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Ancient commentaries on Poria (Fuling) all state that it is formed from pine resin penetrating into the ground, without stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits. Modern Poria, however, has vines and can be cultivated; I suspect there are differences between ancient and modern times.

Poria tastes sweet and is neutral in nature. It primarily treats rebellious Qi in the chest and hypochondrium, worry and anger, fright and palpitations, knotting and pain below the heart (epigastrium), alternating chills and fever, vexation and fullness, coughing and rebellious Qi. These ailments are all caused by Spleen deficiency failing to transform water, leading to phlegm-fluid retention and knotting in the meridians. If the mouth and tongue are scorched and dry, and there is fluid retention in the chest, water gathers downward while body fluids fail to ascend. Poria promotes urination through its bland leaching property, which unblocks the water passages. Long-term consumption calms the soul and nourishes the spirit, prevents hunger, and prolongs life. This is the effect of harmonizing and unblocking the Heart and Spleen.

Poria grows in mountain valleys, absorbing the residual Qi of pine and cypress. Its taste is extremely bland, making it a herb for regulating and tonifying Spleen Yin. The rationale is explained under the entry for Dendrobium (Shihu). Generally, when pathogenic factors stagnate and body fluids fail to circulate, phlegm or fluid retention forms. Phlegm is thick and sticky, resulting from the knotting of Fire; fluid retention is clear and thin, resulting from the stagnation of Water. Therefore, treating phlegm involves using salty herbs to descend it, while treating fluid retention involves using bland herbs to promote diuresis. If heavy-dose medications are administered, they may be rejected and fail to enter; only Poria, being extremely light and bland, belongs to Earth. Since Earth overcomes Water, it can dredge and wash away the fluids, allowing them to exit via the Bladder. The disease gradually resolves without the patient feeling discomfort. Observing formulas such as Zhu Ling Tang (Polyporus Decoction) by Zhang Zhongjing, the rationale of Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) becomes evident.

Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai) tastes bitter and is cold in nature. It treats internal heat knotting in the five Zang organs and intestines/stomach, jaundice, intestinal hemorrhoids, dysentery and diarrhea, leukorrhea (red and white discharge) in women, and sores on the yin and yang regions. These are all damp-heat disorders arising from the Yangming channel's interior and exterior, upper and lower aspects.

Phellodendri Cortex is extremely yellow, acquiring the color of Metal, thus enabling it to clear heat. Its taste is extremely bitter; if attributed to Fire, it can also dry dampness. Generally, drying agents are not without heat, and cold agents are not without dampness. Only Phellodendri Cortex combines heat-clearing with damp-drying effects. Because yellow corresponds to Metal, and the Yangming channel corresponds to Dry Metal, its treatment targets damp-heat disorders of the Yangming channel, based on the principle of qi resonance.

Toxicodendron Lacca (Ganqi) tastes pungent and is warm in nature. It treats severe injuries, tonifies the middle Jiao, reconnects sinews and bones, fills the marrow and brain, and replenishes the fat and essence within the sinews and bones. It calms the five Zang organs and solidifies the fat and essence within them. It addresses the "five slacknesses and six urgencies" (sinew laxity and spasticity), harmonizing sinews and bones. It treats Bi syndrome caused by wind-cold-dampness. Raw lacquer becomes hard when exposed to cold and dry when exposed to dampness, thus it can eliminate chills and fever. Raw lacquer expels long worms (parasites). When raw lacquer touches human skin, it causes rotting; therefore, it can also腐虫 (rot/corrode parasites). Long-term consumption makes the body light and resistant to aging. Lacquer does not decay when buried in the ground due to its durable quality, hence this effect.

This utilizes the substance/quality for treatment. Lacquer is a resin. Among herbs, none are more tough and indestructible than lacquer. In the human body, substances that are neither Qi nor Blood but nourish sinews and bones are all fat and essence. While there are methods to tonify Qi and Blood, there is no specific method to tonify fat and essence; here, the most potent tree resin is used to tonify it. Within the fat and essence, any pathogenic factors of wind, cold, damp, or heat that remain and do not depart can be driven out and washed away with the assistance of lacquer's qi.