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[Curcumae Zedoariae Rhizoma] (Ezhu)
Pungent and bitter in flavor, enters the Liver and Spleen meridians. It breaks Qi stagnation, moves blood stasis, and grinds down accumulations. Its warm and aromatic nature unblocks the zang-fu organs, eliminates phlegm, disperses stagnation, and drives out cold coagulation. (Curcumae Zedoariae Rhizoma is a herb acting on the Qi level of the Liver meridian. It can break blood stasis within the Qi level. With pungent and bitter flavors and warm nature, its property is rigid and fierce, excelling at attacking and reducing. It treats all kinds of masses, accumulations, blood coagulation, and Qi stagnation syndromes. It is often used in combination with Sparganii Rhizoma. If one fears it is too harsh, it should be stir-baked with vinegar.)

[Sparganii Rhizoma] (Sanleng)
Bitter and neutral in flavor, used to enter the Liver meridian. It grinds down accumulations, attacks hardness, and breaks through Qi stagnation within blood stasis. Its property is reducing and cutting, tending to damage healthy Qi. Although it resolves masses and dissipates accumulations, one must still guard against deficiency inside the body. (Sparganii Rhizoma is a herb acting on the Blood level of the Liver meridian. It specializes in breaking blood stasis while moving Qi within the blood. Therefore, it is often used complementarily with Curcumae Zedoariae Rhizoma. Its root resembles a carp and has edges, originating from the Chu and Jing regions, hence the name. Nature is bitter and neutral, non-toxic. In treating blood accumulations and masses, its efficacy is similar to Curcumae Zedoariae Rhizoma, but with slight differences.)

[Papaveris Fructus] (Buguzhi)
It promotes sexual function and stops renal diarrhea. It possesses sweet, warm, pungent, and bitter properties, securing essence and Qi, and curing lower back pain. It has the power to benefit fire and eliminate yin. For coughs due to deficiency-cold, it has authority in tonifying and grasping Qi; for slippery and rapid pulses leading to incontinence, it can be relied upon to secure deficiency. Nocturnal emission with damp-heat requires prohibition; constipation with fluid exhaustion strictly forbids its use. (Papaveris Fructus, also known as Pogu Zhi, is pungent and hot, entering the Kidney meridian. It assists fire and benefits Yang. It is suitable for conditions such as insufficiency of the True Fire of the Gate of Vitality, morning diarrhea, cold kidneys with seminal leakage, etc. The reason it treats asthma is specifically for syndromes of Kidney deficiency-cold with counterflow of true Qi. However, pungent, hot, and dry herbs tend to assist damp-heat. If there is dampness in the Lower Jiao or Yin deficiency with heat, this herb must be avoided.)

[Lycopersici Herba] (Zelan)
Pungent, aromatic, and non-toxic. Sweet and bitter, slightly warm. It moves water and eliminates blood stasis, entering the Liver and Spleen meridians to resolve stagnation. It dispels wind and drives out dampness, distributing and eliminating pathogens via the collaterals. As for Eupatorii Herba (Peilan), it has more efficacy in opening stagnation, clearing turbidity from the head, and宣散 (dispersing) stale and corrupt qi. Its pungent and aromatic quality is superior, making it suitable for treating spleen diseases causing Xiao Dao (wasting-thirst). (Lycopersici Herba grows by the marsh, its leaves resembling orchids and fragrant. Bitter, pungent, and warm, it enters the Liver and Spleen meridians to eliminate stasis and move water. Because it is warm and contains sweetness, it does not damage healthy Qi. Women often use it, particularly effective for syndromes where blood transforms into water. Treating wind syndromes relies on the principle that "when blood moves, wind extinguishes," especially since it is an aromatic leaf herb. Eupatorii Herba, also called Sheng Tou Cao, is pungent and neutral, with an aromatic scent, entering the Lung, Spleen, and Liver meridians. Its functions are similar to Lycopersici Herba, but its pungent and aromatic quality is stronger. Thus, it can resolve stagnation, dissipate nodules, kill parasites, remove stale matter, wash away turbidity, and repel evil qi. Regarding the effects of moving water and eliminating stasis, the two herbs are comparable. However, Lycopersici Herba excels in managing water metabolism, while Eupatorii Herba excels in regulating Qi, which is their difference.)