《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 3

Realgar has a bitter and sweet taste. Accounts differ as to whether its nature is neutral, cold, or warm, and it is toxic. The ancients believed it could treat illnesses marked by alternating chills and fever; scrofula (swollen, ulcerated lymph nodes in the neck); malignant sores, abscesses, hemorrhoids, and dead muscle; as well as scabies, insect bites, eye pain, and nasal polyps. It was also said to treat injuries to the sinews and bones, joint disorders attributed to wind, accumulations, abdominal masses, and abdominal pain, and to drive out so-called “ghost fixation” (illnesses the ancients attributed to malevolent spirits), malign influences, and insect venom. The scripture further claims that realgar can counteract the poison of hellebore and repel snake venom, and says it can “beautify the face” and “prolong life.” The practices described later as “refining and eating” and “taking as an elixir” refer to ancient alchemical methods and the ingestion of medicinal substances. Claims that taking it makes the body light enough to become an immortal, that it flies into the brain, that it preserves life and wards off hunger, and that refining copper with realgar turns it into gold belong to ancient materia medica and occult arts.

Realgar is also called “Yellow Food Stone.” It is found in the valleys of Wudu Mountain and on the southern slopes of Dunhuang Mountain, and may be collected at any time of year.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: Realgar is produced in the valleys of Wudu Mountain and on the southern slopes of Dunhuang Mountain. It is also found today in the mountains of Jiezhou. The genuine mineral occurs in lumps, bright and translucent like cinnabar, with no stone fragments mixed in. Only the kind with the color of a cockscomb is considered superior. The hard, blue-black variety is called “smoked realgar”; the kind that resembles genuine realgar in shape and color but has a foul smell is called “stinking realgar.” Neither is used internally; both are suitable only for external treatment of sores and scabies. The foul smell of stinking realgar can be washed away with vinegar, but this can also make it difficult to distinguish genuine from inferior material, so it must be identified with particular care before use.

Near the border between Jiezhou and the Western Regions, another kind, called water-cave realgar, is found in rocky places where spring water flows. Locals call the rocks that contain it “blue-smoke stone” or “white-fresh stone.” The realgar within ranges in size from walnuts to chestnuts or beans. Its surface is pitted, its color deep red with a slight purple tinge, and its texture very light and porous. It is said to be more effective medicinally than ordinary realgar, and is especially prized by alchemists. Some say realgar is the germ from which gold forms, so it can occasionally be found in the south, near gold mines and smelting sites, though its quality is inferior to that of realgar from the west.

The Commentary on the Tang Materia Medica says: The mineral from Shimen, called “stone yellow,” is also realgar, but “Yellow Food Stone” is the general name. Shimen realgar is the poorest quality; that from Yanchang and Wudu is better. Superior realgar occurs in lumps several inches across, bright and translucent like a cockscomb. Some people make it into pillows or take it to ward off evil. The hard, blue-black kind is not used as medicine. If it is heated over a fire…

After being processed by the flying-refining method, it can also be used to treat sores without harm. Another account says that lower-quality realgar is called “smoked yellow” because it is often used to fumigate and treat sores and scabies; the name comes from this use. Smoked yellow is otherwise no different from realgar. During the Zhenguan era, a piece of realgar several feet square was newly discovered in Dangzhou. Its substance was heavy and brittle, however, so it could not be transported intact.

Ri Hua Zi says: Realgar is mildly toxic. It can treat scabies, ringworm, wind disorders, epilepsy, miasma, and bites from snakes, insects, dogs, and other animals. Taken over a long period, it can prevent hunger. The best realgar is bright red and translucent. If it kills insects when used to fumigate them, it is genuine. Genuine realgar has little odor. When chewed finely and held in the mouth, it can be used as medicine if it is not especially pungent.

Lei Gong says: When selecting realgar, do not use black-chicken yellow, self-dead yellow, or layered-grease yellow. Foul-smelling yellow looks much like realgar, but it has a bad odor and must not be used. Washing it two or three times with vinegar will remove the smell, but do not mistake it for usable realgar on that account. Another kind, layered-grease yellow, also resembles realgar, but inside it has alternating layers of yellow and stone, so it must not be used. Black-chicken yellow also resembles realgar and looks like the comb on a black chicken’s head. In selecting realgar, the finest grade is the kind whose color resembles the liver of a partridge.

The Baopuzi says: Realgar should be selected from among the kinds produced in the Wudu mountains. It must be pure and free of impurities, red like a cockscomb, and brightly lustrous to be suitable for use. Yellow realgar-like material without luster is unsuitable for refining medicines of immortality, but it can be used in medicines for treating illness.

The Baopuzi also says: There are several ways to take realgar: some boil or steam it; some swallow it with wine; some dissolve it in water with niter and then allow it to solidify; others wrap it in a pig’s body and steam it. Where green leaves grow on stone mixed with rock, the plant grows along a vein in the earth.

The Bencao Jing says: Qianghuo and Duhuo belong to the same category of medicinal. Today, people call the purple-colored kind with closely spaced nodes Qianghuo, and the yellow-colored, block-shaped kind Duhuo.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Qianghuo is a principal medicinal. It is bitter and pungent, and non-toxic. It can treat loss of voice and inability to speak caused by windstroke, as well as severe itching, blood leprosy, inability to move the hands and feet, distortion of the mouth and eyes, and numbness and pain throughout the body.

Tao Hongjing says: Qianghuo is slender and long, with many nodes; it is soft and moist, and has a very strong odor. It is produced in northern Yizhou and western Sichuan. Duhuo is somewhat whitish and coarse in form. Its uses are similar to those of Qianghuo, but its effects are slightly weaker. Its stem stands upright on its own and does not sway in the wind, which is why it is called “Duhuo,” meaning “standing alone.” Duhuo is easily damaged by insects and should be stored in a tightly sealed container.

Tang’s commentary says that for disorders caused by pathogenic wind, one should use Duhuo; when dampness and water retention are also present, one should use Qianghuo.

Rihua Zi says that Qianghuo treats various wind disorders and can also relieve qi stagnation, spasms of the sinews and bones, weakness in the limbs, dizziness, and red, painful eyes. It is also used for “hidden masses” (a type of internal abdominal accumulation described by ancient physicians), water disorders, the Five Taxations and Seven Injuries, deficiency and debility, cold, and aching joints. It also promotes the circulation of the Five Organs. Duhuo and Qianghuo are related medicinal substances, with Duhuo being the maternal type of Qianghuo.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Formula records: To treat whole-body chills, clenched jaws, and loss of consciousness after a stroke, take four liang of Duhuo and decoct it in one sheng of good wine until half a sheng remains. Divide the liquid into two doses and drink it warm.

The Formula of Proven Effectiveness records: To treat cramping abdominal pain after childbirth, take two liang of Qianghuo and decoct it in two sheng of wine until one sheng remains. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into two doses.

The Small-Scale Formula records that Duhuo decoction can be used for wind-related deficiency after childbirth. It can also be used to treat tinea alba. Duhuo produced in Sichuan is of good quality. It sprouts in spring and grows to about three chi tall. Its leaves are blue-green and resemble hemp leaves. It flowers in the fourth or fifth month, with white flower clusters resembling millet ears, and bears black fruit after the sixth month. Its root is purple, resembles the root of hao, and has many fine rootlets.

Physicians today use Shengma to treat sore, swollen throats and sores on the mouth and tongue. They also use it to relieve headaches from cold damage and various swellings and sores. The method is to chop the herb, take one liang, and decoct it in one sheng of water, reducing the liquid to a concentrated medicinal juice before drinking it. The source text says that once the juice enters the mouth, the toxic qi subsides; people in Sichuan often use this method.

The Treatise on Medicinal Properties says that Shengma produced in Shu can be used for wind-related convulsions in children, epileptic seizures, and seasonal febrile illnesses. It also treats dental disorders caused by pathogenic wind, swollen and painful gums, and loose, ulcerated tooth roots with a foul odor. It is used as well for wind-heat obstructing the Heart and Lungs, sores in the mouth with vexation, abscesses and swellings, and smallpox. After decocting it in water, one may dip a cloth in the liquid and wipe the sores. The book also records that it can drive away various malevolent spirits.

Tao Hongjing says that in the past, Shengma produced in Ningzhou was the best: it was small, black, and firm, but it has recently become rare. Today, the kind from Yizhou is considered good. The finest grade is blue-green after its outer skin is peeled away and is called “chicken-bone Shengma.” Shengma is also found in the north, where it is loose-textured, coarse, and yellow. The kind produced around Jianping is inferior in both shape and taste and is unsuitable for use.

Lei Gong says that after harvesting Shengma, one should scrape off its rough outer skin with a knife, then soak it overnight in the fresh juice of Huangjing. Remove it, dry it in the sun, chop it, steam it, and dry it again before use.

Rihua Zi says that Shengma can calm the hun and po. It is also used for incessant crying attributed to possession by ghosts or evil influences, wandering wind swellings and sores, bad breath, and lesions caused by childhood malnutrition. It is also known as Luoxinfu.

The Wai Tai Mi Yao records: To treat blood in the urine, pound plantain herb, squeeze out five he of juice, and drink it on an empty stomach.

The Sheng Hui Fang records: To treat chronic internal eye disorders, a class of conditions that cause blurred vision, grind equal amounts of plantain seeds, dried rehmannia root, and dwarf lilyturf root into powder. Mix the powder with honey and form pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds. Repeated trials have found this effective.

The Bai Yi Fang records: To treat difficulty urinating, take one jin of plantain seeds and plantain herb, add three sheng of water, and boil until one and a half sheng remain. Divide into three doses. Another prescription for stone urinary obstruction calls for two sheng of plantain seeds in a silk bag. Add eight sheng of water and boil until three sheng remain. Drink all of it at any time; after a while, the stones will pass.

The Mei Shi Fang records: To treat urinary obstruction with burning urination during pregnancy, take five liang of plantain seeds and one sheng of chopped hollyhock root. Add five sheng of water and boil until one and a half sheng remain. Divide into two doses.

The Zi Mu Mi Lu records: When a fetus lies crosswise and is difficult to deliver, grind plantain seeds into powder and take two qian bi with wine. The qian bi was a unit of dosage used in ancient prescriptions.

A remedy for diarrhea: Ouyang Wenzhong once developed sudden diarrhea, and the court physicians could not cure him. His wife said that someone in the market was selling a medicine for three coins a dose that worked very well. She bought some and mixed it into the physician’s prescription. Ouyang Wenzhong took it once and recovered. The seller was later summoned and asked about the formula. It turned out to contain only plantain seeds, ground into powder and taken in a dose of two qian bi with rice water. The seller explained that plantain seeds work by promoting urination.

The Yan Yi says: Tao Hongjing stated that drinking juice squeezed from pounded plantain leaves can treat pain on the right side of the head. Sniffing the juice into the left nostril brings immediate relief.

The Xu Shi Quan Fang records: To treat sudden throat swelling and blockage, take a piece of realgar, grind it with freshly drawn well water, and quickly pour it down the throat to induce vomiting. The condition may then be cured.

The Ji Yan Fang records: To treat sudden loss of consciousness, grind realgar into a fine powder and blow it into the nostrils through a tube.

The Shang Han Lei Yao records: To treat painful distension in the lower abdomen, difficulty urinating, and seasonal epidemic illnesses, grind realgar finely, mix it with honey, and form pills the size of date pits. Insert a pill into the urethra. Another prescription says to shape realgar powder into a date pit sized piece and place it between the teeth to kill tooth worms.

The Yan Yi says: Realgar is not a vein of gold ore. Some places have gold mines but no realgar. The texts say that realgar is found everywhere gold ore occurs. Can it really be found everywhere? Another remedy for snakebite is to burn realgar and use the smoke to drive snakes far away. Even when carved into objects, realgar from Wudu retains its foul smell.

The Biography of Zhen Liyan in the Tang says that when Zhen Liyan served as a Taichang Vice Director, a Daoist priest suffered from distressing fullness in the chest and abdomen…

When a certain person was two years old, a healer diagnosed him with a gu parasite in his abdomen, caused by accidentally swallowing hair. The healer gave him a dose of realgar, a traditional medicine used to counter toxins and kill parasites. Soon afterward, he vomited a snake as thick as a thumb and without eyes. When it was burned, it smelled like singed hair, and the illness was cured. This is an example of realgar’s ability to kill poisonous parasites.

Salt

Salt tastes salty and is warm in nature. It is nontoxic. It is chiefly used to kill gu parasites, malign influences said to cause illness, and toxic vapors. It is also used to treat pinworms in the lower body, sores and ulcers, and the chills and fever caused by cold damage. It can also expel accumulated phlegm and fluid from the chest and ease sudden pain in the heart and abdomen. Salt strengthens the muscles and bones, but eating too much harms the lungs and makes a person prone to coughing.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Ancient books do not record which prefectures and districts produce salt. Tao Hongjing says that salt comes in several kinds: sea salt from the Eastern and Northern Seas; salt from the salt lakes of Hedong; well salt from Liangzhou and Yizhou; South Sea salt from Jiaozhou and Guangzhou; mountain salt from the Western Qiang regions; and wood salt from the lands of the Hu. They differ in color, and the salt from Hedong is the finest.

Hedong salt is the salt now produced at the two salt lakes of Xiezhou and Anyi, and is of the highest quality. The powdered salt produced at the two salt administration offices in Bingzhou is made by scraping up salty soil and boiling it down, and is of rather poor quality. The “alkaline salt” listed among the inferior-grade substances in the Bencao refers to salt from the Hedong salt lakes.

The inferior-grade section also lists great salt, produced in the salt marshes of Handan and Hedong. Su Gong says that great salt is Hedong pressed salt, the kind people eat every day. Its grains are coarser than powdered salt, much like the Xie salt of today. People in Xiezhou cultivate fields beside the salt lake and irrigate them with its water. When strong southerly winds blow, the furrows fill with salt overnight. Locals call this method “planting salt.”

Salt from the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Seas is the salt now made by boiling seawater at government facilities in places such as Cangzhou, Mizhou, Chuzhou, Xiuzhou, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Qiongzhou, and Huazhou, and supplied for public use. It is also called “marsh salt.” The “sea salt” mentioned in medical prescriptions is this kind of salt.

In the Han dynasty, the vessels used to boil salt were called “laopen.” Today, some are cast from iron, while others are woven from bamboo and sealed around the edges with a mixture of oyster-shell ash. They are about one zhang wide and one chi deep, with flat bottoms, and are placed over stoves. These are called “salt pans.” The Nanyue Gazetteer describes “weaving a cauldron from bamboo strips and sealing it with oyster-shell ash”; it refers to vessels of this kind.

To make salt, first dig a pit by the seashore, line it with bamboo and wood, cover it with reeds and thatch, and then pile sand on top. As the tide rises, seawater passes through the sand, and salt dissolves into the pit water. When the tide recedes, use a fire to check the water in the pit. If the salt vapors in the water extinguish the flame, draw off this highly saline water and pour it into the salt pan to boil. The salt is ready in a short time.

Ge Hong says: If someone suddenly feels discomfort and distension in the abdomen, along with pain in the chest and flanks, the root can be chopped, simmered into a strong decoction, and taken in a dose of three sheng. The symptoms will then ease. People today often steep the leaves as a drink, valuing their fragrant aroma. Zhang Zhongjing combined it with ephedra, apricot kernels, and coix seed to treat bodily pain caused by wind-dampness that worsens in the afternoon. The prescription calls for three liang of ephedra, thirty apricot kernels, and one liang each of licorice and coix seed. Decoction the four ingredients in four sheng of water until two sheng remain, then divide into two portions and drink warm.

Tao Hongjing says: This plant grows throughout the area around Zhending County, an ancient county in Changshan Commandery, and nearby places. It often grows close to people’s homes. The seeds from Jiaozhi, an ancient region roughly corresponding to northern Vietnam today, are the largest; local people call them “ganzhu.” Ma Yuan once gathered a great quantity and brought them back, but someone falsely claimed they were pearls. The best seeds are full and heavy; use those of medium size. Today, when children have roundworm, the root can be boiled and the liquid used to cook porridge for them. It smells very fragrant and is highly effective at expelling roundworms.

Chen Cangqi adds: It treats wasting thirst and kills roundworms. Taking the root after boiling it can induce miscarriage in pregnant women.

Lei Gong says: Be sure to identify the medicinal material correctly. There is a large-grained, tasteless grain called “mi,” which people at the time called “jing mi.” Coix seed, by contrast, has smaller grains, is green in color, tastes sweet, and sticks to the teeth when chewed. For each liang of coix seed, it may be stir-fried with two liang of glutinous rice. Once the rice is cooked, remove it and use only the coix seed. It may also be prepared by boiling it in salted water; this is another processing method.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines records: Coix seed treats tightening and spasms of the sinews and vessels caused by hot wind, and can also stimulate the appetite. It may be used for lung atrophy, rebellious lung Qi, coughing, coughing up pus and blood, nasal and throat discharge, and asthma.

Meng Shen says: Coix seed is neutral in nature and highly effective for both dry and damp forms of beriberi.

The Essentials of Food Therapy says: Coix seed treats tightening of the sinews and vessels and long-standing painful obstruction caused by wind-dampness. It helps Qi descend, expels pathogenic influences from the bones, regulates the stomach and intestines, and reduces swelling. Taken over a long period, it can make the body feel light and increase strength. Pound one sheng of coix seed into flour. Take two spoonfuls at a time, cook them in two sheng of water into porridge, and eat on an empty stomach.

The Mei Family Formula records: For lung disease with coughing up pus and blood, pound ten liang of coix seed, add three sheng of water, and simmer until one sheng remains. Add a little wine and take.

The Extended Meaning of the Materia Medica says: The coix seed referred to here is the one described in Li Shangyin’s “Inscription on the Granary”: “Coix seeds resemble pearls; one must beware.” As for using coix seed as medicine, the Great Classic records…

Its nature is slightly cold. It treats tightness and contraction of the sinews and channels, including cramping that makes the limbs difficult to straighten. According to the Annotations to the Basic Questions, there are two kinds of cramping. When the major sinews are affected by heat, they shorten, causing tightness and preventing the limbs from straightening. This is cramping caused by heat, so coix seed can be used to treat it. But if, as the Basic Questions says, the sinews and channels become tight from exposure to cold, coix seed should not be used.

Alisma

A certain medicinal substance produced in Qizhou, in what is now the Shandong area, can treat loose teeth and make them firm.

The Sagely Beneficial Prescriptions says: To treat dampness of the navel in children, take one liang of salt and two he of fermented soybean cake. Pound them together and shape the mixture into a cake the size of a copper coin. Heat it on a new roof tile, then apply it to the navel as a warm compress. This will cure the condition. Alternatively, powdered phellodendron bark may be applied.

The Arcane Essentials from the Outer Terrace says: When there is phlegm and fluid in the chest, or when vomiting needs to be induced in cases of cold damage, heat illness, or miasmic malaria, take a large spoonful of powdered salt with water or warm broth. Vomiting will follow after a short while. If the vomiting is insufficient, take another dose the next day; this works very well.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions says: To treat receding gums and exposed tooth roots, place a pinch of salt in the mouth each day and rinse with hot water, letting the water wash over the teeth a hundred times. In no more than five days, the teeth will be firm.

The Supplement to the Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions says: When sores or ringworm first appear and begin to hurt, if a simple remedy does not work, chew salt and apply it to the affected area. It works very well.

The Fu Xin Formula says: For a bite from an earthworm, make a very strong salt solution and wash the whole body with it several times; this will cure the condition. Zhang Shao, a military officer in western Zhejiang, was once bitten by one of these creatures. His symptoms resembled severe wind disease: his eyebrows and beard fell out, and each night he could hear earthworms chirping on his body. A monk taught him this method, and he later recovered.

The Heart Mirror of Food Therapy says: Salt can dispel ghosts and malign influences, and treat lower-body worm sores, alternating chills and fever from cold damage, and phlegm accumulation in the chest. It can also stop sudden pain in the heart and abdomen and strengthen the muscles and bones. The Yellow Emperor said that eating salt after sweet melon can bring on cholera. Salt can also be used for difficulty urinating or defecating: mix it with bitter wine (vinegar) and apply it to the navel. Replace it when it dries, and the condition will be cured.

The Treasured Birth Formula says: To treat unbearable pain in the heart and abdomen during pregnancy, burn one jin of salt until red hot, take a pinch, and swallow it with wine. This will bring relief.

The Extended Discussion says: Regarding table salt, the Basic Questions says, “The salty flavor enters the blood.” People in the east who often eat fish and salt therefore tend to have dark complexions; this may be taken as evidence that salty flavor affects the blood. Those with coughs or water illness should avoid salt entirely. In the northern nomadic regions, people preserve corpses with salt to prevent them from decaying, and this practice continues today. In cases of earthworm poisoning, the body should be rinsed with salt water.

This medicinal substance is also suitable for taking after it has been dissolved in a decoction. When gold and silver are melted into liquid and made into medicine, the salt used should still be the pool salt from Jiezhou, which is of the finest quality. People whose gums often bleed can usually stop the bleeding by rinsing with salt water. This shows that salt benefits the teeth and can staunch bleeding.

Stone Sulfur (a sulfur mineral used in ancient times as a medicinal substance and in alchemical preparations)

Stone Sulfur tastes sour and is warm in nature, but extremely hot, and it is poisonous. It is used to treat ulceration of the female genitals, hemorrhoids, stagnant foul blood, and weakness of the sinews and bones. It can also be used for hair loss, accumulations in the chest and abdomen, pathogenic influences, cold-related accumulations, cough with rebellious Qi (vital energy), cold and painful feet, weakness, nosebleeds, malignant sores, and sores and itching in the lower body. It can also stop bleeding, kill scabies mites, and transform unusual substances such as gold, silver, copper, and iron.

Stone Sulfur comes from the valleys of Shepherd Mountain in the Eastern Sea region, Mount Tai, and the area around Hexi. It is formed from the liquid transformation of alum stone.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that Stone Sulfur comes from the valleys of Shepherd Mountain in the Eastern Sea region, Mount Tai, and the area around Hexi, and is a liquid form of alum stone. Today, it is produced only in prefectures beyond the foreign ranges of the South Sea. Some other places have it too, but the quality is poor. The genuine kind is the color of an egg yolk just taken from a goose egg, and is called “Kunlun Yellow.” The red kind is called “Stone Pavilion Fat,” the blue kind “Winter-Crystallized Stone,” and the half-white, half-black kind “Spirit-Startling Stone.” None of these are suitable for medicinal use.

There is also earth sulfur, found in Guangnan and in flowing streams in the ravines of Rongzhou. It tastes pungent, is hot in nature, and has a fishy, foul smell. It is used to treat scabies and kill poisonous worms. It can also be boiled and refined into a liquid, then poured into molds to cast objects; its color is likewise like the yolk of a goose egg.

The Treatise on the Nature of Drugs says that Stone Sulfur acts fiercely and is highly toxic. Its toxicity can be countered with a decoction of black tin, or eased by eating pork that has been allowed to cool. It tastes sweet and is the essence of the sun; legend says that ghost fire dwells within it. After being refined through various methods, it can be used to direct Qi downward and treat weak feet, chronic cold in the lower back and kidneys, and persistent numbness caused by cold wind. Another account says that raw sulfur treats scabies, ringworm, alternating chills and fever, and cough with rebellious Qi; when refined and taken, it treats debility and seminal emission.

Tao Hongjing says that Donghai Commandery belonged to Northern Xu Province, and that this medicine also grows on Mount Ji.

The Illustrated Materia Medica also records that the kind produced in “Simei of the Northern Capital” is of good quality. In spring, shoots emerge and the vines climb along fences. The stems are purple, and the leaves are blue-green with three pointed lobes. They resemble morning-glory leaves, but are thicker and shinier. Guo Pu’s commentary says that its root resembles a taro and can be eaten. People in Jiangnan now call it by different names, with variations in tone as well. Based on this commentary, Chinese yam and “Zhu” must be the same plant, though varieties from the north and south may differ somewhat in appearance.

“Bieran” may be an alternate written form of “shuyu” (Chinese yam). Although the pronunciations differ, this was probably an error introduced through repeated copying. Shuyu is also called mountain yam.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances says that shuyu is a ministerial medicine. It can tonify the damage caused by the five types of overstrain and seven kinds of injury, dispel cold wind, and ease lower back pain. It can also calm the mind and the hun and po souls, clear the heart’s orifices, and improve memory. Shuyu may be added for people whose heart Qi is deficient and whose bodies are weak and emaciated.

Tao Hongjing says that shuyu grows throughout the regions, especially in the eastern mountains and along the southern rivers. It can be dug up and eaten as a grain substitute. The shuyu produced around Nankang is the largest and tastes good; it is suitable both for eating and for medicinal use.

Su Song says that, from consulting the Materia Medica of Wu, he learned that shuyu is also called zhushu. In Qi and Yue it is known as mountain yam, and it is also called xiucui and ercao. The Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica records that it tastes sweet and is slightly warm in nature; Tong Jun and Lei Gong say that it tastes sweet and is non-toxic. Some shuyu grows around Linqu and Zhongshan. When it first sprouts, its stem is red and its vine slender. It flowers white in the fifth month and bears blue-yellow fruit in the seventh; the fruit ripens and falls in the eighth month. The root is white inside, with yellow skin, and resembles a taro.

The Food Medicine Mirror says that shuyu can treat deficiency and cold in the lower burner, frequent urination, and emaciation, weakness, and lack of strength. Take half a jin of fresh shuyu, scrape off the skin, chop it, and grind it into a fine powder.

Su Song also says that, from consulting the Materia Medica of Wu, he learned that sulfur is also called shiliuhuang. The Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica, the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic, and Lei Gong say that it tastes salty and is toxic; Yi He and Bian Que say that it tastes bitter and is non-toxic. Some sulfur comes from Yiyang, some from Hexi, and some varieties are yellow in five different shades. The text says it forms when the liquid of stones in water congeals. Sulfur that produces a violet flame when burned can be gathered in the eighth or ninth month and used to treat blood congestion in women.

The Oceanic Materia Medica says that, according to the Guangzhou Record, sulfur is found at the foot of the sun on Mount Kunlun. The best quality is clean and free of stone impurities. It can be used to treat wind-cold, weakness and exhaustion, kidney cold, rebellious Qi, and weakness and emaciation of the legs and knees. It is also said to nourish the skin and strength, treat seminal emission and hemorrhoidal fistulas, and ease wind constipation in the elderly—a form of constipation caused by wind pathogens or insufficient body fluids. It should be refined by heating before use. Immortals’ prescriptions call it “yellow sal ammoniac.” The text also says that sulfur can corrode the five metals and can be made to take on the color of gold. After treatment, it can be restored to its original color, and when taken it can treat many illnesses. If its medicinal effects become excessive after taking it, pork, duck soup, or a decoction of sweet-tasting olive may be used to relieve them. Sulfur is also produced in Ya Prefecture, Shu. It is lustrous, smooth, and of good quality, though less potent than sulfur brought by sea.

The Mirror of the Elixir Chamber says that stone sulfur can make mercury congeal. An alchemical formula says that sulfur turns black when it encounters the five metals and red when it encounters mercury. The text also calls sulfur “yellow tooth.”

Sun Shangyao says that sulfur can be used to treat sudden watery diarrhea caused by Qi deficiency and exposure to cold, when it continues without pause day and night.

Twenty prescriptions: The Zhaozhen Pill for persistent abdominal pain, intended for emergency use when traveling on foot in summer.

Take two liang of sulfur and grind it with a horn until extremely fine. Add half a liang of dried alum and grind them together thoroughly. Soak a steamed bun in water, squeeze out the water, then mix it with the powdered medicines and form pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Coat them with cinnabar. Take fifteen to twenty pills at a time with warm rice water or salt water.

The Experienced Formulas: The Yufen Pill is for prolonged cold abdominal pain and weakness with diarrhea caused by an attack of Qi in the original organs—that is, the kidneys and lower burner. It works well when taken urgently. Grind five liang of raw sulfur and one liang of green salt together until very fine, then use a steamed bun to form pills the size of mung beans. Take five pills on an empty stomach with hot wine, then eat a little food to settle them.

The Mei Master’s Formulas: For moist blisters and sores on the genitals, grind stone sulfur into powder and apply it to the sores three times a day.

The Sagely Beneficence Formulas: For fleshy growths in sores that resemble snakes and protrude several inches, grind one liang of sulfur finely and apply a thin layer to the growth; it will recede.

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library and the Thousand Gold Pieces Formulas: For children with suppurating ears or chronic ear disease, sprinkle sulfur powder into the ear once daily. It usually takes effect overnight; stop as soon as it does.

The Method for Refining and Taking Cinnabar in the Great Clarity Tradition says: Stone sulfur originally comes from the southern region of the land of Persia. It takes form by receiving the pure Yang essence of fiery stone. Its nature is to circulate freely, and it also contains a fierce toxicity; for this reason, among medicines it is called “the general.” Its effects are to dispel deviant forces and restore what is right, clear obstructions and turn turbidity into clarity and harmony, invigorate Yang essence, disperse Yin, and dissolve Yin souls.

The Extended Discussion says: People today use stone sulfur to treat weakness and cold in the lower source, the near extinction of original Qi, chronic cold diarrhea, weakness of the Spleen and Stomach, and life-threatening conditions. It often proves effective after it is taken. Once the symptoms are brought under control, the medicine should be stopped immediately; the entire dose must not be taken. People know only the benefits of using it, not the harm caused by long-term use. This medicine can help as well as harm. If it were simply rejected and never used, how could one do without it in a sudden emergency? But to process it by the prescribed method to make it less flammable, then take it for a long time, is also thoughtless.

The Classic of Materia Medica does not say that sulfur can be taken this way over a long period; it says only that it specifically treats women’s disorders. Those who do not understand this often take it with wine as well. How could that possibly be effective? In cases of prolonged cold in the organs and bowels, diarrhea may occur at first after taking it. In a critical condition, the number of pills may be increased; too small a dose may have no effect. Aconite, dried ginger, and cinnamon may also be added.

Orpiment: pungent and sweet in flavor, neutral and extremely cold in nature, and toxic. It treats malignant sores, baldness, scabs, and scabies.

Orpiment, a sister mineral of realgar, is yellow and was commonly used in ancient medicines and alchemical practices. It can kill venomous insects and lice, relieve itching, and ward off malign influences and various poisons. It can also be used to remove nasal polyps, sores in the lower body, and white patches on the body and face, as well as to disperse dead tissue on the skin. It is also used against malign influences that cause confusion and the like, and can counteract the venom of bees and snakes. Refined and taken over a long period, it was said to make the body light and vigorous, prolong life, prevent aging, and fill the brain with Jing and Qi.

Orpiment grows in the valleys of Wudu, on the same mountain as realgar, but on its shaded side. There are gold deposits in the mountain, and orpiment forms when the essence of the gold rises as vapor. It may be gathered at any time of year.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Orpiment comes from the valleys of Wudu, growing on the same mountain as realgar, on the shaded side. Today it is also produced in Jiezhou. Its color resembles gold or mica, and its surface has layers of irregular markings. The best kind can be peeled into sheets; varieties mixed with stones or black like iron are unusable. Some say that a piece weighing four liang can be peeled into more than a thousand layers; this kind is especially rare and precious. It may be gathered in any season.

Tao Yinjü says: The orpiment now found around Wudu and Quchi is somewhat pale and reddish. That from Funan and Linyi resembles Kunlun gold, as well as mica with its irregular surface layers, and is highly prized by painters. Since the names “female realgar” and “male realgar” correspond respectively to the shaded and sunny sides of the mountain, Wudu orpiment should be preferred for medicinal preparations. Orpiment is rare, and the kind from Wudu is less costly than that from Kunlun. The writings of the immortals contain no method for taking orpiment by itself; they only record combining it with cinnabar and realgar and refining them together by sublimation to make an elixir.

Lei Gong says: When using orpiment, do not mistake for it yellow material mixed with stone, black orpiment, or amber-like adulterants. The Qian Ning records say that a piece weighing four liang that can be peeled by hand into a thousand layers, with a soft texture like molten gold, is top grade. Many taboos apply during processing: women, chickens, dogs, people who have recently had sexual intercourse, and the sick must not touch it. Places considered impure, such as former execution grounds, are also to be avoided. If these taboos are violated, the orpiment will turn black like iron and become unusable; it may also shorten a person’s life.

The Treatise on the Treasure Storehouse says: After being refined by fire, orpiment can subdue the nature of fire without changing color. If placed in a bellows and melted into liquid, a drop applied to silver is said to turn it into gold, and a drop applied to copper to turn it into silver.

The Mirror of Sources in the Alchemical Chamber says: Yellow minerals produced on the shaded side of a mountain belong to the orpiment category. Pure, soft varieties can also be used in processing mercury. The kind brought by sea traders, which can “draw blood,” is the finest; the kind from Hunan is one grade lower. Blue varieties belong to the original type. Leaf-shaped orpiment can be used to transform sulfur and stabilize arsenic frost. These varieties must be clearly distinguished and never mixed up.

Qingxiazi says: Orpiment can ward off malign influences and dispel evil.

The Shenghui Formula records a treatment for black leprosy sores (ulcers on the skin that fail to heal for a long time), and says it can also be used to kill parasites. Grind realgar into a fine powder, mix it evenly with vinegar and egg yolk, and apply it to the sores. When it dries, apply it again.

Another formula treats long-lasting heart pain that comes on unpredictably, often accompanied by vomiting clear fluid and inability to eat. Take two liang of realgar and two sheng of fine vinegar, and simmer them until they form a paste. Use a dry steamed bun to make pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds. Take seven pills at a time with ginger broth.

The Baiyi Formula records a treatment for distension and fullness in the lower abdomen with inability to urinate. Grind realgar into a fine powder and use honey to make pills the size of date pits. Insert one pill about half an inch into the opening of the urethra. Then insert a bamboo tube into the penis and bind it tightly, so that air can pass through.

The Experience Formula records a treatment for frequent urination. Take one and a half liang of whole realgar and grind it into a fine powder. Separately, chop half a liang of dried ginger and fry it with four large coins’ worth of salt until the ginger turns yellow, then grind them together into powder. Add water to a dry steamed bun and use it to make pills the size of mung beans. Take ten to twenty pills on an empty stomach with salt water.

The Dumen Formula records a treatment for consumptive lung disease with coughing. Place one liang of realgar in an unsealed earthenware container. Set the container on the ground and pack ash around it, making the layer about two cun thick. Then heap one jin of charcoal around the top of the container and heat it over a fire. Remove the fire when two-thirds of the charcoal has burned away. Once it has cooled, take out the realgar and grind it to a flour-like fineness. Use toad venom to make pills the size of millet grains. Take three each day on an empty stomach with almond broth; this is said to cure the condition.

The Bencao Yanyi says: When realgar is used as medicine, it is especially effective at dispelling the effects of taking mineral drugs, and it should be carefully identified and assessed. There are many methods for using it externally. Daoist practitioners also often use it in transformative and refining arts, though no clear account of how these methods work has been recorded. Painters also use realgar.

Mercury

Mercury tastes acrid, is cold in nature, and is toxic. It treats scabies, sores, scabs, and white scalp ringworm (a condition that causes ringworm and hair loss on the head), and can kill lice on the skin. It can also cause miscarriage and clear heat. Applied to a man’s genitals, it can shrink them and weaken their function. It can also neutralize the toxicity of gold, silver, copper, and tin. Melted mercury can be transformed back into elixir medicines; prolonged use is said to enable one to become an immortal and live forever. Mercury is also called “quicksilver.” It is found in the level lands of Fuling, is obtained from cinnabar, and is counteracted by lodestone.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Mercury is the sovereign among medicines and can neutralize the toxicity of gold and copper. It is also called “Maiden,” is highly toxic, and is the liquid contained in cinnabar. The text calls it the fundamental material for refining the Returned Elixir and a medicine of the immortals that grants deathlessness. Once refined and subdued, it can turn the five metals into mud. Raw mercury can cause miscarriage and treat scabies and similar ailments because it can kill parasites.

Tao Hongjing says: Nowadays, mercury is divided into raw mercury and processed mercury. The raw mercury mentioned here comes from the level lands of Fuling…

What is called “earth” is a substance that forms separately within cinnabar and can also be produced from blue-white sandy ground. The kind produced from sandy ground is of the finest quality. When coarse cinnabar is fired, the resulting substance is pale and cloudy, far inferior to what occurs naturally. It can dissolve gold and silver, turning them into a mudlike substance. This is what people use to coat vessels. It can also be transformed back into cinnabar, according to accounts in the Immortals’ Scriptures. Some say that mixing it with wine, drying it in the sun, and taking it can bring long life. The ash that splashes up during firing and sticks to the pot is called “mercury powder,” commonly known as “mercury ash”; it is especially effective for getting rid of lice.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: Mercury is produced from cinnabar through the application of heat; there are no reports of it emerging spontaneously from within cinnabar. Everyone knows the method of firing cinnabar and collecting the mercury that volatilizes from it. People in the south extract mercury by steaming. This yields less mercury, but does not damage the cinnabar, though its color becomes slightly darker.

Chen Cangqi says: Besides its usual uses, mercury can promote urination and dispel heat toxins. If it enters the ear, it erodes the brain until the brain marrow is damaged. If it enters the muscles, it can cause the joints throughout the body to tighten and contract, invert the genitals, and extinguish Yang energy. People with sores or scabies often apply mercury to the affected area, but mercury is slippery and heavy and penetrates directly into the muscles, so it should be used with caution. In the past, Prince Xu of Northern Qi treated people whose hands and feet were contracted and who could not walk by heating a metal implement and pressing it against the affected areas. When mercury encountered the gold, it separated from the affected area and corroded the metal. Once the metal turned white, this showed that the mercury had emerged. After repeating the treatment several times, the illness was cured.

The Daily Use Materia Medica says: Mercury is not toxic. It can treat seasonal febrile illnesses, induce childbirth, help expel a dead fetus, treat severe sores, dispel wind, and calm the spirit and settle the mind. It can also be used for gilding and for making powders. People who are frequently exposed to mercury or use it in large quantities are prone to wind disorders. When using it, one should also drink wine, eat fatty pork, and take iron solution to counter its toxicity.

Lei Gong says: When collecting mercury, do not use mercury obtained from plants or taken from old vermilion lacquer. Do not use mercury that has been processed with other medicines or that has been placed on a corpse. Mercury produced from cinnabar is slightly reddish in color; store it in a gourd to prevent it from being lost. It is said that boiling it for a whole day with the fresh juices of purple-backed Tian Kui and Ye Jiaoteng will remove its toxicity. To process ten liang of mercury, use seven yi of each juice, mix them, and boil for the required length of time. (The yi was an ancient unit of weight.)

The Inner Tradition of Emperor Wu of the Han says: Feng Junda was from Longxi. He initially took coptis for more than fifty years, then went to Wufeng Mountain and took mercury for more than a hundred years. When he returned to his home region, he still looked like a twenty-year-old. He often rode a green ox, and so was known as the “Daoist of the Green Ox.”

The Taiqing Method for Consuming and Refining Spiritual Cinnabar says: “Mercury receives the numinous essence of the Five Yang Spirits. As these gather into one, it can rise lightly into the air, undergo wondrous transformations, and communicate with the myriad spirits.”

The Shenghui Formula says: “If someone accidentally swallows a silver ring or hairpin, have them take half an ounce of mercury and then take another dose. It will then be expelled.”

The Experienced Remedies from Later Times says: “To treat ‘heart wind’—an ancient term for certain mental or cognitive disturbances—use one ounce of mercury and eight lotus root nodes. First grind the lotus root nodes finely, then add the mercury and grind them together until the mixture becomes granular. Roll it into pills about the size of a chicken’s head. Take two pills at a time with water used to sharpen a knife. After one or two doses, the condition will be cured.”

The Meishi Formula says: “To treat a fetus that has died in the womb and cannot be delivered, when the mother has already stopped breathing, have her swallow two ounces of mercury. The fetus will then be expelled immediately.” Another formula treats hemorrhoids and persistent itching caused by worms inside the anus: grind two ounces each of mercury and jujube paste together, shape the mixture like a jujube, wrap it in a thin piece of cotton, and insert it into the anus. The worms will come out the next day. If pain occurs, add three large fen of ‘powder’ and make the mixture into pills.

The Yanyi says: “Although mercury is used in various ways as a medicine, it must be handled with extreme caution because it is poisonous. If women take a large amount, they may become unable to conceive. Today, people often use mercury in large quantities to treat convulsions and fever in children, or phlegm and saliva surging upward. Yet the classics do not mention this at all, so it should be examined carefully. Mercury solidifies when it meets lead and forms a solid when it meets sulfur; when ground together with jujube flesh, it disperses. There are also methods for heating it to make putty powder and powder frost. Grinding it with saliva can kill lice; it shines when it meets copper. Pouring it into a corpse will cause the corpse to decay later. Gold, silver, copper, and iron placed on mercury will float; when it meets the placenta, it is pressed down.”

Important note: These are practices recorded in ancient medical texts. Swallowing or applying mercury is extremely dangerous. Mercury is poisonous; do not use these accounts to self-medicate or carry out treatment.

Gypsum

Gypsum tastes pungent and sweet and is slightly cold in nature; some old editions describe it as very cold. It is non-toxic. It is used to treat windstroke, alternating chills and fever, upward surging of Qi in the chest and abdomen, palpitations with fright, panting, dry mouth and scorched tongue, difficulty breathing, and hardness and pain in the abdomen. It is also used to dispel evil spirits, promote milk flow after childbirth, and treat metal-inflicted wounds, such as injuries from knives or swords. It can also treat headaches and fever throughout the body caused by seasonal epidemics, intense heat in the Triple Burner—a general term in Chinese medicine for the body’s upper, middle, and lower regions and their Qi-transforming functions—feverish skin, and blocked Qi movement in the intestines and stomach. It can release the exterior and induce sweating, and is also used for wasting thirst, agitation with rebellious Qi, abdominal distention, sudden panting, and heat in the throat. It can also be decocted into a bath.

Gypsum is also called fine stone. The best kind is dense in texture, white, and lustrous. The yellow kind can make urination difficult. It is found in the mountain valleys of Qishan, Qilu Mountain, and Lumeng Mountain, and may be harvested at any time of year. Chicken eggs are compatible with it; it should not be used together with Langcao or Mamu Dugong.

The Illustrated Classic says: “Gypsum is found in the mountain valleys of Qishan, Qilu Mountain, and Lumeng Mountain. Today it is also produced in Fen, Meng, Guo, and Yao prefectures, and Xingyuan Prefecture, where it grows in the mountains…”

Gypsum has a bright, pure white surface. Yellowish pieces should not be used. It closely resembles calcite, and genuine gypsum is now difficult to find. To identify it, use only intact stones: calcite does not grow attached to other rocks, but occurs on its own. Its outer surface is the color of earth or water moss, and when broken open, its cross-section has square edges. Natural gypsum is luminous and pure white, like jade; this is what distinguishes it from calcite. Gypsum can be collected at any time.

In the past, calcite was listed in the “inferior grade” section of the Classic of the Materia Medica (a shortened title for the Shennong Bencao Jing). The text says it grows on Mount Fang. Tao Hongjing believed it was feldspar, also called fangshi, or “square stone.” Since their medicinal effects were similar, he suspected they were the same substance.

Tao Hongjing said that the mountains of the two commanderies were in the region of Qingzhou and Xuzhou. Today, calcite is also found in Qiantang County. It lies underground and is sometimes exposed after rain. The stones collected there are about the size of game pieces; the pure white, transparent ones are the best. Those from Pengcheng are also good. Although many are found nearby, the larger stones are less effective than those from these places. The Immortals’ Scripture (a Daoist cultivation text) does not require this stone.

The Tang Materia Medica says that gypsum and calcite are much alike, but gypsum is easier to identify when it is intact. People in the medicine markets now use calcite in place of gypsum, but have not seen genuine gypsum. Gypsum grows beside other rocks; calcite does not attach to rocks, but occurs on its own. The larger pieces are as big as a sheng vessel, the smaller about the size of a fist. Some are found in the earth, others grow in streams; their outer surfaces are the color of earth or water moss. When broken open, calcite has square edges in cross-section, and large pieces can be a foot square. People today use this stone as gypsum to dispel wind and clear heat. Its effects are similar, but it is less effective than genuine gypsum at releasing the muscles and inducing sweating.

Chen Cangqi said that Tao Hongjing claimed calcite came from Qiantang County. On investigation, Qiantang is flat and produces no gypsum, so Tao Hongjing was mistaken. Su Jing also said, under the entry “Five Mineral Resins,” that among the Five Mineral Resins there is a kind of gypsum shaped like bone, hard and smooth as jade, whose effects when taken surpass those of stalactite. That gypsum and the one discussed here are two different substances. They simply share a name and must not be confused or used interchangeably.

The Rihuazi says gypsum can treat fever and delirium caused by seasonal epidemics, blocked milk flow, wind-related dizziness and agitation in the heart. Rubbing it on the teeth can make them strong, pure white, and bright. The kind with a texture like mica is best. This stone is also called calcite.

Lei Gong says that whenever gypsum is used, calcite must not be substituted. Although calcite is white, it is opaque and harsh in its medicinal properties. Gypsum comes from Yiqing Mountain in Mingshan County, Shanzhou. It is clean and bright in color, like crystal, and mild and beneficial in its medicinal properties. Whenever it is used, first…

Place the gypsum in a stone mortar and pound it into powder. Sift it through a fine mesh, then mix it with water made from raw licorice. Wash it repeatedly with water and let it settle. Once the liquid is clear, dry the sediment and grind it finely for later use.

Kou Zongshi says: “I have carefully examined the Treatise on the Nature of Drugs. It says that gypsum counteracts the medicinal effects of croton and is also harmed by iron implements. Gypsum can treat splitting headaches caused by cold damage, high fever, burning and dry skin, and intense thirst. It can help release the exterior and promote sweating to expel pathogenic influences. It can also ease restlessness caused by stagnation in the stomach, as well as tightness and agitation below the heart. It may also be used for dry, cracked lips and mouth. Boiled together with scallions and drunk as a tea, it can relieve headaches.”

The Additional Notes records: “I have carefully examined Tao Hongjing’s account. In the mountains of Qiantang there is a kind of stone that often becomes visible after rain. Today, the people of Qiantang quarry the mountains and obtain it in great quantities. They pound the stone into powder and sell it as tooth powder. People in Zhejiang call it ‘cold-water stone,’ but among such stones it is the finest for medicinal use. Stones from other places are said to grow out of rock; these are gypsum. Chen Cangqi believed that Qiantang County is flat and has no gypsum, which shows that he did not know the area well.”

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library records a condition called “internal steaming for five days.” “Internal steaming” means that the exterior is chilled while heat builds inside; sweat seems to cling to the bones, and heat also radiates from within them. The root of the illness lies in the five viscera and six bowels, and it often appears after another illness. The patient gradually wastes away, loses their appetite, and develops dry skin and a dull complexion. As the condition worsens, the limbs grow thinner while the tops of the feet become swollen. The prescription calls for ten liang of gypsum, ground to a fine, milky powder and mixed with water. Take one square-inch spoonful at a time, twice daily, until the body cools.

The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies says that Ge Hong’s prescription can treat sudden frequent urination that is not a strangury condition, an illness that causes wasting. Pound half a jin of gypsum, add one dou of water, and boil until five sheng remain. Drink it in portions, five ge at a time.

The Mei Family Prescriptions records that for unbearable pain caused by scalding with hot oil or soup, gypsum may be pounded, ground finely, and applied to the wound.

The Extended Discourses says: “Several books give conflicting accounts of gypsum, and debate over it has continued without resolving the matter. The original Classic of the Divine Farmer makes no mention of ‘calcite.’ It was only because annotations to the Tang materia medica said that gypsum and calcite looked much alike that later writers were influenced by this claim. The classic says that gypsum comes from Qishan, from mountain valleys, and from Lushan in Qi and Mengshan in Lu, and that it may be gathered at any time. Stones from other places, then, are not necessarily gypsum. The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica also includes stones from Fenzhou, but later writers did not carefully check the classic’s wording. The classic says gypsum is fine-grained, white, and lustrous; stones that do not meet these criteria are not gypsum. A separate entry below describes ‘texture stone’ (lishi).”

The Tiaozhong Jing says that the grain of gypsum should run straight and be fine and close. From this description, gypsum should be easy to identify. What does the so-called gypsum found on calcite look like? Does its grain run straight and fine? If it has the white markings, it is gypsum; if it does not, it is not. It must also come from the prefectures and districts recorded in the Jing to be used as medicine. Accounts of stone from other places are merely partial descriptions and may be omitted.

Gypsum is used in Zhang Zhongjing’s White Tiger Decoction, and it works very well. The Newly Corrected Text explains after Zhang Zhongjing’s Treatise on Cold Damage that the White Tiger Decoction is used when the weather turns hot after the fourth month. However, climates differ from place to place, and the qi dynamic also changes over the course of the year. Since local conditions vary, this explanation may be sound, but in practice both sets of circumstances should be carefully assessed. The White Tiger Decoction is effective for cold damage with fever, or for symptoms arising after heavy sweating, such as a surging pulse, dryness of the mouth and tongue, headache, and unquenchable thirst. It is also effective for bodily pain and exhaustion after heatstroke or exposure to excessive heat.

Gold Filings

Gold filings taste pungent, are neutral in nature, and are poisonous. They are used to calm the spirit, strengthen the marrow, open the five organs, and dispel pathogenic qi. Taking them can make one an immortal. Gold filings come from Yizhou and may be collected at any time.

The Illustrated Classic says that gold filings come from Yizhou and silver filings from Yongchang. In his commentary, Tao Hongjing says that gold is found in many places, especially in Liang, Yi, and Ning prefectures. Gold is often recovered by washing it from river sand, and is called “native gold.” Places that produce silver also produce gold, but the places where each is found are not always the same. Gold is sometimes found in water and sometimes in rock. Today, gold is produced in places such as Raozhou, Xinzhou, Nan Jianzhou, and Dengzhou. The gold recovered there comes in many forms: some resembles mountain rock, and some resembles grains of rice or beans. All gold of this kind that has not been refined by fire may be called native gold.

Silver in ore is often mixed with copper. After mining, local people must repeatedly smelt it with lead to produce silver, so it cannot be called native silver. For this reason, the text has a separate entry for “native silver,” saying that it comes from mines in places such as Leping in Raozhou. It occurs within silver ore and resembles hard tin, with a coarse, natural grain. Silver mined today often seeps out through earth and rock and solidifies into strands as fine as silk or hair. Local people call it “Old Man’s Beard.” This kind of silver is extremely difficult to obtain. The native silver described in formula books must be this kind to be considered genuine.

No ancient formula has been found that uses gold filings. Silver filings, however, appear in Ge Hong’s “Five-Stone Decoction,” which treats carbuncles and swellings.

People today generally do not use gold as a medicinal ingredient. It is more convenient to make it into gold or silver leaf before adding it to medicine. Some formulas, such as Gold-and-Stone Elixir, Red Snow, and Purple Snow, also use gold or silver by decocting them to extract their medicinal liquid. These methods are all acceptable, but the gold should first be refined.

Tao Hongjing said: Gold is found in many places. Liang, Yi, and Ning prefectures produce the most. Gold flakes washed from river sand are called “raw gold.” Raw gold can ward off evil, but it is poisonous; taking it without refining can be fatal. Gold-bearing sand is also found around Jianping and Jin’an, embedded in stone. When the stone is smelted and cast into pots or vessels, the gold has been exposed to fire but is still not fully refined and must be processed further. Gold objects made in Goryeo, Funan, and the Western Regions, by contrast, have been refined and can be taken medicinally.

Immortals’ scriptures record that gold can be refined with vinegar, honey, lard, or wine infused with Jinghua vine, making it soft enough to take. Immortals also use gold together with mercury to refine cinnabar. Ordinary medical formulas do not use gold, presumably because of concerns about its toxicity. Immortal formulas call gold “Supreme Reality.”

Ri Hua Zi said: Gold is neutral in nature and nonpoisonous, but should not be used together with mercury. It can calm the mind and spirit, nourish the five viscera, replenish Jing and Qi and the marrow, and promote the free flow of the blood vessels.

After carefully consulting the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, Yuxi said: Gold flakes and gold leaf have the same medicinal properties. They can be used for childhood convulsions, injury to the five viscera, wind epilepsy, and disturbances of the mind. They can also calm the mind and spirit and settle the hun and po souls.

Yang Sunzhi said: Gold that has been hammered and refined many times can be taken; raw gold can cause death. If gold is mixed with water and made into a paste for ingestion, it has not been refined.

The present commentary holds that physicians use fully refined gold leaf, or boil gold objects in water and use the resulting liquid. Such preparations are therefore not poisonous.

Chen Cangqi’s Supplement to the Materia Medica also records that people in Lingnan say raw gold is the excrement of poisonous snakes, which is why it is poisonous. He further said that he had seen people dig more than ten feet into the earth and reach a kind of stone called “powder stone.” One end of the stone was blackened, and gold lay beneath it: large pieces were the size of a finger, while smaller ones were like sesame seeds or beans. Its color resembled mulberry gall, and it was soft to bite. This, he said, was true gold. Craftsmen who stole gold and swallowed it showed no signs of poisoning. As for “chaff gold” washed from river sand, or gold found in the stomachs of geese and ducks, it need not be refined again after being made into objects; boiling it to extract its liquid is enough to calm the mind and spirit.

The present commentary points out that Chen Cangqi’s account is hearsay and lacks reliable evidence. After the Song dynasty recovered Lingnan, people there were asked about it, and no one knew of any claim that gold came from the excrement of poisonous snakes. Medicinal preparations should use refined gold. This point is clarified here so that later readers will not be misled by Chen Cangqi’s account.

The Haiyao records: The Haizhou Record says that gold comes from the land of the Dashi, an ancient name for the Arab regions, where it is abundant. People there also commonly use gold as money in trade. Unprocessed native gold is often toxic, while processed gold is not. Gold is used to treat epilepsy, wind-heat, rebellious Qi with coughing, cold damage, lung injury with coughing up blood, steaming of the bones and extreme fatigue, and thirst. It can also help expel pathogenic Qi from the Five Viscera and strengthen Heart Qi. Gold is thin and light in nature, so it is suitable for taking in pill or powder form.

The Record of Strange Matters says that gold comes from Lishui Mountain. The Classic of Mountains and Seas records that many mountains produce gold, too many to list one by one. Caizhou produces melon-seed-shaped gold; in the mountains of Yunnan, gold occurs as grains and nuggets among the rocks, where it is found by cutting into the mountains. The waters of Qiannan, Suizhou, and Jizhou also yield fine gold dust, as small as bran.

The Records of the Lingnan Region says that Yaxian County, under the administration of Guangzhou, has a gold pond. Some local people raised geese and ducks and occasionally found tiny flakes of gold in their droppings. They then raised geese and ducks on a large scale, collected and washed the droppings, and could obtain one or half a liang of gold each day, becoming wealthy in the process.

The Treatise on Treasures divides gold into twenty kinds. Fifteen of them—male realgar gold, female realgar gold, zengqing gold, sulfur gold, earth gold, raw-iron gold, wrought-iron gold, raw-copper gold, stone-stealing gold, gold-dust gold, earth-green sand gold, gold-mother sand gold, white-tin gold, black-lead gold, and cinnabar gold—are not genuine gold. Only these five kinds are true gold: elixir-returning gold, water gold, melon-seed gold, green bran gold, and grass-sand gold.

The Expanded Discussion says that the medicinal name is written “gold filings” rather than simply “gold” because it refers to gold that has been ground into fine particles for medicinal use. Neither of the two classic texts explains that “filings” means powdered gold. Presumably, gold must first be smelted and hammered into thin sheets before it can be ground into powder. Tao Hongjing says that silver filings should be mixed with mercury into a paste. If the silver had not been hammered into thin sheets, how could mercury be mixed with it into a paste? He does not mention gold filings, which must have been an oversight.

Native gold is toxic and can even cause death; poisoning is difficult to treat. Some say that only partridge meat can counteract gold poisoning. Gold that has not been hammered and ground into filings cannot be used as medicine. Gold grains and nuggets are mined in mountain caves, sometimes by digging a hundred feet or more before finding them. They are often found alongside stone. The associated stone is brown, with one end blackened as if by fire.

Silver filings: Pungent in flavor, neutral in nature, and toxic. They are used to calm the viscera, settle the spirit, and stop palpitations and fright.

It can dispel malign influences. Taken over a long period, it can make the body light and agile and prolong life. It is produced in Yongchang and can be gathered at any time.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: For details, see the entry “Gold Filings.”

Tao Hongjing says: Silver comes from much the same places as gold, and both are found in stone. The methods for refining and taking them are also broadly similar. Silver is now used in prescriptions for pills that calm the heart, but it must not be taken directly. First, the silver must be made into fine filings, then ground with mercury until the filings dissolve. Yongchang once belonged to Yizhou and now belongs to Ningzhou. The Immortals’ scriptures give other methods for taking and refining silver. Since silver itself has no clearly established therapeutic effects, it was not included in the Bencao. The ancients called gold “yellow metal,” silver “white metal,” and copper “red metal.” Copper is divided into raw and refined copper: refined copper has been smelted until it is soft and reddish in color. The Bencao does not describe the use of refined copper. The verdigris and large coins used in prescriptions today are both made of raw copper and should be placed among the inferior-grade substances.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says: Silver and gold do not come from exactly the same places, and gold is also found in water. When a prescription calls for silver filings, one should use silver leaf that has already been made, dissolve it into a paste with mercury, then add saltpeter and salt and grind it into powder. After firing it, recover the mercury, wash away the salt and saltpeter, and make the material into an extremely fine powder. This is the best method. Only when absolutely necessary should silver be ground into filings for use. Silver is found in every region, but that from Guo Prefecture is the best. Silver from elsewhere often contains tin and is of inferior quality. People in Goryeo who make silver leaf say that their silver is not mined from silver ore, though its color is less bright than that of silver from Guo Prefecture. There is another kind, yellow silver, which the Classic of Materia Medica does not mention. Popular belief says it can be made into objects that ward off evil, so it is regarded as an auspicious substance.

Yuxi says: I consulted the Treatise on Medicinal Properties. It says that both silver filings and silver leaf can calm the spirit and dispel palpitations and epilepsy. They can be used for childhood epilepsy, mania with frenzied running about, and similar conditions.

The Secret Record of the Mother and Child says: If a pregnant woman suddenly suffers pain in her lower back and spine, as though they were about to break, boil one liang of silver in three sheng of water. Reduce the liquid to two sheng and take it.

Qingxiazi says: The Treatise on the Golden Liquid and Returning the Elixir holds that silver can dispel cold and drive away wind-evil.

The Extended Materia Medica says: The meaning of the term “silver filings” has already been explained under “Gold Filings.” Silver originally comes from ore and must be smelted before it can be made into a usable substance; this is why it is called “refined silver.” For this reason, a separate entry for “raw silver” follows. Raw silver is used much like refined silver. Some practitioners in the world claim they can make silver from cinnabar, lead and mercury, or scorched copper. How could such substances produce the creative energy of nature from nothing? And how could they be used as medicine? Since claims of this kind exist, they must be distinguished carefully. So-called “raw silver” is silver that has not been directly smelted from ore…

Silver that emerges from the ore and forms naturally is also called “Old Man’s Beard,” a name based solely on its shape. The classics say that silver filings are poisonous, but that native silver is not. The commentators do not explain why. Perhaps native silver has already formed and emerged from the ore, so it no longer contains accumulated Qi and is therefore non-toxic. Silver still embedded in rock retains stagnant, unvented Qi and is thus considered poisonous. Native silver should also not be used with tin.

Native silver: Cold in nature and non-toxic. It chiefly treats febrile illness with delirium, palpitations, epileptic seizures, mental confusion, restless sleep at night, incoherent speech, and disorders attributed to malign influences or ghosts. After taking it, the eyes become clear, the heart is settled, and the spirit is calmed. For various heat disorders in children and erysipelas, native silver may also be ground with water and taken; its effect is superior to that of Zixue. It is found in mines around Leping in Raozhou, where it occurs in silver ore. Its shape resembles hard tin, and its texture is rough and interwoven. Only naturally formed silver is genuine.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: For related information, see the entry on “silver filings.”

Yuxi says: According to Chen Cangqi, native silver tastes pungent. The Rihuazi Materia Medica says that it is cold in nature and slightly toxic, and that it is counteracted by Shitingzhi and magnetite. It can be used to treat fright and agitation in children, as well as distress caused by heat toxins; grind it with water and take it. Avoid eating raw-blood foods.

There is also “cinnabar silver.” It is cold in nature and non-toxic, and is counteracted by Shitingzhi, magnetite, and iron. It can prolong life, improve the complexion, calm the heart and spirit, stop fright and palpitations, and ward off malign influences. It treats sudden illness attributed to malign forces, gu poison, heat in the heart with irritability, anxiety, forgetfulness, and bodily weakness. Avoid all foods made from blood.

Another medicine is sweet in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It chiefly treats various disorders of the Five Zang organs. It nourishes the spirit, settles the hun and po souls, boosts Qi, brightens the eyes, promotes the circulation of the blood vessels, relieves distress and fullness, and strengthens the spirit. It can also destroy the influence of jing spirits and evil ghosts. Taken over a long period, it enables a person to become attuned to the spirits, resist aging, and feel light and vigorous, reaching a state like that of an immortal and sharpening the mind. It is also called “Two-Qi Sand.” To prepare it, take one liang of mercury and six zhu of sulfur and grind them thoroughly. First fry them into “Blue Sand Head,” then place the mixture in a Water-and-Fire Balance furnace and distill it. When it forms a shape like bundled needles twisted together, the medicine is ready. It is counteracted by magnetite and is averse to salt water.

Another medicine is pungent in taste, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It is counteracted by magnetite and realgar, and promotes bowel movements. It treats childhood malnutrition with abdominal masses and scrofula, and can kill the worms that cause sores, scabies, and ringworm. It also treats rosacea on the nose and itchy, dry sores caused by wind. It is also called mercury powder, light powder, or Qiao powder. Avoid all foods made from blood. (This is a newly added entry, recorded by Chen Cangqi and the Rihuazi Materia Medica.)

Remedy: To treat a child who eats soil and has abdominal distention, take one fen of greasy powder and mix it with brown sugar. Roll the mixture into pills the size of hemp seeds. On an empty stomach, give one pill with rice water to induce purging.

Sun Yonghe’s formula treats deficiency wind: Take one liang of greasy powder, decoct it five times in water until it resembles the tea leaves left after brewing tea, then dry it over low heat. Separately, take half a liang of musk and grind it finely into powder. Take one zi at a time, mixed with warm water. If wind illness occurs, one may take half a qian or one qian-spoon as needed, adjusting the dose according to the patient’s strength or weakness.

Another formula treats bloody dysentery: Take five qian of greasy powder and three qian of settled powder, and grind them together finely. Add a little steamed cake crumb soaked in water and form pills the size of mung beans. Take seven or ten pills at a time, swallowing them with a bowl of decoction made from one sprig of mugwort. A larger amount of the mugwort decoction is also acceptable.

The Yanyi says: “Mercury powder is a medicine used to purge phlegm and saliva. It is often used when children have excessive saliva that becomes obstructed and causes convulsions. But it must not be taken for a long time or in excessive doses; too much will damage the body. If the patient has also been frightened, even greater caution is needed. Fright conditions are understood to arise from insufficiency of Heart Qi and must not be treated by purging. Purging further weakens the Qi within, allowing the fright to enter the Heart through this weakness, after which the condition may be beyond saving. If the patient is already weak, this medicine should be strictly avoided. Take the utmost care.”