九月十月间取穣，以干葛粉拌，焙干，银石器中熳火炒熟为末。食后，夜卧，以沸
汤点一二钱服，治肺燥，热渴，大肠秘。其根与贝母、知母、秦艽、黄芩之类，皆治马热。
有朝士苦腰重，久坐，旅拒十余步，然后能行。有一将佐谓朝士曰∶见公日逐以药揩
齿，得无用苦参否？曰∶始以病齿，用苦参已数年。此病由苦参入齿，其气味伤肾，故使人
腰重。后有太常少卿舒昭亮，用苦参揩齿，岁久亦病腰。自后悉不用，腰疾皆愈，此皆方书
旧不载者。有人病遍身风热细疹，痒痛不可任，连胸颈脐腹及近隐处皆然，涎痰亦多，夜不
得睡。以苦参末一两，皂角二两，水一升，揉滤取汁，银石器熬成膏，和苦参末为丸，如梧
桐子大，食后温水服二十至三十丸，次日便愈。
今有两种∶水中生者，叶光而末圆；陆生者，叶有毛而末锐。入药须生水者，陆生
者又谓之天灸，取少叶揉系臂上，一夜作大泡如火烧者是。惟陆生者，补阴不足，茎常冷，
失精。余如经。
八政散用瞿麦，今人为至要药。若心经虽有热而小肠虚者服之，则心热未退，而小肠
别作病矣。料其意者，不过为心与小肠为传送，故用此入小肠药。按经，瞿麦并不治心热。
若心无大热，则当只治其心。若或制之不尽，须当求其属以衰之。用八政散者，其意如此。
在九月和十月间采收瞿麦的茎秆（穣），用干燥的葛根粉拌匀，焙干后，在银器或石器中用微火炒熟，研成粉末。饭后、临睡前，用沸水冲服一二钱，用于治疗肺燥、热渴、大肠便秘。其根部与贝母、知母、秦艽、黄芩等药材一样，都能治疗马的热病。
有一位朝廷官员苦于腰部沉重，久坐后，必须勉强挣扎十余步，之后才能行走。有一位将佐对这位官员说：“我看见您每天用药擦牙齿，该不会是用苦参吧？”官员回答说：“起初是因为牙齿有病，使用苦参已经好几年了。”这位将佐说：“这个病是由于苦参进入牙齿，其气味损伤了肾气，所以使人腰部沉重。”后来太常少卿舒昭亮也用苦参擦牙，时间久了也患上了腰疾。从此以后大家都不再使用，腰疾都痊愈了，这些都是方书旧籍中没有记载的。
有人患病，全身出现风热细疹，痒痛难忍，连胸部、颈部、肚脐、腹部以及接近隐蔽部位都如此，痰涎也多，夜间无法入睡。用苦参末一两，皂角二两，水一升，揉搓过滤取汁，在银器或石器中熬成膏状，混合苦参末制成丸药，如梧桐子大小，饭后用温水送服二十至三十丸，第二天便痊愈了。
现在有两种瞿麦：生长在水中的，叶片光滑且末端圆润；生长在陆地上的，叶片有毛且末端尖锐。入药必须使用水中生长的，陆地生长的又被称为“天灸”，取其少量叶片揉搓系在手臂上，一夜之间会起大水泡，像火烧过一样。只有陆地生长的，能治疗阴气不足、阴茎常冷、遗精等症状。其余功效如经典所载。
八政散中使用瞿麦，如今人们视其为至关重要的药物。如果心经虽然有热而小肠虚弱的患者服用它，那么心热尚未消退，小肠却会另生疾病。推测其用意，不过是因为心与小肠互为表里（传送关系），所以用此药入小肠经。查阅医经，瞿麦并不治疗心热。如果心没有大热，就应当只治其心。如果制约得不够彻底，应当寻求与其相关的脏腑来削弱病势。使用八政散的意图正是如此。
In the ninth and tenth months, harvest the stems of *Dianthus superbus* (Qumai, 瞿麦), mix them with dried *Puerariae Lobatae Radix* (Gegen, 葛根) powder, dry them by baking, then stir-fry them over low heat in a silver or ceramic vessel until cooked, and grind into powder. After meals and before going to bed at night, take one or two qian (approx. 3-6g) mixed with boiling water. It is used to treat Lung dryness (Lung dryness), hot thirst, and constipation of the Large Intestine. Its root, along with herbs such as *Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae* (Beimu, 贝母), *Radix Anemarrhenae* (Zhimu, 知母), *Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae* (Qinjiao, 秦艽), and *Radix Scutellariae* (Huangqin, 黄芩), can all treat fever in horses.
A court official suffered from heavy sensation in the lower back; after sitting for a long time, he had to struggle for more than ten steps before he could walk. A military officer said to him, "I see you rub your teeth with medicine daily; are you perhaps using *Radix Sophorae Flavescentis* (Kushen, 苦参)?" The official replied, "Initially, it was for dental disease, and I have used Kushen for several years." The officer said, "This ailment arises because Kushen enters the teeth; its qi and flavor damage the Kidney, thus causing heaviness in the waist." Later, Shu Zhaoliang, Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, also used Kushen to rub his teeth and developed waist ailments after many years. Thereafter, everyone stopped using it, and their waist ailments healed. These cases were not recorded in old medical formularies.
Another person suffered from widespread wind-heat fine rashes, with unbearable itching and pain, affecting the chest, neck, umbilicus, abdomen, and areas near the genitals. There was also excessive phlegm-saliva, and inability to sleep at night. Take one liang (approx. 30g) of *Radix Sophorae Flavescentis* (Kushen, 苦参) powder, two liang of *Fructus Gleditsiae Sinensis* (Saojiao, 皂角), and one sheng (approx. 200ml) of water. Rub and filter to extract the juice, then boil down to a paste in a silver or ceramic vessel. Mix with Kushen powder to make pills the size of *Koelreuteriae Fructus* (Wutongzi, 梧桐子). Take twenty to thirty pills with warm water after meals; the condition would be cured the next day.
There are currently two types: those growing in water have smooth leaves with rounded tips; those growing on land have hairy leaves with sharp tips. For medicinal use, only the aquatic type should be used. The terrestrial type is also called 'Tianjiu' (Heavenly Blistering). Taking a small amount of its leaves, rubbing them, and tying them to the arm will cause large blisters resembling burns overnight. Only the terrestrial type treats insufficiency of Yin, cold penis, and seminal emission. Other effects are as described in the classics.
*Bazheng San* (Eight Regulations Powder) uses *Dianthus superbus* (Qumai, 瞿麦), which people now consider an essential herb. If a patient has heat in the Heart Channel but deficiency in the Small Intestine, taking this herb will leave the Heart heat unresolved while causing new pathology in the Small Intestine. Presumably, the intention is based on the exterior-interior relationship between the Heart and Small Intestine, hence using this herb to enter the Small Intestine channel. According to the classics, Qumai does not treat Heart heat. If there is no significant heat in the Heart, one should treat only the Heart. If suppression is incomplete, one must seek related organs to attenuate the pathogenic factor. The rationale for using *Bazheng San* is as follows.