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The *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) records only 360 medicinal substances, yet through its divine and transformative principles, it is capable of treating all diseases. It was not until Tao Hongjing that the number of substances increased to 720, and later with the emergence of the *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica), the number of substances increased to over a thousand. Pursuing quantity and breadth leads to an inundation without direction; those who study it afterwards often fail to grasp the essentials. This is why those dedicated to medicine seek to return from the broad to the concise. During my spare time from official duties, I selected 180 substances that are precise and useful. Focusing on their specific strengths, I categorized them by type, making the structure clear as if listing eyebrows one by one, allowing readers to understand immediately upon opening the book. I also excerpted and summarized the annotations by Huang Yuanyu, demonstrating a path that is simple and easy to learn. Those aspiring to this art, if they read and ponder this book diligently, will hopefully avoid sighing at the vastness of the ocean of medical knowledge.

Preface by Yun Ge Shi, on the 8th day of the 3rd month in the year Bing Shen (1896).

[Shanyao / Dioscoreae Rhizoma]: Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, enters the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian and Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. It benefits the Stomach and assists the Spleen. It regulates the Middle Jiao to quench thirst. It unblocks the Shaoyin Meridian when the pulse is faint and nearly imperceptible, and eliminates abdominal fullness and pain associated with the Taiyin syndrome. It is a crucial herb for chronic diarrhea and blood loss, and a miraculous elixir for Qi damage during intense summer heat. When cooked, it is warm and moistening; when raw, it is cool and moistening.

[Gancao / Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma]: Sweet in flavor, neutral in qi, slow in nature, enters the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. It possesses the orthodox flavor of harmony, inheriting the rich and thick qualities. It resides between Metal (Lung) and Wood (Liver), and belongs between Water (Kidney) and Fire (Heart). It is a miraculous drug for cultivating the Central Region (Spleen/Stomach) and nourishing the four peripheries, facilitating the interaction of Spirit and Essence, and a spiritual pill for regulating Qi and Blood. For upward action, use the head portion; for downward action, use the tip portion. Cooked, it is sweet and warm to tonify Earth and deficiency; raw, it is sweet and cool to drain fire and eliminate fullness. When cooked, peel off the skin and stir-fry with honey.

[Baizhu / Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma]: Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, enters the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian and Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. It tonifies the Middle, dries dampness, stops thirst, generates fluids, most benefits Spleen Essence, and greatly nourishes Stomach Qi. It descends turbid Yin to promote digestion, excels at stopping vomiting, ascends clear Yang to transform water and grain, and can treat diarrhea and dysentery. Its nature is somewhat cloying and stagnant; it should be assisted by herbs that promote free flow, so that tonification and movement occur simultaneously, thus achieving perfection without drawbacks. The variety produced in Qian is superior. Select those that are firm, white, plump, and fresh. Soak in rice washing water, slice, place in a dish, line above and below with wet rice, steam until the rice rots, then dry in the sun for use.