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Ear Fruit (Cang'erzi, Xanthii Fructus), with a bitter and sweet taste and warm nature; its leaves have a bitter and pungent taste and slightly cold nature, both possessing slight toxicity. It is excellent at resolving the toxin of Leprosy (Da Ma Feng, a severe chronic skin disease equivalent to modern leprosy); it is contraindicated for other diseases.

The efficacy claims in various *Bencao* (Materia Medica) texts are unreliable. This substance is most effective in benefiting the joints; when pathogenic factors reside within the Zang-Fu organs, administration invariably expels them outward. The toxin of Leprosy is indeed problematic due to its retention within the Zang organs, necessitating this herb to draw it out to the skin and hair surface. Other etiologies are not visceral toxins, so why rely on it? Moreover, both the fruit and leaves dissipate True Qi (Zhen Qi, vital energy), making light or casual use inadvisable. In cases of Leprosy, although there is concern about dissipating Qi, the toxin burden is so intense that the disease itself absorbs the medicinal force, preventing excessive depletion of Qi; thus, its use is permissible. However, it must be combined with blood-invigorating (Huo Xue) and blood-cooling (Liang Xue) herbs to be effective; relying on it as a single agent is insufficient.

One might ask: Cang'erzi has uses in other conditions, such as dispelling wind for treating Tinea Versicolor (Han Ban) or removing dampness for foot and knee ailments, where it has proven effective. Is it not an overstatement to claim it only treats Leprosy? It is not an overstatement. Cang'erzi is suitable only for Leprosy and unsuitable for other diseases. For instance, Tinea Versicolor is a minor ailment; why use this herb to deplete Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi)? Foot and knee disorders are lower-body issues; why use this herb for ascending and dispersing actions? Abandoning appropriate herbs to seek inappropriate ones reflects the world's preference for novelty in medication, not an excessive argument on my part.

Qian Cao (Rubia Root, Radix Rubiae), with a bitter taste and cold nature, belonging to Yin with slight Yang, is non-toxic. It enters the Stomach and Spleen meridians. It stops lower bleeding and metrorrhagia (Beng Lou), treats initial traumatic injuries, and dissipates blood stasis.

It can treat menstrual stagnation and amenorrhea in women, postpartum blood fainting, and jaundice resulting from body yellowing. However, it moves blood but does not tonify blood; it should be paired with Qi-tonifying herbs to move blood, rather than Blood-tonifying herbs which might disperse Qi. Claims in various texts that it tonifies deficiency-heat and treats post-labor injury are false statements; I have not witnessed its efficacy in these regards.

One might ask: Since Qian Cao is red in color, how does it stop bleeding? Qian Cao is fundamentally a blood-moving herb; its ability to stop bleeding while moving blood lies in guiding blood back to its proper meridians. When blood flows in rebellion, opposing its nature exacerbates the rebellious flow. The color of Qian Cao matches the color of blood; upon entering the blood, it merges and travels with the blood, thereby guiding it back to the meridians, causing the blood to forget its anomalous state. This is the merit of the therapeutic method. However, once the blood is guided into the various meridians, Yin-nourishing herbs should immediately follow to ensure the blood remains calm and does not boil again. Otherwise, hemostatic conditions will inevitably recur.