巅，故善升发），治血炒黑用（凡血药用山栀、干姜、地榆、棕榈、五
灵脂等，皆应炒黑者，以黑胜红也）。反鱼蟹、河豚、驴肉。
轻，宣，散结，泻火
微寒升浮。形似心（实以莲房有瓣），苦入心，故入手少阴，厥阴（心、心包）气分而
泻火，兼除手、足少阳（三焦、胆），手阳明经（大肠）气分湿热。散诸经血凝、气聚（营
气壅遏，卫气郁滞，遂成疮肿），利水通经，杀虫止痛，消肿排脓（皆结者散之。凡肿而痛
者为实邪，肿而不痛为虚邪，肿而赤者为结热，肿而不赤为留气停痰），为十二经疮家圣药
（经曰∶诸疮痛痒皆属心火）。
Also known as Jiasu (Fake Perilla).
Light in nature, diffusing and dispersing; releases the exterior, dispels wind, regulates blood.
Pungent and bitter in taste, warm in property, aromatic and dispersing. Enters the Qi level of the Liver Meridian, and also acts on the Blood level. Its nature is ascending and floating, capable of inducing sweating (another view states it can stop cold sweat and deficiency sweating), disperses wind-dampness, clears the head and eyes, benefits the throat. Treats headache caused by Shanghan (Cold Damage), lockjaw due to stroke, stiffness of the body and neck, facial paralysis (deviation of mouth and eye), and visual disturbances such as seeing black spots.
Its warmth and dispersing nature aids the Spleen in digestion (aroma enters the Spleen), unblocks and promotes the flow of blood vessels. Treats hematemesis (vomiting blood), epistaxis (nosebleed), intestinal wind bleeding, uterine bleeding (metrorrhagia) and bloody dysentery, postpartum blood syncope (after excessive blood loss during childbirth, emptiness in the abdomen generates internal wind. Thus, there is often a risk of metrorrhagia and syncope without waiting for external wind invasion. Jingjie is best at dispersing wind within the blood; Hua Tuo's Yufeng San uses 3 qian of Jingjie, lightly roasted and powdered, taken with Doulin wine or child's urine; various texts claim it is very effective), scrofula, and sores/swellings. Clears heat, dissipates stasis, breaks up accumulations, and resolves toxicity (when accumulation disperses and heat clears, blood cools and toxin resolves; it is the supreme herb for wind diseases, blood diseases, and sores). The reason Jingjie's function treats wind but also blood is that it enters the Liver, the organ of Wind-Wood, which is also the repository of blood. Li Shicai said: When wind is in the subcutaneous tissue and fascia, Jingjie is the primary treatment, unlike Fangfeng which can penetrate into bones and muscles.
Use with the spike (since the spike is at the apex, it excels in ascending and diffusing); for treating blood disorders, use charred (for all herbs used for blood like Zhizi, Ganjiang, Diyü, Zonglü, Wulingzhi, etc., they should be charred because black overcomes red). Incompatible with fish, crab, pufferfish, and donkey meat.
Use with the spike.
Slightly cold in property, ascending and floating. Shape resembles the heart (actually due to the lobed structure of the lotus pod). Bitter taste enters the Heart, thus entering the Qi level of the Hand-Shaoyin (Heart) and Jueyin (Pericardium) meridians to drain fire, and also clears damp-heat from the Qi level of the Hand-Yangming (Large Intestine) and Foot-Shaoyang (Sanjiao/Gallbladder) meridians. Dissipates blood stasis and Qi stagnation in various meridians (when Ying Qi is obstructed and Wei Qi is stagnant, sores and swellings form), promotes urination, unblocks menstruation, kills parasites, relieves pain, reduces swelling, and discharges pus (all follow the principle of dispersing accumulations. Swelling with pain indicates excess pathogen; swelling without pain indicates deficiency pathogen; swelling with redness indicates constrained heat; swelling without redness indicates retained Qi and stagnant phlegm). It is the supreme herb for sores and ulcers in the twelve meridians (The Classic states: All sores and itching belong to Heart Fire).