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Taste: Salty, Warm; Slightly Toxic. Indications: Qi stagnation (Qi stagnation), fullness under the hypochondrium (fullness in the hypochondriac region), palpitations (palpitation), removal of fluid retention (fluid retention), elimination of cold and heat between the five zang organs (five zang organs), tonification of the middle jiao (middle jiao) and supplementation of qi (qi).

Chen Xiuyuan stated: Xuanfuhua (Inulae Flos) has a warm temperature, inheriting the nature of wind to primarily disperse; its salty taste inherits the nature of water to moisten and descend. Its flavor is superior to its temperature, thus its action is primarily based on its flavor. Precisely because of its firming nature, it can cure conditions such as qi stagnation and hypochondriac fullness; precisely because of its moistening and descending nature, it can cure conditions such as palpitations caused by retained fluids, and cold-heat symptoms arising from stagnation in the five zang organs. Borrowing the power of salty descent, it directs upward-moving substances downward; as fluid qi moves and phlegm qi dissipates, the middle jiao naturally receives tonification. (Named Jinfeicao in *Shennong Bencao Jing*; named Daogeng in *Erya*. It blooms in the seventh and eighth months, resembling Chrysanthemum coronarium. It is said that dewdrops falling from its leaves onto the ground will take root.)

Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) Taste: Pungent, Slightly Warm; Slightly Toxic. Indications: Chest and hypochondriac pain as if pierced by a knife, abdominal fullness with low-pitched borborygmi (borborygmus), fright, palpitations, and qi disorder.

Zhang Yin'an stated: Jiegeng treats hypochondriac fullness of the Shaoyang channel (Shaoyang channel), chest bi (chest obstruction) of the upper jiao (upper jiao), abdominal fullness of the middle jiao, and borborygmi of the lower jiao (lower jiao). Furthermore, fright causes qi to move upward, fear causes qi to sink downward, and palpitations disturb the center. Therefore, Jiegeng is a herb for regulating qi, effective for the upper, middle, and lower jiao. Zhang Yuansu did not refer to classical medical theories, claiming that Jiegeng is a "boat and oar" herb that carries other herbs so they do not sink. People today recite this constantly and never forget, considering Zhang Yuansu's fabricated words correct. If so, *Shennong Bencao Jing* could almost be abolished! Heroes in the medical field who can clarify Shennong's *Bencao Jing*, Huangdi and Qibo's *Lingshu* and *Suwen*, and Zhang Zhongjing's *Shanghan Lun* and *Jingui Yaolue*, will find that thousands of prescription books are merely dregs. If one cannot achieve this, one will inevitably be confined by prescription books and blinded for a lifetime. Is this not terrifying?

Tinglizi (Descurainiae Semen seu Lepidii Semen) Taste: Pungent, Cold. Indications: Zhengjia (masses), jijuzhi (accumulations), qi stagnation (diseases formed by fluid retention); dietary cold-heat discomfort; breaking firm accumulations and driving out pathogens (also diseases of fluid qi); promoting free flow of the water passages (when lung qi descends, water passages naturally open).

Xu Lingtai stated: Tinglizi is slippery, moist, and fragrant, specifically purging lung qi (lung qi). The lung is the source of water; therefore, by purging the lung, it purges water. It is the primary herb for masses and cold-heat conditions originating from fluid qi.

The purgative action of Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) begins in the middle jiao; the purgative action of Tinglizi begins in the upper jiao. Therefore, in *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases), Chengqi Tang uses Dahuang, while Xiaoxiong Tang uses Tinglizi.