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Dongkuizi (Abelmoschi Fructus): Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Small Intestine and Bladder meridians. It primarily treats difficult labor due to slippery delivery, promotes urination, and treats heat strangury (dysuria caused by damp-heat). For breech presentation, it facilitates a normal delivery; for a dead fetus, it expels the fetus. It can promote lactation and resolve carbuncles and sores.

Note: Dongkuizi has the most slippery and lubricating nature, capable of dispersing accumulation and stagnation. It is suitable for entering the Hand and Foot Taiyang meridians as an agent for inducing labor. However, it should not be taken prophylactically, lest it induce labor before the uterus rotates, emptying the amniotic fluid and making delivery more difficult. Carbuncles and sores arise when Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi) fails to flow smoothly and reverses within the muscle tissue. Milk obstruction is also caused by stagnation. With the guidance of Dongkuizi, failure to recover is rare.

Bai Donggua (Winter Melon): Sweet in flavor, slightly cold in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Small Intestine meridians. It primarily treats chest oppression with thirst, subumbilical edema leading to strangury, promotes both defecation and urination, resolves heat toxicity, can be applied externally to treat carbuncles and sores, and detoxifies cinnabar/stone poisons and fish poisoning.

Note: Winter melon is sweet, suitable for the Spleen and Stomach; its nature is moving and rapid, suitable for the Large and Small Intestines. Oppression, thirst, carbuncles, and sores are all heat conditions. Since winter melon is cold, it can resolve them. Zhu Danxi stated: It is contraindicated for those with chronic illness and Yin deficiency. Consuming it before frost causes regurgitation disease.

Ruzhi (Breast Milk): Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Enters the Heart, Liver, and Spleen meridians. It primarily strengthens the four limbs, nourishes the five Zang organs, consolidates the Couli (pores/skin texture), beautifies the skin, calms the Shen (Spirit), unblocks Guan Ge (obstruction of water and food passage), brightens the eyes, and prolongs life with long-term use.

Note: Breast milk is originally transformed from blood. The Heart governs blood, the Liver stores blood, and the Spleen envelops blood; thus, breast milk is suitable for these three meridians. In women, blood descends to become menstruation and ascends to become breast milk. Daoist sexual arts state: A woman's body is Yin, but only menstruation is Yang, hence called "Metal in Water." Regrettably, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* does not record this, and subsequent materia medica texts assumed that since blood belongs to Yin, its nature is extremely cold. They did not realize that menstruation and breast milk are essentially the same substance. People know the warmth of menstruation; now, ascending into milk, its quality is lighter and clearer, possessing neutral and tonifying properties, actually surpassing ordinary Yin blood. Why is it considered extremely cold? If it were truly extremely cold, it would damage the Spleen, and infants consuming it would suffer from incessant diarrhea! How could such logic hold? It is simply unsuitable to be consumed mixed with other foods, as it indeed causes purgation.