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Sweet in taste, cold in nature. It primarily treats cough and rebellious qi (cough with upward rushing of qi), tonifies the middle jiao (middle burner) and directs qi downward, preventing it from rebelling upward. It treats alternating chills and fever, eliminating chills and fever caused by deficiency of spleen and stomach qi and stagnation of dampness. It relieves vexation and fullness, which is the effect of tonifying the spleen. It treats dysentery with red and white discharge; due to its dry texture and cold nature, it can eliminate diseases of damp-heat. It treats blood obstruction and masses (fixed abdominal lumps), dissipating stasis accumulation caused by damp-heat stagnation. It treats high fever; heat in the Yangming channel is necessarily severe, and this herb can eliminate it. When refined and taken as food, it prevents hunger; its texture resembles grain flour and it tonifies the spleen earth, hence it is called "grain" and can satisfy hunger. It makes the body light and prolongs life, which is the effect of nourishing the post-heaven foundation.

Yu Yu Liang (Hematitum), being yellow in color, fine in texture, and sweet in taste, is born by absorbing the essence of Earth Qi. Therefore, its effects in tonifying the spleen and stomach, clearing heat, and drying dampness are prominent. Every disease has its specific cause; a healer must examine the cause before treating, which is called seeking the root. Although both present with chills and fever, there are chills and fever from external contraction, from internal injury, and from miscellaneous diseases. The chills and fever treated by Yu Yu Liang are specifically those caused by damp-stagnation in the spleen and stomach. Later generations, seeing statements in Materia Medica about treating chills and fever, used it for chills and fever from any cause. This not only fails to be effective but also causes harm. Since the Song Dynasty, people have often fallen into this error, which is due to a lack of thorough understanding of Materia Medica.

Sweet in taste, warm in nature. It primarily treats cough and rebellious qi in the heart and abdomen; sweetness can harmonize the middle, and heaviness can direct qi downward. It disperses pathogenic factors, specifically scattering wind-cold. It tonifies insufficiency, specifically tonifying insufficiency of heart blood. It treats women whose uterus is invaded by wind-cold, resulting in infertility for ten years. The uterus belongs to the Chong vessel and the Sea of Blood; when wind-cold enters it, other herbs cannot reach it. Zi Shi Ying (Fluorite) is purple in color and enters the blood level; its heavy weight allows it to descend, so it can enter the depths of the Chong vessel. Wind-cold hinders conception; its warming property can scatter cold and drive away wind. Long-term use warms the middle, makes the body light, and prolongs life, which is the effect of tonifying blood and grasping qi.

Here, treatment is based on color; purple color enters the Heart, and the Heart governs blood, so it can tonify blood. Its ability to direct qi downward and enter the lower jiao is the effect of its heavy substance.

Qing Shi Zhi (Blue Clay), Chi Shi Zhi (Red Clay), Huang Shi Zhi (Yellow Clay), Bai Shi Zhi (White Clay), Hei Shi Zhi (Black Clay), etc., are sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They primarily treat jaundice, diarrhea and dysentery with intestinal rumbling, pus and blood in stools, and erosive sores of the yin organs. These are all diseases of dampness affecting the Taiyin and Yangming channels. They treat bloody and purulent discharge, utilizing their astringent properties. They disperse pathogenic factors; when righteous qi is consolidated, pathogenic factors are eliminated. They treat carbuncles, ulcers, hemorrhoids, malignant sores, scalp sores, and scabies/itching. These are all toxins generated by dampness stagnation. By removing dampness, these diseases recede. Long-term use tonifies marrow and benefits qi, making the body plump and strong without hunger, lightening the body and prolonging life. This is the effect of consolidating essence and qi and drying spleen earth. Each of the Five Stone Clays tonifies the corresponding five zang organs according to their five colors. Their properties and treatments are roughly similar, but the organs they tonify differ. Stone clay is formed by mixing Metal and Earth energies; thus, it has the texture of damp earth but the function of dry metal. The Spleen dislikes dampness, and dryness can tonify it. However, since its substance belongs to Earth, it does not become excessively drying, and it possesses the autumn Metal quality of gathering and storing, making it a supreme medicine for treating dampness.