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Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus), with a bitter taste and neutral, slightly cold nature, possesses a light and floating quality, exhibiting ascending properties; it belongs to the Yang aspect and is non-toxic. It enters the Shaoyin Heart Meridian, as well as the Hand-Shaoyang, Foot-Shaoyang, and Yangming meridians.

It clears guest-heat in the heart, is particularly effective for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, eliminates carbuncle toxins, treats Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) and Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), and is relied upon by dermatological practitioners. It unblocks menstruation, reduces the five types of strangury (Shi, Xue, Gao, Lao, Re Lin), and disperses blood stasis and Qi stagnation in various meridians. However, it can only serve as an assistant or guide herb (Zuo Shi), not as a sovereign or minister herb; it may be used to attack pathogenic factors but should not be relied upon to tonify healthy Qi. Thus, it can be considered an optional ingredient. In recent times, people indiscriminately prescribe it regardless of deficiency or excess conditions, which is laughable.

One might ask: Lianqiao is a key herb for ascending disorders and is likened to Licorice Root (Gancao) among herbs; why do you consider it dispensable? Lianqiao actually holds little weight.

Generally speaking, to defeat toxins, one must use Gancao (Licorice Root); to resolve toxins, one must use Yinhua (Honeysuckle Flower); to disinfect, one must use Fanshi (Alum); to clear toxins, one must add Huangqin (Scutellaria Root), Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome), and Zhizi (Gardenia Fruit); to kill toxins, one must add Dahuang (Rhubarb Root). Therefore, none of the methods for treating toxins require Lianqiao; its absence does not worsen the condition, nor does its presence alleviate it. Only when used as an assistant or guide herb does it strengthen the attack on pathogens, offering perhaps a minor benefit.

Shegan (Belamcanda Rhizome), with a bitter taste and neutral, slightly warm nature, represents Yang within Yin, and is non-toxic. It enters the Lung, Liver, and Spleen meridians. It dissipates Qi nodules, calms carbuncle toxins, drives out blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, relieves Qi pain caused by throat obstruction (Hou Bi), removes foul breath due to oral heat, transforms damp-phlegm and damp-heat, and is highly effective in calming wind-induced asthma. It also treats chest fullness, abdominal distension, cough, and Qi knotting. This herb can serve as the sovereign herb for external contraction involving wind, fire, damp-heat, and phlegm syndromes, but it should only be used temporarily and not for long periods. Long-term use restricts it to the role of an assistant or guide herb.

One might ask: Shegan is essential for treating external contraction-induced phlegmatic asthma characterized by a frog-like sound in the throat, necessitating the use of Shegan Tang, proving its necessity. Why then is it said that it can be used temporarily but not long-term? Asthma syndromes invariably injure Qi; when Lung Qi is damaged by pathogens, wind-phlegm rises along with them. Shegan enters the Lung meridian and can dissipate Qi knots, causing wind-phlegm to disperse upon contact. However, where there are knots, it dissipates them; where there are no knots, it scatters Qi. Since Lung Qi was previously injured by wind-phlegm, further damage by Shegan will inevitably transform an excess asthma into a deficiency asthma. People fail to understand this mechanism; believing that since Shegan previously stopped asthma, they continue to use it, thereby further injuring Lung Qi. This is why I stated it can be used temporarily but not long-term. By analogy, this applies to other diseases as well.