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**Inula Flower (Xuanfu Hua):**
The thermal nature is warm, and the flavors are salty and sweet. It is cold in property and slippery in action, with slight toxicity.
*Bencao* states: It primarily tonifies Qi in the middle and lower jiao, dissipates hard masses and epigastric fullness, resolves phlegm accumulation in the chest, and induces vomiting of sticky, glue-like phlegm. It treats retained fluid in the bladder below the navel. It promotes bowel movement and unblocks blood vessels. After sweating, vomiting, or purging therapies, if epigastric fullness and persistent belching occur, this herb is suitable.
Zhang Zhongjing treated post-typhoid fever conditions following sweating or purging, characterized by hard epigastric fullness and persistent belching, using Xuanfu Daizhe Tang (Inula and Hematite Decoction).
Hu Qia treated phlegm-fluid retention with distension and fullness in both hypochondria using Xuanfu Hua Wan (Inula Flower Pill), which yields excellent results.

**Alisma Rhizome (Zexie):**
The thermal nature is neutral, and the flavor is sweet. Overall, it is salty and cold, with a strong aroma, belonging to Yin, descending in action, representing Yin with slight Yang.
It enters the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Channel and Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Channel.
Li Gao (*Xiang*) stated: It is the supreme herb for resolving dampness. It treats dribbling dysuria and removes sweat from the genital region. If taken without these indications, it causes blindness.
Wang Haogu (*Xin*) stated: It eliminates old water and nourishes new water. It must be used for cold-water qi.
Lei Xiao (*Zhen*) stated: It promotes diuresis and turbid drainage to relieve thirst.
*Bencao* states: It treats wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, difficult lactation, reduces water retention, nourishes the five zang organs, benefits Qi and strength, and promotes robust health. It tonifies deficiency and damage from the five labors, eliminates fullness in the five zang organs, raises Yin Qi, stops seminal emission, treats xiao-ke (wasting-thirst) and dribbling dysuria, and drives out retained water from the bladder and Sanjiao.
Bian Que stated: Long-term use damages the patient's eyes.
*Yanyi* stated: Its efficacy is particularly outstanding in promoting water metabolism.
Zhang Zhongjing stated: When water retention causes irritability and thirst, with difficulty in urination, or with vomiting or diarrhea, Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) is the primary treatment. The formula uses Zexie, indicating its specialty in promoting water metabolism. *Shennong Bencao Jing* also cites Bian Que saying that long-term use damages the eyes. This is indeed because it drains water from the body. In Zhang Zhongjing's Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill), it is used merely to guide Gui (Cinnamon Twig) and Fu Zi (Aconite Root) into the Kidney channel, with no other intention. Anyone taking formulas containing Zexie will inevitably experience increased urination; since urination increases, how can Kidney Qi recover? Nowadays, people only recognize its ability to stop seminal emission and mostly dare not use it.
*Shennong Bencao Jing* states: Long-term use brightens the eyes; Bian Que said long-term use dims the eyes. Why? Yi Lao (Zhang Yuansu) stated: It removes residual filth from the uterus/bladder because its salty flavor can drain hidden water, thus removing residual filth, which refers to accumulated matter in the uterus/bladder. It enters the Foot-Taiyang and Foot-Shaoyin channels. Zhang Zhongjing treated Taiyang wind-strike invading the interior with thirst using Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria).