味苦，性微寒无毒，入心经。养神定志，破结除症，消痈散肿，排脓止痛，生肌长肉，
治风邪留热，眼赤狂闷，骨节疼痛，四肢不遂。破宿血，补新血，安生胎，落死胎，理妇
人经脉不调，血崩带下。
按∶丹参色赤属火，味苦而寒，故入手少阳经，以疗诸般血证。
味辛，性寒无毒，入胃大肠肝肾四经。主结气积聚，伏热黄胆，肠风燥渴，溺有余沥
，逐水消痈，明目止泪，去湿杀虫疗大风及一切风热细疹。以糯米泔浸一宿，去浮面腥气，
晒用。玄参为使，恶贝母、漏芦，菟丝子，反藜芦。
按∶苦参属水，有火性下降，本少少阴心，又入手足阳明及足厥阴经者，以其善主湿也。
盖胜则生热，热胜则生风，而结气等证，从兹有矣。今以苦参燥湿，治其本也。东南卑湿，
尤
雷公云∶凡使不计多少，先须用糯米浓泔浸一宿，上有腥秽气，并在水面上浮去，须重
重淘过，即蒸，从巳至申，出曝干，细锉用之。
味辛，性温无毒，入心肝二经。逐腹中恶血，而补血虚。除产后败血，而止血晕。疗跌
扑损伤，疮毒肿胀，老人血少便结，女子经闭不行，催生下胎衣及死胎。酒渍用，其苗生捣
敷肿毒，其子吞数粒，主天行痘疮不出。
按∶红花下行血海，宜入足厥阴而逐血。洁古云∶苦温为阴中之阳，故又入手少阴而补
血，然长于行血，欲其补血须少用，或佐补剂。
Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma):
Bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Heart Meridian. It nourishes the spirit and stabilizes the will, breaks up stagnation and eliminates masses, dissipates carbuncles and reduces swelling, discharges pus and relieves pain, generates flesh and promotes tissue regeneration. It treats residual heat from wind pathogens, red eyes with mania and oppression, pain in bone joints, and paralysis of the four limbs. It expels old blood and tonifies new blood, calms a viable fetus, and expels a dead fetus. It regulates irregular menstruation in women, metrorrhagia, and leukorrhea.
Commentary: Danshen is red in color and belongs to Fire. Its taste is bitter and its nature is cold; therefore, it enters the Hand-Shaoyang Meridian to treat various blood disorders.
Kushen (Sophorae Flavescentis Radix):
Acrid in taste, cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Stomach, Large Intestine, Liver, and Kidney meridians. It primarily treats qi stagnation and accumulations, latent heat causing jaundice, intestinal wind with dryness and thirst, dribbling after urination, drives out water retention and eliminates carbuncles, brightens the eyes and stops tearing, dispels dampness and kills parasites, treats severe wind diseases, and all rashes caused by wind-heat. Soak in rice wash water overnight, remove the fishy odor from the surface, and use after sun-drying. Xuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix) serves as an assistant herb. It is incompatible with Bei Mu (Fritillariae Bulbus), Lou Lu (Euphorbiae Humifusae Radix), and Tusizi (Cuscutae Semen). It is chemically opposite to Lilü (Veratri Radix).
Commentary: Kushen belongs to Water but possesses the descending nature of Fire. It originates from the Shaoyin Heart Meridian and also enters the Foot-Yangming, Hand-Yangming, and Foot-Jueyin meridians because it excels at resolving dampness. Generally, when dampness prevails, heat is generated; when heat prevails, wind is generated, leading to conditions such as qi stagnation. Now, using Kushen to dry dampness addresses the root cause. In the southeast, where the terrain is low and damp... [Text incomplete]
Leigong states: Regardless of the quantity, first soak Kushen in thick rice wash water overnight. Remove the foul smell floating on the surface. Wash repeatedly until clean, then steam from Si hour (09:00-11:00) to Shen hour (15:00-17:00). Take out, dry in the sun, cut finely, and use.
Honghua (Carthami Flos):
Acrid in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians. It expels evil blood from the abdomen and tonifies blood deficiency. It clears postpartum retained blood and stops syncope due to blood loss. It treats traumatic injuries, swelling and toxicity from sores, constipation in the elderly due to blood deficiency, amenorrhea in women, and induces labor for placenta retention or dead fetus. Use after soaking in wine. The fresh young leaves can be crushed and applied topically to swellings and toxic sores. Swallowing several seeds treats epidemic measles that fail to erupt.
Commentary: Honghua descends to the Sea of Blood and is suitable for entering the Foot-Jueyin Meridian to expel blood stasis. Jiegu (Zhang Yuansu) stated: Bitter and warm, it is Yang within Yin; thus, it enters the Hand-Shaoyin Meridian to tonify blood. However, it excels at promoting blood circulation. To achieve blood-tonifying effects, it must be used in small doses or combined with tonifying formulas.