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Medicinals possess five flavors.
Zhang Yuansu stated: Generally, sour flavor enters the Liver, bitter flavor enters the Heart, sweet flavor enters the Spleen, pungent flavor enters the Lung, and salty flavor enters the Kidney. (This clarifies the principle of the five flavors.) Pungency governs dispersion, sourness governs astringency, sweetness governs moderation, bitterness governs firmness/drying, and saltiness governs softening. (A general discussion on the functions of the five flavors.) Pungency can dissipate nodules and moisten dryness, promoting the generation of body fluids and the flow of Qi. Sourness can restrain and moderate, gathering and dispersing. Sweetness can relieve urgency and harmonize the middle jiao. Bitterness can dry dampness and firm the yin. Saltiness can soften hardness. Blandness can open orifices. (Re-explaining the applications of the five flavors.)

Medicinals possess Yin and Yang attributes. When the Qi of Yin and Yang is balanced, there is no disease; when unbalanced, disease arises.
The *Treatise on Yin and Yang Corresponding to Phenomena* states: Yin flavors exit through the lower orifices, while Yang Qi exits through the upper orifices. Clear Yang emanates from the interstices (the clearest of clear), turbid Yin travels to the Five Zang organs (the clearer part of turbid), Clear Yang fills the four limbs (the turbid part of clear), and Turbid Yin returns to the Six Fu organs (the most turbid of turbid). Flavors that are thick belong to Yin, while those that are thin belong to Yang within Yin. Qi that is thick belongs to Yang, while that which is thin belongs to Yin within Yang. Thick flavors induce purgation (descending and draining), while thin flavors promote unblocking (percolating and benefiting). Thin Qi induces excretion (dispersing), while thick Qi induces heat (warming and drying). Pungent and sweet flavors disperse and belong to Yang; sour and bitter flavors induce vomiting and purgation and belong to Yin; salty flavors promote unblocking and purgation and belong to Yin; bland flavors promote percolation and purgation and belong to Yang. These six properties either astringe or disperse, moderate or urgent, moisten or dry, soften or firm. One should act according to their beneficial aspects, regulate the Qi, and restore balance. (This clarifies the meaning of Yin and Yang. Zhang Jingyue said: The agent that generates living things is Qi, and the agent that forms them is Flavor. Cold Qi makes things hard, so flavor is used to soften them; Heat Qi makes things soft, so flavor is used to firm them. Wind Qi scatters, so flavor is used to gather it; Dry Qi gathers, so flavor is used to scatter it. Earth is generated by harmonious Qi, which is in harmony with nothing, so flavor is used to moderate it. If Qi is firm, it strengthens, so Bitterness can nourish Qi. If vessels are soft, they are harmonious, so Saltiness can nourish vessels. If bones are gathered, they are strong, so gathering flavors can nourish bones. If sinews are scattered, they do not spasm, so Pungency can nourish sinews. If flesh is moderate, it does not stagnate, so Sweetness can nourish flesh. Firming first allows for subsequent softening; gathering first allows for subsequent scattering. Therefore, Sweetness is used for moderation; if moderation is not desired, it is not used. Excessive use also causes disease! Ancient practitioners of health preservation and disease treatment must first understand these principles; otherwise, few could cure others' diseases!)

Medicinals possess the characteristics of ascending, descending, floating, and sinking based on their Qi and Flavor.
Li Dongyuan stated: Medicinals with thin flavors ascend and generate (resembling Spring, such as medicinals with Sweet-Ping, Pungent-Ping, Pungent-Slightly-Warm, and Slightly-Bitter-Ping properties). Medicinals with thin Qi descend and harvest (resembling Autumn, such as medicinals with Sweet-Cold, Sweet-Cool, Sweet-Bland-Cool, Sour-Warm, Sour-Ping, and Salty-Ping properties). Medicinals with thick Qi float and grow (resembling Summer, such as medicinals with Sweet-Hot and Pungent-Hot properties). Medicinals with thick flavors sink and store (resembling Winter, such as medicinals with Bitter-Cold and Salty-Cold properties). Medicinals with balanced Qi and Flavor transform and become (resembling Earth, such as medicinals with Sweet-Ping, Sweet-Warm, Sweet-Cool, Sweet-Pungent-Ping, and Sweet-Slightly-Bitter-Ping properties).
Wang Ang stated: Medicinals with thick Qi and thin flavors float and ascend; those with thick flavors and thin Qi sink and descend; those with both thick Qi and flavors can both float and sink; those with both thin Qi and flavors can both ascend and descend.
Li Shizhen stated: Sour and Salty flavors do not ascend; Pungent and Sweet flavors do not descend. Cold nature does not float; Hot nature does not sink. This is their inherent nature. However, an ascending medicinal guided by Salty-Cold substances can sink and reach directly to the Lower Jiao; a sinking medicinal guided by Wine can float and reach the crown of the head. Within a single medicinal, there are differences such as root ascending and tip descending, raw ascending and cooked descending. This indicates that ascending and descending depend on the object itself as well as human application. (This generally explains the meaning of ascending, descending, floating, and sinking.)

Medicinals have distinctions regarding roots, tips, upper, middle, and lower parts.
Zhang Yuansu stated: For any medicinal, the portion in the soil above the midpoint represents the upward flow of Qi and pulses, identified as the root where shoots emerge. The portion below the midpoint represents the downward flow of Qi and pulses, identified as the tip entering the soil. For diseases in the Middle and Upper Jiao, use the root; for diseases in the Lower Jiao, use the tip. Roots ascend and tips descend. The upper half of the human body corresponds to the Yang of Heaven, using the head/top part; the Middle Jiao uses the body/middle part; the lower half of the body corresponds to the Yin of Earth, using the tip. This is the method of analogical imagery.
Wang Ang stated: Branches of medicinals reach the four limbs; bark reaches the skin; the heart and trunk travel internally to the Zang-Fu organs; light substances enter the Heart and Lungs; heavy substances enter the Liver and Kidneys; hollow substances release the exterior; solid internal substances attack the interior; dry and rough substances enter the Qi level; moist and glossy substances enter the Blood level. This follows the principle that upper, lower, internal, and external correspond by category.

Medicinals cause five types of injury.
The *Chapter on Five Injuries* states: Sour flavor injures the sinews, countered by Pungency; Bitter flavor injures Qi, countered by Saltiness; Sweet flavor injures flesh, countered by Sourness; Pungent flavor injures the skin and hair, countered by Bitterness; Salty flavor injures Blood, countered by Sweetness. (This is the principle of the mutual overcoming of the Five Elements.)

Medicinals have five pathways of action.
The *Chapter on Five Pathways* states: Sour flavor travels to the sinews. In sinew diseases, one should not consume excessive sourness, as it leads to strangury. Sour Qi is astringent and gathering; the bladder contracts and curls upon receiving Sour Qi, thus blocking the water passages. Bitter flavor travels to the bones. In bone diseases, one should not consume excessive bitterness, as it leads to vomiting. Bitterness enters the lower epigastrium, closing the Three Jiao, thus causing vomiting. Sweet flavor travels to the flesh. In flesh diseases, one should not consume excessive sweetness, as it leads to cardiac vexation. Sweet Qi is soft and moist; stomach Qi becomes lax, leading to worm movement, thus causing cardiac vexation. Pungent flavor travels to Qi. In Qi diseases, one should not consume excessive pungency, as it leads to a hollow feeling in the heart. Pungency travels to the Upper Jiao, moving with Qi, and lingers below the heart, causing a hollow sensation. Salty flavor travels to Blood. In blood diseases, one should not consume excessive saltiness, as it leads to thirst. When Blood meets Saltiness, it coagulates; upon coagulation, stomach juices pour in to compensate, thus drying the throat passage and the base of the tongue. (These are the dietary prohibitions for the five diseases.)

Medicinals have five excesses (Five Overindulgences).
The *Chapter on Five Excesses* states: Excessive sourness causes Liver Qi to overflow and Spleen Qi to fail, resulting in dry, wrinkled skin and peeling lips. Excessive bitterness causes Spleen Qi to lack moisture and Stomach Qi to become thick, resulting withered skin and fallen hair. Excessive sweetness causes Heart Qi to pant and feel full, dark complexion, imbalanced Kidney Qi, bone pain, and hair loss. Excessive pungency blocks sinews and vessels, loses spirit, causes spasmodic sinews, and withered nails. Excessive saltiness labors the large bones, shortens muscles, suppresses Heart Qi, causes congealed and sluggish pulse with color changes. (These are the injuries caused by the five flavors.)

Medicinals have mother-son generation relationships.
Wang Ang stated: The five Zang organs of humans correspond to the Five Elements Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, generating each other in a mother-son sequence. The classics state: Deficiency is treated by tonifying the mother; Excess is treated by draining the son. It also states: The son can make the mother substantial. For example, the Kidney is the mother of the Liver, and the Heart is the son of the Liver; thus, medicinals entering the Liver also enter the Kidney and Heart. The Liver is the mother of the Heart, and the Spleen is the son of the Heart; thus, medicinals entering the Heart also enter the Liver and Spleen. The Heart is the mother of the Spleen, and the Lung is the son of the Spleen; thus, medicinals entering the Spleen also enter the Heart and Lung. The Spleen is the mother of the Lung, and the Kidney is the son of the Lung; thus, medicinals entering the Lung also enter the Spleen and Kidney. The Lung is the mother of the Kidney, and the Liver is the son of the Kidney; thus, medicinals entering the Kidney also enter the Lung and Liver. This is the meaning of the Five Elements generating each other and the correspondence of mother and son!

Medicinals have distinctions in form, nature, Qi, and substance.
Wang Ang stated: As objects, medicinals each have distinct form, nature, Qi, and substance. Their entry into various meridians occurs due to similar form (e.g., *Forsythiae Fructus* [Lianqiao] resembles the heart and enters the Heart; *Litchi Chinensis* seed resembles the testis and enters the Kidney); due to following nature (e.g., those belonging to Wood enter the Liver, those belonging to Water enter the Kidney, moist ones travel to the Blood level, dry ones enter the Qi level, those naturally upward亲近 the upper, those locally downward亲近 the lower); due to seeking Qi (e.g., fragrant Qi enters the Spleen, scorched Qi enters the Heart); due to identical substance (e.g., medicinal heads enter the head, trunks enter the body, branches enter limbs, bark travels the skin, *Carthami Flos* [Honghua] and Perilla juice resemble blood and enter the Blood level). Furthermore, some medicinals are named by form (e.g., *Ginseng Radix* [Renshen], *Dryopteris Crassirhizoma* [Gouji]); by color (e.g., *Coptidis Rhizoma* [Huanglian], Black *Panax Notoginseng* [Heishen]); by aroma (e.g., *Elsholtzia Herba* [Xiangru]); by flavor (e.g., *Glycyrrhizae Radix* [Gancao], *Sophorae Flavescentis Radix* [Kushen]); by substance (e.g., *Gypsum Fibrosum* [Shigao], *Calamina* [Shizhi], *Angelicae Sinensis Radix* stem [Guishen], *Angelicae Sinensis Radix* tail [Guiwei]); by season (e.g., *Prunella Spica* [Xiakucao], *Farfarae Flos* [Kuandonghua]); or by efficacy (e.g., *Polygoni Multiflori Radix* [Heshouwu], *Drynariae Rhizoma* [Gusuibu]). This is natural logic, which can be apprehended intuitively.

Medicinals have relationships of assistants, aversion, fear, incompatibility, and detoxification.
Li Shizhen stated: Medicinals have Seven Emotions. "Independent" refers to single prescriptions without auxiliaries. "Mutual Need" refers to similar categories that cannot be separated (e.g., *Ginseng Radix*, *Glycyrrhizae Radix*, *Phellodendri Cortex*, *Anemarrhenae Rhizoma*). "Assistant" refers to my supporting agents. "Aversion" refers to the reduction of my efficacy. "Fear" refers to being controlled by the other. "Incompatibility" refers to two substances that do not combine. "Detoxification" refers to controlling the toxicity of the other. Ancient formulas often used Aversion and Incompatibility. Generally, using Mutual Need and Assistant together is the Imperial Way; using Fear and Detoxification together is the King's Way; using Aversion and Incompatibility together is the Hegemon's Way. There are constant laws and flexible adaptations; users must possess insight and understanding.

Medicinal processing values appropriateness.
Jiamo stated: Medicinal processing values appropriateness. Insufficient processing makes efficacy difficult to achieve; excessive processing causes the loss of Qi and Flavor. Fire processing has four methods: roasting, baking, stir-frying. Water processing has three methods: soaking, steeping, washing. Fire-water joint processing has two methods: steaming, boiling. Wine processing promotes ascending; Ginger processing promotes dispersion; Salt processing directs to the Kidney and softens hardness; Vinegar processing targets the Liver and stops pain; Child urine processing removes inferior qualities and promotes descending; Rice wash water processing removes dryness and harmonizes the middle; Milk processing moistens dryness and generates blood; Honey processing provides sweetness and moderation, benefiting Yuan Qi; Old wall earth processing borrows Earth Qi to tonify the Central Plains; Flour-wrapping baking suppresses harsh nature to prevent damage to the upper diaphragm; Soaking and boiling in Mung Bean Decoction or Licorice Decoction both detoxify and render the substance peaceful; Coating with Sheep Butter or Pig Fat and burning allows salty penetration into bones for easy brittleness; Removing pith prevents bloating; Extracting the heart removes vexation. The general situation is stated above; beginners should study and ponder thoroughly.