耳实，味苦、甘，气温，叶苦、辛、微寒，俱有小毒。善解大麻风之毒，余病禁用。
各《
本草》称其效，皆不足信也。盖此物最利关节，凡邪物在脏腑者，服之无不外出。大麻风之
毒，正苦其留于脏中，必借此引出于皮毛。他病原非脏毒，何必借重。况 耳子与叶，散尽
真气，乌可轻服哉。若大麻风，亦畏散其气，然受毒甚炽，有病则病受之，尚不至十分尽耗
，故用之无妨。然亦必入之活血、凉血之药中始得，非单用一味可恃之而取效也。
或问苍耳子，他病亦有用处，如治汗斑之去风，脚膝之去湿，未尝无效，而子只言其治
大麻
风，毋乃太过乎？非过也，苍耳子实只可治大麻风，而不可治他病。如汗斑，细病也，何必
用此以耗元气。脚膝，下病也，何必用此升散。舍可用之药，而求之不可用之草，此世用药
之好奇，非吾论之太过也。
茜草，味苦，气寒，阴中微阳，无毒。入胃、脾二经。止下血崩漏，始跌折损伤，散瘀
血。
女子经滞不行，妇人产后血晕，体黄成疸，皆能治之。但只行血而不补血，宜同补气之
药以
行血，不宜同补血之药以散气。至于各书言其能补虚热，且治劳伤后，虚语耳，吾未见其功
也。
或问茜草色红，何以止血？夫茜草本行血之药，行血而反能止血者，引血之归经耳。当
血之
逆行
也，少拂其性，而其势更逆。茜草之色与血色相同，入之血中，与血相合而同行，遂能引之
归经，而相忘其非类，此治法之功也。但既引入于各经，即当以补阴之药继之，则血安而不
再沸。否则，血症未尝有不再发者也。
耳实（即苍耳子），味道苦、甘，药性温；其叶子的味道苦、辛，药性微寒，两者都有小毒。它善于解除大麻风（一种严重的慢性皮肤病，相当于现代医学的麻风病）的毒素，其他疾病禁止使用。
各本《本草》书籍称述它的疗效，都不可信。因为这种药物最利于关节通畅，凡是邪气停留在脏腑中的情况，服用后没有不向外排出的。大麻风的毒素，正苦恼于它滞留于脏中，必须借助此药将其引出到皮毛表面。其他的病因并非脏毒，何必如此看重它呢？况且苍耳子和叶子会散尽人体的真气，怎么可以轻易服用呢？如果是大麻风，虽然也担心耗散正气，但因为它受到的毒素非常猛烈，有病则病邪承受药力，尚不至于完全耗尽真气，所以使用它没有妨碍。然而也必须将其配伍在活血、凉血的药物中使用才能见效，不能单用一味药就指望依靠它取得疗效。
有人问：苍耳子治疗其他疾病也有用处，比如治疗汗斑时祛风，治疗脚膝疼痛时祛湿，未尝没有效果，而你只说它治疗大麻风，是不是太过分了？不是过分，苍耳子实际上只能治疗大麻风，而不能治疗其他疾病。比如汗斑，是细小的病症，何必用它来耗损元气？脚膝的疾病，属于下部病变，何必用它来升提发散？舍弃可用的药物，而去寻求不可用的草药，这是世人用药追求新奇的心理，并不是我的论述太过分。
茜草，味道苦，药性寒，属于阴中有微阳，无毒。归入胃、脾二经。能止住下部出血和崩漏，治疗刚发生的跌打损伤，消散瘀血。
女子月经阻滞不通，妇女产后血晕，身体发黄形成黄疸，都能治疗它。但是它只行血而不补血，适宜配合补气药来行血，不宜配合补血药以免耗散正气。至于各本书说它能补虚热，并且治疗劳伤之后，都是虚假的话，我没有见过它的功效。
有人问：茜草颜色红，为什么能止血？茜草本是行血的药物，行血反而能止血，是因为引导血液回归正常经脉罢了。当血液逆行时，稍微违背它的药性，它的势头会更加逆行。茜草的颜色与血色相同，进入血中，与血相合而共同运行，于是能引导血液回归经脉，让血液忘记自己不属于这里，这是治法的功效。但是既然将血引入各条经脉，就应当紧接着使用滋阴的药物，那么血液就能安宁不再沸腾。否则，血症就没有不再复发的。
Ear Fruit (Cang'erzi, Xanthii Fructus), with a bitter and sweet taste and warm nature; its leaves have a bitter and pungent taste and slightly cold nature, both possessing slight toxicity. It is excellent at resolving the toxin of Leprosy (Da Ma Feng, a severe chronic skin disease equivalent to modern leprosy); it is contraindicated for other diseases.
The efficacy claims in various *Bencao* (Materia Medica) texts are unreliable. This substance is most effective in benefiting the joints; when pathogenic factors reside within the Zang-Fu organs, administration invariably expels them outward. The toxin of Leprosy is indeed problematic due to its retention within the Zang organs, necessitating this herb to draw it out to the skin and hair surface. Other etiologies are not visceral toxins, so why rely on it? Moreover, both the fruit and leaves dissipate True Qi (Zhen Qi, vital energy), making light or casual use inadvisable. In cases of Leprosy, although there is concern about dissipating Qi, the toxin burden is so intense that the disease itself absorbs the medicinal force, preventing excessive depletion of Qi; thus, its use is permissible. However, it must be combined with blood-invigorating (Huo Xue) and blood-cooling (Liang Xue) herbs to be effective; relying on it as a single agent is insufficient.
One might ask: Cang'erzi has uses in other conditions, such as dispelling wind for treating Tinea Versicolor (Han Ban) or removing dampness for foot and knee ailments, where it has proven effective. Is it not an overstatement to claim it only treats Leprosy? It is not an overstatement. Cang'erzi is suitable only for Leprosy and unsuitable for other diseases. For instance, Tinea Versicolor is a minor ailment; why use this herb to deplete Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi)? Foot and knee disorders are lower-body issues; why use this herb for ascending and dispersing actions? Abandoning appropriate herbs to seek inappropriate ones reflects the world's preference for novelty in medication, not an excessive argument on my part.
Qian Cao (Rubia Root, Radix Rubiae), with a bitter taste and cold nature, belonging to Yin with slight Yang, is non-toxic. It enters the Stomach and Spleen meridians. It stops lower bleeding and metrorrhagia (Beng Lou), treats initial traumatic injuries, and dissipates blood stasis.
It can treat menstrual stagnation and amenorrhea in women, postpartum blood fainting, and jaundice resulting from body yellowing. However, it moves blood but does not tonify blood; it should be paired with Qi-tonifying herbs to move blood, rather than Blood-tonifying herbs which might disperse Qi. Claims in various texts that it tonifies deficiency-heat and treats post-labor injury are false statements; I have not witnessed its efficacy in these regards.
One might ask: Since Qian Cao is red in color, how does it stop bleeding? Qian Cao is fundamentally a blood-moving herb; its ability to stop bleeding while moving blood lies in guiding blood back to its proper meridians. When blood flows in rebellion, opposing its nature exacerbates the rebellious flow. The color of Qian Cao matches the color of blood; upon entering the blood, it merges and travels with the blood, thereby guiding it back to the meridians, causing the blood to forget its anomalous state. This is the merit of the therapeutic method. However, once the blood is guided into the various meridians, Yin-nourishing herbs should immediately follow to ensure the blood remains calm and does not boil again. Otherwise, hemostatic conditions will inevitably recur.