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**Broussonetia Fruit (Chushizi)**

Also known as *Gushi*. Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature. Enters the Qi level of the Foot-Taiyin Splein Meridian. Improves complexion, nourishes muscles and skin, promotes the flow of Yin Qi, unblocks the nine orifices, expels water retention, and brightens the eyes. Combined with *Fuling* (Poria), it treats *Shuigu* (ascites/water distension). Combined with *Dafupi* (Areca Peel), it eliminates edema.
Mixed well water for administration to treat *Houbi* (sore throat with obstruction).
Soak in water, discard floating seeds, mix with wine, steam, dry by baking, and use. Long-term or excessive consumption may lead to *Guoruan Wai Zheng* (osteomalacia/weakness of bones). Contraindicated in cases of Spleen-Stomach Yin deficiency, Kidney Water insufficiency, and dry mouth and tongue.

**Tree Sap**
Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature. Treats abdominal distension following epidemic diseases; applied topically for tinea, scorpion stings, and dog bites.

**Tree Bark**
Expels water retention.

**Tree Leaves**
Decocted for washing to treat severe sores and urticaria (*Yinzhen*). Decoct into a thick syrup-like consistency, taken orally on an empty stomach three times a day to treat edema.

**Gardenia Fruit (Shanzhi)**

Bitter in flavor, cold in nature. Enters the Blood level of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Primarily guides Qi and Blood downward. Clears stagnant Fire from the Sanjiao (Triple Burner), directs latent pathogens from mass formations, and is particularly effective in clearing Blood Heat in the stomach region. It treats restlessness, mental agitation, insomnia, blood stasis below the umbilicus, and difficult urination. Combined with *Huashi* (Talcum), it treats *Xuelin* (hematuria with dysuria). Combined with *Liangjiang* (Galangal Rhizome), it treats alternating chills and fever with abdominal pain. Combined with *Baipi* (Phellodendron Bark), it treats fever with jaundice. Paired with *Lianqiao* (Forsythia Fruit), it treats lingering Heat in the Heart Meridian. (Heart Heat leads to red urine.) Assisted by *Chaihu* (Bupleurum Root) and *Baishao* (White Peony Root), it treats stagnant Fire in the Liver and Gallbladder. Used with *Shengdi* (Rehmannia Root) and *Danpi* (Moutan Cortex), it treats persistent hematemesis and epistaxis.
Lightly stir-fried, husk removed, twenty fruits decocted in water to treat undigested food passing directly through the intestines.
For Upper Jiao and Middle Jiao disorders, use with the husk. For Lower Jiao disorders, remove the husk. Wash away the yellow pigment before stir-frying. Use raw for clearing Fire; use charred black for stopping bleeding. Use the kernel for internal Heat; use the husk for exterior Heat. For strangury (*Lin Syndrome*), process with child's urine. For defluxion of deficient Fire, process with salt water. For seizing Heart and Stomach Fire pain, process with ginger juice. For heat-pain, stir-fry with *Wuyao* (Lindera Root). For clearing ascending deficient Fire, both kernel and husk are contraindicated.
*Shanzhi*, *Danpi*, *Baishao*, and *Longdan* all clear Fire from the Liver, but their mechanisms differ. The Liver prefers dispersion; suppressing it intensifies the Fire. *Shanzhi* should be used to clear its Qi; when Qi is cleared, Fire is also cleared.
The Liver benefits from Pungent flavors; the Pungency of *Danpi* awakens the Liver according to its nature, which constitutes tonification. When the Liver is tonified, Qi flows freely, and Fire subsides. If Liver Qi is excessively dispersed, *Baishao* should be used to restrain it; pacifying its nature serves to drain its Fire, preventing it from running rampant. When Fire is excessive, Liver Qi becomes Excess. *Longdan* (Gentiana Root) uses Bitterness to drain Qi and Coldness to control Fire; therefore, it should only be used for Excess patterns. If one fails to examine the root cause and indiscriminately administers these herbs, it damages the vital generating energy. Even if the Fire is completely eradicated, the patient will already be exhausted.