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After winter, the roots do not die. In February, new shoots emerge. At the Qingming Festival, plants are divided and transplanted. Harvested in summer and autumn, then dried by sun exposure. Irrigated with manure-rich soil beforehand. Cut and collected after rain; otherwise, the aroma will not be pungent and cool. Mint produced in Suzhou and Wu regions has thin stems and small leaves, smelling like borneol, known as Borneol Mint (Longnao Bohe). (Seeds from Suzhou Prefecture Academy growers are considered authentic.) Mint from Jiangxi has thick stems. Those from Shu and Han are even thicker but inferior to those from Wu. The roots and stems resemble Perilla (Zisu) closely, differing only in leaves. Mint stems are dry in texture, while Perilla stems are moist.

[Stems and Leaves]
Can treat wind-heat affecting the vertex and skin. Can guide other herbs into the Ying (Nutrient) and Wei (Defensive) systems. (Pungent flavor enters the Lung, which governs skin and hair; bitter flavor enters the Heart and transforms with Fire, governing blood vessels). Acts on the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian and Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian, also involving the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. It can dispel various heat pathogens, extinguish internal wind, and treat Wind Stroke (Zhongfeng). (This refers to conditions caused by deficiency of primal Yin in the lower jiao leading to loss of control over primal Yang). It clears and benefits the head, eyes, throat, and teeth. It treats all wind-heat conditions located above or on the skin, and also pediatric phlegm-wind. It may be taken with warm wine, or decocted in tea, or eaten raw.

Medical texts record its use for wind-type headaches. (This refers to wind generated from yin deficiency within yang in the upper jiao, or wind generated from yang stagnation), dizziness, fever, cough with phlegm-fluid retention, epilepsy, and dryness-heat causing a clear and bright mental state. (Additionally,) it can search out and disperse Liver Qi. It also treats shoulder and back pain due to excessive Lung Qi, and wind-heat congestion upward, making it an essential herb. As the sovereign herb in Lozenge Pills (Qin Hua Wan), it treats cough due to yin deficiency and lung heat. It treats headache and dizziness, palpitations, irritability, and neck stiffness.

Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong) 15 liang, Platycodonis Radix (Jiegeng) 100 liang, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao) 35 liang, Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng, de-radicle) 25 liang, Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xixin) 5 liang. Pounded and mixed into pills, size of wu zi (Cocculus orbiculatus seeds). Take one and a half pills per dose, divided into fifty pills. Chew thoroughly after meals and before sleep, swallowing one pill with clear wax-tea water. Administer with Forsythiae Fructus Decoction (Lianqiao Tang).

[Discussion] Mint absorbs the qi of late spring and early summer, obtaining the flavors of Fire and Metal. Metal is superior and Fire is inferior, so the pungent flavor exceeds the bitter flavor. From late spring to early summer, the taste gains the dominance of Metal qi, which is Metal within Fire. This aligns with Lu Fu's theory of transforming Summer into Autumn. Although originating from Fire nature, it possesses the function of descending and restraining, not through "following treatment" (Cong Zhi) but having the utility of following treatment. It treats according to the disease, belonging to the category of Heart vessels governing respiration. It is also said to involve the Two Yin (Kidney). Thus, this herb... (Haizang therefore classified it as a drug for Hand-Taiyin and Hand-Jueyin meridians). When the Great Fire season arrives, Metal qi flourishes. Metal indeed governs respiration via vessels. Its Metal qi flourishing during Fire periods and greatly inheriting pungent-cool properties indicates that Metal can facilitate the function of Fire, i.e., Kidney interacting with Hand-Taiyin and Hand-Jueyin meridians. Therefore, it can only disperse the Yang of the Heavenly Qi in the Upper Jiao. It drums up flames and ascends to the extreme. Of Metal, its pungent dispersion can relieve Yang congestion and ascend. (If merely descending and restraining, it would fail). Its pungent-cool nature can induce Yang to rely on dispersing events, yet also fails to be effective. The phrases "clearing and benefiting the meeting of the Six Yang meridians" and "dispelling wind-pathogens of various heats" are complete in meaning and exhaustive in language.

Dispelling wind-pathogens of various heats has no other way than its ability to clear Qi. (Any disease caused by lower deficiency and heat congestion in the upper jiao belongs to unclear Qi). Thus, epilepsy and coma result from Heart true Yin failing to receive assistance from Kan Water (Kidney Water) to nourish Shen (Spirit). (Shen is the master of Qi). All rely on this herb's yin nature to soothe Yang and clear/transform it. If one merely insists on treating wind or treating heat, one does not fully grasp its subtleties. In short, this herb governs the clearing and transformation of the Qi aspect. Like the scorching heat period where Shang (Autumn) energy moves and intense heat suddenly turns, this is the mystery of creation, lying in retreating heat beforehand, and Mint coincides with this. Some say this herb and Schizonepeta (Jingjie) are both pungent-cool for treating wind, not knowing Mint enters Hand-Taiyin and Hand-Jueyin, while Jingjie works solely on Foot-Jueyin. Because Jingjie is pungent-warm with cooling properties, Mint is purely pungent-cool. Even though its roots survive winter, indicating it originally inherits Water qi, it specifically reaches via Wood qi. However, Haizang also said it searches Liver Qi because its therapeutic effects naturally extend to the Liver, unlike Jingjie which has specific targets. Also, Mint in *Tang Bencao* first treated thief-wind and cold damage, while later scholars mostly said it removes wind-heat. Generally, it grows during the Great Fire season. Speaking of pungent-warm implies taking Fire as primary. Speaking of pungent-cool implies taking Metal as used by Fire. Therefore, using this herb requires understanding Fire as primary and Metal as utilized by Fire. If wind-cold causes the use of Fire, wind-heat also utilizes the ability to reach Fire's function, allowing True Qi to flow freely. Jiegu said: It can harmonize with cold-descending herbs without damaging Spleen. Lu Buyuan said: It can assist cold-descending herbs to dissipate summer-toxicity. Both aspects combined.

Miu stated: Do not take if illness has just resolved, as it induces sweating and empties exterior Qi. Do not take if cough is due to Lung deficiency and cold invasion, as tonification is needed. For yin-deficiency fever and blood-deficiency headache, do not use unless combined with blood-tonifying herbs. Do not use for children with fever due to food injury or malnutrition accumulation. Do not use in the initial stage of chickenpox if attributed to Qi deficiency.

[Differentiation and Treatment] Suzhou-produced mint is superior. Its stems are dry; only leaves should be used.