根直下生。其茎有节。似牛膝。故名。又称暴节。二八十月采根。阴干用。 根长约
三二尺者良。江淮闽粤关中皆有。不及怀庆生者。根极长大而柔润也。 土牛膝处处有之。
不堪服食。惟北土及川中人家栽莳者为良。 土牛膝所禀薄。故短而细。主破血气。（士材）
春夏用叶。秋冬用根。惟叶汁效尤速。（叶皆对生。似苋而长。且尖梢。） 川牛膝所禀浓。
故肥而长。主补精髓。（士材）
味苦酸平。气薄味浓。走而能补。性善下行。入足厥阴少阴经。 生者去恶血。得酒能
补肝
心
溪言妇人得之。应归血海行血。） 酒蒸熟用。更主寒湿痿痹。四肢拘挛。膝痛不可屈伸。
益肾强筋。理腰膝软怯冷弱。及腰脊痛。利阴气。补精气。疗伤中少气。男子阴消。老人失
溺
少
干用。
术仙茅
瓜首乌生地
四肢拘挛。
地黄柏五加皮
二三两浓
橘皮去
茎中痛
腹坚痛。 小便淋痛。或尿血
膝亦可。或入麝香乳香尤良。
附专用土牛膝方 喉痹乳蛾。鲜牛膝根一握。艾叶七片捣和人乳。取汁灌入鼻内。须臾
痰涎
二两
温服
〔论〕 牛膝味苦。苦就下。入于至阴之肾无疑。苦后有酸。而气复温。是又阴中少阳
之肝
火。
哉。
肾肝
于金之
诚不妄
故直藉
何居。
浮气曰卫
其气之精
气着以为
肠则痢。
金水于下。
又如五
及之。
能化。
主治之
足。乃
水以顺
之气不
缪氏上焦药中勿入。凡经闭未久疑似有娠者。勿用。 脾虚清气下陷而泄痢。及脾虚而
腿痛
〔修治〕 行血。生用。入滋补药。酒拌。蒸过用。
牛膝的根垂直向下生长。它的茎有节，形状像牛的膝盖，因此得名。又被称为“暴节”。在农历二月和八月（即春季和秋季）的第十个月份采集根部，阴干后使用。根长约二三尺的为佳品。江淮、福建、广东以及关中地区都有出产，但都不如怀庆府（今河南焦作一带）所产的优良，那里的根极其长大且柔润。
土牛膝到处都有，但不堪服用。只有北方土地及四川地区人家种植的才算是优良的。土牛膝禀受的天地之气较薄，所以长得短小纤细，主要功效是破除血气。（引自士材之言）春夏季节用其叶，秋冬季节用其根。其中叶汁的效果尤其迅速。（叶片皆对生，形状像苋菜但更长，且尖端尖锐。）川牛膝禀受的天地之气浓厚，所以长得肥大而长，主要功效是补益精髓。（引自士材之言）
味道苦、酸，性平。气味轻薄而滋味浓厚，具有走散又能补益的特性，药性善于下行。归入足厥阴肝经和足少阴肾经。生用时能去除恶血，配合酒制能补益肝心。（溪言：妇女服用此药，应能使血液归于血海并运行血液。）需经酒蒸熟后使用，更主要治疗寒湿引起的痿痹、四肢拘挛、膝盖疼痛无法屈伸、补肾强筋、调理腰膝软弱冷痛，以及腰脊疼痛、通利阴气、补益精气、治疗内伤导致的气短、男子阴部萎缩消损、老人遗尿等症。
（此处原文夹杂了其他药材名及症状片段，如：白术、仙茅、瓜蒌、首乌、生地、四肢拘挛、地黄、黄柏、五加皮、橘皮去瓤、茎中痛、腹部坚硬疼痛、小便淋痛或尿血、膝盖亦可、或加入麝香乳香效果更佳。）
附：专门使用土牛膝的方剂。治疗喉痹、乳蛾（扁桃体炎），取新鲜牛膝根一把，艾叶七片，捣碎后加入人乳，取汁液灌入鼻内。片刻之后，痰涎……（原文此处中断）。
〔论〕 牛膝味苦，苦味趋向于下行，进入至阴之肾，这是毫无疑问的。苦味之后带有酸味，且气性复温，这又是阴中蕴含少阳之气的肝脏……火……哉。肾与肝……对于金……确实不妄……所以直接借助……处于什么位置呢？浮动的卫气称为卫……其气的精华……气附着成为……如果是肠则导致痢疾。金水在下……又如五……能够化……主治的……足，乃是……水以顺……气不……缪氏认为在上焦药物中不要加入。凡是月经闭止不久、疑似怀孕者，勿用。脾虚导致清气下陷而引起泄痢，以及脾虚导致的腿痛……
〔修治〕 用于行血时，生用；用于滋补药物中，用酒拌，蒸过后使用。
The root of Achyranthes bidentata (Niuxi) grows straight downwards. Its stem has nodes and resembles the knee joint of a cow, hence its name. It is also known as "Baojie" (Violent Joint). The roots are harvested in the second and eighth months (spring and autumn), dried in the shade, and used. Roots approximately two to three chi long are considered superior. It is found in Jianghuai, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guanzhong regions, but none compare to those produced in Huaqing (modern-day Jiaozuo, Henan), where the roots are extremely long, large, and supple.
Tu Niuxi (Achyranthes aspera) is available everywhere but is unsuitable for medicinal consumption. Only those cultivated by households in northern China and Sichuan are considered excellent. Tu Niuxi possesses a thinner endowment of vital energy, thus growing short and slender; it primarily serves to break up blood stasis (as stated by Shicai). In spring and summer, the leaves are used; in autumn and winter, the roots are used. Among them, the leaf juice acts particularly quickly. (The leaves grow opposite each other, resembling Amaranthus but longer and with pointed tips.) Chuan Niuxi (Cyathula officinalis) possesses a richer endowment of vital energy, thus growing plump and long; it primarily serves to tonify essence and marrow (as stated by Shicai).
It tastes bitter and sour, with a neutral nature. Its qi is light while its flavor is rich; it moves yet can tonify, and its nature favors descending. It enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian and the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. When raw, it removes bad blood; when processed with wine, it tonifies the Liver and Heart. (Xi Yan states: For women, taking this herb should cause blood to return to the Sea of Blood and circulate.) It should be steamed with wine before use. It further treats cold-dampness Bi syndrome (painful obstruction), limb contracture, knee pain with inability to flex or extend, tonifies the Kidney and strengthens tendons, regulates softness and weakness/coldness of the waist and knees, as well as lumbar and spinal pain, promotes the flow of Yin Qi, tonifies essential Qi, treats internal injury resulting in shortness of breath, atrophy of the male genitalia, and urinary incontinence in the elderly.
[Text fragments interspersed with other herbs/symptoms: Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), Xianmao (Curculiginis Rhizome), Gualou (Trichosanthis Fructus), Shouwu (Polygoni Multiflori Radix), Shengdi (Rehmanniae Radix), limb contracture, Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex), Wujiapi (Acanthopanacis Cortex), orange peel removed of pith, pain in the urethra, abdominal hardness and pain, dysuria or hematuria, knee joints may also be used, or adding Moschus (She Xiang) and Frankincense (Ruxiang) yields better results.]
Attached: A formula specifically using Tu Niuxi. For treating Hou Bi (sore throat) and Ru E (tonsillitis), take one handful of fresh Niuxi root, seven pieces of Ai Ye (Artemisiae Argyi Folium), crush them together with human milk, extract the juice, and instill into the nostrils. After a moment, phlegm and saliva... [text cuts off].
[Discussion] Niuxi tastes bitter. Bitterness tends to descend, entering the Kidney of Supreme Yin without doubt. Following the bitterness is sourness, and the qi becomes warm again; this represents the Liver of Lesser Yang within Yin... Fire... Ah. Kidney and Liver... Regarding Metal... Indeed not false... Therefore directly borrowing... What position does it occupy? Floating Qi is called Wei (Defensive Qi)... The essence of its Qi... Qi attaches to become... If it affects the intestines, it causes dysentery. Metal and Water are below... Like five... Can transform... Main indications... Foot, namely... Water to follow... Qi not... Miao Shi advises against including it in upper jiao medications. It should not be used for amenorrhea of recent onset where pregnancy is suspected. For spleen deficiency causing clear Yang to sink leading to diarrhea/dysentery, and leg pain due to spleen deficiency...
[Processing] To promote blood circulation, use raw. For inclusion in tonifying formulas, mix with wine and steam before use.