Astragalus is prepared by digging in spring and fall, removing the roots and root heads, separating the sizes, washing, moistening, cutting thick slices and drying; honey is prepared by harvesting in spring to fall and filtering.
Astragalus can tonify the spleen and benefit qi, elevate yang and lift up sunken organs (to elevate yang qi of the organism in order to lift up sunken organs), diuretics and reduce swelling, benefit the guards and consolidate the epidermis, promote the production of body fluid to quench thirst, and promote the growth of muscles and astringent sores. This medicine is not suitable for use in cases of solid evil on the surface, yin deficiency and hyperactivity of yang, sores and ulcers (skin diseases caused by poisonous evils invading the skin, resulting in stagnation of qi and blood) at the initial stage or after ulceration, when the heat and toxicity are still particularly prevalent, and when there is stagnation in the body, and so on.
Honey, sweet in taste and flat in nature, belonging to the spleen meridian, can replenish the spleen and benefit the qi, alleviate the pain (relieve the more urgent pain symptoms); into the lung meridian, can moisten the lungs to stop coughing, and replenish the lung qi; into the large intestine meridian, can moisten the intestines and laxative; the drug and the auriculas decocted with the same drug, which can reduce the toxicity of the drug; it can also be externally applied to the muscle and astringent sores. This medicine should be used with caution in patients with dampness obstruction, damp-heat phlegm stagnation, loose stools (thin and unformed feces) and diarrhea.
The concoction of Chinese medicine should be carried out by a professional physician, and its consumption should be guided by a physician, and should not be used on one’s own to avoid risks.