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Astragalus Root is the dried root of the leguminous plant Mongolian Astragalus Root or membranous Astragalus Root. It can be cultivated or wild. Mongolian Astragalus Root is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Shanxi, Hebei, and other regions; membranous Astragalus Root is mainly produced in Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and other areas. The original plant grows on slopes, near ditches, or in thickets, preferring dry and sunny conditions. It thrives best in deep, humus-rich, well-draining, neutral to slightly alkaline sandy loam soil. It has a sweet taste and a warm nature. It belongs to the lung and spleen meridians. Its effects include replenishing qi and consolidating the exterior, promoting diuresis and detoxification, expelling pus, healing sores, and promoting granulation. Clinical names include Astragalus Root and honey-fried Astragalus Root.

bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica

Shennong Bencao Jing: Sweet in taste, slightly warm. It treats Yongju, long-standing non-healing sores, expels pus, relieves pain, treats severe wind and leprosy, five types of hemorrhoids, scrofula, tonifies deficiency, and treats various childhood illnesses.

Mingyi Bielu: Non-toxic. It treats women's uterine wind pathogenic qi, expels evil blood from the five zang organs, tonifies men's deficiencies, five types of strain and emaciation, quenches thirst, relieves abdominal pain and diarrhea, tonifies qi, and benefits yin qi.

Yaoxing Lun: Treats back gangrene, internal tonification, deficiency-type dyspnea, renal failure deafness, and addresses cold and heat.

Rihuazi Bencao: Incompatible with densefruit pittany root-bark. It boosts qi, strengthens tendons and bones, promotes muscle growth, tonifies blood, breaks up masses and lumps, treats scrofula, bloody stools, menorrhagia, leukorrhea, red and white dysentery, pre- and post-natal conditions, irregular menstruation, consumptive thirst, phlegm cough, and treats head wind heat toxin, red eyes, etc.

Kaibao Bencao: Sweet in taste, slightly warm, non-toxic. It treats women's uterine wind pathogenic qi, expels evil blood from the five zang-organs, tonifies men's deficiencies, five types of strain and emaciation, quenches thirst, relieves abdominal pain and diarrhea, tonifies qi, and benefits yin qi.

Yaolei Faxiang: Treats deficiency fatigue and spontaneous sweating, tonifies lung qi, strengthens skin and hair, drains lung fire, and is effective for spleen-stomach weakness, sores, ulcers, and stagnant blood circulation. It is essential for internal support of yin pattern sores and ulcers.

Yaoxing Fu: Sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. It ascends and is yang in nature. Its uses include warming the flesh and strengthening the striae and interstice, benefiting original qi and tonifying the triple energizer, internally supporting yin pattern sores and ulcers, and externally securing exterior deficiency night sweating.

Tangye Bencao: Warm in nature, sweet in taste, pure yang. Slightly warm and sweet, neutral in nature, non-toxic.

It enters the hand Shaoyang meridian, foot Taiyin meridian, foot Shaoyin, and life gate.

Yaolei Faxiang: Treats deficiency fatigue and spontaneous sweating, tonifies lung qi, enters the skin and hair, drains lung fire. Effective for spleen-stomach weakness, sores, ulcers, and stagnant blood circulation. Essential for internal support of yin pattern sores and ulcers.

Yongyao Xinfa: Tonifies deficiencies in the five zang-organs, drains yin fire, removes deficiency heat, expels pathogens from the exterior when there is no sweating, and stops sweating when there is.

Zhenzhunang: Benefits stomach qi, removes muscle heat, and is essential for various pains.

Shennong Bencao Jing: Treats Yongju, long-standing non-healing sores, expels pus, relieves pain, treats severe wind and leprosy, five types of hemorrhoids, scrofula, tonifies deficiency, treats various childhood illnesses, women's uterine wind pathogenic qi, expels evil blood from the five zang-organs, tonifies men's deficiencies, five types of strain and emaciation, relieves abdominal pain and diarrhea, tonifies qi, and benefits yin qi.

Astragalus Root has similar effects to cinnamon but differs slightly in taste, being sweet and neutral rather than pungent and hot. Some people use alfalfa root as a substitute, calling it "earth Astragalus Root," but it is bitter and can cause weight loss; only the sweet variety can promote weight gain. It can be easily confused, so users should be cautious. It treats qi deficiency night sweating and spontaneous sweating, acting on the skin surface. It also treats skin pain, indicating its surface-acting properties. It treats hemoptysis, softens the spleen and stomach, making it a middle-region medicine. It also treats cold-damage disease with weak chi pulse, tonifies kidney original qi, making it an internal medicine. It is a medicine for the upper, middle, lower, internal, external, and triple energizer regions.

Dongyuan said: Astragalus Root, Ginseng, and Liquorice Root are the three sacred herbs for reducing fever. Lingshu said: Defense qi is what warms the muscles and fills the skin, nourishes the striae and interstice, and controls opening and closing. Astragalus Root not only tonifies the triple energizer and strengthens defense qi, similar to cinnamon, but it is particularly effective in tonifying qi, also serving as an adjuvant. Cinnamon, on the other hand, promotes blood circulation, can break blood stasis and strengthen defense qi, acting internally to strengthen externally. When discussing cinnamon in terms of blood, or seeking its color, Astragalus Root is considered to strengthen qi. It is incompatible with turtle carapace.

Bencao Fahui: Jiegu said: It treats deficiency fatigue and spontaneous sweating, tonifies lung qi, strengthens the skin and hair, drains lung fire, treats wiry pulse, spontaneous sweating, and is effective for spleen-stomach weakness, sores and ulcers, and stagnant blood circulation. It is a necessary medicine for internal support of yin pattern sores and ulcers. The "Secret of Indications" states: Its nature is warm, its taste is sweet, its qi is thin but its flavor is thick. It can ascend and descend, being yin within yang. It has five uses: First, it tonifies various deficiencies; second, it benefits original qi; third, it removes muscle heat; fourth, it expels pus and relieves pain in sores and ulcers; fifth, it strengthens the spleen and stomach. It alleviates pain in various meridians, eliminates deficiency heat, and stops night sweating.

Bencao Jingshu: Astragalus Root is born from the yang qi of heaven and the chong qi of earth. Therefore, its taste is sweet, slightly warm, and non-toxic. Its qi is thicker than its flavor, and it can ascend and descend, being yang in nature. It enters the hand Yangming and Taiyin meridians. Sweetness is the proper flavor of earth, so it can remove toxins. Yang can reach the exterior, so it can move toxins to the surface. Sweetness can benefit blood, and since the spleen governs the muscles, it is effective for long-standing sores, expelling pus, and relieving pain. Wind is a yang pathogen, and when Zefeng deficiency-type pathogens invade the body, it causes leprosy. The classic states: "The invasion of pathogens must be due to deficiency of essential qi." Its ability to strengthen the exterior allows it to expel pathogens and drive out wind, making it effective for severe wind-induced diseases, five types of hemorrhoids, and rat fistulas. It tonifies deficiencies and is also effective for children's epidemic smallpox in the yang aspect, exterior deficiency with insufficient qi, and children's fetal toxin sores. Bielu It also treats women's uterus wind pathogenic qi and expels five zang-organs' stagnant blood. Blood does not move on its own but follows qi. When combined with blood-regulating herbs, it can achieve this. It tonifies men's deficiencies and treats five kinds of strain-induced emaciation, generally referring to diseases caused by exhaustion of yang qi. Sweet and warm, it benefits original qi and eliminates great heat, thus treating these conditions comprehensively. When qi is strong, body fluids are generated, thus quenching thirst. Blood deficiency causes abdominal pain, and middle energizer dysfunction also causes abdominal pain. Insufficient spleen-stomach qi leads to Xieke and diarrhea. Tonifying middle qi resolves these symptoms. Tonifying qi and benefiting yin qi means yin grows while yang generates.

Contraindications: Astragalus Root strengthens the exterior, so it should not be used when exterior pathogens are present. It aids qi, so it should not be used when qi is excessive. It tonifies internal cold and deficiencies, so it should not be used when there is chest and diaphragm qi stagnation or food retention in the intestines and stomach. It tonifies yang, so it is contraindicated in cases of yang exuberance and yin deficiency. It is contraindicated in cases of upper energizer excessive heat and lower energizer deficiency cold. It should not be taken by patients with excessive anger or liver qi disharmony. It is contraindicated in cases of smallpox with excessive heat in the blood aspect.

Bencao Mengquan: Its taste is sweet, and its qi is slightly warm. Its qi is thin, but its flavor is thick. It can ascend and descend, being yin within yang. It is non-toxic. When used raw, it treats Yongju; when honey-fried, it tonifies deficiencies. It enters the hand Shaoyang and foot Taiyin meridians. It treats men and children's five strains and seven injuries, steaming bone fever, emaciation, consumptive thirst, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools. It regulates women's irregular menstruation, menorrhagia, leukorrhea, and pre- and post-natal qi depletion and blood deficiency. It benefits primordial yang and drains yin fire. It supports the weak and aids the endangered, slightly inferior to Ginseng. It warms the flesh and fills the skin, nourishes the striae and interstices to regulate opening and closing. It stabilizes night sweating and spontaneous sweating, inducing sweating when there is none and stopping it when there is. It supports pudendal sores and leprosy, expels pus, relieves pain, and promotes tissue regeneration. It acts externally on the skin and hair, internally tonifies the spleen and stomach, and treats lower cold-damage diseases, reaching down to the chi pulse. It is a medicine for the upper, middle, and lower, internal and external, and triple energizer. It is incompatible with Saposhnikovia Root, but Saposhnikovia Root can control Astragalus Root. When Astragalus Root is combined with Saposhnikovia Root, its efficacy increases. This is a case of mutual restraint and mutual assistance, so the two are often used together for reinforcement. The "Yanyi" also states: Due to its strong tonifying effects, it is called "mutton" among medicines.

Note: Ginseng and Astragalus Root are both sweet and warm in nature, capable of tonifying and benefiting. For syndromes of deficiency and damage, they can work together effectively. However, Ginseng primarily tonifies the original qi and regulates the middle, while Astragalus Root additionally tonifies the defensive qi and strengthens the exterior. Since their tonifying effects differ slightly, their dosages in a formula should not be equal. It is essential to respect their specialized abilities and use them as sovereign medicinals. The sovereign medicinal should be used in larger quantities, while the minister medicinals should be used in smaller amounts. When the sovereign overpowers the minister, the state is well-governed; when the minister overpowers the sovereign, the nation gradually falls into peril. This principle is natural, and the same applies to medicinal formulations, which must be carefully considered. For conditions such as internal damage, spleen and stomach weakness, poor appetite, lethargy, fever and chills, vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal distension, fatigue, weak pulse, and low energy, the treatment should focus on tonifying the middle and replenishing qi. In such cases, Ginseng should be used in larger quantities as the sovereign, while Astragalus Root should be used in smaller amounts as the minister. For cases of exterior deficiency, weak striae and interstices, spontaneous sweating, night sweating, gradual yang exhaustion, ulcers, excessive pus and blood loss, infantile smallpox with incomplete scabbing, and all diseases where yin toxins fail to rise, the treatment should focus on strengthening the defensive qi and protecting the nutritive qi. In such cases, Astragalus Root should be used in larger quantities as the sovereign, while Ginseng should be used in smaller amounts as the minister. Therefore, treating diseases relies on the proper use of medicinals, and the use of medicinals depends on the practitioner. One must not rigidly follow formulas but should adapt flexibly. As the ancients said: "Medicine has no fixed form; it should be applied according to the situation. Medicinals are not bound by formulas; they should be used as appropriate." It is also said: "When qi tonics are abundant, blood tonics will also tonify qi; when blood tonics are abundant, qi tonics will also tonify blood. When combined with heat, they become hot; when combined with cold, they become cold." For example, in the Middle-Tonifying Qi-Replenishing Decoction, even though Chinese Angelica is added, which is a blood tonic, its effect is overshadowed by Ginseng and Astragalus Root, so the formula is named for its qi-tonifying effect. Similarly, in the Angelica Blood-Tonifying Decoction, even though Astragalus Root is used in larger quantities, which is a qi tonic, its mild nature allows it to follow the lead of Chinese Angelica, so the formula is named for its blood-tonifying effect. When combined with a small amount of Cassia Bark and Aconite Lateral Root, it becomes slightly warming, as in the Eight-Ingredient Pill; when combined with Phellodendron Bark and Anemarrhena, it becomes slightly cooling, as in the Yin-Tonifying Pill. By understanding these principles and applying them flexibly, one can ensure that the formula matches the disease mechanism and that the disease mechanism aligns with the formula. The key lies in the proper balance of sovereign, minister, assistant, and guide medicinals, ensuring that the dosages and urgency are appropriate. Modern practitioners who do not study materia medica thoroughly and expect to create effective formulas are like those who try to learn archery without handling a bow and arrow—they are bound to fail.

《Materia Medica Cheng Ya》: Astragalus Root, also known as Daishen, Daizhen, and Baiben. Worn on the head, like defense qi emerging from the eyes and traveling down the head, from top to bottom, from the exterior to the interior, it connects all the meridians, protecting the exterior and solidifying it. Astragalus Root is trustworthy and fast-acting. Understanding the pathways of defense qi's entry and exit allows one to comprehend the functions of Astragalus Root.

Yellow is the central color. According to Tongzhi, it begins as yellow, Qi, and Qi Su. It directs without relying on physical labor, like the stomach in the center of the body, nurturing defense qi, blood, tendons, and expelling pathogens from the exterior. All these originate from the stomach, and the control of defense qi, the nourishment and movement of nutrient-blood, the stretching of tendons, and the growth of teeth expelling pathogens from the exterior are all directed by the stomach. The exterior is the envoy of the interior, and nutrient-blood and tendons are tangible, governed and regulated solely by defense qi. Defense qi is the commander of qi. Yongju Long-standing ailments, severe leprosy, and hemorrhoids with fistula all lack defense qi to protect the exterior, leading to muscle decay. Astragalus Root, with its sweet taste and warm nature, resembles muscle tissue, with skin that folds like cotton, akin to defense qi protecting and solidifying the exterior. Therefore, it can warm the flesh, fill the skin, nourish the striae and interstice, and control opening and closing. It is suitable for those with weak defense qi who cannot protect their muscles. However, if there is an excess of six pathogens and intense toxic heat, it should be avoided and not misused. Tonifying deficiency means supplementing the deficiency of defense qi. Children often have excess yin and insufficient qi, making Astragalus Root suitable for various ailments.

In cases of intense toxic heat from six excesses, it is not entirely prohibited, but it depends on how the qi is directed. Astragalus Root, being experienced and knowledgeable, can direct qi without physical labor. Without internal support, how can it solidify the exterior?

Yaoxing Jie: Sweet in taste, slightly warm in nature, non-toxic, enters the lung and spleen meridians. Internally, it supports the healing of sores and ulcers, promotes tissue regeneration to close wounds, and externally, it strengthens exterior deficiency night sweating and fills the striae and interstice. It is incompatible with Tortoise Carapace and densefruit pittany root-bark.

Note: Astragalus Root is specialized in tonifying the exterior. The lung governs the skin and body hair, and the spleen governs the muscles, hence it enters both. Sores and ulcers that have ruptured and night sweating are both signs of exterior deficiency, hence it is used. Those with interior deficiency should avoid it, as it may raise qi to the exterior, worsening the deficiency. Those with exterior pathogens should also avoid it, as it may exacerbate the pathogens. Only those with exterior deficiency and pathogens that do not induce sweating may use it cautiously. Raw Astragalus Root can also purge fire.

Yaojian : Thin in qi, sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, ascending, yang in nature. It has four uses: warming the flesh and solidifying the striae and interstice, benefiting original qi and tonifying the triple energizer, internally supporting yin conditions of sores, and externally solidifying exterior deficiency night sweating. As Yongju states, it is often used for ruptured sores, drawing toxins out from within. It also promotes tissue regeneration to close wounds, due to its tonifying exterior properties. Generally, those with strong exterior pathogens should not use it, as it may reflect pathogenic qi. For those with weak yin qi, it should be used sparingly, as using it to raise original qi to the exterior may deplete the interior. For exterior deficiency with pathogens that do not induce sweating, taking it may cause spontaneous sweating. This herb greatly benefits stomach qi and can release flesh heat, making Ginseng, Astragalus Root, and Liquorice Root the holy trio for reducing deficiency heat. It enters the hand Shaoyang, foot Taiyin, and Shaoyin kidney life gate formulas. When honey-fried, it greatly stops sweating; when raw, it induces sweating. Ginseng cannot tonify without it, making it a crucial herb for tonifying the middle and replenishing qi. Used in pox cases, it is similar to Ginseng, but for real heat conditions, it requires even more caution. It is incompatible with turtle carapace.

Jingyue Quanshu : Sweet in taste, neutral in qi, both light in nature, more ascending than descending, yang with a hint of yin. Raw, it is slightly cool and can treat Yongju ; honey-fried, it is warm and can tonify deficiency damage. Due to its light taste, it specializes in the qi aspect and reaches the exterior, thus it can tonify original yang, fill the striae and interstice, treat fatigue, and grow muscles. For those with qi deficiency and difficulty sweating, it can induce sweating; for those with loose exterior and excessive sweating, it can stop sweating. It stops menorrhagia and blood stranguria by solidifying qi, hence it is said that blood collapse tonifies qi. It eliminates diarrhea, dysentery, and turbid discharge by solidifying qi and lifting what has fallen, hence it is said that what has fallen is lifted. However, its nature and taste are both floating, purely in the qi aspect, so those with middle fullness and qi stagnation should use it cautiously.

Bencao Beiyao : Tonifies qi, solidifies the exterior, purges fire.

Sweet and warm, when used raw, it can consolidate the exterior, capable of inducing sweating when there is no sweat, and stopping sweating when there is sweat. Zhu Danxi said: Astragalus Root is a great tonic, beneficial for yang deficiency and spontaneous sweating. If there is exterior deficiency with pathogenic factors and sweating does not occur, taking this can also induce spontaneous sweating. It warms the muscles, strengthens the striae and interstices, drains yin fire, and releases flesh heat. When roasted, it tonifies the middle, benefits original qi, warms the triple energizer, and strengthens the spleen and stomach. When the spleen and stomach are deficient, earth cannot generate metal, and lung qi is the first to be exhausted; when the spleen and stomach are harmonized, lung qi flourishes and the exterior is consolidated and strengthened. Tonifying the middle is thus a way to consolidate the exterior. It generates blood and muscles; qi can generate blood, and when blood is abundant, flesh grows. The Classic says: Blood generates flesh. It expels pus and internally supports, making it a holy medicine for sores and abscesses. Toxic qi transforms into pus, and tonifying qi thus internally supports. Yongju If pus cannot form, it is incurable, as the toxic qi is strong and the original qi is weak. The same applies to pox syndromes. For pox syndromes that do not rise, and for yang deficiency without heat, it is suitable. Wang Ji of Xin'an treated pox syndromes with cold deficiency and failure to rise, using Four Gentlemen Decoction with Astragalus Root and Arnebia, with great effect. Occasionally, there were cases of withering and death, and he blamed himself for not using the medicine precisely, pondering over it to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. Suddenly, he realized: White Atractylodes Rhizome dries dampness, Poria drains water, which may hinder the flow of pox fluid. So he removed these two ingredients and added cinnamon and sticky rice to assist its power, naming it Original-Qi Preserving Decoction. Ginseng, White Atractylodes Rhizome, Poria, and Liquorice Root are called Four Gentlemen Decoction. Wang Hao-gu said: Astragalus Root strengthens defense qi, making it an exterior medicine; it benefits the spleen and stomach, making it a middle region medicine; it treats cold-damage disease with a faint pulse at the chi position, tonifies kidney essence, making it an interior medicine. Zhen Quan said it tonifies the kidneys because qi is the mother of water. "Rihua" says it stops flooding and vaginal discharge because abundant qi prevents the worry of collapse. "Meng Quan" says: When qi tonics are abundant, blood tonics follow to tonify qi; when blood tonics are abundant, qi tonics follow to tonify blood. Although tonifying qi decoction adds Chinese Angelica, due to its small quantity, the effect is dominated by ginseng and astragalus; tonifying blood decoction has several times more Chinese Angelica, and it also follows Chinese Angelica to tonify blood. One liang of Astragalus Root and two qian of Chinese Angelica are called tonifying blood decoction. Although it is mostly qi medicine, it is called tonifying blood because qi can generate blood, and there is Chinese Angelica as a guide. It is not suitable for those with strong exterior, and those with yin deficiency should use it sparingly, fearing that it may raise qi to the exterior and further deplete the interior. It is the chief of tonifying medicines, used in tonifying Chinese medicinals, pounded flat, and roasted with honey; for reaching the exterior, it is used raw. Some say: For tonifying the kidneys and treating flooding, vaginal discharge, and turbidity, it should be soaked in salt water and roasted. Ang says: This is incorrect. The previous conditions use Astragalus Root not to suppress it into the kidneys, but to take advantage of its ability to tonify the middle and raise qi, thus benefiting the kidneys, and stopping flooding, turbidity, and vaginal discharge naturally, as Rihua says, abundant qi naturally prevents the worry of collapse. There are cases where upper diseases are treated by addressing the lower, and lower diseases by addressing the upper, tonifying one channel to benefit another, and this is such a case. Poria is the envoy. It is incompatible with Tortoise Carapace and densefruit pittany root-bark. It fears Saposhnikovia Root. Li Dongyuan said: Astragalus Root paired with Saposhnikovia Root enhances its efficacy, as mutual restraint leads to mutual assistance.

Benjing Fengyuan: Sweet and warm, non-toxic. Used in tonifying qi medicine when roasted, and used raw in releasing exterior and supporting internal medicine.

Astragalus Root is sweet and warm, with a thin qi and thick flavor, slightly ascending and mostly descending, yin within yin. It can tonify the deficiencies of the five zang-organs, enters the hand and foot Taiyin, hand Yangming and Shaoyang, and treats stringy pulse spontaneous sweating, drains yin fire and removes lung heat, induces sweating when there is no sweat, and stops sweating when there is sweat. It enters the lung to secure exterior deficiency spontaneous sweating, and enters the spleen to support already ulcerated abscesses. Benjing first mentions Yongju long-standing sores, expelling pus and relieving pain, then mentions severe wind leprosy, five types of hemorrhoids, and rat fistulas, all using the raw form to disperse the heat of defensive qi. Although its nature is warming and tonifying, it can regulate blood vessels and circulate meridians without causing obstruction. It treats qi deficiency night sweating and spontaneous sweating, and skin pain, being a medicine for the exterior. It treats hemoptysis, softens the spleen and stomach, being a medicine for the middle region. It treats cold-damage disease with weak chi pulse, tonifies kidney original qi deficiency, and infantile susceptibility to wind evil, fever, and spontaneous sweating. All these use the roasted form to strengthen the deficiency of defensive qi, being a medicine for the upper, middle, and lower triple energizer, as mentioned in Benjing for tonifying deficiency. For example, smallpox uses Original-Qi Preserving Decoction to treat spleen and lung deficiency heat, and Angelica Blood-Tonifying Decoction to treat blood-deficiency fever, both being sacred medicines. Astragalus Root with Ginseng tonifies qi, with Chinese Angelica tonifies blood, with White Atractylodes Rhizome and Saposhnikovia Root dispels spleen dampness, with fourstamen stephania root and Saposhnikovia Root dispels wind dampness, with Cinnamon Twig and Aconite Lateral Root treats defensive qi deficiency and yang exhaustion with incessant sweating, being the general regulator of striae and interstice. Astragalus Root specializes in strengthening defensive qi, warming and tonifying kidney qi, and Angelica Blood-Tonifying Decoction, why not use Rehmannia but instead use three times the amount of Angelica? The reason is that yin blood deficiency with fever clearly indicates yang rising from yin, necessitating strong yang within yin medicine as the sovereign, combined with Chinese Angelica to guide into the blood aspect, naturally yin grows while yang generates, yin pathogen retreats and excessive heat is removed. Using pure yin and greasy medicine only causes stagnation, heat cannot disperse. Thus, Astragalus Root is needed to protect the camp, preventing excessive sweating, and yin naturally secures, heat naturally dissipates. Ancient people said no sweating should use Astragalus Root, as it causes chest fullness. This refers to exterior excess with thin body and pale color, strong middle qi in the chest. For those with weak defensive qi catching cold, even using exterior medicine often fails to induce sweating, Astragalus Root and Jianzhong types are needed to induce sweating, not constrained by common views and abandoning sacred methods. Tang Xu Yin-zong treated Empress Liu's wind disease with inability to speak, deep pulse and lockjaw, by making Astragalus Root and Saposhnikovia Root decoction, placing it under the bed, the vapor like smoke, and she could speak overnight. This principle is only understood by Jade Screen Powder. Astragalus Root fears Saposhnikovia Root, but with Saposhnikovia Root, its efficacy increases. It is mutual restraint and mutual assistance.

Bencao Chongyuan: Astragalus Root is yellow, sweet, slightly warm. It inherits the qi transformation of fire and earth. Earth governs muscles, fire governs Jingmai, thus it treats muscle abscesses, Jingmai ulcers. Yongju long-standing, healthy qi weak, causing triple energizer qi not warming muscles, leading to sores. Astragalus Root assists triple energizer to emit qi, warming muscles, thus it can treat. Yongju unulcerated, transforming blood into pus, unbearable pain, Astragalus Root tonifies qi and assists yang, yang qi transforms blood and expels pus, pus expelled then pain stops. Severe wind leprosy, called pestilent qi sores, is wind-cold lodging in the vessels without leaving, nose bridge destroyed and color ruined, skin ulcerated and leprous. Five hemorrhoids: male, female, intestinal, qi, and blood hemorrhoids, are pathogenic heat flooding below. Rat fistulas: kidney water toxin, flooding upwards in the vessels, causing neck and nape ulcerated swelling, hollow or protruding, is cold Xieke above. Leprosy, five hemorrhoids, rat fistulas, are evils in Jingmai, with symptoms appearing in muscles and skin. Astragalus Root internally supports Jingmai, externally supports muscles, thus suitable for these three conditions. Also, tonifying deficiency is tonifying healthy qi deficiency, with Jingmai harmonized, muscles full. Children Jingmai not strong, muscles not full, blood and qi both weak, thus treats children's hundred diseases.

Depei Bencao: Poria is its assistant. Hates densefruit pittany root-bark, Tortoise Carapace.

Taste sweet, slightly warm. Enters hand Taiyin meridian, also enters foot Taiyin qi division. Assists qi and powders blood, secures striae and interstice, benefits spleen and stomach, supports sores and ulcers, stops night sweating. Secures qi efficacy.

With jujube seed, stops spontaneous sweating. With Dried Ginger, warms triple energizer; with Sichuan Coptis, treats bloody defecation and bleeding; with Poria, treats qi deficiency white turbidity; with Sichuan Lovage Rhizome and sticky rice, treats fetal movement, abdominal pain, and yellow discharge. Assists Chinese Angelica, tonifies blood; with Bupleurum and Cimicifuga, induces sweating.

Tonifying deficiency, stir-fried with honey; for epigastric upset, stir-fried with milk; removing toxin, stir-fried with saltwater; for stomach deficiency, stir-fried with rice water; warming the stomach, relieving diarrhea and dysentery, stir-fried with wine; purging heart fire, reducing deficient heat, and promoting the healing of sores and ulcers. Raw use may cause qi stagnation, add a small amount of White Mulberry Root-Bark.

Blood depletion assists qi in generating fire, leading to further blood depletion. Apoplexy. Yang qi rises, wind intensifies, and phlegm becomes more abundant. Fire movement generates phlegm, internal organs are extremely deficient, and qi rises to the surface. Upper heat and lower cold, qi rises, upper part becomes hotter, lower part becomes colder. The color of pox is not moist, assisting qi and blood to deplete further. Disharmony of liver qi, Astragalus Root can activate the fire of the triple energizer. All are contraindicated.

Strange condition: joints of the limbs detach, only skin connects, unable to move, this is tendon release. Use three taels of Astragalus Root, soak in wine overnight, bake and grind, take two qian with wine, until cured.

Astragalus Root tonifies qi, and qi has internal and external divisions. Qi that defends outside the vessels is the defense qi inside; qi that circulates on the skin surface is the defense qi outside. For qi on the skin surface, Astragalus Root is suitable for tonification; for qi inside the five viscera, Ginseng is suitable for tonification. If internal qi is deficient, using Astragalus Root to lift qi to the surface; external qi appears increasingly abundant, while internal qi becomes more deficient. Over time, blood has nothing to hold, Yingqi also feels dissipated, this is how deficiency damage is caused by tonification, thus the treatment of internal and external deficient qi has its own methods. Not understanding the method and treating it indiscriminately is like a blind person not seeing black and white.

Bencao Jing Jie : Astragalus Root is slightly warm, carrying the spring rising shaoyang qi, enters the foot shaoyang gallbladder meridian and hand shaoyang triple energizer meridian; taste sweet and non-toxic, carrying the peaceful earth flavor, enters the foot taiyin spleen meridian. Both qi and flavor rise, it is yang. Spleen governs muscles, sweet can remove toxins, warm can generate flesh, thus it treats Yongju long-standing non-healing sores, expelling pus and generating flesh.

Wind-dampness heat congested in Jingmai muscles and flesh, then tendons and flesh deteriorate, forming leprosy. Spleen governs dampness, gallbladder governs wind, triple energizer governs heat, "invasion of pathogen must be due to deficiency of essential qi", Astragalus Root is sweet and warm, tonifies blood and qi, thus treats leprosy. Intestinal piles are hemorrhoids, intestines belong to hand yangming, taiyin spleen moves body fluids for yangming, sweet and warm benefits spleen, spleen healthy movement then intestinal piles move and hemorrhoids heal. Scrofula is mouse fistula, shaoyang meridian wind heat stagnation toxin, Astragalus Root enters gallbladder and triple energizer, sweet can remove toxins, warm can disperse stagnation, thus treats it.

Human deficiency varies, not beyond qi and blood. Astragalus Root flavor and qi are sweet and warm, warm with qi, thus tonifies form deficiency; tonifies with flavor, thus benefits essence deficiency. Children are tender yang, tender yang is shaoyang, not generating qi freely, what illness can children have! Astragalus Root enters shaoyang, tonifies the original qi of life, thus generally treats all children's diseases.

Shennong Bencao Jingdu : Astragalus Root qi is slightly warm, carries shaoyang qi, enters gallbladder and triple energizer; taste sweet and non-toxic, carries taiyin flavor, enters lung and spleen.

It treats Yongju because sweet can remove toxins. Long-standing non-healing sores, muscles and skin and hair ulcerate, must have much pus and severe pain, Astragalus Root enters spleen and governs muscles, enters lung and governs skin and hair.

Great wind is the deadly evil wind. Astragalus Root enters gallbladder and assists upright qi, so mental activity is not disturbed by wind; enters triple energizer and assists the function of dredging, so orifices are not blocked by wind; enters spleen and rescues the damage of being overcome; enters lung and controls the movement of wind wood, thus treats it. Leprosy, also called leprosy, is the abundance of wind toxin.

Five hemorrhoids are five types of hemorrhoids, shaoyang and taiyin fire invades inward below, and this can lift the sinking. Mouse fistula is another name for scrofula, gallbladder meridian and triple energizer fire stagnates above, and this can disperse the stagnation.

It says tonifying deficiency, summarizing the above, various syndromes long-term leading to deficiency, this can tonify, not generally speaking of tonifying products. I carefully taste the scripture, all refer to exterior pattern. Like Liu Huang Tang, cold to remove heat, heat removed then sweat stops; Qi Fu Tang, warm to restore yang, yang returns then sweat stops; Jade Screen Powder disperses to expel wind, wind calms then sweat stops. All formulas rely on Astragalus Root's ability to go to the surface, leading the herbs quickly to the surface to stop sweat, not Astragalus Root itself can stop sweat. Various theories of securing the exterior, and raw use to induce sweat, fried use to stop sweat, have misled for millennia, here I correct it.

Shennong Bencao Jing Hundred Records: Taste sweet, slightly warm. Treats Yongju , long-standing non-healing sores, expelling pus and stopping pain, removes heat toxin from muscles. Great wind leprosy, removes wind toxin from muscles. Five hemorrhoids, mouse fistula, removes dampness toxin from muscles. Tonifies deficiency, tonifies spleen and stomach deficiency. All children's diseases. Children should tonify the postnatal, postnatal is the root of muscles.

Astragalus Root is sweet, mild, and warm in nature, embodying the true flavor and properties of the earth, thus its efficacy is particularly focused on tonifying the spleen and stomach. Its taste is slightly pungent, enabling it to expel various pathogens from the spleen and stomach. Its skin is the thickest, hence it can also nourish the skin and flesh, making it a sacred medicine in surgery for promoting muscle growth and wound healing.

Benjing Shuzheng: Astragalus Root has a single stem without branches, growing straight up and down. Its root has a yellow center, a white middle layer, and a brown outer layer, clearly demarcated into three distinct layers. Its taste is sweet, and its qi is slightly warm, directly entering the middle earth and moving through the triple energizer. Therefore, it can internally tonify middle qi, which is what the Benjing refers to as tonifying deficiency, and what the Bielu refers to as tonifying qi for men's deficiency and emaciation due to five consumptions. It can move through Yingqi, which is what the Benjing refers to as treating Yongju long-standing ulcers, expelling pus, relieving pain, and treating severe wind and leprosy, as well as what the Bielu refers to as expelling evil blood from the five zang-organs. It can move defense qi downward, which is what the Benjing refers to as treating five types of hemorrhoids and rat fistulas, and what the Bielu refers to as treating women's uterus wind pathogenic qi, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In the Yongju chapter, when cold Xieke invades the meridians and collaterals, the blood stagnates and does not flow, and defense qi returns to it, unable to reverse, thus causing abscesses. Cold qi transforms into heat, and when heat prevails, the flesh rots and turns into pus. In the Suwen Feng Lun, wind qi enters together with the taiyang, travels through the meridians and collaterals, disperses in the muscles, and interacts with defense qi, causing obstruction, thus leading to muscle swelling, heat, and ulcers. When defense qi coagulates, the flesh becomes numb, and when Yingqi heat in the fu organs is not cleared, it causes the nose bridge to collapse and the complexion to deteriorate, known as leprosy. In the Shengqi Tongtian Lun, when Yingqi does not follow its path and rebels in the flesh, it leads to abscesses. These are clear evidences of nutrient-defense disorders, and nutrient-defense is related to the triple energizer, which in turn is related to the middle earth. In the Lingshu Yingwei Shenghui chapter, the upper energizer emerges from the upper opening of the stomach, passes through the diaphragm and throat, spreads in the chest to initiate respiration and move nutrient-defense, which is middle qi. The middle energizer also emerges from the stomach after the upper energizer, receiving qi, separating the dregs, steaming body fluids, and ascending to the lungs to transform into blood, which is Yingqi. The lower energizer separates the ileum, filters and separates fluids, and directs them to the bladder, which is defense qi. All three originate from water and grain, making the triple energizer the root of nutrient-defense, and the spleen and stomach's steaming and transforming functions the root of the triple energizer. Astragalus Root has one source and three branches, dredging the root of the triple energizer and benefiting the qi of nutrient-defense, thus clearing any obstructions in nutrient-defense, as the saying goes, "when the source is clear, the flow is clean." The

Astragalus Root Bielu mentions benefiting yin qi. Is this the same as moving Yingqi or expelling evil blood from the five zang-organs? Moving Yingqi and expelling evil blood are indeed ways to benefit yin qi, but benefiting yin qi is not limited to just moving Yingqi and expelling evil blood. In the Suwen Shengqi Tongtian Lun, yin stores essence and initiates urgency, while yang protects the exterior and secures it. When yin cannot overcome yang, the pulse becomes rapid and leads to mania. When yang cannot overcome yin, the qi of the five zang-organs competes, and the nine orifices become blocked. The essence flourishes in yin, although it is always calm, it is warmed and nourished by the life fire, and the qi steams and transforms, thus the qi urgently rises, which is yang protecting the exterior and securing it. Therefore, it is said that defense qi emerges from the lower energizer, and the ascent of defense yang is rooted in the descent of turbid yin. Astragalus Root sends the steamed and rotten water and grain to the lower energizer, thus returning and generating defense qi, and when it ascends rapidly, the urgency rises quickly, leading to internal and external harmony. Therefore, when yin cannot overcome yang, Astragalus Root cannot help, but when yang cannot overcome yin, yang does not ascend, and the qi of the five zang-organs competes, yin does not descend, and the nine orifices become blocked. The descent of yin is rooted in the flourishing yang of the spleen and stomach, hence the Total Compendium uses Astragalus Root alone to treat unblocking ears. Li Dong-yuan said that in cases of internal damage, the upper energizer yang qi sinks, and when qi sinks, it becomes deficient heat, which cannot be treated without Astragalus Root. Liu Qianjiang said that to treat deficiency damage with bladder heat and persistent hematuria, in the Typha pill, Astragalus Root secures the defense of the lower energizer, and then Rehmannia and Ophiopogon Tuber can combine to clear heat, also relying on its ability to raise yang to reach the surface, and the heat in the water fu is removed by applying cold and clearing agents. This clarifies the meaning of yang qi sinking. When yang cannot properly govern above, yin cannot smoothly transform below. How profound these words are.

In Zhang Zhongjing's treatise on cold-damage disease, Astragalus Root is never used. Even in cases where sweating leads to yang depletion, which seems suitable for Astragalus Root's ability to strengthen the defensive qi and secure the exterior, it is ultimately deficient. Why is this? Because yang acting upon yin is called sweat. When defensive yang is exuberant, it steams and forces the nutritive yin, causing yin qi to be discharged as sweat. Using Astragalus Root can both promote the replenishment of nutritive yin, preventing it from being steamed and forced by yang, and also ensure that defensive yang does not steam and force nutritive yin. However, in cases of cold-damage disease with excessive sweating and yang depletion, it is due to yin qi forcing yang to leak outward. In such cases, Aconite Lateral Root must be used to revive the yang, dispersing the yin mist and stopping the sweating. This is in direct opposition to the use of Astragalus Root for stopping sweat. However, there are also cases where both principles are combined, such as in the Astragalus and Aconite Decoction, which has its own unique reasons. When yang is on the verge of depletion due to being forced, its deficiency is self-evident. When yin leaves its position and forces yang, it is also not following the normal order, and cannot be considered abundant. However, in cold-damage disease, there is an external contraction of yin pathogens mixed in, while in Zabing there is no involvement of yin pathogens. Therefore, it is appropriate to externally revive the yang and internally clear the pathogenic factors. Thus, in Cold-Extremities Decoction, if Astragalus Root is used, it is not only to secure the exterior but also to harmonize yin, preventing it from overwhelming yang. This is the reason Zhang Zhongjing did not use Astragalus Root in treating cold-damage disease. Later generations' formulas for stopping sweat, such as Angelica Six Yellows Decoction, Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction, and Jade Screen Powder, all follow this principle. However, the principles of yin-yang contraction and expansion differ, and the supporting ingredients naturally vary.

I have often said that dampness, fluid retention, and water are similar but fundamentally different, which is why Jingui Yaolue divides them into three sections. Dampness refers to the pervasive mist and dew-like qi, fluid retention is stored within vessels, and water is overflowing and spreading. Thus, fluid retention and water have substance, while dampness is formless. However, what has substance transforms from life, while what is formless arises from transformation. Transformation leads to transformation, and life leads to expelling pathogen from exterior, so their treatments naturally differ. Yet, the section on dampness disease states that for wind-dampness with floating pulse, heavy body, sweating, and aversion to wind, Stephania and Astragalus Decoction is prescribed. The section on water qi also states that for wind edema with floating pulse, heavy body, sweating, and aversion to wind, Stephania and Astragalus Decoction is prescribed. Water and dampness are not the same, yet the treatment with Stephania and Astragalus Decoction remains unchanged. What is the reason for this? Wind stirs water to erode earth, and dampness follows wind to weaken earth. Although the causes of illness differ, the affected entity remains the same. In Stephania and Astragalus Decoction, White Atractylodes Rhizome stabilizes the center, Astragalus Root acts externally, Stephania Tetrandra eliminates the disease, and Liquorice Root harmonizes. The proportions are as follows: harmonizing accounts for two parts, stabilizing the center for three, eliminating the disease for four, and acting externally for five. This is because earth governs the muscles of the body, which belong to the spleen. Astragalus Root and White Atractylodes Rhizome are both spleen herbs. Astragalus is used to act from the root to the branch, while Atractylodes is used to protect the root from the branch. Since the disease is at the branch, treating the branch should account for three parts, and the root for two. However, if one only knows how to defend but not to attack, how can the disease be eliminated? This is why Stephania Tetrandra, which expels the disease, is placed in the middle. In essence, wind-dampness and wind edema are dynamic diseases. Atractylodes is static, while Astragalus is dynamic, so Astragalus bears a heavier responsibility, and Atractylodes a lighter one. Stephania Tetrandra and Astragalus Root can move but not disperse, so Astragalus bears not only a heavier responsibility than Atractylodes but is also assisted by ginger and jujube. Stephania Tetrandra expels water and dampness, which tend to move downward. If they descend too rapidly, there is still a fear of earth erosion and collapse. Since the disease is on the surface, it is better to expel the pathogen from the exterior, allowing it to exit through the surface.

For wind-dampness and wind edema with floating pulse, heavy body, sweating, and aversion to wind, Stephania and Astragalus Decoction is prescribed. For skin edema with swollen limbs and water qi in the skin, causing the limbs to tremble, Stephania and Poria Decoction is prescribed. From this, we know that Astragalus Root does not merely stop sweating but specifically moves the nutrient-defense middle qi. When nutrient-defense middle qi moves, pathogenic qi cannot interfere, and sweating naturally stops. How can this be explained? When water qi is in the skin, it is easier to expel through sweat. By removing ginger, jujube, and Atractylodes, and adding Cinnamon Twig and Poria, the intention is not to resolve it through sweat but through urination. If there is no sweating, and the water qi is resolved through urination, yet Astragalus Root is still used, can Astragalus Root still be considered a sweating-stopping herb? Although both formulas use Astragalus Root, their purposes are ultimately different. In the case of Stephania and Astragalus Decoction, Bingben is directed outward, so it takes advantage of the momentum to strengthen the nutrient-defense qi, allowing water and dampness to resolve at the branch. This is used to fortify the surface qi, so its proportion is the highest in the formula. Stephania and Astragalus Decoction is a middle energizer formula, while Stephania and Poria Decoction is a lower energizer formula. Whether treating the root or the branch, both are still within the taiyang bladder. This is where they differ yet remain the same. Some say the limbs belong to the spleen, and the muscles also belong to the spleen. If the limbs tremble and the body feels heavy, the disease originates from the spleen. Why then is the treatment directed at the taiyang? The taiyang carries the qi of cold water, and water overcomes earth, so the disease manifests in the spleen, but it is not the spleen itself that is diseased. If the spleen itself were diseased, then in Stephania and Astragalus Decoction, Atractylodes should outweigh Astragalus, and in Stephania and Poria Decoction, Atractylodes should not be removed. Both formulas prioritize Astragalus over Atractylodes, using Astragalus to act on the spleen's branch and Atractylodes to honor the spleen's root. This is how we know that wind edema and skin edema are branch diseases of the spleen, not root diseases.

Astragalus Root is neither capable of descending nor ascending. The nutrient-defense is the qi of water and grain. The triple energizer receives qi from water and grain, and the limbs receive qi from the triple energizer. If the nutrient-defense is weak, the triple energizer will lack qi, and the four limbs will lose nourishment. As a result, the essence and subtlety will not be transformed above, and the turbid yin will accumulate below. The Golden Cabinet states, Yingqi does not flow, and the defense does not act alone. When both nutrient-defense are weak, the triple energizer has nothing to control, and the four limbs are cut off, leading to emaciation, swelling of the feet, yellow sweat, cold shins, and if there is fever, it becomes multiple arthralgia; if there is no fever, there is sweating above the waist but no sweating below, with pain and relaxation in the waist and hips, as if something is in the skin, body pain and heaviness, and difficulty in urination, this is yellow sweat. For multiple arthralgia, Aconite Mother Root Decoction is prescribed; for yellow sweat, Cinnamon Twig plus Astragalus Decoction is prescribed. Both diseases are located below, and both are treated with Astragalus Root, which seems to suggest that Astragalus Root can descend. However, since sweating occurs above, it also seems that Astragalus Root can ascend. In reality, Astragalus Root specifically regulates the two qi of nutrient-defense, ascending and descending, descending and ascending again, circulating fifty times a day and night throughout the body. Ascending is the source of descending, and descending is the root of ascending. For any disease where nutrient-defense does not flow, causing a division between the upper and lower parts, only Astragalus Root can prevent one-sidedness, which is what is meant by neither ascending nor descending. Astragalus Root is not only for stopping sweat, nor is it only for inducing sweat. Stopping sweat is like when nutrient-defense is harmonized, and sweating naturally stops; inducing sweat is like in jaundice patients, where promoting urination is sufficient, but if the pulse is floating, it should be resolved by sweating, using Cinnamon Twig plus Astragalus Decoction. The floating pulse indicates a disease in the nutrient-defense. Since Cinnamon Twig Decoction harmonizes the nutrient-defense, why add Astragalus Root? Because Cinnamon Twig can expel evil from the nutrient-defense but cannot replenish the middle qi of nutrient-defense; it can unblock the flow of nutrient-defense but cannot dredge its source. For temporary diseases, treating the flow is sufficient, but for chronic diseases, the source must be addressed. Therefore, even when inducing sweat, Cinnamon Twig Decoction is still used, and the use of Astragalus Root is not to assist in inducing sweat. In the case of Stephania and Poria Decoction, it is said that water qi is in the skin; in the case of Cinnamon Twig plus Astragalus Decoction, it is said that it feels as if something is in the skin. For diseases in the skin, Astragalus Root is used. In yangming disease, there is no sweating, and the body feels as if insects are crawling inside. Why not use Astragalus Root? This should be determined by identifying the root of the disease. For skin edema and yellow sweat, Bingben is external, and the middle qi of the spleen and stomach is not obstructed. In yangming disease, it is due to excess in the stomach and intestines, which is internal excess and external deficiency. The use of Astragalus Root is for treating internal deficiency and external excess, which is the opposite of this condition, so it should not be used.

Bencao Xinbian: Sweet in taste, slightly warm in qi, thin in qi and thick in flavor, it can ascend and descend, being yang within yang. Non-toxic, it specializes in tonifying qi. It enters the Taiyin of the hand, the Taiyin of the foot, and the Shaoyin of the hand. Its functions are numerous, but its unique efficacy lies especially in tonifying blood. Astragalus Root is a sacred medicine for tonifying qi, how can it be uniquely effective in tonifying blood? Qi is formless, while blood has form. Form cannot be quickly generated; it must be generated by formless qi. When Astragalus Root is used with Chinese Angelica, it naturally assists in generating blood. Chinese Angelica originally can generate blood, why rely on Astragalus Root? It is not known that blood medicine generates blood slowly, while qi medicine generates blood quickly. Moreover, when qi and blood medicines are combined, blood is quickly generated by qi, so why doubt? Some doubt that blood is generated by qi, and a small amount of Astragalus Root is sufficient, or if not a small amount, using it equally with Chinese Angelica is also acceptable. Why is Chinese Angelica used less and Astragalus Root doubled in tonifying blood decoction? It is not known that the tonifying blood decoction, though named for tonifying blood, actually tonifies qi alone. After blood loss, blood has poured out, even using tonifying blood medicine, the generated blood is only a little, how can it nourish the five zang and six fu-organs? Thus, blood is lost and qi is also about to collapse. When blood cannot be quickly generated, and the nearly exhausted qi is not urgently rescued, once it disperses, death is imminent. Therefore, tonifying blood must first tonify qi. But fearing that tonifying qi will make yang excessively strong and yin excessively weak, Chinese Angelica is added to generate blood, making qi generate seven-tenths and blood generate three-tenths, thus yin-yang is controlled and greatly benefited. Generating qi and blood, both without harm. As for the use of Astragalus Root in Middle-Tonifying Qi-Replenishing Decoction, it is assisted by Ginseng to succeed. Ginseng with Astragalus Root can also tonify nutrient-defense and strengthen striae and interstice, strengthen the spleen and stomach and disperse phlegm and food, assist Cimicifuga Rhizome and Bupleurum to lift qi from the deepest yin. Therefore, in tonifying qi decoction without Ginseng, the lifting is weak, adding more Astragalus Root and White Atractylodes Rhizome can restore. If Ginseng and White Atractylodes Rhizome are used but Astragalus Root is reduced, it cannot generate qi from the deepest yin. Therefore, people with qi deficiency, regardless of the disease, should use Astragalus Root, and those with blood deficiency should use it more. Only those with steaming bone fever, consumptive heat, and middle fullness should avoid it, but it should be judged according to the condition.

Some ask if Astragalus Root fears Saposhnikovia Root, and the ancients said Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Root, its efficacy is greater, saying it is mutual restraint and mutual assistance, is this true? This saying is both credible and not credible. Astragalus Root is non-toxic, why fear Saposhnikovia Root? Saying it fears without fear is because Astragalus Root tonifies and Saposhnikovia Root disperses, used together, the tonifying is not excessive and the dispersing is not excessive, thus the efficacy is greater.

Some ask if Astragalus Root tonifying qi increases fullness, it seems Astragalus Root cannot tonify qi, is there medicine to relieve the fullness, or can Astragalus Root be avoided? Astragalus Root is a qi tonic, if qi deficiency does not use Astragalus Root, what else can be used? But taking it and increasing fullness is not Astragalus Root assisting qi, but Astragalus Root not assisting qi. Yin-yang has roots, then qi and blood can be tonified. If the roots of yin-yang are nearly exhausted, taking tonifying medicine will not be accepted. Medicine sees the disease cannot accept, it will not tonify the disease. This Astragalus Root tonifying qi increases fullness, it is because it does not generate qi. But it is also because it cannot generate and does not generate, is there other medicine to relieve the fullness?

Some ask if Astragalus Root is a qi medicine, you consider it a blood tonifying product, so all blood deficiency conditions should use Astragalus Root, why did the ancients use more blood tonifying medicines, Four Ingredients Decoction, finger citron powder, and never saw Astragalus Root tonifying blood, were the ancients wrong? The ancients were not wrong, but blood conditions differ, some are favorable, some are adverse. Favorable conditions should use blood medicine to tonify blood, adverse conditions should use qi medicine to tonify blood. Adverse blood conditions are not blood counterflow but qi counterflow, qi counterflow then blood counterflow. Blood counterflow still using blood medicine, qi is not favorable and blood is more adverse, so tonifying qi is necessary to calm blood. Qi counterflow then blood counterflow, qi calm then blood calm, this is an unchanging principle. Blood should not ascend, vomiting, coughing, spitting, nosebleeds are all adverse. Blood is like floodwater, water counterflow floods the world, blood counterflow boils in the upper energizer, only treating blood, how can it easily achieve peace? Therefore, tonifying qi medicine must be used in tonifying blood, though qi generates blood loss, qi also moves blood. This Astragalus Root tonifying blood decoction is uniquely superior through the ages.

Someone asked about using Astragalus Root to treat blood from qi counterflow, which is uniquely effective, but there are also cases where Four Ingredients Decoction and finger citron powder are used to stop bleeding with good results. Why is that? You are indeed very good at asking questions. Blood counterflow can vary; there are major counterflows and minor counterflows. For major counterflows, it is necessary to tonify qi to stop bleeding; for minor counterflows, it is also possible to regulate blood to achieve meridian tropism. When Four Ingredients Decoction and finger citron powder are used to treat blood and stop bleeding, it is because the blood is replenished and achieves meridian tropism. Blood is the most difficult to achieve meridian tropism, so why do Four Ingredients Decoction and finger citron specifically work? It is precisely because the blood counterflow is mild. Mild counterflows are due to minor qi counterflow; severe counterflows are due to major qi counterflow. Using Four Ingredients Decoction and finger citron powder to treat blood and stabilize it, although effective, will ultimately take longer to see results, unlike tonifying blood decoction which treats qi and stops bleeding more quickly.

Someone asked: Astragalus Root tonifies qi, but initially causes bloating, and then shortly after, it becomes comfortable. Why is this? This is because qi deficiency, when supplemented, reacts by not accepting it. Astragalus Root tonifies the deficiency of qi, and the stomach's desire for supplementation is even greater than other zang-fu organs. Once Astragalus Root enters the stomach, fearing that its supplementing effect might be taken away, it closes off and refuses to expel, hence causing bloating. The method to treat this is not to use Astragalus Root alone, but to add Angelica, Ligusticum, and Ophiopogon Tuber, dispersing them in the upper purgation area, thus avoiding the worry of bloating. Therefore, there are two conditions of bloating when taking Astragalus Root: one is not being able to accept it, and the other is over-accepting it. Over-accepting causes bloating shortly after taking it, but then it eases; not being able to accept it causes mild bloating at first, which worsens over time. This is the easiest way to distinguish between the two.

Someone asked: Astragalus Root is a holy medicine for tonifying qi, so it should be able to supplement all qi deficiencies, why is it not used for wheezing and fullness diseases? It is feared that it might increase fullness and bloating. Since you understand the principles of yin-yang and the appropriateness of deficiency and excess, you must have something to teach me. It is said: Astragalus Root tonifies qi but cannot treat bloating, not because of Astragalus Root itself, but because of the improper use of Astragalus Root. Severe wheezing and fullness are due to the kidney qi being on the verge of exhaustion, rushing upwards, seeming like an excess of qi, but actually a deficiency of qi. The ancients used large doses of Ginseng to treat it because Ginseng does not increase bloating but can stabilize wheezing, making it very suitable. However, there are more poor people than rich in the world, how can we prepare enough Ginseng for emergencies? The ancients used Astragalus Root as a substitute, but when wheezing and fullness worsened, they dared not use it again, and it was recorded in books: Astragalus Root should not be used for wheezing and fullness. They mistakenly avoided it and dared not mislead others. Who knew that Astragalus Root, when used properly, is actually miraculous for treating wheezing and fullness. I received this secret from an extraordinary person and dare not hide it. Astragalus Root is fried with the juice of Saposhnikovia Root and then used, it no longer increases bloating and fullness, but the preparation must be done correctly. If Saposhnikovia Root is used too little, it is too weak to control Astragalus Root; if used too much, it is too strong, over-controlling Astragalus Root, not only failing to tonify qi but also risking dispersing qi. Approximately, for one pound of Astragalus Root, use one tael of Saposhnikovia Root. First, boil Saposhnikovia Root in ten bowls of water until it boils several times, strain out the dregs, soak Astragalus Root for two moments until thoroughly wet, then dry it over fire. Soak it again until half dry and half wet, then dry it again over fire, until the juice is dry. Then use three qian of northern five flavors, boil a large bowl of soup, soak it until half dry and half wet, dry it again over fire, let it absorb the earth's qi, and then use it. For every one tael of Ginseng that should be used, use one tael of Astragalus Root. It stabilizes wheezing miraculously without increasing bloating, a most wonderful and convenient method. All uses of Astragalus Root should be prepared this way. Although the ancients used Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Root and achieved effects, its nature was not fully controlled, always risking rebellion, so it is better to prepare it first, making them respect and fear each other, achieving even more miraculous success, and why can't wheezing syndrome be treated?

Some doubt that Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Root has greater effects, and using Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Root is enough, but why must it be prepared first, isn't that too curious? They do not know that using Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Root, the nature of Saposhnikovia Root and Astragalus Root still have their distinctions, not as good as preparing it first, harmonizing their temperaments, controlling their actions, making them mutually affectionate and cooperative, completely unaware of any differences. Like brothers from different surnames are better than siblings, they look after each other and achieve complete success.

Some doubt that Astragalus Root tonifies the deficiency of qi, only able to supplement the deficiency at the onset, but not the deficiency of long-term illness, I ask why. They say: the deficiency at the onset is easily accepted by Astragalus Root; the deficiency of long-term illness is hard to accept by Astragalus Root. Alas. Deficiency diseases should be supplemented, whether new or old. The inability to accept is not due to the deficiency of qi, but the counterflow of qi. Qi counterflow deficiency must use Ginseng, and cannot use Astragalus Root. At the onset of qi counterflow deficiency, Astragalus Root is already avoided, why wait until long-term illness to not use it? If the qi is deficient but not counterflowing, then long-term illness is exactly suitable for Astragalus Root, there is no one who does not take it and feel comfortable. Who says Astragalus Root is hard to accept?

Some may doubt why Astragalus Root, which tonifies qi, must be assisted by Chinese Angelica to tonify blood. Is it because qi cannot be generated without blood? It is not known that qi can generate blood, but blood cannot generate qi. Since blood cannot generate qi, tonifying qi must involve tonifying blood, not to assist qi. For those with deficient qi, their blood is also inevitably depleted. If we heavily use Astragalus Root to generate qi, then qi will flourish while blood declines. If blood cannot match the excess of qi, qi will inevitably lead to a deficiency in blood, resulting not in the benefits of qi but rather in its harm. Therefore, tonifying qi must be accompanied by tonifying blood. However, if we tonify qi due to qi deficiency and also supplement blood, then blood will flourish while qi remains deficient. What then? It is not known that when blood flourishes, qi does not need to generate blood, so tonifying blood will naturally make qi flourish, and there is no need to worry about imbalance. Yet, tonifying qi more and blood less is also a very appropriate adjustment.

Someone asked why Astragalus Root must be honey-fried, and whether it is not effective when used raw. However, in cases of sores and ulcers, raw Astragalus Root is specifically used. Is there an explanation for this? It was said: Astragalus Root does not necessarily need to be honey-fried. People believe that honey-fried Astragalus Root tonifies while raw Astragalus Root purges, but in fact, raw Astragalus Root can also tonify.

Bencao Fenjing: Sweet, warm, ascending and floating. It tonifies lung qi, warms the triple energizer, strengthens the spleen and stomach, and clears excess striae and interstices. It purges yin fire and releases flesh heat. For those with qi deficiency who have difficulty sweating, it can induce sweating; for those with loose exterior and excessive sweating, it can stop sweating. When used raw, it purges fire; when honey-fried, it tonifies the middle. It is an essential medicine for internal support of sores and abscesses, but it may stagnate the stomach.

Bencao Sibianlu: Yingqi starts from the hand Taiyin and emerges from the middle energizer, while defense qi starts from the foot Taiyang and emerges from the lower energizer. Yingqi carries the essential qi from the water and grains in the stomach to travel through the meridians. Defense qi carries the fierce qi from the water and grains in the stomach to travel through the surface of the body. Astragalus Root has a yellow center, a white layer around it, and a brown outer skin. The northern variety is loose and porous, with a sweet and slightly warm taste. Its leaves resemble sheep's teeth, clearly indicating that it travels from the stomach to the lungs, moving outward without staying in the middle. The outer skin contains it, preventing leakage. The stem grows straight up, and the root is two to three feet long, allowing it to travel from the lowest to the highest points. It passes through the areas where nutrient-defense and the foot Taiyang and hand Taiyin meridians operate. Its functions are not easily explained in a few words.

Liu Qianjiang explained that Astragalus Root treats diseases where yang is insufficient and yin is also not flowing properly, but not diseases where yang is excessive and yin is insufficient. His explanation of the four phrases—"yang not properly governing above, yin not smoothly transforming below"—is most concise. His interpretation of Neijing's "yang protects the exterior and secures it; yin stores essence and initiates activity" is slightly broad but correct in principle. Zou Shi, however, conflated "yang not overcoming yin, leading to conflict in the five zang-organs and blockage of the nine orifices" with "protecting the exterior and initiating activity," which is a forced connection. The "Weisheng Zongwei Lun" uses Astragalus Root alone to treat difficulty in urination, as it lifts yang above and allows yin to flow smoothly below. This is what the "Classic" refers to as "initiating activity" and what Liu calls "smooth transformation below." The blockage of the nine orifices due to conflict in the five zang-organs is a result of yin conflict, not yin stagnation, which is a subtle but important distinction.

Both Astragalus Root and Achyranthes Root have roots two to three feet long, and Bielu states that both benefit yin qi. However, Achyranthes Root grows straight down with a bitter and sour taste, while Astragalus Root grows straight up with a sweet and slightly warm taste. Thus, Achyranthes Root benefits yin qi by purging it, while Astragalus Root benefits yin qi by lifting yang from within yin, allowing yin to flow smoothly. Achyranthes Root only descends and does not ascend, while Astragalus Root only ascends and does not descend, both of which have been repeatedly verified. Liu claims that Astragalus Root first ascends and then descends, while Zou claims it can both ascend and descend. This is because Astragalus Root regulates nutrient-defense, and nutrient-defense behaves in this way, but Astragalus Root itself does not possess such complexity.

For medicines with broad applications that are not specialized for one purpose, if not carefully distinguished, they can lead to errors. For example, Astragalus Root tonifies the exterior but does not consolidate it, so it cannot stop sweating. Ginseng, for instance, disperses the exterior but does not release it, so it cannot induce sweating. Ephedra disperses the exterior but does not release it, so it cannot induce sweating. Those that can both stop and induce sweating rely on Astragalus Root's ability to regulate nutrient-defense and harmonize yin-yang. In the "Jingui" formulas, Astragalus Root is always used raw, but later generations often honey-fry it. However, for cases of middle deficiency, honey-frying to direct it inward is acceptable. Chen Xiu-yuan further divided it into methods of frying with saltwater, wine, and vinegar, which greatly distorts its nature.

Miao Zhongchun claimed that Astragalus Root consolidates the exterior and should not be used when there is an exterior pathogen. However, Astragalus Root does not consolidate the exterior, which is why it can still be used in cases of exterior pathogens. For example, Benjing mentions its ability to expel pus and relieve pain, and the "Jingui" uses it to treat wind-dampness, wind edema, and yellow sweat, all of which are evidence that it does not consolidate the exterior. For cold-damage diseases where pathogens should be expelled through the exterior, Astragalus Root, while not consolidating the exterior, also lacks the ability to release the exterior and may even trap pathogens by tonifying deficiency, making it unsuitable.

The foot Taiyang meridian reaches the top of the head, and Astragalus Root enters the Taiyang meridian, so it can reach the head. The bladder and kidneys are exterior-interior pairs, so Astragalus Root can also benefit kidney qi to transform yin and ascend. Many medical texts use it to treat hematuria and similar conditions. Wang An said: Those with yin deficiency should use it sparingly, as it may lift qi to the exterior and further deplete the interior. This statement is correct.

In discussing the various formulas in the *Jin Gui* that use Astragalus Root: the Minor Center-Fortifying Decoction, as interpreted by You Zai-jing, surpasses other interpretations in its precision. However, the Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction, which adds two and a half taels of Astragalus Root, is often mistakenly seen as merely filling deficiencies and blocking emptiness. The phrase "all deficiencies" encompasses a broad range. The two qi of nutrient and defense cannot ascend and descend without fault. The use of six taels of Peony Root aims to astringe the interior and break spleen stagnation. Adding Astragalus Root serves to regulate the qi of nutrient and defense, allowing the body fluids in the stomach to be transported to nutrient and defense without obstruction. Comparing this to the Astragalus and Cinnamon Twig Five Ingredients Decoction, both Astragalus Root and Fresh Ginger Rhizome are doubled in quantity, and Peony Root is reduced while Liquorice Root is removed, clearly to promote the circulation of blood impediment. How can the addition of Astragalus Root to the Center-Fortifying Decoction be seen as merely filling and blocking? The Astragalus Root in the Cinnamon Twig plus Astragalus Decoction is even less about mere tonification. Yellow sweat and the spontaneous sweating of apoplexy are both pathological sweats, and both should be transformed into normal sweat. The Cinnamon Twig Decoction is the correct formula for this. However, yellow sweat is due to yang deficiency, which differs slightly from the Cinnamon Twig syndrome that only requires expelling pathogens. Therefore, the dosage of Cinnamon Twig and Peony Root is reduced, and Astragalus Root, which disperses the exterior and tonifies deficiency, is added to expel pathogens and transform qi. As for pain in the waist and hips, heaviness of the body, and difficulty in urination, these are due to yang not descending, and Astragalus Root is particularly necessary to regulate the defense qi downward. The use of Astragalus Root in jaundice with floating pulse is precisely because Astragalus Root is a taiyang medicine. So why is the Astragalus, Peony, and Cinnamon Twig Wine Decoction modified with vinegar? Because while yellow sweat is the same, body swelling and thirst are different. Swelling indicates yang deficiency and exterior deficiency, making it unsuitable for resolution through sweating. Thirst indicates water qi depression in the triple energizer, and kidney yin cannot ascend, so it is urgent to promote yang, transform qi, and drain water. Astragalus and Peony with Cinnamon Twig are used to promote yang and transform qi. Vinegar is used to drain heat and water downward, allowing the three substances to descend directly through the triple energizer. Fresh Ginger Rhizome is removed to prevent horizontal expansion. Licorice and Jujube are removed to prevent stagnation in the middle. The large amount of Astragalus Root is used due to deficiency. Using a tonic formula to expel pathogens requires six or seven days to resolve, with no quick effect.

Stephania and Astragalus Decoction is used to treat sweating and aversion to wind, but it is not modified from Cinnamon Twig Decoction because the latter does not address dampness while the former does. This formula is also used for wind edema, as it is no different from wind-dampness. Typically, wind-dampness is treated with Ephedra and Cinnamon Twig, but this formula does not use them because the former is for body pain, while this is for body heaviness. Body pain indicates wind dominance and a preference for movement, while body heaviness indicates dampness dominance and a preference for stillness. A floating pulse suggests that the pathogen is still on the surface, so should the surface not be addressed? However, sweating has already occurred, and deficiency is a concern; should dampness not be expelled? Yet, once dampness is removed, wind will surely become more rampant. Only Stephania Tetrandra can release wind-dampness from the flesh, directly draining without lateral drainage. Astragalus Root clears blockages in the nutrient-defense system, dispersing the surface while also tonifying it. Strengthening the spleen earth allows it to overcome dampness, hence Atractylodes and Licorice are added. Excessive ginger and jujube can exacerbate body heaviness, so their amounts are reduced. Additionally, sitting on a heated blanket wrapped around the lower back aids the warming and transforming qi of the lower energizer, allowing the pathogen to be resolved through mild sweating. Those who only know to promote sweating, promote urination, and tonify deficiency without aligning with the mechanism of disease are truly worlds apart.

Skin edema is typically treated by promoting sweating, but Stephania and Poria Decoction is used even when water qi is in the skin and the pulse is not floating, and the limbs are trembling and swollen. The Classic states: "Muscle twitching is called mild wind." This indicates that water has invaded the spleen, and spleen yang cannot reach the limbs, which are further constrained by mild wind, causing trembling and swelling. Trembling without pain and a non-floating pulse suggest that promoting sweating is inappropriate. Stephania Tetrandra is a key herb for wind edema, occasionally paired with Poria to directly drain through urination. When the disease is in the skin, only Astragalus Root can tonify qi and disperse the surface, hence it is added. The combination of pungent and sweet flavors generates yang, and the addition of Cinnamon Twig and Licorice also addresses the root cause.

For cases of sweating due to exterior deficiency where stopping sweating is appropriate, formulas like Ginseng and Poria added to Frigid Extremities Decoction are used. Zhang Zhongjing used Ginseng instead of Astragalus Root because Ginseng can strengthen the exterior, while Astragalus cannot. For cases of common cold with chills where promoting sweating is appropriate, such as Cinnamon Twig and Ephedra Decoctions, Zhang Zhongjing never added Astragalus because the exterior has pathogens, not deficiency. When the exterior has pathogens with underlying deficiency, Ginseng is inappropriate, but Astragalus is suitable. However, Astragalus can directly disperse but not laterally resolve, and its sweet, warm nature makes it unsuitable for expelling pathogens. Therefore, for wind-dampness, wind edema, and yellow sweat, Zhang Zhongjing used Astragalus only as an adjunct to Stephania Tetrandra and Poria. However, for tonifying deficiency and unblocking obstructions, Astragalus is the primary herb. Thus, formulas like Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction and Astragalus and Cinnamon Twig Five Ingredients Decoction are led by Astragalus Root. Zhang Zhongjing's discernment in herb selection is truly precise. In later generations, the most appropriate use of Astragalus as a surface formula is seen in the Tang Dynasty, where Xu Yunzong treated Empress Liu's wind disease by steaming large quantities of Astragalus and Saposhnikovia Root under her bed, allowing the medicine to penetrate the striae and interstices, curing her in a week. This must have been based on external symptoms, hence the immediate focus on dispersing wind pathogens. The Classic states: "Pathogen invasion must be due to deficiency of essential qi." It also states: "When the great qi circulates, pathogenic wind disperses." There are many methods for tonifying deficiency and dispersing pathogens, but the rapid efficacy of Astragalus and Saposhnikovia Root is remarkable. The patient's deep pulse and lockjaw suggest that the meridians and orifices were struck by wind, with yang deficiency and yin stagnation. Astragalus is not a wind herb, but it excels at tonifying yang, benefiting yin, and unblocking qi pathways. When paired with Saposhnikovia Root, it can drive wind out through the yangming to the surface. The key lies in recognizing that a deep pulse can tolerate Astragalus; otherwise, using it for apoplexy with a floating pulse and sweating would exacerbate the condition. Xu Shuwei of the Song Dynasty had profound medical knowledge, but his use of Astragalus was not as precise as Xu Yunzong's. Benshi Fang records Qiu Sheng's cold-damage disease with a weak and slow chi pulse. Shuwei advised against promoting sweating and instead used Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction with Chinese Angelica to first regulate nutrient-blood, which was highly insightful. However, a weak chi pulse should also benefit kidney yin, and the use of Astragalus, which rises from the taiyang, is debatable. Fortunately, Astragalus was used in half the amount of Peony Root, so after five days, the chi pulse responded.

Liu Ding-puLenglu Yihua records that Xu Xinmu, a ministry official, mentioned his sister-in-law, Mrs. Wu, suffered from a dead fetus in the uterus, causing her whole body to swell and pant, with her body stiff. His brother, Shanlin, after reviewing famous medical cases, found a prescription using four taels of Astragalus Root and a cup of sticky rice, decocted with water for her to drink. This immediately relieved the swelling, and the already decomposed fetus broke into more than ten pieces and gradually passed out without any pain. Also, a man named Wang from Shanyin suffered from swelling all over his body from head to toe, with a hoarse panting sound and blocked urination and defecation, which Xu also treated successfully. Later, adding dampness-removing and stomach-calming ingredients, after two months, only a coin-sized area on the foot remained swollen. Another doctor harshly criticized the previous prescription and aggressively used strong dampness-expelling medicines, leading to a critical condition. The original prescription was then used again, with several pounds of Astragalus Root, and the foot swelling completely subsided and he recovered. Astragalus Root has such a significant effect on swelling, which is quite astonishing. However, this was already indicated by Zhong Sheng in the "Jinkui," where for all water-dampness syndromes, body heaviness, and swelling, Astragalus Root is not prohibited and helps water and dampness to descend. Xu's treatment was also for edema. Neijing states that the triple energizer is the water passage, and the bladder is the water mansion. Astragalus Root ascends directly from the triple energizer to the lungs, boosting yang qi and relieving stagnation. The lungs can then dredge and regulate the water passages, greatly benefiting yin qi, which is indeed the forte of Astragalus Root. The difficulty in reducing the swelling on the foot and the use of several pounds of Astragalus Root might be due to relying solely on this single ingredient, indicating a shortfall in the art of prescription formulation.

Yixue Zhongzhong Canxilu: Warm in nature, slightly sweet in taste. It can tonify qi, and also elevate qi. It is effective in treating the sinking of the great qi in the chest (i.e., pectoral qi, the original force for the opening and closing of the lung lobes). Shennong Bencao Jing states that it is primarily used for major wind conditions because, when used with exterior-releasing medicinals, it can dispel external wind. When used with medicinals that nourish yin and clear heat, it can also extinguish internal wind. It is said to treat Yongju and long-standing sores because its nourishing and tonifying properties can generate flesh, and its pus-discharging action can expel pus. For exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating, it can be used to consolidate the exterior qi deficiency. For difficulty in urination with swelling, it can be used to promote urination. For women with qi deficiency and sinking leading to uterine bleeding or leukorrhea, it can be used to stabilize the bleeding or discharge. Because its qi-tonifying effect is the most superior, it is considered the leader among tonifying medicinals and is named "Qi" (Astragalus).

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

1. Astragalus Root can counteract the effects of immunosuppressive agents, enhance the functions of humoral immunity, cellular immunity, the reticuloendothelial system, and the external system, induce certain immune cytokines, and induce interferon, enhancing the activity of natural killer cells. It has a good regulatory effect on various immune factors.
2. Astragalus Root has cardiotonic effects, limits or reduces the area of myocardial infarction, improves myocardial inflammation symptoms, resists stress, and has anti-myocardial ischemia effects. It can dilate blood vessels, expand coronary arteries, lower blood pressure, and improve the metabolic balance of myocardial oxygen.
3. Astragalus Root can improve various characteristics of blood rheology, inhibit platelet aggregation, resist thrombosis, and enhance hematopoietic function.
4. Astragalus Root can enhance cellular physiological metabolism, promote the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, and bidirectionally regulate blood sugar concentration.
5. Astragalus Root has anti-tumor effects.
6. Astragalus Root can increase collagen synthesis in tissues, prolong cell lifespan, and has antioxidant and anti-aging effects.
7. Astragalus Root has therapeutic effects on nephritis, renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, and chronic renal insufficiency. It can counteract the nephrotoxicity of gentamicin and has diuretic effects.
8. Astragalus Root has hypoglycemic effects and can counteract hypothyroidism in aged rats.
9. Astragalus Root can enhance brain function, improve learning and memory in mice, and has analgesic and sedative effects.
10. Astragalus Root has protective effects on experimental hepatitis and can enhance the tension of smooth muscles in small intestine movement.
11. Astragalus Root has antibacterial and antiviral effects.
12. Astragalus Root has a contracting effect on the isolated uterus of rats and has estrogen-like effects.
13. Astragalus Root has anti-radiation effects and protects the hematopoietic and immune systems.
14. Astragalus Root has significant anti-fatigue effects.