补肾命，滑肠
甘酸咸温。入肾经血分。补命门相火，滋润五脏。益髓强筋。
治五劳七伤，绝阳不兴，绝阴不产，腰膝冷痛，崩带遗精，峻补精血（时珍曰∶补而不
峻，故有苁蓉之号）。骤用恐妨心，滑大便。
长大如臂，重至斤许。有松子鳞甲者良。酒浸一宿，刷去浮甲，劈破，除内筋膜。酒蒸
半日。又酥炙用。忌铁（苏恭曰∶今日所用，多草苁蓉功力稍劣）。
补阳，滑肠
甘温补阴。益精兴阳，润燥养筋（强筋故能兴阳）。治痿弱，滑大便（便燥者啖之，可
代苁蓉，煮粥弥佳）。
鳞甲栉比，状类男阳。酥炙。
补肾，祛风
甘辛微温。入肾经血分、强阴益精，治五劳七伤；辛温散风湿，治风气、香港脚、水肿。
根如连珠。击破中紫而鲜洁者，伪也。中虽紫，微有白糁粉色而理小暗者，真也。蜀产
佳（山 根似巴戟，但色白，人或醋煮以乱之）。去心，酒浸焙用。复盆子为使。恶丹参。
燥，补肾命，除寒湿
苦温纯阳。入右肾命门。暖丹田，壮元阳。
治肾脏虚冷，阳气不能归元（同附子、硫黄），瘕疝冷气（同茴香、巴戟、川乌、川楝、
吴茱萸），寒湿香港脚。
出岭南番舶者良，云是番莱菔子。酒浸曝，或蒸，或炒。
燥，补肾命
辛热有小毒。助命火，益阳道，明耳目，补虚劳。
治失溺无子，心腹冷气不能食（温胃），腰脚冷痹不能行（暧筋骨）。相火盛者忌服。
叶如茅而略阔，根如小指，黄白多涎。竹刀去皮，切，糯米泔浸，去赤汁，出毒用。忌
铁（唐，婆罗门始进此方，当时盛传，服之多效。照前制，阴干，蜜丸，酒服。禁牛乳、牛
肉。许真君书曰∶甘能养肉，苦能养气，咸能养骨，酸能养筋，滑能养肤，和苦酒服之必效
）。
Tonifies the Kidney, warms the Mingmen (Gate of Life), and moistens the intestines to promote bowel movement.
Sweet, sour, salty, warm in nature. Enters the Blood aspect of the Kidney meridian. Tonifies the Minister Fire of the Mingmen, moistens the five Zang organs. Nourishes the marrow and strengthens the sinews and bones.
Treats the five labors and seven injuries, impotence with inability to erect, infertility due to Yin deficiency, cold pain in the waist and knees, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, and severely tonifies Essence and Blood (Li Shizhen said: Its tonifying action is potent but not harsh, hence the name "Cong Rong"). Sudden and heavy use may disturb the Heart spirit and cause loose stools.
The plant grows as large as an arm and weighs up to one Jin (approx. 500g). Those with pine-cone-like scales are of good quality. Soak in wine for one night, brush off the floating scales, split open, remove the internal membrane. Steam with wine for half a day. Alternatively, roast with animal fat (Su) before use. Avoid iron vessels (Su Gong said: What is used today is mostly Caocongrong [Herba Cistanches], which has slightly inferior efficacy).
Tonifies Yang, moistens the intestines to promote bowel movement.
Sweet, warm, tonifies Yin. Benefits Essence, promotes erection, moistens dryness and nourishes sinews (because it strengthens sinews, it can promote erection). Treats flaccidity syndromes and weakness, causing loose stools (for those with dry stools, consuming it can replace Cong Rong; cooking it into porridge is even better).
Scales are arranged like comb teeth, resembling male genitalia. Roast with animal fat (Su).
Tonifies the Kidney, dispels Wind.
Sweet, pungent, slightly warm. Enters the Blood aspect of the Kidney meridian. Strengthens Yin and benefits Essence, treats the five labors and seven injuries; Pungent and warm to disperse Wind-Damp, treats Wind pathogens, Hongjiao (Beriberi/Foot Qi), and edema.
The root resembles linked pearls. If broken open and the center is purple and fresh/clean, it is a fake. If the center is purple but slightly has white powdery pinkish hue and the texture is slightly dull, it is genuine. Those from Shu (Sichuan) are excellent (Shangen resembles Bajitian but is white; some people boil it in vinegar to confuse it). Remove the core, soak in wine, and bake before use. Fupenzi (Rubus chingii Fruit) acts as its guide drug. Averse to Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Root).
Dries dampness, tonifies the Kidney, warms the Mingmen, dispels Cold-Damp.
Bitter, warm, purely Yang in nature. Enters the Right Kidney and Mingmen. Warms the Dantian, strengthens Original Yang.
Treats Kidney deficiency-cold, where Yang Qi cannot return to its source (used with Fuzi [Aconite Lateralis Radix Preparata] and Liuhuang [Sulfur]), Jia-Shan (abdominal masses) with cold Qi (used with Huixiang [Foeniculi Fructus], Bajitian [Morinda officinalis Root], Chuanwu [Aconitum carmichaelii Radix], Chuanlianzi [Toosendan Fructus], Wuzhuyu [Evodiae Fructus]), and Cold-Damp Hongjiao (Foot Qi).
Those shipped from Lingnan via foreign ships are of good quality, said to be Fan Laifu Zi (Radish seeds from foreign lands). Soak in wine and sun-dry, or steam, or stir-fry.
Dries dampness, tonifies the Kidney, warms the Mingmen.
Pungent, hot, slightly toxic. Assists the Fire of the Mingmen, benefits the Yang pathway, clarifies the ears and eyes, tonifies deficiency and labor.
Treats urinary incontinence and infertility, cold Qi in the heart and abdomen preventing eating (warms the Stomach), cold bi-syndrome in the waist and legs preventing walking (warms sinews and bones). Contraindicated for those with flourishing Minister Fire.
Leaves resemble Mao grass but are slightly broader; roots are the size of a small finger, yellow-white and mucilaginous. Peel with a bamboo knife, slice, soak in rice washing water, remove the red juice to eliminate toxicity before use. Avoid iron vessels (In the Tang Dynasty, the Bo Luo Men country first presented this prescription; it was widely circulated then, and most who took it were effective. Prepare according to the previous method, dry in shade, make into honey pills, take with wine. Ban milk and beef. Xu Zhenjun wrote: Sweet nourishes flesh, bitter nourishes Qi, salty nourishes bone, sour nourishes sinew, slippery/lubricating nourishes skin; taken with vinegar, it will surely be effective).