所在有之。望春便发。茎如指而肥。叶极纤细。似茵陈而背不白。至夏渐高五六尺许
。秋深开细淡黄花。结子如粟米。茎柔韧。根白硬。苗叶花实并香。功力亦相若也。青蒿茵
陈。人疑两药一种。因老嫩异名。不知叶虽近似。种却不同。青蒿叶背面俱青。且结花实。
茵陈叶面青背白。花实全无。茵陈茎干不凋。干上发叶。青蒿茎干俱凋。至春苗起根下。发
旧干者三月可采。产新苗者四月才成。是以三月茵陈四月蒿。非以苗分老嫩为说也。（嘉谟）
茎叶根子
气味苦寒。主治骨蒸劳热。疟疾寒热。虚劳盗汗。留热在骨节间。明目。疗风毒心痛。
鼻衄。生捣敷金疮。止血止疼。取汁服。治热黄。得春木少阳之气最早。故所主皆少阳厥阴
血分病。（濒湖）其味苦。已出乎阳。其气寒。未离乎阴。阴中之阳。阳中之枢象也。（子由）
凡阳气陷入阴中而蒸蒸骨热。用青蒿补阴退热。最为妙剂。（类明）诸苦寒药。多与胃气不
宜。惟青蒿禀天地芳烈之气以生。香先入脾。不犯胃气。独宜于血虚有热者。是以蓐劳
虚热。非此不除。（仲淳）得鳖甲地黄牛膝枸杞麦冬五味。除一切产后虚热。及寒热淹延不
解
童便三斗。文武火熬。约童便减半。去蒿。熬至一升。入猪胆七个。甘草搜和为丸。梧子大
。每服五十丸。青蒿煎。治虚劳盗汗。烦热口干。青蒿一斤。取汁熬膏。入沙参麦冬末各一
两。同熬至可丸。丸如梧子。每食后。米饮服二十丸。疟疾寒热。端午日采青蒿叶阴干。桂
心等分。为末。每服一钱。先寒用热酒。先热用冷酒。发日五更服之。切忌发物。温疟痰甚
。但热不寒。青蒿二两。童便浸焙。黄丹半两。为末。每服二钱。白汤调下。
〔论〕凡苦寒之味。能除热而不能益阴。甘寒之味。能益血而不能泄热。青蒿既苦寒矣。
乃其望春而发。得少阳春升之气。有从阴引阳以出之义焉。卢子由谓为阴中之阳。阳中之枢
象不谬也。且其气芬芳。快入于生血之地。以化育真阴。是能致肝之用于脾。更达脾之化于
肝。而最宜于血虚有热者。夫治血中虚热。他味不少。何以热之淫于外者。兹味独有专功。
以其清血分之热。更由气分以致之。本风升芳气以入脾。脾气能达而后脾阴乃化。（其由内
至外者即脾为胃行气于阴阳之义）从阴引阳。即从阳生阴。不徒以苦寒除热为功也。至于风
毒心痛。乃血因虚以成热。热迸不散。即为风毒而上病于主血之心。此味总以治血虚有热者
对化之矣。
凡产后脾胃薄弱。忌与当归地黄同用。又凡气虚内寒作泻。及饮食停滞泄泻者。弗用。
〔辨治〕叶细而香。取表里俱青者。（以深青者为胜）宜四五月并茎采之。日干。至秋
则受金气矣。治上焦血分结热。生捣汁服。治下焦阴虚骨热。用童便制。使子弗使叶。使根
弗使茎。春夏用茎叶。秋冬用根实。实须炒过。缘其得金气浓。恐伤少阳春生之气也。
It grows everywhere. It sprouts as soon as the spring warmth arrives. The stem is as thick as a finger and plump. The leaves are extremely slender, resembling *Artemisia capillaris* (Yinchen) but with a non-white underside. By summer, it gradually grows to about five or six chi in height. In late autumn, it blooms with small, pale yellow flowers and produces seeds like millet grains. The stem is soft and tough, while the root is white and hard. The seedlings, leaves, flowers, and fruits all possess fragrance, and their medicinal efficacy is also similar. People often suspect that Qinghao (*Artemisiae Annuae Herba*) and Yinchen (*Artemisiae Capillaris Herba*) are the same herb, named differently due to maturity stages. However, although the leaves appear similar, they are different species. Qinghao leaves are green on both sides and produce flowers and fruits; Yinchen leaves are green on top and white underneath, with no flowers or fruits. Yinchen stems do not wither and sprout new leaves from the dry stalks; Qinghao stems and stalks wither completely, and new seedlings emerge from the roots in spring. Those sprouting from old stalks can be harvested in March, while those producing new seedlings mature only by April. Hence the saying "March Yinchen, April Qinghao," which does not refer to the distinction between young and old seedlings. (Jiamo)
Stems, leaves, roots, and seeds:
The flavor is bitter and cold. It treats bone-steaming consumptive fever (fever sensation originating from the bones), malarial chills and fever, night sweats due to deficiency-consumption, residual heat lingering in the joints, improves vision, treats wind-toxin heart pain, and epistaxis. Applied fresh and crushed to traumatic injuries caused by metal weapons, it stops bleeding and relieves pain. Taken as juice, it treats damp-heat jaundice. Qinghao acquires the earliest Qi of the Spring Wood-Shaoyang phase, thus its indications mainly pertain to blood-level disorders of the Shaoyang and Jueyin meridians. (Binhu) Its bitter flavor indicates an exit into Yang; its cold nature indicates it has not departed from Yin. It represents Yang within Yin and the pivot image of Yang. (Ziyu)
Whenever Yang Qi sinks into Yin causing steaming bone heat, Qinghao is used to tonify Yin and reduce fever, serving as an excellent remedy. (Leiming) Most bitter-cold herbs are incompatible with Stomach Qi, but Qinghao, born of heaven and earth's aromatic and vigorous Qi, enters the Spleen first via its fragrance without harming Stomach Qi. It is uniquely suitable for those with Blood deficiency and heat. Therefore, postpartum consumptive fever cannot be eliminated without this herb. (Zhongchun) Combined with Bieji (*Tartaric Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum*), Dihuang (*Rehmanniae Radix*), Niuxi (*Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix*), Gouqi (*Lycii Fructus*), Maidong (*Ophiopogonis Radix*), and Wuwei (*Schisandrae Fructus*), it removes all postpartum deficiency-heat and lingering chills and fevers.
Boil three dou of child urine over mild and strong fire until reduced by half. Remove the Qinghao, continue boiling until one sheng remains. Add seven pig gallbladders and Gancao (*Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma*) to harmonize and form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take fifty pills per dose, washed down with Qinghao decoction. Treats deficiency-consumption night sweats, irritability, fever, dry mouth. Take one jin of Qinghao, extract juice, and boil into a paste. Add one liang each of Shashen (*Glehniae Radix*) and Maidong powder. Boil together until pillable. Form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills after meals, washed down with rice water. Treats malarial chills and fever. Collect Qinghao leaves on the Dragon Boat Festival, dry in shade. Mix equally with Guixin (*Cinnamomi Cortex*). Powderize. Take one qian per dose. If chills precede fever, take with hot wine; if fever precedes chills, take with cold wine. Administer at dawn on the day of onset. Strictly avoid stimulating foods. For warm malaria with severe phlegm, presenting only heat without chills: Use two liang of Qinghao, soaked in child urine and baked. Mix with half a liang of Huangdan (*Minii Oxidum Rubrum*). Powderize. Take two qian per dose, mixed with plain boiled water.
[Discussion] Bitter-cold flavors can clear heat but cannot tonify Yin. Sweet-cold flavors can nourish Blood but cannot drain heat. Although Qinghao is bitter and cold, it sprouts in spring, acquiring the ascending Qi of Shaoyang Spring, embodying the principle of drawing Yang out from Yin. Lu Ziyu’s description of it as "Yang within Yin" and the "pivot of Yang" is accurate. Moreover, its aromatic fragrance rapidly enters the place where Blood is generated, transforming and nurturing True Yin. It facilitates the Liver's function acting upon the Spleen and extends the Spleen's transformation to the Liver, making it most suitable for Blood deficiency with heat. Many other herbs treat intra-blood deficiency-heat, yet why does this herb have unique efficacy for heat overflowing externally? Because it clears heat in the Blood level and achieves this through the Qi level. Relying on wind-rising aromatic Qi to enter the Spleen, once Spleen Qi is unblocked, Spleen Yin can transform. (This internal-to-external process aligns with the meaning of the Spleen distributing Qi to Yin and Yang for the Stomach.) Drawing Yang from Yin implies generating Yin from Yang; it does not merely rely on bitter-cold properties to remove heat. As for wind-toxin heart pain, it arises because Blood becomes heat due to deficiency, and this dispersed heat transforms into wind-toxin, affecting the Heart which governs Blood. This herb counteracts this by treating Blood deficiency with heat.
For postpartum patients with weak Spleen and Stomach, it should not be used with Danggui (*Angelicae Sinensis Radix*) and Dihuang. Furthermore, it is contraindicated for diarrhea caused by Qi deficiency and internal cold, or for diarrhea due to food stagnation.
[Differentiation and Treatment] The leaves are fine and fragrant. Select those that are green on both surface and interior (deep green is superior). Harvest together with stems in April and May, and dry in the sun. By autumn, it absorbs Metal Qi. To treat knotting heat in the Upper Jiao Blood level, crush fresh and take the juice. To treat Lower Jiao Yin deficiency bone heat, process with child urine. Use seeds instead of leaves, and roots instead of stems. Use stems and leaves in spring and summer; use roots and fruits in autumn and winter. Fruits must be stir-fried because they possess strong Metal Qi, which might damage the Shaoyang Spring-generating Qi.