Also agent. Any animal, vegetable, or mineral product that traditionally is powdered, decocted or prepared as a wine or distillate for oral consumption, or prepared as a powder, paste, or wine for topical application. Medicinals include the items of the orthodox literary tradition, often widely distributed beyond their production area, which are now known as Chinese medicinals (zhōng yào), as well as locally used herbal medicinals (cǎo yào) or folk medicinals (mín jiān yào) scantily described in premodern literature. The term Chinese medicinals and herbszhōng cǎo yào covers both categories. Chinese medicinals and to lesser extent herbal medicinals too, have properties described in terms of nature and flavor, toxicity, channel entry, and action.