《黃帝九鼎神丹經訣》Vol. 18

This scripture primarily discusses the medicinal value and refining methods of stalactites (a mineral found in limestone caves).

Though not the most superior medicinal material, stalactites serve as crucial ingredients for preparing the "Eight Minerals Hua Pool" (a Daoist alchemical term referring to elixirs compounded from multiple minerals). Tao the Recluse (Tao Hongjing, the renowned Daoist physician) achieved life extension and youthful complexion after consuming them.

Stalactites possess sweet flavor and warm nature, being non-toxic. Their primary effects include treating cough with counterflow Qi, improving eyesight, augmenting Jing (essence), calming the five viscera, unblocking joints, benefiting the nine orifices, promoting lactation, supplementing Qi, and curing weak legs with cold pain. Important precautions: Unrefined stalactites may cause dysuria and must be used with Cnidium monnieri fruit. They are incompatible with peony bark, lodestone, and Eulaliopsis binata, and must be kept away from purple stonewort.

Found in Mount Shaoshi, Mount Tai and other locations, stalactites can be gathered anytime. Premium specimens are completely translucent, light as goose quills, fragile as fingernails, free of internal impurities, and lustrous. Yellowish stalactites can be whitened with vinegar wash. Highly valued in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practices, they're also treasured in folk medicine.

Refining method: Select clean, lustrous stalactites and remove yellowish-red impurities. Boil in gold/silver vessels or large cauldrons maintaining fish-eye sized bubbles. Thin specimens require three days and nights of boiling, thick ones seven days and nights until water turns yellow. For thorough purification, extend to ten days. The yellow water must be discarded—accidental consumption causes headaches and diarrhea (relieved by eating pork). After discarding, continue boiling half a day until water clears.

Note: In Daoist alchemy, "Hua Pool" refers to specific containers or medicinal solutions—here denoting the specialized method for refining stalactites.

This passage discusses the refinement methods and quality standards for several important minerals used in Daoist alchemy (Neidan), focusing specifically on stalactites, amethyst quartz, and hematite.

Regarding the refinement of stalactites (Shizhongru): If consumed without proper purification, they can cause abscesses on the back. The refining process involves grinding them into powder with a jade hammer in a porcelain mortar, then mixing with water and continuing to grind for five to six days until the texture becomes as fine as human milk. High-quality stalactite powder emits a white glow and, when applied to the arm, feels as smooth as fish fat—remaining intact even after washing. Another method involves sifting the powder through silk, soaking it in wine, and drying the settled residue. Alternatively, the powder can be steamed—either placed beneath three stone measures of rice or sealed and steamed with saltpeter (Xiaoshi).

Amethyst quartz (Zishiying), considered the essence of minerals, is said to grant immortality and freedom from hunger when held in the mouth long-term. The finest specimens come from the valleys of Mount Tai (Taishan), characterized by their dark, lustrous transparency and root-like veins at the base. Inferior varieties, such as those from Mianshi or Wuxing, lack these qualities. With a sweet-pungent flavor and warm, non-toxic nature, prolonged use purportedly lightens the body and extends life.

Hematite (Daizheshi) is a crucial material in elixir preparation, grouped with rock salt (Rongyan) and natural alkali (Luxian) for urgent applications. The Yellow Emperor’s Alchemical Formulas also emphasize its importance. High-grade hematite has a pure hue and is a premium ingredient for crafting the "Huachi" (a solution used in alchemy).

These minerals require rigorous selection and meticulous processing, with significant quality variations based on origin—Mount Tai’s yield being the most prized. The refining process emphasizes sealed containers and steaming techniques to ensure purity and efficacy.

This scripture primarily introduces several mineral materials commonly used in ancient alchemy and their properties:

Regarding hematite (a type of iron ore):

The finest hematite appears bright red like a rooster's comb, with a lustrous sheen, capable of staining fingernails red without fading. Mainly sourced from the valleys of Qi, it can be gathered anytime. Hematite from different regions has distinct names: that from Gumu is called "Xuwu," while from Daijun it's called "Daizhe." This mineral has a bitter-sweet taste, cold nature, and is non-toxic, commonly used in folk medicine.

Regarding crude salt (unrefined salt):

Crude salt and rock salt are among the most essential materials for alchemy, also being key components in the Yellow Emperor's Nine Cauldrons Elixir. It tastes bitter-salty, has a cold nature, and is non-toxic, produced in the salt ponds of Hedong. It may be the residue left at the bottom of salt-boiling pots or large-grained salt from Hedong, appearing like ice chunks—hard and black. Four types of salt unsuitable for medicine are also mentioned: red salt, foul-smelling salt, and horse-tooth salt (coarse salt).

Regarding rock salt:

Rock salt mainly comes from ethnic minority regions, transported from Liangzhou or Dunhuang. It forms in chunks or flakes resembling eggs, duck eggs, or ice shards, with purple-white coloration and a mildly salty taste. Authentic specimens smell like boiled eggs. Greenish salt that congeals into stone-like flakes in the mud of Henan's salt ponds can treat horse saddle sores, but the best quality still comes from the northern nomadic regions.

The above-mentioned purple stone, hematite, crude salt, and rock salt are all non-toxic substances, safe for alchemical use. Among them, crude salt requires fire refinement, while the others can be used directly without special processing.

Regarding minium (red lead):

Minium is yellow lead oxide produced from lead refining, rarely used in folk practices but primarily employed by immortals for alchemy. It's a crucial material for making the Nine Lights Elixir, used to coat the inner walls of alchemical furnaces. Also called "lead flower," it has a pungent, slightly cold taste, and prolonged consumption is said to enable communion with divine spirits.

Regarding lead powder:

Lead powder is the primary material for refining nine-cycle lead elixir. The Yellow Emperor's Nine Cauldrons method begins with instructions about this substance. Lead powder must be mixed with Mysterious Yellow Flower to form a paste—this combination is extremely important. The Compendium of Materia Medica refers to lead powder as "powdered tin" or "dissolving powder."

This passage describes several metal purification and medicinal preparation methods from ancient alchemical practices, primarily concerning the refinement of lead, copper, yellow brass (toushi), as well as the processing of rock salt and white wax.

Lead purification: The so-called "hufen" (lead powder) mentioned here is actually a specially processed lead product. The specific method involves using one dou (ancient measurement) of spring Huachi water (special alchemical water), mixed with one liang of red salt and one liang of cinnabar. The lead is stir-fried until red-hot and then immersed in this medicinal solution. Repeating this process nine times completely removes the lead's toxicity. Note that the ratio of one dou of Huachi water to two liang of red salt is required to thoroughly purify one jin of lead.

Copper purification method: First, the copper is hammered into thin sheets, soaked in warm glue solution, then placed in a Yuezao (a type of alchemical furnace) and heated until red-hot. A three-fen-thick layer of salt is sprinkled on top before reheating to glowing red and removing. This hammering and washing process is repeated twenty times—sometimes even a hundred times—to remove impurities, yielding soft, pure copper.

Yellow brass (toushi) and iron purification: The method resembles copper purification. Preliminary refining must be done three times for greater purity, with moderately warm water. The material should be hammered into sheets approximately one cun wide, six to seven cun long, and two fen thick. After heating red-hot and cooling, the sheets are beaten to remove glue and salt residues. Typically, ten liang of impure copper yields less than five liang of purified copper after processing.

Rock salt processing: Ten jin of rock salt is boiled in hot water until dissolved, then left overnight to extract the clear upper liquid for further boiling. When nearly dry, the solution is filtered, and the salt crystals are placed in wooden containers to drain and sun-dry. High-grade rock salt should be pounded into fine powder, quickly rinsed to avoid loss, then dissolved in just enough water to cover. After settling, the lower sediment is collected for final boiling.

White wax processing: Select premium Kunlun white wax, melt it in a sweet-earth pot, then immerse it in vinegar three hundred times. This refined white wax can be used for medicinal fasting (bigu) preparations, longevity elixirs, and copper vessel treatment. Consuming this wax allegedly helps practitioners achieve a fasting state and is said to strengthen bones and constitution.

These methods exemplify ancient alchemy's extreme pursuit of material purity, with each step requiring precise ratios and strict procedures. Modern readers must note: never attempt these methods, as many substances involved are toxic, and ancient alchemical practices carry significant hazards.

This scripture records several material preparation methods used in Daoist alchemy, primarily categorized into herbal processing, metal purification, and auxiliary material preparation.

Regarding herbal ingredients: Four medicinal substances—three jin of poria cocos, two sheng of sesame, three liang of ginseng, and three liang of sulfur—must be crushed and mixed together, then blended with honey to form pills. When taking the medicine, one should first chew a piece of white wax the size of a jujube, then hold a pill the size of a millet grain in the mouth until it dissolves into liquid before swallowing. Consuming three doses daily at noon for thirty days promotes smooth circulation of Qi (vital energy) and blood, as well as radiant skin. Effects become noticeable after a hundred days, and after a year, internal pathogens are eliminated, restoring a youthful complexion.

The metal purification section describes two methods: The first is tin refining—adding a handful of salt powder while melting tin, stirring with a wet willow branch until the smoke dissipates, then repeatedly purifying it by pouring it into vinegar. The second is direct purification—pouring molten tin onto damp ground ten times to obtain pure tin, with salt still added as an aid during the process.

Material processing techniques include: Poria cocos must be selected from the white, fine-grained variety, boiled in mulberry wood ash water until it dissolves, then plunged into cold water to solidify. High-quality yellow soil should be sun-dried, crushed, sifted, washed with water, stirred, and left to settle—the fine sediment is then sun-dried, while coarse particles are further crushed and ultimately fired for three days until glowing red. Jujube paste is made by boiling three dou of dried jujubes with six dou of water until soft, then adding more water in stages for a total of nine dou. After straining, six sheng of deer marrow is added and simmered to a syrup-like consistency; if deer marrow is unavailable, ram marrow may be substituted.

The scripture also documents pest prevention methods: Rainwater collected in the fifth lunar month is prone to breeding insects and foul odors when stored, but adding two to three dou of clean yellow clay can prevent this. Additionally, it describes how to extract onion juice—crushing onions, wrapping them in coarse cloth, and pressing out the liquid. These methods were all preparations for refining elixirs such as the "Flowing Pearl Elixir" from the "Yellow Emperor’s Nine-Cauldron Elixirs."

This passage describes the method for preparing a special medicinal paste. This paste can be taken long-term to make the body robust and give the complexion a healthy, rosy glow. The "male deer" mentioned here refers to a stag, requiring the use of certain parts from a male goat in its preparation.

The paste is made by combining "Golden Elixir" (a precious liquid in Daoist alchemy), jujube paste (a thick extract made from simmering dates), and alchemical elixirs. The specific preparation method is recorded in the eighteenth chapter of the Scripture of the Nine Tripod Divine Elixirs of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jingjue).

This paste belongs to the category of auxiliary medicines in Daoist longevity cultivation. Ancient practitioners believed that by ingesting specific substances in conjunction with spiritual practice, one could achieve physical strengthening and life extension. It should be noted that some ingredients in ancient alchemical practices may contain toxic substances, and modern readers should never attempt to replicate these formulas without proper guidance.