涩、止血。
苦酸微寒，性沉而涩。（收汗止血、皆酸敛之功。）入下焦。除血热。治吐衄崩中。肠风
（血
鲜者为肠风、随感而见也、血瘀者为脏毒、积久而发也、粪前为近血、出肠胃、粪后为远血
、出肺肝。）血痢。（苏颂本草图经曰∶古方断下、多用之。）气血虚寒。及初起者。禁用。
似柳根。外黑里红。取上截。炒黑用。梢反行血。得发良。恶麦冬。
补心、去瘀生新。
气平而降。味苦色赤。入心与包络。破宿血。生新血。（瘀去、然后生新。）安生胎。（养
血
。）堕死胎。（去瘀。）调经脉。（风寒湿热、袭伤营血、则经水不调、先期属热、后期属寒、
又
阻之不同、大抵妇人之病、首重调经、经调则百病散。）除烦热。
功兼四物。（一味丹参散、功同四物汤。）为女科要药。治冷热劳。骨节痛。风痹不随。（手
足缓散、不随人用、经曰∶足受血而能步、掌受血而能握。）症瘕。（症者有块可征、瘕者假
也、移动聚散无常、须分别治。）血虚血瘀之候。又治目赤疝痛。疮疥肿毒。排脓生肌。养
神定志。通利血脉。虽能补血。长于行血。无瘀。斟酌用之。畏咸水。忌醋。反藜芦。
泻无根之火、补阴。
苦咸微寒。入肺肾二经。（景岳云∶本草言其入肾、而不知其尤入肺脏也、元素曰∶元
参乃
枢机之剂、管领诸气上下、清肃而不浊、风药中多用之、活人书、治伤寒阳毒汗下后、毒不
散、心下懊 、烦不得眠、心神颠倒欲绝者、俱用元参、以此论之、治胸中氤氲之气、泻无
根浮游之火、当以元参为圣剂也。）除烦止渴。降火滋阴。明目（为末、米泔煮羊肝、日日
蘸
食之、亦治赤脉贯瞳神。）解毒。利咽喉。（通肺气。）通二便。下水气、治头痛。（火热生风
。）鼻疮。（肺热也、末涂、或以水浸软、塞之。）瘰 鼠 。（俱生捣敷、日三易。）发斑咽
痛。颈下结核。急喉痹风。（以上皆整肃肺气之功。）痈疽疝气。温疟游风。潮热骨蒸。（肺
金为肾水之上源、肺金清、则肾水自生、故又能理痨。）脾虚泄泻者忌。取青白者。（元参色
本青白、其黑色、乃后来湿蒸之坏色、若收采时即晒干、并不黑也。）蒸过再焙。勿犯铜器
。恶黄 、萸肉、姜、枣。反藜芦。
涩味，具有止血功效。
苦、酸，微寒，性质沉降而收敛。（收敛止汗、止血，都是酸味收敛的作用。）归入下焦。清除血热。治疗吐血、鼻衄、崩漏、便血。
（血色鲜红的是肠风，随感受邪气而发作；血色瘀滞的是脏毒，积存日久才发作；大便前出血是近血，出自肠胃；大便后出血是远血，出自肺肝。）血痢。（苏颂在《本草图经》中说：古方中治疗下利不止，多用此药。）气血虚寒者，以及病初起者，禁用。
外形似柳根，外皮黑内里红。取用上段，炒黑后使用。梢部反而行血。与发炭同用效果良好。忌麦冬。
补心，去除瘀血，生成新血。
气平而降，味苦色赤。归入心经与心包络。破除陈旧瘀血，生成新鲜血液。（瘀血去除后，然后才能生成新血。）安胎。（通过养血实现。）堕死胎。（通过去瘀实现。）调理月经。（风寒湿热侵袭损伤营血，则导致月经不调，提前属热，推后属寒，阻滞原因各不相同，大抵妇女疾病，首重调经，经血调和则百病消散。）清除烦热。
功效兼具四物汤。（单味丹参散的功效等同于四物汤。）是妇科重要药物。治疗冷热劳损，骨节疼痛，风痹导致肢体瘫痪。（手足软弱无力，不能随意活动，《内经》说：脚得到血的滋养才能行走，手掌得到血的滋养才能握持。）症瘕积聚。（“症”是有形块状且可验证，“瘕”是假象，移动聚散无常，必须分别治疗。）血虚和血瘀的症状。又治疗目赤肿痛、疝痛、疮疥肿毒，排脓生肌，养神定志，通利血脉。虽然能补血，但长于行血，无瘀血者需斟酌使用。畏咸水，忌醋，反藜芦。
泻无根之火，补阴。
苦、咸，微寒。归入肺、肾二经。（张景岳说：本草书中说它入肾经，却不知道它尤其入肺脏。李东垣说：玄参是枢机之剂，统领诸气上下运行，清肃而不浑浊，风药中多用它。《活人书》中，治疗伤寒阳毒发汗或攻下后，毒邪不散，心中懊恼，烦躁不得睡眠，心神颠倒欲绝的情况，都用玄参。据此论述，治疗胸中氤氲之气，泻无根浮游之火，应当以玄参为圣药。）清除烦热，止渴，降火滋阴，明目（研成粉末，用米泔水煮羊肝，每日蘸食，也治疗赤脉贯瞳神。）解毒，利咽喉。（通畅肺气。）通大小便，下水气，治疗头痛。（火热生风。）鼻疮。（肺热所致，研末涂抹，或以水浸软塞入鼻孔。）瘰疬鼠瘘。（均生捣敷贴，每日更换三次。）发斑咽痛，颈下结核，急喉痹风。（以上都是整肃肺气的作用。）痈疽疝气，温疟游风，潮热骨蒸。（肺金是肾水之上源，肺金清肃，则肾水自然滋生，所以又能治疗劳损。）脾虚泄泻者忌用。选用青白色者。（玄参本色本为青白，其黑色是后来湿蒸导致的坏色，如果在采收时立即晒干，并不会变黑。）蒸过后再次焙干，不要接触铜器。恶黄芩、山茱萸、生姜、大枣，反藜芦。
Astringent, with hemostatic effects.
Bitter and sour, slightly cold in nature, sinking and astringent. (The ability to stop sweating and bleeding is due to the astringent property of the sour taste.) Enters the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner). Clears blood heat. Treats hematemesis (vomiting blood), epistaxis (nosebleed), metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding), and intestinal wind bleeding.
(Intestinal wind refers to fresh blood that appears upon exposure to pathogens; Zangdu refers to stagnant blood that manifests after long accumulation. Bleeding before defecation is "near blood," originating from the intestines and stomach; bleeding after defecation is "far blood," originating from the lungs and liver.) Bloody dysentery. (Su Song stated in *Bencao Tujing*: Ancient formulas for stopping diarrhea often use this herb.) Contraindicated in cases of Qi and Blood deficiency with cold, as well as in the early stages of disease.
Resembles willow root, black on the outside and red inside. Use the upper section, stir-fried until charred. The tips tend to promote blood circulation instead. Works well with carbonized hair. Incompatible with Ophiopogonis Radix (Maidong).
Nourishes the Heart, removes stasis, and generates new blood.
Neutral in Qi, descending in action, bitter in taste, and red in color. Enters the Heart Meridian and Pericardium Meridian. Breaks down old blood stasis and generates fresh blood. (Once stasis is removed, new blood can be generated.) Calms the fetus. (Through nourishing blood.) Expels dead fetus. (Through removing stasis.) Regulates menstruation. (When Wind-Cold-Damp-Heat invades and damages Ying-Blood, menstruation becomes irregular. Early onset indicates Heat, late onset indicates Cold. Obstructions vary greatly. Generally, women's diseases prioritize regulating menstruation; when menstruation is regulated, myriad diseases dissipate.) Clears irritability and heat.
Efficacy combines that of Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction). (Dan Shen San (Salvia Miltiorrhiza Powder) has efficacy equivalent to Siwu Tang.) It is an essential herb for gynecology. Treats cold and hot lao (consumptive disease), joint pain, and wind-bi paralysis. (Limbs are weak and unresponsive; as the Classic states: "Feet walk because they receive blood; palms grasp because they receive blood.") Zheng-Jia masses. ("Zheng" refers to fixed masses with tangible signs; "Jia" refers to shifting masses that gather and scatter unpredictably, requiring differentiated treatment.) Conditions of Blood deficiency and Blood stasis. Also treats red eyes, hernia pain, sores, carbuncles, swellings, and toxins; promotes pus discharge and tissue regeneration; nourishes the spirit and stabilizes the mind; unblocks and benefits the blood vessels. Although it can tonify blood, it excels at promoting blood circulation. Use with caution in cases without stasis. Averse to saline water. Avoid vinegar. Incompatible with Veratri Rhizoma (Lilu).
Purges rootless fire, nourishes Yin.
Bitter and salty, slightly cold. Enters the Lung and Kidney meridians. (Zhang Jingyue said: Materia Medica texts state it enters the Kidney, but fail to note it particularly enters the Lung organ. Li Dongyuan said: Xuan Shen is a pivot agent, managing Qi movement up and down, clearing and purifying without turbidity, frequently used in Wind-dispelling formulas. *Huoren Shu* uses Xuan Shen to treat Yang-toxin from Shanghan after sweating or purging, where toxins do not disperse, causing chest discomfort, irritability, insomnia, and extreme mental disturbance. Based on this, to treat misty Qi in the chest and purge rootless floating fire, Xuan Shen should be considered the supreme remedy.) Clears irritability, stops thirst, descends fire, and nourishes Yin. Improves vision (Grind into powder, boil sheep liver in rice wash water, dip and eat daily; also treats red veins crossing the pupil.) Detoxifies, benefits the throat. (Unblocks Lung Qi.) Unblocks both bowels, drains water retention, treats headache. (Fire generates Wind.) Nasal ulcers. (Due to Lung heat; apply powder externally or soak in water and insert into nose.) Scrofula and rat fistula. (Apply freshly crushed paste three times daily.) Exanthema with sore throat, cervical lymphadenopathy, acute throat obstruction due to wind. (All above result from rectifying Lung Qi.) Carbuncles, sores, hernia, warm malaria, wandering wind, tidal fever, and bone-steaming consumption. (Lung Metal is the source of Kidney Water; when Lung Metal is clear, Kidney Water naturally generates, thus it can also treat consumptive diseases.) Contraindicated in Spleen deficiency with diarrhea. Select those that are greenish-white. (Xuan Shen's natural color is greenish-white; its blackness is a spoiled color caused by subsequent moist steaming. If dried immediately upon harvest, it does not turn black.) Steam, then bake again. Do not contact copper vessels. Adversely affected by Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin), Corni Fructus (Yurou), Zingiberis Rhizoma (Shengjiang), and Jujubae Fructus (Dazao). Incompatible with Veratri Rhizoma (Lilu).