《丹方鉴源》

This chapter introduces the names, places of origin, appearances, and uses of various gold and silver materials, distinguishing, according to the accounts of elixir alchemy, which of them may be employed in making vessels, preparing elixirs, or combining with gold.

Bran gold is produced in the regions of the Han River, the Chang River, and the Five Streams; some pieces resemble opened grains. Gold from Silla has a bluish tint, is relatively soft, and counterfeits are common. There is a silver-natured substance that turns white when burned and refined; if it can withstand the action of stone reagents and turns black after burning, it is the “heaven-born teeth” spoken of here, also called “yellow teeth.”

Native silver comes from the areas of Luoping and Lan Lushi County. It shows a surface halo, and when broken the interior is white. It occurs in lead ore and sometimes takes a form resembling a laughing seed. The text regards it as possessing a transformative nature and also calls it “natural teeth,” “raw lead,” or “natural lead.”

Mountain-and-marsh processed gold is of larger size and can ordinarily be fashioned into vessels. This gold has already become a hard, unchanging “dead substance.” It may be used to prepare cinnabar and mercury. Vessels made from it can be used, yet it is unsuitable for ingestion. The text holds that gold Qi (vital energy) entering the body produces toxicity.

White silver can be made into vessels and is similar in nature to the processed gold already mentioned; it may also be used for “binding the sands,” that is, for congealing or treating sandy materials in the course of elixir work.

Mercury silver can be used to “hook gold,” that is, to combine with or extract gold. It is also employed as a lid in the “gushing-spring casket,” taking advantage of the stable mercury it contains.

Cinnabar silver made from the “mother” is unsuitable for use; that generated from the “mother,” however, can likewise be used to “hook yellow gold.”

Lead silver is extracted from lead. The silver obtained by smelting appears comparatively pure, can be made into vessels, and can also be used to nourish and refine cinnabar.

Tin silver and iron silver, according to the text, possess no Qi (vital energy) that can be employed for alchemical transformation.

Red silver can be used to “hook gold” and can also be transmuted into an independent “Danyang.”

Mother-and-child silver is silver condensed from mercury. The text states that it enables the “torch fire” to continue without dispersing and that it may be nourished and refined separately without interruption.

Wuchang copper is produced in Ezhou.

White slow silver can be used to “hook gold” and can also be transmuted into an independent “Danyang.”

In the original there is repetition in the sections on mountain-and-marsh processed gold and mother-and-child silver. The listings of Wuchang copper and white slow silver at the end do not connect smoothly with what precedes them. Terms such as “hook gold,” “nourish cinnabar,” “Danyang,” and “gushing-spring casket” are technical terms of elixir alchemy and are here given brief explanations according to their uses in the original.

Wuchang copper (produced in Ezhou) is somewhat white in color and soft in texture, and can be used to transmute Danyang silver. Tushi Fanzhe copper and Shuchuan Chizha copper can likewise serve as Danyang copper; they will not crack when forged while still hot.

Native copper may be ingested.

Among copper powders, that made from processed copper treats injuries and fractures of the human body and may also be prepared together with zhousha.

Iron magnetite is iron Jing (essence) and can be used.

Lead-silver: there is a variety of lead that does not yield silver; this is ordinary lead. The lead produced at Longtuo in Jiazhou belongs to the Jing (essence) of lead and is said to undergo transformation.

White lead is also called purple true lead.

Diaojiao lead is produced in the various counties of Yazhou. Shaped like Chinese honey-locust seeds or tadpoles and black in color, it appears in the sands of streams among earthen hills. It can cause mercury to congeal into silver and is also called “Yu lead.”

Caojie lead is the raw, unrefined lead produced in Jiazhou. When broken it is brittle, and when burned it resembles sulfur.

Xinzhou lead cannot be used at all, being mixed with copper Qi (vital energy), and especially cannot be employed to make jade.

Lushi lead may be used, though its efficacy is inferior to that of Jiazhou lead; if it is to be used it must be combined with materials such as Biyingsha. The original wording “it must [require] Biyingsha evil” is suspected of textual corruption or omission, and the meaning remains unclear.

Yinping lead, produced in Jianzhou, is the ore of hard iron and cannot be used for refining. After qiansu enters mercury and is steamed and refined with vinegar vapor, white sulfur and frost-like substances are formed.

Lead yellow flower: mercury is placed in it and refined; the mercury floats to the surface, is taken out and stir-fried, becoming yellow lead (minium). Another method of extraction yields a product likewise called lead yellow flower.

Tin can be made into silver. Adding quesha hardens it; adding lead causes its sound to cease.

Mercury extracted from cinnabar is the best. If, when moved across silk, it leaves a trail resembling a rat’s tail, lead has been mixed in. In general, mercury fears minerals of a sour and astringent nature.

To solidify mercury, the most important thing is to determine whether the mercury itself is suitable. The ancient book Qi states: “Foxes and rabbits do not give birth to horses, nor do sparrows on the back give birth to phoenixes.” It also says: “To plant millet one must use millet seed; to hatch chickens one must use chicken eggs.” This means that things of different kinds cannot be mixed together and refined into one substance. Yuanyang said: “Gold can transform into gold, and silver can transform into silver.” Therefore golden butterflies and silver silkworms are important materials used in the Huangbai art of making gold and silver.

Various Yellows, Chapter Two

Realgar (xionghuang). The formula text says: “After a thousand years realgar transforms into gold.” The Yellow Emperor said that realgar can transmute copper. That produced in Wudu is best, that from the Western Regions next. The color resembling iron is finest, that resembling a cock’s comb next. When submerged in water it leaves a silvery deposit on the surface; after being wiped with iron powder it quickly grows a yellow outer layer again—this is of the highest quality.

Orpiment (cihuang). It is purple-black, dry, and light as a lump of burnt tin. Inferior orpiment with a foul odor is hard in texture and does not develop an outer layer. To identify it, rub it on a fingernail; those that leave a mark are better. One may also heat the bottom of an iron and draw the orpiment across it; if it leaves a reddish-yellow line it is good quality. Refining gold cannot be accomplished without this orpiment.

Only orpiment produced in shady places is truly called “ci.” It can soften the five metals and also solidify mercury. That brought by sea vessels, colored like fresh blood, is best, that from Xiangnan next; the cyan variety is especially fine. Its thin flakes can transform sulfur and can also cause fenshuang (a white mercury-containing substance used in refining) to become hidden and solidified.

Pihuang. Produced in Xinzhou, it can be sublimed into white frost, can transmute copper, may be ingested, can solidify mercury, and can serve as a kui (enclosing vessel or receiving material) for cinnabar.

Shehuang. It can be used as a kui for cinnabar and can also serve as kui material during fuhuo (subjecting substances to fire in order to stabilize them).

Shizhonghuang. It can solidify mercury and appears golden in color when produced.

Native sulfur (shiliuhuang). It can be used to subdue mercury.

The formula text says: “When sulfur meets the five metals it turns black; when it meets mercury it turns red.” Sulfur is also called “yellow male” (huangnan) or “yellow sprout” (huangya) and is a fundamental material in refining. Stinking yellow can transmute copper.

Chapter Three: On Various Sands

Cinnabar (zhusha), also called dansha, is a mineral containing mercury sulfide. The texts record that dansha is like the essence of water: when it meets gold, it can unite with gold. The brocade sand of Chenzhou, together with the lotus sand, arrowhead sand, mirror-face sand, and iron-colored luminous sand produced in the Five Streams region, may all be ingested and used in the yellow-and-white arts—the methods of Waidan (external alchemy) by which medicinal substances are refined into gold and silver.

Shangzhou sand cannot be used. Cinnabar from Qianzhong likewise cannot be used.

Cinnabar contains mercury and the Qi (vital energy) of Greater Yin, and it also carries the qi of gold, silver, copper, and lead. Refined by fire, it can transform into different substances.

Paosha, a sand-like medicinal, is produced in Beiting, and some of it is yellow. The formula texts call it the “gold thief”: it can take effect when multiple medicinals are combined and refined, and it also has the power to subdue both male and female medicinal substances.

Dapeng sand can subdue mercury and can also mute the ringing of copper vessels. It is produced in Guozhou and can congeal into grains of sand.

Needle sand can turn sulfur into a purple powder, and it can also be mixed with iron mud to seal and secure the elixir furnace.

Hunu sand, also called silver-yellow, is found in silver mines. It can soften iron and can also subdue cinnabar (dansha).

Luan sand is produced in Lantian. It is the size of cowpeas and black in color, and it can be used to make the outer gui—the container that holds the alchemical materials—around the elixir furnace.

Sea-white sand can serve as an outer gui and allows the fire-qi to circulate freely.

Chapter Four: On Various Alums

Yellow alum is a yellow alum-type mineral. That brought by seagoing ships is better; that produced in Guazhou is the finest, and that from Wenhui is of secondary quality. People in western Sichuan pick out the yellow portions from soap alum, a darker variety of alum. The highest grade is that whose color is about to turn yellow but has not yet fully done so, and from which golden threads can be drawn. The texts say that yellow alum can transform mercury into gold, and can also transform iron into other substances.

Purple alum produced in Persia resembles purple stone. It is said to be able to transform silver into gold and also to dry mercury. Wenzhou also produces purple alum.

Mercury produced in Wenzhou takes the form of black lumps of tin. White alum can dry mercury, quench and refine tin, and yield various yellow substances. Persian white alum, shaped like thorn-like needles, is able to dry mercury. Green alum can nourish and refine cinnabar and can also boil and refine copper. Green vitriol can refine mercury so that it takes on a golden color. Soap alum can refine mercury into powder frost, a white powder obtained from the processing of mercury. Chicken-dung alum can refine mercury, causing it to appear golden. Kunlun alum can refine mercury and can also nourish and refine cinnabar.

Iron alum is produced in Wenshui County of Taiyuan. Only that which resembles red halloysite, a red mineral, and is dotted with golden star-like specks is genuine; it can be used to refine sulfur. Willow-catkin alum can nourish and refine cinnabar, cause mercury to congeal, and is used for sealing during refinement. Crimson alum can cause sand to congeal. Mica alum can cause mercury to congeal. Danzi alum, produced in Puzhou, can transmute silver into gold and can also cause mercury to congeal while taking on a golden appearance. Snow alum can dry mercury and produce powder frost.

Tianlou alum is a type of iron ore with soft, leaf-like layers produced at Tianlou Mountain in Pengzhou; it is white in color. Congee alum can boil and refine copper. Duck-dung alum, produced in Lantian, can be used to cause mercury to congeal during the smelting of silver. Chicken mercury can produce powder frost.

Tianlou alum is a type of iron ore with soft, leaf-like layers produced at Tianlou Mountain in Pengzhou; it is white in color. Congee alum can boil and refine copper. Duck-dung alum, produced in Lantian, can be used to cause mercury to congeal during the smelting of silver. Chicken-feather alum can cause sand to congeal. Jurong alum can cause substances to take on a golden color and can also cause mercury to congeal. The qi-alum of Xuanzhou originates from among the green alums; those of a deep cyan color with a crystalline, lustrous, and cool quality can be used as alum stone. Alum stone can transmute copper and iron into silver.

Chapter Five: The Various Qings

Kongqing can transmute copper into silver and can also cause mercury to congeal into sand. Cengqing can cause mercury to congeal and refine cinnabar; it is regarded as generated from Qi containing gold. Baiqing is suitable for making swords. Daqing is used to produce green jade. Shiqing can transmute copper.

This concludes the upper volume of the Danfang Jianyuan.

Danfang Jianyuan, Middle Volume

Chapter Six: The Various Stones

The superior lodestone is that which attracts iron from all four sides. It can subdue and refine cinnabar, nourish and refine mercury, remove the halo spots from silver, and harden mercury. Milk stone can be used as an outer container, the outer vessel that encases or holds the medicinal substances during alchemical refinement.

Lead-tooth stone is produced in lead-mine pits and appears yellowish-white; it can be used to refine cinnabar. Grasp-snow yu-stone (the designation “yu-stone” being that of the original text) is produced at Qutan Station. In extremely cold weather a marrow-like substance forms on the stone; one fen of it may be collected to congeal ten liang of mercury. Gold-star yu-stone dries mercury and is used to refine cinnabar and que-sha. Silver-star yu likewise dries mercury and serves in the refinement of que-sha and cinnabar. Specially-born yu can be used to subdue pao-sha, while red-skin yu is capable of congealing ten liang of mercury.

The entries for gold-star yu-stone, silver-star yu, specially-born yu and red-skin yu appear a second time in the original text. The later record states that the uses of gold-star yu-stone and silver-star yu remain as before; specially-born yu subdues pao-sha; and red-skin yu can subdue cinnabar as well as nourish mercury. Peach-blossom yu-stone dries mercury, and purple yu-stone can be used to refine mercury.

Yang-qi stone serves as an outer casing—the outer container that wraps the medicinal substances and withstands the fire of refinement. Changli stone may be ingested. Hemu stone, which resembles silver ore, is used to nourish and refine cinnabar. Talc is employed in the refinement of male and female medicinal substances and may also serve as an outer casing. Cold-water stone can function as a vessel for holding medicines and is used to refine cinnabar and mysterious essence. Autumn stone can be fashioned into white jade and colored glass. Floating-water stone removes harmful impurities from medicinal preparations. Bi-stone, which is black, subdues pi-fen-shuang (the name given in the original text) and is employed in the operation known as “shrinking He.” Beehive stone can serve as an outer casing. Congealed-water stone may be made into an oily coating and can also be ingested. Solitary stone is used as an outer casing. Niter is an auxiliary material in the refinement of jade-gold; it can refine “pi” and sulfur and may also be used to produce jade.

Various Stones Employed as Medicinal Ingredients, Section Seven

Gypsum produced in Guizhou can congeal mercury. Stone-fat is used to seal and secure the outer casing. The eight-sided stone-gallbladder from Hezhong is said to transform silver into gold and iron into copper; it also causes medicinal substances to display color and removes halo spots. Stone qilin-stele enables medicinal substances to manifest a golden hue.

Coal can subdue sulfur, remove blemishes from tin, and be used to process realgar, orpiment, and paosha; only a small amount is needed.

Stone milk can serve as an outer enclosure. The outer enclosure is the material that wraps and supports the medicinal substances during elixir refining. Stone flowers can coagulate sand. Stone gansui has a grain like tin; it coagulates sand and gives the sand a golden appearance. Malachite, stone frost, and stone marrow can all coagulate sand. Stone qiangcan can process cinnabar. The red and white varieties of amethyst can be ingested and also used as enclosure material.

Chapter Eight: Various Frosts

Powder frost can transform copper. Pi frost can transform copper and also dry mercury. Fecal frost can process cinnabar and is used to treat wind disorders. Mulberry frost can process cinnabar and sulfur.

Chapter Nine: Various Salts

Salt essence resembles crystal, is produced from salt ponds, and can process mercury and cinnabar. Rong salt comes in red and black varieties, produced at Leimao in the Western Rong lands; it processes cinnabar and sulfur and can dry mercury. Man salt can subdue realgar and orpiment for the refining of metals, red salt being the finest. Green salt, produced in Yongzhou, can dry mercury and process cinnabar. Silla yellow salt can turn mercury into gold, nourish and refine cinnabar, and be used to boil and refine mercury. Brine salt can be used to boil the four yellow medicinals. Cliff salt, produced in Lingzhou and also called raw salt, looks like alum; it can nourish and refine cinnabar and dry mercury. Salt green can coagulate sand. Salt gall can be used to boil the four yellow medicinals and also to solder objects.

Chapter Ten: Various Powders

Ding powder can process realgar and nourish and refine cinnabar. Lead white can process sulfur and also serve as enclosure material. Clam-shell powder can process sulfur. Greasy powder, after being subdued, can transform copper. Mica powder can process mercury, subdue cinnabar, and be ingested.

Chapter Eleven: Various Niters

Horse-tooth niter can nourish and refine cinnabar and process paosha. Crude niter can be used to boil sulfur and also for reverse enclosure. Reverse enclosure is the practice of wrapping the medicinals with enclosure material during refining. Clam-shell powder can process sulfur; greasy powder, after being subdued, can transform copper.

Mica powder can be used to treat mercury so that it solidifies and to bring the medicinal properties of cinnabar under control, after which the preparation may be ingested.

Various Niters (Chapter Ten)

Horse-tooth niter can nourish and refine cinnabar and can also treat calcined sand. Crude niter can be used to boil and refine sulfur and to cause the female and male medicinal substances to transform into one another. Water-concentrating niter can cause mercury to solidify and can also nourish and refine cinnabar. Glauber’s salt can subdue realgar. Pit niter can subdue vermilion cinnabar.

Various Waters (Chapter Twelve)

Water essence can nourish and refine cinnabar. Rainwater collected from thatched roofs can be used to boil and refine mica. Honey water can be used to boil and refine cinnabar.

Various Earths (Chapter Thirteen)

Earth Mother is red in color and is produced at Sanxue Mountain; it can subdue que-sha. Earth yellow can treat realgar. Subdued Dragon Liver is obtained by digging about one chi deep beneath the hearth of a stove that has been in use for many years, where a layer of material resembling purple magnetic clay is found. It can subdue cinnabar and can also cause “He” to contract. The character “He” is suspected to be a textual corruption and is provisionally retained as in the original. Baojin earth can form into granules of sand. Daizhe earth can extract a golden color. Red earth from lead mines can be made into cinnabar-silver. Earth Marrow is produced at Junfang; it can subdue cinnabar and can also cause “He” to contract. The entries for Baojin earth, Daizhe earth, red earth from lead mines, and Earth Marrow are repeated once in the original text. Red Crow Feet can be used to fashion the outer container (the outer wrapping or vessel that encloses or holds the medicinal substances during elixir refinement in Waidan (external alchemy)).

Here ends the middle juan of the Danfang Jianyuan.

Danfang Jianyuan, Lower Juan

Various Miscellaneous Medicines (Chapter Fourteen)

Yellow lead can subdue “pi” and treat calcined sand and sulfur. Mysterious Essence can nourish and refine cinnabar and can also treat sulfur. Chiyou’s Bone can be used to make the outer container. Cloud Flower can nourish and refine cinnabar. Mica can treat sulfur and can also cause mercury to solidify. Five-colored Yu-yu root can cause mercury to solidify. Greater Yin Mysterious Essence can treat cinnabar and subdue sulfur. Jade-powder sand can nourish and refine cinnabar. Copper yellow can be used to seal the joints of vessels employed in elixir refinement. Fragrant ink can likewise serve for sealing. Honey chestnut can cause mercury to solidify. Elm-sweet fruit can render the five metals pliable. Sulfur. Jade-powder sand can nourish and refine cinnabar. Copper yellow can seal vessels. Fragrant ink can likewise serve for sealing. Honey chestnut can cause mercury to solidify. Elm-sweet fruit can render the five metals pliable.

Frankincense and mute copper.

Miscellaneous Medicinal Juices, Chapter Fifteen

Ghee and myrrh are used for refining. Milk can remove various fire poisons. Bitter wine (vinegar) comes in two types: chalcanthite paired with the left flavor and rice vinegar with the right flavor. Boiling and refining the Four Yellows enables various medicinal substances to melt. Urine can be used to boil white alum and can also subdue sulfur.

Various Oils, Chapter Sixteen

Hemp oil can boil and refine lead, causing the lead to condense into mercury of its own accord. Jusheng oil and purple su oil can soften the Five Metals and also nourish the Eight Stones. Gulümanzi oil can boil and refine mercury. Castor oil can boil and refine tin. Yushi oil can cause mercury to condense. Stone-brain oil can melt copper and can also be used to process pishuang.

Various Fats and Marrows, Chapter Seventeen

Ox fat can soften copper. Sheep fat can soften silver and can also boil and refine mercury. Copper bone can subdue roasted preparations. Gu ram horn can cause tin to contract. Du fat can boil and refine copper and tin. Qing fat can subdue realgar. Camel fat can soften gold. The fats of donkeys and horses can soften the Five Metals. Cuttlefish bone can dilute salt.

Various Bird and Beast Feces, Chapter Eighteen

Sparrow droppings can subdue pishuang. Horse manure can enhance the potency of various medicinal substances. The white feces of dogs can boil and refine copper. Cow dung can extract the halo coloration from copper. Earthworm castings can be used for sealing the joints of furnaces and containers. The feces of the hanhao bird can cause tin to shrink. The feces of the chunling can likewise cause tin to contract.

Various Ashes, Chapter Nineteen

Hongxin huixu can process alum. Qiangmai ash can boil and refine powder frost. The ash of xian'e grass can process sulfur. The ash of buhui wood can boil and refine mercury. The ash of baojin grass can cause mercury to condense. Horse-tooth ash can boil and refine cinnabar and cause mercury to condense. Motherwort ash can process sulfur. Purple ge ash can process niter. Mulberry ash can process sulfur and can also subdue quesha. Orchid-grass ash can process orpiment and realgar. Brahman ash can boil and refine mercury.

Note: The terms such as “boil,” “process,” “subdue,” “soften,” and “condense” listed in the original text are technical terms from ancient elixir-refining formulas. They refer respectively to decocting and refining, heat processing, bringing the properties of the medicinal substances under control, making metals soft, causing mercury to solidify, and similar operations.

The ash of grain straw can extract the “halo” (impurities or floating scum that appear during smelting) from tin. Celery ash can process cinnabar and sulfur. The ash of turmeric roots can congeal sand. The ash of winter-melon vines can boil and refine mercury and cinnabar; it can also quench copper as well as the two minerals orpiment and realgar.

Brahman ash can boil and refine mercury. Grain-straw ash extracts the “halo” from tin. Celery ash processes cinnabar and sulfur. Turmeric-root ash congeals sand. Winter-melon-vine ash boils and refines mercury and cinnabar and can also quench copper and tin. Paper ash is able to enclose the force of a fire so that it remains unextinguished for a long time. The ash produced when silver is beaten can be used to tint green jade.

Chapter Twenty, on the juices of various herbs, records that five-branch herb congeals sand, while shanglu (pokeweed) extracts tin. Cocklebur draws the “halo” out of tin, and five-colored seed amaranth boils and refines sand. Blocking-skin herb congeals sand, heavenly-sword herb boils and refines mercury, and the juice of yingma is used to “ferry the medicine” (subjecting it to liquid processing or transformation). Xuwei herb congeals mercury, tiger-ear herb (Saxifraga) boils and refines sand, and water-field xi-herb likewise boils and refines mercury. The herb called solitary wheat, also known as mountain fengzi, quenches tin; gardenia quenches gold; and seven-section herb congeals sand. Lettuce that has been planted together with sulfur can both congeal sand and process cinnabar. Verbena causes tin-sand to contract, silver-thread herb congeals sand, and haiyu (Alocasia) can “subdue and fire-process” (stabilize or bring under control the substance being prepared). Chinese gallnut withers and refines lead, while willow glue congeals sand.

Chapter Twenty-One, on miscellaneous essentials, states that black beans can soften Danyang, aconite can boil and refine Danyang, and croton can soften steel, remove the “halo” from tin, and congeal sand. Bitter gourd boils and refines mercury, and duckweed subdues sulfur.

Chapter Twenty-Two, on medicinal muds, notes that iron mud can quench needle-sand until it becomes a powder, which is then blended with “six-one” to form a sealing mud.

Mixing glue with mud is accomplished by pounding the two together with egg white and salt until a paste is formed. Alum mud is prepared by grinding the material into a fine powder; it is used to seal vessels and is especially effective for that purpose.

Section Twenty-Three: Distinguishing Fires

Cow-dung fire, produced from the charcoal of burned cow dung, enhances the potency of medicinal substances. Horse-dung fire has the same effect. Bran fire burns evenly and is twice as effective as ordinary fire. Bamboo fire is slow and gentle in nature, making it suitable for the nourishment and refinement of mercury. Qinggang fire is extremely fierce, resembling the kind of fire described in the Yang Jing.

Section Twenty-Four: Preparing Copper, Silver, and Lead Sands

Copper sand is made by melting copper into a liquid, adding powdered magnetic tiles, and stirring until sand-like grains form. Silver sand is obtained by melting silver into liquid, pouring it into concentrated white-alum water, and stirring with a cylinder rolled from wet paper. Lead sand is produced by melting lead into liquid, pouring it into a sand basin, and grinding it with a wooden mallet, after which it immediately turns into sand grains.

Section Twenty-Five: Miscellaneous Discussions

Cinnabar oil is not yet a fully refined medicine. It is said that when niter and ya-xiao are used to transform it into a liquid, even prolonged consumption produces no obvious benefit. Sulfur paste is sometimes steamed with honey and then taken; this remains raw sulfur whose toxicity is still present and therefore must not be ingested. Magnetite is a hard substance that resists transformation. It is incorrect to consume it merely because of its black color in the hope of attaining longevity. Taking large quantities of magnetite as medicine will certainly bring serious calamity. Pao-sha is highly toxic. Those suffering from Shenling illness may take it, but the medicine should be stopped at once once the condition eases. Excessive use accumulates into disease and produces various severe obstructions. Dragon-Tiger Head refers to the reddening that occurs when mercury meets sulfur. Sometimes the red color appears after fewer than ten days of heating and is then regarded as excellent medicine. In reality the toxicity of the sulfur remains within the mercury; even if the material was originally black and later turned red, this does not mean it may safely be taken.

Formula for the Pointed Preparation of Five-Yellow Pills

Realgar, orpiment, pihuang, sulfur, and yellow vitriol, one liang of each. Melt these five medicinal substances together and grind them with rice vinegar until the color becomes dark red. Even after this step, the preparation is still not ready to be ingested.

The Method of Preparing the Five-Yellow Pills for Pointing

Take one liang each of realgar, orpiment, pihuang, sulfur, and yellow vitriol. First melt the five medicinal substances together, then grind them with rice vinegar until they become moist and viscous. Next, drive the substances out with fire, place them in a shaded location, and reserve the black portion for later use.

First calcine one jin of salt to produce salt flowers. Take a Yao platform and spread the salt flowers over the bottom, then cover it with a new small earthenware basin of exactly the right size. Place the medicinal substances upon the salt, cover with the basin, and seal the surroundings tightly with salt mud. Light a fire below so that the substances sublime and adhere to the underside of the earthenware basin. When they have all risen, scrape them off.

Grind the scraped substances once more with rice vinegar, drive them out by the previous method, and place them in a shaded location. Then set them up and heat them in the same way until they have all sublimed. Grind them again. Use another kui—a vessel for enclosing and heating medicinal substances—as the base, place the substances on it, and apply one jin of fire. Remove the ground medicine and form it with duzhi (the original term; its precise referent is unclear) into pills the size of a white bean. Each pill can process one liang of mercury.

Take a new tiaozi and first fashion a pit of yellow earth inside it. Place one liang of mercury in the pit, heat it slightly to set it in motion, then add one pill. When the sound has completely ceased, the mercury turns black. Do not combine this procedure with the method known as “the third-degree cutting of mountain and marsh”; it should be carried out separately according to the kui method.

From the lower volume of the Danfang Jianyuan.