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[Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma)]
The flavor is bitter, the nature is cold, and it is non-toxic. It primarily treats eye pain caused by hot pathogenic factors, excessive tearing, improves vision, treats abdominal pain in the intestines and dysentery, as well as swelling and pain in the female genitalia. Long-term consumption enhances memory.

Chen Xiuyuan stated: Huanglian has a cold nature, inheriting the cold water energy of winter from heaven, entering the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian; its flavor is bitter and non-toxic, acquiring the fire flavor of the south from earth, entering the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. Its qi belongs to water while its flavor belongs to fire, possessing both water and fire characteristics within one substance, thus it can eliminate damp-heat diseases caused by the disorder between water and fire. The phrase "primarily treats hot pathogenic factors" refers to clearing heat from all aspects of the Qi level. Eye pain, tearing, and blurred vision are diseases of damp-heat located in the upper jiao; abdominal pain in the intestines and dysentery are diseases of damp-heat located in the middle jiao; swelling and pain in the female genitalia are diseases of damp-heat located in the lower jiao. Since Huanglian removes damp-heat, it treats these conditions. The reason why long-term consumption enhances memory is that the bitter flavor enters the Heart to tonify the Heart; it tonifies the Heart through its bitter flavor, and since cold nature can overcome fire, it purges the Heart Fire through its cold nature. Throughout history, only Zhang Zhongjing mastered the secrets of the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). In the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), for cases of hematemesis due to insufficiency of Heart Qi, Huanglian is used to tonify the Heart; in the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage), for cases of epigastric fullness and stuffiness due to the intermingling of cold and heat at the heart region, Huanglian is used to purge the Heart; for Jueyin disease where hot Qi rushes to the heart, it is combined with Wumei (Mume Fructus); for diarrhea accompanied by tenesmus, it is combined with Baitouweng Tang (Pulsatilla Decoction) and other methods. This truly reflects the sagehood of one who believes in and loves antiquity.

[Fangfeng (Saposhnikoviae Radix)]
The flavor is sweet, the nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. It primarily treats severe wind pathogens, dizziness and headache, aversion to wind, blindness caused by wind pathogens preventing vision, wind pathogens circulating throughout the body, joint pain, and heaviness of the body. Long-term consumption makes the body feel light.

Chen Xiuyuan stated: Fangfeng has a warm nature, inheriting the spring generating energy from heaven and entering the Liver Meridian; its flavor is sweet and non-toxic, acquiring the earth flavor of the center from earth and entering the Spleen Meridian. The three characters "primarily treats severe wind" serve as the general outline, detailed in the annotation for Bajitian (Morinda Officinalis Radix), so no repetition is needed here. Wind pathogens damaging yang positions lead to blindness and inability to see. When wind pathogens circulate throughout the body, they affect the meridians and collaterals; when causing joint pain, they affect the joints; when causing body heaviness, it indicates an inability to move agilely due to wind disease. The sweet and warm dispersing properties of Fangfeng can generally treat these conditions. However, warmth belongs to the harmonious energy of spring, entering the Liver to treat wind; what is particularly ingenious is that sweetness enters the Spleen, cultivating Earth to regulate Water dampness, making its application uniquely miraculous. This principle can be verified through the hexagrams of the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), understood through the Hexagram Bo (Peeling) and Fu (Return). When two Earth elements collapse simultaneously, it forms Bo, indicating that in severe decline, one must protect the Spleen and Stomach; when Wood and Earth do not conflict, it forms Fu, indicating that recovery requires harmonizing the Liver and Spleen. Within the act of expelling wind, Fangfeng possesses great power to restore life; yet Li Dongyuan regarded it as a lowly, common herb, which is truly ignorant.