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Tianma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma) has a slightly pungent odor and a sweet, neutral taste. Its texture is hard, moist, and heavy. It treats various wind disorders and primarily acts on the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. The *Benjing* (Shennong Bencao Jing) states that it can tonify qi and strength, promote the growth of yin essence, and make the body robust and plump. Li Shizhen in the *Bencao Gangmu* also stated that it tonifies the five labors and seven injuries, and assists yang qi. Deng Cai in the *Zaxing Fang* listed it as an essential herb for tonifying qi and securing essence. Luo Tianyi said: "Darkening of vision and dizziness are caused by internal wind deficiency; apart from Tianma, no other herb can treat this." Based on these records, Tianma is not merely an herb for treating wind disorders but also a tonic for the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. From the phrase "internal wind deficiency," it can be seen that this disease arises from root deficiency, and Tianma's ability to supplement is excellent. How could herbs such as Qianghuo, Fangfeng, Duhuo, and Jingjie, which are pungent, warm, drying, and damaging to yin fluids, compare with it? I often use it to treat severe deficiency syndromes after childbirth, as well as spermatorrhea, blood loss, and headache associated with cold damage complicated by deficiency, often achieving miraculous results. Why do people regard it merely as a wind-dispelling herb? This shows a lack of understanding of the mysteries of heaven and earth's creation and the essence contained in things that obtain the purest qi.

Heshouwu (Polygoni Multiflori Radix), also known as Yejiaoteng, Jiuzhen Teng, and Dijing, has a mellow and harmonious nature and taste. Its functions are spiritual and miraculous, making it a true immortal herb. I have taken it for a long time with verified effects, and I dare to reveal its subtleties to share with the world. According to the biography by Li Ao of the Tang Dynasty: Heshouwu was a man from Nanhe County, Shunzhou. His grandfather was named Nengsi, and his son was named Yanxiu. Nengsi was originally named Tian'er. He was weak from birth due to castration and had no wife or children at age fifty-eight. He often admired Daoist arts and followed his master living in the mountains. One day, while drunk and sleeping in the wild, he suddenly saw two vines more than three feet apart, their stems intertwining, separating only after a long time, and then intertwining again. Tian'er was surprised by this anomaly. At dawn, he dug up the roots, returned home, and asked everyone, but no one recognized them. Later, an old mountain dweller came and told him: "Since you have no heir, this vine is extraordinary; it is the medicine of immortals. Why not take it?" He then pounded the root into powder and took one qian on an empty stomach with wine. After seven days, he felt sexual desire. After several months, his body seemed stronger. Therefore, he continued taking it up to two qian. After a year, his old ailments were all cured, his hair turned black, and his appearance became youthful. Within ten years, he fathered several sons and changed his name to Nengsi. He also had his son Yanxiu take it, and both lived to 160 years old, with hair still black. A man named Li Anqi, a relative and friend of Nengsi from the same neighborhood, secretly obtained the prescription and took it, and his lifespan was also long. Thus, the story was narrated and transmitted. The text says: Heshouwu has a sweet taste and warm nature, non-toxic. Poria (Fuling) is used as an guiding herb. It treats five types of hemorrhoids, waist and knee pain, cold qi heart pain, chronic wasting-thirst, phlegm-stasis, wind-deficiency debility. It strengthens tendons and sinews, benefits marrow and essence, boosts qi, preserves youthfulness, darkens hair, and prolongs life. For women's evil blood, sallow complexion, postpartum diseases, red and white leukorrhea, toxic vapors entering the abdomen, and chronic dysentery, its merits cannot be fully described. It is also said that its root shape is large like a fist or connected pearls; those shaped like birds, beasts, mountains, or hills are precious. After digging, peel the skin and eat raw; the taste is sweet and can be used for grain avoidance (bigu). The praise says: Divine efficacy surpasses Daoist methods, recorded in immortal books. Male and female vines intersect, closing at night and opening during the day. Taking it allows one to abandon grains. Day after day, month after month, one returns to youth and transforms a sickly body into health. Those with destiny encounter it, most naturally suitable. Li Yuan, Prefect of Mingzhou, said: Heshouwu is the true immortal herb of the world. Fifty-year-old ones are fist-sized, called Shan Nu; taking it for one year makes beard and hair black. Hundred-year-old ones are bowl-sized, called Shan Ge; taking it for one year makes complexion ruddy and joyful. One-hundred-fifty-year-old ones are basin-sized, called Shan Bo; taking it for one year causes fallen teeth to regrow. Two-hundred-year-old ones are dou-sized, called Shan Weng; taking it for one year makes the face like a child, walking fast as a galloping horse. Three-hundred-year-old ones are three dou-sized, called Shan Jing, pure yang bodies; long-term use leads to becoming a terrestrial immortal.

Li Binhu (Li Shizhen) said: Heshouwu is an herb for the Foot-Jueyin Liver and Foot-Shaoyin Kidney meridians. White enters the qi level, red enters the blood level. The Kidney governs storage, and the Liver governs dispersion. This herb is warm in nature and bitter-astringent in taste. Bitter tonifies the Kidney, warm tonifies the Liver, and it can consolidate essence and qi. Therefore, it nourishes blood and benefits the Liver, secures essence and tonifies the Kidney, strengthens bones and sinews, darkens beard and hair, and is an excellent tonic. It is neither cold nor drying, and its merit surpasses that of Dihuang and Tiandong. When qi and blood are harmonious, wind-deficiency, carbuncles, sores, and scrofula can be cured. In the early Jiajing reign, Zhenren Shao Yingjie presented the formula for Qibao Meiran Dan to Emperor Shizong. It was effective, leading to the continuous birth of imperial heirs. Thus, Heshouwu formulas became widely popular throughout the world. Li Zhi, Prefect of Huazhou in the Song Dynasty, served as a colleague with a military officer who was strange to him because at over seventy years old, he was light and vigorous, with a ruddy complexion like wet cinnabar, and good appetite. Asking about his method, it was taking Heshouwu Wan. Li Zhi then obtained the formula. Later, Li Zhi suffered from hemihidrosis (absence of sweating on half the body) during the peak of summer for two years, worrying privately. He made pills and took them for over a year, after which sweat covered his whole body. Its function in invigorating blood and treating wind provided great benefit. Qibao Meiran Dan mainly darkens beard and hair, strengthens bones and sinews, secures essence, continues lineage, and prolongs life. The formula uses one jin each of red and white Heshouwu, processed according to standard methods, plus one jin each of red and white Poria (Fuling), eight liang each of Niuxi, Gouqi, Danggui, and Tusizi, and four liang of Buguzhi. Honey-pilled, taken morning and evening, it is a superior tonic whose functions cannot be fully expounded. This is an ancient established formula. Generally speaking, people differ in having Yin-zang or Yang-zang constitutions. Those with Yin-zang constitution should take this pill, as Buguzhi warms the true yang. If one has a Yang-zang constitution with dry-heat in the zang-fu and is accustomed to cold and cool, one should remove Buguzhi, reduce Danggui, add ten liang of Shudihuang (steamed with wine) and two liang of Zhimu, to balance water and fire and avoid the harm of excess. My opinion is that Chifuling (red Poria) has a leaching nature and must be prohibited, so that long-term intake avoids hidden depletion, making it perfect. Reviewing medical texts, there are also cases of taking Heshouwu alone, following various methods, but generally, this herb serves as the sovereign drug.

Recalling when I was fourteen, I reached seminal emission, ejaculating without restraint, causing the gate to be loose and slippery. Slight labor would cause dream emissions. By seventeen, after marriage, I felt even more lacking in spirit and qi, with deficient fire invading the skin and occasional night sweats. All this was due to imprudence in youth, harming the true zang-fu. My uncle, Fengjun Xinyu, was famous as a Confucian physician, generally adhering to established methods, using nothing outside Jinluo Dan, Gujing Wan, Lianxu, Muli, Jinyingzi, and Biaojiao. Although symptoms subsided slightly, they recurred upon stopping. For several years, the illness persisted, almost hopeless. At twenty-two, arriving in Cili, Hubei, I fortunately met Mr. Hu Shen'an. His treatment method was unique and different from the common flow. He prescribed Renshen, Danggui, Fuling, Shudihuang, Shengma, Shizao, Ejiao, Zhimu, Maidong, etc., with Heshouwu as the sovereign herb, and Fuling, Wuweizi, Shayuan Jili, Rongzhu, Xianmao, Danggui, etc., made into pills. Pills were taken morning and evening, and decoction at noon. After just twenty days, previous symptoms halved. After three months, full recovery was achieved. Since then, I diligently took it without cessation. Originally frail like willow and poplar, I could withstand wind and frost, further confirming that the words of former sages were not false. This is vastly different from worldly aphrodisiac pills that secretly consume true yin and shorten natural lifespan. I only wonder why people advance rapidly but retreat quickly, failing to persist in long-term intake, giving up halfway, blaming the medicine for being slow-acting, thus causing those who preserve truth and excel in medicine to leave no trace. Baopuzi (Ge Hong) recorded: Zhao Qu from Shangdang suffered from leprosy for years, nearing death. His family abandoned him in a mountain cave. Zhao Qu resented and wept for a month. A fairy pitied him and gave him a bag of medicine. Zhao Qu took it for over a hundred days, and the sores completely healed, his complexion became plump and joyful, and skin jade-like. The fairy passed by again, and Zhao Qu thanked him for saving his life, begging for the formula. The fairy said: "This is pine resin; there is much of it in the mountains. Refine and take it, and you can live forever." Zhao Qu returned home and took it long-term. His body became light, strength increased a hundredfold, climbing steep heights did not tire him all day. Over a hundred years old, teeth did not fall, hair did not turn white. At night, he suddenly saw light in the room like a mirror, eventually illuminating the whole room like day. He also saw a maiden playing between his mouth and nose, later entering Baodu Mountain to become a terrestrial immortal. People heard Zhao Qu took this resin and competed to take it, transporting by cart and donkey, filling rooms. However, within a month, feeling no great benefit, they stopped. Such is the lack of firmness in will. Pine resin is the sovereign herb of Songmei Wan.