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Temperature is warm, flavor is sweet and neutral, non-toxic. It is a herb for the Hand-Taiyin and Foot-Taiyin meridians. It treats various deficiencies and hundred damages, heals five labors and seven injuries. It boosts qi and strength, moistens and nourishes the skin.
It promotes muscle growth, and simultaneously strengthens sinews and bones. It dispels pathogenic cold and heat, and eliminates dizziness caused by wandering wind in the head and face. It opens the heart orifices to improve hearing and vision, and astringes essence to prevent seminal emission and sliding discharge. It regulates spleen injury-induced cough, (often used with) Shenling Baizhu San (Ginseng, Poria, and Atractylodes Macrocephala Decoction) frequently added. It expels lower back pain and strengthens yin, (often used with) Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill) commonly employed. The statement "tonifies deficiency and emaciation" is because its sweet flavor assists primal yang and warms/nourishes muscles. The statement "eliminates hardness and fullness," why? Generally, when qi is deficient and pathogen is excess, this is how hardness and fullness form. Now, by tonifying middle and boosting qi, righteous qi overcomes the pathogen, so the pathogen naturally departs; how can hardness and fullness persist? Asparagus Root (Tianmen Dong) and Ophiopogon Tuber (Mendong) serve as guiding herbs. It is incompatible with Kansui Rhizome (Gansui).

Temperature is warm, flavor is sweet, non-toxic. It belongs to Yang, specifically regulating the Heart meridian, and is good at tonifying Heart blood. It stops mental confusion and palpitations, treats forgetfulness caused by anger. It opens the mind and enhances wisdom, calms the spirit.

Temperature is warm, flavor is bitter, non-toxic. It primarily harmonizes facial complexion, makes the body light and delays aging. It unblocks the nine orifices and tonifies middle jiao injury, eliminates reverse coughing and drives away palpitations, enhances intelligence and aids memory. For pediatric convulsions and sudden fright, no other herb can treat it as well. For women with blood stagnation aphonia, no other herb can cure it as effectively. Generally, warmth can tonify, thus it benefits essence and qi, strengthens yang spirit, fortifies willpower and doubles strength. Bitterness can drain/descend, thus it repels pathogenic factors, removes nightmare dreams, calms the heart and stabilizes the spirit. It fears Pearl (Zhenzhu) and Veratrum Rhizome (Lilu).

Temperature is warm, flavors are pungent and bitter, non-toxic. It primarily eliminates cornea opacity, removes head wind. It opens the mind and increases wisdom. It clarifies voice and unblocks spiritual orifices. Abdominal pain or migratory pain responds immediately; fetal restlessness threatening labor is instantly calmed. In cases of sudden collapse from evil influence where consciousness is lost and difficult to wake, urgently administer raw juice. For warm malaria with accumulated heat unresolved, bathe in strong decoction. Generally, warmth can drive out damp-bi in hands and feet, allowing flexion and extension. Pungency applied externally for dorsal carbuncles and ulcers can reduce swelling and detoxify. Bitterness clears heart heat and irritability, descends qi, and kills parasites.

Temperature is cold, flavor is bitter, belonging to Yin within Yin. It treats damp-heat swelling below the waist down to the feet, known as Hong Kong leg (Jiaoxi/Jiaji), and circulates through the twelve meridians. It is also said to eliminate damp-heat swelling and pain in the lower jiao, and bladder fire pathogens; using Fangji, Gentian Root (Longdan Cao), Phellodendron Bark (Huangbai), and Anemarrhena Rhizome (Zhimu) is indeed correct. However, if diet and overwork have depleted yuan qi, causing yin deficiency with internal heat, using Fangji to purge stool would cause further loss of blood; this is the first situation where it cannot be used. If there is excessive thirst with desire to drink, this indicates heat in the upper jiao Lung meridian qi level, which should be treated with draining/diffusing methods; Fangji is a lower jiao blood-level herb, so how can it be used? This is the second situation where it cannot be used. If external wind-cold invades and transmits to the Lung meridian, causing damp-heat in the qi level leading to yellow-red urine or even anuria, this is the third situation where it cannot be used. If a person has been ill for a long time, fluids do not circulate, causing upper jiao deficiency-thirst, using such bitter-cold agents will rapidly lead to danger; this is the fourth situation where it cannot be used. Observing this, anyone with damp-heat in the upper jiao must not use it; only when there is true damp-heat in the lower jiao flowing into the twelve meridians, causing obstruction of the two yin openings (urethra and anus), may it be used after careful examination.