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Treats deficiency of Yin in the Spleen and Lungs, resulting in poor appetite, deficiency-heat with chronic cough, and all types of Yin-deficiency syndromes.

Raw Dioscoreae Rhizoma (2 liang) Raw Coicis Semen (2 liang) Persimmon Frost Cake (8 qian)

Take the above three ingredients. First, crush the Dioscoreae Rhizoma and Coicis Semen into coarse fragments, boil until soft and cooked. Then, chop the Persimmon Frost Cake into small pieces, stir into the decoction to melt, and take as desired. Both Dioscoreae Rhizoma and Coicis Semen are herbs that clear and tonify the Spleen and Lungs. However, using Dioscoreae Rhizoma alone for a long time becomes too cloying; using Coicis Semen alone for a long time becomes too bland and leaching. Only when used in equal proportions can they be taken for a long time without adverse effects. Furthermore, Persimmon Frost is used as an assistant and guide herb because its cool nature moistens the Lungs and its sweet flavor enters the Spleen. Patients taking this prescription not only treat the disease but also satisfy hunger; not only satisfying hunger, it is also palatable. If the prescription matches the syndrome, the illness will gradually heal; even if it does not match, there will be no other harm. Persimmon Frost Cake is made by boiling down Persimmon Frost. Since pure white and clean Persimmon Frost is rare, the boiled cake form is used. However, during the preparation of this cake, mint water is often added, making its nature impure. It is unsuitable for use in cases of Yin deficiency with excessive sweating. If genuine white and clean Persimmon Frost is available, it is superior to the cake form.

A young man, due to a common cold, lost his appetite but continued to work diligently in agriculture. He exerted himself physically on an empty stomach, eventually developing a chronic cough due to overwork. He experienced fever after noon and coughed up phlegm and saliva throughout the night. The physician, noting his youth, frequently prescribed herbs to nourish Yin and tonify the Kidney, occasionally adding small amounts of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Ophiopogonis Radix (Maidong). After two months of treatment with no effect, his food intake decreased, and phlegm production increased, leading to severe debility where he could barely get out of bed. His pulse was deficient, rapid, and wiry. This indicated damage to both the Lungs and the Spleen. This prescription was given, to be taken twice daily. He recovered completely within half a month.

Someone asked: "The pulse presents a wiry quality; how do you know immediately that the Spleen and Lungs are damaged?" I replied: "Although pulse positions are differentiated, generally speaking, they do not strictly separate locations. In this case, the pulses on both the left and right sides are wiry. A wiry pulse belongs to the Liver. When Liver Qi is exuberant, it inevitably overacts upon the Spleen, because the Liver belongs to Wood and the Spleen belongs to Earth. Moreover, among the Five Elements, only Earth encompasses the other four elements; that is, Spleen Qi encompasses the Four Zang Organs. Therefore, among the six pulse positions, a harmonious and moderate quality is most valued, as it indicates abundant Spleen-Earth Qi. Now, his pulse is not harmonious and moderate but wiry and stiff, indicating that Spleen Qi is injured and cannot encompass the Four Zang Organs. Additionally, the Lung belongs to Metal, which suppresses Liver Wood. Thus, when the clear and descending Qi of Lung Metal goes downward, Liver Wood will not act recklessly, and the pulse will not appear wiry. Since his pulse now shows such a wiry quality, it is evident that Lung Metal is injured and unable to suppress Liver Wood."