气寒。味苦辛。无毒。主寒热。瘰 鼠 。头疮破症。散瘿结气。脚肿湿痹。轻
身。
夏枯草气寒。禀天冬寒之水气。入足太阳膀胱寒水经。味苦辛无毒。得地火金之味。入手少
阴心经、手太阴肺经。遇火令而枯。禀金水之气独全。水制火。金平木。故专主少阳相火。
风木胆经之症。气味轻清。少阳也。太阳主表。表邪外入。则太阳有病。而恶寒发热矣。其
主之者。味辛可以散表寒。味苦可以清热也。瘰 鼠 。皆少阳胆经风热之毒。夏枯草禀金
水之气味。所以专入少阳。解风热之毒也。头乃太阳行经之地。膀胱湿热则生头疮。其主之
者。气寒清热。味苦燥湿也。积聚而有形可征谓之症。乃湿热结气也。味辛可以散结。味苦
可以燥湿热。所以主之也。瘿亦少阳之症。其主之者。以夏枯草专治少阳之症。而辛散之功
也。
湿邪伤下。脚肿湿痹。无非湿也。苦能燥湿。所以主之。且入肺与膀胱。而有祛湿之力。
湿
胜则身重。既有祛湿之功。所以能轻身也。
制 方:
夏枯草末。治血崩不止。及赤白带下。夏枯草可代柴胡升发。可代甘菊清肝。同白茯、
白术
、黄柏。治湿热。同连翘、金银花、贝母、元参、薄荷、花粉、紫背天葵、甘草。治瘰 有
功效。用数两煎汤。煮甘菊紫花地丁、金银花、连翘、白芨、白蔹、甘草、生地、白芷、半
枝莲。消一切肿毒甚神。
Nature: Cold. Flavor: Bitter, Pungent. Non-toxic. Mainly treats alternating chills and fever (Han Re), scrofula (Luo Li), rat sores (Shu Lou), head sores with ulceration and nodules, dissipates goiter and qi stagnation (Ying Jie Qi), swelling of the feet with damp-bi syndrome, lightens the body.
Xia Ku Cao (Prunellae Spica) has a cold nature, inheriting the cold water energy of winter, entering the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Cold Water Meridian. Its bitter and pungent flavors, being non-toxic, derive from the earth's fire and metal elements, entering the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian and Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. It withers when the fire season arrives, uniquely inheriting the energies of metal and water. Water controls fire, and metal levels wood; therefore, it specifically treats disorders of the Shaoyang Ministerial Fire and the Wind-Wood Gallbladder Meridian. Its flavor and aroma are light and clear, corresponding to the Shaoyang. The Taiyang governs the exterior; when pathogenic factors invade from the exterior, the Taiyang meridian becomes diseased, resulting in aversion to cold and fever. Xia Ku Cao treats these conditions because its pungent flavor can disperse exterior cold, and its bitter flavor can clear heat. Luo Li (scrofula) and Shu Lou (rat sores) are both toxins of wind-heat in the Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Because Xia Ku Cao inherits the flavors of metal and water, it specifically enters the Shaoyang meridian to resolve wind-heat toxins. The head is the pathway of the Taiyang meridian; damp-heat in the Bladder generates head sores. Xia Ku Cao treats this because its cold nature clears heat, and its bitter flavor dries dampness. Accumulations that form tangible masses are called Zheng (masses), caused by damp-heat and stagnant qi. The pungent flavor can dissipate nodules, and the bitter flavor can dry damp-heat, thus treating this condition. Ying (goiter) is also a disorder of the Shaoyang meridian. Xia Ku Cao treats it because it specifically addresses Shaoyang disorders and possesses the power of pungent dispersion.
Damp pathogens injuring the lower part cause foot swelling and damp-bi syndrome, which are essentially due to dampness. The bitter flavor dries dampness, hence it treats this. Moreover, entering the Lung and Bladder meridians, it has the power to dispel dampness. When dampness prevails, the body feels heavy; since it has the function of drying dampness, it can lighten the body.
Prescription Formulation:
Powdered Xia Ku Cao treats intractable metrorrhagia (blood flooding) and red-and-white leukorrhea. Xia Ku Cao can substitute Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix) for ascending and dispersing, and can substitute Gan Ju (Chrysanthemi Flos) for clearing the liver. Combined with Bai Fu Ling (Poria), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), and Huang Bo (Phellodendri Cortex), it treats damp-heat. Combined with Lian Qiao (Forsythiae Fructus), Jin Yin Hua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos), Bei Mu (Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus), Yuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix), Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Hua Fen (Trichosanthis Radix), Zi Bei Tian Kui (Violae Yedoensis Herba), and Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), it is effective for treating scrofula. Decoct several liang in water, then boil with Gan Ju, Zi Hua Di Ding (Violae Herba), Jin Yin Hua, Lian Qiao, Bai Ji (Bletillae Rhizoma), Bai Lian (Paeoniae Albae Radix Alba), Gan Cao, Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix), Bai Zhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), and Ban Zhi Lian (Scutellariae Barbatae Herba); this mixture is miraculous for eliminating all kinds of swellings and toxic sores.