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Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum): Clears fire-evil from the Lung and Stomach. Clears summerheat, relieves irritability, and can quench thirst. Resolves stagnant heat in the Yangming channel; dispels warm pathogens and epidemics, and can eliminate macules. Its nature is sweet and cold; its substance is quite heavy and sedating. (Gypsum is greatly cold and heavy in substance, with a sweet taste, directly clearing the Lung and Stomach. The passed-down theory of "releasing the muscle layer" arises because when exterior wind-cold coexists with interior stagnant heat, the healthy Qi is constrained and cannot penetrate to the exterior. Once the interior stagnant heat is resolved, the interior and exterior become unobstructed. The formulation principle of Da Qing Long Tang is also based on this. How could a substance that is heavy, cold in nature, and sweet in taste induce sweating?)

Huashi (Talcum): Sweet and bland in taste, cold in nature; it benefits the Lung and Stomach by clearing heat. Due to its slippery quality, it separates and eliminates dampness, guiding evil downwards directly to the Bladder (Zhou Du). It removes lingering damp-heat and unblocks the interior and exterior without stagnation. (Talcum is cold in nature, slippery in texture, and heavy in substance, descending and sinking. It expels damp-heat via the Small Intestine and Bladder. Some say it dries dampness, but this is merely the result after dampness is removed, not an inherent drying property of Talcum. Others suggest it releases the muscle layer, likely meaning that when the interior is unobstructed, the exterior condition resolves.)

Chishizhi (Halloysitum Rubrum): Secures the Large Intestine; treats chronic dysentery with intestinal bleeding (red blood in stool); treats metrorrhagia and leukorrhea dripping continuously. Sweet and sour in taste, warms the Kidney, nourishes Heart Qi, harmonizes Ying (Nutritive) Blood, and astringes blood. Applied externally, it treats ulceration caused by Leprosy-like skin diseases; applied as a dressing, it promotes tissue regeneration. (This stone of Halloysitum Rubrum is extremely sticky and oily, making it excellent for securing the foundation. Its taste is sweet and sour, and its substance is heavy and sedating. In treating diseases with herbs, one should observe form and color, assess nature and flavor, and examine cold or warmth properties, thereby achieving mastery without being bound by various theories in Materia Medica. In short, its therapeutic action enters the Heart, Kidney, Large Intestine, and Blood aspect; its efficacy lies primarily in astringency and heavy sedation, which suffices to summarize it.)

Luganshi (Calamina): Formed by obtaining the Qi of gold and silver ores; enters the Yangming channel specifically to dry dampness. Smelted using decoction of San Huang (Three Yellows); excels in treating eye diseases and pacifying Liver Yang. Stops bleeding and generates flesh; sweet and warm in nature, non-toxic. (Calamina originates from gold and silver mines; it is the sprout of gold and silver. It sticks to the tongue when licked. Because it obtains the Qi of gold and silver, it can pacify the Liver and treat all eye diseases. Used after smelting with San Huang decoction, it is superior for external treatment, with no recorded method for internal use.)