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Frankincense (Ruxiang, 乳香), with a pungent and bitter taste, is warm in nature and belongs to Yang. It is non-toxic. It enters the Spleen, Lung, Heart, Liver, and Kidney Zang organs. It treats various malignant sores and wind-water swelling toxins, stabilizes sudden pains in all meridians, and relieves acute pain in the heart and abdomen. It also enters external plasters (San Gao), stopping pain and promoting flesh regeneration. Furthermore, it can induce labor. It regulates Wind pathogens and can be used in both internal and external medicine. Generally speaking, for internal use to stop pain, it is truly a sacred medicine; grinding it into powder and taking it with liquid is especially miraculous.

One might ask: All pains are attributed to Fire, yet Frankincense is warm in nature, which seems incompatible with pain conditions. How can it stabilize sudden pains in all meridians? The reason is that although Frankincense's aroma is warm, its taste is actually bitter. Warmth corresponds to Heat, and bitterness corresponds to Cold. Its warm nature allows it to enter Fire first, combining without hindrance; its bitter taste allows it to reside within Pain later, restraining without conflict. This is why it can stabilize various pains without any unsuitability.

Clove (Dingxiang, 丁香) has male and female distinctions, but in treating disease, there is no difference between them. It has a pungent taste and is warm in nature, purely Yang, and non-toxic. It enters the Kidney and Stomach meridians, and also travels to the Taiyin Lung organ. It is excellent at dispelling oral and lingual ulcers and has special efficacy in subduing rebellious Qi. It stops hiccupping and rebellious Qi, vomiting due to stomach reversal, cholera, removes cold pain in the heart and abdomen, warms the waist and knees, strengthens Yang, kills childhood malnutrition (Gan syndrome), and strengthens teeth. It treats cracked nipples and eliminates swelling caused by insect toxins. It possesses the power to transform heaven and earth. For diseases directly affecting the Yin meridians, it is particularly suitable, but it should not be used for Shanghan (Cold Damage) that has transmitted through the meridians.

The world values female Cloves and despises male Cloves, though the reason is unknown. It is said that female Cloves can stimulate sexual function (Yang Dao). Since Clove is called "female," it belongs to Yin; thus, it is clear that Yin cannot assist Yang. Male Cloves are easy to obtain, while female Cloves are hard to find; this is why the world values female Cloves. Abandoning the easy for the difficult, people of the world are generally like this.

Asafoetida (Awei, 阿魏), with a pungent taste and neutral nature, is non-toxic and hot. It enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine. It kills parasites, expels foul Qi, breaks up accumulations and masses, wards off pestilence and prevents malaria, drives away ghosts and dispels evil, dissolves gu poison, and reduces transmissive corpse diseases (Chuan Shi). It is a substance for detoxification and attacking pathogens, suitable for external treatment but not for internal treatment.

Asafoetida is best when it has a strong odor; those without odor are fake. However, some with odor are unusable, as they are made by mixing garlic juice to deceive people. I have a method to distinguish real from fake: throw the odorous Asafoetida into water. Those that float half-submerged are superior; those floating entirely are secondary; those sinking completely are fake substances and unfit for medicinal use.