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Examining the nature of all things, there are always principles of combination and separation. When a tiger roars, wind arises; when a dragon chants, clouds rise; lodestone attracts needles; amber gathers mustard seeds; lacquer disperses upon contact with crab; hemp surges (indicating enhanced medicinal properties or changes) upon contact with Cinnamon Twig (*Guizhi*); *Guizhi* softens when combined with Scallion White (*Congbai*); trees wither when exposed to *Guizhi*; Rong salt can be piled into egg shapes; badger gall divides wine in a cup. Their qi interacts and resonates with each other, mostly following such patterns. The underlying principles are difficult to fully comprehend through mere thought (from *Bencao*).

Ancient formularies state: If Yunnmu (Mica) is taken coarsely, it adheres to the human liver and lungs and cannot be removed, similar to how the hairs of Loquat Leaf (*Pipaye*) and Dogspine (*Goujigu*) are inedible, claiming these penetrate into the liver and lungs. Many such theories circulate in secular society, but they are all fallacies. It is also claimed that humans have two throats: one for water and one for food, which is also a fallacy. The widely circulated "Ouxifan Five Viscera Diagram" also depicts two throats, due to imprecise examination at that time. Can water and food, swallowed together, separate into two distinct throats? Humans possess only two structures: the pharynx (swallowing passage) and the larynx (airway). The pharynx receives food and drink, guiding them down to the stomach region, then into the stomach, subsequently into the intestines, and finally into the large and small intestines. The larynx connects downward to the five viscera, facilitating respiration. The breathing of qi within the five viscera is akin to bellows used by metallurgists. Food and medicine from humans enter only from the pharynx into the gastrointestinal tract; how could they physically reach the five viscera? Although muscles, bones, five viscera, and gastrointestinal tracts are distinct, the essence and aroma of substances entering the intestines can thoroughly permeate throughout the body. Only dregs and turbid matter enter the two intestines. Once food and medicine enter the gastrointestinal tract, they are steamed by true qi. The essence and aroma, even of refined minerals like Cinnabar (*Zhusha*), Realgar (*Xuhuang*), or Milk Stone (*Rushi)—substances capable of volatilizing, melting, or solidifying—permeate the muscles and bones along with true qi, just as heaven and earth qi penetrate metal, stone, wood, and earth without obstruction. For remaining stubborn stones and herbs, only their aromas permeate. When this force exhausts, the dregs and turbid matter pass to the large intestine, where moisture seeps into the small intestine. These are all deteriorated substances that no longer transform and must simply be excreted. Statements such as "this substance enters the liver" or "enters the kidney" refer only to the arrival of its aroma/essence; how could the physical substance itself reach there? This is knowledge physicians must not ignore (from *Bitan*).

Humans nourish life with the five grains and combat disease with medicinal stones. Without medicines, excessive harm from cold, heat, and labor, irregularities in anger, joy, hunger, and fullness, abnormal seasonal changes, and lack of health preservation skills would lead many to death, especially those too poor to seek medical care or those traveling who fall ill without access to treatment. Therefore, benevolent individuals with a heart to save others may reserve effective prescriptions or rare medicines. Depending on their capacity, they carefully process and prepare them to widely distribute benefits, curing severe chronic ailments and critical conditions with a single remedy, turning groans into harmony. Even if one is poor and lacks the means to compound and distribute medicines personally, obtaining a miraculous decoction or formula, printing thousands of copies based on the diseases treated, and posting them on walls and roads would yield immense benefit.