旱莲草，一名鳢肠。味甘、酸，气平，无毒。入肾。能乌须鬓，止赤痢，治火疮。虽能
乌须
鬓，然不与补肾之药同施，未见取效之捷。煎膏染须鬓，亦必同倍子、明矾为佳。世人动欲
变白，而不知其道，毋怪其不效也。夫须发之早白也，虽由于肾水之干燥，亦由于任督之空
虚。任督之脉上通于唇口之间，下入于腰脐之内。肾虚而任督未虚者，老年发白而须不白。
中年发未白，须先白者，任督之虚也。欲使已白者，重变为乌，必补任督，而更补肾也。然
而补任督之药无多，仍宜补肾以生任督。盖任督原通于肾，故补肾而任督之气自生。旱莲草
只能入肾，而不能入任督，又何能上通唇口哉？所以必宜与补肾之药同施，方有济耳。
或疑旱莲草入肾，故能变白。今既不能入任督，何能变白哉？然而变白之药，仍不外旱
莲草
也。是入肾者，其说正，而入任督者，其说非矣。吾子谓其入肾，而不入任督，何也？夫旱
莲草之不通任督也，非私说也，予实闻之岐天师之训迪也。谓旱莲草性寒，而任督则喜温而
不喜寒，故能降肾中之火，以解其焦枯，而不能暖任督之髓，以滋其润泽也。
灯心草，味辛、甘，气寒，无毒。入心、小肠、膀胱经。通阴窍，利小便，除癃闭成淋，
消
水湿作肿。此物用之以引经，并非佐使之药也。
或问灯心能除心热，而子不言者，何也？夫灯心能通心而入小肠，心与小肠为表里，既
通水
道，则小便无壅滞之苦，小肠既通利，而心中之热随之下行，入于膀胱，从前阴而出矣。其
实，灯心草不能除心中之热也。
旱莲草，又名鳢肠。味道甘甜、酸涩，药性平和，没有毒性。归入肾经。能够使须发变黑，止住赤色痢疾，治疗火毒疮疡。虽然能使须发变黑，但如果不同时配合补肾的药物一起使用，很少能看到迅速见效的情况。将其煎煮成膏剂用来染发，也必须同倍子（五倍子）、明矾搭配使用效果才好。世人动不动就想让白发变黑，却不知道正确的方法，难怪他们看不到疗效。须发过早变白，虽然是因为肾水干燥所致，也是因为任脉和督脉空虚造成的。任脉和督脉这两条经脉，向上连通到嘴唇和口腔之间，向下进入腰部和肚脐内部。如果是肾虚但任脉和督脉尚未空虚的人，老年人头发变白但胡须不会变白。中年人头发还没有变白，但胡须先变白的，这是任脉和督脉空虚的表现。想要让已经变白的须发重新变成黑色，必须补益任脉和督脉，并且还要补肾。然而，专门补益任脉和督脉的药物不多，仍然适宜通过补肾来滋生任脉和督脉之气。因为任脉和督脉原本就与肾相通，所以补肾而任脉和督脉的气自然就会生成。旱莲草只能入肾经，而不能入任脉和督脉，又怎么能向上通达嘴唇和口腔呢？所以必须与补肾的药物同时使用，才能起到作用。
有人怀疑旱莲草因为入肾，所以能改变须发颜色。现在既然它不能入任脉和督脉，怎么能改变须发颜色呢？然而，改变须发颜色的药物，仍然离不开旱莲草。说它入肾，这个说法是正确的；说它入任脉和督脉，这个说法就是错误的了。你问它为什么入肾而不入任脉和督脉？旱莲草不通达任脉和督脉，这并不是我个人的私见，我确实是从岐天师那里听来的教诲。他说旱莲草药性寒凉，而任脉和督脉喜欢温暖而不喜欢寒冷，所以旱莲草能降低肾中的火气，以解除肾的焦枯状态，但不能温暖任脉和督脉的精髓，以滋润其润泽度。
灯心草，味道辛、甘，药性寒，没有毒性。归入心经、小肠经、膀胱经。通利阴窍，利尿，消除因癃闭（小便不通）导致的淋证，消散因水湿停滞引起的浮肿。这种药物使用时主要是作为引经药，并不是作为佐使药使用的。
有人问灯心草能清除心热，但你却不提这一点，为什么呢？灯心草能通心经并引入小肠经，心和小肠互为表里关系，既然通利了水道，那么小便就没有壅滞的痛苦，小肠既然通利，心中的热邪就会随之下行，进入膀胱，从前阴排出体外。实际上，灯心草并不能直接清除心中的热邪。
Ecliptae Herba (Hanliancao, 旱莲草), also known as Li Chang. It tastes sweet and sour, has a neutral nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin. It can darken beard and hair, stop bloody dysentery, and treat fire-toxin sores. Although it can darken beard and hair, if not administered simultaneously with Kidney-tonifying herbs, rapid efficacy is rarely observed. When decocted into a paste for dyeing beard and hair, it must be combined with Galla Chinensis (Beizi, 倍子) and Alum (Mingfan, 明矾) to achieve optimal results. People often desire to turn white hair black but do not know the correct method, hence no wonder they see no effect. Premature whitening of beard and hair, although caused by dryness of Kidney Water, is also due to emptiness of the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) and Du Mai (Governing Vessel). The Ren Mai and Du Mai connect upwards to the area between the lips and mouth, and downwards into the interior of the waist and umbilicus. In cases where there is Kidney deficiency but the Ren Mai and Du Mai are not yet empty, elderly people may have white hair but black beards. In middle-aged individuals whose hair has not yet turned white but whose beards turn white first, this indicates emptiness of the Ren Mai and Du Mai. To make already white beard and hair turn black again, one must tonify the Ren Mai and Du Mai, and additionally tonify the Kidney. However, there are few herbs specifically for tonifying the Ren Mai and Du Mai; therefore, it is still appropriate to tonify the Kidney to generate Qi in the Ren Mai and Du Mai. Since the Ren Mai and Du Mai originally connect with the Kidney, tonifying the Kidney causes Qi in the Ren Mai and Du Mai to arise naturally. Ecliptae Herba can only enter the Kidney Meridian and cannot enter the Ren Mai and Du Mai; how then can it reach upwards to the lips and mouth? Thus, it must be administered together with Kidney-tonifying herbs to be effective.
Some doubt that because Ecliptae Herba enters the Kidney, it can change hair color. Now, since it cannot enter the Ren Mai and Du Mai, how can it change hair color? Nevertheless, herbs for changing hair color still rely primarily on Ecliptae Herba. The statement that it enters the Kidney is correct; the statement that it enters the Ren Mai and Du Mai is incorrect. You ask why it enters the Kidney but not the Ren Mai and Du Mai? The fact that Ecliptae Herba does not unblock the Ren Mai and Du Mai is not a personal opinion; I truly heard this instruction from Heavenly Master Qi. He stated that Ecliptae Herba has a cold nature, whereas the Ren Mai and Du Mai prefer warmth and dislike cold. Therefore, it can reduce Fire in the Kidney to resolve its scorched and dried state, but it cannot warm the essence of the Ren Mai and Du Mai to nourish their moisture.
Junci Medulla (Dengxincao, 灯心草) tastes pungent and sweet, has a cold nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the Heart Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, Small Intestine Meridian of Hand-Taiyang, and Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang. It unblocks the Yin orifices, promotes urination, eliminates strangury resulting from urinary retention (Longbi), and dissipates edema caused by water-dampness stagnation. This substance is used primarily as a guiding herb (Yin Jing Yao) rather than as an assistant or envoy herb.
Someone asks: "Since Dengxincao can clear Heart Heat, why do you not mention this?" Dengxincao can unblock the Heart Meridian and guide heat into the Small Intestine Meridian. The Heart and Small Intestine are exterior-interiorly related. Once the water pathways are unblocked, there is no suffering from urinary obstruction. Since the Small Intestine is unblocked and free-flowing, the Heat in the Heart follows downward, entering the Bladder, and exits through the anterior yin. In reality, Junci Medulla cannot directly clear Heat from the Heart.