Commentary from the Yīfāng jíjiě 《医方集解》 1689 CE
補陽益氣 Tonifies yáng and supplements qì
【主治 Indications】
治一切陽虛氣弱，脾衰肺損，飲食少思，體瘦面黃，皮聚毛落，脈來細軟(1)。
Treats all kinds of yáng deficiency with weakness of qì, spleen debilitation and lung detriment, little thought of [eating] food and drink, thin body with yellow complexion, loss of skin and hair, pulse is fine and soft (1).
(1) 脾者萬物之母也。肺者氣之母也。脾胃一虛，肺氣先絕，脾不健運，故飲食少思，飲食減少，則營衛無所資養，脾主肌肉，故體瘦面黃，肺主皮毛，故皮聚毛落，脾肺皆虛，故脈來細軟也。
(1) The spleen, it is the mother of the 10,000 things. The lung, it is the mother of qì. Once the spleen and stomach become deficient, the lung qì will be the first to expire, then the spleen is unable to [perform] transportation and transformation, therefore there is little thought of [eating] food and drink, because the food and drink is reduced then the yíng and wèi have no means of being nourishment. The spleen governs the flesh, therefore the body is thin and there is yellow complexion. The lung governs the skin and body hair, therefore there is loss of skin and hair. If the spleen and lung are both deficient, then the pulse will be fine and soft.
【組成 Composition】
人參、白朮 茯苓 二錢 甘草 一錢 薑三片、棗二枚
2 qián of rénshēn, báizhú, and fúlíng, 1 qián of gāncǎo, with 3 slices of [sheng]jiāng, and 2 [da]zǎo
【方義 Explanation of Formula】
此手足太陰足陽明藥也。人參甘溫，大補元氣，為君，白朮苦溫，燥脾補氣，為臣，茯苓甘淡，滲溼瀉熱，為佐，甘草甘平，和中益土，為使也。氣足脾運，飲食倍進，則餘臟受蔭，而色澤身強矣。
These are foot and hand tàiyīn, and foot yángmíng herbs. Rénshēn, it is sweet and warm, it will greatly tonify the yuánqì, it is the emperor/sovereign [herb]. Báizhú, it is bitter and warm, it will dry the spleen and tonify qì, it is the minister [herb]. Fúlíng, it is sweet and bland, it will percolate dampness and drain heat, it is the assistant [herb]. Gāncǎo, it is sweet and even, it will harmonise the middle and supplement earth, it is the courier [herb]. If qì is sufficient then the spleen can [perform] transportation, if food intake is increased, then the zàng can receive nourishment, leading to the complexion having lustre and the body strengthening.
再加陳皮以理氣散逆，半夏以燥溼除痰，名曰六君，以其皆中和之品，故曰君子也。
To add chénpí in order to rectify the qì and disperse counterflow, and bànxià in order to dry dampness and eliminate phlegm, this is called liùjūn, this is because all of these are herbs that harmonising the middle, therefore they are called jūnzǐ.