Pinyin: Ren Shen  Chinese: 人參
Pharmaceutical: Radix Panax ginseng
Taxonomy: Panax ginseng
English: Ginseng Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Lung and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Powerfully tonifies Yuan Qi
   Extreme collapse of Qi or abandoned conditions that manifest in shallow breathing, shortness of breath, cold limbs, profuse sweating and an almost imperceptible pulse (after blood loss, overly profuse sweating or other problems related to severe fluid loss - it can be used alone in these emergencies)
   Collapse of Yang
   Collapse of Yin
2. Tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi
   Lethargy, anorexia, chest and abdominal distention, chronic diarrhoea and, in severe cases, prolapse of the Stomach, uterus or rectum
3. Tonifies Lung Qi
   Lung Qi Deficiency with wheezing, shortness of breath and labored breathing on exertion
4. Generates Body Fluids and stops thirst
   Wasting and thirsting disorder (消渴 Xiao Ke) and high fevers with profuse sweating which injures Qi and fluids
5. Tonifies Heart Qi and calms the Spirit
   Heart Qi and Blood Deficiency with palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness and restlessness
6. Treats impotence
   With Kidney Yang tonics for impotence
7. Tonifies Qi in Deficiency patients with Exterior conditions
   Exterior disorder with Interior Deficiency
8. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction, 10-30g for exhaustion syndrome due to Qi deficiency.
Cautions: Antagonizing to Li Lu; the warm nature of sun-dried raw Ren Shen is weaker than that of Hong Shen.

Pinyin: Bai Zhu  Chinese: 白朮
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephalae
Taxonomy: Atractylodes macrocephala
English: Largehead Atracylodes Rhizome

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Stomach

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi
   Spleen and Stomach Deficiency with diarrhoea, fatigue, a sallow complexion and lack of appetite
   Spleen Yang failure to rise
2. Dries Dampness and promotes water metabolism
   Spleen Damp or accumulation of fluids affecting the digestion
   Edema and reduced urination due to Spleen Deficiency (failure to transform and transport)
   Tan Yin, masses, swelling
   Auxiliary for Damp painful obstruction
3. Stabilizes the Exterior and stops sweating
   Qi Deficiency with spontaneous sweating (Wei Qi Deficiency)
   With appropriate herbs, other types of sweating
4. Calms the fetus
   Restless fetus disorder due to Spleen Qi Deficiency
   With appropriate herbs, other types of Restless Fetus Disorder
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, prolong life and make one free from hunger. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: Use with cautions in cases of yin deficiency with fluid injury by dryness-heat pathogen.

Pinyin: Fu Ling  Chinese: 茯苓
Pharmaceutical: Poria
Taxonomy: Poria cocos syn. Wolfiporia extensa
English: China-Root / Hoelen / Tuckahoe / Indian Bread

Tastes: Sweet, bland, neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart, Spleen, and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Strengthens the Spleen and harmonizes the Middle Jiao
   Spleen Deficiency Dampness with anorexia, diarrhoea and epigastric distention
2. Strengthens the Spleen
   Phlegm Dampness due to Spleen Deficiency with thin mucus in which Phlegm moves upward manifesting as palpitations, headache, dizziness and a thick, greasy tongue coat
3. Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness
   Urinary difficulty, diarrhoea or oedema due to Stagnation of Fluids or Dampness
4. Quiets the Heart, calms the Spirit and soothes the nerves
   Palpitations, insomnia or forgetfulness due to either Spleen and Heart Insufficiency or Internal Obstruction of Turbid Phlegm
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, quiet the Hun, nourish the Shen, make one free from hunger and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 9-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for spermatorrhea due to deficiency-cold.

Pinyin: Hua Jiao / Chuan Jiao  Chinese: 花椒 / 川椒
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Zanthoxyli
Taxonomy: Zanthoxylum bungeanum seu schinifolium
English: Sichuan Pepper

Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Middle Jiao, disperses Cold, dispels Dampness, relieves diarrhoea and alleviates pain
   Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold with Cold and pain in the abdomen, vomiting and diarrhoea
2. Kills Parasites and alleviates abdominal pain
   Abdominal pain due to roundworms
   Moist dermal ulcers
   Gu Parasites / chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.

Pinyin: Wu Mei  Chinese: 烏梅
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Mume
Taxonomy: Prunus mume
English: Black Plum

Tastes: Sour, astringent, neutral
Meridians Entered: Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Large Intestine

Actions & Indications:

1. Astringes leakage of Lung Qi, stops leakage of sweat and stops coughs
   Chronic Lung Deficiency coughs, dysphagia, regurgitation
2. Generates Yin and Yang fluids and alleviates thirst
   Thirst due to Heat from Deficiency Qi and Yin Deficiency
   Wasting and thirsting (消渴 Xiao Ke) disorder due to Deficiency Heat
3. Expels roundworms and alleviates pain
   Roundworm induced vomiting and abdominal pain
   Occasionally used for abdominal pain and vomiting not associated with parasites
4. Astringes the Intestines and stops diarrhoea
   Chronic, incessant diarrhoea or dysentery and fecal incontinence and hemafecia (can be used alone charred for these purposes)
   Rectal prolapse
5. Stops bleeding
   Bleeding (hemafecia, and excessive uterine bleeding) with symptoms of Blood Deficiency (Dryness, thirst and a parched mouth
   Can be used alone charred and powdered for bleeding from the vagina, anus or urethra
6. Treat corns and warts topically
   Corns and warts

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction, but can be up to 30g.

Pinyin: Gan Jiang  Chinese: 干姜
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Zingiberis
Taxonomy: Zingiber officinale
English: Dried Ginger

Tastes: Pungent, hot
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Kidney, Heart and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Warms the Middle and expels Cold
   External Cold affecting the Spleen and Stomach Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiencies
2. Dispels Wind-Dampness seeping into the Lower Jiao
   Lower Jiao Wind-Cold-Damp Bi
3. Rescues Devastated Yang and expels Interior Cold
   Devastated Yang with a very weak pulse and cold limbs
4. Warms the Lungs and transforms thin mucus
   Lung Cold with expectoration of thin, watery or white sputum
5. Warms the channels (unblocks the pulse) and stops bleeding
   Haemorrhage due to Deficiency Cold, especially uterine bleeding (only if the bleeding is chronic and pale in colour with cold limbs, ashen white face and a soggy thin pulse)
6. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, remove foul smell and enable one to communicate withe Spirit Light (Shen Ming 神明). This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for yin deficiency with internal heat and haemorrhage due to blood heat.