气温，味咸、甘。冷利，有小毒。
《本草》云∶主补中下气，消坚软痞，消胸中痰结，吐如胶漆。脐下膀胱留饮。利大肠
，通血脉。发汗吐下后，心下痞，噫气不除者，宜此。
仲景治伤寒汗下后，心下痞坚，噫气不除，旋复代赭汤。
胡洽治痰饮，两胁胀满，旋复花丸，用之尤佳。
气平，味甘。甘、咸、寒，味浓，阴也，降也，阴中微阳。
入足太阳经、少阴经。
《象》云∶除湿之圣药。治小便淋沥，去阴间汗。无此疾，服之令人目盲。
《心》云∶去旧水，养新水。寒水气，须用。
《珍》云∶渗泻止渴。
《本草》云∶治风寒湿痹，乳难，消水，养五脏，益气力，肥健。补虚损五劳，除五脏
痞满，起阴气，止泄精，消渴淋沥，逐膀胱三焦停水。
扁鹊云∶多服病患眼。
《衍义》云∶其功尤长于行水。
仲景云∶水畜烦渴，小便不利，或吐或泻，五苓散主之。方用泽泻，故知其用长于行水
。《本经》又引扁鹊云∶多服病患眼。诚为行去其水故也。仲景八味丸用之者，亦不过接引
桂、附等归就肾经，别无他意。凡服泽泻散人，未有不小便多者，小便既多，肾气焉得复实
。今人止泄精，多不敢用。
《本经》云∶久服明目；扁鹊谓∶多服昏目，何也？易老云∶去胞中留垢，以其味咸能
泄伏水，故去留垢，即胞中陈积物也。入足太阳、少阴，仲景治太阳中风入里，渴者，五
苓散主之。
旋复花：
气味属温，味道咸、甘。性质寒凉滑利，有小毒。
《本草》记载：主要补益中下焦之气，消除坚硬的痞块，化解胸中的痰结，使胶漆状的痰液吐出。治疗脐下膀胱内的停饮。通利大肠，疏通血脉。在发汗、催吐或泻下之后，出现心下部痞塞感，且嗳气不止的情况，适宜使用此药。
张仲景治疗伤寒经过发汗或泻下后，心下部痞硬，嗳气不止，使用旋复代赭汤。
胡洽治疗痰饮病，两胁胀满，使用旋复花丸，效果极佳。
泽泻：
气味平，味甘。综合来看，味咸、性寒，气味浓厚，属于阴，主降，是阴中带有微阳的药物。
归入足太阳经和足少阴经。
李杲（《象》）说：它是除湿的圣药。治疗小便淋漓不畅，去除阴部的汗出。如果没有这些疾病而服用它，会导致人失明。
王好古（《心》）说：去除旧水，滋养新水。对于寒水之气，必须使用它。
雷斅（《珍》）说：渗湿泄浊以止渴。
《本草》记载：治疗风寒湿痹，乳汁不通，消水利尿，滋养五脏，益气力，使身体肥壮强健。补益虚损及五劳七伤，消除五脏的痞满，升起阴气，制止遗精，治疗消渴和小便淋漓，驱逐膀胱和三焦的停水。
扁鹊说：长期服用会使患者眼睛受损。
《衍义》说：它的功效特别擅长于行水利尿。
张仲景说：水邪内停导致烦渴，小便不利，或者呕吐或者腹泻，用五苓散主治。方剂中使用泽泻，所以知道它的特长在于行水利尿。《本经》又引用扁鹊的话说：长期服用会使患者眼睛受损。这确实是因为它行去体内水分的缘故。张仲景在八味丸中使用它，也不过是引导桂枝、附子等药物归于肾经，没有其他意图。凡是服用含有泽泻散剂的人，没有不小便增多的，小便既然增多，肾气怎么能恢复充实呢？现在的人只看到它能止泄精，大多不敢使用。
《本经》说：长期服用能明目；扁鹊却说：长期服用会昏目，这是为什么呢？易老（张元素）说：去除胞宫中的残留污垢，因为它的味咸能泄伏匿之水，所以能去除残留污垢，也就是胞宫中陈旧的积物。归入足太阳、足少阴经，张仲景治疗太阳中风邪入里，出现口渴症状的，用五苓散主治。
**Inula Flower (Xuanfu Hua):**
The thermal nature is warm, and the flavors are salty and sweet. It is cold in property and slippery in action, with slight toxicity.
*Bencao* states: It primarily tonifies Qi in the middle and lower jiao, dissipates hard masses and epigastric fullness, resolves phlegm accumulation in the chest, and induces vomiting of sticky, glue-like phlegm. It treats retained fluid in the bladder below the navel. It promotes bowel movement and unblocks blood vessels. After sweating, vomiting, or purging therapies, if epigastric fullness and persistent belching occur, this herb is suitable.
Zhang Zhongjing treated post-typhoid fever conditions following sweating or purging, characterized by hard epigastric fullness and persistent belching, using Xuanfu Daizhe Tang (Inula and Hematite Decoction).
Hu Qia treated phlegm-fluid retention with distension and fullness in both hypochondria using Xuanfu Hua Wan (Inula Flower Pill), which yields excellent results.
**Alisma Rhizome (Zexie):**
The thermal nature is neutral, and the flavor is sweet. Overall, it is salty and cold, with a strong aroma, belonging to Yin, descending in action, representing Yin with slight Yang.
It enters the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Channel and Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Channel.
Li Gao (*Xiang*) stated: It is the supreme herb for resolving dampness. It treats dribbling dysuria and removes sweat from the genital region. If taken without these indications, it causes blindness.
Wang Haogu (*Xin*) stated: It eliminates old water and nourishes new water. It must be used for cold-water qi.
Lei Xiao (*Zhen*) stated: It promotes diuresis and turbid drainage to relieve thirst.
*Bencao* states: It treats wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, difficult lactation, reduces water retention, nourishes the five zang organs, benefits Qi and strength, and promotes robust health. It tonifies deficiency and damage from the five labors, eliminates fullness in the five zang organs, raises Yin Qi, stops seminal emission, treats xiao-ke (wasting-thirst) and dribbling dysuria, and drives out retained water from the bladder and Sanjiao.
Bian Que stated: Long-term use damages the patient's eyes.
*Yanyi* stated: Its efficacy is particularly outstanding in promoting water metabolism.
Zhang Zhongjing stated: When water retention causes irritability and thirst, with difficulty in urination, or with vomiting or diarrhea, Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) is the primary treatment. The formula uses Zexie, indicating its specialty in promoting water metabolism. *Shennong Bencao Jing* also cites Bian Que saying that long-term use damages the eyes. This is indeed because it drains water from the body. In Zhang Zhongjing's Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill), it is used merely to guide Gui (Cinnamon Twig) and Fu Zi (Aconite Root) into the Kidney channel, with no other intention. Anyone taking formulas containing Zexie will inevitably experience increased urination; since urination increases, how can Kidney Qi recover? Nowadays, people only recognize its ability to stop seminal emission and mostly dare not use it.
*Shennong Bencao Jing* states: Long-term use brightens the eyes; Bian Que said long-term use dims the eyes. Why? Yi Lao (Zhang Yuansu) stated: It removes residual filth from the uterus/bladder because its salty flavor can drain hidden water, thus removing residual filth, which refers to accumulated matter in the uterus/bladder. It enters the Foot-Taiyang and Foot-Shaoyin channels. Zhang Zhongjing treated Taiyang wind-strike invading the interior with thirst using Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria).