Shi Hu is sweet and slightly cold, and enters the Stomach and Kidney meridians. It is able to nourish the Stomach-Yin and Kidney-Yin, generate the body fluids, and reduce the empty-heat from these two organs. As the Kidney-Yin is the root of the Yin of all the organs, Shi Hu is considered an important herb because it can tonify the Yin from pro-heaven and post-heaven sources. This herb treats chronic and difficult cases of Yin deficiency of the Stomach.

Mai Men Dong is sweet and slightly cold, and enters the Lung, Heart and Stomach meridians. It can nourish the Stomach-Yin, moisten the intestines and treat thirst, dry mouth and constipation. It is very often used in the anaphase of febrile diseases where the Yin of the Stomach and intestines has been injured by heat.

Yu Zhu is sweet and neutral, and enters the Stomach and Lung meridians. It can gently and slowly nourish the Yin and moisten the Stomach. It is more suitable for chronic and mild conditions, or the condition where the patient is too weak to bear the cold and cloying herbs that tonify the Stomach-Yin.

Sheng Di Huang is sweet and cold, and enters the Kidney, Heart and Liver meridians. As it can strongly tonify the Kidney-Yin, which is the root of the Stomach-Yin, it is often used in the condition of Stomach-Yin deficiency. In addition, as it can cool the blood and stop bleeding, it is often selected in bleeding conditions of the stomach and intestines.

Zhi Mu is bitter and cold, and enters the Lung, Stomach and Kidney meridians. Although it is bitter and cold, it is moist in nature and has no side effect of injuring the Stomach-Yin. It can directly reduce the excess fire or empty-fire from these organs, nourish the Yin and moisten the dryness. This herb is often used for severe thirst, constipation, night sweats and low-grade fever in conditions where the Stomach-Yin and Kidney-Yin are both deficient.

Dang Shen is sweet and neutral, and enters the Spleen and Lung meridians. It has no function in nourishing the Yin, but it can gently and sufficiently tonify the Spleen-Qi. As it is neutral in temperature, it has no side effect of injuring the Yin when it tonifies the Qi. It is used in the condition where the Yin and Qi are both injured and the Spleen and Stomach cannot bear very cold herbs in the process of tonifying the Yin.

Shan Yao is sweet and neutral, and enters the Lung, Spleen and Kidney meridians. It can either tonify the Qi or nourish the Yin. Its astringent property enhances its tonifying and stabilizing function. This herb is particularly useful in chronic conditions of Qi and Yin deficiency, such as in Thirst and West syndrome (diabetes) to moisten the internal organs and stabilize the body essence.

Tian Hua Fen is sweet, slightly bitter, sour and slightly cold. It enters the Lung and Stomach meridians. Its sweet, sour and cold properties give it the function of generating the Stomach-Yin and the body fluid and of clearing heat. It is often used in the convalescence of febrile disease to relieve thirst.

Pi Pa Ye is bitter and cool, and enters the Lung and Stomach meridians. Pi Pa Ye can moisten dryness, soothe the Stomach-Qi and relieve nausea and vomiting caused by the heat in the Stomach.

Shi Gao is sweet, pungent and very cold, and enters the Lung and Stomach meridians. It is an important substance to reduce excess heat in the Stomach and the Lung. Compared with herbs that reduce the heat of the Stomach, this substance is strong, effective and has no side effect of injuring the Yin of the Stomach as it is sweet and cold. In addition, it is often used in small dosage to reduce the excess heat that often coexists in the syndrome of Stomach-Yin deficiency.

These substances are sweet and moist in nature, and can moisten the Stomach and tonify the Spleen-Qi. In this way, they can harmonize the herbs in the formula and protect the Stomach and Spleen from cold herbs.