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**Adenophorae Radix (Shashen)**: Sweet, slightly bland, and slightly cold in nature; non-toxic. There are two types: northern and southern. The northern type is solid in texture and cold in property; the southern type is loose in texture and weak in efficacy. It is incompatible with *Veratrum nigrum* (Lilu).

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states that it treats blood stasis (blood stagnation and coagulation), qi disturbance due to fright, eliminates chills and fever, tonifies the middle jiao, and benefits lung qi.

[Invention] Adenophorae Radix specifically clears heat from the lung qi. Therefore, it is suitable for asthma, cough, qi congestion, red and scanty or difficult urination, conditions where the metal element is overcome by fire, yin deficiency with hemorrhage, or wheezing and cough accompanied by chills and fever, as well as lung abscess (Fei Fei). The statement in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* regarding treating blood stasis and qi disturbance due to fright refers to the fact that fright qi enters the heart, causing heat stagnation in the pericardium which leads to blood stasis. Eliminating chills and fever means that once the stagnant heat is resolved, the chills and fever disappear. Tonifying the middle and benefiting lung qi refers to clearing deficient heat in the spleen and stomach, thereby restoring body fluids and benefiting righteous qi. Zhang Jiegou stated that Ginseng is used for lung cold, while Adenophorae Radix is used for lung heat. Li Haogu stated that Adenophorae Radix is cold in nature and tonifies the yin of the five zang organs; however, neither fully grasped the meaning of its light, void nature and ability to vent heat. The *Weisheng Fang* treats lung-heat cough by decocting a single dose of Adenophorae Radix in water. The *Zhouhou Beiji Fang* treats sudden hernia pain with profuse sweating approaching death by administering powdered Adenophorae Radix with wine, resulting in immediate recovery. The *Zhengzhi Yaojue* treats leukorrhea in women by administering powdered Adenophorae Radix with rice water. This is because Adenophorae Radix specifically opens lung qi; when lung qi is clear, liver wood pathogenic factors disperse, and the hernia is eliminated while leukorrhea heals spontaneously. Li Shizhen said: Ginseng is sweet, bitter, and warm; its substance is heavy and solid, specializing in tonifying yuan qi of the spleen and stomach, thereby benefiting the lungs and kidneys, making it suitable for internal injury to yuan qi. Adenophorae Radix is sweet, bland, and cold; its substance is light and void, specializing in clearing lung qi, thereby benefiting the lungs and kidneys, making it suitable for conditions where metal is overcome by fire. This is what the *Shennong Bencao Jing* means by "tonifying the middle and benefiting lung qi." One tonifies yang to generate yin, while the other tonifies yin to control yang. They must not be confused.

**Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng)**: Pungent, sweet, bitter, and slightly warm in nature; non-toxic. The sweet variety is called Qi Geng (Jie Geng); the bitter variety is Ku Geng; the woody variety that tastes fishy and astringent when bitten is Mu Geng, which is unsuitable for medicinal use.

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states that it treats stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, abdominal fullness with low-pitched borborygmi, and fright palpitations.

[Invention] Platycodonis Radix ascends to clear and benefit lung qi, unblocks the throat, serves as a guiding herb for the lung meridian, and can open the skin and pores. Thus, it belongs to the category of exterior-releasing herbs, similar to *Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix* (Qianghuo), *Saussureae Radix* (Duhuo), *Bupleuri Radix* (Chaihu), and *Perillae Folium* (Zisu). When combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao), it forms a "boat and oar" formula, preventing other herbs from sinking. When pathogenic factors of cold damage bind in the chest and hypochondrium, pain feels like stabbing; when pathogenic factors are in the middle jiao, abdominal fullness and low-pitched borborygmi occur. Pungent and sweet ascend and release, while bitter and bland descend and drain, thus resolving pathogenic factors and harmonizing qi. Its treatment of fright and palpitations addresses the constraint of heart and spleen qi, using Platycodonis Radix to ascend and disperse. Zhu Gong used Platycodonis Radix to treat chest oppression, staying within the scope of the *Shennong Bencao Jing*. Zhang Zhongjing treated cold-solid binding in the chest with Platycodonis Radix, Fritillariae Bulbus (Beimu), and *Ricini Semen* (Badou), utilizing their ability to warm the middle, digest food, and break accumulations. For lung abscess with expectoration of pus and blood, Platycodonis Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are used to expel pus and clear turbid qi. For Shaoyin syndrome with sore throat after two or three days, Ganjie Tang is used to harmonize cold and heat and unblock yin qi. The *Qianjin Fang* treats throat obstruction and toxic qi by decocting two liang of Platycodonis Radix in water and taking it in one dose. Adding Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Forsythiae Fructus (Lianqiao), Schizonepetae Herba (Jingjie), and Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng) creates Rusheng Tang, which generally treats various throat diseases. Platycodonis Radix has sweet and bitter varieties. The sweet one is called Qi Geng. The *Qianjin Fang* treats Qiangzhong disease (priapism), characterized by persistent erection without ejaculation, utilizing its ability to ascend and resolve heat pathogens above. Additionally, dry cough results from phlegm-fire pathogens constrained in the lungs, which should be moistened with sweet flavors. Abdominal pain in dysentery results from lung metal qi constrained in the large intestine, which should be opened with bitter flavors. Sweet ascends and bitter descends. This herb regulates the ascending and descending of all qi; entering the lungs, it causes all qi to descend. Laypeople mistakenly believe it only ascends and cannot descend, thereby losing its utility. It is strictly contraindicated when measles or smallpox lesions fail to erupt from the lower body, because its ascending nature obstructs the downward movement of medicinal power. It is unsuitable for chronic cough due to yin deficiency, as it promotes yang and drains qi. Its root crown can induce vomiting of wind-heat excess phlegm in the diaphragm; when freshly ground into powder and taken with warm water (2–3 qian), it induces vomiting.