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Taste: bitter, sour; Nature: slightly cold; Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: wind-bi (Wind-Damp Bi syndrome), lin-bi (painful urinary obstruction), unblocking and benefiting the joints, cough due to labor qi, stuffiness and fatigue in the back and shoulders, dispersing phlegm stagnation retained in the chest and diaphragm, driving out water retention, reducing distension and fullness, treating great flank wind, calming the stomach, and stopping wind-pain. (From *Kaibao Bencao* Appendix.)

In ancient pharmacopoeias, only Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange) existed. It was not until the Song Dynasty's *Kaibao Bencao* that the smaller fruits of Citrus were distinguished as Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange), while the larger ones were named Zhi Ke (Ripe Bitter Orange). I argue: The smaller ones have a dense nature with complete Qi; the larger ones have a disseminating nature with dispersed Qi. Some say: The larger ones have abundant Qi but weak force; the smaller ones have insufficient Qi and thin force. This fails to understand that the abundance of Qi lies in its peak time; if past that time, it becomes thin again. Furthermore, Li Dongyuan stated: Zhi Ke acts slowly, while Zhi Shi acts rapidly. Wang Haogu stated: Zhi Ke treats the upper (high), Zhi Shi treats the lower (low); the upper treats Qi, the lower treats Blood. These are merely subjective speculations lacking canonical basis. Later scholars followed and believed them; is this not confusing? One must know that Zhi Shi and Zhi Ke originate from the same species. Since the species is identical, how can distinctions regarding speed or Qi/Blood be made?

Taste: sour; Nature: neutral; Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: evil qi causing cold and heat below the heart, warming the middle, driving out cold-damp bi, eliminating three types of parasites, and long-term use leads to a light body.
*(Shanzhuyu [Cornus Officinalis Fruit] is found in the mountains of Haizhou, Yanzhou, and Jiangsu/Zhejiang regions. The tree grows over one zhang tall, leaves resemble elm but have thorns, blooms white flowers in February, bears fruit resembling sour jujubes in April which are purple-red, harvested on the 9th-10th day of the 9th lunar month, dried in shade, pitted, using only the flesh.)*

Shanzhuyu is purple-red in color and sour-neutral in taste, inheriting the Qi transformation of Jueyin and Shaoyang Wood-Fire. The Hand-Jueyin meridian belongs to the Pericardium, thus it treats evil qi causing cold and heat below the heart. "Below the heart" is the region of the Jueyin Pericardium. The Hand-Shaoyang meridian belongs to the Sanjiao (Triple Burner), thus it warms the middle. "Middle" refers to the Middle Jiao. The Middle Jiao extracts essences, sends them to the Heart to transform into red blood; blood is born in the Heart and stored in the Liver. The Foot-Jueyin Liver governs blood, which fills the skin and muscles, thus it drives out whole-body cold-damp bi. When Wood-Fire Qi is prosperous, the Sanjiao is unobstructed, thus it eliminates parasites. When blood fills the muscle interstices, long-term use results in a light body.

I observe: Zhang Zhongjing used Shanzhuyu in Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia). Later generations removed Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Fuzi (Aconite Root), changing it to Liu Wei Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia Root), treating Shanzhuyu solely as an herb for securing essence and tonifying the kidney. Aside from this, no other uses were recognized, all due to complacency and lack of deep investigation. Now, examining the functions and indications of Shanzhuyu in *Ben Jing* (Shennong Ben Cao Jing) as described above, students who can comprehend within *Ben Jing* and expand its applications will avoid the drawback of narrow-mindedness.