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Dried Ginger (Ganjiang)
Wenzhou Fresh Ginger (Wenzhou Shengjiang)
Fuzhou Fresh Ginger (Fuzhou Shengjiang)

Pungent in flavor, slightly warm in nature. The aroma and flavor are both light, ascending and floating, belonging to Yang. Non-toxic. Widely cultivated in Jingzhou and Yangzhou. (Jingzhou belongs to Huguang; see previous notes for Yangzhou.)
Roots are harvested in autumn. Stored in sand, they remain fresh and available throughout the four seasons. In application, it is used with Hyoscyamus niger seed (Langdang), Pinellia ternata (Banxia), and Magnolia officinalis bark (Houpo). It is incompatible with Tianshufen (Tian Shufen), Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), and Coptis chinensis (Huanglian). Qinjiao (Sichuan Pepper) serves as the guiding herb, serving as a standard for medicinal use. Removing the peel makes it hot; keeping the peel makes it cool. Paired with Jujube (Dazao), it benefits Qi and thickens the intestines; combined with Bamboo Sap (Zhuli) and Urine Sediment (Niaobai), it resolves phlegm and opens orifices. It neutralizes the toxicity of Pinellia ternata without causing numbness in the throat. Stir-fried with Rehmannia glutinosa (Dihuang), it prevents cloying stagnation in the chest and diaphragm. Decocted with aged tea leaves (preferably those aged for many years), it can revive patients with epidemic dysentery who cannot eat. Mixed with raw salt, stir-fried, and decocted, it induces vomiting in cases of retained food encasing phlegm. It benefits the spleen and opens the stomach appetite. (A question arises: Fresh ginger is pungent and warm, entering the Lung meridian; why is it said to enter the stomach? Dongtan replied: Common people mistakenly consider the area below the heart as the "stomach gate." This is incorrect. The place below the pharynx that receives solid food is called the "stomach gate," which differs from Lung herbs.) It is beneficial for cholera with muscle cramps when consumed as a drink. For red, swollen, painful eyes without ulcers, juice scraped from a copper coin applied topically is effective. It promotes fluid circulation, harmonizes Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi), removes fox odor, and clarifies the mind. It is suitable for consumption in early spring to ward off pestilential qi and aid the generation and flourishing of Yang energy. It should not be eaten after autumn, as it dissipates Qi and damages longevity. At night, when Qi converges and stores, its consumption is strictly contraindicated. Although the *Analects* states "do not remove ginger from meals," one must consume it at the proper time and in moderation. Ginger crumbs (Northern dried ginger is not sufficiently warming; northern fresh ginger is not sufficiently moistening) taken with wine can treat hemiplegia due to wind. Ginger peel made into a powder and applied externally (used in Wupi San / Five Peel Powder) can reduce edema. Peeled and sun-dried, it is also known as Dried Ginger. (The method for making Dried Ginger in Hanzhou: Soak ginger in water for three days, peel it, then place it in running water for six days, scrape the peel again, dry it in the sun, and ferment it in an urn for three days before it is ready.) When dried, its pungency specializes in dispersing rather than astringing, making it suitable for exterior syndromes, resolving wind-cold-damp bi obstruction, nasal congestion, headache, fever, and manic delirium. When processed (pao), its bitterness becomes astringent and stabilizing, making it suitable for warming the middle jiao and regulating vomiting and diarrhea. For exterior syndromes with cold-phlegm cough due to Lung cold, it relies on Schisandra chinensis (Wuweizi) to assist in achieving efficacy. For interior syndromes with absent pulse and absence of Yang, it relies on Aconitum carmichaelii root (Hei Fuzi) as a guide to obtain results. If treating blood deficiency with alternating chills and fever, add Yin-nourishing herbs for decoction; it can guide blood-invigorating herbs upward, entering the Qi level to generate blood. Therefore, in postpartum cases with excessive blood loss and sudden intense heat, double the dosage for treatment without hesitation. Charred black, it effectively stops hemoptysis and bloody dysentery; baked and ground, inserted nasally, it is excellent for watery and loose stools. In cases of Yinyang Yi syndrome, inducing sweating leads to immediate recovery.
Another view: Drying the Spleen does not drain healthy Qi. Since cold-dampness in the Spleen requires the pungent-heat of Dried Ginger to dry it out, it is termed "draining" in this context.