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Dry *Asparagi Radix* (Tianmendong, 天门冬) in the sun, pound it into powder, and sieve it. Take one *cunbi* (a square-inch measure of medicine) after meals, three times a day; up to ten doses may be taken. It is particularly beneficial for children; taking it as honey-pills is even better, and a slightly larger dose is preferable.

Another prescription: Pound fresh *Asparagi Radix* to extract the juice, simmer gently over low fire until reduced to five *dou*, then add one *dou* of white honey and two *sheng* of finely ground, stir-fried *Sesami Fructus* (Huma, 胡麻). Continue simmering while stirring constantly without stopping hands. When the mixture can be formed into pills, remove from heat. Add powdered *Sojae Semen Praeparatum* (Dadouhuang, 大豆黄卷), mix well, and form into cakes with a diameter of three *cun* and thickness of half a *cun*. Take one cake per dose, three times a day. Benefits will be evident after more than one hundred days. This prescription is superior, its excellence encompassing many others. Another method involves brewing it into wine for consumption. Initially, taking a slightly large dose causes no discomfort; excessive intake leads to vomiting, which expels disease. (See Volume XVI, Section on Small Intestine Fu Organ.) Ku Dao-ren, aged nearly two hundred, often told Huangfu Long: "Simply take *Asparagi Radix*, remove the heart and skin, slice, dry, and take one *cunbi* with wine, three times a day. It prevents aging, tonifies the Middle Jiao and Qi, and cures myriad diseases." Long-term use promotes longevity, increases strength a hundredfold, treats deficiency consumptive disorders and severe injuries, frailty and emaciation due to old age, hemiplegia and immobility, numbness due to wind-dampness, cold bi-patterns, and accumulations in the heart and abdomen. For malignant sores, carbuncles, swellings, and leprosy where severe cases involve whole-body pus and decay or collapse of the nasal bridge, taking this herb causes shedding of dead skin and expulsion of parasites, resulting in a plump and fair complexion. It treats almost all conditions, including impotence, deafness, and dim vision. Long-term use turns white hair black, regrows fallen teeth, extends life, and renders the body impervious to water soaking. After two hundred days of use, those who were comfortable but suffered from disease-induced spasms will find relief, and the weak will become strong. After three hundred days, the body feels light. After three years, one can run as fast as a galloping horse. After another three years, chronic internal diseases are eliminated.

Pound fifty *jin* of fresh *Rehmanniae Radix* (Shengdihuang, 生地黄), squeeze out the juice, clarify it by removing dregs, simmer gently over low fire until reduced by more than half. Add five *sheng* of white honey and one *sheng* of jujube fat, stir until fully incorporated, then stop when it can be formed into pills. Take one pill the size of a chicken egg, three times a day. It makes the person plump and fair-skinned.

Another prescription: Cut ten *jin* of *Rehmanniae Radix* finely, soak in two *dou* of strong wine for three nights, then remove and dry. Repeat the soaking and drying process until the wine is fully absorbed. Adding *Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma* (Gancao, 甘草) and *Morinda Officinalis Radix* (Bajitian, 巴戟天) enhances physical strength, ensures freedom from disease, and promotes longevity.

Method for preparing cooked dried *Rehmanniae Radix*:
Harvest *Rehmanniae Radix*, remove rootlets, leaves, and fine roots. Pound and squeeze to extract juice. Use this juice to soak large rhizomes. Place them in a steamer (zeng) and steam for one shichen (two hours), then remove and dry. Return them to the juice and steam again until the juice is exhausted. Finally, dry thoroughly. Alternatively, slice directly and steam for half a day, sprinkling with wine repeatedly to ensure even moistening. Remove in the evening, dry, pound, and form into honey-pills for consumption.

Method for cultivating *Rehmanniae Radix*:
First, select good quality *Rehmanniae Radix* that is reddish in color and soft in texture. Plow the land deeply; plowing frozen soil in the twelfth lunar month is especially good. Select large, healthy rhizomes, cut them into segments approximately four to five fen to one or two cun long. One hu of planting material can cover one mu of land. Plant in the second or third lunar months. Form ridges with one chi spacing between plants. As they grow, weed and hill up soil frequently. By the ninth or tenth lunar months, when the leaves begin to wither, dig up the harvest. One mu yields approximately twenty hu. Select large roots, wash thoroughly with clean water. Trim the tips and tails of smaller roots and wash them as well. Sun-dry until extremely dry. Slice into segments slightly longer than one cun using a bamboo knife. Steam from morning until evening; they should turn dark but not completely charred. The next day, select and steam again. Previously, the crushed fine roots were squeezed for juice, which was boiled in a copper vessel until thick like thin malt syrup. Then, place the *Rehmanniae Radix* into the juice, remove, dry, and repeat until the juice is exhausted. Generally, one hundred jin of fresh root yields twenty to thirty jin of processed product. Harvest in the eighth or ninth lunar months; avoid overly mature roots, as excessive steaming prevents complete decomposition and leaves fibrous veins. When initially placing the *Rehmanniae Radix* in the steamer, place a copper vessel underneath to catch the liquid. Pour good wine over the radish so that the liquid flows down into the vessel. Collect this liquid and mix it with the decoction juice for best results.