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(For all medicinal materials, one must select the original branches and observe the effects after slicing to achieve excellence; if ready-made slices are used, it is feared that authenticity and quality will be difficult to distinguish.)

In the trade of medicine, merchants in the market often lack precise identification skills, making errors inevitable. The proverb says: "The seller has two bright eyes; the prescriber has only one eye; the patient is blind." This is not an empty statement. There are many deceptive tricks and frauds; the wise may rebuke them, but the foolish willingly suffer deception. Medicines intended for curing diseases instead cause death. Although Heaven may exact retribution in the unseen world, in haste, one may fail to verify the truth and wrongly blame the prescriber's error, which is common. However, compassion is inherent in human nature; do market merchants lack emotion? It is because people fear high prices for genuine goods, yet they cannot recognize true medicines in the world; conversely, cheap items are bought in succession. Thus, rare fakes pass as genuine, disregarding accumulated sins. Now, I, Qian Jun, have personally suffered from this disaster, witnessing it with a pained heart. To distinguish authenticity and categorize types, I will briefly list several points based on my personal trials for verification and correction below. This is indeed a matter of life and death, not trivial. One must investigate meticulously, discern shape and color, observe and taste odors and flavors, clarify authenticity, and avoid deviations in preparation and treatment. Better to pay a high price than to deceive oneself.

**Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma):** Short, stout, solid, round, and lustrous indicates full potency. Fake Ginseng is now widespread and must be carefully examined. If cut open, although the taste is sweet, the cut end may be slightly bitter, and saliva production becomes sticky rather than moistening like true Ginseng. Its color appears dull/stagnant, while other aspects seem similar. Nowadays, sellers collude with female peddlers, falsely claiming the source is leftover stock from local gentry or relatives' post-illness surplus. All such claims require careful scrutiny.

**E Jiao (Donkey-Hide Gelatin):** Genuine E Jiao is clear and transparent like ice, tastes sweet, and is never scorched or bitter; it is rare in the world. It is advised not to consume fake E Jiao. Fakes may appear greenish, scorched/bitter, or have a foul odor, often made from ox hide gelatin mixed with ink, damaging the stomach and spleen. Others are mixed with cheap drugs, appearing dry, overly soft, fragrant, sandy-black, lacquer-colored, or greenish-shiny—all are fake. Contemporary physicians frequently prescribe E Jiao and Qiu Shi (Autumn Stone). They then devise schemes, borrowing names of friends/relatives claiming these are treasured family heirlooms to sell substitutes.

**Dan Qiu Shi (Light Autumn Stone):** Those that dissolve easily upon entering the mouth are genuine; those slightly hard are likely imitations. Xiao Fen Shi Gao (Starch-based Gypsum) should be avoided; self-preparation is recommended. Verification follows.

**Xian Qiu Shi (Salty Autumn Stone):** Snow-white and bright is genuine.

**Zi Jin Ding (Purple Gold Pill):** Genuine pills exist in shops, but Musk (She Xiang) inside is very expensive and added in small amounts. True pills induce a penetrating fragrance in the mouth; Musk detected by nasal irritation confirms authenticity. Slow fragrance indicates a fake.

**Xi Jiao (Rhinoceros Horn):** Bright and fragrant is genuine. Nowadays, ox horn is commonly used as a substitute; lack of fragrance or presence of other odors helps identification.

**Gu Long (Dragon Bone/Fossilized Bones):** Fine grain patterns, five colors, and sticking to the tongue when licked are excellent. Avoid black-green varieties.

**Dan Xing (Arisaema with Bovine Bile):** Must have a strong bovine urine odor, extremely bitter taste, yellow-black bright appearance, and hardness indicate genuineness. Pig bile is often used to fake Dan Xing today; dried, black-soft, or non-lustrous specimens can be identified as fake.

**Niu Huang (Calculus Bovis/Bovine Gallstone):** Tender yellow, light and hollow, peelable layers, slight fragrance, and staining the fingernail upon rubbing indicate genuineness.

**Gui Jiao (Turtle Shell Gelatin):** Yellow with a foul odor indicates a fake.

**She Xiang (Musk):** Pungent taste; removing loose powder by finger rubbing indicates genuineness; pellet form is fake. Original capsules should have thin skin, few yellow hairs, be plump and soft (genuine); thick black skin, many hard hairs, and weak scent are fake.

**Bing Pian (Borneol):** Resembling fine plum blossom petals, light, clean, slightly white, and strongly pungent is genuine. Heavy, sand-like, fragmented texture is fake. Slices should vary in thickness; perfectly round shapes are fake.

**Xiong Dan (Bear Bile):** Many fakes exist. Drop a millet-sized amount into water; if it forms a continuous thread without dispersing, it is genuine. If it moves rapidly in water, it is good; slow movement indicates fake.

**Hu Jing Gu (Tiger Tibia):** Yellow-white is suitable for use. Slight blackness indicates drug injury and high toxicity; avoid. Long and flattened shapes are genuine; round, humped, uneven, or triangular shapes are fake.

**Ling Yang Jiao (Saiga Antelope Horn):** Look for sharp tips in the curve with hanging marks (genuine). Hearing a buzzing sound when held to the ear indicates good quality. Smooth, markless, old, and dry horns are fake.

**Lu Rong (Deer Antler Velvet):** Amber color, 3-5 cun long, plump flesh indicates full potency. Too long or black/dry is useless (likely Elk antler); too thin/short/tender suggests young deer velvet.

**Di Ru Shi (Stalactite):** Must resemble winter sugar dripping, 5-6 cun long, bright, hollow, and white (genuine). Protruding milk-like structures shorter than dripping sugar are fake.

**Cui Dan Fan (Green Copper Vitriol):** Block size like a chicken egg, cyan-blue like glass, shattering into square layers indicates genuineness. Market fakes often use Qing Fan (Green Alum) rubbed with vinegar; beware.

**Yun Mu (Mica):** White and lustrous, layered sheets that fold, transparent and light indicate genuineness.

**Yang Qi Shi (Actinolite):** Bright like egret feathers is genuine.

**Hu Po (Amber):** Blood-red, fully matured; grains absorbable through cloth wiping like mustard seeds are genuine.

**Zhu Sha (Cinnabar):** Sometimes adulterated with Xiong Huang (Realgar); inspect closely.

**Ge Jie (Gecko):** Flowered patterns shining brightly indicate genuineness. Four-legged frogs are sometimes used as substitutes; distinguish carefully.

**Hua Rui Shi (Flower Ore Stone):** Open to reveal flower-like white spots (genuine); absence indicates fake.

**Qing Fen (Calomel):** Bright like snowflakes, granular with spear-shaped protrusions are genuine; dark color, fine grains, no protrusions are fake.

**Chan Su (Toad Venom):** Sweet and numbing on the tongue, lifting the tongue indicates genuineness; non-numbing is fake.

**Chen Xiang (Agarwood):** Oily, cut surface like yellow wax is genuine. Black, horn-like pieces sold today are fake; avoid.

**Mu Ding Xiang (Mother Clove):** Date-pit sized is genuine; thin nail-like ones have less efficacy.

**Mu Xiang (Aucklandiae Radix):** Qing Mu Xiang (Vitalis Vine Root) is often used to deceive; distinguish. Hard, bone-like shape, bitter taste, and sticky teeth indicate genuine Mu Xiang. Qing Mu Xiang is smaller/thinner.

**Su He You Xiang (Styrax Oil/Fragrance):** Paste-like, red oil without dregs, intensely fragrant, penetrating palm when applied to back of hand, or glue-like consistency is genuine.

**Chen Pi (Citrus Reticulata Peel):** Do not use Ru Gan (Milk Citrus) peel; Zou Zi Pi (wrinkled seed peel) should be avoided. Market sellers often mix these in, deceiving buyers. True Ju Pi has fine veins, red and thin color, internal fibrous strands, bitter-pungent-fragrant taste. Gan Zi Pi has coarse veins, thick yellow color, white inner membrane, sweet-pungent taste, and is ineffective. You Zi (Pomelo) peel is sweet-pungent, thick/vacuous, coarser veins, yellow, membrane-heavy/no fibers, cold nature harmful to humans; avoid.

**Chuan Bei (Fritillaria Cirrhosa Bulb):** Sweet and light/fluffy is genuine; hard and bitter is fake.

**Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma):** Sweet taste, extremely fine stems/leaves, many roots even if leaves show traces indicate wild Bai Zhu, which is effective. Sellers often cultivate more. Pale/bitter taste, thick/lush stems/leaves lacking vigor should not be taken.

**Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix):** Old, knobby, solid skin with chrysanthemum-heart pattern is excellent. Lustrous soil-grown varieties, though large, are ineffective.

**Su Zi (Perilla Fructus):** Often counterfeited. Must have fresh grassy fragrance to be genuine.

**Yun Fu Ling (Poria with Pine Wood):** Hard, sliced with jade-like luster is genuine; white and loose soil-extracted Poria is ineffective.

**Qiang Huo & Du Huo:** Purple with dense nodes is Qiang Huo; yellow and blocky is Du Huo.

**Huang Qi (Astragali Radix):** Straight like an arrow shaft, soft like cotton, white flesh/yellow center, sweet taste is excellent.

**Xue Jie (Dragon's Blood):** Breaks cleanly with mirror-like luster; rubs red through fingernails effectively.

**Chuan Xu Duan (Dipsaci Radix):** Like chicken foot joints, yellow wrinkled skin at broken nodes is genuine.

**Ba Ji Tian (Morinda Officinalis Root):** Purple and fresh/clean center is genuine.

**Ru Xiang (Olibanum/Gum Resin):** Transparent like dripping nipple fat is good. Pine resin is sometimes used as fake; inspect.

**A Wei (Ferula Gum Resin):** Five colors when cut, soft is genuine; too soft/muddy is fake.

**Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma):** Heavy, solid, pure white shape is good. Oily varieties should be avoided.

**Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus):** Pungent, sweet, penetrating fragrance is genuine; bland taste is ineffective.

**Chuan Lian (Coptidis Rhizoma):** Resembles eagle claw beads, fine dense root hairs, chrysanthemum-yellow center indicates genuineness. Avoid if skin is too yellow, hairs are coarse/spaced, or uniform thickness/solid core.

**Bai Dou Kou (Black Cardamom):** Pungent, fragrant, cooling sensation in mouth is genuine; Cao Kou (Grass Cardamom) lacks cooling sensation; distinguishable.

**Zao Ren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen):** Coarse, full husk, purple color is good; thin/flat, pale color is ineffective.

**Shou Wu (Polygoni Multiflori Radix):** Some are artificially grown large by burying for over a year; tender skin with fibers helps identification.

**Ya Pian (Opium):** Many fakes. Soft with greenish fragrance is genuine.

**Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata):** Flat top, iron-colored flesh, moist/glossy is excellent. Western Fu Zi has dry, white, large, weak flesh.

**San Qi (Notoginseng Radix):** Sweet taste; powder thrown into pig blood turns blood to water indicates genuineness.

**Qi (Tree Lac):** Wet lac lifted by object is fine and unbroken; breaks quickly and dries fast on bamboo/wood is excellent.

**Shan Ru Gu (Wild Mushroom):** Many rootlets indicate genuineness; few rootlets are fake.

**Xiang Ru (Elsholtziae Herba):** Straight, long, intense fragrance is genuine; short/thin/non-fragrant are soil-grown, cause abdominal pain if eaten; avoid.

**Huo Xiang (Pogostemonis Herba):** Pungent, intense fragrance is genuine; non-fragrant is fake; avoid.

**Huai Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma):** Solid, fine, white is genuine; large, hollow, loose is fake.

**Sha Ji Li (Tribuli Fructus):** Black, coarse grains are genuine; green, fine grains are fake.

**Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex):** Purple, lustrous, sweet, intensely pungent-fragrant is genuine. Many fakes today look purple/oily but have fine white flower spots and weak pungency; avoid.