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(Recorded in the Middle Category of *Shennong Bencao Jing*)

**[Names]** Kushen (*Shennong Bencao Jing*), Kugu (*Bencao Gangmu*), Dihuai (*Mingyi Bielu*), Shuihuai (*Shennong Bencao Jing*), Tuhuai (*Mingyi Bielu*), Jiaohuai (*Mingyi Bielu*), Yehuai (*Bencao Gangmu*), Baisheng (*Mingyi Bielu*, also known as Qinsheng, Lubai, Linglang, Hu...)

**[Collection and Description]** *Mingyi Bielu* records: Kushen grows in the valleys and fields of Runan. The roots are harvested in March, August, and October, and dried in the sun.
Tao Hongjing states: It is found everywhere near inhabited areas. The leaves closely resemble those of the locust tree (*Sophora japonica*), the flowers are yellow, the fruit forms pods, and the root tastes extremely bitter with an unpleasant odor.
Su Song states: The root is yellow, about five to seven cun long, and as thick as two fingers. Three to five stems grow together, with seedlings reaching three to four chi in height. The leaves are fragmented green, resembling locust leaves; they sprout in spring and wither in winter. The flowers are yellow-white, and seeds form in July like small beans. Those growing in Hebei have no flowers or seeds. Roots are harvested in May, June, August, and October, and dried.
Li Shizhen states: In July and August, it forms pods like radish seeds, containing two or three seeds per pod, hard like small beans.

**[Processing]** Lei Xiao states: Harvest the roots, soak them overnight in strong rice washing water. The fishy and foul odors will float on the surface. Wash repeatedly until clean, then steam from Si hour (9-11 AM) to Shen hour (3-5 PM). Take out, dry, and slice for use.

**[Flavor and Properties]** Bitter, cold, non-toxic. Xu Zhicai states: Xuan Shen acts as a guide drug. It is incompatible with Beimu, Tusizi, and Loulu, and opposes Lilu. Li Shizhen states: It can fix mercury and neutralize Fuhuang (Realgar mixed with arsenic) and Yanxiao (Saltpeter).

**[Indications]** Treats heart and abdominal qi stagnation, zhijia masses (accumulations), jaundice, and dysuria (*Shennong Bencao Jing*). Nourishes liver and gallbladder qi, calms the five zang organs, harmonizes stomach qi, increases appetite, lightens the body, stabilizes the mind and benefits essence, unblocks the nine orifices, clears latent heat from the intestines, stops thirst, awakens from alcohol intoxication, treats yellow-red urine, and heals malignant sores and erosion of the lower parts (*Mingyi Bielu*). Infused in wine and drunk, it treats tinea and kills parasites (Tao Hongjing). Treats harmful insects and soreness in the shins (Su Gong). Treats wind-heat toxicity, irritability of skin and muscles with sores, erythema elephaniasis with eyebrow loss, clears severe heat and lethargy, treats cold pain in the abdomen, and abdominal pain from evil invasion (Zhen Quan). Kills gan worms. Stir-fried until carbonized and taken with rice water, it treats intestinal wind bleeding and bloody diarrhea due to heat (*Daming Bencao*).

**[Elucidation]** Zhang Yuansu states: Kushen is bitter, its qi sinks, it is purely yin, and is the sovereign drug of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. It must be used for diseases of this meridian and can expel dampness.
Su Song states: Ancient and modern formulas use it most frequently to treat wind-heat sores and rashes.
Kou Zongshi states: Shen Kuo's *Brush Talks* records a case of heavy waist and inability to walk after sitting for long periods. A military officer said: This was caused by treating dental caries for years using Kushen to brush teeth; its qi entered the teeth and damaged the kidneys. Later, Shu Zhaoliang, Vice Minister of Ceremonies, also used Kushen to brush his teeth and developed back pain after many years. Everyone stopped using it afterwards, and their back pains healed. These cases were not recorded in medical books. Zhu Zhenheng states: Kushen can vigorously tonify yin qi. If someone experiences heavy waist after taking it, it is because its qi descends rather than ascends, not because it damages the kidneys. It is effective for major wind diseases, let alone minor wind-heat rashes? Li Shizhen states: Zi-Wu corresponds to the counter-transformation of Shaoyin Ministerial Fire. Therefore, the bitter-cold nature of Kushen and Huangbai can both benefit the kidneys. This is likely due to bitterness drying dampness and cold clearing heat. Heat generates wind, and dampness generates worms, so it can also treat wind and kill parasites. It is suitable only for those with weak kidney water and victorious ministerial fire. If fire is deficient, essence is cold, true yuan is insufficient, or for elderly people, it should not be used. *Suwen* says: The five flavors enter the stomach and return to their preferred organs. Long-term use increases qi, which is the normal transformation of substances. However, if qi increases for too long, it leads to premature death. Wang Bing annotates: Entering the liver makes it warm, entering the heart makes it hot, entering the lung makes it clear, entering the kidney makes it cold, and entering the spleen makes it extreme yin with mixed four qi. All increase their flavor to benefit their qi, following the qi of their respective organs. Thus, long-term use of Huanglian and Kushen may cause heat, which is of this category. If qi increases endlessly, organ qi becomes excessive; excess leads to organ deficiency, causing sudden death. Therefore, drugs lacking the five flavors and four qi, when used long-term, may win temporarily but lead to sudden death eventually. People are negligent and fail to observe carefully. Zhang Congzheng also said: All medicines are toxic. Even Gancao and Kushen cannot be called non-toxic. Long-term use causes the five flavors to return to their organs, leading to excessive qi and harm. This applies to all medicines; scholars should extend this logic. The same applies to diet. Furthermore, *Records of the Grand Historian* records: Chunyu Yi, the Grand Granary Doctor, treated a Qi minister's dental caries by moxa-burning the left Yangming pulse and rinsing daily with Kushen decoction (three sheng). After five to six days, the wind pathogen was cured. This also utilizes its meaning of removing wind-damp-heat and killing parasites.

**[Attached Formulas]** Ten old formulas, eighteen new formulas.
For manic delirium from heat disease, ignoring fire and water, wanting to kill: Kushen powder, honey pills sized like wutong seeds. Take ten pills each time, washed down with mint tea. Alternatively, take two qian of powder, decocted in water. (*Qianjin Fang*)
Shanghan chest binding: Tianxing disease for 4-5 days, chest binding with fullness, pain, and high fever. Kushen one liang, boiled in three sheng of vinegar to obtain one sheng two he. Drink to induce vomiting, then cured. Tianxing toxic diseases cannot be resolved without Kushen and vinegar medicine; covering warmly to induce sweat is good. (*Waitai Miyao*)
Gu Dan food labor: Dizziness after eating, depression and unease in the heart leading to yellowing. Caused by irregular hunger and overeating, with stomach qi rushing upward. Kushen three liang, Longdan...
Pediatric body heat: Kushen, decocted in water for bathing is good. (*Waitai Miyao*) Toxic heat causing swollen painful feet threatening to detach: Kushen, soaked in boiled wine. (Yao Sengtan *Jiyan Fang*)
Nocturnal emission and reduced appetite: White Kushen three liang, Baizhu five liang, Moli powder four liang. Powdered. Use one male pig stomach, wash clean, boil soft in a clay pot, pound with mortar to mix medicine. Add juice if dry. Pill size of mung beans. Take forty pills each time, washed down with rice soup, three times a day. Long-term use leads to fat body and increased appetite, while nocturnal emission stops immediately. (Liu Songshi *Baoshou Tang Fang*) Lower abdominal heat pain, blue-black or red color, unable to breathe: Kushen one liang, vinegar one sheng half, decocted to eight he, divided into two doses. (Zhang Jie *Zi...*)
Sudden heart pain: Kushen three liang. Kujiu (vinegar) one sheng half, decocted to eight he, divided into two doses. (*Zhouhou Fang*) Food poisoning, toxins from meat, fish, vegetables, etc.: Decoct and take the above formula, induce vomiting to cure. (*Meishi Fang*)
Bloody diarrhea unceasing: Kushen stir-fried until charred, powdered, water pills sized like wutong seeds. Take fifteen pills each time, washed down with rice drink. (Sun Shi *Rencun Tang Fang*)
Rectal prolapse: Kushen, Wubeizi, Chenbitu in equal parts. Decoct in water to wash, apply Muzei powder. (*Yifang Jiangyao*)
Pregnancy difficulty urinating: See under Beimu. Postpartum exposure to wind, suffering from heat, headache in limbs: Give Xiaochaihu Tang; if no headache, use Kushen two liang, Huangqin one liang, Shengdihuang...
Bleeding from gum gaps: Kushen one liang, Kufan one qian. Powdered, rub three times a day, immediate effect. (*Puji Fang*)
Dental caries wind pain: See under Elucidation. Nasal sores with pus and odor, presence of worms: Kushen, Kufan one liang, Shengdihuang juice three he. Two zhan of water, decoct to three he, drip occasionally. (*Puji Fang*) Lung heat causing sores all over the body: Use Kushen powder, millet drink, pill size of wutong seeds. Take fifty pills each time. Wash down with rice drink on an empty stomach. (*Yu...*)
Generalized wind rash: Unbearable itching and pain, affecting chest, neck, umbilicus, abdomen, and hidden areas, often with phlegm, unable to sleep at night. Use Kushen powder one liang, Zaojiao two liang. One sheng of water, rub and filter to get juice. Boil in silver/copper vessel to paste, mix with powder, pill size of wutong seeds. Take thirty pills each time, washed down with warm water after meals, cured the next day. (Kou Zongshi *Yanyi*)
Major Wind Leprosy: Su Song states: Use Kushen five liang (sliced). Soak in three dou of good wine for thirty days. Drink one he each time, three times a day, continuous use. If numbness is felt, it heals. Zhang Zihe *Rumen Shiqin*: Use Kushen powder two liang, stuffed in pig stomach, sewn and boiled cooked, remove medicine. Fast for one day, drink one zhan of fresh water early next morning, eat the pig stomach. If vomited, eat again. Wait one or two hours, take Wuyou San five to seven qian mixed with meat broth, expect one to two thousand large and small worms as efficacy. Then use one jin of non-moth-eaten Zaojiao, remove skin and seeds, boil juice, mix with Kushen powder to make paste. Add Heshouwu powder two liang, Fangfeng powder one liang half, Danggui powder one liang, Shaoyao powder five qian, Renshen powder three qian. Pill size of wutong seeds. Take thirty to fifty pills each time, washed down with warm wine or tea, three times a day. Also wash with decoction of Mahuang, Kushen, and Jingjie. *Shengji Zonglu* Kushen Wan: Treats Major Wind Leprosy and heat-toxic wind sores/tinea. Kushen (digged end of September, peeled, dried, powdered) one jin, Zhike (bran-fried) six liang. Powdered, honey pills. Take thirty pills each time with warm wine, twice day, once night. Another formula: Remove Zhike. Kidney wind toxin and heart-lung accumulated heat, skin sores/leprosy, itching with yellow water discharge, Major Wind causing hand/foot rot, all wind diseases. Kushen thirty-two liang, Jingjiesui sixteen liang. Powdered, water-paste pills size of wutong seeds. Take thirty pills each time, washed down with tea. (*Heji Jufang*) Upper and lower ... , either in neck or lower parts. Use Kushen five sheng. Kujiu one dou, soak three to four days, drink until effective. (*Zhouhou Fang*) Rat ... malignant sores: Kushen two jin, Lufengfang two liang, Qu two jin. Three dou of water, soak two nights, remove dregs, add two sheng of millet, ferment and cook, drink slightly, three times a day. (*Zhouhou Fang*)
Lower part leaking sores: Kushen decocted in water, wash daily. (*Zhizhi Fang*) Scrofula lymph nodes: Kushen four liang pounded to powder. Niuxi juice pills size of mung beans. Take twenty pills each time washed down with warm water. (Zhang Wenzhong *Beiji Fang*)
Scalds and burns: Kushen powder, mixed with oil and applied. (*Weisheng Baojian*)
Red and white leukorrhea: Kushen two liang, Moli powder one liang five qian. Powdered. Use one male pig stomach, boil soft in three bowls of water, pound to mud, mix and pill size of wutong seeds. Take hundred pills each time, washed down with warm wine. (Lu Shi *Jide Tang Fang*) Fruit (harvested in October)

**[Flavor and Properties]** Same as root.

**[Indications]** Long-term use lightens the body and prevents aging, brightens the eyes. Administer like Huai Zi method, has verified effects (Su Gong).