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Tangerine peel (Chenpi) possesses unique merits in widening the diaphragm, directing rebellious Qi downward, resolving phlegm, and dispelling cold. While most herbs are prized for their freshness, tangerine peel is valued for being aged; among these, those from Dongting Lake are considered the best. My maternal uncle, Mo Qiang, while serving as the magistrate of Fengcheng County, fell ill. After every meal, he experienced chest fullness and food stagnation. Various treatments proved ineffective. Once, family members prepared a decoction of red tangerine peel (Juhong) for him to taste. Finding it palatable, he drank it continuously for several days. One day, while presiding over court and holding a brush, he suddenly felt an object drop from his chest into his abdomen. He was terrified, eyes wide open, sweating profusely like rain. He was hastily supported back home. Shortly after, abdominal pain ensued, and he passed several hard stools resembling iron pellets, with an unbearable foul odor. Thereafter, his chest felt clear and open. This was actually cold accumulation in the spleen. Having been ill for half a year and taking various medicaments, he did not realize that the efficacy lay in a single piece of tangerine peel. How can one neglect to examine things overlooked by the common people? The prescription is as follows: Remove the white pith of tangerine peel, retaining only the red outer skin (one jin), along with licorice root (Gancao) and salt (four liang each). Boil in five bowls of water over slow fire until dry, then bake, grind into powder, and take orally with water. Additionally, an ancient formula uses four liang of red tangerine peel and one liang of honey-fried licorice root, ground into powder and taken with hot water, named "Er Xian San" (Two Sages Powder). It is particularly effective for treating phlegm. Phlegm, if retained for a long time, causes immeasurable harm. Although contemporary physicians know to use herbs such as Pinellia Rhizome (Banxia), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizome (Nanxing), Aurantii Fructus (Zhishi), and Poria (Fuling), how can they compare to this understanding? (Ibid.)

Among various drugs, rhinoceros horn (Xijiao) is the hardest to crush. It must first be shaved into thin flakes before being added to other herbs for pounding. When all other herbs have been sifted, the rhinoceros horn remains intact. I once observed a physician-monk named Yuanda who cut the rhinoceros horn into small pieces, approximately half an inch square. He wrapped them in extremely thin paper and placed them in his bosom, close to his flesh, utilizing human body heat to steam them. Once thoroughly steamed and warmed, he immediately threw them into the mortar and pounded vigorously, resulting in a fine powder instantly. Thus, I learned that human breath/heat can pulverize rhinoceros horn. Few modern practitioners know this method. (From *Guitian Lu*)

It is common to see people treating illnesses in the elderly with the same aggressive methods used for the young, indiscriminately administering herbal decoctions and acupuncture to attack the disease, striving for rapid cure. They fail to realize that in longevity individuals, Qi and Blood are already declining, spirit and essence are depleted, and life is precarious like a candle in the wind, making them susceptible to various diseases. Their hearing and vision may no longer be sharp; limbs may move involuntarily or weakly; the body feels fatigued; the head and eyes are dizzy; wind-qi may be disordered; old ailments may flare up intermittently; constipation or diarrhea may occur; sensations of cold or heat may arise. These are normal states for the elderly. There is no need to urgently employ needles and drugs to demand a complete cure, as doing so often leads to further danger. Moreover, drugs used to attack pathogens induce sweating, vomiting, harmonizing, or purging. Young people possess robust True Qi; even after sweating, vomiting, or purging, they do not face critical peril. However, in frail elderly persons, sweating depletes Yang Qi; vomiting causes Stomach Qi to rebel upward; purging leads to the collapse of Yuan Qi, potentially causing immediate untreatable conditions. This is a major taboo in caring for the elderly. Generally, medication for the elderly should focus on support and maintenance. Only mild, harmonizing, Qi-regulating, appetite-stimulating, deficiency-nourishing, and neutral-natured herbs should be used. One must avoid purchasing market drugs or accepting gifts whose ingredients and properties are unknown, especially avoiding harsh, wolf-like, or tiger-like potent drugs. Careful scrutiny is essential. If old ailments flare up, treat according to symptoms using neutral herbal decoctions to regulate and smooth the condition; within three to five days, matters will naturally resolve. The best approach is to manage diet according to the principles of dietary therapy, preparing dishes based on the nature of foods. This is the finest method. (From *Yanglao Fengqin Shu*)