（隰草）泻心火以消水
灯草（专入心）。味淡而寒。体小气微。诸书皆称能降心火。以其心治心也。心火清则
肺金肃
。（故书曰清肺。）心与小肠相表里。则热尽从小便而出矣。且热去而血亦宁。故能止血通淋
。
清上焦伏热。五淋之圣药也。（五淋有气血膏劳石之分。）烧可治喉痹。（一方。灯心灰二
钱。蓬砂末一钱吹。一方。灯心箬叶烧灰吹。一方。灯心草红花。烧灰酒服。）及以灰涂乳
上。则儿饲不夜啼。缚把擦癣。则虫从草出。浮水可见。且能断根矣。气虚小便不禁者。忌
服。
（隰草）除湿热杀虫
扁蓄（专入脾）。味苦气平。功专利水清热。除湿杀虫。是以小儿 病。女子阴蚀浸淫
瘙痒疽
痔诸病。无不借此以为主治耳。（海上歌云。心头急痛不能当。我有仙人海上方。扁蓄醋煎
通口咽。管教时刻便安康。）以其味苦则热泄。味苦则虫伏。但此止属标治。不能益人。勿
常用也。叶细如竹。弱茎蔓引。促节有粉。三月开细红花。
（蔓草）祛肝风除胃湿
萆 （专入肝胃）。味苦气平。功专祛风除湿固肾。凡人大便燥结。小便频数。每于便
时痛不
可忍者。此必大便热闭。积热腐瘀等物。同液乘虚流入小肠。故于便时即作痛也。（杨子建
万金护命方云。凡人小便频数。不计度数。便时茎内痛不可忍者。此疾必先大腑秘热不通。
水液只就小肠。大腑愈加干渴。甚则浑身热。心燥思凉水。如此即重症也。此疾本因贪酒色
。积有余毒腐物瘀血之类。随虚水入于小肠。故便时作痛也。此乃小便频数而痛。与淋症涩
而痛者不同也。宜用萆 一两。盐水炒为末。每服二钱。使水道转入大肠。仍以葱汤频洗谷
道。令气得通。则小便数及痛自减也。）且水道不清。则湿热不除。而肝火愈炽。筋骨愈痿
。萆 气味苦平。既能入肝祛风。（时珍曰。厥阴主筋属风。阳明主肉属湿。萆 之功长于
去
风湿。所以能治缓弱痿痹。遗浊恶疮。诸病之属风湿者。）复能引水归入大肠以通谷道。俾
水
液澄清。而无痛苦之患矣。又安有痹痛腰冷。膀胱宿水。与阴痿失溺。痔漏恶疮之累乎？昔
人云。既有逐水之功。复有摄精之力。（湿热除则精自不走泄。）洵不诬耳！菝 土茯苓。与
萆虽不相类。而功用不远。白虚软者良。薏苡为使。畏大黄柴胡前胡。忌茗醋。（萆 根
细长浅白。菝 根作块赤黄。）
（隰草）清除心火以消除水湿
灯草（专入心经）。味道淡而性寒。形体细小气味微弱。各种书籍都称它能降低心火，这是因为它能“以心治心”。心火清凉了，肺金之气就会肃降。（所以古籍说它能清肺热。）心和小肠互为表里，那么热气就会全部通过小便排出。而且热邪去除后血液也能安宁，所以它能止血并通利淋证。它是清除上焦潜伏热邪的药物，也是治疗五淋的圣药。（五淋分为气淋、血淋、膏淋、劳淋、石淋五种。）烧成灰可以治疗喉痹。（有一个方子：灯心草灰二钱，硼砂末一钱，吹入咽喉；另一个方子：灯心草和箬叶烧成灰吹入；还有一个方子：灯心草和红花草烧成灰，用酒送服。）以及将灯心草灰涂抹在乳房上，婴儿吃奶时就不会夜间啼哭；用灯心草束擦拭癣疮，虫子会从草中爬出；它浮于水面可见，且能断绝病根。气虚导致小便失禁的人，禁止服用。
（隰草）清除湿热并杀虫
扁蓄（专入脾经）。味道苦，气平。功效专门在于利水清热，清除湿热，杀灭寄生虫。因此小儿疳积病，女子阴部蚀烂、浸淫瘙痒、疽、痔等各种疾病，无不借此药作为主治药物。（海上歌谣唱道：心头急痛难以忍受，我有仙人海上方。扁蓄醋煎通口咽，保证片刻便安康。）因为它的味道苦，所以热邪得以宣泄；味道苦，所以寄生虫得以伏制。但这仅仅属于治标的方法，不能补益人体，不要经常使用。叶子细长如竹，茎细弱蔓延，节间紧凑且有粉质，三月开细小的红花。
（蔓草）祛除肝风并清除胃湿
萆薢（专入肝、胃经）。味道苦，气平。功效专门在于祛风除湿、固肾。凡是人大便燥结，小便频数，每次排尿时疼痛难忍的，这一定是大便热闭，积热、腐物、瘀血等物质，随着津液乘虚流入小肠，所以在排尿时就产生疼痛。（杨子建的《万金护命方》说：凡是人小便频数，不论次数多少，排尿时尿道内疼痛难忍的，这种病必定是大肠秘结、热邪不通，水液只流向小肠，大肠更加干渴，甚至全身发热，心中烦躁想喝凉水，这就属于重症了。这种病本来是因为贪恋酒色，积聚了余毒、腐物、瘀血之类，随着虚损之水进入小肠，所以排尿时作痛。这是小便频数且疼痛，与淋证涩滞而痛是不同的。适宜用萆薢一两，盐水炒后研为粉末，每次服用二钱，使水道转向大肠，仍用葱汤频繁清洗肛门，令气机通畅，那么小便频数及疼痛自然减轻。）而且如果水道不清澈，湿热就不能去除，肝火就会更加炽盛，筋骨就会更加痿软无力。萆薢气味苦平，既能入肝经祛除风邪。（李时珍说：厥阴肝经主筋属风，阳明胃经主肉属湿。萆薢的功效长于去除风湿，所以能治疗缓弱、痿痹、遗浊、恶疮等属于风湿的疾病。）又能引导水液归入大肠以通畅谷道，使得水液澄清，而没有痛苦的隐患。又怎会有痹痛、腰冷、膀胱宿水，以及阳痿、失溺、痔漏、恶疮的拖累呢？古人说：它既有逐水的功效，又有摄精的力量。（湿热去除则精气自然不泄。）确实没有虚假！菝葜（土茯苓），虽然与萆薢不相类似，但功用相近。白色虚软的为佳。以薏苡仁为使药。畏大黄、柴胡、前胡。忌饮茶和醋。（萆薢根细长浅白，菝葜根呈块状赤黄色。）
(Xi Cao) Clears Heart Fire to Eliminate Water-Dampness
Dengcao (Junci Medulla, 灯心草) specifically enters the Heart meridian. It has a bland taste and cold nature. Its body is small and its aroma is faint. All books state that it can descend Heart Fire, utilizing the principle of "treating the Heart with the Heart." When Heart Fire is cleared, Lung Metal becomes肃降 (descends and purifies). (Therefore, ancient texts say it clears Lung heat.) Since the Heart and Small Intestine are exterior-interior paired organs, all heat will exit through urination. Moreover, when heat is removed, blood also calms down. Thus, it can stop bleeding and unblock Lin syndrome (dysuria). It is the holy medicine for clearing latent heat in the Upper Jiao and treating the Five Types of Lin Syndrome. (The Five Lin syndromes are divided into Qi, Blood, Gao, Lao, and Shi types.) Burned to ash, it can treat Hou Bi (sore throat/obstruction). (One prescription: two qian of Dengxincao ash mixed with one qian of Pengsha powder, blown into the throat; another prescription: Dengxincao and Ruoye leaves burned to ash and blown; a third prescription: Dengxincao and Honghua flowers burned to ash, taken with wine.) Applying the ash to the breasts prevents infants from crying at night while nursing. Binding the herb to rub tinea causes worms to emerge from the grass; it floats on water and can eradicate the root cause. Those with Qi deficiency leading to urinary incontinence should avoid taking it.
(Xi Cao) Eliminates Damp-Heat and Kills Parasites
Bianxu (Polygoni Avicularis Herba, 扁蓄) specifically enters the Spleen meridian. It has a bitter taste and neutral qi. Its efficacy lies specifically in promoting urination, clearing heat, eliminating damp-heat, and killing parasites. Therefore, for children's Gan accumulation disease, and women's conditions such as Yin erosion, oozing, itching, abscesses, and hemorrhoids, this herb is used as the primary treatment. (A folk song goes: "When urgent pain in the heart cannot be borne, I have the Immortal's Sea Prescription. Bianxu decocted in vinegar swallowed through the mouth guarantees health within moments.") Because its bitter taste allows heat to dissipate, and bitterness suppresses parasites, this merely addresses the branch symptoms and does not benefit the person. It should not be used frequently. The leaves are thin like bamboo, the stems are weak and creeping, nodes are compact with powder, and it blooms small red flowers in the third lunar month.
(Man Cao) Dispels Liver Wind and Removes Stomach Dampness
Bixie (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma, 萆薢) specifically enters the Liver and Stomach meridians. It has a bitter taste and neutral qi. Its function specializes in dispelling wind, eliminating dampness, and consolidating the Kidney. Whenever a person suffers from dry stool constipation and frequent urination, with unbearable pain during urination, this is definitely due to Heat closure in the large intestine. Accumulated heat, putrefied matter, and stasis flow into the Small Intestine along with fluids due to deficiency, causing pain upon urination. (Yang Zijian's *Wanjin Huming Fang* states: "Whenever a person urinates frequently, regardless of frequency, with unbearable pain inside the penis during urination, this disease must first involve Large Intestine constipation and heat blockage. Fluids only flow to the Small Intestine, making the Large Intestine increasingly dry and thirsty, even causing whole-body heat and mental restlessness craving cold water; this is a severe condition. This disease originates from greed for alcohol and sex, accumulating residual toxins, putrefied matter, and blood stasis, which enter the Small Intestine with deficient fluids, causing pain during urination. This is frequent urination with pain, different from Lin syndrome which is涩 (astringent/stagnant) and painful. One should use one liang of Bixie, stir-fried with salt water and powdered. Take two qian per dose to redirect the water pathway to the Large Intestine. Still wash the anus frequently with Scallion soup to allow Qi to circulate freely, then the frequency and pain of urination will naturally decrease.") Furthermore, if the water pathway is not clear, damp-heat will not be eliminated, Liver Fire will become more blazing, and sinews and bones will become more flaccid. Bixie has a bitter and neutral flavor; it can enter the Liver to dispel wind. (Shizhen said: "Jueyin governs sinews and belongs to Wind; Yangming governs flesh and belongs to Dampness. Bixie excels at removing Wind-Dampness, thus treating conditions like flaccidity, atrophy, bi-syndrome, turbid discharge, and foul sores belonging to Wind-Dampness.") It can also guide water into the Large Intestine to unblock the anal passage, clarifying the fluid and avoiding pain. How could there be bi-pain, cold waist, retained water in the Bladder, impotence, urinary incontinence, hemorrhoidal fistulas, or foul sores? Ancients said: "It has the power to expel water and the strength to secure essence." (When damp-heat is removed, essence naturally does not leak.) This is indeed true! Babia (Smilax Glabra Rhizoma / Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma, 菝葜), also known as Tufuling, although not similar to Bixie, has close functions. White and soft ones are good. Yiyiren (Coicis Semen, 薏苡仁) serves as an assistant herb. It is incompatible with Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 大黄), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix, 柴胡), and Qianhu (Peucedani Radix, 前胡). Tea and vinegar are contraindicated. (Bixie roots are long, thin, and pale white; Babia roots are tuberous, reddish-yellow.)