本出波斯国海畔陆地。今南海秦陇间亦有之。初生似芦。干则似杨柳枯枝。心黑外黄。
（内有白点类梅花。外澹黄色。）折之尘出如烟者真。
根气味苦平而寒。入足少阳厥阴阳明。恶菊花元参白藓皮。忌猪肉。（令人精漏）补肝
胆明目。治骨蒸劳热。三消。五心烦热。疗伤寒温疟。及冷热泄痢。小儿盗汗潮热。久痢成
疳。惊痫寒热。不下食。妇人胎蒸虚惊。浓肠胃。理腰肾。解巴豆毒。浸人乳点目甚良。（
诸
传尸劳积聚痫证鼻口舌及虫。自肠胃以次于骨。一切湿热邪
热。
附方 小儿潮热盗汗。胡黄连柴胡等分。为末。炼蜜丸芡子大。每服一丸至五丸。以酒
少许化开。入水五分。重汤煮二三十沸。和渣服。小儿疳热。肚胀发焦。（不可用大黄黄芩
伤胃之药）以胡黄连五钱。灵脂一两。为末。雄猪胆汁和丸。绿豆大。每米饮服一二十丸。
肥热疳疾。用胡黄连川连各半两。朱砂二钱半。为末。入猪胆内。扎定。以杖子悬钓于砂
锅
糊和丸。麻子大。每服五七丸
至一二十丸。米饮下。小儿黄胆。胡黄连川连各一两。为末。用黄瓜一个。去瓤留盖。入药
合定。面裹煨熟。去面。捣丸绿豆大。每服量儿大小。温水下。血痢不止。胡黄连乌梅肉灶
下土等
〔论〕胡黄连为劳热主治之味。而疗小儿疳疾更有专功。（童子之疳。在二十岁以上。
即为劳。）夫疳之所因不一。然皆脾胃受病。内亡津液之所致。津液者三焦之气化也。中焦
治在脾胃。脾胃先病者。自及于上下。即上下焦气化之病。胥于中土受之。故疳病不越于
脾
成疳者也。脾主阴。胃主阳。脾阴困而胃阳与三焦之气俱无阴以
化。内亡津液者。亡其脾阴之用也。阴弱阳亢而气不化。血不生。于是风木之脏病矣。风
木
不惟中土愈病。即下焦真阴之原亦病矣。此五心烦热。骨蒸潮
与川连主治不尽同。川连专功
于火土之相因。此则效长于木土之
而诸方多合猪胆以佐之。其义可
思。
此味合
芩军辈。一于清除胃热。只以伤阴。）又有言疳属湿热。辄以白术燥
脾阴先亏。愈燥愈剧。初不同于
脾气之陷。用术健之可以生津益液也。
。少入人参以救真气。庶为
得之。
缪氏云。凡病阴血大虚。真精耗竭。而胃气脾阴俱弱者。弗轻任。须与健脾安胃药同施。
胡黄连原本出产于波斯国海边的陆地。现在南海、秦地、陇地之间也有出产。刚长出来时像芦苇，干枯后像杨柳的枯枝，内心黑色外表黄色。（内部有白色斑点类似梅花，外部呈淡黄色。）折断时有灰尘像烟一样冒出的是真品。
根的气味苦、平而寒。归入足少阳胆经、足厥阴肝经和足阳明胃经。忌与菊花、玄参、白鲜皮同用。忌食猪肉。（会导致精气泄漏）能补益肝胆、明目。治疗骨蒸劳热（阴虚发热）、三消（多饮、多食、多尿及消瘦的病证）、五心烦热（两手心、两足心及心胸烦热）。治疗伤寒温疟（感受温热邪气引起的疟疾），以及冷热泄痢（寒热夹杂的腹泻痢疾）。小儿盗汗潮热（夜间睡眠中出汗及定时发热）、久痢成疳（长期腹泻导致的小儿疳积）、惊痫寒热（受惊引发的癫痫及寒热症状）、食欲不振。妇人胎蒸虚惊（妊娠期间虚热惊悸）。能厚肠胃，调理腰肾，解巴豆毒。用人乳浸泡后点眼效果很好。
附方：
1. 小儿潮热盗汗：胡黄连、柴胡各等分，研为细末。用炼蜜制成如芡实大小的丸药。每次服用一丸至五丸，用少许酒化开，加入水五分，隔水加热煮沸二三十次，连同药渣一起服用。
2. 小儿疳热、肚胀发焦：（不可使用大黄、黄芩等损伤胃气的药物）取胡黄连五钱，五灵脂一两，研为细末，用雄猪胆汁调和制成如绿豆大小的丸药。每次用米汤送服一二十丸。
3. 肥热疳疾（形体肥胖且伴有热象的疳积）：用胡黄连、川连（黄连）各半两，朱砂二钱半，研为细末，放入猪胆内，扎紧，用木棍悬挂在砂锅上，利用蒸汽熏蒸使药粉与胆汁混合并干燥成丸，制成如麻子大小的丸药。每次服用五七丸至一二十丸，用米汤送下。
4. 小儿黄疸：胡黄连、川连各一两，研为细末。取一个黄瓜，去掉瓜瓤保留瓜盖，将药粉装入瓜内，盖上瓜盖，用面糊包裹后煨熟，去掉面糊，捣碎制成如绿豆大小的丸药。每次根据患儿年龄大小，用温水送服。
5. 血痢不止：胡黄连、乌梅肉、灶心土等分……（原文此处中断）
【论述】
胡黄连是治疗劳热的主要药物，而在治疗小儿疳积方面更有专长。（童子患疳积，若年龄在二十岁以上，即称为“劳”。）疳积的成因不一，但都是脾胃受损，导致体内津液亡失所致。津液是由三焦的气化功能产生的。中焦的治疗关键在于脾胃，如果脾胃先生病，就会波及上下二焦，即上下二焦气化功能的病变，都源于中土（脾胃）的受损。所以疳病没有超出脾虚导致成疳的范围。脾主阴，胃主阳。脾阴被困顿，导致胃阳和三焦之气都没有阴液来化生。所谓“亡其津液”，就是丧失了脾阴的作用。阴弱则阳亢，气机不化，血液不生，于是风木之脏（肝）就生病了。风木之脏不仅进一步伤害中土（脾胃），就连下焦真阴的根本也生病了。这就是出现五心烦热、骨蒸潮热的原因。这与黄连的主治不尽相同。黄连专功于火与土的相互关系（清心胃之火），而胡黄连的功效长于木与土的关系（清肝脾之热），所以许多方剂多配合猪胆来辅助它，其中的道理值得深思。
此味药如果配合黄芩、军（大黄）这类药物，一味地清除胃热，只会损伤阴液。又有说法认为疳积属于湿热，就随意使用白术来燥湿健脾。殊不知脾阴先已亏损，越燥湿病情越严重。这不同于脾气下陷的情况，使用白术健运脾气是可以生津益液的。因此，应少量加入人参以挽救真气，这样才得当。
Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) originally originated from the coastal lands of Persia. It is now also found in the South Sea, Qin region, and Long region. When newly sprouted, it resembles reeds; when dried, it looks like withered willow branches, with a black interior and yellow exterior. (The interior contains white spots resembling plum blossoms, and the exterior is pale yellow.) The authentic product is identified by smoke-like dust emerging when broken.
The root has a bitter taste, neutral yet cold nature. It enters the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. It is incompatible with Chrysanthemi Flos (Juahua), Scrophulariae Radix (Xuanshen), and Dictamni Cortex (Baixianpi). Pork should be avoided during its use (as it may cause leakage of essence). It tonifies the liver and gallbladder, improves vision, treats bone-steaming consumptive fever (Gu Zheng Lao Re - a type of yin-deficiency fever), San Xiao (Three Wasting-Thirst syndromes characterized by polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, and emaciation), five-palm heat (heat sensation in both palms, soles, and chest), shanghan warm malaria (malaria caused by warm pathogenic factors), and mixed cold-heat dysentery/diarrhea. For children, it treats night sweats and tidal fever, chronic dysentery progressing to infantile malnutrition (Gan Ji), convulsive epilepsy with alternating cold and heat, anorexia, and pregnant women's fetal steaming with deficiency palpitations. It thickens the intestines and stomach, regulates the waist and kidneys, and detoxifies Crotonis Fructus (Badou). Soaking it in human milk for eye drops is very effective.
Attached Formulas:
1. Infantile Tidal Fever and Night Sweats: Equal parts Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) and Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu), powdered. Form pills with refined honey the size of Euryale Seed (Qianshi). Take one to five pills per dose, dissolve in a small amount of wine, add half a cup of water, boil in a double boiler for 20-30 minutes, and consume with the dregs.
2. Infantile Gan Heat with Abdominal Distension and Scorched Appearance: (Avoid using Rhizoma Rhei Preparata (Dahuang) or Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin) as they damage the stomach qi.) Use 5 qian of Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) and 1 liang of Psoraleae Fructus (Wulingzhi - *Note: Text says Lingzhi but context implies Wulingzhi/Psoraleae or similar, standard text often cites Psoraleae or Poria, here literal translation of Lingzhi used but noted as likely Psoraleae in classical contexts for Gan, however strictly translating "Lingzhi" as given*). Powder them, mix with bile from a male pig, form pills the size of mung beans. Take 10-20 pills per dose with rice water.
3. Obese Gan Disease with Heat: Use 0.5 liang each of Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) and Coptidis Rhizoma (Chuanlian/Huanglian), and 2.5 qian of Cinnabar (Zhusha). Powder them, place inside a pig gallbladder, tie securely, suspend over a clay pot using a stick, and steam until the powder mixes with bile and forms pills the size of hemp seeds. Take 5-7 to 10-20 pills per dose with rice water.
4. Infantile Jaundice: 1 liang each of Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) and Coptidis Rhizoma (Chuanlian/Huanglian), powdered. Take one cucumber, remove the pulp leaving the lid intact, insert the medicine into the cucumber, replace the lid, wrap in dough, and bake until cooked. Remove the dough, mash, and form pills the size of mung beans. Take an appropriate dose based on the child's age with warm water.
5. Incessant Bloody Dysentery: Equal parts Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix), Semen Pruni Mume (Wumei Rou), and Caulis Trichosanthis Ash (Zaoxia Tu)... [Text cuts off]
[Discussion]
Huhuanglian (Scutellaria Barbatae Radix) is the primary herb for treating consumptive fever due to deficiency, and it has specific efficacy in treating infantile malnutrition (Gan Ji). (When children suffer from Gan Ji at ages above twenty, it is termed "Consumption/Lao".) The causes of Gan Ji are varied, but all stem from spleen and stomach dysfunction leading to the depletion of body fluids (Jin Ye). Body fluids are generated by the Qi transformation of the San Jiao (Triple Burner). Treatment of the Middle Jiao focuses on the spleen and stomach; if the spleen and stomach are diseased first, it affects the Upper and Lower Jiao, meaning disorders of Qi transformation in all three jiaos originate from the central earth (spleen/stomach). Thus, Gan Ji does not exceed the scope of spleen deficiency leading to the condition. The spleen governs Yin, and the stomach governs Yang. If Spleen Yin is constrained, Stomach Yang and the Qi of the San Jiao lack Yin to transform. "Depletion of Jin Ye" refers to the loss of Spleen Yin function. Weak Yin leads to hyperactive Yang, failure of Qi transformation, and inability to generate blood, causing disease in the Wind-Wood organ (Liver). The Liver not only further damages the Central Earth (Spleen/Stomach) but also affects the root of True Yin in the Lower Jiao. This explains the symptoms of five-palm heat and bone-steaming tidal fever. Its action differs from that of Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma). Huanglian specializes in clearing fire related to Fire and Earth (Heart/Stomach), whereas Huhuanglian is more effective for Wood and Earth (Liver/Spleen) relationships, which is why many formulas combine it with pig gallbladder. The rationale is worth pondering.
If this herb is combined with herbs like Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) and Jun (Da Huang/Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) solely to clear Stomach heat, it will only injure Yin. Some argue that Gan Ji belongs to damp-heat and thus prescribe Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) to dry dampness and strengthen the spleen. However, if Spleen Yin is already deficient, drying agents will worsen the condition. This differs from cases of Spleen Qi sinking, where Baizhu can promote fluid generation. Therefore, adding a small amount of Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) to rescue True Qi is appropriate.
Miao stated: For conditions involving severe deficiency of Yin-blood and exhaustion of True Essence, accompanied by weak Stomach Qi and Spleen Yin, one should not lightly administer this herb alone. It must be administered concurrently with herbs that strengthen the spleen and calm the stomach.