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Tonifies Qi, entering exclusively the Lung Meridian. The Lungs govern all Qi; when Lung Qi is robust, the other four Zang organs become robust as well, Essence naturally generates, and the physical form becomes vigorous. It is a key herb for tonifying the Middle Jiao and boosting Qi, and an essential medicine for treating all deficiency syndromes.

Remove the heart (core), moisten with honey water, and stir-fry. If used in formulas for tonifying the Kidney, moisten with salt water, stir-fry, and slice. Stir-fried Atractylodis Rhizoma serves as a Qi-tonifying herb, while raw Atractylodis Rhizoma has the function of expelling toxins.

Soak overnight, slice, mix with soil, and steam thoroughly until penetrated. Remove the soil; do not stir-fry. Yushu (Atractylodis Rhizoma from Zhejiang) is soaked, scraped to remove the skin, steamed over rice, sun-dried multiple times until dark brown like a date, then stir-fried with yellow earth. Yushu's efficacy surpasses that of common Baizhu; it is a herb that harmonizes the Middle Palace, tonifies the Spleen Qi, and benefits the Spleen.

Soak in rice washing water, remove the coarse skin, slice, and sun-dry. Stir-fry with soil into charcoal. It treats Cold-Dampness of the Spleen and Stomach, eliminates Phlegm, drives out Water-Dampness, alleviates intolerance to local climate, stops diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera. Long-term use can prolong life.

Soak in wine, sun-dry, and slice. Use the head for the upper body, the body for the middle, and the tip for the lower. The head and body invigorate blood circulation; the tip breaks up blood stasis. Using the whole plant stabilizes blood, guides blood back to the meridians, relieves headache, harmonizes and nourishes blood, moistens the intestines, stomach, sinews, bones, and skin, discharges pus, and relieves pain.

In external surgery, stir-fry with wine to consolidate the Cou Li (pores/skin texture) and promote convergence/healing.

Eliminates carbuncles and swellings, breaks up hard accumulations and evil blood, descends Qi, promotes tissue regeneration, and relieves pain.

Remove the skin, slice. For every jin (500g) of herb, take 4 liang (200g) of fresh ginger with skin, slice them together, boil until the juice is dry, stir-fry thoroughly, and remove the ginger. It warms the Middle Jiao, eliminates Phlegm, strengthens the intestines and stomach, removes accumulated cold, old blood stasis, and retained food.

Red in color, moistened with wine and stir-fried; it is a Blood-level herb. It tonifies Heart Blood, nourishes the Spirit (Shen), generates new blood, calms the fetus, and expels a dead fetus. It is an essential medicine for pre- and postpartum conditions. Take two qian (approx. 6-10g) of powder delivered with wine every night, taken continuously for forty days, to treat dysmenorrhea and facilitate conception.

Steamed and sun-dried. Avoid copper vessels. Eliminates carbuncles, nourishes Yin, descends Fire, benefits the throat, and promotes urination.

Used raw, its nature is cold; it cools Blood, nourishes Yin, and clears Heat. Boil in water until the center turns black. Then, for every jin of herb, add half a jin of boiling aged wine and one qian of stir-fried Amomi Fructus powder. Boil again until the liquid is exhausted. Drain and sun-dry. Collect the original drained liquid, sun-dry it again. Avoid iron vessels. It nourishes Yin, strengthens true Qi, promotes tissue regeneration, fills the Marrow, and when combined with Cinnamon Twig (Rougui), guides Fire back to its source, treating deficiency of the Yin aspect.