凡人能食而不能化者，乃胃不病而脾病也，当宜补脾。而补脾尤宜补肾中之火，盖肾火能生脾土也。
凡人不能食，食之而安然者，乃胃病而非脾病也，不可补肾中之火，当补心中之火，盖心火能生胃土也。
世人一见不饮食，动曰脾胃病，殊不知胃之虚寒责之心，脾之虚寒责之肾，不可不辨也。
凡人病气虚者，乃身体羸弱，饮食不进，或大便溏泄，小便艰涩。方用∶
人参（一两） 白术（五钱） 茯苓（三钱） 甘草（一钱） 陈皮（一钱） 泽泻（三钱） 车前子（一钱）
水煎服。
此方用人参为君者，开其胃气也。盖胃为肾之关，关门不开，则上之饮食不能进，下之糟粕不能化，必用人
参以养胃土，茯苓、车前以分消水气也。〔且胃之性最喜温和而不喜湿，湿者必上壅而呕、下积而泄矣。今顺土之
性而温补之，则饮食自进、而大小便安其位矣。〕
或服此方而未愈，兼服八味丸，最能实大肠而利膀胱也。
饮食入胃，必须胃气充足，始能化糟粕而生津液。今饮食不消，气虚故也。方用:
人参（二钱） 白术（三钱） 茯苓（三钱） 甘草（三钱） 陈皮（五分） 神曲（五分） 黄 （三钱）
麦芽（五分） 山楂（五粒） 炮姜（一钱）
水煎服。
伤面食，加萝卜子。有痰，加半夏、白芥子各一钱。咳嗽，加苏子一钱、桔梗二钱。伤风，加柴胡二钱。夜卧
不安，加炒枣仁二钱。胸中微痛，加枳壳五分。
方内纯是开胃之品，又恐消食难消，更加消导之味，则饮食化而津液生矣。
凡是能吃但不能消化的人，是胃没有病而脾有病，应当补脾。而补脾尤其适宜补肾中的命门之火，因为肾火能生脾土。
凡是吃不下东西，或者吃了之后安然无恙的，是胃病而不是脾病，不可以补肾中的命门之火，应当补心中的心火，因为心火能生胃土。
世人一见到不想吃东西，就动不动说是脾胃病，却不知道胃的虚寒责任在心，脾的虚寒责任在肾，这是不可不辨别的。
凡是患有气虚病的人，表现为身体瘦弱，饮食不进，或者大便稀溏，小便艰涩不通。方剂用：
人参（一两） 白术（五钱） 茯苓（三钱） 甘草（一钱） 陈皮（一钱） 泽泻（三钱） 车前子（一钱）
用水煎服。
这个方子用人参作为主药（君药），是为了开启胃气。因为胃是肾的关口，如果关门不开，那么上面的饮食不能进入，下面的糟粕不能转化，必须用人参来养胃土，用茯苓、车前子来分消水湿之气。（况且胃的性质最喜欢温和而不喜欢潮湿，湿气重必然导致上面壅滞而呕吐，下面积聚而泄泻。现在顺应土的性质而进行温补，那么饮食自然能进，大小便也能安守其位了。）
或者服用此方后仍未痊愈，兼服八味丸，最能充实大肠并通利膀胱。
饮食进入胃中，必须胃气充足，才能消化糟粕并生成津液。现在饮食不消化，是因为气虚的缘故。方剂用：
人参（二钱） 白术（三钱） 茯苓（三钱） 甘草（三钱） 陈皮（五分） 神曲（五分） 黄芪（三钱）
麦芽（五分） 山楂（五粒） 炮姜（一钱）
用水煎服。
如果是面食积滞，加萝卜子。有痰，加半夏、白芥子各一钱。咳嗽，加苏子一钱、桔梗二钱。伤风，加柴胡二钱。夜间睡眠不安，加炒枣仁二钱。胸中微痛，加枳壳五分。
方子里面全是开胃的药物，又担心食物难以消化，再加上消导的药味，那么饮食就能被消化，津液也就产生了。
Those who can eat but cannot digest have a spleen disease rather than a stomach disease, and thus should tonify the Spleen. Tonifying the Spleen is particularly suited to supplementing the Fire of the Kidney (Mingmen), as the Kidney Fire generates Spleen Earth.
Those who cannot eat, or who eat without discomfort, have a Stomach disease rather than a Spleen disease. One should not supplement the Fire of the Kidney, but rather supplement the Fire of the Heart, as Heart Fire generates Stomach Earth.
People often see a lack of appetite and immediately attribute it to a Spleen-Stomach disease, unaware that deficiency-cold of the Stomach is attributed to the Heart, while deficiency-cold of the Spleen is attributed to the Kidney. This distinction must not be overlooked.
For those suffering from Qi Deficiency, symptoms include emaciation, poor appetite, loose stools, and difficult urination. The prescription is:
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) [1 liang], Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) [5 qian], Fu Ling (Poria) [3 qian], Gan Cao (Licorice Root) [1 qian], Chen Pi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) [1 qian], Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma) [3 qian], Che Qian Zi (Plantaginis Semen) [1 qian].
Decoct in water and take orally.
Ren Shen is used as the Sovereign drug (Jun Yao) to open the Stomach Qi. The Stomach serves as the gate for the Kidney; if this gate is not open, food and drink cannot enter from above, and waste cannot be transformed below. Therefore, Ren Shen is necessary to nourish Stomach Earth, while Fu Ling and Che Qian Zi help to separate and eliminate dampness. (Furthermore, the nature of the Stomach prefers warmth and mildness and dislikes dampness. Dampness inevitably causes upward obstruction leading to vomiting and downward accumulation leading to diarrhea. By warming and tonifying in accordance with the nature of Earth, appetite will naturally return, and bowel and bladder functions will stabilize.)
If this prescription fails to cure the condition, one may concurrently take Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia), which is most effective in solidifying the Large Intestine and promoting the flow of the Bladder.
Food entering the Stomach requires sufficient Stomach Qi to transform waste and generate Body Fluids (Jin Ye). The current inability to digest food is due to Qi Deficiency. The prescription is:
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) [2 qian], Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) [3 qian], Fu Ling (Poria) [3 qian], Gan Cao (Licorice Root) [3 qian], Chen Pi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) [5 fen], Shen Qu (Massa Medicata Fermentata) [5 fen], Huang Qi (Astragali Radix) [3 qian], Mai Ya (Hordei Fructus Germinatus) [5 fen], Shan Zha (Crataegi Fructus) [5 pieces], Pao Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Preparatum) [1 qian].
Decoct in water and take orally.
For rice/noodle stagnation, add Luo Bo Zi (Raphani Semen). For phlegm, add Ban Xia (Pinelliae Rhizoma) and Bai Jie Zi (Sinapis Semen), each 1 qian. For cough, add Su Zi (Perillae Fructus) 1 qian and Jie Geng (Platycodonis Radix) 2 qian. For wind-cold invasion, add Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix) 2 qian. For restless sleep at night, add Chao Zao Ren (Ziziphi Spinosomi Semen Praeparatum) 2 qian. For slight chest pain, add Zhi Ke (Aurantii Fructus) 5 fen.
The ingredients in this formula are purely for opening the Stomach. Fearing that digestion may still be difficult, digestive aids are added so that food is transformed and Body Fluids are generated.