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[Harm] Same as [Ginseng].
[Benefits] Sweet and neutral in nature, tonifies Middle Qi (the energy of the Spleen and Stomach), harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach, tonifies the Lung, benefits Qi and promotes fluid production; suitable for those with slight deficiency.
[Processing] Harvest the roots in early August, scrape them with a bamboo knife and dry them in the sun, avoiding exposure to wind. Those produced in Shangdang (modern-day Luzhou) are of superior quality.

[Harm] Its nature is bitter and cold; taking it when there is Cold in the Zang organs will instead cause abdominal pain. Taking it when there is constrained Fire will prevent the Fire from venting outward, instead causing alternating chills and fever.
Bei Sha Shen (Glehniae Radix)
[Harm] If there is no Excess Heat in the Zang-Fu organs, but Cough is caused by Cold invading the Lungs, taking this herb will damage healthy Qi.
[Benefits] Bitter and slightly cold. Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) is sweet and warm, heavy in texture, specifically tonifying Lung Qi, benefiting Yang to generate Yin. Sha Shen (Glehniae Radix or Adenophorae Radix) is sweet and cold, light in texture, specifically clearing Lung Heat, benefiting Yin to restrain Yang.
Nan Sha Shen (Adenophorae Radix). Its efficacy is the same as Bei Sha Shen, but its strength is slightly inferior.
[Processing] Harvest the roots in August or September; those that are white, solid, large, and long are best. Nan Sha Shen is slightly yellowish in color, thinner, smaller, and shorter. Recently, a variety with a pungent taste has appeared, which should not be used; it is produced in Bozhou.

[Harm] It effectively unblocks urination and defecation; those with Middle Jiao Cold and sinking Qi should not take it.
[Benefits] Sweet and slightly cold, protects the Lungs and stops cough, clears the Heart and secures Essence, and also tonifies the Large Intestine, as the Lung and Large Intestine are exterior-interiorly related.
[Processing] A single stem grows straight up, with leaves growing in four directions, resembling short bamboo leaves but broader. Those that bear large white flowers at the stem tip in May or June are preferred. Those bearing red flowers in May are called Shan Dan (Lilium brownii var. viridulum), whose roots are slightly bitter and not very suitable for consumption, being inferior to the white-flowered variety. Shan Dan mainly treats sores, swellings, and fright-evil, and uterine bleeding in women. Harvest the roots in February or August and dry them in the shade; they are found everywhere in nearby valleys.

[Harm] Seafood tends to be cold in nature; patients with Cold Asthma or Cold Cough should not use it, as eating it may worsen the condition.
[Benefits] Sweet, bland, neutral, and moistening; greatly nourishes Lung Yin, resolves phlegm and stops cough, tonifies while clearing, treating conditions where Lung Qi cannot descend clearly and purely. It can also open Stomach Qi and cure Labor Dysentery. It can be decocted or taken as a single decoction. If cooked with rice porridge or chicken broth, it disrupts its original nature of generating clear Qi and tonifying Yin. If decocted with rock sugar, it becomes sweet and warm, assisting Lung Qi in descending clearly and purely.
Yan Wo Jiao (Swallow's Nest Foot), also known as Yan Wo Gen, is reddish-purple in color and called Xue Yan (Blood Swallow's Nest); its functions are similar. Its nature is heavy and reaches downward, slightly salty and moistening downward, very effective in treating Yige (Dysphagia).
[Processing] On the coast of Zhangzhou, Fujian, near areas inhabited by indigenous people, swallows carry small fish and stick them to rocks, forming nests over time. Another theory says swallows carry tender shoots of Gracilaria lemaneiformis to form nests. There are black, white, and red colors; black is the lowest grade, red is the hardest to obtain and benefits children with smallpox/rash, white cures phlegmatic diseases, and those resembling rough rice are the best. For decoction, aged ones are preferred. First soak thoroughly in clean water until swollen, remove feathers with tweezers, wash clean, change to fresh water to soak well, then clarify the original soaking water, remove the feet, and decoct. If using raw swallow nest, place it in an alum jar to dry, grind finely, sift in the wind to blow away feathers, then pick out feather quills with tweezers; if powdered, decoct and take. If using raw swallow, nest foot, or nest debris for decoction, wrap in cotton or silk before adding to the decoction to avoid feathers. Fear that unclean feathers obstruct Lung Qi and cause harm.
Fake swallow nests have no edges or feathers, are white in color, or have slight edge feathers, even some white like silver threads; all are counterfeit.