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Asarum (Xixin)

Taste: extremely pungent. Temperature: warm. Qi is stronger than taste; ascending, yang. Non-toxic. Produced in mountains and marshes, but the best quality comes from Huayin (a county name, belonging to Shaanxi). Leaves resemble horse hooves, stems like wheat mugwort. Its roots are very fine, its taste extremely pungent. Only the roots are harvested for decoction in medicine, hence the name "Fine Asarum" (Xixin). Sellers often substitute it with Aristolochia debilis (Duheng), unaware that although the aroma differs slightly, ingestion causes vomiting; careful selection is essential! It is incompatible with Veratrum nigrum (Lilu), avoid raw vegetables. It fears Nephrite (Huashi) and Mirabilite (Xiaoshi), dislikes Wild Wolfbane (Yelangdu, i.e., Aconitum coreanum) and Cornus officinalis (Shanzhuyu), and is antagonistic to Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi). Although it serves as a guiding herb for the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian, it is fundamentally a herb of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Sometimes used with Atractylodes lancea (Duhuo) as an assistant, or combined with Azurite (Zengqing) and Ziziphus jujuba root (Zaogen). It cures headaches of this meridian miraculously, and effectively treats various wind-damp bi syndromes. It calms the five zang organs, particularly benefiting the Liver and Gallbladder, warms the Yin meridians, and rapidly dispels internal cold. It benefits orifices, unblocks essence, clears phlegm, and directs qi downward. Combined with Angelica sinensis (Danggui), Paeonia lactiflora (Shaoyao), Paeonia suffruticosa bark (Mudanpi), Ligusticum chuanxiong (GaoBen), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuanxiong), Angelica dahurica (Baizhi), and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gancao), it forms a divine prescription for treating amenorrhea in women. Combined with Concha Argo (Jieming), Cyprinus carpio bile (Yudan), and Capra hircus liver (Yanggan), it is a rescue formula for stopping wind-tearing and relieving eye pain. For cold pathogens manifesting as exterior symptoms originating from interior conditions, decoct Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang), Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi), and Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xixin) together in water. For bad breath and swollen, painful teeth, rinse with hot concentrated decoction; if half a qian taken cold alone, it may cause qi blockage leading to death.

Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang) from Maozhou
Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang) from Tongzhou

Taste: sweet, pungent. Temperature: warm. Both taste and aroma are thin, light, clear, and floating; ascending, yang. Non-toxic. Grows in Qingzhou and Pengcheng (both in Shandong); the best quality comes from Xingyang and Zhongmu (both in Henan). It is antagonistic to Asarum (Xixin) and Pyri Folium (Shiwei); aged herbs are preferred. When using it, one must process it according to regulations by removing roots and joints; boil alone for several boils, skim off the foam on top, and dry over fire. Whether used in pills, powders, or decoctions, it prevents restlessness. Used with Magnolia officinalis bark (Houpo) as an assistant, it enters the four meridians of the hand and foot. It is a primary herb for the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, regulates Ying and Wei in the Yangming Meridian, and also enters the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian and Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. It induces sweating and releases the exterior, treating winter exogenous cold syndromes miraculously; it expels wind and disperses pathogens, effectively managing early spring true warm epidemics. It drains Wei excess, eliminates black spots and red rashes, removes Ying cold, and alleviates fever, headache, and body pain. Do not add it for late-spring warm malaria; strictly contraindicated for summer-autumn cold epidemics. Since the season has changed, it cannot withstand warm-heat pathogens. Due to its light and ascending nature, it still breaks up accumulations and hardness, and effectively arrests cough, asthma, flaccidity, and bi syndromes. It can also ward off mountain miasma. If stir-fried with honey and decocted, it treats pediatric sores. Overconsumption by patients may lead to collapse of Yang. To stop sweating and consolidate deficiency, the roots and joints are excellent.

(Chen Jiamo) Commentary: Dongyuan stated: Mahuang treats Wei excess, while Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) treats Wei deficiency. Although both treat the Taiyang Meridian, they are essentially herbs regulating Ying and Wei. The Lung governs Wei, and the Heart governs Ying. Mahuang is a formula for the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, and Guizhi Tang is a formula for the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Therefore, for winter exogenous cold or wind-cold coughs, using Mahuang and Guizhi Tang constitutes the source of liquid therapies. However, Mahuang belongs to the Yin of the earth; Yin should descend, so why does it induce sweating and ascend? The classic states: "Herbs with thin taste are Yang within Yin." Mahuang is Yin, with thin taste and aroma; since it is thin, it contains Yang within Yin. How can it not be a light, ascending herb that induces sweating? Yet, entering the Hand-Taiyin Meridian, it ultimately cannot depart from the Root of the Shaoyin.