《庚道集》Vol. 5

This passage describes several traditional methods for processing cinnabar in ancient alchemical practices, all representing practical techniques of Daoist Waidan (external alchemy involving mineral refinement).

The first method is calcination: Prepare a porcelain container coated with honey, layered with powdered Pharbitis seeds (white morning glory) and wolfberry root bark. Place lump cinnabar inside and cover with Sichuan pepper. Secure the lid with iron wire and seal all gaps with salt-clay. Calcinate in charcoal fire until the cinnabar "dies" (loses its original mineral properties). This represents a decade of furnace mastery by alchemists.

The second method involves pouring and layering: Polish angular cinnabar pieces and wrap them in a paste of starry clubmoss powder and honey. Line the container with red mallow paste, place the wrapped cinnabar, then cover with more mallow paste. Seal with halloysite clay and salt-clay. Calcinate with eight jin of charcoal, cool, and repeat three times to obtain "dead cinnabar." Three liang of dead cinnabar can "nurture" (transform) one liang of spiritually active cinnabar for mercury processing.

The third method combines nurturing techniques: Grind one liang dead cinnabar with one liang raw cinnabar, layering them alternately in the container. After sealing with halloysite and salt-clay, nurture with two liang fire for seven days, then calcinate once with three jin fire. Finally, dig a pit in the cinnabar powder to pour mercury, seal and nurture for seven days to obtain solid elixir.

The fourth method simplifies the process: For each liang of cinnabar, pack tightly with Five Direction herbs (likely five elemental-corresponding plants), calcinate twice with one jin fire, then use directly.

These methods emphasize three key aspects: hermetic sealing (salt-clay), phased fire control, and herbal combinations—demonstrating ancient alchemy's unique understanding of mineral transformation. The mutual conversion between "dead" and "living" cinnabar reflects the Daoist principle of "Yin-Yang mutual generation."

This passage describes the ancient Daoist alchemical process of "subdued cinnabar" (fuhuo zhusha), a complex technique for transforming cinnabar into the "elixir foundation" (dantou), the fundamental material for internal alchemy (neidan).

The process begins by placing two taels of silver powder and four taels of mercury (shuiyin) into a crucible (ganguo), then covering the mixture with half a spoonful of genkwa flower powder. The crucible mouth is sealed with moistened paper and heated with two jin of charcoal fire until the paper turns slightly charred and the fragrance of genkwa flowers emerges. Immediately transfer the crucible to cool ashes. When the temperature becomes manageable, remove the paper and pour the contents into an earthenware vessel. Blow away the genkwa residue and grind the remaining material into fine powder, sieving it afterward. If the weight falls short of six taels, repeat the refining process.

Next, process cinnabar (zhusha) from Chenzhou (5-10 taels in lump form) by placing it in a silk pouch suspended in a bottle. Add rice water or diluted vinegar along with one tael each of genkwa powder, sanguisorba powder, and clematis powder. Steam this setup for three days. After washing and dry-roasting the cinnabar, wrap the lumps (two taels per portion) with six taels of the previously refined silver-mercury compound.

Prepare a fireproof container by lining a ceramic box with asbestos powder (buhuimu). Arrange the wrapped cinnabar pieces like lotus seeds, layering them with more asbestos powder and gently compacting. Seal the box seams with clam-shell powder mixed with vinegar, then reinforce with paper-reinforced salt clay. Before completely dry, place it in an ash bed and apply moderate heat (3-4 taels of charcoal) for five to seven days.

Finally, apply intense heat (5-6 jin of charcoal) until the container glows red. When two-thirds of the heat dissipates, cease firing. After cooling, open the container to find the cinnabar transformed into silver-like "elixir foundation" weighing about four taels. The mercury content will have vaporized, leaving the essential cinnabar-silver matrix suitable for further alchemical preparations.

This passage describes the "Ninefold Reverted Elixir" (Jiuzhuan Huandan) refining method in Daoist alchemy, which involves several key steps:

The process begins with processing cinnabar (mercury sulfide). Following previously mentioned techniques, the cinnabar is wrapped, placed in a container, and covered with ash-wood for calcination. After extraction, this completes the first transformation. The refined cinnabar is then divided into two portions, with one portion being wrapped and calcined again. This process repeats nine times, representing an alchemical journey "from the mundane to the sacred."

After nine transformations, all silver impurities are completely removed, leaving only pure mercury. The resulting elixir is ground into fine powder and placed in a container with specific proportions (half tael of mercury to four taels of other materials) for sealed cultivation. Additional materials are added every seven days until the container is half full.

This refined "dead mercury" can then serve as an outer crucible (waikui) for cultivating materials like sulfur contained in smaller boxes. Similar methods apply to processing other minerals like realgar, orpiment, and borax.

The text also mentions a "Minor Reverted Elixir" (Xiao Huandan) consumption method: mixing refined mercury with pinellia rhizome wine paste to form mung bean-sized pills. Taken fasting while facing east with cold water (one pill per dose), it purportedly cures various ailments. However, strict warnings emphasize consuming no more than three to five pills in a lifetime.

Finally, the "Great Elixir" (Da Dan) preparation involves boiling four taels each of alum and saltpeter with minor auxiliary herbs until dry, then calcining in special Jianzhan ceramic ware under five catties of charcoal fire. The elixir forms when the mixture boils and solidifies.

(Note: These alchemical processes involve toxic substances like mercury and sulfur. The ancient Daoist consumption methods described are hazardous and should never be attempted by modern readers.)

This scripture describes specific operational methods in ancient Daoist alchemy, divided into two main sections:

The first part details the complex process of creating the "mercury-transmuting elixir." Begin by slowly reducing heat with gentle fire, then after cooling, extract the crystal-clear medicinal substance and grind it into fine powder placed in a sand container. Add two taels each of realgar, orpiment, and arsenic yellow, mixing with kudzu vine juice to form medicinal cakes sealed within the container. After sealing with a clay-salt mixture and sun-drying, place in ashes for calcination, changing the fire daily for forty-nine days. Subsequently, remove the cakes to add mercury, repeating the entire process three times—totaling one hundred forty-seven days for completion. The resulting powder requires only a minuscule amount to transmute five taels of mercury into precious substance.

The second section explains two methods for processing cinnabar. The first involves concealing cinnabar within lotus nodes, sealing with salt-clay before calcination until reddening occurs. The second method combines cinnabar with euphorbia, lead carbonate, genkwa, and aconite boiled in mild vinegar, then wrapping the treated cinnabar in honey-medicated贴身药 (close-contact medicine), enclosing it in silver foil with mica before final container sealing. The material undergoes multi-herb calcination before processing in the "Celestial Pool" (alchemical term denoting a specific vessel) with alum, arsenic stone, and pickled plum.

These methods demonstrate ancient alchemy's rigorous demands on fire control, temporal cycles, and herbal compatibility—each step requiring precise execution. The described "mercury-transmuting" technique reflects alchemists' pursuit of transforming base metals into noble substances.

This passage describes the specific operational procedures of the "Cinnabar Fire Control Method" in ancient Daoist alchemy (Waidan). First, cinnabar is lightly calcined over a gentle flame, then cooled and washed with hot water to serve as the "container" (kui) for alchemical operations. Taking one tael of mercury, after three days of cultivation, half a tael of "sprouts" (the preliminary elixir base) can be obtained.

The process requires "intimate medicines": five qian each of anemarrhena rhizome (zhimu) and fritillaria bulb (beimu), finely ground. These are first used to smoke-blacken the small crucible (alchemical nest), which is then heated red-hot. Saltpeter and alum are quickly added, and when melted into liquid, immediately fanned into powdered form as supplementary materials.

The seven-day firing process requires precise temperature control: half a tael of fire on the first day, eight qian on the second, one tael on the third, maintaining one tael from the fourth to sixth days, and increasing to two taels on the seventh day. Detailed regulations govern the morning and evening firing each day.

An alternative "Longevity Fire Control Method" involves taking eight taels of premium Chenzhou cinnabar, wrapped in raw silk and suspended in rice vinegar boiled for one day with galangal powder (shizhu mo). The treated cinnabar is then removed and unwrapped.

The intimate medicine formula: equal parts of Chinese wolfroot (chuan langdu) and asarum herb (xixin) ground into powder, mixed with honey to form a paste that encases the processed cinnabar blocks. When semi-dry, these are placed in the container. The container preparation involves lining a sandbox bottom with galangal powder, placing the wrapped cinnabar blocks, covering with another layer of galangal powder, and sealing gaps with vinegar-mixed red halloysite clay.

Firing control: The box is placed in an ash cylinder covered with two finger-widths of paper ash. The first day uses four taels of fire morning and evening, maintained similarly on days two and three, increased to six taels on day four, held steady on day five, raised to seven taels on day six, and completed on day seven. The entire process demands rigorous control of temperature and timing.

This passage details specific operational procedures in ancient alchemical practices, primarily involving two methods: "fire-nurturing technique" and "mother-cinnabar nurturing technique." Here's the explanation section by section:

The first method describes elixir preparation steps: Begin heating with four liang of fire during the mao hour (5-7 AM), then in the evening lift the medicine container (alchemical vessel) to apply three jin of fire beneath it. When the proper firing stage is reached and the container turns red, withdraw the fire for cooling before extracting the sandy substance (preliminary elixir).

Next, combine eight qian of silver with eight qian of mercury (mercury) to first create a sandy compound. After thorough cleansing, grind this with cinnabar and place it in a container sealed with red halloysite clay. Bury the vessel in a paper-ash cylinder and continue firing as before—using two liang of fire morning and evening without excessive heat. Retrieve the contents after cooling the next day.

The more complex "mother-cinnabar nurturing technique" involves washing prepared mother-cinnabar and dividing each liang into three portions, each wrapped tightly in raw silk. Boil equal parts of akebia stem powder with one bowl of water over combined gentle and fierce fire (wenhuo being mild heat, wuhuo intense heat) until dry. Secure the product with lily bulb and luoqiu herbs, then completely seal with salt-clay before intense firing until red-hot. Quench in water to extract the sandy material.

This sand is then placed in a cinnabar vessel for lotus-style firing—following the previous method—and after seven days transferred to a furnace to complete the elixir.

Subsequently, the "immortal's frequent mercury accumulation method" is recorded: Combine one qian of gold with one liang of mercury, adding half a cup of genuine sesame oil boiled over fire. Introduce trichosanthes seeds one by one—adding the next only when the previous turns yellow—totaling seven seeds. Then add six or seven qian of white benzoin resin for brief boiling. After cooling, drain the oil and wrap the gold-mercury amalgam in mulberry paper, squeezing out residual oil to obtain the preliminary product.

The final section describes the "chamber-nurturing method": Split black plum stones in half, filling them with refined gold-sand before soaking the stones internally and externally with honey. Sprinkle finely powdered fired cinnabar (specially processed) inside and outside the stones. After inserting the gold-sand, bind the reassembled stones with thread, re-soak in honey, and seal seams with cassia seed powder before wrapping with four or five mashed white plum fruits.

These methods exemplify ancient alchemy's emphasis on precise firing stages, hermetic sealing, and material combinations—remarkable for their intricate, meticulous procedures. Notably, substances like mercury mentioned herein are toxic, making these historical techniques unsuitable for modern experimentation.

This passage documents several specific operational methods in ancient alchemical practices, belonging to the techniques of Waidan (external alchemy). Here are the key steps explained in modern terms:

First, mix monkshood powder with vinegar to coat the outer layer of the elixir, then wrap it with a finger-thick layer of salt-clay and let it dry. Next, place the pill at the center of a porcelain jar filled with paper ash, cover it completely with more ash, and calcine it over a low flame overnight. The next day when retrieved, the outer medicinal layers will have turned to ash, leaving only the core "Genghezi" (an alchemical term referring to the elixir's nucleus).

Another method involves mixing powdered placenta root (a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient) with honey to form a paste, shaping it into pellet-sized pills with the Genghezi embedded inside. The outer layer is then wrapped with a mixture of powdered asarum, monkshood, lily bulb, and croton seeds combined with honey. Similarly, seal it with a finger-thick salt-clay coating, dry it, place it in an ash-filled vessel, and calcine it surrounded by fire overnight.

Regarding the "furnace-passing method": grind saltpeter stone, alum (duckbill variety), yellow alum, gold-wrapped earth alum, hematite, processed cinnabar, gardenia seeds, and trichosanthes seeds into powder. Mix with vinegar to form a paste for coating the Genghezi, then apply an outer layer of powdered serpentine stone and hematite before placing it in a cauldron for bellows-assisted refining.

There are two methods for calcining cinnabar: The first involves placing cinnabar in a Jianzhan (special tea bowl), covering it with a finger-thick mixture of Sichuan pepper powder and honey, inverting another bowl as a lid, and sealing it with vinegar-mixed red halloysite clay secured with iron wire. The outer layer is then sealed with a finger-thick coating of monkshood and phellodendron bark powder mixed with vinegar. Finally, place it in a Qinglongkui (special container) filled with vinegar ash, leaving space above and below the bowl's foot, and calcine with eight jin of fire until glowing red before gradually reducing the heat.

The second cinnabar calcination method involves boiling chickweed for a full day, retaining the plant residue after drying, then combining it with arisaema and scutellaria in a sandbox. After layering, seal it with honey-mixed red halloysite clay, and similarly coat the exterior with a finger-thick salt-clay layer for shade drying. These intricate procedures demonstrate the ancient alchemical art's precise control over firing temperatures and material ratios.

This passage describes several methods for processing cinnabar (mercury sulfide) and sulfur in ancient alchemical practices, focusing primarily on the "pouring method" and the "calcination method."

Regarding cinnabar processing:

First, heat the furnace with five jin of charcoal. Take one liang of cinnabar and mix it with half a liang of "auxiliary mother sand" (a supplementary material), then wrap and place it in a stone container to calcine under three jin of fire. After extraction, remove surface impurities, add one liang of mercury and a small amount of cinnabar powder, cover with asarum powder, and calcine again. Subsequently, boil with vinegar and alum, repeating the calcination process. For the "pouring method," mix cinnabar with mother sand in specific proportions, calcine in a designated vessel for seven days under four liang of "mao-you fire" (gentle alternating morning-evening heat), then extract and repeatedly pour mercury five times. The entire process must be repeated seven times, with tradition holding that more repetitions yield better results.

Regarding sulfur processing:

Take one jin of lump sulfur wrapped in silk cloth, suspend it in a decoction of Marsilea quadrifolia and Monochoria vaginalis (two aquatic plants) for one day and night. After drying, grind into powder, using half a liang of medicinal powder per liang of sulfur when applied.

Technical terms mentioned include "kui" (sealed alchemical vessels), "mao-you fire" (gentle alternating heat simulating day-night cycles), and "xu yang" (a resting period without adding new materials). The entire process requires precise control of temperature and timing, with repeated treatments to purify the substances.

This passage details the ancient alchemical method for producing "solitary cinnabar" (a specially refined cinnabar elixir), belonging to the practical records of Daoist Waidan (external alchemy). The multi-stage process requires precise control of firing intensity and timing:

Begin by preparing materials—shape the "mountain-marsh mother" (foundational alchemical substance) into pearl-like pellets. Take four taels of coarse cinnabar grains and boil them for three days and nights with sliced pokeweed root. After boiling, cleanse with jujube broth, then simmer for one day with borax and monkshood aconite. Sun-dry and grind into fine powder to create the "intimate wrapping" material. Roll the processed cinnabar in this borax powder, allow to dry, then commence formal refinement.

The operational procedure: Layer mother pearls at the vessel's base, place the treated cinnabar within, then cover with another mother pearl layer. Seal securely in an ash jar (insulated container) and fire with "Mao-You flame" (time-specific heating) at two taels intensity for fourteen days. The refined cinnabar will appear bluish-white—use bellows to shape it into pearls. Notably, for enhanced potency, increase the mother pearl ratio—typically two-and-a-half taels of mother pearls nourishing one tael of cinnabar constitutes the first revolution (initial refinement cycle).

Next, pulverize the first-revolution cinnabar, place in a crucible, and add pre-boiled cinnabar at a 4:1 ratio (four taels nourishing one tael). Refire using the same method for nine days. The resulting eight-tael product serves optimally as the "matrix" (core alchemical substrate)—this marks the second revolution. Subsequent refinements employ second-revolution product as base material with raw cinnabar additions, extending firing duration to three-to-five days. Finally, wrap cinnabar mass in herb residue, coat with paper-fiber salt clay, shade-dry, then bury in warm ashes for firing with two jin of charcoal.

Key technical points emphasized throughout: Seven-day cycles require repeated "mercury irrigation" (adding quicksilver) and sulfur layering; cleanse with soapberry water; strictly maintain "Mao-You flame at four taels" (time-regulated gentle heat); final quality assessment involves "bellows-formed pearls." The colophon identifies this as Xue Zili's family-transmitted method for efficacious cinnabar refinement, indicating its status as a closely guarded alchemical technique of the period.

The passage describes the detailed methods ancient Daoist priests used to refine elixirs, primarily divided into several stages:

The first section explains the process of refining cinnabar. First, the cinnabar is covered with paper ash and allowed to cool naturally before extraction, at which point it turns bluish-green. It is then mixed with honey paste and borax, placed in a second-layer sand container, and sealed. A gentle fire is maintained for seven days—three days with one and a half taels of fire, followed by four days with two taels. After cooling, it is extracted and can be used to transform other materials.

The second section details the refinement of sulfur. One catty of aged sulfur is pounded and first boiled with gallnuts for a day, then with concentrated decoctions of skullcap, coptis, and rhubarb for two more days. The container is then fumigated with gallnuts and coated with egg white, repeating this process three times. Sulfur treated in this way, when nurtured for seven days, turns golden yellow and can serve as a foundational material for alchemy.

The third section describes more complex elixir-refining techniques. Sulfur is combined with various materials and undergoes multiple stages of boiling, sealing, and calcination. Daoist terms like "Azure Dragon" (Qinglong) and "White Tiger" (Baihu) refer to specific alchemical substances. The entire process requires repeated operations, ultimately yielding the "elixir seed" (Dantou) used in further refinement.

These methods emphasize precise control of fire intensity, timing, and material proportions, with each step requiring strict adherence. Daoist practitioners believed such refinement processes could transform ordinary materials into miraculous elixirs. These records reflect the intricate craftsmanship and mystical dimensions of ancient Daoist alchemy.

This passage describes ancient alchemical methods for processing sulfur and creating the "receptacle" (containers or medicinal substrates used in elixir-making). Alchemists employed various plant juices to refine sulfur, transforming its properties to serve as foundational material for elixir preparation.

The first method involves boiling sulfur for a full day using natural juices extracted from lotus root and radish. The treated sulfur is then wrapped in the leftover pulp of these plants, placed in a sand container, and sealed with salt-clay before being buried underground. It undergoes firing with thirty catties of fuel. After cooling, this processed sulfur becomes "mother sand" (a base material for cultivating elixirs) and serves as a vessel for preparing the two sulfides (realgar and orpiment).

The second technique requires grinding sulfur into fine powder, then pounding it with houttuynia cordata and spinach to extract their juices. Two large bowls of this mixed juice are used to boil the sulfur in an iron cauldron for an entire day until the liquid fully evaporates, completing the refinement process.

The third method is more elaborate: Take four taels of powdered sulfur and boil it in a decoction of Dioscorea bulbifera in an iron cauldron for about a day. Prepare an oil-glazed ceramic jar by coating its interior and lid with honey. Place ephedra root segments inside and burn them over fire until they smoke and turn to ash, repeating this three to five times. Then add the processed sulfur, seal the jar, and bury it in an ash pit for three days of cultivation. This refined sulfur can then be used to grow cinnabar sand, numinous sand, mother sand, and the three sulfides (realgar, orpiment, and sulfur) as transformative elixir ingredients. For cultivating the three sulfides specifically, one must first boil them in juices extracted from euphorbia lunulata and mint until the liquid turns blue-green before placing them in the sulfur receptacle. This prevents the transformed substances from blackening during the alchemical process.

The text also mentions an alternative firing method using juices from five-leaf vine and brake fern to boil sulfur, followed by wrapping the sulfur in the plant residue and sealing it with layers of salt, paper fiber, and clay. These intricate refinement processes all aimed to chemically alter sulfur's properties, making it more suitable for alchemical applications.

This passage records several specific operational methods from ancient alchemical practices, primarily concerning sulfur processing and elixir refinement. Here's the modern interpretation:

Regarding sulfur calcination methods: Place sulfur on dry ground and roast it with intense fire until it completely loses reactivity (called "instant death"). Another method involves boiling sulfur with qingjin (a mineral) – first decoct sulfur with yellow yam root water, then stir-fry the decoction in an iron pan. When the sulfur is half-cooked, add mercury and continue stir-frying for two double-hours until the qingjin decomposes.

There's also a compound formula: Grind and mix realgar, green vitriol, saltpeter, and lead acetate together, pour onto qingjin, then heat a red-hot crucible (alchemical furnace) to produce precious liquid. A simpler method uses raw saltpeter alone with qingjin in a pot, inserting a lingling incense stem during calcination. Alternatively, placing lead white and lead at the pot's bottom with sprinkled borax powder can also create precious liquid when heated.

Advanced sulfur processing (called "creating the matrix"): Regardless of quantity, boil sulfur with sheep's foot root juice for one day and night. Then wrap the sulfur with sheep's foot residue, sealing it inside and out with salt-clay. After drying, calcinate until complete deactivation. Another method uses winter melon juice with a small amount of glutinous rice to boil sulfur – first boil for three days and nurture for seven days until it turns purple-gold, then boil again and nurture for fourteen days until the original color returns.

Secret techniques for transformative elixirs: Form five liang of calomel into dice-sized pieces, then boil with rhubarb, gallnut, gardenia, Sichuan pepper, asarum, ginger juice, honey, and thick rice vinegar in river water for one day until black. After drying, place in a pot with five qian of raw sulfur powder, stir-frying slowly until fully matured. For each liang of main material, add one qian of mother flakes for layered wrapping, then wrap externally with two qian of bletilla powder and one fen of alpinia oxyphylla powder. Place in a Blue Dragon sulfur matrix (special container) to nurture for fourteen days to complete the elixir. If smoke appears during firing, nurture for another seven days.

Secrets for refining the mother matrix (foundational material): Melt ten liang of true mother (base material) into liquid, add five liang of pure lead, stir evenly left and right, then sweep into small beads for storage. These methods all demonstrate the complex material ratios and rigorous fire control in ancient alchemical practices.

This passage details the ancient alchemical method of "nurturing and refining cinnabar," belonging to the Daoist practice of Waidan (external alchemy), which involves crafting elixirs from mineral substances.

First, prepare five taels of refined cinnabar (a key alchemical ingredient) and place it in a specially designed lotus-patterned vessel for seven days of cultivation. The success of this stage is marked by the material turning bluish-black and transforming into silver-like beads when heated over fire. Continued smelting eventually yields precious elixir substances, from which the "sacred embryo" (the essence of the elixir) is separated. The poetic description portrays observing the furnace's transformations at midnight—opening the crucible reveals jade-like elixir formations.

Operational steps: Begin by treating saltpeter with iron slurry, then dry-roast it for later use. Take one tael of refined cinnabar, grind it into powder, and mix with two qian of processed saltpeter until uniform. Compact this mixture at the crucible's base, then overlay it with two taels of "silver toad" material (another alchemical substance) as a buffer layer. Place in a blast furnace under intense heat until glowing red, then gradually fan with bellows. If the materials melt completely into a clear, watery state, they may be removed. A successful elixir will have a smooth, pore-free surface with a scorched yellow hue.

An alternative method combines blood paste (animal-derived material) with minerals: one part aged earth, three parts salt, three parts calamine, and three parts northern saltpeter, compressed under a thick lid for single intense smelting. After extraction, separate the crimson substance and transfer to a new crucible filled with borax, raw saltpeter, and unprocessed salt. Upon cooling, breaking the vessel reveals a tender red elixir in the lower layer.

The crucial final step: Melt the prepared elixir, add two qian of "small elixir seed" (base material) to cultivate tile-like crystals, then secretly blend in half-qian of raw arsenic powder. Roll this in sand and steep in medicinal broth—a decoction of black beans, fermented glutinous rice water, and asparagus root. After two repetitions, mix with minimal saltpeter to form powdered beads for storage.

This alchemical process requires prolonged cultivation of the "elixir seed" (foundational material) to accumulate sufficient Yang Qi (vital energy) for ultimately refining the "Dan Yang" (pure Yang elixir). True alchemy involves uniting this pure Yang substance with the "Crimson Dragon" (pure Yin material). The author laments how contemporary seekers either lack authentic transmission from masters or possess inadequate aptitude to master these arcane techniques.

(Note: The described alchemy involves toxic heavy metals. Modern science confirms these historical immortality pursuits as hazardous—do not attempt replication.)

This passage details the preparation methods of several special medicinal substances in ancient alchemical practices, belonging to the operative techniques of Daoist Waidan (external alchemy). Terms like "danyang" and "staff material" refer to specific metallic or mineral ingredients in alchemical terminology.

The text first explains the fundamental principles: these precious substances acquire their millennial spiritual potency by harnessing the energies of heaven and earth across the four seasons, combined with botanical, metallic, and mineral materials. Seven primary medicinal types are listed, including the expansive, elder brother, crimson flesh, staff material, skeletal, spot-membrane, and danyang bone-transmuting varieties.

The preparation methods involve several precise steps:

The first technique employs arsenical powder frost transformation. Equal measures of arsenical powder frost, castor seeds, and croton seeds are pounded into a paste, then refined in a water-fire crucible (specialized alchemical equipment) until completion.

The second method describes arsenical treatment of staff material. One liang each of arsenic and Sichuan chinaberry powder are uniformly ground, then steamed in a gan pot (small alchemical cauldron) until the water evaporates. The cooled arsenic emerges snow-white, and this powder is used to treat the staff material (a metallic substrate), yielding a pure white final product.

The third approach involves activating danyang arsenic matrix. Two liang of powder frost and eight liang of white arsenic are broken into small pieces, wrapped in silk bags, and boiled for three fu periods (approximately three hours) in juice extracted from dock root leaves and ginger (water may supplement insufficient juice). The processed frost powder is then wrapped in silk balls, coated with arsenic powder, protected by residual medicinal dregs, and calcined in a sealed vessel under three jin of fire. After cooling, the arsenic is finely ground as matrix material (a foundational substrate in alchemy), while the frost powder is sealed in silver boxes and nurtured in an ash pool with mild heat for fourteen days. Finally, two qian of this powder can activate one liang of danyang arsenic matrix.

The fourth technique employs calcined powder frost for danyang transformation. One liang of finely ground powder frost is double-wrapped in silk, boiled with one hundred shelled croton seeds, castor seeds, and one jin of ginger juice until the liquid reduces completely. The refined frost powder is mixed with ginger powder to form pills, wrapped first in Kunlun paper, then coated with a paste of the boiled croton and castor seeds, and finally encased in salt, saltpeter, and alum layers.

These methods demonstrate the intricate, meticulous processes of ancient alchemy, requiring strict control of firing temperatures, timing, and material proportions. Modern readers must note that substances like arsenic mentioned herein are highly toxic—these practices should never be attempted today.

This passage describes several metal purification and transformation methods from ancient alchemical practices, primarily involving the processing of materials like arsenic and calomel (mercury compounds).

The first method involves grinding oyster shell powder and rice vinegar into a paste to encase the material, then calcining it in ash fire. After sun-drying, the substance is placed on a brick and calcined in a furnace with five jin of firepower, ultimately yielding six qian of purified powder. When used, one qian of this powder can transform seven qian of tin staff (tin product), and after adding three qian of silver for smelting, patterned silver is obtained.

The second method describes calcining jade-ring arsenic. Four liang of arsenic powder is placed in a gan pot (alchemical ceramic vessel), with the mouth wrapped in two layers of hemp cloth tied tightly, then calcined over fire. During the process, ginger juice is continuously sprinkled on the cloth to maintain moisture until the arsenic forms jade-ring shapes adhering to the pot's mouth. This processed arsenic can transform metals: first treating the metal surface with ash from mulberry stems left by silkworms, then applying the arsenic transformation, and finally mixing with tin to create vessel materials.

The third method uses arsenic to process calomel. One jin of finely ground arsenic is placed in a large pot with two big bowls of castor plant leaf juice (without seeds), boiled until dry, then calcined with three jin of strong fire to produce twelve liang of processed arsenic serving as the "receptacle" (alchemical term for reaction vessel or matrix).

The calomel processing follows: four liang of calomel wrapped in turmeric slices, bound with fine iron wire, is placed in the arsenic receptacle and calcined with one jin of fire continuously for three days. After cooling, black "dead calomel" is obtained—two qian can transform one liang of tin into premium material.

Finally, an alternative method for making dead calomel: grind any amount of calomel finely, mix with plant sap to form pills, insert into bitter bamboo tubes sealed with bamboo leaf paste (dry leaves require added plant sap, fresh leaves can be directly pounded into paste). The sealed tubes are cultivated in a dead saltpeter receptacle, producing material that can transform tinware or mineral chlorite into particularly soft, white substances. When mixed with silver in a 3:7 ratio, it yields highly pure silver material.

This passage documents several "death process" techniques in Daoist Waidan (external alchemy) - methods for transforming toxic substances into safe, usable elixir ingredients through specific procedures.

The first method concerns saltpeter (a common mineral in ancient alchemy): Place two liang of saltpeter into a gan pot (ceramic alchemical vessel) and heat until liquefied. Then add a one-inch section of Gleditsia sinensis pod and a small piece of soap. After the saltpeter solution boils, repeat this process five times. Finally, calcine with strong fire until the saltpeter turns powdery. Insufficient heat will only produce a gelatinous substance. This powder must be fire-cured in a container for one or two days to loosen it. While useful for transforming other elixirs, its efficacy is inferior to processed calomel (mercurous chloride).

The second technique is the "death arsenic" method (detoxifying arsenic trioxide): Boil arsenic with juices extracted from Euphorbia lunulata and another specified herb, then wrap the arsenic balls in herb residue. Seal with salt-clay coating. Bury halfway in an earthen pit, cover with charcoal ash, and calcine with three batches totaling ten jin of charcoal. After cooling, this yields safely usable "true dead arsenic."

The third method, the Danyang arsenic formula: Grind four liang of arsenic trioxide with four qian of frankincense until uniform. Mix with scallion juice into paste and place in a special Jianzhan ceramic bowl. Cover with ashes from Solanum nigrum vines and calcine until white smoke appears, adding more ash until the bowl glows red. After cooling, combine one qian of this arsenic with one qian of silver foil, then melt over fire to produce a usable white substance.

The fourth process treats calomel: Mix one liang of calomel with ginger juice into paste, wrap tightly in silk cloth. Boil four liang of raw honey with two liang of liquidambar resin, then stir-fry the calomel bundle until the honey-resin dries. Seal and calcine with slow fire for one to three days until no smoke emerges upon burning - indicating readiness.

Finally mentioned is the calcination method for "golden crucible arsenic": First sun-dry and burn Polygonum aviculare into ash to boil arsenic for one day, then calcine with alum. This represents the most refined processing technique. These complex procedures all aim to reduce material toxicity through physico-chemical treatments, rendering them suitable for alchemical use.

This passage describes the ancient alchemical technique of "turning lead into silver" (点铅成银), which belongs to the Waidan (external alchemy) tradition. The procedure is as follows:

First, prepare the ingredients: grind four taels of realgar (妙砒) and four taels of alum (白矾) into powder, along with four taels of lead. Melt the lead and stir-fry it with paper ash until it forms granules, then wash with water and dry. Thoroughly mix the realgar, alum, and lead granules together.

The refining process involves several steps: Heat a crucible (甘锅, the ceramic vessel used in alchemy) until red-hot, then pour in the mixed ingredients. The realgar will melt first. Maintain intense firing until the realgar turns orpiment yellow (resembling sulfur's color), at which point the lead will settle beneath it. Remove the realgar and grind it into fine powder.

Next, take one tael of mercury (水银), three qian of mother sand (母砂, a foundational alchemical material), and two qian of natural sulfur. First combine the mercury and mother sand into a granular mixture, then add the sulfur along with one qian of the processed realgar and stir-fry together. Place another two qian of realgar into the crucible, cover, and fire. This will produce black "spirit sand" (灵砂, an alchemical term for refined elixirs).

Finally, simmer the black spirit sand in molten lead to obtain a pure white "treasure" (宝, referring to the completed elixir). An alternative method involves using the processed realgar as a "wrapping material" (匮) to encase either two taels of mother spirit sand or spirit sand wrapped in gold foil. Fire this for seven days, then extract and simmer to produce the elixir.

This record reflects how ancient Daoists pursued elixir refinement through complex chemical experiments involving mercury, lead, and other heavy metal reactions. Modern readers must never attempt to replicate these dangerous procedures.