\r龙胆草\pq11a.bmp\r
苦涩气寒。沉阴味劣。治淋治目。皆清肝胆之阳邪。消蛊消瘅。总退下焦之湿火。
（龙胆草其味苦如胆汁。其性大寒。专清肝胆一切有余之邪火。蛊因湿热而生。瘅属湿热所
致。如因虚而致病者。不可用之。此药直泄下焦。如下虚之人误服。每至遗滑不禁。胃虚者
服之。即生呕恶。伤阳败胃。慎之。）
\r茅根\pq11.bmp\r
甘能益血。寒可凉瘀。导上热以下行。消瘅利水。去内心而外达。散热除风。止渴通
淋。清胃兼能清肺。溃痈治衄。茅针却异茅花。（茅根此物自本经以下诸家本草皆未云可以
发表。今人皆用之发表。未知何意。考其性味气寒。味甘质润。其所谓发表者安在哉。不过
清养肺胃。凉瘀涤热。是其所长。除风之说。亦血行风自灭之意耳。观古人用茅针煎服。可
以溃脓。茅花煎服。可以止血。皆所以入血分也。每见昔人治吐衄不止。用茅根捣汁服之即
止。则茅根之用概可知矣。）
\r延胡索\pq12a1.bmp\r
行血中之气滞。质属温香。使气顺而血调。味兼辛苦。入胃搜除瘀冷痛。达肝通治
妇人经。（延胡索辛苦而温。色黄气香。其形坚实。肝家血分药也。能行血活血。而又能理
血中气滞。故一切气血阻滞作痛者。皆可用之。若病不因气血阻滞而涉虚者。又不宜用。延
胡索木属肝经血分之药。而能治胃痛者。以肝邪瘀滞乘胃而作痛也。）
龙胆草
味苦、性涩，气寒。性质沉潜阴冷，气味劣重。治疗淋证和治疗目疾，都是清除肝胆的阳热邪气；消除蛊胀和消除瘅热，总体是退除下焦的湿热火邪。
（龙胆草的味道像胆汁一样苦，药性大寒，专门清除肝胆一切有余的邪火。蛊胀是因为湿热而生成的，瘅热属于湿热所导致的。如果是因虚损而引发的疾病，不可使用此药。此药直接泄泻下焦，如果下元虚亏的人误服，常常导致遗精滑脱无法控制；胃气虚弱的人服用，就会产生呕吐恶心。损伤阳气败坏胃气，务必谨慎。）
白茅根
甘味能补益血液，寒性能凉血化瘀。引导上部的热邪向下运行，消除瘅热并通利小便，去除内心的郁热并向外透达。散发热邪、祛除风邪，止渴并通利淋证，既能清胃又能清肺，能溃破痈肿、治疗鼻衄。用茅针（未出土的嫩芽）与茅花（开花的部分）功效不同。（白茅根从《神农本草经》以下各家本草著作中都没有记载它可以发表解表。现在的人都用它来发表解表，不知道是什么用意。考察它的性味，气寒，味甘，质地滋润，它所谓的“发表”作用在哪里呢？不过是清养肺胃，凉血化瘀、涤荡热邪，这是它的长处。“除风”的说法，也是“血行则风自灭”的意思罢了。看古人用茅针煎服，可以溃破脓液；用茅花煎服，可以止血，这些都是进入血分的作用。经常见到古人治疗吐血、鼻衄不止，用白茅根捣汁服用就能立即停止，那么白茅根的用途大概就可以知道了。）
延胡索
运行血中的气滞，质地属于温香类，使气机顺调而血液调和。味道兼有辛、苦，入胃搜除瘀冷引起的疼痛，通达肝经通治妇女月经病。（延胡索辛苦且温，颜色黄，气味香，形状坚实，是入肝经血分的药物。能行血活血，而又能调理血中的气滞，所以一切气血阻滞引起的疼痛，都可以使用它。如果疾病不是因为气血阻滞而是涉及虚损的，又不宜使用。延胡索虽然是入肝经血分的药物，却能治疗胃痛，这是因为肝的邪气瘀滞侵犯胃部而导致疼痛。）
Longdan Cao (Gentianae Radix)
Bitter and astringent, cold in nature. It sinks and is yin, with an inferior odor. It treats strangury (Lin syndrome) and eye diseases by clearing yang pathogens of the Liver and Gallbladder; it eliminates Gu distension (parasitic abdominal mass) and Dan heat (febrile disease due to damp-heat), generally retreating damp-fire of the Lower Jiao.
(Note: Longdan Cao tastes as bitter as bile and has a great cold nature, specifically clearing all excess fire pathogens of the Liver and Gallbladder. Gu arises from damp-heat, and Dan belongs to damp-heat etiology. If the disease is caused by deficiency, this herb should not be used. This drug directly purges the Lower Jiao; if taken mistakenly by those with Lower Jiao deficiency, it often leads to uncontrollable seminal emission or sliding. For those with Stomach deficiency, taking it causes vomiting and nausea. It damages Yang and ruins the Stomach, so caution is advised.)
Maogen (Imperatae Rhizoma)
Sweetness benefits blood; coldness cools blood stasis. It guides upper heat downward, eliminates Dan heat, promotes urination, removes internal heat while reaching outward, dissipates heat, dispels wind, relieves thirst, and unblocks strangury. It clears the Stomach and also clears the Lungs; it can ulcerate abscesses and treat epistaxis. The use of Maoshen (unearthed young shoot) differs from Maohua (flower). (From the *Shennong Bencao Jing* onwards, various materia medica texts did not state that Maogen can release the exterior. Nowadays, people all use it to release the exterior, but the reason is unknown. Examining its properties and flavors, it is cold in qi, sweet in taste, and moist in texture. Where lies its so-called "releasing the exterior" function? Its strengths lie merely in clearing and nourishing the Lungs and Stomach, cooling blood stasis, and washing away heat. The saying about "dispelling wind" implies the principle that "when blood flows, wind extinguishes itself." Observing ancients using Maoshen decocted for drinking to suppurate pus, and Maohua decocted for drinking to stop bleeding, both enter the Blood level. Frequently seeing ancients treating continuous hematemesis and epistaxis by administering juice extracted from crushed Maogen which stops immediately, the utility of Maogen can be generalized.)
Yanhusuo (Corydalis Rhizoma)
Moves Qi stagnation within Blood; its substance is warm and aromatic, making Qi smooth and Blood harmonious. Its flavor is both acrid and bitter; entering the Stomach, it searches out and removes pain from cold-stasis; reaching the Liver, it treats women's menstrual disorders. (Yanhusuo is acrid, bitter, and warm, yellow in color, fragrant in aroma, and solid in form; it is a drug entering the Blood level of the Liver channel. It can move and invigorate Blood, and also regulate Qi stagnation within Blood. Therefore, it can be used for all pains caused by Qi and Blood stagnation. If the disease is not due to Qi and Blood stagnation but involves deficiency, it is unsuitable. Although Yanhusuo is a drug entering the Blood level of the Liver channel, it can treat Stomach pain because Liver pathogenic factors causing stasis invade the Stomach leading to pain.)