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Sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Primarily benefits qi and tonifies the middle jiao (middle energizer), but excessive consumption generates internal heat, causing irritability.

Tao Hongjing stated: This crop is cultivated in Jingzhou, Yingzhou, and north of the Yangtze River. Its seedlings resemble those of reeds but differ from Setaria italica (millet); the grains are also larger. Most millet is sticky millet (Shu), yet people today erroneously call Shu millet "Shu" (broomcorn millet). Northerners use Shu millet for making Shu rice, as well as for medicinal preparations and brewing Shu rice wine. There is another type of rice resembling Shu millet but with significantly larger grains; it is unsuitable for human consumption and is said to trigger latent diseases. The *Xin Xiu Ben Cao* commentary notes: There are several varieties of Shu millet, already noted in previous entries; this entry generally discusses red and black Shu millet. They are not Ji (Panicum miliaceum var. compactum); the explanation for Ji appears in a later entry. Ministers Yu Xi et al., according to Meng Shen, state: Shu rice has a cold nature. For patients suffering from Bie Jia (abdominal mass resembling a turtle), one should take one sheng of the raw water obtained from washing newly harvested red Shu rice; recovery occurs within two or three doses. It is noted that Shu rice is cold and slightly toxic. Prolonged consumption damages the five zang organs and induces drowsiness. Daoists value this grain highly. Brewing wine from it yields superior results compared to other grains. Additionally, when burned to ash and mixed with oil for application to whip wounds, it prevents suppuration and relieves pain but does not promote healing. If fed to kittens or puppies, their legs become deformed and gait abnormal. It relaxes human sinews and bones and severs blood vessels.

The *Shi Liao Ben Cao* states: Consuming it with Malva verticillata (mallow) leads to chronic disease. Storing dried meat jerky among Shu rice is prohibited. The *Shi Jin* states: Beef must not be eaten with Shu rice and white wine, otherwise Taenia saginata (tapeworm) will develop. The *Qian Jin Fang*: Treats epidemic febrile diseases affecting humans and livestock; for treating smallpox-like sores, boil Shu chaff juice thickly and wash the lesions. Using only a single stalk is ineffective. If the sores are black, crush garlic and apply as a poultice. Alternatively, boil dried Brassica rapa var. parachinensis (Chinese cabbage) for washing. Another prescription: For infant thrush where the child cannot suckle milk, apply Shu rice juice externally. Another prescription: For hematuria during pregnancy, burn Shu chaff stems to ash, and administer with wine using a square-inch measure. The *Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang*: For poisoning from eating bitter bottle gourds, boil Shu chaff juice to detoxify; drink several sheng until relieved. Another prescription: For burns and scalds not yet ulcerated, mix equal parts of Shu rice and Qu (fermented starter), roast each until scorched, pound them, and apply with egg white. The *Jing Yan Fang*: For chronic heart pain lasting forty years unrelieved, take the water used for washing Shu rice, warm and administer, dosage adjusted to severity. Sun Simiao stated: Shu rice is the grain corresponding to the Lung. It is suitable for lung diseases and primarily benefits qi. Another prescription: Shu rice is beneficial for the pulses but should not be consumed long-term, as it may lead to epilepsy. The *Shi Yi Xin Jing*: Benefits qi, calms the middle, supplements deficiencies, and is suitable for the pulses, but should not be consumed long-term; excessive intake generates heat causing irritability. White Shu rice can be eaten.