Xian Dihuang Fusiform or slat-shaped, 8~24 cm long, 2~9 cm in diameter. The outer bark thin, externally pale reddish-yellow, with curved longitudinal wrinkles, bud scars, elongated transverse lenticels and irregular scars. Texture fleshy, easily broken, yellowish-white, orange-red oil dots scattered in bark, fracture yellowish-white, with vessels arranged radially in wood. Odour, slight; taste, slightly sweet and bitterish.

Sheng Dihuang Mostly in irregular masses or oblong, swollen in the centre, slightly tapering at both ends, 6~12cm long, 3~6cm in diameter. Somesmall, slat-shaped, slightly compressed or twisted. Externally brownish-black or brownish-greyish, heavily shrunken, with irregular transverse wavy lines. Texture heavy, soft and tenacious, uneasily broken, fracture brownish-black or jet-black, lustrous, viscous, Odourless; taste, slightly sweet.

Radix Rehmanniae (unprocessed) To reduce heat in blood, to nourish yin and promote the production of body fluid.

Fresh Radix Rehmanniae Impairment of yin in febrile diseases marked by deep red tongue and thirst; skin eruption and maculation; spitting of blood, epistaxis; sore throat.

Radix Rehmanniae (unprepared) Febrile diseases with deep red tougue and thirst; deficiency of yin with internal heat; consumptive fever; diabetes caused by internal heat; spitting of blood, epistaxis; skin eruption and maculation.

1.Reducing heat and nourshing Yin:

For the treatment of seasonal febrile disease at the stage when Ying fen or blood system has been invaded by evil heat, marked by fever and thirst, red or crimson tongue, etc., it is often combined with Radix Scrophulariae, Cornu Rhinoceri, etc.; for syndrome of abundance of heat with deficiency of Yin, marked by constipation due to deficiency of the body fluid, with a heavy weight of Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis, etc.; for the late stage of the febrile disease with lingering fever or for chronic disease with fever due to deficiency of Yin, with Herba Artemisiae Chinghao, Carapax Trionycis, Cortex Lycii Radicis, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, etc.

2.Reducing heat from blood to arrest bleeding:

For the treatment of syndrome of blood-heat with extravasation of blood, marked by spitting blood, epistaxis, bloody urine, hematochezia, metrorrhagia, etc., it is often combined with drugs for reducing blood-heat and arresting bleeding such as Cacumen Biotae, Radix Rubiae, etc.; for eruptions in dark or purple color due to abundant blood-heat, with Cornu Rhinoceri, Cortex Moutan Radicis and other drugs for eliminating blood-heat and removing toxic materials.

3.Promoting the production of the body fluid to relieve thirst:

For the treatment of febrile disease with consuming of the body fluid, marked by redness and dryness of the tongue or thirst with dry lips, it is often combined with Radix Ophiopogonis, Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati, Radix Adenophorae Strictae and other drugs for invigorating stomach and promoting the production of the body fluid; for diabetis marked by thirst with eagerness of drinking, it may be combined with Radix Asparagi, Fructus Lycii, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Fructus Corni and other drugs for replenishing vital essence of the liver and kidney. Besides, for the treatment of urticaria and other tinea or tinea-like diseases due to blood heat, it may be combined with Fructus Tribuli, Cortex Dictamni Radicis, Radix Ledebouriellae, etc.