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Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang), with a pungent flavor and strongly warm nature, is purely yang and non-toxic. It enters the Heart meridian, Danzhong (Pericardium), Spleen meridian, and Stomach meridian. It strengthens the Spleen, opens the appetite, eliminates food stagnation, directs Qi downward, removes cold rebellion in the Stomach, stops Huoluan (cholera-like syndrome) with muscle spasms, stabilizes diarrhea/dysentery and Fanwei (vomiting/reflux), dispels abdominal pain and heart pain, warms the Middle Jiao to drive away cold, and possesses remarkable efficacy. If mistakenly used by persons with internal heat, it will inevitably cause unpredictable complications; thus, caution is essential. Galangal can stop pain in the heart region, but it is best used together with Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu). Otherwise, some cases may heal while others do not, because Galangal cannot dispel dampness.

One might ask: Galangal is most effective at resolving alcohol toxicity, why did you not mention this? Galangal is pungent, warm, and strongly hot; it is truly effective for treating external cold invading the Stomach. However, for those with significant heat in the chest and abdomen, it would only increase the suffering of irritability and burning. Galangal is suitable for treating cold patterns, not heat patterns. Alcohol has a strongly hot nature; using Galangal to resolve alcohol toxicity would be aiding heat with heat. Miao Zhongchun claimed it could resolve alcohol toxicity, which I do not believe.

Perilla Leaf and Stem (Zi Su Ye Geng), with a pungent flavor and slightly warm nature, are non-toxic. They enter the Heart and Lung meridians. They release the exterior and relieve the muscle layer, treat injuries from wind-cold, open the stomach to promote digestion, eliminate distension and fullness, and remove Hongxiangjiao (foot qi/beriberi) and bad breath. Perilla Seed (Zi Su Zi) descends Qi, calms asthma, stops coughing and rebellious Qi, eliminates diaphragmatic Qi stagnation, breaks hard accumulations, promotes urination and defecation, and stabilizes Huoluan vomiting. Although Perilla has distinctions among leaf, stem, and seed, their functions in releasing the exterior, relieving the muscle layer, stopping asthma, and settling vomiting are not different. However, the leaf and stem should be used in small doses, while the seed can be used in larger doses. This is because the leaf and stem are more dispersing than consolidating, whereas the seed is more consolidating than dispersing; usage should be adjusted according to clinical presentation.

One might ask: Perilla Leaf disperses wind pathogens; ancients added Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) for treatment, achieving results as quickly as an echo. Why? The answer is: Without Ginseng, the efficacy of Perilla Leaf is not great. Nowadays, people are terrified upon seeing Ginseng used to expel pathogens, causing physicians to dare not use it, often turning mild conditions into severe, incurable ones. When pathogens first enter the body, Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) dares to fight the pathogens. Using Ginseng to assist Zheng Qi makes Zheng Qi vigorous, facilitating the expulsion of pathogens, so that various pathogens disperse naturally. This is the profound meaning behind adding Ginseng to Perilla Leaf. However, if wind-cold has been present for three or four days, Ginseng should not be lightly used; medication should be prescribed based on whether the constitution is weak or robust.

Another question: Perilla Seed calms asthma, yet some asthma patients show no effect after using it. Why? Asthma patterns have deficiency and excess types; one cannot simply assume Perilla Seed calms asthma and use it universally. Perilla Seed can only calm excess asthma. Using it for deficiency asthma will worsen the wheezing, let alone failing to produce effects.

Some suspect Perilla Seed is precisely the medicine for deficiency asthma, yet you claim it worsens deficiency asthma. What is the rationale? Deficiency asthma stems from Qi deficiency. Although Perilla Seed can calm asthma, it inevitably consumes Qi. Consumed Qi leads to further Qi deficiency and more severe wheezing. Therefore, treating deficiency asthma requires large doses of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang), and Perilla Seed should not be added to avoid worsening the wheezing.

One asks: Perilla Leaf is a sacred herb for dispersing wind pathogens. It is highly suitable for dispersing wind pathogens in the exterior, but often ineffective for dispersing wind pathogens in the interior. There must be a reason. Since you deeply understand the subtleties of Bencao Materia Medica, please teach me. The answer is: The function of Perilla Leaf is merely to disperse exterior pathogens; originally, it does not penetrate deeply into the interior. Since it cannot penetrate deeply, how can it disperse wind pathogens residing in the interior? However, due to its inability to penetrate deeply, there are appropriate uses for it. Perilla Leaf has a light nature and strong flavor. Its light nature causes it to float upward, while its strong flavor causes it to sink downward, theoretically allowing it to connect the interior and exterior. Nevertheless, its light and aromatic nature combined with its strong and pungent flavor means that pungency and aroma easily move outward but are difficult to enter inward. Thus, it only disperses wind pathogens in the exterior, not in the interior.

One asks: Zhang Jingyue stated that persons with cold Spleen and Stomach experience loose stools if they consume too much Perilla. Is this true? The answer is: Perilla is a wind-dispelling herb that soothes the Liver. If Earth is controlled by Wood, one tends to have loose stools. Once Liver Wood is pacified, Spleen Earth is nourished. Moreover, Perilla is pungent and warm; pungency dispels dampness, and warmth dispels cold. Persons with cold Spleen and Stomach should have no taboos regarding it, so why would it cause loose stools? However, the pungent and aromatic flavor can scatter True Qi. Temporary consumption is harmless, but long-term use causes damage; thus, one should know to avoid prolonged use.