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For the storage of all medicines, constant vigilance is required. If drying by shade, sun exposure, or fire has not completely removed moisture, damage from insect infestation, mold, and rot is inevitable.

During the spring and summer seasons, when rain is abundant and pervasive, nocturnal consumption by rats and insects may also occur. With diligence and without shirking effort, the longevity of the drugs can be extended. When enduring prolonged rain, frequent baking with fire is necessary; on clear days, immediate sun exposure should be practiced. Coarse materials are hung on racks, while fine materials are stored in jars. Ginseng roots (Ren Shen Xu) and Asarum (Xi Xin) should be stored together; Borneol (Bing Pian) must be kept with rush grass (Deng Cao). (The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states: storing them together with rice charcoal and *Abrus precatorius* seeds prevents loss and corrosion.) Musk (She Xiang) is suitably wrapped in snake skin; Borax (Peng Sha) is collected together with mung beans. Old ginger (Sheng Jiang) is selected for sand storage; Yam (Shan Yao) is placed in ash cellars after drying. Agarwood (Chen Xiang) and genuine Sandalwood (Zhen Tan Xiang) have very potent aromas, requiring multiple layers of paper for wrapping; Water from silkworm cocoons (Jian Shui) and snow water from winter solstice (La Xue Shui) are highly efficacious and should be buried deep in pits for a long time. By analogy and inferring from one instance, there is no need to enumerate all cases. In this way, weight will not be lost, and aroma and flavor will remain intact. Pungent and potent properties will avoid volatilization, and sweet and pleasant qualities will be free from insect damage. Old herbs will appear fresh, and moist herbs will become dry. Using these methods for treatment, why worry about ineffectiveness?

Medical trade mostly takes place among market merchants. Without precise identification, errors are unavoidable. The proverb says: "The seller has two eyes, the prescriber has one eye, and the patient has none," which is not an empty statement. Many deceptive practices exist; a few examples are listed below. *Ostreae Concha* (Zhong Ru) is boiled in white vinegar; *Asari Radix et Rhizoma* (Xi Xin) is soaked in plain water; *Angelicae Sinensis Radix* (Dang Gui) is sprinkled with wine to gain moisture; *Lycii Fructus* (Gou Qi) is mixed with honey to become sweet; *Sepiae Endoconcha* (Piao Xiao) is glued onto mulberry branches; *Scolopendra* (Wu Gong) is painted with cinnabar to make its legs red. These practices involve passing off inferior goods as good ones, using fakes to deceive the real. Shepherd's purse (Qi Mai) is passed off as Ginseng; *Aucklandiae Radix* (Mu Xiang) is crushed; Lychee is掺mixed; *Agastache Herba* (Huo Xiang) is harvested improperly; Eggplant leaves are mixed in. Ground gypsum is mixed with calomel; bitter *Artemisia* seeds are collected as chrysanthemum. Turmeric is claimed to be Curcuma; *Smilax Glabra* (Tu Fu Ling) is called *Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma* (Du Huo). Small *Pinelliae Tuber* (Xiao Ban Xia) is boiled yellow to fake Corydalis (*Yan Hu Suo*); tender pine tips are salted to fake Cistanche (*Rou Cong Rong*). (The root of *Lotus nelumbo* salted can also be used as a fake.) *Cardamomi Fructus Rotundus* (Cao Dou Kou) is filled with straw kernels; Southern *Aucklandiae Radix* (Nan Mu Xiang) is substituted with inferior wood. Amber is fabricated by boiling eggs and mackerel vertebrae; Gelatin (Guang Jiao) is made into E-jiao by adding roasted buckwheat flour. Loquat stamen substitutes for Winter Jasmine (*Kuan Dong Hua*); donkey leg bones are molded into tiger bone. Pine resin is stirred with Dragon's Blood (Qilin Xie); saltpeter is inserted with borneol. White bark of mulberry root: are woody stems truly authentic? Cortex Moutan (Mu Dan Pi): are branch barks really genuine? Such tricks are manifold. The discerning rebuke them, while the mediocre accept their deception. Intended to cure diseases, they instead cause death. Although Heaven may punish in the unseen realm, in haste, facts cannot be verified, and blame is often wrongly attributed to the prescriber's error, which is common. This is indeed a matter of great importance, unlike trivial matters. One must investigate meticulously and identify accurately to avoid deviation from the correct path.