万病莫若虚证最难治。经云∶不能治其虚，安问其余？盖虚之为言，空也，无也。家国空虚，非惠养
元元，锱铢累积，必不能奠安邦本，家道丰享。病之虚者亦犹是也。故治虚之要，温补为先，温补之功，参
附为首。
盖参者参也，与元气为参赞者也。体弱用此，恍若阴霾见 ，寒谷回春，生机勃勃欲露，是真起死
之灵苗，回生之仙草也。故不特气虚宜用，即血虚宜用；内伤宜用，即外感亦宜用。烦渴由乎火邪，得人参
而阴津自长；肿胀由乎气壅，仗参力而痞闷全消。以至食不欲入，食反胀，或翻胃噎膈，泄利亡阴，洒淅恶
寒，多汗漏风等症，无不赖人参之大力，作元气之藩篱。而不知者，妄谓肺热伤肺，参能作饱，尤属骇
异。不知肺金之冤热，非人参莫能救援；脾虚之满中，非参术何由健运？种种功勋，难以枚举。昔贤嘉其功
魁群草，信
不诬耳。
至附子一味，有斩关之能，夺旗之勇。虞抟谓其能引补气药行十二经，以追散失之元阳；引补血药
入血分，以滋养不足之真阴；引发散药开腠理，以驱逐在表之风寒；引温药达下焦，以驱除在里之冷湿。
其用亦宏矣哉。人止知手足厥冷，下痢完谷，一切阴寒等候而用之，此系正治，人所易晓。然其最妙处，反
能以热攻热。故胃阳发露而为口烂舌糜，肾阳发露而为面赤吐红，入于滋阴补气药中，顷刻神清热退，则
其能反本回阳也，谓其能壮火益土也。
世人甘用寒凉，畏投温剂，一用参附，即妄加诋毁，亦知秋冬之气，非所以生万物者乎？若乃强阳
已极，房术用以兴阳；外感伏阳，阳厥用之狂越，譬之服毒自刃。此自作之孽，岂参附之罪耶？
各种疾病中，没有比虚证更难治疗的。医经说：“如果不能治疗虚证，又怎能去问其他病症呢？”所谓“虚”，就是空虚、无物的意思。国家如果空虚，如果不通过恩惠养育百姓，像积累锱铢那样逐步充实，就一定不能稳固国家的根本，使家庭和国家富足安乐。身体的虚损也是这样。所以治疗虚证的关键，以温补为先，而温补的功效，以人参、附子为首选。
人参的“参”字，有参赞的意思，即辅助元气。身体虚弱时使用它，就像阴霾散去见到阳光，寒冷的山谷恢复春意，生机勃勃的景象即将显露，这真是起死回生的灵苗，妙手回春的仙草。所以不仅气虚适合使用，血虚也适合使用；内伤适合使用，外感病也适合使用。烦渴是由火邪引起的，得到人参后阴津自然生长；肿胀是由气机壅滞引起的，凭借人参的力量痞闷完全消除。以至于不想进食、吃了反而腹胀，或者翻胃噎膈、泄泻利下导致亡阴、洒淅恶寒、多汗漏风等症状，无不依赖人参的大力作用，作为元气的屏障。而不知道的人，胡乱认为肺热伤肺，服用人参会导致饱胀，这更是令人惊异。他们不知道肺金的冤热，非人参不能救援；脾虚导致的腹部胀满，不用人参、白术怎么能健运脾胃？种种功效，难以一一列举。以前的贤人称赞它的功劳在众药中居首位，确实不是虚假的。
至于附子这一味药，有斩关夺隘的能力，有夺取敌旗的勇气。虞抟说它能引导补气药运行于十二经脉，以追回散失的元阳；引导补血药进入血分，以滋养不足的真阴；引导发散药打开腠理，以驱逐在表的风寒；引导温性药到达下焦，以驱除在里的冷湿。它的用途也很宏大啊。人们只知道在手足厥冷、下痢完谷不化等一切阴寒症状时使用它，这是正治法，人们容易理解。然而它最妙的地方，反而能以热攻热。比如胃阳发露导致口烂舌糜，肾阳发露导致面赤吐红，将其加入滋阴补气的药物中，顷刻间神志清爽、热退，这说明它能反本回阳，也能壮火益土。
世人喜欢用寒凉药，害怕投用温补药，一用到人参、附子，就胡乱加以诋毁。难道不知道秋冬之气，不是用来生养万物的吗？如果是阳气已经极度亢盛，却用房中术来兴阳；或者外感伏阳，出现阳厥时误用附子导致狂越，这就好比服毒自杀。这是自作孽，难道是参附的罪过吗？
Among all diseases, none is more difficult to treat than deficiency syndromes. The Classics state: "If one cannot treat the deficiency, how can one ask about the rest?" The term "deficiency" (Xu) implies emptiness and nothingness. If a nation is empty, without bestowing kindness to nourish the common people and accumulating resources bit by bit, it will certainly be unable to stabilize the foundation of the state and achieve prosperity. The deficiency of the body is no different. Therefore, the key to treating deficiency lies in warming and tonifying, with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) taking precedence in this efficacy.
The character "Shen" in Renshen implies assisting or participating; it assists the Yuan Qi (Original Qi). When used for weak constitutions, it is like darkness dispersing to reveal sunlight, or a cold valley returning to spring, with vibrant life force ready to emerge. It is truly a spiritual herb that brings the dead back to life and a magical grass that restores vitality. Thus, it is suitable not only for Qi deficiency but also for Blood deficiency; for internal injury as well as external contraction. Restlessness and thirst caused by Fire pathogenic factors are resolved as Yin fluids naturally grow upon receiving Renshen; distension and swelling caused by Qi stagnation are completely relieved relying on the power of Renshen. From symptoms such as loss of appetite, bloating after eating, regurgitation and dysphagia, diarrhea leading to collapse of Yin, chills and shivering, profuse sweating, and wind leakage, all rely on the great power of Renshen to serve as a barrier for the Original Qi. Those who do not understand mistakenly claim that Lung Heat damages the Lung and that Renshen causes fullness, which is particularly astonishing. They fail to realize that the unjust heat of Metal (Lung) cannot be rescued except by Renshen; nor can the abdominal fullness due to Spleen deficiency be transformed and transported effectively without Renshen and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu). Its various merits are too numerous to enumerate. The sages of old praised its preeminence among herbs, and indeed, this was not unfounded.
As for Fuzi alone, it possesses the ability to breach gates and the courage to seize flags. Yu Tun stated that it can guide Qi-tonifying herbs to circulate through the Twelve Meridians to pursue scattered and lost Yuan Yang; guide Blood-nourishing herbs into the Blood aspect to nourish insufficient True Yin; guide dispersing herbs to open the Cou Li (pores and interstices) to expel Wind-Cold at the exterior; and guide warming herbs to reach the Lower Jiao to drive out Cold-Dampness within. Its applications are indeed extensive. People only know to use it for cold limbs, diarrhea with undigested food, and other signs of Yin-Cold, which is the orthodox treatment and easily understood by people. However, its most subtle merit lies in using heat to attack heat. For instance, when Stomach Yang exposes itself causing mouth ulcers and tongue erosion, or Kidney Yang exposes itself causing facial redness and hematemesis, adding it to Yin-nourishing and Qi-tonifying formulas results in clear spirit and subsided fever almost instantly. This demonstrates its ability to return to the root and restore Yang, and its capacity to strengthen Fire to benefit Earth (Spleen).
People willingly use cooling herbs but fear administering warming agents. Whenever Renshen and Fuzi are used, they are rashly slandered. Do they not know that the Qi of Autumn and Winter is not what generates all things? If Yang is already extremely hyperactive, using sexual techniques to stimulate Yang; or if there is latent Yang from external contraction, using Fuzi for Yang Jue (Cold Extremities due to Yang constraint) leading to mania and recklessness, this is akin to committing suicide by poison. This is self-inflicted calamity, not the fault of Renshen and Fuzi.