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Mai Men Dong
Mai Men Dong麦门冬 气味甘平,无毒。主心腹结气,伤中,伤饱,胃络
脉绝,羸瘦短气。久服轻身不老,不饥
Qi and flavor sweet even, not toxic. Dominates knotting of Qi in heart and abdomen, injury to center, injury of over eating, stomach collateral vessel diminished, body thin and frail. Prolong consumption makes the body light and not age, no hunger.
(survives winter, root color is yellow white, which is connected in center, in ancient times grows wild and looked like wheat grains, thus named wintery wheat Mai Dong. Root has 12, 14 or 15 pallets connected. Like 12 meridians of 3 Yang
and 3 Yin + Du, Ren and spleen collateral vessel. One can see that Mai Dong gets the characteristics of the entire body, only the sage understood this and so used Mai Dong to unobstruct Luo vessels.
Mai Dong is sweet even, quality is moistening and lubricating, during winter is fresh green, it receives the essence of Shao Yin winter water, and above joins with Yang Ming stomach earth.
2. It dominates knotting of Qi in heart and abdomen, as Mai Dong root grows horizontally and can unobstruct the stomach’s Qi to go on all sides.
3. Center injury, when meridians lose their harmony the center is deficient. Injury by over eating means that diet is irregular and stomach Qi stagnates.
4. Mai Dong receives Shao Yin Gui water Qi and it joins above with Yang Ming’s Wu earth, and so it can cure injury to center from over eating.
5. Stomach collateral vessel diminishes when vessel doesn’t connect to meridians. Mai Dong joins in its center and horizontally grows in the earth, it is connected and not broken, and so it can cure the stomach collateral vessel.
6. When stomach is weak body is frail, Mai Dong helps stomach and tonifies kidneys and so can help it.
7. Prolong consumption thus makes the body light and extends life as the spirit becomes ample and there is no hunger.
Ren Shen: 人参
气味甘,微寒,无毒。主补五脏,安精神,定魂魄,止惊悸
,除邪气,明目,开心,益智,久服轻身延年。
 人参气味甘美,甘中稍苦,故曰微寒。凡属上品,俱系无毒 。独人参禀 天宿之光华,钟地土之广浓,久久而成人形,三 才俱备,故主补人之五脏。脏者藏也。肾藏精,心藏神,肝 藏魂,肺藏魄,脾藏智。安精神,定魂魄,则补心肾肺肝 之 真气矣。夫真气充足,则内外调和,故止惊悸之内动,除邪 气之外侵。明目者,五脏之精上注于目也。开心者,五脏之 神皆主于心也。又曰益智者,所以补脾也, 上品之药,皆可 久服,兼治病者,补正气也,故人参久服,则轻身延年。
Ren Shen, Qi and flavor are sweet, slight cold, not toxic. Dominates tonifying five Zang, calms Jing and Shen, stabilizes Hun and Po, stops fear that leads to palpitation, removes evil Qi, clears eyes, opens heart, benefits knowledge, prolonged consumption makes the body light and extends life.
ZZC: Ren Shen, Qi and flavor are sweet and palatable, within the sweetness it is slightly bitter, thus it is described as slightly cold. All herbs belonging to above category are not toxic. Only Ren Shen receives the splendor of heavenly constellations, brings together earth’s vastness, and gradually it shapes up into human shape, it includes the three treasures, and so it dominates tonifying five Zang. Zang organ is Zang storage, kidneys store essence, heart stores spirit, liver stores Hun, Lungs store Po, while spleen stores knowledge. When it says calms essence and spirit, stabilizes Hun and Po, it refers to true Qi of heart, kidneys, lungs and liver. When true Qi is ample then inside and outside harmonize, and so it stops inner movement of fear palpitation and it removes external invasion of evil Qi. Clearing eyes takes place because the essence of five Zang flow to the eyes. ‘Opens heart’ because spirit of five Zang all belong to the heart, it is also the reason for benefiting knowledge as it tonifies spleen. Above herb can be consumed for long duration and in addition to curing disease it tonifies upright Qi, therefore prolonged consumption of Ren Shen makes the body light and extends life.
Huang Qi黄耆 气味甘,微温,无毒。主痈疽,久败疮,排脓止痛,大风癞疾,
五痔鼠瘘,补虚,小儿百病。
黄耆色黄,味甘,微温。禀火土相生之气化。土主肌肉,火主 经脉,故主治肌肉之痈,经脉之疽也。痈疽日久,正气衰微, 致三焦之气不温肌肉,则为久败疮。黄 助三焦出气,以温肌 肉,故可治也。痈疽未溃,化血为脓,痛不可忍,黄 补气助 阳,阳气化血而排脓,脓排则痛止。大风癞疾,谓之疠疡,乃 风寒客于脉而不去,鼻柱坏而色败,皮肤溃癞者是也。五痔者, 牡痔、牝痔、肠痔、脉痔、血 痔,是热邪淫于下也;鼠 者, 肾脏水毒,上淫于脉,致颈项溃肿,或空或凸,是寒邪客于上 也。夫癞疾、五痔、鼠 ,乃邪在经脉,而证见于肌肉皮肤。
黄 内资经脉,外资肌肉,是以三证咸宜。又曰补虚者,乃补 正气之虚,而经脉调和,肌肉充足也。小儿经脉未盛,肌肉未 盈,血气皆微,故治小儿百病。
Qi and flavor are sweet and slight warm, not toxic. Dominates ulcers and old sores which don’t heal. Expels pus and stops pains, great wind Lai Ji, five kinds of hemorrhoids, Shu Lou (scrofula), tonifies deficiencies, (and treats) hundred pediatric diseases.
Huang Qi’s color is yellow, flavor sweet and slightly warm. It receives the fire and earth giving birth Qi transformation. Earth dominates flesh, fire dominates meridians and vessels, therefore it dominates curing muscles’ ulcers. When ulcers remain for long then upright Qi declines until San Jiao Qi doesn’t warm anymore, and so it becomes an old sore which doesn’t heal. Huang Qi helps San Jiao put out Qi to warm flesh, therefore it can cure this. When ulcers didn’t open up yet and blood transform into pus, it is unbearable pain. Huang Qi tonifies Qi and helps Yang. Yang transforms blood and expels pus. Pus expelled then pains stop.
Great wind Lai Ji is leprosy ulcers, it is when wind cold resides in vessels and doesn’t depart. Bridge of nose (center) is ruined and color defeated, then skin suffers leprosy ulcers. Five hemorrhoids are external bleeding ulcer, itchy painful ulcer, painful cold hot ulcer, clear bleeding ulcer. Shu Lou happens when water toxin of kidneys penetrates above into vessels, reach the neck and creates swelling, either concave or convex it is evil cold that resides above. Lai Ji, five hemorrhoids and Shu Lou are evil in vessels but symptoms at skin. Huang Qi benefits inside meridians and vessels, outside the flesh, it is appropriate for the three syndromes. It also states that it tonifies deficiencies. It tonifies the deficiency of upright Qi and then meridians harmonize, flesh becomes ample. Children's meridians are not surging yet, flesh not prospering yet, Qi and blood are all weak, therefore it treats the hundred pediatric diseases.
Cang and Bai Zhu白术
气味甘温,无毒。治风寒湿痹、死肌、痉、疸,止汗、除热、 消食,作煎饵。久服,轻身延年不饥。
白术气味甘温,质多脂液,乃调和脾土之药也。主治风寒湿 痹者,《素问·痹论》云∶风寒湿三气杂至,合而为痹。白术 味甘,性温,补益脾土,土气营运,则肌肉之气外通皮肤, 内通经脉,故风寒湿之痹证皆可治也。夫脾主肌肉,治死肌 者,助脾气也。又脾主四肢,痉者,四肢强而不和。脾主黄 色,疸者,身目黄而土虚。白术补脾,则痉疸可治也。止汗 者,土能胜湿也。除热者,除脾土之虚热也。消食者,助脾 土之转运也。作煎饵者,言白术多脂,又治脾土之燥,作煎 则味甘温而质滋润,土气和平矣。故久服则轻身延年不饥。
愚按∶太阴主湿土而属脾,为阴中之至阴,喜燥恶湿,喜温 恶寒。然土有湿气,始能灌溉四旁,如地得雨露,始能发生 万物。若过于炎燥,则止而不行,为便难脾约之证。白术作 煎饵,则燥而能润,温而能和,此先圣教人之苦心,学人所 当体会者也。
Qi flavor sweet and warm, not toxic. Cures wind cold damp Bi syndrome, dead flesh, Jing syndrome, Dan syndrome, arrests sweat, removes heat, dissolves food stagnation. Made into fried cake, prolonged consumption, body light, extended life and no hunger. (root skin yellow inside white)
Bai Zhu Qi flavor is sweet warm, its material oily, it is a medicine harmonizing spleen earth. It dominates curing wind cold damp Bi syndrome, Su Wen Bi Treatise states “ wind cold and damp join together to form Bi. Bai Zhu’s flavor is sweet and character warm, tonifies and
benefits spleen earth. Earth Qi transports about and then on the outside the flesh connects to skin, on the inside connects to meridians and vessels. Therefore it can treats all wind cold damp Bi syndromes.
Spleen dominates flesh, when curing dead flesh it means helping spleen Qi. Spleen dominates four extremities, Jing
syndrome is when four are stiff and don’t harmonize. Spleen dominates Yellow color, Dan syndrome (jaundice) is when body and eyes are yellow and earth is weak. Bai Zhu tonifies spleen and so Jing and Dan can be cured. Arrests sweat happens when earth can restrict damp. Remove heat means removing spleen earth empty heat. Resolving food stagnation means helping spleen earth transform and transport. Make fried cake describes Bai Zhu as full of natural oils and it cures dryness of spleen earth, frying it makes flavor sweet warm and texture lubricating, the earth’s Qi becomes harmonious. Thus prolong consumption causes light body, extended life and no hunger.
In addition: Tai Yin dominates damp earth and belongs to spleen. It is ultimate Yin within Yin. It loves dryness and dislikes moistness, loves warmth and dislikes cold. When earth has damp Qi it can start irrigating on all sides, it is like when earth receives rain and fog, it can give birth to myriad things. If it is too dry then it stops and can’t move forward, it is when bowels are difficult, which is Pi Yue (spleen restrained) syndrome. Bai Zhu made into fried cakes, it makes dryness but moist, it makes warm but harmonizing. This was the hard toil the ancient sages went through in order to teach people. This is what the student needs to experience himself.
Shan Yao薯蓣 气味甘平,无毒。主伤中,补虚羸,除寒热邪气,补中,益气力,长肌
肉,强阴。久服耳目聪明,轻身不饥,延年。
Shu Yu Qi and flavor are sweet even, not toxic. Dominates injury to center, tonifies Xu Lei, removes evil cold and heat, tonifies center, benefits Qi and strength, grows muscles, strengthens Yin. Prolong consumption leads vibrant ears and eyes, light body and no hunger, extended life.
(Shu Yu薯蓣 during Tang dynasty emperor Zong name was Yu, thus herb name was changed to Shu Yao. During Song dynasty emperor Ying Zong name was Shu, herb name was changed again to Shan Yao.)
1. Shan Yao sweet and even, originally from Central Yue (Song Shan mountain in Henan, also called Song Gao, considered the center of the kingdom). Thus it is a herb tonifying Tai Yin spleen earth. Its ability is in curing central earth.
2. Tonifies Xu Lei means benefiting muscles. 3. When center earth harmonizes, muscles
and flesh are full and cold heat evil
naturally resolves.
4. Curing injury to center happens when
center is tonified and Qi as well as strength are benefited.
Tonify Xu Lei leads to growing flesh and strengthening Yin. Yin is strong then ears and eyes are vibrant.
6. When earth Qi has extra then there is no hunger and life extended.
Da Zao气味甘平,无毒。主心腹邪气,安中,养脾气,平胃
气,通九窍,助十二经,补少气,少津液,身中不足,
大惊,四肢重,和百药。久服轻身延年。
Qi and flavor are sweet even. Not toxic. Dominates heart and abdomen evil Qi, calms the center, nurtures spleen Qi, evens stomach’s Qi, penetrates nine orifices, helps twelve meridians, tonifies lack of Qi, Jin Ye, body’s center inadequate, great fear, four limbs heavy, harmonizes the hundred herbs. Prolong consumption causes light body and extended life. (5th months opens white flowers, 8-9 months fruit ripens into yellow red color, when it is baked becomes black, most suitable as medicine. Southern Zao fruit is big, Northern Zao is small and when baked retains red color, it is Hong Zao, suitable as food, normally not used as medicine)
1. Qi and flavor sweet even is the fruit of spleen. (In 5th month) opens small white flower, when young it is green, when ripe yellow, when very ripe it is red, after baking it becomes black, it receives the earth ability to transform essence. It has the five colors of the five phases.
2. Classic states: Spleen is a lone Zang. It is center earth that irrigates on all sides. Dominating a cure for heart and abdomen evil Qi and calms the center, it is Da Zao ability to calm the center that brings cure to evil Qi attacks upward the heart or downward the abdomen. Da Zao nurtures spleen and stomach harmonizes naturally. From spleen and stomach that it goes above and below to penetrate the nine orifices. From SP and ST going in and out that it helps all twelve meridians.
4. Tonifies the body’s center, and so it helps invisible Qi deficiency or formed Jin Ye.
5. Zao is sweet and has natural oils that can harmonize hundred herbs. Great fear happens when heart’s spirit is weak inside, heavy limbs when spirit is weak outside. Da Zao can cure both. Four limbs are where spirit extends to.
Prolong consumption causes harmony in five Zang, blood and Qi ample, thus light body and extended life.
Gan Di Huang干地黄 气味甘寒,无毒。主伤中,逐血痹,填骨髓,
长肌肉,作汤,除寒热积聚,除痹,疗折跌绝
筋。久服轻身不老。生者尤良。
Qi and flavor are sweet cold, not toxic. Dominates injury to center, expels blood Bi, supplements bone marrow, grows muscles, when in decoction expels accumulations of cold or heat, removes Bi syndrome, treats injuries and severed tendons. Prolong consumption causes light body and body doesn’t become old, fresh is better for use.
(root is beaten to extract the juice, and then sun dried.)
1.Di Huang color is Yellow, flavor sweet, character slight cold, receives essence transformation of Tai Tin central earth, as well as Shao Yin’s cold water Qi transformation.
2. Treats injuries to center via sweet flavor and moistening quality, tonifies essence liquid of middle Jiao.
3. Blood Bi is vessels Bi. It dispels blood Bi as the horizontal veins (in the herb) resemble Luo vessels. It penetrates the entire body’s Jing Luo.
4.Since it receives Shao Yin cold water essence it fills up bone marrow.
5. Since it receives Tai Yin center earth essence it grows muscles.
6. Di Huang only goes downward and so the ancient name is Hu苄 . But when goes in decoction it can go up and outward, and so it states “when in decoction it expels accumulations of cold or heat”. Expels accumulation means it goes upward. Expels cold heat means it reaches the exterior
7. When it says expels Bi, it is not only blood Bi, but rather skin, flesh, tendons and bones Bi. and so when Bi of flesh and tendons can be removed, healing can be achieved for tendon injury.
8. Prolonged consumption makes essence and blood full and so body is light and doesn’t get old.
Du Zhong杜仲 气味辛平,无毒。主腰膝痛,补中,盖精气,
坚筋骨,强志,除阴下痒湿,小便余沥。久服
轻身耐老。
Qi and flavor pungent even, not toxic. Dominates lower back and knee pains, tonifies center, covers (protect) essence and Qi, firms tendons and bones, strengthens Will, expels genitals itching damp, urination left over drip, prolonged consumption makes body light and tolerance of old age.
(杜 Du is Tu土 earth,仲 Zhong is中 center)
ZZC: 1. Du Zhong’s skin color is black and flavor pungent even. It receives Yang Ming and Shao Yin metal and water essence Qi.
2. Lower back is the residence of Shao Yin, and knees belong to great tendon dominated by Yang Ming. And so it cures low back and knee pains.
3. Tonifies center is tonifying Yang Ming center earth.
4. Tonifies essence Qi is tonifying Shao Yin kidney essence Qi.
Firms tendons and bones, it firms tendons belonging to Yang Ming and bones to Shao Yin.
6. Strengthens Will is via tonifying kidneys. 7. When Yang Ming dryness travels
downwards it removes damp itchiness in
genitals, and dribbling after urination. 8. Long consumption causes mutual birth
for metal and water and then essence Qi becomes full, body is light and one can tolerate old age.
9. In addition herbs like Sang Ye with lots of threads receive metal essence. Herbs like lotus root who grows in water and has
many threads receive water essence. Du Zhong is black with lots of threads, it receives the essence of water and metal.
Gan Cao甘草 气味甘平,无毒。主五脏六腑寒热邪气,坚筋骨,长肌肉,倍
气力,金疮 ,解毒,久服轻身延年。
甘草味甘,气得其平,故曰甘平。《本经》凡言平者,皆谓气
得其平也。主治五脏六腑之寒腑为阳。寒病为阴,热病为
阳。甘草味甘,调和脏腑,通贯阴阳,故治理脏腑阴阳之
正气,以除寒热阴阳之邪气也。坚筋骨,长肌肉,倍气力
者,坚肝主之筋,肾主之骨,长脾主之肉,倍肺主之气,
心主之力。
五脏充足,则六腑自和矣。
金疮乃刀斧所伤,因金伤而成疮。金疮 ,乃因金疮而高 也。 解毒者,解高 无名之毒,土性柔和,如以毒物埋土中,久 则无毒矣。脏腑阴阳之气皆归土中,久服则土气有余,故 轻身延年。
Qi and flavor are sweet and even, not toxic. Dominates evil hot and cold Qi of five Zang six Fu, firms tendons and bones, growing flesh and muscles, increases Qi and strength, metal (injuries) resulting in ulcers and swelling, resolve toxins, prolong consumption makes the body light and extends life. (root is deep 4 feet)
Gan Cao’s flavor is sweet, the Qi attains its evenness and so it states sweet even. Whenever in Ben Jing it states “Even” it always mean that Qi reached its even place. It dominates curing the hot cold evil Qi of five Zang and six Fu, five Zang are Yin, six Fu are Yang. Cold disease is Yin, while hot disease is Yang. Gan Cao is sweet and harmonizing Zang Fu, it links together Yin Yang. Therefore it puts in order the upright Qi of Zang Fu’s Yin Yang and removes the hot cold evil Yin Yang. (when it states) ‘firms tendons and bones, grows flesh and muscles, increases strength’ it actually firms the liver control over tendons and kidneys over bones, promotes spleen control of flesh, strengthens lungs control of Qi and heart
control of strength. When five Zang are ample then six Fu are naturally at ease. Metal ulcers are weapon’s injuries, ulcer is the result of weapon’s injury. Metal, ulcer swelling is because of injury’s ulcer that there is great swelling. Resolves toxins means that it resolves this nameless toxicity of the great swelling. Earth’s characteristic is mildness, it is like burying toxin in the earth for long time and then the toxicity is gone. Yin Yang of Zang Fu all go back to earth, prolong consumption causes the earth’s Qi to be extra, thus body is light and life extended.
Gou Qi枸杞 味苦寒,无毒。主五内邪气、热中、消渴、周痹
风湿。久服坚筋骨,轻身不老,耐寒暑
Flavor bitter cold, not toxic. Dominates five inner evil Qi, heat (hits) center, Xiao Ke, all around Bi of wind damp. Prolong consumption firms tendons and bones, makes body light which then doesn’t get old, increases tolerance to cold and summer heat.
(sprouts in spring, 7th month bears purple flowers and then fruit that does fall down in winter. In ancient times root, Di Gu Pi, and fruit Gou Qizi were one herb).
1. Gou Qi root and sprout is bitter cold, flower and fruit are purple and red, when severe winter snow and frost come, one loves the red moist color of the fruit. It receives Shao Yin’s Qi of water Yin as well as Shao Yin’s emperor fire transformation.
2. Dominates five inner evil Qi, heat (hits)center, Xiao Ke means that when the upright Qi of five Zang is insufficient, then evil Qi is growing inside, which gives rise to center heat and Xiao Ke. Gou Qi receives Shao Yin’s water Yin and so it can cure this.
3. Dominates all around Bi of wind damp is via its Shao Yin’s emperor fire transformation.
4. Qi Bo said: All around Bi is in the blood vessels midst. It follows the vessels up and down until one can’t turn right or left. Each has its appropriate place. Gou Qi helps the spirit of emperor fire to appear in the midst of blood vessels, and so all around Bi can be expelled.
5. Prolong consumption firms tendons and bones, light body which doesn’t get old, tolerance to cold and summer heat. It is because it receives water and fire essence of Shao Yin. Essence and spirit are full and Yin Yang join together.
Nu Zhen Shi 女贞实 气味苦平,无毒。主补中,安五脏,养精神,除百
病。久服肥健,轻身不老。
Qi and flavor are bitter even, not toxic. Dominates tonifying center, calms five Zang, nurtures essence and spirit, expels the hundred diseases. Prolong consumption causes one to have full healthy body, body becomes light and one doesn’t age.
(plant lives through the winter, 5th month open small green white flowers, bears fruit that ripens at 9th month with purple black color, if a worm lives on it with white secretion, it is called Nu Zhen, if not then Dong Qing)
1. Three Yang are male, three Yin female. Nu Zhen receives the Qi of three Yin. It has integrity in the cold season, and so it was name (female’s truth).
2. Its flavor bitter character cold, receives Shao Yin’s water Qi.It survives winter without freezing, and so it receives Shao Yin’s emperor fire.
3. Creates wax secretion which is white, it attains the Qi of Tai Yin’s lung metal.
4. It makes round fruits, and so it receives the Qi of Tai Yin spleen earth.
5. It is green in the four seasons and so it receives the Qi of Jue Yin liver wood.
6. Nu Zhen belongs to three Yin and receives the Qi of five Zang five phases and so it dominates tonifying center and calming five Zang.
7. Water essence is essence Jing, fire essence is spirit Shen. It receives Shao Yin’s water and fire, and so it can nurture essence and spirit.
8. A person’s hundred diseases fall under five phases. Nu Zhen possess the Qi of five Zang and five phases and so can expel hundred diseases.
9. Prolong consumption causes water and fire to interact, five Zang harmonize in peace, body light without aging.
Ba Ji Tian 巴戟天 气味辛甘,微温,无毒。主大风邪气,阴痿不
起,强筋骨,安五脏,补中,增志,益气。
Qi and flavor are pungent sweet, slight warm, not toxic. Dominates evil Qi of great wind, impotence without cure, strengthens tendons and bones, calms five Zang, tonifies center, increases Will, benefits Qi. (Doesn’t freeze in winter, root looks like strung pearls, white and purple in color, when there are many pearls like strung together and its fleshy, then it is best)
1. Ba Ji grows in Ba Shu (ancient name for Sichuan), flavor pungent sweet, receives Tai Yin metal earth Qi transformation. Its character slight warm, passes winter without freezing and so it also receives Qi transformation of Tai Yang’s manifestation Yang.
2. Dominates curing evil Qi of great wind as it attains Tai Yin’s metal Qi, and metal controls wind.
3. Cures impotence and strengthens tendons and bones as it attains Tai Yang’s manifestation Yang, and Yang benefits Yin.
4. Calms five Zang, tonifies center as it attains Tai Yin’s earth Qi and earth’s Qi surges.
5. Increases Will, kidneys store Will and belong to water, Tai Yang’s heaven Qi connects below with water.
6. Benefits Qi, lungs control Qi and belong to metal, Tai Yin’s heaven Qi joins on the outside with lungs.
Chang Pu 菖蒲 气味辛温,无毒。主风寒湿痹,咳逆上气,开心孔,补五脏,
通九窍,明耳目,出音声,主耳聋痈疮,温肠胃,止小便利
。久服轻身、不忘,不迷惑,延年,益心智,高志,不老
Qi and flavor pungent warm, not toxic. Dominates wind cold damp Bi, cough with ascending Qi, opens heart holes, tonifies five Zang, un-obstructs nine orifices, brightens ears and eyes, allows sound and voice, dominates deafness and ulcers, warms stomach and intestines, stops frequent urination. Prolong consumption makes body light, not forgetful, not confused, extends the years, benefits heart’s knowledge, elevates Will, one doesn’t age.
(Li Shizhen- Chang Pu has five kinds, if it grows between stones and water with its segmented root, then it is called Shi <stone> Chang Pu and is suitable for medicine. Su Dongpo: all plants need some earth next to their root, Chang Pu can be placed in water with no earth and it will not wither for ten years.)
1. Tai Yang’s Qi is born in water, above it joins together with lungs metal to
control the exterior. With emperor fire it
joins together to control spirit.
2. Chang Pu is born in between water and
stones, its Qi and flavor pungent warm, it is a medicine that receives Tai Yang’s Qi of cold water and above joins with heart and lungs.
3. Dominates curing wind cold damp Bi and cough, as its Tai Yang Qi joins above with lungs Qi and they exit at the flesh and exterior.
4. Opens heart holes as Tai Yang Qi joins above with heart Qi in transporting Shen Ji spirit instrument.
5. Five Zang are inside, nine orifices are
outside. Liver opens to both eyes, heart opens to both ears, lungs open to both nostrils, spleen opens to the mouth, kidneys open to front and rear Yin orifices. Chang Pu receives essence of cold water and can moisten the five Zang’s orifices. Thus inside it tonifies five Zang outside unobstructs nine orifices, brightens eyes and ears, allows sound and voice to exit. It unobstructs all the upper orifices.
6. Ear deafness and ulcers means that when the ear is deaf it is ear ulcer. Chang Pu can cure this.
7. Warms intestine and stomach, stops frequent urination reflects its ability to unobstruct both lower Yin orifices.
8. Chang Pu is pungent warm and can only go up and so it can warm intestines and stop frequent urination.
9. Prolong consumption allows Yang to surge and so body is light. Heart Qi surges and so one is not forgetful.
10. When essence of cold water and Yang manifestation of Tai Yang, root and manifestation join then one is not confused and years extended.
11. Benefits heart’s knowledge, Chang Pu benefits the heart and when heart is agile then knowledge is born.
12. Will elevated and one does not age. Water’s essence is full and so kidney’s Will
is high and strong, the person can advance in years and not age.
Chai Hu 柴胡 气味苦平,无毒。主心腹肠胃中结气,饮食积聚
,寒热邪气,推陈致新。久服轻身明目益精。
Qi and flavor bitter even, not toxic. Dominates Qi knotting in heart, abdomen, intestines, stomach and center. Accumulation of food and drink. Evil hot and cold Qi. Expels the old and brings in the new. Prolong consumption causes light body, clear eyes and benefits essence.
(2nd month grows extremely fragrant sprouts, 7th month opens yellow flowers, root is bland with red color. The fragrance of the sprouts can be detected by birds flying over head, the fragrance goes all the way up to the clouds.)
1. Chai Hu comes out in spring with delicate vines that are fragrant and delicious to eat. Its fragrance comes out of the earth and directly reaches all the way up to the clouds. Its root bitter even, it is a medicine receiving Tai Yin Kun earth and reaching all the way to Tai Yang.
2. Dominates Qi knotting in heart, abdomen, intestines, stomach and center. Heart is Tai Yang of Yang and resides above, abdomen is ultimate Yin of Tai Yin and resides below. Intestine and stomach reside in between
heart and abdomen. Chai Hu cures stomach and intestines Qi knotting from Kun earth, and so the upright Qi of heart and abdomen restores its harmony naturally.
3. It cures accumulation of food and drink as earth Qi becomes harmonious. It cures hot cold evil Qi as from Yin comes out the Yang. From Yin comes out the Yang then ‘old’ is expelled and ‘new’ received.
4. Earth being harmonious causes light body. When Yin comes out of Yang above then eyes are clear. Yang Qi interacts below with Yin and so it benefits essence.
5. In addition, Chai Hu starts in Tai Yin earth, Yang Ming center earth, and to the exterior reaches Tai Yang. And so the ancestor Zhong in Zu Bing Lun states: Cold injury wind strike and exterior not resolved, Qi of Tai Yang is adverse to center earth, it can’t (be) pivoted to exit outside, and so one uses Xiao Chai Hu Tang to bring Tai Yang Qi to flesh and exterior. Chai Hu is not Shao Yang medicine. Later doctors had a saying that if one, with disease in Tai Yang, uses Chai Hu then evil enters into Shao Yang. These are the absurd words of the mediocre and uneducated. Later generations revered it, shallow to the extreme!
Gui 桂 气味辛温,无毒。主上气咳逆,结气,喉痹,吐吸
,利关节,补中益气。久服通神,轻身不老。
Qi and flavor are pungent warm, not toxic. Dominates rising Qi cough, knotting Qi, throat Bi, take in and out, benefits joints, tonifies center and benefits Qi. Prolong consumption unobstructs spirit, causes light body that doesn’t age.
(Ben Jing has Mu Gui and Jun Gui. Here we summarize both into one. Gui tree has strong fragrance and character warm. Its color dark purple and flavor pungent sweet then it is real. If skin is yellowish white and not so pungent sweet and the fragrance doesn’t strike the nose it is called Liu Gui or Xi Gui. This Gui is most popular today on the market, 99 out of 100. This Xi Gui can scatter but cannot help the heart spirit or strengthen Qi of wood and fire. One must select carefully the herb.
In Shang Hanlun there is Gui Zhi remove skin. Remove the skin means using the most tender parts of the twigs, thicker twigs are discarded. Gui skin (from the top) is Guan Gui官桂which in Ben Jing is Mu Gui牡桂. The root is Rou Gui, it is Ben Jing’s Jun Gui 菌桂 . The instrument of dispersing and
giving birth is in Ben Jing with Mu Gui (Gui Zhi + Guan Gui), however here we include all of them under Gui.)
1. Gui tree doesn’t wither in winter. Qi and flavor are pungent warm. Color is purple red, it is wood fire being born out of water.
2. Rising Qi and cough happens when lungs and kidneys don’t join and so Qi rises and there is cough. Gui stimulates the birth of Yang in water. It interacts with lungs and so Qi evens out and cough stops.
3. Knotting of Qi and throat Bi happens when Qi of San Jiao doesn’t travel to skin and flesh, and so Qi knots and becomes throat Bi. Gui receives Shao Yang’s wood Qi and it unobstructs San Jiao. Thus knotting of Qi is unobstructed and throat Bi resolved.
4. Take in and out means, taking in doesn’t reach to the root and immediately expells out. Gui can lead the bottom Qi to link with top Qi, and so taking in of Qi truly can reach Dan Tian and only thereafter be expelled. And so it cures ‘Take in and out’ (syndrome).
5. Joints are elbows, shoulders, hips and knees. 365 joints in the entire body is where the spirit travels. Gui helps emperor fire, it allows heart to control spirit. Therefore
exiting and entering mechanism is improved and all joints benefit.
6. Tonifies center and benefits Qi means tonifies middle Jiao which benefits above and below Qi.
7. Prolong consumption causes Yang to surge and everything becomes bright, this in turn helps unobstructing spirit. When three Jiao join without obstruction with skin and flesh then body is light without aging.
(Ben Cao Gang Mu 纲目》 苏恭所说,正合医家见 今用者,陈藏器、陈承断菌。牡为一物者,非矣。 陶弘景复似单字桂为叶似柏者,亦非也。柏叶之桂 ,乃服食家所云,非此治病之桂也。苏恭所说稍明 。亦不当以钦州者为单字之桂也。桂,即肉桂也。 厚而辛烈,去粗皮用。其去内外皮者,即为桂心。 牡桂,即木桂也,薄而味淡,去粗皮用。其最薄者 为桂枝。枝之嫩小者为柳桂。
What Su Gong said is what doctors use today. Chen Cangqi and Chen Cheng decided that Jun and Mu are one kind, its not. Similarly Tao Hongjing summed it up with one word Gui, of which leaves look like cypress Leaves, its not. Gui which leaves look like cypress is only
good for food, its not Gui to treat disease. Su Gong understood it slightly and so the herb from Qin Zhou was not included in one word Gui. Gui is Rou Gui. (Its flavor) thick pungent and fierce. It is used after removing the coarse skin. If the inner and outer skins are removed then its Gui Xin 桂心. Mu Gui 牡桂 is wood Gui木桂, (its flavor) thin and bland, it is used after the thick skin is removed. The thinnest branches are Gui Zhi, the most tender ones are Liu Gui 柳桂.
Suan Zao Ren 酸枣仁 气味酸平,无毒。主治心腹寒热,邪结气聚,四肢
痛,湿痹。久服安五脏,轻身延年。
Qi and flavor sour even, not toxic. Dominates curing heart and abdomen heat or cold, evil knotting and Qi accumulation, achy four limbs, damp Bi. Prolong consumption calms five Zang, makes body light and extends the years.
(8th month harvest the fruit and use the seed inside)
1. Zao Rou flavor sour, it is a liver fruit. It attains east wood flavor. It is able to propel liver Qi upwards, eating it helps take
a snooze.
2. Zao Ren shape is round and color red, it
receives fire and earth Qi transformation. When fire returns to center earth then spirit is stored inside. Eating it helps sleep.
3. Ben Jing doesn’t say to use Ren (seed), but today many use the seed alone.
4. Heart and abdomen cold heat, evil knotting and Qi accumulation, happens when heart and abdomen don’t harmonize. Either evil heat or cold accumulate. Zao Ren color is red and its shape resembles heart, it allows heart Qi to descend and interact below. The flesh is yellow and looks like earth, this allows spleen Qi to interact above. So it can cure heart and abdomen heat cold evil knotting and Qi accumulation.
5. When earth Qi doesn’t reach four limbs they ache. When heart’s Qi can’t warm flesh then the whole body has damp Bi. Zao Ren receives fire and earth Qi transformation and so it can cure damp Bi and achy limbs.
6. Prolong consumption not only harmonizes heart and abdomen but also calms five Zang. When five Zang are calm, Qi and blood increase daily and so body is light and years extended.
Wu Wei Zi 五味子 气味酸温,无毒。主益气,咳逆上气,劳伤羸瘦
,补不足,强阴,益男子精。
Qi and flavor sour and warm, not toxic. Dominates benefiting Qi, cough with Qi ascending, exhaustion and frail body, tonifies deficiency, strengthens Yin, benefits male’s essence.
( When the plant grows the rhizome is red, flower yellow, seed white, plant green and when ripe turns purple, it has the five colors. fruit has five flavors, skin and flesh are sweet sour, seed is pungent bitter, and overall it has salty taste. Salty, means it gets water essence, however sour is predominant and so it goes to wood. It is so with five phases, root is pre heaven’s water, and it gives birth to post heaven’s wood.)
1. Wu Wei Zi color and flavor have five. It receives the essence of five transportations. Qi and flavor are sour warm. It attains the growing Qi of the east and so it benefits Qi.
2. Lungs control breathing and its origin in kidneys. When above and below don’t connect then cough results with ascending Qi. Wu Wei Zi stirs water essence in the kidneys to rise and connect with lungs. And so cough is resolved.
3. Its root in pre heaven water and it transforms into birth the post heaven wood. And so when five Zang give birth to each other then essence and Qi fill up. It thus cures exhaustion and frail body, as it tonifies deficiencies.
4. The seed looks like a kidney, enters the mouth and generates fluids, thus it strengthens Yin.
5. Female is deficient on blood, male is deficient on essence, and so it benefits male’s essence.
JU Pi橘皮 气味苦辛温,无毒。主治胸中瘕热逆气,利水谷
。久服去臭,下气,通神。
Qi and flavor are bitter pungent warm, not toxic. Dominates curing hot lump in the middle of chest and adverse Qi, benefits water and grains. Prolong consumption removes stench, descends Qi and unobstructs spirit.
(Survive through winter, when fruit forms it is round and green, in fall and winter it ripens and becomes yellow or red, its smell pungent fragrant, flesh is sour sweet, skin is pungent bitter.)
1. Tangerine fruit is round and yellow, smell is fragrant and flesh sweet. It is the fruit of spleen. Its skin is bitter pungent, character is warming and scattering. (The skin’s) inside has threads like Luo vessels, skin texture is like flesh and muscles, from its look it appears as if having skin pores. It is a medicine exiting to flesh and skin via the spleen’s great collateral.
2. Hot lump in middle of chest and adverse Qi happen above the stomach and in between the outer wall (ribcage). Turbid Qi accumulates and Qi looks as if having a form,and so it becomes hot lump in chest and adverse Qi. Ju Pi propels the stomach’s great collateral vessel to exit to skin and flesh, and so above disease is cured.
3. Water and grains enter the stomach and use spleen Qi to spread their essence, Ju Pi propels the spleen’s great collateral vessel and penetrates the stomach, and so water and grains are benefited.
4. Prolong consumption removes middle Jiao’s rotten stench and with that clears stomach and spleen.
5. Descends Qi and unobstructs spirit takes
place as it descends lungs Qi and penetrates heart’s spirit. Ju Pi is pungent and bitter, pungent enters lungs, while bitter enters heart.
Sha Ren
Sha Ren first mentioned in early Tang dynasty《Treatise on Herbs Characteristics 药性论》 as Su Sha Mi 缩砂密。
In late Tang (9th century AD) in《Medicines from the Sea (southern region) Materia Medica 海药本草》by 李旬 Li Xun:生西海及西 戎等地,波斯诸国。多从安东道来。 Grows in Xi Hai and Xi Rong (west and north western remote regions, and Persia. Much of it comes from An Dong (remote north eastern border).
In Song《Materia Medica with Illustration 本 草图经》1061 AD by Su Song 苏颂 :缩砂密生 南地,今惟岭南山泽间有之。苗茎似高良姜,高 三四尺,叶青,长八九寸,阔半寸已来。三月、
四月开花在根下,五六月成实 Su Sha Mi grows in the southern regions. Today only the region between Ling Nan and Shan Ze has it. Its sprout looks like Gao Liang Jiang, its height 3-4 feet, leaves are green 8-9 cun in length, width half cun or so. At the 3rd-4th month it opens flower at the root (of the leaves), 5-6th months it bears fruits.
Chen Renshan 陳仁山 in his 1930 《Medicinal Production Differentiation 药物出 产辨》states:产广东阳春县为最,以蟠龙山为
第一。 (Sha Ren) is produced in Guang Dong’s Yang Chun county the most, in Pan Long mountain is the best.
. From earlier times Sha Ren had 2 sources, one was imported from distant western lands, like Persia, Indonesia, Vietnam (Xi Sha Ren西砂仁 Western Sha Ren/Su Sha Mi), the other variety locally grown in China’s south in Guang Dong, mainly in Yang Chun 阳春 county and is called Chun Sha Ren 春砂 仁.
Xiao Hui Xiang
Xiao Hui Xiang first seen in《 Treatise on Herbs Characteristics 药性论》,with the name Huai Xiang 蘹香。
《本草纲目·菜一·蘹香Ben Cao Gang Mu》 states:“ 苏颂 曰:‘蘹香,北人呼为茴香,声相 近也。’ 思邈 曰:‘煮臭肉,下少许,即无臭气。 臭酱入末亦香,故曰回香。’” Su Song said: Huai Xiang was called by the northerners Hui Xiang, sound is similar. Sun Simiao said: With foul smelling meat, if you put a little in, it doesn’t stink anymore. In smelly fermented beans if you put in a little, the fragrance returns, therefore its called Hui Xiang (bringing back fragrance).
In Tang 659 AD《Newly Compiled Materia Medica 新修本草》it is called Huai Xiang Zi 蘹 香子,stating:“叶似 小茴香-原植物形态
老胡荽极细,茎粗,高五六尺,丛生。” Leaves resemble Xiao (smaller) Hui Xiang- the plant looks like Lao Hu Suo but smaller, the rhizome is thick, grows 5-6 feet tall, spreads widely.
Song’s《 Materia Medica with Illustration 本草 图经》in addition to quoting above《新修本草 》adds:“七月生花,头如伞盖,黄色,结实如麦 而小,青色。”Gives flowers in seventh month, the head of which is like an umbrella top, yellow , bears fruit like wheat but smaller, green.
Xiang Fu
Xiang Fu 香附,original name is Sha Cao 莎 草,First mentioned in Tao Hongjing’s (456- 536 AD)《Ming Yi Bie Lu名医别录 》 。
In《 Materia Medica of Tang 唐本草》659 AD was named Xiang Fu Zi 香附子。
In《Bie Lu 别录》:sweet, slightly cold, not toxic。
In《Ben Cao Yan Yi本草衍义》:bitter。 In《Dian Nan Ben Cao 滇南本草》:slightly warm and pungent。
In《Gang Mu 纲目》:Even, pungent, slightly bitter, slightly sweet.
(Ben Cao Gang Mu 本草纲目》:莎叶如老韭 叶而硬,光泽有剑脊棱,五、六月中抽一茎三棱 中空,茎端复出数叶,开青花成穗如黍,中有细 子,其根有须,须下结子一、二枚,转相延生, 子上有细黑毛,大者如羊枣而两头尖,采得燎去 毛,暴干货之。
Sha leaves look like leek’s leaves but stiffer, shiny and pointy, in 5, 6th months bring out a stalk with three tips in the air. Tip of the stalk bears many leaves, opens green flowers and bear ear of grain like millet, in its midst there are small seeds. Its root has hair, and under the hair there are one or two seeds that grow in succession. On the seed
there are thin black hairs. The large seeds are like sheep excrement size and has two tips. At harvest the hair is removed through burning, the seeds set to dry in the sun and become the commodity.
Shan Zha
(Gang Mu 纲目》:Chi Zhua 赤爪、Tang Qiu 棠梂、Shan Zha山楂,一物也。古方罕用 ,故《唐本草》 虽有赤爪,后人不知即此也。自 丹溪朱氏始著山楂之功,而后遂为要药。
Chi Zhua, Tang Qiu and Shan Zha are one and the same. Ancient prescriptions rarely used it. Therefore in Tang Materia Medica even though Chi Zhua is mentioned, following generations didn’t know it was this herb. From Zhu Danxi onward the merit of Shan Zha was recorded and so it became a desired medicinal.
其类有二种,皆生山中:一种小者,山人呼为棠
梂子、茅楂、猴楂,可入药用。树高数尺,
叶有五尖,桠间有刺。三月开五出小白花,实有
赤、黄二色,肥者如小林檎,小者如指头,九月
乃熟。其核状如牵牛子,黑色,甚坚;
This herb has two kinds and they both grow in mountains. The first kind, mountain dwellers call Tang Qiuzi, Mao Zha, Hou Zha, this can serve as medicine. The tree is several feet tall, leaves have five tips, and branch has thorns. In third month opens cluster of five small white flowers, fruits are red or yellow, its meat like small crabapple. The small one are size of a finger, it ripens in the 9th month. Its kern is shaped like Qian Niu Zi, black color and very hard. (This is
Nan Shan Zha)
一种大者,山人呼为羊朹子。 树高丈余,花叶皆 同,但实稍大而黄绿,皮涩肉虚为异尔。初甚酸 涩,经霜乃可食,功应相同而采药者不收。
The second kind is called by mountain dwellers Yang Qiu Zi. Tree is ten feet or taller, flower and leaves look the same, however the fruit is big and yellow green, the skin astringent and the flesh soft, which makes it different. First it is very sour astringent, but after processing it can be eaten. Its application is similar, however the ones who harvest herbs don’t use it. (Regular Shan Zha)
Sang Shang Jisheng 桑上寄生
气味苦平,无毒。主腰痛,小儿背强痈肿,充肌肤,
坚发齿,长须眉,安胎。
Qi and flavor are bitter even, not toxic. Dominates lower back pain, children’s back stiff in spasm and carbuncle swelling, supplements skin and flesh, strengthens hair and teeth, grows beard and eyebrows, calms fetus.
(Sang, mulberry tree grows by the coast in the south where weather does not turn cold and tree doesn’t suffer hardship. Its Qi thick and force full, and so in the branches’ joints there is a parasitic plant, it is the parasitic plant on Mulberry; Sang Shang Jisheng. This plant in the 4th month opens yellow white flowers, in fifth bears yellow red fruit the size of a bean oozing sticky smelly liquid. After braking the twig if the color inside is dark yellow then it is best. Today
many use other parasitic plants, they don’t know that their characteristic is not like Sang Jisheng).

1. Jisheng receives Mulberry Qi and it is parasitic in the twigs joints. There is specific time when it grows, it does not get earth’s force, it hides spirit like the power of heaven and earth natural creation.
2. Dominates curing lower back pains, lower back is the area of kidneys, where male stores essence and female connects to the womb. Jisheng receives the essence of mulberry, hiddenly connects to it and grows and so it cures lower back pains.3. Little children have their kidneys’ shape insufficient, and so as if they suffer no distinct lower back pains, instead the child’s entire back is stiff in spasm with swollen carbuncle, Jisheng can treat this as well.
4. Supplements skin and flesh as essence and Qi reach outside.
5. Strengthens hair and teeth as essence and Qi fill inside.
6. When essence and Qi reach outside for skin and flesh then beard and eyebrows grow as well.
7. When essence and Qi fill inside and strengthens hair and teeth then fetus is also calm. Teeth are the extension of bones, while hair, beard and eyebrows the extension of blood. Fetus is the extension of ones body. It is the extension Qi of a parasitic plant Jisheng that can cure extension Qi disease. It works in a categorical fashion where same of a kind fit each other.
Fu Ling 茯苓
气味甘平,无毒。主治胸胁逆气,忧恚惊邪,恐悸,心下结 痛,寒热,烦满,咳逆,口焦舌干,利小便。久服安魂养神, 不饥延年。
Qi and flavor is sweet even, not toxic. Dominates curing chest and ribcage adverse Qi, grief and anger and startling fear evil, fear causing palpitations, painful knot below the heart, cold and heat, agitation and fullness, cough adverse, mouth burnt and dry tongue, benefits urination. Prolong consumption calms Hun and nurtures spirit, no hunger and extends the years.
《史记·龟策传》作茯苓谓松之神灵,伏结而成。 In Records of Grand Historian it states: “As for Fu Ling one calls it the divine spirit of the pine tree, it hides, binds and forms.” The small one is the size of a fist while a big one the size of a pan. Skin is wrinkled black, while the inside bright white, the firm and big ones are superior.
1. Fu Ling essence is pine tree essence. It borrows earth’s Qi and forms and so its quality is sweet even. It has the ability of standing in the center and rotating the pivot.
2. It receives wood Qi and it rotates pivot (of center) and so it can cure adverse Qi of chest and ribcage.
3. It receives earth’s Qi and calms the five Zang, and so fear, anger, grief and palpitations can all be cured.
4. When inner Qi is disharmonious there is painful knot below the heart, when exterior Qi disharmonious then there is heat or cold, when Qi stagnates above, stays above and doesn’t come down then there is agitation and fullness, cough adverse, burnt mouth and dry tongue. When Qi adverse below and doesn’t communicate with the exterior then urination is infrequent. Fu Ling stands in the center, (it allows) divine Qi to flourish above, it dominates pivoting the inside and outside, (and then) above and below communicate, therefore it can cure all these.
5. Prolong consumption calms liver’s Hun in order to nurture heart’s spirit. Wood gives birth to fire. No hunger and extends years happens when earth Qi surges.
Huang Lian黄连
气味苦寒,无毒。主治热气,目痛, 伤泣出,明目,肠 澼 ,腹痛下痢,妇人阴中肿痛。久服令人不忘。
Qi and flavor bitter cold, not toxic. Dominates curing hot Qi, eye pain, injury with tears coming out, clears the eyes, intestines wash, abdominal pains and diarrhea, female pains and swelling in genitals, long consumption leads a person to be not forgetful.
(stalk grows 1 foot tall, 1 stalk has 3 leaves, survives winter, 4th month opens yellow
flowers, 6th month bears fruit resembling celery also with yellow color, root is connected like strung pearls, resembles the rear part of chicken claw, thorny outside empty inside)
1. Grows in western Sichuan, bitter and cold, receives the essence Qi of Shao Yin’s water Yin.
2. Dominates curing hot Qi as water moistens fire, Yin crosses over to Yang.
3. Eye pains and tearing from the eye corner happens when fire rises to eyes and injures the inner eye flesh.
4. When corner of eye and eye pain are cured then eyes become clear.
5. Intestine wash happens when hot fire rides inside Yin. Whenever heat perpetrates inside it causes intestines wash, it is heat injuring the Yin part.
6. Abdominal pains and diarrhea, happens when heat cold wind damp injures meridians and can’t exit out of skin and flesh, it then travels to stomach and
intestines, causing intestinal pains and diarrhea.
7. Huang Lian drains evil heat and nurtures Yin and so it treats above ailments.
8. Female swelling and pains in genitalia, heart fire synchronizes with minister fire and flare together. Huang Lian is bitter cold, clears inner fire heat and so can treat this.
9. Long consumption relieves forgetfulness, water essence moisten up and drains heart fire and so nurtures spirit, thus one is not forgetful.
10. Almost always cold bitter herbs belong to middle and lower class herbs, only Huang Lian is in the upper class. It is because there is Yang in the midst of Yin. It can cross over to emperor fire and nurture spirit. Shao Yin dominates water and emperor fire is on top, and so in winter the leaves don’t fall down.
****11. The characteristics of all things (herbs) have either cooling, heating, warming, clearing, drying and moistening,
they also have five colors and five flavors. 5 colors and 5 flavors respond to 5 transportations, cooling heating warming clearing drying and moistening respond to six Qi.
In ancient times they inspected the year and then prepared the herbs (accordingly). For example if Shao Yin emperor fire or Shao Yang minister fire were the leading in the year (Si Sui), then they prepared warm and hot herbs. When Tai Yang cold water lead the year then they prepared Yin cold herbs. In Jue Yin wind wood leading the year they prepared clearing cool herbs. In Tai Yin damp earth leading they prepared sweet moistening herbs. In Yang Ming dry metal leading they prepared pungent drying herbs. Qi Bo said: “when preparing herbs according to the leading of the year it attains heaven and earth specified essence”. It is not that preparing herbs according to the leading causes Qi to scatter.
Later generations couldn’t grasp the ancients’ forecasting for preparations, and so they used baking as preparation in order to add force (to the herb). For example, Huang Lian was soaked in water
and Fu Zi baked in fire, this was in order to help their cold water and the fire of emperor fire. Following generations didn’t realize the essence of the classic, to the contrary they heat fried Huang Lian and boiled Fu Zi in urine. The idea was if it is hot cool it down and if it is cold warm it up, this they thought was preparation. It is not!
A metaphor is the force of eagle and a dog being in their claws and teeth. In this case you tie their claw and restrain their teeth, so what precious is left with these eagle and dog?
Pu Huang 蒲黄 气味甘平,无毒。主治心腹、膀胱寒热,利小便,
止血,消瘀血。久服轻身,益气力,延年神仙。
Qi and flavor sweet even, not toxic. Dominates curing heart and abdomen, Bladder cold heat, benefits urination, stops bleeding, eliminates stagnating blood. Prolong consumption makes body light, benefits Qi and force, extends years with immortal spirit.
(Cattail is a water plant. Pu Huang is the cattail’s flower buds fragments. It is fine like gold dust. The plant starts in
spring with delicate leaves that come out of the water in red and white color and grows thickly. In summer a stem pulls out amidst the leaves and a flower wraps around the stem like a warrior stick and so it is also called Pu Chui (Cattail baton).
1. Cattail is born in water its color yellow and taste sweet, it receives special essence of water and earth and so it harmonizes Qi and blood.
2. Dominates curing heart and abdomen, Bladder cold heat as they all exit via urination and so Qi instrument harmonizes.
3. Stops bleeding and resolves blood stagnation as it receives the essence of water Qi, gives birth to liver wood, this stops new blood (from exiting) and removes stagnating blood, and so blood vessels enter harmony.
4. Prolong consumption causes water Qi to be full and earth Qi to be in surplus, thus body is light, it benefits Qi and force, extends years with immortal spirit.
E Jiao 阿胶
气味甘平,无毒。主治心腹内崩,劳极洒洒如
疟状,腰腹痛,四肢酸疼,女子下血,安胎,
久服轻身益气。
Qi and flavor sweet even, not toxic. Dominates heart and abdomen inner collapse, continuous extreme exhaustion like in malaria, lower back and abdominal pains, four limbs achy and sore, female bleeding, calms fetus, prolong consumption makes body light and benefits Qi.
(From Shandong in the ancient county of Dong E, there is a well named E. Water is taken from this well and with it a skin of a black donkey is cooked until it becomes like rubber. This water is buried deep inside earth. Traditionally one must use skin of black donkey, clean it from fur, submerge in flowing water for 7 days, then in porcelain cooked together with E well water for 3 days and 3 nights. The skin is then transformed into a rubber/glue like material. It is poured into containers and takes its form. In ancient time they would first submerge it in flood water and then cook in E water. Flood water is Yang and E water is Yin, they joined Yin and Yang.)
1. E Jiao is moistening and tonifying heart and lungs. When heart joins with crossing water, this water is clear and heavy, its character to go down. It dominates clearing the heart’s master (PC) heat and allows it to go down and exchange with Yin.
2. Lungs joins with skin and body hair, donkey skin dominates leading deficient lungs’ Qi to enter into the flesh. In addition donkey belongs to the horse category, which is a fire animal. One must use black donkey and only then water and fire exchange.
3. Collapse means to sink down. Heart and abdomen inner collapse means pericardium blood doesn’t spread to vessels. Instead it goes down to abdomen sinks and collapses.
4. E Jiao benefits PC blood, and so cures heart and abdomen inner collapse.
5. Extreme exhaustion has skin feeling constantly like in malaria where it is first cold (then hot). E Jiao benefits lungs Qi and can cure this.
6. In extreme exhaustion then there is lower back and abdominal pains. In malaria like
symptoms the four limbs are sore. When heart and abdomen collapse inside then female has bleeding.
7. HeartcontrolsbloodandlungscontrolQi, when Qi and blood harmonize then fetus is naturally calm.
8. Tonifyingandmoisteningheartandlungs and so prolong consumption causes light body and benefits Qi.
(in Ling Shu- Jing Shui it states: hand Shao Yin joins on the outside with crossing water, inside belongs to heart. And so ZZC say heart joins with crossing water.)
Dan Shen丹参 气味苦,微寒,无毒。主心腹邪气,肠鸣幽幽如走水,寒热
积聚,破症除瘕,止烦满,益气
Qi and flavor bitter, slight cold, not toxic. Dominates heart and abdomen evil Qi. Intestinal bubbling sounds like water flowing, cold and heat accumulations, breaks masses and removes lumps, stops agitation and fullness, benefits Qi.
1. Bitter and cold it receives Shao Yin Qi transformation, red color receives Shao Yin’s emperor fire and it interacts downward with earth. And so it cures heart and abdomen evil Qi, cold and heat accumulations.
2. When emperor fire interacts downward, then earth is warm and water doesn’t overflow, thus it cures intestinal bubbling sounds like water flowing.
3. ‘Breaks masses and removes lumps’ means curing heat and cold accumulations, ‘stops agitation and fullness’ means curing heart and abdomen evil Qi. Whenever one stops agitation and cures heart evil, stops fullness and cures abdominal evil, it is benefiting upright Qi by curing evil Qi.

Use Dan Shen (on rare occasion) when fire inner circle and emotions do not separate enough, with si ni fa rarely used.
Dang Gui当归 气味苦温,无毒。主治咳逆上气,温疟寒热洗洗在皮肤中,妇人漏下绝子,
诸恶疮疡金疮,煮汁饮之。
Qi and flavor bitter warm, not toxic. Dominates curing cough with adverse ascending Qi, warming malaria hot and cold shivering in the skin’s midst, female breakthrough bleeding and perishing child, all kinds of bad ulcers and boils, weapon injuries, boil the juice and drink it.
(Sprouts in spring, green leaves and dark green rhizome, 7-8th months open flowers resembling lovable crimson red dill. Their shape is round like heart. Its root is black and yellow, today’s herb has outside yellow black, inside yellow white, when its fragrance is thick it is best.)
1. Dang Gui’s flower is red its root black, Qi and flavor bitter warm, then it receives Shao Yin’s water and fire. ‘Dominates curing cough with adverse ascending Qi’, when heart and kidneys exchange above and below then each one returns to its place, cough and ascending Qi naturally evens out.
2. ‘Warming malaria hot and cold shivering in the skin’s midst’ is cured when heart’s master (PC) blood fluid is helped and from blood vessels it fills up skin and flesh.
3. It helps kidney essence and Qi to reach from the uterus to PC and so female breakthrough bleeding doesn’t happen and perishing child can be cured.
4. All kinds of bad ulcers and boils are cured as it nurtures blood and resolves toxins, cures ‘weapon injuries’ since it nurtures blood and grows flesh.
5. All herbs can be cooked into decoction, only Dang Gui states cook the juice and drink it. This is because middle Jiao takes juice and transforms it into red, and so it becomes blood. When it says cook juice and drink it, it attains its special essence. When in Ben Jing it adds special instructions, each has a special idea concealed, like Bai Zhu should be fried into cakes, Dihuang made into soup, Dang Gui cook the juice, one should explore their meanings.
Dang Gui当归 气味苦温,无毒。主治咳逆上气,温疟寒热洗洗在皮肤中,妇人漏下绝子,
诸恶疮疡金疮,煮汁饮之。
Qi and flavor bitter warm, not toxic. Dominates curing cough with adverse ascending Qi, warming malaria hot and cold shivering in the skin’s midst, female breakthrough bleeding and perishing child, all kinds of bad ulcers and boils, weapon injuries, boil the juice and drink it.
(Sprouts in spring, green leaves and dark green rhizome, 7-8th months open flowers resembling lovable crimson red dill. Their shape is round like heart. Its root is black and yellow, today’s herb has outside yellow black, inside yellow white, when its fragrance is thick it is best.)
1. Dang Gui’s flower is red its root black, Qi and flavor bitter warm, then it receives Shao Yin’s water and fire. ‘Dominates curing cough with adverse ascending Qi’, when heart and kidneys exchange above and below then each one returns to its place, cough and ascending Qi naturally evens out.
2. ‘Warming malaria hot and cold shivering in the skin’s midst’ is cured when heart’s master (PC) blood fluid is helped and from blood vessels it fills up skin and flesh.
3. It helps kidney essence and Qi to reach from the uterus to PC and so female breakthrough bleeding doesn’t happen and perishing child can be cured.
4. All kinds of bad ulcers and boils are cured as it nurtures blood and resolves toxins, cures ‘weapon injuries’ since it nurtures blood and grows flesh.
5. All herbs can be cooked into decoction, only Dang Gui states cook the juice and drink it. This is because middle Jiao takes juice and transforms it into red, and so it becomes blood. When it says cook juice and drink it, it attains its special essence. When in Ben Jing it adds special instructions, each has a special idea concealed, like Bai Zhu should be fried into cakes, Dihuang made into soup, Dang Gui cook the juice, one should explore their meanings.
Shao Yao 芍药 气味苦平,无毒。主治邪气腹痛,除血痹,破坚积, 寒热,疝瘕,止痛,利小便,益气
Qi and flavor bitter even, not toxic. Dominates curing evil Qi abdominal pains, removes blood Bi, breaks hard accumulations, heat cold, Shan Jia (wind or cold hernia) syndrome, stops pains, benefits urination, benefits Qi.
(In spring it grows red sprouts, flowers open in between the 3-4 months, there are red or white color. The flowers are thin and so Qi is stored in the root. Red flowers is Chi Shao, white flowers is Bai Shao).
1. First step of the year is Jue Yin wind wood, second step is Shao Yin emperor fire. Shao Yao grows red sprouts in spring and receives Jue Yin wind wood and it cures liver. It opens flowers between 3-4 months and so it receives Shao Yin fire and it cures the heart.
2. It flares upward to become bitter and so attains Shao Yin emperor fire Qi transformation.
3. Wind wood evil injured center earth, then spleen collateral cannot go via meridians outward and so there is abdominal pains. It can cure this. Shao Yao unobstructs meridians and cures evil Qi in abdomen.
4. Heart controls blood, liver stores blood. Shao Yao receives wood Qi and cures liver, fire Qi and cures heart and so it can remove blood Bi.
5. Removing blood Bi and so hard accumulations are also broken.
6. When there is blood Bi then body has hot and cold feeling, when there is hard accumulations then there is either Shan or Jia. Shao Yao can adjust the Qi inside the blood and so cures all of them.
7. Stops pains means to stop pains from Shan Jia.
8. Liver disperses and so urination is benefited.
Benefiting Qi refers to Qi inside the blood. Benefiting Qi and so the blood is moving.
****10. Shao Yao is bitter even, later generations erroneously changed the sages classic and said it is sour. During Yuan Ming everyone said it is sour cold and astringing, whenever the center is deficient with diarrhea they use it as astringing. Alas! For the application (of the herb) one can fake a theory, but for the Qi and flavor one cannot misrepresent. You can taste it in your mouth, where is there sour flavor?
They also say: Right after delivery the woman cannot use it, since sour is too astringent. Ben Jing states that it cures evil Qi abdominal pains, removes blood Bi cold heat, breaks hard accumulations Shan Jia, therefore for one who just gave birth and after-bleeding is still on, this is most appropriate. If it is deficient inside and diarrhea it shouldn’t be used.
They also say: Bai Shao Chi Shao are two different types of herbs, white tonifies red sedates, white gathers red scatters, white is cold red is warm, white enters Qi red enters blood, they don’t know that Shao Yao opens two kinds of flowers red and white. It is of one kind. Li Shizhen says: The root color follows the flower color. Lu Ziyou says: The white and red of the root is because of the flower. (However,) the white root is strong white while the red root is also white, it is sliced and soaked overnight in strong spirit, the white one remains white and the red turns red. In today's medicine store there is only one kind of Chi Shao Yao, pediatricians and GI doctors all use this, they don’t know which herb it is. They don’t inspect and instead rely on common customs, the harm is great! When I see doctors under heaven,
they don’t read Ben Jing, they don’t differentiate the characteristics of herbs, because of a previous error they transmit an error until it becomes solid and unbreakable, this is the mistake of learning the customary. Isn’t it rather sorrowful?
Chuan Xiong, Xiong Qiong芎藭 气味辛温,无毒。主治中风入脑头痛,寒痹,筋挛缓急,金疮
,妇人血闭无子。
Qi and flavor pungent warm, not toxic. Dominates curing wind strike that enters brain and headache, cold Bi, tendons spasm Huan Ji, metal sores, female blood closure and infertility.
(Xiong from Sichuan is best, and so called Chuan Xiong. After Qing Ming the buried root gives leaves, fragrant like water Qin, 7-8th months opens fragmented white flower and forms black seeds. The leaves can be cooked and eaten.)
1. Chuan Xiong is pungent warm, root and leaves are both fragrant, grows in western Sichuan, receives Yang Ming’s Fall metal Qi transformation. It is called Xiong Qiong. Qian trigram is heaven, it is metal. Xiong is Xiong Long芎窿 (Xiong Long mountain) , Qiong is Qiong Gao藭高 (reaching a high place), these are both heaven images. It dominates curing wind strike that enters brain and headache as Xiong Qiong receives metal Qi and cures wind, its character to go up and cure head and brain.
2. Cold Bi, tendons spasm Huan Ji takes place when cold congeals and becomes Bi. Bi causes tendons to spasm. Huan relaxed is when it is spread long, Ji hurried is when it is restrained and stiff. Xiong Qiong is pungent scattering warm moving, not only it reaches head brain and cures wind, it can reach from inside out and scatter cold, and cold Bi, tendons spasm Huan Ji is cured.
3. Metal injury takes place from skin invading flesh. Xiong Qiong receives Yang Ming metal and can reach from the
flesh out to skin.
4. Female is infertile because blood is closed, Xiong Qiong receives metal and can even wood, liver blood is then smoothly flowing and she can bear children.
5.沈括《笔谈》云 Shen Kuo in Bi Tan
said: ”Chuan Xiong cannot be administered for long, used alone can bring sudden death.” Chuan Xiong is middle class herb and so it can cure disease. If there is disease one can use it, if there is no disease one cannot use it. If after taking it disease is cured one cannot continue taking it. If one uses other herbs and this one is assistant, then it can be consumed long time. If there is head brain wind strike, cold Bi and tendons spasm it can be used alone. He added that there could be sudden death when used alone so one knows that alone it can’t be used for long, it must be grasped. The statement “doctors must grasp it” is analogy for ‘he cannot be enlightened with it all around, so he stands in front of a wall’.

Chuan Xiong separates from Jue Yin center to exterior, takes blood unification and propels it toward separation. Mostly not suitable for si ni fa.
Mu Dan 牡丹 气味辛寒,无毒。主治寒热中风,瘈瘲惊痫,邪
气,除症坚瘀血,留舍肠胃,安五脏,疗痈疮
Qi and flavor pungent cold, not toxic. Dominates curing cold heat wind strike, Chi Zong convulsions, startling convulsions, evil Qi, removes hard accumulations and stagnating blood that remain in stomach and intestines, calms five Zang, remedies boils and sores.
(In winter it is in bud, spring let leaves out, 3rd month flower yellow, purple, green, red or white, single leaf red or white flower is
correct species, the root’s skin is used. Thousand leaf species doesn’t carry seeds and can’t be used, single leaf, even though it has seeds the twigs grow out of the root and so called Mu male, color is red enters the heart and so called Dan red.)
1. Mu Dan grows twigs from the root, skin color is red purple on the outside, inside powdery white and so called Mu Dan. It is medicine for the heart controlling blood. It starts growing in northwest, Qi and flavor pungent cold. It receives metal gives birth to water Qi transformation.
2. Evil Qi is evil wind attacking the human body, giving birth to Chi Zong convulsions, startling convulsions and cold heat wind strike. Dan Pi receives metal and cures wind in blood vessels. Therefore it can cure the above.
3. ‘Hard accumulations and stagnating blood that remain in stomach and intestines’ talks about blood in main vessels that can’t irrigate the Luo vessels. It remains in ST and Intestines and form hard masses and blood stagnation. Dan Pi is pungent and scattering, cold is used for clearing
and so it can remove this (situation). 4. Its flower has five colors and so it can
calm five Zang. It adjusts blood vessels and so it remedies boils and sores.
Ge Gen 葛根 气味甘辛平,无毒。主治消渴,身大热,呕吐 ,诸痹,起阴气,解诸毒。
Qi and flavor are sweet pungent even, not toxic. Dominates curing Xiao Ke, great heat in the body, vomiting, all kinds of Bi, rises Yin Qi, resolves all toxins.
(Sprouts in spring, stretches vines, its root is as big as a forearm, on the outside purple black while inside clear white. Can be made into flour and eaten, its flower red purple. Its fruit like soybean pods, its seed like plum seed.)
1. Ge Gen stretches its vines and so it dominates meridians and vessels, sweet pungent and powdery white and so it enters Yang Ming. Skin is black and flower red and so it joins with Tai Yang. Therefore Ge Gen is a medicine flowing and unobstructing Yang Ming’s center earth and on the outside joining with Tai Yang channels.
2. It dominates curing Xiao Ke, great heat in the body. From stomach Fu organ it flows and unobstructs the fluids of water and grains, and so Xiao Ke stops naturally. From channels it adjusts the Qi of flesh and exterior and so great heat is naturally
removed.
3. ‘Cures vomiting’ takes place as it joins
Yang Ming stomach Qi.
4. ‘Curing all Bi’ as it harmonizes Tai Yang
channels.
5. ‘Rises Yin Qi’ as the plant’s vines from
below stretch and climb upward.
6. ‘Resolves all toxins’ as its Qi and flavor are
sweet pungent, it joins with the center and
then disperses to the exterior.
*****7. In Yuan dynasty there is Zhang
Yuansu, he states: “Ge Gen is a Yang Ming immortal medicine. If Tai Yang disease just started and didn’t go into Yang Ming and there is headache, one cannot use Sheng Ma or Ge Gen. If it is used evil to the contrary enters Yang Ming.”
I say, in ancestor Zhong’s Shang Hanlun prescriptions there is Ge Gen Tang to cure Tai Yang disease, with symptoms nape and back stiff, no sweat, aversion to wind. It also cures Tai Yang and Yang Ming joined disease. If Yang Ming is diseased on its own then he uses Bai Hu or Cheng Qi Tang and not Ge Gen Tang. In addition, Ge Gen dominates dispersing and
unobstructing channels’ upright Qi in order to scatter evil Qi, how is it then leading the evil inwards? Previous students didn’t understand the classics and often had strange explanations. Li Shizhen didn’t add his own differentiation and simply collected the sayings. The student should read Ben Cao and understand. He should look at things together with the classics in the hope not to follow a mistake for the sake of prior people.
Ge Gen 葛根 气味甘辛平,无毒。主治消渴,身大热,呕吐 ,诸痹,起阴气,解诸毒。
Qi and flavor are sweet pungent even, not toxic. Dominates curing Xiao Ke, great heat in the body, vomiting, all kinds of Bi, rises Yin Qi, resolves all toxins.
(Sprouts in spring, stretches vines, its root is as big as a forearm, on the outside purple black while inside clear white. Can be made into flour and eaten, its flower red purple. Its fruit like soybean pods, its seed like plum seed.)
1. Ge Gen stretches its vines and so it dominates meridians and vessels, sweet pungent and powdery white and so it enters Yang Ming. Skin is black and flower red and so it joins with Tai Yang. Therefore Ge Gen is a medicine flowing and unobstructing Yang Ming’s center earth and on the outside joining with Tai Yang channels.
2. It dominates curing Xiao Ke, great heat in the body. From stomach Fu organ it flows and unobstructs the fluids of water and grains, and so Xiao Ke stops naturally. From channels it adjusts the Qi of flesh and exterior and so great heat is naturally
removed.
3. ‘Cures vomiting’ takes place as it joins
Yang Ming stomach Qi.
4. ‘Curing all Bi’ as it harmonizes Tai Yang
channels.
5. ‘Rises Yin Qi’ as the plant’s vines from
below stretch and climb upward.
6. ‘Resolves all toxins’ as its Qi and flavor are
sweet pungent, it joins with the center and
then disperses to the exterior.
*****7. In Yuan dynasty there is Zhang
Yuansu, he states: “Ge Gen is a Yang Ming immortal medicine. If Tai Yang disease just started and didn’t go into Yang Ming and there is headache, one cannot use Sheng Ma or Ge Gen. If it is used evil to the contrary enters Yang Ming.”
I say, in ancestor Zhong’s Shang Hanlun prescriptions there is Ge Gen Tang to cure Tai Yang disease, with symptoms nape and back stiff, no sweat, aversion to wind. It also cures Tai Yang and Yang Ming joined disease. If Yang Ming is diseased on its own then he uses Bai Hu or Cheng Qi Tang and not Ge Gen Tang. In addition, Ge Gen dominates dispersing and
unobstructing channels’ upright Qi in order to scatter evil Qi, how is it then leading the evil inwards? Previous students didn’t understand the classics and often had strange explanations. Li Shizhen didn’t add his own differentiation and simply collected the sayings. The student should read Ben Cao and understand. He should look at things together with the classics in the hope not to follow a mistake for the sake of prior people.
Ma Huang 麻黄 气味苦温,无毒。主治中风伤寒头痛,温疟,发表出汗,去邪
热气,止咳逆上气,除寒热,破症坚积聚。
Qi and flavor are bitter warm, not toxic. Dominates curing wind strike cold injury headache. Warm malaria, disperses exterior and induces sweat, expels evil heat Qi, stops cough and adverse ascending Qi, removes cold and heat, breaks hard masses and accumulations.
(Sprouts in spring, very thin firm and upright, outside yellow inside red, hollow in the center and has joints, looks like bamboo, as if having skin pores.)
1. The area where Ma Huang grows has no snow in winter, it can reach from Zhi Yin ultimate Yin to the Yang Qi above. Zhi Yin is where water surges. Yang Qi is Tai Yang. The Qi of Tai Yang finds its root in the bladder cold water and it travels to the head, it penetrates through the entire body hair pores.
2. ‘Dominates curing wind strike cold injury headache’ describes wind cold evil. Qi of the disease is at Tai Yang’s high and exterior place. Ma Huang can cure this.
3. Warm malaria, disperses exterior and exits sweat, expels evil heat Qi, this is when warm malaria stores in the kidneys, Ma Huang can stir the water Qi and circulate in the entire skin and body hair, there it dominates dispersing exterior and inducing sweat as well as removing warm malaria and evil heat.
4. ‘Stops cough and adverse ascending Qi’ talks about wind cold evil obstructing the pores, and so inner Qi can’t flow smoothly and there is cough adverse ascending Qi. Ma Huang is thin, hollow like hair, it can open the pores and scatter wind cold. The inner Qi can reach out to skin and hairs and there is no cough.
5. ‘Removes cold and heat, breaks hard masses
and accumulations’ talks about exterior heat and cold not resolving and then center earth Qi not reaching to exterior and so it becomes hard masses and accumulations. Ma Huang removes the exterior heat and cold and so Tai Yang’s Qi can enter and exit from center earth, and so hard masses and accumulations naturally break up.
Zhi Mu 知母 气味苦寒,无毒。主治消渴热中,除邪气,肢体浮
肿,下水,补不足,益气。
Qi and flavor bitter cold, not toxic. Dominates curing Xiao Ke and heat in center, removes evil Qi, swelling of the limbs, downward water, tonifies deficiency, benefits Qi.
(Its appearance like Chang Pu soft and supple, its root skin is yellow the flesh white, and there are hairs outside, the fat big ones are best.)
1. Zhi Mu character is moistening, it attains cold water essence. Thus it is bitter cold and has the names earth Shen and water Shen.
2. The skin has hair and the flesh is white. It receives fall metal Qing Su (peaceful and earnest) quality. Since it attains cold water essence and in addition fall metal Qi then oneshouldknowZhi知thatwater has a mother Mu 母.
3. Receiving cold water essence and so it dominates curing Xiao Ke and heat in center.
4. On its skin there is hair and so it removes evil Qi from skin and hair.
5. Its flesh thick and skin yellow and so it receives earth Qi. Therefore it cures
limbs swelling and downward water.
6. ‘Tonify deficiency’ is kidney water
deficiency.
7. ‘Benefits Qi’ is lungs Qi inner deficiency.
And so metal gives birth to its water, and with that tonifies kidney water deficiency. Earth gives birth to its metal thus benefits lungs Qi.
++ A Yang Ming herb suitable with si ni fa.
Tian Hua Fen, Gua Lou Gen 瓜蒌根 气味苦寒,无毒。主治消渴,身热,烦满大热
,补虚,安中,续绝伤。
Qi and flavor bitter cold, not toxic. Dominates curing Xiao Ke, body heat, irritability fullness and great heat, tonifies deficiency, calms the center, Xu Jue injury.
(In 3-4 months sprouts, stretches vines, 7th month opens light yellow flower, fruit is under the flower big as a fist, it starts green until the 9th month when it ripens into yellow, shape like persimmon, inside there is flat seed, shell is brown, pit is green, its root go straight down, one which is several
years old grows numerous feet long, skin yellow flesh white, the one that enters deep into the earth is best.
Ben Jing Qi and flavor, domination and cure include root and fruit. Only until Tao Hongjing 陶弘景 (456年~536年) that the root was named Tian Hua Fen. Later generations called the fruit Gua Lou and the seed Gua Lou Ren. Consequently the applications became different.)
1. Gua Lou Gen (root) enters the earth the deepest. Outside yellow inside white, Qi and flavor bitter cold. It is a medicine that attains earth and water essence Qi and is reaching upward.
ts fruit yellow inside resembles Zhong Lou (Yunnan Manyleaf Paris). Its pit is brown and very fatty, its character shows it is able to go from above downward.
2. Dominates curing Xiao Ke, body heat, it has ability to bring water essence from below to go up. It is the root’s ability.
3. Irritability fullness and great heat, it is the ability to bring fire from above and drain it down. This is the fruit’s ability.
4. Tonifies deficiency, calms the center, Xu Jue injury, talks about the root and
fruit used jointly. When water and fire above and below exchange it tonifies deficiency and calms the center. Herbs with vines spreading can help meridians and vessels and thus cure Xu Jue (broken bone) injury.
++ not a Yang Ming herbs, not suitable with si ni fa.
Yin Yang Huo淫羊藿 气味辛寒,无毒。主治阴痿绝伤,茎中痛,利小便,益气力,
强志。
Qi and flavor pungent cold, not toxic. Dominates curing impotence and exhaustion injury, penal pain, benefits urination, benefits Qi and force, strengthens will.
(The stalk grows 1-2 feet high. 1 stalk has 3 branches, 1 branch has 3 leaves, leaf look like apricot leaf, has thorns on top. It is also called 3 branches 9 leaves herb. Stalk and branches are thin and strong and survive winter. 4th month open white flower, some also have purple flower. If there is no water sound in the growing area it is best.
Tao Yinju 陶隐居 (same as Tao Hongjing) states: In the northern part of western Sichuan there are obscene sheep Yin Yang 淫羊, they intercourse hundred times per day because they eat this plant Huo藿, and thus the name. In Materia Medica of Tang dynasty it states: “ It is named divine immortal of spleen, there is also divine immortal of spleen wine that benefits the husband, instigates Yang and regulates lower back and knee coldness.”)
1. Sheep is fire animal, Huo plant can cause sheep to become obscene, it receives heaven's Qi which is in the water's midst, and so it attains Tai Yang’s Yang heat Qi-transformation. It attains heaven’s Qi inside water and so its Qi and flavor are pungent cold.
2. It attains Tai Yang’s Yang hot Qi and so it cures impotence and exhaustion injury.
3. Tai Yang joins with bladder cold water and therefore cures penal pain and benefits urination.
4. Tai Yang’s Qi above joins with lungs, inside penetrates the kidneys, therefore it benefits Qi and force and strengthens the will.
****5. Yin Yang Huo receives Tai Yang Qi. Its ability is to cure below and it differs from
Shui or Zi Ping 紫萍 (water duckweed) that receives Tai Yang Qi but floats to skin and exterior. There is slight difference, so if it grows where water doesn’t sound it is best. One hopes that Tai Yang Qi will store inside water and not expresses itself on the outside. The sage inspected herbs characteristics in great detail from beginning to end with great toil. The student should ponder this with diligent concentration in the hope of attaining it.
Huang Qin黄芩 气味苦寒,无毒。主治诸热,黄胆,肠澼,泄痢
,逐水,下血闭,恶疮,疽蚀,火疡。
Qi and flavor bitter cold, not toxic. Dominates curing all kinds of heat, Yellow jaundice, Intestines wash, diarrhea, propagates water, purge down blood closure, pernicious sores, ulcer erosion, fire ulcers.
(Hollow rotten inside and fleshy outside. 芩 Qin is synonym for 黔 Qian black. Its root is black and yellow and so named Huang Qin or Yellow Black.)
1. Huang Qin is yellow and hollow inside, is able to clear stomach and intestines heat.
It has flesh and skin on the outside and is cold, it is able to clear flesh and exterior heat. It is thus a medicine of hand and foot Yang Ming and hand Tai Yin.
2. Dominates curing all kinds of heat, Yellow jaundice, Intestines wash, diarrhea speak of heat in all the meridians, if it goes back to stomach earth then it is Yellow jaundice, if to LI then diarrhea. Huang Qin is hollow in the center and so can clear stomach intestine heat.
3. If stomach and intestines receive the turbid then lungs are unobstructed, and so water fluids distribute in all directions and blood Qi travels. ‘Propagates water, purges down blood closure’ takes place as Huang Qin has flesh and skin outside and so it clears the skin and flesh. When skin and flesh are clear then lung Qi harmonizes and retained water can be expelled, blood closure is naturally purged down.
4. When fire heat remains in flesh and skin it causes pernicious boils and sores with erosion. All these kinds of sores are named fire ulcers. Huang Qin cures this as it clears flesh and exterior.
Bai He百合 气味甘平,无毒。主治邪气腹胀心痛,利大小便,补中益气。
Qi and flavor sweet even, not toxic. Dominates curing evil Qi abdominal distension heart pains, benefits bowels and urination, tonifies the center and benefits Qi.
(3rd month sprouts, grows to 2-3 feet high, 1 stalk grows straight up, leaves resemble bamboo leaves, also like willow goes in 4 directions, 5th month the stalk opens very fragrant white flowers, that sink on all sides, they open during the day and close at night. They are called closed at night flowers. Its root is like garlic thin white, long and has twenty thirty petals, when cooked are delicious to eat. One takes single petals and plants them like with garlic. One kind has red flowers the root is like Bai He but not delicious, it can be used as food, but only white flower type can be used as medicine.)
1. Bai He color is white and belongs to metal. Flavor sweet belongs to earth. Opens during daytime closes at night, it reacts to heaven’s Dao Yang during the
day and Yin during nighttime. Goes in all four directions reacts to earth Qi reaching to all four sides.
2. Dominates curing evil Qi abdominal distension heart pains, when evil Qi rides down over the spleen then earth Qi can’t ascend and so there is abdominal distension, when evil Qi rides above the lungs then heaven’s Qi can’t descend and the heart is in pain. It is so that abdomen is the spleen section, while lungs are the heart cover.
3. Benefits bowels and urination, when Spleen Qi ascends and lung Qi descends, then water distribute on all four sides, feces travel.
4. Tonifies the center is tonifying spleen, and benefits Qi is benefiting lungs.
Gan Jiang 干姜 气味辛温,无毒。主治胸满咳逆上气,温中,止血,出汗,逐
风湿痹,肠澼下痢,生者尤良。
Qi and flavor pungent warm, not toxic. Dominates curing chest fullness cough and ascending Qi, warms the center, stops bleeding, induce sweat, moves wind damp Bi, intestine wash and diarrhea, fresh herb is best.
(Gan Jiang uses fresh Ginger dried in the sun, when flesh is thick and white clear, becomes solid and bright like Tian Ma is best. )
1. Tai Yin is Zhi Yin ultimate Yin of Yin. Foot Tai Yin dominates damp earth, hand Tai Yin dominates clear metal. Gan Jiang Qi and flavor are pungent warm, color yellow and white. It is a warming herb of hand and foot Tai Yin.
2. ‘Chest fullness’, lungs reside in the chest while cold in lungs creates fullness. ‘Cough and ascending Qi’, hand and foot Tai Yin don’t connect or flow smoothly and so lung Qi is ascending.
3. ‘Warms the center’ talks about Gan Jiang curing Chest fullness, ‘cough and ascending Qi’ is its ability to warm the center.
4. When spleen collateral is empty cold then blood flows out, Gan Jiang is warm and so
can stop this bleeding.
5. ‘Induce sweat’, pungent moistens it in order
to open skin and flesh junction, it causes
body fluids to communicate with Qi.
6. ‘Moves wind damp Bi’, pungent can scatter.
7. ‘Intestine wash and diarrhea’, happens
because of deficient spleen and cold. Shang Hanlun states: “When Spleen Qi is solitary weak then the five fluids gush downward. When lower Jiao doesn’t close then it appears like small pig liver.” Gan Jiang can warm spleen earth and so cure intestine wash and diarrhea.
8. Fresh is better, Sheng Jiang can promote the even flow of stomach Qi, and so using it is better.
***9. In addition: Gui Zhi, Ge Gen, Chai Hu etc decoctions have stomach adverse and nausea, external cold syndromes, many times they use Sheng Jiang. Sheng Jiang is an old ginger that gives birth to a new ginger root, it dominates spreading smoothly Yang Ming stomach earth Qi. Yang Ming is Tai Yin’s Fu organ, thus Gan Jiang cures spleen and Sheng Jiang the stomach. It is mother and son relationship.
****10. In addition: Ben Jing has only Sheng Jiang and Gan Jiang and no Pao Jiang.
Later generations said that baking Gan Jiang black is Pao Jiang. Jin Gui Yao Lue cures Lung atrophy Fei Wei肺痿 with Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang. Its Gan Jiang is also to be baked, this is the use of Pao Jiang. Ancestor Zhong was first to use it.
Jiang is pungent and baking makes it less so. Thus it dominates after labor blood deficiency with hot body, and internal cold leading to blood vomiting, nose bleeds, bowel bleeding syndromes. If it is baked to the extreme that its natural characteristic is not there anymore then it is called Jiang Tan 姜炭 Charcoaled Jiang. Its flavor slight bitter not pungent, its material light and floating not solid. It is nothing like Pao Jiang. If using Pao Jiang one must use the one from San Qu三衢 (in Zhejiang) which opens flowers, then there is still force to it. Many of today’s herb are injured by water and change flavor kind of Sheng Jiang, when it is sun dried and baked, it cannot avoid having the name but not the substance.
Wu Mei乌梅 气味酸温平涩,无毒。主治下气,除热,烦满,安心,止肢体
痛,偏枯不仁,死肌,去青黑志,蚀恶肉。(志痣同。)
Qi and flavor sour warm, even, astringent, not toxic. Dominates curing descending Qi, removes heat, agitation and fullness, calms heart, stops limb pains, half body numb, dead muscles, expels green black dots, erosion of rotten meat.
(When the plum is ripe it is harvested and its color slight yellow, in a basket it is steamed until black. When rice juice is poured over it, after it is moist and steamed then the fleshy fruit is not eaten by worms.)
1. Plum flower open in winter and the fruit ripens in summer, it is the only one receiving the very early spring Qi, and so its flavor sour. Its Qi is warm even and astringent. Astringent is attached to sour.
2. It dominates downward Qi, as it attains spring birth liver wood flavor, birth Qi is rising up, and so any adverse Qi naturally goes down.
3. Removes heat, agitation and fullness, it receives the essence of winter water Yin, when water essence moistens above then agitation and heat are removed and chest is naturally not full.
4. ‘Calms the heart’ explains that when agitation and heat removed and chest not full then heart is naturally at ease.
5. ‘Stops limbs pains, half body numb, dead muscles’, all talk about Yang deficiency that can’t steam out to the skin, or fill up the body and moisten the body hair, like the irrigation of fog and mist. The plum fruit starts in spring and ripens in summer, it thus distributes Yang Qi to muscles and skin, and so it can stop limbs pains and half body numb and dead muscles.
6. Yang Qi filling up and so the color is bright and fresh, it can remove green and black spots on the face and any rotten meat that the body may have as a result of worms erosion.
7. In addition: Wu Mei is sour, it attains the wood flavor of the east. It lets out flowers in winter, and (fruit) ripens in summer. It receives the winter’s water essence and it attains the spring’s upward reaching birth. Later generations didn’t take care of the classic meaning and didn’t explore to the maximum the herb principle, they described Wu Mei as sour gathering and astringing medicine, yet the spring’s reaching upward quality they didn’t mention, How regretful!
Shan Zhuyu 山茱萸 气味酸平,无毒。主治心下邪气寒热,温中,逐寒湿痹,去
三虫,久服轻身。
Qi and flavor sour even, not toxic. Dominates curing under the heart evil Qi hot and cold, warms center, moves out cold damp Bi, expels three worms, prolong consumption makes the body light.
(The tree is 1 Zhang (10 feet) high, leaves resemble elm tree with thorns, 2nd month opens white flowers, 4th month makes fruits resembling Suan Zao with red purplish color, in 9th month the fruit is harvested and dried in the shade, the pit removed and only the flesh used.)
1. Shan Zhuyu is purple red and flavor sour even, it receives Jue Yin and Shao Yang wood fire Qi transformation. Hand Jue Yin belongs to heart sac and so it dominates curing under heart evil Qi cold hot. Under the heart is an area belonging to heart sack Jue Yin.
2. Hand Shao Yang belongs to San Jiao and therefore it warms the center. Center is middle Jiao. Middle Jiao takes the juice, follows heart transformation into red and then it becomes blood. Blood is born in the heart and stored in the liver.
3. The blood that foot Jue Yin liver dominates
fills up the skin and warms up the muscles and so it moves out cold damp Bi.
4. When wood and fire surge then San Jiao are all unobstructed, and so it removes the three worms.
5. Blood fills up flesh and muscles and so prolong consumption makes the body light.
****6. In addition: Ancestor Zhong uses Shan Zhuyu in Ba Wei Wan (eight ingredients pill), later generations removed Gui and Fu Zi and changed it into Liu Wei Wan (six ingredients pill). They used Shan Zhuyu as solidifying essence and tonifying kidneys. Other then that it was not used. It was only because of carelessness and sketchiness. They didn’t explore its meaning deeply. Today we can carefully look and see in Ben Jing the ability of Shan Zhuyu, its domination and cures. The student can become enlightened via Ben Jing and so widen its usage. In the hope of not erring with being confined and restricted (by prior generations).
Wu Zhuyu 吴茱萸 气味辛温,有小毒。主治温中下气,止痛,除湿
血痹,逐风邪,开腠理,咳逆寒热。
Qi and flavor pungent warm, slightly toxic. Its main cure warming center and descending Qi, stops pains, removes damp blood Bi, moves out evil wind, opens skin and flesh juncture, cough hot and cold.
(Tree is 1 Zhang high, leaves resemble the tree of heaven 椿树 but wide and thick in purple color. In 3rd month opens small red purple flowers, 7-8th months forms fruit that pile up in a cluster, look like peppercorns and without seeds, when it is young it is slight yellow and when ripe dark purple, many of them grow in Wu country吴地 (Jiang Su, An Hui and Zhe Jiang area) and so it is called Wu Zhuyu. On the 9th day of 9th month it is harvested, dried in shade, and if allowed to age it is best, it is steeped in boiling rolling water once or twice to remove its toxic Qi and then it is used.)
1. Shan Zhuyu and Wu Zhuyu both receive wood and fire Qi. It receives fire and Qi and so dominates warming center. Receives wood Qi and so cures descending Qi. If middle Jiao is warm and adverse Qi is flowing down then pains
naturally stop.
2. Damp blood Bi means damp injures muscles
and flesh and therefore the blood filling up the flesh and warming the muscles congeals and becomes Bi.
3. Shao Yang fire is flaring and traveling in the muscles and flesh, liver dominates blood of Chong and Ren meridians, and it permeates the skin and so damp blood Bi is removed.
4. ‘Moves out evil wind’ talks about damp Bi removed and evil wind can also be removed.
5. Pungent warm opens skin and flesh juncture
and so lung disease of cough and skin hot and cold can both be cured.
Fu Zi 附子 气味辛温,有大毒。主治风寒咳逆邪气,寒湿踒躄
拘挛,膝痛不能行步,破症坚积聚,血瘕金疮。
Qi and flavor are pungent warm, has great toxicity. Dominates curing wind cold cough evil Qi, cold damp paralysis, muscular constriction, knee pains where one cannot walk, breaks masses and hard accumulations, blood lumps and metal wounds.
(Fu Zi from Sichuan Mian Zhou绵州 is best, today part of Jiang You, residence of the famous poet Li Bai 李白(701—762) ,other places have this herb too but it is very weak
and cannot be used. Mian Zhou has 8 counties, but only Zhang Ming 彰明 gives Fu Zi. Zhang Ming has 12 villages, and only 4 赤水、廉水、昌明、会昌 Chi Shui, Lian Shui, Chang Ming and Hui Chang give out Fu Zi. To investigate even further Fu Zi from Chi Shui is the best. When it is first planted it gives Wu Tou, because its shape is like Wu Niao Tou crow’s head. When there is a root growing next to the mother root, even though connected but truly they are not then it is Fu Zi. Like a son Zi that attached Fu next to its mother. If there is small one growing on the side it is called Ce Zi 侧 子 . If it is planted and no one grows next to it and it grows to be 3-4 Cun it is called Tian Xiong 天雄 . The shape of Fu Zi should be squatting steady with upright and honest moral character. The less Ce Zi the higher the quality, if there are many joints and milk is coming out of it, then it is not so good. If the shape is not upright and it is injured, missing pieces or wrinkled, then it is inferior. When its color is flowery white it is best, when black it is second best, when green it is inferior. It is customary to say black Hei Fu Zi, which is its correct color and it differentiates it from white Bai Fu Zi.)
1. Fu Zi receives the quality of one full of power and grandeur. It possesses characteristics of warm and hot. Therefore it has great toxicity. In Ben Jing lower class herbs many are defined as ‘have toxicity’ or ‘great toxicity’. Su Wen specifies that toxic herbs can attack a disease. Therefore it attacks the disease and restores its upright Qi. Its attacking is its tonifying. Fu Zi is pungent warm and grows in Zhang Ming county Chi Shui village (clear bright county, red water village), it thus receives Qi of great heat and it benefits the manifestation Yang of Tai Yang. It helps the hot fire of Shao Yang.
2. When Tai Yang hot Yang doesn’t circulate to
the entire body skin and hair, then there is evil Qi of wind cold and cough. Fu Zi helps Yang manifestation of Tai Yang and so can cure this.
3. When Shao Yang fire heat can’t travel to muscles, bones and joints then there is cold damp paralysis, muscular constriction, knee pains where one cannot walk. Fu Zi warms Shao Yang fire and can cure this.
4. ‘Breaks masses and hard accumulations’, Yang Qi is deficient and cold congeals, ‘blood lumps’ is Yin blood accumulating and
becoming lumps. Metal wound is from weapons where wounds fester. Fu Zi has warm hot Qi that scatters Yin cold. It receives Yang fire Qi and so it can grow muscles and cure this.
***5. The classic states: Herbs bring about five colors and one can’t see completely all their transformations. Herbs bring about five flavors and one cannot exhaust their full taste. Heaven feeds man with five Qi, while earth feeds man with five flavors. And so in heavenly times it is appropriate to use the year’s leading energy to prepare herbs. In earth principle there is the appropriateness of five directions and five soils. The best Fu Zi is produced in Zhang Ming (clear bright) in Chi Shui (red water), and so it attains the special essence of earth.
Yang of Tai Yang is water of heaven 1. It is born in the Fu water of UB and clear bright Zhang Ming is above. The Yang of Shao Yang is the fire of earth 2. It is born in the fire of lower Jiao and with the red sun walks the sky. The land (Fu Zi) comes out of is called Zhang Ming clear bright, it is also called Chi Shui red water. And so it also has the auspicious charm. The student should
know the finest detail of herbs characteristics, the appropriateness of the geographic location. He should also know the meanings of the names given by the earlier sages and not neglect them.
Today There is Fu Zi also grown in Shan Xi, it is called Xi Fu. It is pungent warm and its strength weak. It is nothing like the herb grown in Sichuan where the earth is thick the force heroic. In addition, on the market today most Fu Zi is Xi Fu type. It is because Sichuan Fuzi is pricey. It is sold as whole pieces not slices.
***6. Whenever fire Qi is declining inside and Yang Qi spreads outward, one must urgently use prepared Fu Zi to help the origin of fire, to allow Shen Ji spirit instrument to travel upward and not die downward, allowing it to circulate and not separate outward. When it is treated in a mild case reaching the desired effect is easy. Yet doctors today don’t understand medicine’s principle, don’t know disease mechanism, they think that pulse must vanish, body freezing cold and faint, the spirit already departed and the Po exists (alone), and only then Fu Zi is appropriate. Fu Zi can cure disease, since when can it cure death? In extreme cases
some doctors practice to end of their life and till the end view Fu Zi as snakes and centipedes. Every time they tell patients “you cannot use Fu Zi, if you use it you’ll get manic and blood will come out of your nine orifices. If you use it it will instigate fire and you’ll get boils and toxins. If you use it then the five Zang will fester, you take it this year then next year you’ll have toxins.” 嗟嗟 Jie Jie! If a doctor see a syndrome appropriate to Fu Zi how will he cure it. Will he agree to profit and light fame and then acknowledge his short coming? Will he agree to place himself as mediocre and shallow and recommend doctors of worth to save the day? One must be at present and give him
the medicine, if he will give it tomorrow then the spirit has already changed, it is already overturned. At this time even if one has an immortal elixir, he can’t save him.
The virtuous with this possesses a deep commitment, he cannot bear to stand idle and watch him die. When a patient comes for a visit he immediately gives him Fu Zi to save him, he gives it to him and then there is efficacy. This is accomplishment. If he gives it to him and there is no efficacy, it is also not his fault. The previous doctor was afraid
of the medicine taking effect and barely with luck escaped his (the patient’s) death. After he is (considered) dead he refers him, and then they say that his death was from drinking the Fu Zi drink.
Alas! If the doctor has a true kind heart, but his medicine didn’t penetrate the classics’ essence, it is like oxen and horses with front and rear garments. Where is there medicine to talk about!
If Fu Zi is used it should be over 1 liang (37gram) only then does it have force. When considering weight Ce Zi should be excluded, local people pound on it to sink in the Ce Zi and so with this the weight should be 1 liang 6 qian (50-60 grams). Local people are also afraid that people from the south will plant it so they submerge it in rock salt and pound it and so it becomes salty.
The way to prepare Fu Zi is to peel the skin with bamboo knife, cut in four quarters and slice, use boiling rolling water to boil it twice, this removes the salty and toxic flavor, dry in sun until half dry, then in copper pot stir fry till prepared. In ancient time they will prepare hot herbs only in years dominated by heat, the classic say that is how it gets the essence. If not in this
year then the essence scatters. Later generations couldn’t match the preparation of the ancients, and so they talked about fire baked Fu Zi. In recent times they all cook it in children urine, because one error led to another error, they don’t know that it is not so.
Wu Tou 乌头(附) 气味辛温,有毒。主治诸风,风痹,血痹,半身
不遂,除寒冷,温养脏腑,去心下坚痞,感寒酸
Qi and flavor pungent warm, has toxicity. Dominates curing all wind, wind Bi, blood Bi, half body paralyzed, removes cold, warms and nurtures Zang Fu, removes hard lump under the heart, cold contraction and pains.
(When it is first planted and there is no Fu Zi growing. Many places has this plant but the one from Sichuan is used as medicine and so named Chuan Wu.)
Ban Xia 半夏 气味辛平,有毒。主治伤寒寒热,心下坚,胸胀
咳逆,头眩,咽喉肿痛,肠鸣,下气,止汗。
Qi and flavor pungent even, has toxicity. Dominates curing cold injury heat and cold, under the heart hardness, chest distension and cough, head spinning, throat swollen and painful, intestinal rambling sounds, descending Qi, arrests sweat.
(Sprouts in 2nd month, stalk is 8-9 cun high, stalk has 3 leaves, 3 and 3 then even out a little like bamboo leaves. Its root round and white, in 5th and 8th months the root is harvested and dried in the sun. Doesn’t tire
of getting old.)
1. In Yue Ling it is said “In 5th month Ban
Xia (half summer) lives. It means in midsummer. Mai Jie Pian 《脉解篇》 states: Yang Ming is Wu午. 5th month is Yin of Yang surging. Ban Xia lives is midsummer. Color is white and flavor pungent, it receives Yang Ming dry metal Qi transformation.
2. ‘Dominates curing cold injury heat and cold’, pungent can scatter this.
3. Yang Ming collateral penetrates the heart, if it is obstructed then under the heart it is hard.
4. Chest is the place of lungs. Yang Ming metal joins above with lungs. When metal doesn’t harmonize with lungs then chest is distended and there is cough. Ban Xia is white and belongs to metal, it dominates circulating Yang Ming Qi and so it can cure this.
5. Metal can restrict wind and so it cures head spinning and swollen sore throat.
6. Dryness can win over damp and so it cures descending Qi of intestinal rambling sounds and arrests sweat.