Restoratives for invigorating qi
Restoratives for invigorating qi, which are mainly sweet in flavor and warm in nature, can tonify qi of both Zangfu and general body to strengthen the functional activity of the body and are mainly used for symptoms due to qi deficiency, particularly those due to deficiency of spleen, qi manifested as weakness, poor appetite, loose stool, emaciation, edema and prolapse of anus, and those due to deficiency of lung-qi manifested as no desire to talk, low voice, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, or dyspnea in moving.

As vigorous qi can benefit the production of the blood, and qi governs the blood, they are also used for blood-deficiency and bleeding syndrome due to qi deficiency.

When taking qi tonics, one tends to feel fullness in the chest and poor appetite as well. This is due to the blocked qi in body, so they are usually prescribed together with a small amount of Chinese medicinal herbs for stimulating the circulation of qi and strengthening the stomach.

Restoratives for reinforcing yang
This category of herbs is mostly sweet, salty or pungent in flavor, and warm or hot in nature, with the action of warming and nourishing yang of the body. As kidney-yang is the master of yang qi all over the body, the nourishing of the kidney-yang is to warm all other organs so as to get rid of or improve all syndromes of yang-deficiency all over the body simultaneously. In this way, they focus on nourishing and tonifying kidney-yang. They are fit for deficiency of kidney-yang manifested as cold extremities, backache, lack of sexual desire, impotence, emission, sterility, frequent micturition, or enuresis; and failure of the kidney to receive qi due to deficiency of kidney-yang manifested as chronic cough and dyspnea; and failure of the spleen to warm and transport due to deficiency of kidney-yang marked by cold abdominal pain and morning diarrhea; and deficiency of body essence due to deficiency of kidney-yang manifested as dizziness, tinnitus, early whitening of hair, flaccidity of extremities or maldevelopment, delayed walking,  delayed teeth eruption and closure of fontanel in infants, etc.

They are mostly warm and dry in nature, which tends to flourish fire and hurt yin, so it's unfit for the case with hyperactive fire due to deficiency of yin.

Restoratives for nourishing the blood
This kind of restoratives can invigorate the liver, nourish the heart and benefit the spleen to promote the production of the blood. They are indicated for various blood deficiency syndromes such as pale or sallow complexion, excessive leucorrhea, pale lips and whitish nails, dizziness, palpitation, delayed and scanty menstruation with pale flow and sometimes amenorrhea. Some of them yet have yin tonifying action, so they are also indicated for yin-deficiency syndrome.

They are unusually rich and tend to obstruct the digestive functions of the stomach and supporting damp-ness, thus they are contraindicated in conditions of deficiency of the spleen and stomach with poor appetite and loose stool, or with superficial pathogenic factors.

Restoratives for nourishing yin
This kind of restoratives are mostly sweet and cold or salty and cold, can aid nourishing the yin, regenerate the body fluids and moisten dryness. They are indicated for dry cough with less sputum, dry mouth and tongue; a red tongue with less coating, dry throat and thirst due to insufficiency of stomach-yin; dry eyes, blurred vision, dizziness and tinnitus due to deficiency of liver-yin; sore and weak waist and knees, seminal emission and night sweat due to deficiency of kidney-yin.