Bitter and cold, it cools heat and resolves toxicity; sweet and cold, it facilitates the expulsion of damp-heat. Hedyotis diffusae herba (bai hus she she cao) is used for toxic accumulation, whether it is in the upper or lower body. It combines strong properties for cooling heat toxin with clearing dampness through urination, and is thus used in the treatment of swellings, sore throat, sores due to fire toxin, jaundice, Intestinal abscess, dysenteric disorders, and painful urinary dribbling. --Bensky: Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica, 3rd ed.