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Produced in Sichuan. It grows as a vine. The leaves resemble those of Smilax glabra (Bai Hua She) but are larger. Those with thorns on the stems have solid roots, yellowish-white in color, about three fingers wide in diameter, and hard in texture.

Lei Gong therefore classified it among bamboo and wood types. Nowadays, people generally mistake Polygonatum odoratum (Tu Fu Ling) for Dioscorea hypoglauca (Bi Xie). How could they know that the stems, leaves, roots, and seedlings are all different? This is an error. Dioscorea hypoglauca from Sichuan grows large and prominent, hard and knotty. (The root of Smilax glabra is also very hard, but has more sharp thorns.) When cut open, the interior is white, bright, and starchy. (Those with a red color are actually Smilax glabra roots) The taste is bitter and neutral. (Unlike the bitter-astringent taste of Smilax glabra roots). Users must be careful to distinguish them.

Taste: bitter; Nature: neutral; Attribute: Yang within Yin. Enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian and Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Coix Seed (Yiyiren) acts as a guiding herb. Tonifies Liver deficiency; primarily treats pain and stiffness of the waist and spine, and generalized bi-syndrome caused by cold-dampness.

Frequent urination, urine turbid like paste. There is a formula called Bixie Fenqing Yin (Dioscorea Hypoglauca Decoction for Separating the Clear), which embodies this principle. (Li Shizhen, Bencao Gangmu) Combined with Drynariae Rhizoma (Gusuibu), Dendrobii Caulis (Shihu), Rehmanniae Radix (Shengdi), and Cibotii Rhizoma (Gouji), it treats pain and stiffness of the waist and spine, and wind-bi in bone joints. Added with Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (Changpu), and Poria (Fuling), it treats generalized bi-syndrome. Added with Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niuxi), Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai), and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao), it can separate clear from turbid and eliminate dampness. Huming Fang (Life-Protecting Formula). (Yang Zijian) Whenever there is frequent urination, it is bearable. (This differs from strangury syndrome where urination is difficult and painful). This condition must first involve constipation (lack of bowel movement), causing fluids to flow only into the Small Intestine.

Generalized heat, mental restlessness. The root cause lies in indulgence in alcohol and sexual activity, accumulating heat-toxins, putrefied matter, and blood stasis, which enter the Small Intestine through deficiency.

It is invariably due to a lifetime of overeating spicy, hot, meaty, and greasy foods, combined with injury from sexual excess. One should use one liang of Dioscorea hypoglauca, soak it in water for a short time, stir-fry it with half a liang of salt, remove the salt, and grind into powder. Take two or three qian per dose, decoct with one cup of water until reduced to eight-tenths, and take it together with the dregs. This directs the water pathway into the Large Intestine. Still, frequently wash the external genitalia with scallion soup, so that increased frequency and pain of urination will naturally subside.

[Discussion] According to the treatments recorded in *Shennong Bencao Jing*, *Bencao Bie Lu*, and Zhen Quan, the indications for Dioscorea hypoglauca mainly do not exceed external cold-dampness and internal deficiency-cold as etiologies, with diseases mostly located in the Lower Jiao. Briefly consulting medical texts, there are cases belonging to insufficiency of Yin Qi, where Dioscorea hypoglauca is also used in combination with suitable herbs. (Such as Jingang Wan and Niuxi Wan for flaccidity syndrome). For tonifying Yang, it finds its place; for tonifying Yin and Blood, it also has its utility. Thus, for those with slight Yang deficiency, and even those with simultaneous Yuan Yang deficiency, it is utilized for its function of transforming Yin and guiding Yang. Jin San (Metal Powder) benefits the Heart and Kidney... Indeed, Dioscorea hypoglauca firmly supports the Three Foot... meridians, as mentioned in the classics regarding "One Yin"... It has its application. Therefore, securing the root involves addressing Wood... Dioscorea hypoglauca can separate clear from turbid... Pain in the stem/shaft can be removed, protecting...

[Processing] Roots that are slender, pale white, and soft/pithy are superior. Soak in wine overnight, bake dry, and use.