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Fuzi (Aconite)
【Original Text】Taste: pungent, nature: warm, highly toxic. Treats wind-cold, cough, evil qi, warms the middle, traumatic injuries, breaks hard masses, accumulations, blood stasis, cold-dampness causing weakness and paralysis, spasms, knee pain, inability to walk. Grows in mountainous valleys. Also known as Gan.
【Origin】Produced in the mountainous regions of Sichuan, China, it can also be cultivated, sown in winter and sprouting in spring. The initial roots that form small lumps are called Wutou (Aconitum), and the larger ones growing beside are Fuzi. The deformed ones are called Tianxiong (Heavenly Bear). Smaller ones are more toxic while larger ones are less toxic, hence modern practitioners often use Fuzi, also referred to as Dafuzi (Large Aconite).
【Properties】Taste: pungent and sweet, nature: very hot, highly toxic.
【Indications】Fuzi is a key herb for supporting the source and returning yang, replenishing fire and dispelling cold. It is indicated for cold-dampness causing weakness and paralysis, hard masses, deficiency of the fire at the Mingmen (Gate of Life), spleen and stomach deficiency with cold, treating cold dysentery, spasms, sudden loss of yang, and true cold with false heat, as well as cold phlegm, cold pain, and yin sores.
【Additional Notes】For lumbar and spinal wind-cold, cold weakness in the feet, cold pain in the heart and abdomen, dysentery with red and white stools, warms the middle, strengthens yin, solidifies muscles and bones, and can induce abortion when used excessively.
【Elements】Warms the spleen and stomach, eliminates spleen dampness, and supplements the kidney’s yang deficiency in the lower jiao.
【Hao Gu’s Commentary】When the Du meridian is affected, the spine becomes stiff and there is a tendency to faint.
【Rong Chuan’s Commentary】The qi of the human body is generated in the kidney’s yang. In reality, it is inhaled through the nostrils as heavenly yang, connecting to the heart, and the heart fire descends to the kidney. Fuzi can invigorate kidney yang to stimulate its qi. Its color is pure black, taste is pungent and fierce, and it can support yang and replenish qi from the lower jiao. All extreme yang and extreme yin are toxic; the fierceness of Fuzi is due to its pure nature of kan yang, which can be highly toxic. It differs from cinnamon, which supplements fire and belongs to the earth’s fire. Fuzi assists heat, with heat generated in water, thus obtaining the heavenly water’s yang. Therefore, Fuzi enters the qi level to assist yang, replenishing the fire of the Mingmen, thus transforming water into fire, making it a key herb for the kidney and bladder. When roasted, it is non-toxic; the yang toxicity in water disperses when overcooked. This reflects the mutual attraction of yin and yang. Nowadays, it is often pickled in salt to remove toxicity, which diminishes Fuzi’s properties, not adhering to the correct method. All warming herbs possess wood energy, but only Fuzi is the yang in water, making it the correct herb for warming the kidney and reaching yang. When combined with wood fire, it obtains the earth’s second fire, thus possessing the yang in water, which is the heavenly first yang.
Zhongjing used roasted Fuzi to control its toxicity; using raw Fuzi is to chase away wind with poison, using poison to counter poison, one raw and one roasted, has its rationale.
【Ni’s Note】Roasted Fuzi can stabilize the exterior and eliminate lung cold symptoms, while raw Fuzi can eliminate internal cold. The two are distinctly different. Practitioners must discern clearly to use them correctly. In clinical practice, patients may present with true yang escaping due to exterior deficiency; we should use roasted Fuzi as a rescue agent. If the pulse is thin and weak, and the patient is in a coma, this indicates extreme internal cold, thus raw Fuzi should be the main choice.
【Medicinal Properties】It is indicated for expelling water, treating aversion to cold, pain in the body, limbs, and joints, whether heavy, numb, or cold, and also treating abdominal pain, loss of essence, and diarrhea.
【Ling Tai’s Commentary】Expels cold evil and returns yang qi.
【Dosage】Ordinary dosage is 3 to 9 grams, large dosage is 30 to 60 grams.
【Contraindications】Wutou and Fuzi, when steamed with tofu or black soybeans, are called cooked Wutou and cooked Fuzi, which have a mild taste and weak potency, unsuitable for emergencies. Raw Fuzi should only have the skin and navel removed, with a salty taste and strong potency, suitable for emergencies. Caution is advised; according to the classics, all yang conditions, fire conditions, heat conditions, yin deficiency with internal heat, and blood deficiency conditions are contraindicated. Avoid fermented soy sauce and be cautious with syrup.
Ni Haixia’s Commentary
Zhang Zhongjing is the most adept at using Fuzi, with many instances of raw Fuzi in classical prescriptions. Nowadays, people do not use raw Fuzi; if they say raw Fuzi cannot be used, does that not imply Zhang Zhongjing is insane? Their statements are contradictory; they claim Zhang Zhongjing is a medical saint, and the Treatise on Cold Damage is a holy scripture, yet they say raw Fuzi cannot be used. Is the Treatise on Cold Damage incorrect? The original text mentions raw Fuzi being cut into eight pieces, does it not? This is indeed raw Fuzi! They say raw Fuzi cannot be used? How can such a person be a professor? Fuzi, whether raw, cooked, or roasted, I am someone who uses Fuzi very vigorously; there is no other way, as I encounter severe illnesses that rely on Fuzi. This herb is extremely potent. The original text states: taste is pungent, warm, and highly toxic, treating wind-cold, cough, warming the middle, traumatic injuries, breaking hard masses, having lumps, accumulations, blood clots, blood traces, cold-dampness causing weakness and paralysis, and spasms. Recently, a student prescribed it for a patient who passed blood clots from the anus, large pieces, about ten centimeters long, resembling strips, gelatinous substances. Why? Because there are hot herbs inside, roasted Fuzi, the potency of Fuzi is very strong.
Here I will introduce the differences between raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi. In the Treatise on Cold Damage and the Golden Chamber, it states: indicated for cold-dampness causing weakness and paralysis, atrophy of the calves, severe cold-dampness, spasms, knee pain, and inability to walk. Fuzi is produced in Sichuan, China, growing in fields; now it seems many are artificially cultivated. The initial roots that form small lumps are called Wutou. Lying beside Wutou, the larger ones are Fuzi, and the deformed ones are Tianxiong. Smaller ones are more toxic while larger ones are less toxic. Therefore, we should choose large Fuzi, which can be as big as a fist. We dry it and process it, which shrinks it. We take the raw Fuzi, wash it clean, and I will add some alum to wash it. Because there is a lot of dirt, we clean it, but it is not to disinfect with alum. After cleaning, we dry it in the sun and then prepare to use it.
Wutou has also been introduced before, and it has another name called Shewang. In the past, locals would take Wutou, squeeze out the juice, and use it to poison arrows. When they saw animals passing by, they would shoot, and it would paralyze them. Shooting animals, shooting monkeys, one arrow would make the monkey faint; it is very toxic. Here we introduce Wutou, Fuzi, and Tianxiong. Generally speaking, this is a very hot and spicy herb, often used in attacking hard masses. It is highly toxic. When consuming Fuzi, if it is raw Fuzi, without roasted Fuzi, the soup made from raw Fuzi, once consumed, the tongue and lips become numb. After ingestion, it feels numb, numb to the fingertips and toes. This is due to the presence of aconitine, which is a type of neurotoxin. If you mention aconitine to a chemist, they will feel numb because they know it is very toxic. However, consider the chemical treatments for tumors by Western medicine; the toxicity of those treatments is far greater. Our toxicity is minor compared to theirs. When using Fuzi, raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi have different functions. Most Fuzi available on the market is processed. There are many methods of processing Fuzi; some are steamed with tofu, which can remove toxicity. Tofu has a strong detoxifying ability. Tofu is placed at the bottom, sulfur in the middle, and pressed down with tofu, then steamed. In the past, pearls and pearl powder could also be used this way; Fuzi and Wutou can also be processed with tofu. Some people boil it with licorice, and after boiling, it is sliced and baked, which is roasted Fuzi.
When we use roasted Fuzi, there are specific timings for its use. Roasted Fuzi is best used when the exterior is deficient, with patients sweating profusely and urinating drop by drop. You may ask, how to remember this? It is simple; consider the urinary opening as a pore. If sweating is continuous, is it not appropriate to use Fuzi? The pores are larger, and if urination is drop by drop, it indicates the need for roasted Fuzi. Therefore, when the exterior is deficient, to prevent dehydration, we use Fuzi.
Raw Fuzi is used to eliminate internal cold. To explain simply, this is the kidney, this is the Mingmen. If we use raw Fuzi, the key is that the kidney yang is insufficient; the kidney is water, and when the yang in the water is insufficient, we will use raw Fuzi. If the fire at the Mingmen is insufficient, many texts mention the fire at the Mingmen; raw Fuzi can ignite this fire. Sulfur can also ignite this fire, but they have different functions. Raw Fuzi is black and specifically enters the kidney and bones. Sulfur, being yellow, enters the three jiaos (upper, middle, lower), entering the extraordinary organs. Brain tumors, the extraordinary organs of the brain, and the extraordinary organs between the viscera can also be treated with sulfur to detoxify from heavy metals like copper and iron. Raw Fuzi and sulfur have different timings for use. Raw Fuzi is used when both legs are weak and difficult to walk; sulfur can also be used for the same condition. You may ask, what is the difference? Sulfur is yellow, while Fuzi is black. Therefore, if a person has insufficient kidney yang, causing weakness in the legs, we will use raw Fuzi. If the person has sufficient kidney yang, but the legs are weak, we will use sulfur. Both herbs have the function of invigorating yang. If I am not ill and want to invigorate yang, sulfur is better than raw Fuzi because it pertains to the extraordinary organs, which are in the lower jiao. Sulfur and raw Fuzi are both invigorating yang, and if a patient presents with cold symptoms, and the patient tells you they feel cold, you ask them, how do you feel cold? The patient says, I feel cold even in the middle of summer, after my house has been in the sun all day, with the doors and windows closed, and I still need three layers of blankets. This indicates internal cold, and at this time, we must rely on raw Fuzi. Only raw Fuzi can resolve this. If there is internal cold, along with general edema, and the three jiaos are obstructed, raw Fuzi and sulfur can be used together.
Now, doctors in mainland China and Taiwan no longer dare to use raw Fuzi. The fact that raw Fuzi and sulfur are still used in the same formula is unimaginable. However, I often use them. The Huangdi Neijing states that cold hides in corners and does not like to be seen, remaining quiet and motionless. You should not wait until you see a patient with cold symptoms to prescribe; you can use it as long as you observe the symptoms. If a patient tells you they prefer dark places (they hide in the closet every day, avoiding light), it indicates insufficient yang, right?
If yang is insufficient, we use raw Fuzi and sulfur, both of which can restore yang. The distinction is not much; Zhang Zhongjing only used raw Fuzi; he did not use sulfur. When treating severe tumors, we will use sulfur because the three jiaos run along the lymphatic system. When our channels are obstructed, the liver disease transmits to the pancreas and spleen, and the spleen transmits to the kidney, leading to heart failure. When the channels are obstructed, we will use sulfur. As I mentioned earlier, Fuzi is a medicine that supports yang, replenishes the source, and returns yang. This herb is used when a person is in danger. Fuzi can strengthen the fire at the Mingmen. Simply put, the fire at the Mingmen is the fire of life; this way, you will understand better. If the fire at the Mingmen is lost, the person will die. The fire at the Mingmen is the source of life, and we rely on raw Fuzi and sulfur to ignite it. You may ask about cinnamon; cinnamon can also warm the fire at the Mingmen. According to the Shennong’s Classic of Herbal Medicine, it can also warm the fire at the Mingmen. Cinnamon is wood, which generates fire, so it can be used. However, when wood is thrown in, the source of the fire at the Mingmen is the heart. When a person inhales, we call it heavenly yang. When we inhale this heavenly yang into the heart, it is like oxygen; suddenly, the fire becomes very strong. This heart fire, because we inhale the yang, becomes vigorous, and this fire then reaches the Mingmen, which is our Mingmen fire. Therefore, the true source of the Mingmen fire comes from the heavenly yang we inhale. Cinnamon is wood that generates fire; it can strengthen the heart. Therefore, when we want to strengthen the heart, we do not prescribe Fuzi, but rather cinnamon. If we want to strengthen both the heart and kidney, we can combine cinnamon and Fuzi, which is how Gui Fu Ba Wei Wan is formulated. Fuzi is different; it grows in fields, in water. Fuzi grows in water, just like rice paddies; it is the yang in water, and water is the kidney. Therefore, when treating kidney diseases, especially uremia, Fuzi is used a lot. When treating the Ling Tai point, for example, pressing the sixth vertebra, the Ling Tai point has a tender spot. The Ling Tai point is on the Du meridian, and we know this is blood cancer. Blood cancer has a tender spot at the Ling Tai point, and the only herb that can replenish the Du meridian is raw Fuzi! Therefore, when treating blood cancer, without raw Fuzi, it is impossible to treat blood cancer. Now, external practitioners do not use raw Fuzi, and of course, blood cancer cannot be treated. When I use raw Fuzi to treat blood cancer, the white blood cell count drops sharply, not gradually, but in a straight line. It drops sharply, not slowly. You have two choices: first, go to Western medicine for a bone marrow transplant. Recently, I saw the news about a broadcaster, Huang Chengwen, who died of blood cancer. You may ask, teacher, did I not learn a lesson from this case? Then you go ahead and get a bone marrow transplant. What if you are an only child? What if you cannot find a donor? I tell you, Fuzi! We use raw Fuzi as if we are eating peanuts. In winter, we cook lamb soup with angelica and ginger, and I throw in a few raw Fuzi. You may ask, why is it so hot? In winter, please eat lamb soup. The angelica and ginger lamb soup is a classical formula, and we add raw Fuzi to make it stronger. Therefore, we can treat raw Fuzi as if we are eating peanuts or taro in soup. What is there to fear? You have not used it, so you are afraid. When you see the teacher say it is highly toxic, you will die; no, you will absolutely not die. In the past, why did they say Wutou is deadly? Wutou is deadly, but Fuzi is not. Why is raw Fuzi considered toxic? Besides numbness, it has a lot of fibers. Therefore, those who have used Fuzi know that when you boil raw Fuzi, after boiling, it resembles taro; after boiling, you see a layer of fuzz on the soup, black fuzz. Once you consume it, it is not fiber? Once you eat it, it gets stuck in your throat, and you cough a lot because you want to expel that fiber. The fine fuzz gets stuck in your throat, and you start coughing a lot because you want to expel it. This is why people think Fuzi is toxic; in reality, it is slightly toxic but not that strong. The truly toxic one is Wutou, which is extremely toxic. Therefore, Fuzi, raw Fuzi, has this experience, and everyone has spread rumors that it cannot be eaten because it is from the same plant as Fuzi, Wutou, and Tianxiong. Therefore, many people are afraid, but in reality, it is not that fierce. The truly fierce one is Wutou, while Tianxiong is not even comparable; it is not that toxic. Therefore, the least toxic is Tianxiong, medium toxic is Fuzi, and highly toxic is Wutou. However, there are certain conditions where Wutou is necessary, and I will tell you that. This is why people say raw Fuzi cannot be eaten. When using raw Fuzi, you must be careful with the dosage. For example, for someone like me, I look at raw Fuzi as 9 grams; for someone slightly smaller, 6 grams; for someone even smaller, 3 grams. When you use raw Fuzi, cut it into pieces; do not throw it in whole because after washing and drying, it becomes very hard. Cut it into eight pieces, as Zhang Zhongjing did. Even if it is freshly harvested, it can be used without any issues. When throwing it in, it is best to wrap it in cotton cloth; otherwise, the fibers will escape. By wrapping it in cotton cloth, the fibers will remain in the cloth and will not come out, thus preventing coughing. Roasted Fuzi does not have this issue; after processing, the fibers are broken down, dried, and charred, so roasted Fuzi will not have this problem. When using roasted Fuzi, you may say, teacher, if raw Fuzi is 9 grams, then roasted Fuzi is also 9 grams. That 9 grams is for brushing teeth, using roasted Fuzi and sea salt together to brush teeth, which is very effective. The salty taste enters the kidney, replenishing the bones, right? Sea salt and roasted Fuzi can be used in the past, and it was used in the imperial court. They did not know about roasted Fuzi; if sea salt is used with roasted Fuzi, if I were the imperial physician, I would use sea salt for the emperor. Sea salt is sufficient because it is originally enough. However, with roasted Fuzi, it is even better because roasted Fuzi has a salty taste that enters the kidney and can replenish the bones. When using roasted Fuzi, the initial dosage can be 15 grams, 30 grams, or even 60 grams, as it is non-toxic. The second reason is that it can be used as needed. If a patient does not have raw Fuzi and cannot find raw Fuzi, using a large dose of roasted Fuzi will still be helpful, but roasted Fuzi is definitely not raw Fuzi. Remember my words; it is definitely not raw Fuzi. Therefore, in the future, if you are a classical formula practitioner, your clinic must have both roasted Fuzi and raw Fuzi, and they must be stored separately. Usually, you should stock raw Fuzi, and when you need to use it, you say, teacher, I want to use it, but when you go to buy raw Fuzi, you find it is not available in the market. You should prepare it in advance and keep it for emergencies; it is very useful.
【Additional Notes】It can also be used in abortion. 【Liu Element】It warms the spleen and stomach, eliminates spleen dampness, and supplements the kidney’s yang deficiency in the lower jiao. It can replenish yang deficiency and spleen dampness, so for patients with edema, abdominal water accumulation, and liver cirrhosis with abdominal water accumulation, raw Fuzi can be used! You may ask, what about sulfur? Of course, sulfur can be used; sulfur can also be used for water drainage. You may ask, teacher, what if the patient’s cancer cells have spread and are very serious, and the abdomen is very large? Use raw Fuzi and sulfur, and add a little musk into the nose; that is like dynamite. The throat will open up, and we can do our best. The last dose must be very strong. You see, we have not yet discussed classical formulas; just look at the Shennong’s Classic of Herbal Medicine. Think about how powerful it is. We have not yet discussed raw Banxia, which I have not mentioned yet. Therefore, I am the king of toxins; you say I am the king of toxins, and I truly am the king of toxins. I am the best at using these. When raw Fuzi is consumed, you must ask the patient if their mouth feels numb after taking 9 grams. If their mouth feels numb, that is the limit; do not add more. If 9 grams makes the mouth numb, and they feel nothing after taking it, then increase to 12 grams. If they feel a little numb, then 15 grams is appropriate for severe illnesses. The numbness produced by raw Fuzi will absolutely not have any aftereffects, unlike Wutou.
【Wang Hao Gu】 states that when the Du meridian is affected, the spine becomes stiff and there is a tendency to faint. When the Du meridian is affected, Fuzi can be used. Remember, when we use Fuzi, it is always raw Fuzi. When roasted Fuzi is used in classical formulas, the first time in the Treatise on Cold Damage, Zhang Zhongjing often states that if a patient has a cold, with pores not opening, resulting in a high fever, we can prescribe sweating herbs to induce sweating. If the dosage is too high, the patient sweats profusely; at this time, we use Fuzi to stabilize. This is when roasted Fuzi is used. When the Du meridian has issues, the power of roasted Fuzi cannot reach; we must rely on raw Fuzi to reach it. You may ask, teacher, this supplementing yang fire is very strong; I will add some Danlong pills or deer antler. That is to supplement the marrow; all of these are very strong herbs. Think about what I told you earlier; the hepatitis B vaccine states that if you inject this vaccine, you will prevent liver cancer. This is all nonsense. We Chinese medicine practitioners say prevention, but the health organization disagrees. How can you say it is prevention? Western medicine says it is prevention; they can say anything. In reality, it is useless. Even after injecting the hepatitis B vaccine, you can still get liver cancer. The side effects of the hepatitis B vaccine are that the spine and Du meridian will be damaged. Think about how severe the side effects are; the health organization still wants every child to get vaccinated. If the first dose does not work, they will give a second dose. In the end, some people still get hepatitis B, and they say the vaccine has expired, so they must get a booster shot fifteen years later. They will do anything to justify it. The pharmaceutical companies are very powerful, and all politicians are bribed with money! We must speak the truth; we cannot speak the truth anonymously. Many Western doctors know this but cannot say it openly. Anonymous doctors say it is all true; I do not care; I just say if you want to come to me, come to me.
【Tang Rong Chuan】 defined raw Fuzi and sulfur. 【Medicinal Properties】 You see, this is indicated for expelling water, treating aversion to cold, pain in the body, limbs, and joints, whether heavy, numb, or cold. The aversion to cold here is not the exterior aversion to cold; we have internal aversion to cold and exterior aversion to cold. The exterior aversion to cold feels like the skin has been whipped, and the whole body feels painful, as if beaten with a whip. It is very cold; in summer, if you are locked in a car, it feels cold. If you touch the pulse, it is floating; we call this exterior cold. Internal cold is also very cold, but the skin does not hurt. If you touch the pulse, it is deep; this is internal cold, which is raw Fuzi. If this is exterior cold, the pulse is floating, and the skin, muscles, and joints are all painful; the skin is very painful. We know this is to induce sweating, so we prescribe some Ma Huang decoction to induce sweating. If you prescribe roasted Fuzi, it will be astringent, and the result will be that the patient will feel hotter and hotter. Therefore, you must know the timing of use. If the pulse is too large, we need to stabilize it, and we rely on roasted Fuzi. Therefore, you say, solidifying yang; in the past, the concept in Chinese medicine was that we need to solidify yang, solidify the foundation, and cultivate yang. What is yang deficiency? It means that sperm cannot be retained, and excessive sweating also indicates yang deficiency. If the tongue extends and cannot be retracted, do not think that this is a real disease; it can happen. If the tongue cannot be retracted, it indicates yang deficiency, and we need to help it retract, which relies on Fuzi to stabilize it. Additionally, prolapse and hernias also rely on Fuzi because it can stabilize yang. However, this stabilization of yang must rely on roasted Fuzi. Therefore, it can treat aversion to cold. If you misdiagnose and prescribe Ma Huang to induce sweating for aversion to cold, the result will be that you prescribe astringent Fuzi, and the patient will feel hotter and hotter. Therefore, you can rest assured that I have trained you, and you will not make mistakes. In the future, you will know how to prescribe based on what you hear.
【Xu Ling Tai】 said: “Expel cold evil, return yang qi.” Yang qi must return. You see, this patient, in a car accident or gunshot wound, begins to feel cold after losing a lot of blood. They are cold and have nothing to cover them. They are feeling cold; at this time, we use raw Fuzi. Generally, this is a warming herb. This is not due to blood loss, right? We start giving them blood-replenishing herbs, but it does not work; we need to use raw Fuzi. This yang must return, and it relies on raw Fuzi. Water retention can also use raw Fuzi; raw Fuzi has a strong ability to expel water. 【Medicinal Properties】 It can treat aversion to cold, pain in the body, limbs, and joints, heaviness, numbness, and also abdominal water accumulation. Therefore, when you understand the functions of raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi, you will gradually learn how to use them. If we use a diagram to represent the functions of raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi, my clinical experience tells me that this can only be understood through experience, not explained in words. The so-called raw Fuzi can attack from this place to the center of the human body, thus eliminating internal cold, no matter how severe. I strongly oppose the practice of embolizing blood vessels in liver cancer; they use alcohol to embolize, closing the door. It is like the tomb of an emperor, with many doors closed. We cannot enter; this behavior of Western medicine is truly condemnable. They cannot treat the disease and still block the patient’s chance of survival. This embolization is a terrible act. Western medicine believes that if they block the blood supply, the tumor will shrink. They think this way. In reality, after doing this, the tumor grows larger, and it is of no use. So far, no liver cancer patient has survived after undergoing embolization. Why do you want to cut off someone’s path to life? Blocking my medicine from entering? Roasted Fuzi moves outward; when it moves outward, it is processed, so it stays on the skin’s surface. Therefore, sometimes when there is pus, we need to push it out, and we cannot rely on raw Fuzi; raw Fuzi moves inward. If you use roasted Fuzi and raw Fuzi together, one pushes inward, and one pushes outward, you will push all the water out together. Therefore, it is diuretic; of course, it is diuretic. When the whole body is swollen, you do not see it; it swells like a tire. I have seen it; one dose goes down, and the water flows out, sweating profusely. When raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi are used together, they can expel all the water from the patient. It is that powerful! Therefore, if you do not see a formula, you may say, how can raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi be used together? This person must be crazy; you are wrong. Only experts know how to use them because they understand the properties of the herbs and the purpose of their design. When you know the attacking herbs, if the patient is qi deficient, you can add some Huangqi. If the patient is blood deficient, you can add some Danggui. Those are just additional herbs. If the patient is originally healthy, there is no need to add tonics; just attack the disease, and once the disease is resolved, the patient’s qi and blood will naturally return. However, the main formula is here. Now that I have explained this, will anyone be able to use it? Of course not; no one will be able to use it. This is why Chinese medicine is declining.
【Tang Rong Chuan】 said that cinnamon is for supplementing fire. Yes, it is. Therefore, it is different. When cinnamon is consumed, the heart’s strength will increase. The heart’s beating will generate heat that will enter the kidney. Therefore, the function of cinnamon is here. Raw Fuzi is not like that; it directly ignites the kidney without needing to go through the heart. Do you understand? This is the difference. Therefore, throughout history, famous doctors and classical formula practitioners have been using raw Fuzi and raw Banxia; many have used them. Why do they not use them now? It is very strange. This is raw Fuzi and roasted Fuzi; usually, a single piece is sufficient. For emergencies, one piece is enough. You can go and store one piece; when you really need to use it, you can cut it open. However, dried raw Fuzi is very hard; it is difficult to cut open. You can use a hammer to break it apart.