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Mu Xiang (Aucklandiae Radix)
Dries the spleen earth to soothe the liver. Its fragrance promotes the sanjiao and breaks qi stagnation. Bitter and pungent in taste, it disperses rebellious qi. Warm and diffusing in nature, it resolves various pains and cold coagulation. For regulating qi, use raw, ground, and taken with water; for stopping diarrhea, use baked. (Mu Xiang is bitter and pungent, warm in nature, aromatic and drying. It enters the qi aspect of the liver and spleen meridians, diffusing and dispersing all cold coagulation and qi stagnation throughout the upper, middle, and lower jiaos. It warms the middle and stops pain, expels evil spirits and pathogens. However, due to its pure yang nature, those with yin deficiency and fluid exhaustion should strictly avoid it. When baked, it can stop diarrhea and dysentery because Mu Xiang has strong aroma and flavor, and when cooked, it loses its scattering property, becoming aromatic, drying, and astringent, thus consolidating the large intestine. It is commonly used in treating diarrhea. The liver likes free flow, and the spleen likes warmth and dryness. Although Mu Xiang is favored by both organs, its drying and scattering action is too strong, so it is best used in combination with tonifying herbs.)

Chuan Xiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma)
Pungent, sweet, and slightly bitter. Its power can resolve depression and regulate menstruation. Moistening and aromatic, its function harmonizes the nutritive level and regulates qi. It cures migraine and frontal headache due to wind-stroke, as its nature tends to ascend. It supplements liver deficiency caused by dryness and excels at unblocking the extraordinary vessels. With its warming and diffusing nature, it can disperse wind-cold in the blood level. Its wandering and penetrating nature requires caution to prevent depletion of yuan qi in the yin. (Chuan Xiong, originally named Xiong, was named Chuan Xiong because it originates from the Sichuan region. Taichuan and Fuchuan are also named after their places of origin. Pungent, sweet, and warm, aromatic and moistening, it is a qi herb within the blood. However, its wandering and ascending nature is most suitable only for cases where there is stagnation in the blood level. In cases of yin deficiency and blood insufficiency, where stillness is preferred over movement, it should not be used.)

Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix)
Guides the various bloods back to their respective meridians. Sweet, bitter, and pungent, warm in nature, aromatic and moistening. Although it regulates blood, it can also regulate qi, making the heart, liver, and spleen smooth and harmonious. It can release the exterior and warm the interior, nourish the nutritive level and stop pain. Descending to break blood stasis, the tail has the strongest effect; tonifying blood and staying in the center, the root body alone achieves this. Harmonizing the nutritive level naturally extinguishes wind; various bi syndromes rely on it for diffusion and unblocking. It circulates through the zang-fu organs and extends to the extraordinary vessels; pregnant women and postpartum women should know that benefiting from it. (The nature and flavor of Dang Gui are similar to Chuan Xiong, but with more sweetness, and less wandering and dissipating than Chuan Xiong. Its function specializes in nourishing and invigorating blood, regulating qi within the blood. Combined with tonics, it tonifies; combined with purgatives, it purges. Although it is an important herb for blood diseases, it generally belongs to pungent, aromatic, and wandering/dissipating substances, so those with yin deficiency should still avoid it. Those with loose bowels should not use it. Although it regulates menstruation, women should not take it in excess, as it may easily lead to strangury and stagnation diseases due to its slippery nature.)