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In ancient times, the units of weight and volume were very light: one tael (liang) in ancient times is equivalent to a little more than two qian in modern times; one sheng in ancient times is equivalent to two ge in modern times; one dose (ji) in ancient times is equivalent to three servings in modern times. Furthermore, physicians in ancient times all harvested fresh herbs themselves, such as Shengdi Huang (Rehmanniae Radix) and Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma), whose weight was several times that of dried herbs. Therefore, although ancient prescriptions appeared heavy, their actual dosage rarely exceeded around one tael in modern terms. Only occasionally did "Qianjin Fang" (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) and "Waitai Miyao" (Secret Essentials of the Outer Cabinet) contain heavy doses; these were used for treating robust patients with severe conditions and were not employed lightly. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, the total amount per dose in prescriptions was invariably noted below the formula as "each serving is three qian or five qian." None exceeded one tael; this refers to the method of decoction. For powdered medicines (san ji), a quantity of one qian bi was used; for pills, those the size of paulownia seeds were taken ten at a time, increased to twenty or thirty. If one carefully examines ancient formulas, are there any decoctions weighing two or three taels up to seven or eight taels as seen today? This arises because physicians do not understand ancient measurement systems, believing weights and measures are no different from today's, and suspecting the dosages are too heavy. They offer the explanation: "People nowadays have weak constitutions, so dosages should be slightly reduced." Unaware that this actually makes the dosage several times heavier than ancient formulas, they contribute to rising drug prices and faster harm to patients. There are also cases where Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmanniae Radix) is used in amounts of three to four taels, while other herbs are only one or two qian; there has never been such a drastic disparity in heaviness and lightness within a single prescription. It must be understood that when medicinal qi enters the stomach, it serves merely to harmonize Qi and Blood; it does not instantly transform into Qi and Blood upon ingestion, hence quantity is not the primary factor. In cases where patients cannot swallow even a grain of rice, using cloying, obstructing, sour, bitter, fishy, or foul-tasting herbs, brewed thickly in large bowls and force-fed, may prove difficult to digest and transform even if the diagnosis is correct. How much more so if these contradict the pathology, filling the stomach? Even if not killed by toxicity, the patient will be drowned by the fluid, especially children. Regardless of wealth or poverty, Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) is always regarded as an indispensable treasure. Human nature craves life and fears death; people will go to great lengths to procure it, unaware that this often leads to their demise. The poor end up without funeral supplies, leaving wives and children scattered and destitute; this kills them and bankrupts their families. In my youth, I observed senior physicians who would carefully assess a patient's financial status before prescribing. Their conscientiousness was profound. Moreover, at that time, the price of Ginseng was twenty times lower than today, yet they remained so cautious. With such attitudes, contemporary physicians fall far short of their predecessors!