《孫真人備急千金要方》Vol. 3

Sun Simiao’s Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies, Volume Three (the original title reads “Tou Wu”)

Collated and corrected by Lin Yi and others, including Court Gentleman for Service, Junior Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and Collator at the Secret Pavilion, of the Song dynasty

Prescriptions for Women

Chapter Four: Disorders During Pregnancy (Prescriptions and Moxibustion Methods)

First: Fetal Restlessness and Recurrent Miscarriage

A prescription for treating restlessness of the fetus, back pain, and bleeding during pregnancy, from the second or third month through the eighth or ninth month:

Mugwort leaf, donkey-hide gelatin, chuanxiong rhizome (omitted in the Zhouhou Fang), and Chinese angelica root (three liang each); licorice root (two liang).

Decoct these five ingredients in eight sheng of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs, add the donkey-hide gelatin and let it melt, then divide the medicine into three doses. Take three times a day.

A prescription for treating fetal restlessness, bleeding, and pain in the lower back and abdomen during pregnancy:

Donkey-hide gelatin (two liang); chuanxiong rhizome, Chinese angelica root, and green bamboo shavings (five liang each).

Decoct these four ingredients in one dou and five sheng of water, adding two jin of silver at the same time. When six sheng remain, remove the silver, then add the herbs and continue to decoct until two and a half sheng remain. Add the donkey-hide gelatin and let it melt, then divide the medicine into three doses. If the condition does not improve, decoct and take another dose. Another version of this prescription also uses two liang of licorice root.

Scallion White Decoction: A prescription for treating fetal restlessness and abdominal pain during pregnancy.

Scallion whites, chopped (one sheng); donkey-hide gelatin (two liang); Chinese angelica root, Chinese teasel root, and chuanxiong rhizome (three liang each).

Chop these five ingredients and decoct them in one dou of water. First add six or seven liang of silver. When seven sheng remain, remove the silver, then add the herbs and continue to decoct until two and a half sheng remain. Add the donkey-hide gelatin and let it melt, then divide the medicine into three doses. If the condition does not improve, decoct and take another dose.

A prescription for treating fetal restlessness during pregnancy accompanied by crying out day and night, clenched jaws, raised lips, and unrelenting diarrhea:

Chop mugwort leaf and decoct it in five sheng of good wine until four sheng remain. Strain out the dregs, then continue to decoct until one sheng remains, and take it. If the jaws are clenched, pry open the mouth and pour in the medicine; once it has gone down, the condition will improve. This prescription also treats lower back pain during pregnancy, heat illness during pregnancy, and sudden bleeding.

Inula Flower Decoction: For treating fetal restlessness at six or seven months of pregnancy; it may be taken regularly.

Inula flower (one liang); pinellia tuber, peony root, and ginger (two liang each); immature bitter orange, magnolia bark, atractylodes rhizome, baical skullcap root, and poria (three liang each).

Chop these nine ingredients and decoct them in one dou of water until two and a half sheng remain. Divide into five doses.

Take it three times during the day and twice at night, before meals.

Remedies for recurrent miscarriage during pregnancy

Grind adzuki beans (red beans) into a powder and swallow it with wine, taking one square-inch spoonful each time, twice a day. This remedy is also used when menstruation continues to come every month after several months of pregnancy.

Another remedy: At three months of pregnancy, apply seven moxa cones one inch below the knee. One cone is the amount of mugwort burned completely.

Second category: Fetal leakage

A remedy for bleeding that continues throughout pregnancy. This condition is called “fetal leakage” (vaginal bleeding during pregnancy). If the fetal sac becomes dry, the situation is dangerous.

Take half a jin of fresh Rehmannia root, chop it, and boil it in three sheng of clear wine until it has boiled three times. Strain out the herbs and drink the liquid at any time; taking more is better. Physician Yao’s method adds one yellow hen, prepared in the usual way and boiled with the herbs. The Cui family’s method takes the chicken’s blood and mixes it with the medicinal liquid before drinking.

A remedy for persistent bleeding during pregnancy, called “fetal leakage”:

Pound dried Rehmannia root into a powder. Take about three pinches between the fingers each time and swallow it with wine. A maximum of three doses should bring a cure.

Another remedy: Take one sheng of fresh Rehmannia juice and four he of clear wine. Boil them together three or four times, then drink the whole amount at once. If the bleeding has not stopped, continue taking it.

Another remedy:

• Two liang of dried ginger
• Four liang of dried Rehmannia root

Grind the two ingredients into a fine powder and swallow it with wine, taking one square-inch spoonful each time, two or three times a day.

Third category: Pregnancy irritability

“Bamboo Sap Decoction” treats the frequent vexation and discomfort experienced by pregnant women. This is called “pregnancy irritability,” a state of agitation during pregnancy.

• One sheng of bamboo sap
• Three liang each of ophiopogon root, fangfeng, and scutellaria root
• Four liang of poria

Add four sheng of water and the bamboo sap to the five ingredients. Boil down to two sheng and divide into three doses. If the condition has not cleared, prepare and take another batch.

Another remedy: Take bamboo sap at intervals, in whatever amount is needed until recovery.

Fourth category: Pain and distention in the chest, abdomen, and lower back

A remedy for heart pain in pregnant women:

Take one sheng of green bamboo peel and boil it in two sheng of wine two or three times. Drink it all at once.

Another remedy: Beat in one raw egg, mix it with wine, and drink.

Another remedy:

• Three liang of white honey
• Eight liang of mutton fat
• One sheng of green bamboo shavings

Boil the three ingredients together and take the amount of three date pits at once, three times a day.

Another remedy: Mix one sheng of honey with mud from the bottom of a well and apply it below the heart.

Another remedy: Burn fourteen dates until charred, grind them into a powder, and swallow it with urine. It is said to bring immediate recovery.

A remedy for abdominal pain in pregnant women:

Take three jin of fresh Rehmannia root. Pound it and squeeze out the juice, then mix it with one sheng of clear wine and boil… The original text ends here.

Divide the original prescription in half and take it all at once.

Another prescription: Burn and refine the grease from a cart hub, put it in wine, and drink it. This prescription also treats cough during pregnancy, as well as difficult labor when delivery has not occurred after three days.

Another prescription: Take one sheng of honey all at once. It works well.

For abdominal distension and pain during pregnancy, discomfort in the chest, and inability to eat

Three liang of Huangqin, four liang of Shaoyao, and six liang of Baizhu.

Coarsely chop the three ingredients. Boil them in six sheng of water until three sheng remain, then take the decoction in three doses. Finish the medicine within half a day. Allow it to gently promote the flow of fluids so that delivery will go smoothly. During pregnancy, it is best to take one dose each month.

For sudden pain in the chest and abdomen during pregnancy

Heat salt until it is red-hot. Take an amount that can be pinched between three fingers and swallow it with wine. It is said to bring on delivery quickly.

For pain in the chest and abdomen during pregnancy caused by fetal injury and clotted stagnant blood

Take two sheng of a child’s urine all at once. It is said to bring a quick recovery and work very well.

For sudden pain in the chest and abdomen during pregnancy

Break two fresh eggs into a cup and mix in glutinous rice flour until the mixture is porridge-like. Take it all at once. This prescription is also used when the fetus suddenly becomes unsettled during pregnancy, when there is only lower back pain, when the fetus’s movements tug at the chest and cause pain, or when bleeding continues without stopping.

Another prescription: Wash the husband’s boots with three sheng of water. Take the resulting liquid, warm it, and drink it.

For pain in the chest and abdomen during pregnancy caused by “Gu poisoning” (what people in ancient times called being poisoned by Gu)

Burn old, torn drum hide to ash. Swallow about one square-inch spoonful of the ash with wine. After a while, the patient is said to call out the name of the person who cast the Gu poison.

For lower back pain during pregnancy

Take two sheng of soybeans and boil them in three sheng of wine until two sheng remain. Drink it all at once. This prescription is also used for sudden lower back pain in anyone.

Another prescription: Take three sheng of hemp seeds and boil them in five sheng of water. Collect three sheng of the liquid and take it in five doses. It is also used for heart pain.

Another prescription:

Two liang of douchi and three liang of elm inner bark.

Pound the two ingredients thoroughly and use honey to form pills the size of a wutong seed. Take fourteen pills at a time. This is also used for heart pain.

Another prescription: Burn cow dung until charred, grind it into powder, and swallow about one square-inch spoonful with water, three times a day.

Another prescription: Take eight ge of Rehmannia juice and five ge of wine. Mix and boil them, then drink warm in divided doses.

For abdominal distension during pregnancy

Heat a steelyard weight, quench it in wine, then drink the wine. It works well. This prescription is also used for sudden bleeding during pregnancy.

Fifth: Prescriptions for Cold Damage

For Cold Damage during pregnancy, with headache, high fever, and distressing pain in the limbs and joints

Eight liang of Shigao, and three liang each of Daqing and Huangqin.

The preceding formula consists of seven ingredients, including scallion whites (one sheng, chopped), peucedanum root, anemarrhena rhizome, and gardenia seeds (four liang each). Chew the ingredients or pound them into coarse powder, add seven sheng of water, and boil until two and a half sheng remain. Strain out the herbs. Divide the liquid into five doses, taking each dose after an interval about as long as it takes a person to walk seven or eight li.

A formula for headache, high fever, restlessness, vomiting, and inability to eat during pregnancy: four liang of anemarrhena rhizome, five he of polished rice, one sheng of fresh reed root, and three liang of green bamboo shavings. Add five sheng of water to the four ingredients and boil until two and a half sheng remain. Sip the liquid slowly, and prepare another batch after finishing. Continue until the illness is cured.

For pregnancy-related cold damage when headache and high fever persist after taking a medicinal decoction, use this decoction to wipe the body: half a jin of ephedra, one sheng of chopped bamboo leaves, and three sheng of powdered gypsum. Add five sheng of water to the three ingredients and boil until one sheng remains. Strain out the herbs and let the liquid cool, then use it to wipe the body. Soak an old cloth in the liquid and place it on the forehead and chest, replacing it when dry. If the illness is malaria, add five liang of changshan, a herb used to stop malarial attacks.

A formula for pregnancy-related cold damage: ten stalks of scallion whites and two liang of fresh ginger, sliced. Add three sheng of water to the two ingredients and boil until one and a half sheng remain. Take the entire amount at once, with sweating as the aim.

A formula for pregnancy-related wind illness, alternating chills and fever, and cramping abdominal pain when acupuncture and moxibustion cannot be used: burn one crucian carp to ash and pound it into powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine to induce sweating.

A formula for preventing miscarriage when a pregnant woman contracts an epidemic illness: take yellow earth from a stove, mix it with water, and apply it to the navel. Reapply when it dries. Alternatively, mix it with wine and apply it over an area five inches square, or mix it with the clarified liquid from rinsing rice; both methods are said to work well. Another formula: apply mud from a place where a dog has urinated to the abdomen, keeping it from drying.

A formula for fever during pregnancy: five liang of scallion whites and one sheng of fermented soybeans. Add six sheng of water to the two ingredients and boil until two sheng remain. Divide into two doses, taking them to induce sweating.

Another formula: take a handful of scallion whites, boil them in three sheng of water, and drink the liquid to induce sweating. Eating the scallions as well can calm the fetus. If the fetus has already died in the womb, delivery may follow within a short time.

Another formula: take the grease from a wheel axle with wine. It is said to be highly effective.

Another formula: apply mud from the bottom of a well three inches below the hollow of the chest. The illness will then be cured at once.

Another formula: apply the droppings of a blue sheep to the abdomen.

Another formula: Grind Fulong Gan (the compacted earth from a stove’s hearth) into powder and swallow it with water. Use an amount about the size of an egg.

Formula for treating high fever and agitation

Two sheng of kudzu-root juice, taken in three doses. Take one dose after roughly the time it takes to walk five li.

Another formula: Burn seven jujubes, grind them into powder, and take the powder mixed with wine.

Another formula: Burn the fruits of the Chinese scholar tree to ash. Take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient measure, about a spoonful the size of a square inch) mixed with wine.

Section Six: Formulas for treating malaria

Decoction for treating malaria during pregnancy

Changshan (two liang), licorice (one liang), huangqin (three liang), dark plums (fourteen), and gypsum (eight liang).

Cut the five ingredients into pieces. Soak them overnight in one and a half sheng each of wine and water. Then bring the mixture to a boil three or four times and strain out the herbs. First take six ge, then four ge, and finally two ge, dividing the total into three doses.

Another formula:

Three liang each of changshan and bamboo leaves, eight liang of gypsum, and one hundred grains of nonglutinous rice. Cui’s text and the Waifu Fang list glutinous rice; the Jiyan and Jiujing list broomcorn millet.

Cut the four ingredients into pieces. Add six sheng of water and boil until two and a half sheng remain, then strain out the herbs and divide into three doses. Take the first dose about one meal before the malaria attack is expected, and the second when the attack is about to begin. Use the remaining dose to smear the head, forehead, chest, and the five centers (the palms, soles, and chest). Place the herbs left from straining beside the head. Do not come into contact with water or eat or drink that day. Once the attack has passed, eat porridge.

Section Seven: Formulas for treating bleeding

Formula for treating sudden heavy bleeding during pregnancy when the fetus is not moving

Three liang of elm inner bark, two liang each of dong quai and fresh ginger, four liang of dried rehmannia, and one sheng of mallow seeds. The Zhouhou Fang omits the mallow seeds.

Add five sheng of water to the five ingredients and boil until two and a half sheng remain. Divide into three doses. If the symptoms do not improve, prepare and take another batch.

Matong Decoction: Formula for treating heavy bleeding after a pregnant woman is suddenly startled into running or falls from a height

One sheng of horse-dung liquid, four liang each of dried rehmannia and donkey-hide gelatin, and three liang each of dong quai and mugwort leaves.

Cut the five ingredients into pieces. Add five sheng of water and boil until two and a half sheng remain, then strain out the herbs. Add the horse-dung liquid and donkey-hide gelatin, and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Divide into three doses. If the symptoms do not improve, increase the quantities of the ingredients and prepare another batch.

Jiao’ai Decoction is used when, during the second or third month of pregnancy up to the seventh or eighth month, a woman suddenly falls or loses her footing, causing the fetus to move restlessly without being delivered. It is also used when injury to the lower back and abdomen causes pain so severe that she feels close to death; when she seems to see strange objects; or when fetal Qi surges upward and presses against the chest, leaving her short of breath. The prescription is as follows:

Three liang of mugwort leaf; two liang each of donkey-hide gelatin, chuanxiong (Ligusticum), peony root, licorice, and Chinese angelica root; and four liang of dried rehmannia root.

Cut the seven ingredients into pieces. Combine five sheng of water with three sheng of good wine and decoct until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs, add the donkey-hide gelatin, and continue heating until it has fully dissolved. Divide into three doses and take three times in one day. If the condition has not improved, prepare and take another batch in the same way.

A prescription for sudden bleeding during pregnancy:

Decoct one sheng of sunflower seeds in five sheng of water until two sheng of liquid remain. Divide into three doses. The bleeding will stop.

Another prescription: Cut one sheng of fresh rehmannia root into pieces and decoct it in five sheng of wine until three sheng of liquid remain. Divide into three doses. This is also used for bleeding after childbirth.

Another prescription: Burn the roots and stems of the sunflower plant to ash, and take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times a day.

Xiezhao Decoction is used when a pregnant woman falls or loses her footing, causing the fetus to move restlessly and fetal Qi to surge upward into the chest. In severe cases, blood may come from the mouth and breathing may become difficult, or there may be bleeding from both upper and lower parts of the body, amounting to as much as fifteen dou. If the fetus has died but has not been delivered, the woman may feel cold; warm objects can be applied to her abdomen. She may also experience abdominal tightening and pain as if labor were beginning, along with weakness, shortness of breath, exhaustion, and such distress that she feels close to death, unable to settle. After taking the medicine, if the fetus is still alive, both mother and child may be safe and the bleeding will stop. If taken at the time of labor, the fetus will be delivered at once. The prescription is as follows:

One sheng of crab claws; two chi each of licorice and cassia heartwood; and two liang of donkey-hide gelatin.

Cut the four ingredients into pieces and decoct them in one dou of water from a river flowing eastward until three sheng of liquid remain. Strain out the dregs, add the donkey-hide gelatin, and cook until it dissolves. It is best to take the whole amount at once; if that is not possible, take another dose after the time it takes to eat a meal. If the mouth is too tightly clenched to drink, pry it open and administer the medicine. The original text says that taking the medicine will save a life: both fetus and mother may survive, or the fetus may already be dead and only the mother survive. If there has been no fall and the pregnancy is proceeding safely without unusual symptoms, but bleeding occurs, this decoction will stop it. Some say cassia heartwood is harmful to the maintenance of pregnancy, but the original text holds that this may not be so.

A prescription for miscarriage with persistent bleeding during pregnancy:

Cut twelve liang of red sage root into pieces and decoct it in five sheng of clear wine until three sheng of liquid remain. Take warm in three divided doses, three times a day.

Another prescription: Mix rehmannia juice with powdered hematite and take one square-inch spoonful each time.

Another prescription: Burn the droppings of silkworms that feed on mulberry leaves to ash, and take one square-inch spoonful with wine.

A decoction of aromatic fermented beans: used to treat bleeding that continues or recurs after a miscarriage, accompanied by restlessness, abdominal distension and fullness, and such severe distress that the patient feels close to death.

Take one and a half sheng of aromatic fermented beans and add three sheng of water. Bring to a boil three times, then strain out the herbs. Add powdered deer antler and take one square-inch spoonful. After a short while, the blood will discharge on its own. The deer antler may also be burned to ash before use.

Eighth: Urinary Disorders and Moxibustion

Treating difficulty urinating during pregnancy

Take one sheng of sunflower seeds and a handful of elm bark, and chop them. Add five sheng of water to the two ingredients and bring to a boil five times. Take one sheng per dose, three times a day.

Another prescription: take one liang each of sunflower seeds and poria, grind them into powder, and swallow one square-inch spoonful with water, three times a day. Stop taking it once urination flows freely. A related passage in the Treatise on Cold Damage says that when water collects during pregnancy, symptoms may include heaviness of the body, difficulty urinating, chills, and dizziness upon standing.

Treating strangury during pregnancy (dribbling, difficult urination)

Take one sheng of sunflower seeds and add three sheng of water. Boil until two sheng remain, then divide into two doses.

Another prescription: take a handful of sunflower roots and add three sheng of water. Boil until two sheng remain, then divide into two doses.

Treating difficulty passing urine during pregnancy

Take seven ge of turnip seeds, grind them into powder, and mix one square-inch spoonful with water. Take three times a day.

Treating blood in the urine during pregnancy

Burn millet stalks to ash. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

Treating unexplained blood in the urine in women

Take five liang of dragon bone and grind it into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine on an empty stomach, three times a day. For a long-standing condition, twenty doses may bring a cure.

Another prescription: burn fingernails and tangled hair together to ash, grind equal amounts into powder, and take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times a day. It may also be taken with another drink.

Another prescription: take one liang each of cassia heartwood, deer antler shavings, and soybean sprouts, and grind them into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

Another prescription: burn the husband’s fingernails to ash and take them with wine.

Another prescription: take bamboo pith from an old boat, dry it in the sun, and pound it into powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times a day. It may also be used to treat bedwetting.

Treating women’s involuntary urination, when they do not know when the urine is released

Take one liang each of baiwei and peony root, grind them into a fine powder, and take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

Another prescription: take two liang each of alum and oyster shell.

Grind the two ingredients above into a fine powder and take with wine, one square-inch spoonful at a time. (In ancient times, this was a small spoon used to measure powdered medicine.) This prescription also treats men.

Another prescription: Burn the grass from a swift’s nest to ash, grind it into powder, and take half a coin-sized spoonful with wine. (This was an ancient unit for measuring powdered medicine.) This prescription also treats men.

Another prescription: Burn urine-soaked mat grass to ash and take it; this will bring recovery.

Another prescription: Apply moxibustion over the transverse bone for seven cones. (One cone is the amount burned in a single application of moxa.) The transverse bone is near the pubic bone; applying moxibustion there is an ancient external treatment.

Ninth: Prescriptions for Treating Dysentery (Moxibustion)

Prescriptions for Treating Dysentery During Pregnancy

Three liang of ginseng, three liang of Scutellaria root, four liang of zelkova bark, three ge of polished rice, and three liang of sour pomegranate peel.

Chop the five ingredients, decoct them in seven sheng of water, and reduce the liquid to two and a half sheng. Divide it into three doses.

Another prescription: Take one jin of white poplar bark, chop it, decoct it in one large sheng of water, and reduce the liquid to two small sheng. Divide it into three doses.

Another prescription: Burn a belt worn next to the body to ash, grind it into powder, and take it.

Another prescription: Cut sheep fat into ten pieces, each about the size of a game piece. Put them in one sheng of warm wine and drink it all at once. Take this three times a day.

Prescription for Treating Dysentery During Pregnancy with Pus and Blood, Red Sticky Discharge, or Fish-Brain-Like White Mucus in the Stool, Accompanied by Severe, Unbearable Cramping Around the Navel and Abdomen

One sheng of Chinese chives (cut), three liang each of sour pomegranate peel and Phellodendron bark (the Chanbao text gives “Coptis root” instead), two liang of donkey-hide gelatin, and four liang of garden burnet root.

Chop the five ingredients, decoct them in seven sheng of water, and reduce the liquid to two and a half sheng. Divide it into three doses. If the condition has not resolved, decoct and take another dose.

Prescription for Treating Persistent Diarrhea During Pregnancy

Two liang each of donkey-hide gelatin, mugwort leaf, and sour pomegranate peel.

Decoct the three ingredients in seven sheng of water, reducing the liquid to two sheng. Strain out the herbs, add the donkey-hide gelatin, and, once it has dissolved, divide the liquid into three doses.

Prescription for Treating Alternating Chills and Fever with Dysentery During Pregnancy or After Childbirth

One sheng of Coptis root, one jin of Phellodendron bark, and thirty gardenia fruits.

Chop the three ingredients, soak them overnight in five sheng of water, then bring the liquid to a boil three times. Take one sheng, finishing it over the course of a day and night. If it causes vomiting, add one liang of tangerine peel and two liang of ginger. This prescription also treats chronic dysentery in men.

Prescription for Treating Women Who, Whenever Diarrhea Is About to Begin, First Experience Heart Pain and Abdominal Distension, Then Have Fifty or Sixty Bowel Movements in a Day and a Night

Eight liang each of pomegranate peel and qu (a medicinal substance made from fermented grain), and Phellodendron bark (another version reads “malt”).

Smoked plums, Coptis rhizome, and mugwort, one liang each; Stephania root, two liang; donkey-hide gelatin and dried ginger, two liang each; aconite, five liang. Grind all seven ingredients into a fine powder and mix with honey to make pills the size of Chinese parasol-tree seeds. Take twenty pills each time, three times a day, gradually increasing to thirty or forty pills each time. This prescription treats watery diarrhea and dysentery in women.

Another prescription: apply one hundred moxibustion cones at the Qihai acupuncture point. A “cone” is a unit for measuring moxibustion, referring to the number of applications. The specific meaning of “three reports” is unclear.

Tenth: Prescriptions for edema.

A decoction for swelling during pregnancy, with fluid accumulation in the body and a tense, distended feeling in the chest and abdomen:

Poria and white atractylodes, four liang each (Cui’s version omits white atractylodes); skullcap and apricot kernels, three liang each; and inula flower, two liang. Cut up all five ingredients and boil them in six sheng of water until two and a half sheng remain. Divide into three doses.

Carp soup: a prescription for abdominal distension during pregnancy with fluid accumulation around the fetus.

One carp weighing two jin; white atractylodes and fresh ginger, five liang each; peony root and Chinese angelica, three liang each; and poria, four liang. Cut up all six ingredients. First boil the carp in one dou and two sheng of water. When cooked, strain the liquid and keep eight sheng of fish broth. Add the herbs and boil until three sheng remain. Divide into five doses.

A prescription for toxic swelling during pregnancy:

Wash and peel turnip root, then pound it and mix it with vinegar into a thin paste, taking care not to let the juice run out. Bring it to a vigorous boil two or three times. Apply an amount suited to the size of the swollen area, then bind it tightly with cloth. Replace the dressing twice a day. Keep it warm in cold weather. When turnip root is out of season, use turnip seeds instead. For swelling of the throat, hold the juice in the mouth and swallow it.

Another prescription: burn a certain kind of cattle dung, mix it with vinegar, and apply it to the swollen area; replace it when dry. It may also be taken internally: one square-inch-spoon measure each time, three times a day for seven days. A “square-inch-spoon measure” is an ancient unit of medicine, referring to the amount a spoon about one square inch in size could hold. The original term, “mou ox,” uses an unusual character, and its precise meaning is uncertain.

A prescription for swelling and severe tightness in both the hands and feet during pregnancy:

Five sheng of red azuki beans and one jin of sliced pokeweed root. Boil these two ingredients in three dou of water until one dou remains, then drink it slowly. When it is finished, prepare another batch according to the same prescription. Another version adds one jin of climbing groundsel.

Fifth: Difficult labor (discussion, prescriptions, and acupuncture methods).

The discussion says: Although a woman in childbirth is regarded as being in a state of ritual impurity, when she is nearing labor, experiencing labor pains, or has not yet delivered or has just delivered, people in the household should not hold a funeral or allow anyone who has come into contact with impurity to visit her; otherwise, this may cause difficult labor. If the child has already been born, doing so may harm the infant.

If a woman goes into labor during a “month of countervailing branches” (fanzhi yue), a month considered unsuitable for childbirth in the ancient calendar, she should give birth on oxhide or ashes, taking care not to let blood, fluid, or filth fall onto the ground. Water used to wash clothes should also be collected in a vessel and disposed of only after the month has passed. The ancients believed that if childbirth did not follow the “birth diagrams” (chan tu)—diagrams or rules of taboo governing childbirth—and a taboo was violated, the mother and child might die. Even if they survived, they might fall ill or suffer misfortune in other matters. By following the birth diagrams and avoiding violations of the taboos, it was believed, the mother would remain healthy and the child would be easy to raise.

When labor begins, it is especially important to prevent crowds from gathering to watch. Only two or three people should remain to help; others should be told after the birth is over. The scripture says that childbirth often goes badly when too many people crowd around.

Above all, a woman in labor should not panic. Those around her should remain calm and cautious, neither delaying things unnecessarily nor urging her to hurry. Grief and fear can make labor difficult. If, during abdominal pain, she seems to see flashes of fire before her eyes, the scripture says this means the fetus is still turning and has not yet been born. After the child is born, neither the mother nor those around her should ask whether it is a boy or a girl until the sex has been determined. As soon as the child is born, give it five mouthfuls of freshly drawn well water, not hot soup. Do not let the mother see anything unclean.

The mother’s diet should be monitored carefully. She should avoid warming medicines and excessively hot flour-based foods; food should be mildly warm, close to body temperature.

Before labor, she should take off her usual clothes and use them to cover the stove and its opening completely. The scripture says this helps ensure an easy birth.

For difficult labor, a fetus that has died in the womb, a breech presentation, or a placenta (called “fetal covering” in ancient times) that has not been delivered, consult the prescriptions in the relevant chapters of this book.

Prescription for difficult labor: This prescription is for labor that has begun but then stopped, a fetus that will not descend, a fetus that has died in the womb, a fetus pressing against the spine, or labor that has not resulted in birth after several days. It also applies when the mother’s blood and Qi surge up into her chest and heart, leaving her pale and faint.

Take two sheng of strong wine, one sheng of white honey, and one sheng of clarified lard. Simmer the three ingredients together until the mixture is reduced to two sheng, then divide it into two doses. If she cannot take it in two doses, give an amount she can manage. If it is used after birth for lochia that has not been fully discharged and is surging up into the chest and heart, causing heart pain, agitation, and distress, replace the strong wine with fresh rehmannia juice.

Another prescription for difficult labor: Two sheng of chopped pagoda tree branches, one sheng each of chopped elm inner bark and hemp seeds, three liang each of Chinese pink and rice paper plant, and five liang of achyranthes root.

Cut the six ingredients listed above into small pieces. Boil them in one dou and two sheng of water until three and a half sheng of liquid remain. Divide it into five doses and take them over the course of the day.

Another remedy: swallow two soapberry seeds.

Another remedy: take fourteen pieces of grass that have already been used in front of a latrine, burn them to ash, mix the ash with water, and drink it.

Another remedy: have the husband spit into his wife’s mouth fourteen times. It is said to make the baby come out immediately.

Another remedy: insert a needle about one cun into the Jianjing points on both shoulders, located near the base of the neck, and use the reducing technique. Labor should begin shortly afterward.

Remedies for difficult labor when delivery has not occurred after three days

Burn a mouse’s head to ash. Mix the ash with the clear water from the top of a well, and take one square-inch spoonful—a small medicinal spoonful—three times a day.

Another remedy: swallow the grease from an axle, about the size of a pea each time, in two pills.

Another remedy: heat a medicinal pestle until it glows red, put it into wine, then drink the wine.

Another remedy: heat the iron ring of a large knife, pour a cup of wine over it, and drink the wine at once. The book says this can be used as an emergency measure even when the mother is in grave danger and the baby has not yet been delivered.

A remedy for difficult labor lasting many days, when strength is exhausted and delivery is still impossible—intended for people who were already ill

Two liang of donkey-hide gelatin and two sheng of red adzuki beans.

Boil the beans in nine sheng of water until they are cooked, then strain out the solids. Add the donkey-hide gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Take five ge each time. If it does not work, the dose may be repeated, up to three times, after which the baby will be delivered.

Another remedy:

Fourteen Chinese scholar-tree seeds and one he of cattail pollen.

Put the two ingredients in wine, warm it, and drink it. If labor has not begun after a short while, take another dose. It may also be taken with water.

Another remedy:

Half a sheng each of fresh ginger juice and fresh Rehmannia juice.

Mix the juices, boil them, and drink the whole amount at once.

A remedy for difficult labor and for signs of labor before the pregnancy is full term

One liang of Anemarrhena root, ground to a fine powder and mixed with honey to make pills the size of rabbit droppings. Take one pill at a time. If the pain does not stop, take another.

Antelope-horn powder: for restlessness and distress in the chest after childbirth

This is caused by Blood and Qi surging upward and affecting the heart and chest. Burn antelope horn to ash and sift it to obtain a fine powder. Mix the powder with water from a river flowing eastward and take one square-inch spoonful at a time. If the symptoms do not ease, take another dose after a short while, and continue until the distress subsides.

Another remedy: burn antelope horn to ash and mix it with warm wine. Take one square-inch spoonful at a time. If there is no relief, take another dose after a short while. The Emergency Prescriptions records that this remedy is also used for difficult labor.

A remedy for fainting and loss of breath during childbirth

Pound one liang of Pinellia, sift it, and make it into pills the size of soybeans. Place a pill in the nostril. It is said to bring improvement. (This is Bian Que’s method.)

Another remedy: mix Divine Comedy powder with water and take one square-inch spoonful at a time. This may also be used for difficult labor.

Another prescription: Pound adzuki beans into a fine powder. Measure out one square-inch spoonful—the ancient equivalent of a small medicine spoon—and take it with water flowing eastward. If the condition does not improve, another dose may be taken.

Another prescription: Hold strong vinegar in the mouth, then spray it onto the face. The condition will improve at once. Whenever there is a feeling of tightness in the chest, spray the face in this way.

Another prescription: Take an amount of a woman’s blood about the size of a date pit, mix it with strong vinegar, and swallow it.

Prescription for Tightness in the Chest After Childbirth

If there is tightness in the chest after childbirth and the eyes cannot be opened, gather a lock of hair about two fingers thick at the crown of the head and have someone pull it forcefully. The eyes will then open.

Sixth: The Fetus Has Died in the Womb

A treatise says: The following signs can be used to judge whether the mother and child are alive in a difficult labor. If the mother’s face is red and her tongue is blue, the fetus is dead but the mother may survive. If the mother’s lips are blue and white foam appears at the corners of her mouth, both mother and child are in danger. If the mother’s face is blue, her tongue is red, and foam appears in her mouth, the mother is in danger but the fetus may survive.

Prescription for Fetal Movement, Difficult Labor, Fetal Death in the Womb, and Cases in Which One of Twins Has Died While the Other Lives. After Taking It, the Dead Fetus Can Be Expelled and the Living Fetus Will Be Safe.

One sheng of crab claws, two chi of licorice root, and three liang of donkey-hide gelatin.

Use one dou of water flowing eastward. First boil the crab claws and licorice root until the liquid is reduced to three sheng, then strain out the solids. Add the donkey-hide gelatin and simmer until it has melted. Take the full amount at once; if that is not possible, it may be taken in two doses. If the patient is drowsy and her mouth is tightly closed, pry it open and give her the medicine. As soon as it enters her mouth, she will revive. Brew the medicine over a stove facing east, using reeds for fuel.

Pearl Decoction: Prescription for Fetal Death in the Womb

One liang of prepared pearl and one sheng of inner elm bark, chopped.

Boil these two ingredients in three sheng of bitter wine, an ancient type of vinegar, until the liquid is reduced to one sheng. Take it all at once, and the dead fetus will be expelled immediately.

Prescription for a Dead Fetus in the Womb That Cannot Be Expelled

Smear cow dung on the woman’s abdomen, and the fetus will be expelled immediately.

Another prescription: Take three finger pinches of yellow earth from beneath a stove and swallow it with wine; the fetus will be expelled immediately. The earth may also be smeared on the fetus’s head. This method is also used when the fetus is in a breech or transverse position, or when a hand or foot presents and the fetus cannot be delivered.

Another prescription: Take three liang of mercury, and the fetus will be expelled immediately.

Another prescription: Take two sheng of the husband’s urine, bring it to a boil, and have the woman drink it.

Another prescription: Take two sheng of vinegar, pry open the woman’s mouth, and pour it in.

Another prescription: Swallow fourteen locust tree seeds. This is also used for a breech presentation.

Another prescription: Take one egg from each of three households, a pinch of salt, and one sheng of water. Boil them together, then have the woman drink the mixture while facing east. The fetus will be expelled immediately.

These are all treatments recorded in ancient texts. Some may cause serious harm, especially taking mercury; they must not be used for self-treatment.

Another prescription: Take one jin of qumai (a medicinal herb), add eight sheng of water, and boil until two sheng of liquid remain. Take one sheng per dose. If the fetus has not been expelled, take another dose.

A prescription for treating a fetus that has died in the womb, dried up, and become stuck against the mother’s back:

Winter mallow seeds (one sheng) and donkey-hide gelatin (five liang).

Add five sheng of water to these two ingredients and boil until two sheng of liquid remain. Take the whole amount at once. If the fetus has still not been expelled, prepare and take another dose.

A prescription for treating a premature pregnancy in which the fetus suddenly dies in the womb and cannot be expelled, placing the mother in danger:

Boil soybeans in strong vinegar. Take one sheng per dose. The text says the dead fetus will be expelled immediately. If the full amount cannot be taken at once, it may be divided into two doses. Another prescription uses soybeans boiled in unwatered wine; it is also used to treat illnesses involving masses and accumulations.

A prescription for treating a fetus that has died in the womb, or a child who has been born while the afterbirth remains undelivered, with pain in the abdomen pulling through to the lower back:

Licorice (one chi), cassia bark (four cun), one egg, cattail pollen (two ge), and fermented black soybeans (two sheng).

Add six sheng of water to these five ingredients and boil until one sheng of liquid remains. Take the whole amount at once. The text says this will expel the fetus, afterbirth, and other unclean matter completely, and that it works very well.

A prescription for treating an illness in a pregnant woman when the fetus needs to be expelled:

Mix one egg with as much salt as can be pinched between three fingers, and take it. The text says the fetus will be expelled immediately. (This is the same as the method used by Ruan Henan to treat difficult labor.)

Another prescription: Grind one sheng of malted barley into powder, mix it with one sheng of honey, and take it. The text says the fetus will be expelled immediately.

Another prescription: Take three sheng of divine leaven made on the seventh day of the seventh month, add one sheng of vinegar, and bring it to a boil twice. Leave it overnight. Fast from the evening before taking it, then drink the whole amount at dawn the next day. The text says the fetus will then be expelled.

Another prescription: Take five sheng of barley leaven and one dou of wine. Bring the mixture to a boil three times, then strain out the solids and divide the liquid into five doses. Fast from the evening before taking the medicine. The text claims that the fetus will be expelled “like rotten gruel,” while the mother will be vigorous and free of pain. It calls this a secret prescription “worth a thousand pieces of gold,” never to be passed on.

Seventh: Breech and transverse births (discussion and prescriptions)

The treatise says that in difficult labor, the fetus may come out sideways or at an angle, or with a hand or foot first. A needle awl may be inserted one or two fen into the fetus’s hand or foot, causing it pain and alarm so that it draws back; afterward, it will turn into the proper position for birth on its own.

A prescription for treating a breech birth:

Apply salt to the soles of the fetus’s feet, or pinch and scratch them firmly with a fingernail. At the same time, rub salt over the mother’s abdomen. The text says this will correct the condition.

Another prescription: Apply salt mixed with powder to the soles of the fetus’s feet, and it will turn into the proper position for birth. (The Secret Record of Mother and Child says to mix salt with alum powder.)

Another remedy: Take two pellets’ worth of dust accumulated on a roof beam and grind it into a fine powder. Each time, take a pinch of the powder between three fingers and swallow it with warm wine.

Remedies for a fetus presenting feet first or sideways, or for a birth in which a hand or foot appears first and the fetus cannot be delivered

Burn shed snake skin to ash and grind it into powder. Take one knife-tip measure each time—a small amount, as held by an ancient measuring instrument for medicines, also recorded as a three-finger pinch—and swallow it with wine while facing east. The fetus will then be delivered smoothly.

Another remedy: Take two cicada shells and grind them into a fine powder. Each time, take a three-finger pinch and swallow it with warm wine. (The Cui Family Formulary, Essential Methods from the Outer Terrace, and Secret Record of Mother and Child specify taking two pellet-sized portions of the powder and swallowing them with wine.)

Another remedy: Take fourteen of the father’s pubic hairs, burn them, mix the ash with lard, and form it into a pill the size of a soybean. Swallow the pill. The text says that the fetus will grasp it with its hand and be born; the effect is said to be extraordinarily miraculous.

Another remedy: Burn shed snake skin to ash, mix it with lard to form a pill, and take it while facing east.

Another remedy: Dip the middle finger in soot from the bottom of a cooking pot and draw a crossed character beneath the fetus’s feet. The fetus will then be delivered smoothly.

Another remedy: Write the father’s name beneath the fetus’s feet. The fetus will then be delivered smoothly.

Remedies for a fetus presenting sideways or feet first

Take dust from a roof beam and soot from a chimney and swallow them with wine.

Another remedy: Take the grease from inside a wheel hub and write with it beneath the fetus’s feet and on its palms.

Remedies for a fetus lying crosswise or lengthwise in an abnormal position and unable to be delivered

Grind dodder seeds into powder and swallow one square-inch spoonful with wine or rice liquid. The fetus will then be delivered. Plantain seeds can also be used in the same way.

Another remedy: Swallow soot from a chimney with water or wine.

A remedy for labor in which the fetus moves only toward the birth canal but cannot be delivered

Heat salt by frying it, then apply it as a hot compress. The condition will subside on its own.

For retained placenta after delivery, section eight

Ox-Knee Decoction: Used when the placenta is not delivered after childbirth, with the aim of dissolving it.

One liang each of ox-knee root and common aster; one and a half liang each of Chinese angelica root and tetrapanax pith; two liang of talc (another version uses two liang of cassia bark); and half a sheng of hollyhock seeds.

Cut the six ingredients into pieces. Boil them in nine sheng of water until three sheng of liquid remain, then take in three portions.

Remedy for difficult labor, retained placenta, a fetus lying crosswise, or a fetus that has died in the womb when the mother’s breathing is failing

Two liang each of pinellia tuber and Chinese

turmeric vine root.

Grind the two ingredients into a fine powder and sift it. Take one square-inch spoonful each time. For difficult labor, take one dose; for a sideways presentation, take two doses; for a feet-first presentation, take three doses; and if the fetus has died in the womb, take four doses. Two liang each of hematite and common aster may also be added for better effect.

Remedy for a fetus that has died in the womb, or when the mother is ill and the fetus needs to be delivered

Take and chop the inner white bark of an elm tree. Boil it to obtain three sheng of juice, then drink it; the placenta and other afterbirth tissues will be expelled. It is also useful in difficult labor.

Another remedy: Take one sheng of fresh rehmannia juice and three he of bitter wine (vinegar). Warm and drink. If it is too much to take at once, divide it into two doses.

Another remedy: Take three liang of achyranthes root and one sheng of sunflower seeds. Boil these two ingredients in seven sheng of water until three sheng remain, then divide into three doses.

Another remedy: Take three liang of eupatorium leaves, five he of talc, and two he of raw sesame oil. First boil the eupatorium in one and a half sheng of water until seven he of liquid remain. Strain out the plant matter, add the talc and sesame oil, and drink all at once.

Remedies for failure of the afterbirth to come out

Boil wheat and red beans until thick, then drink the liquid. The afterbirth will soon be expelled. This is also used when the fetus is lying crosswise or is breech.

Another remedy: Take fourteen melon seeds. The afterbirth will soon be expelled; this remedy is effective.

Another remedy: Boil a bowstring or crossbow string in water and drink five he of the liquid; the afterbirth will be expelled. Alternatively, burn the string to ash and take it mixed with wine.

Another remedy: Dig up a post buried in the house. Take about an egg-sized amount of earth from the hole beneath it and drink it mixed with wine.

Another remedy: Take three cun of ink, grind it to a powder, and swallow it with wine.

Another remedy: Take a date-sized amount of cattail pollen and swallow it with well water drawn at dawn.

Another remedy: Swallow one liang of pearls with bitter wine.

Another remedy: Take one egg and one he of bitter wine. Mix well and drink.

Another remedy: If a boy is born, swallow seven small beans; if a girl is born, swallow fourteen. The afterbirth will be expelled.

Remedy for a breech birth when the fetus cannot be delivered

Take soot from the bottom of a cooking pot, boil it in wine for one or two boils, then drink the liquid.

Remedies for delay in expelling the afterbirth after childbirth

Take a yolk-sized amount of earth from the bottom of a well and mix it with well water drawn at dawn. The afterbirth will soon be expelled.

Another remedy: Take yellow earth from a well, roll it into pills the size of parasol tree seeds, and swallow them. The afterbirth will be expelled.

Another remedy: For use when the fetus cannot be delivered.

Remedies when the fetus has died in the womb, or when the afterbirth fails to come out and rises toward the chest

Immediately take three sheng of earth from an ant nest. Heat it in a cloth bag and apply it below the pit of the stomach. It is said to prevent the fetus from rising toward the chest.

Another remedy: Take soot from a kitchen chimney and grind it to a powder. Take a pinch between three fingers, mix it with water and bitter wine, and drink. The afterbirth will soon be expelled. When taking it, the medicine should be brought into contact with the fetus’s head.

Another remedy: Place the husband’s undergarment over a well. The afterbirth will be expelled.

Another remedy: Take a sieve used for steaming rice, burn it in front of the doorway, and take it.

Ninth: Remedies for inducing lactation

The “Bell-Stalactite Decoction” for insufficient breast milk in women:

Six liang each of stalactite, saltpeter, and white clay (one version uses talc instead of saltpeter); twelve zhu of tetrapanax pith; and half a liang of platycodon, chopped.

Chop the five ingredients and simmer them in five sheng of water. Bring the mixture to a boil three times, taking it off the heat after each boil and then returning it to simmer. Strain out the herbs, add the saltpeter, and, once it has dissolved, take the decoction in divided doses.

Another formula:

Equal parts stalactite and tetrapanax pith.

Grind the two ingredients into a fine powder. Take one level fangcunbi (an ancient measure for powdered medicine) with rice gruel, three times a day. After taking it, one can continue nursing two children. Choose tetrapanax pith whose stems have a central pith, but do not use it. Yellow-rooted Chinese kiwi has no benefit. (The wording in the original may be corrupt; this rendering follows its apparent meaning.)

Another method of taking it: Soak the two ingredients in five sheng of wine overnight. The next morning, bring the wine to a boil and strain out the herbs. Take one sheng at a time, three times a day. Drink it cold in summer and warm in winter.

Another formula:

Four liang of stalactite, two liang of licorice (one account omits it), three liang of radix rhapontici, and five liang each of tetrapanax pith and trichosanthes root.

Chop the five ingredients and simmer them in one dou of water until reduced to three sheng. Divide into three doses. (Another account calls for one trichosanthes fruit.)

Another formula:

One liang each of stalactite and tetrapanax pith; half a liang of radix rhapontici; and six zhu each of cinnamon heart, licorice, and trichosanthes root.

Grind the six ingredients into a fine powder and sift it. Take one fangcunbi with wine, three times a day. The original describes this formula as “most effective.”

Another formula:

Two liang each of stalactite and radix rhapontici.

Grind the two ingredients into a fine powder and sift it. Take one fangcunbi with a drink. The original says that the milk will then flow.

Radix Rhapontici Decoction, with the same effect as above:

Two liang each of radix rhapontici and tetrapanax pith; one liang of stalactite; and one sheng of millet.

Chop the four ingredients. Soak the millet overnight, rub it, and extract three sheng of juice. Use this juice to simmer the other ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil three times, then strain out the herbs and drink it three times a day.

Radix Rhapontici Powder, with the same effect as above:

Half a liang of radix rhapontici; one liang each of stalactite and trichosanthes root; and three he of grubs (the larvae of three kinds of scarab beetle).

Grind the four ingredients into a fine powder and sift it. Eat first, then take one fangcunbi with sugar water, three times a day.

A decoction of gypsum alone, with the same effect as above:

Four liang of gypsum, ground finely and added to two sheng of water. Bring to a boil three times, then take gradually, finishing it that day.

Ophiopogon Powder, for treating the same condition described above.

Take equal amounts of ophiopogon, akebia stem, mineral stone, and stalactite. Grind the four ingredients into a fine powder and sift. Before meals, take one square-inch spoonful of the powder with wine, three times a day.

Another formula:

Take equal amounts of ophiopogon, akebia stem, mineral stone, stalactite, snake gourd root, Chinese dates, and grubs. Grind the seven ingredients into a fine powder and sift. After meals, take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

Another formula:

Take one sow’s trotter, roughly chop it, and boil it in two dou of water until cooked. When the liquid has reduced to five or six sheng, drink it. If it is still ineffective, prepare another dose.

Another formula:

Take two pig’s trotters, boil them until cooked, roast them, then pound them to pieces. Finely slice eight liang of akebia stem. Soak both ingredients in one dou of clear wine and drink it slowly until finished. If it is still ineffective, prepare another dose. The Essential Secrets from the Outer Pavilion records a variation: do not roast the trotters. Boil them in one dou of water until four sheng remain, add four sheng of wine, boil again, and drink.

Another formula:

Slice one sheng of snake gourd root, add four sheng of wine, and boil three times. Strain out the herbs and divide the liquid into three doses.

Another formula:

Take three liang each of snake gourd root and langdu root, four liang of stalactite, one liang of white-flowered pulsatilla, and two liang each of talc and akebia stem. Grind the six ingredients into a fine powder and sift. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

Another formula:

Take one large, green snake gourd fruit that has not yet turned yellow. Crush it, add one dou of white wine, and boil until four sheng remain. Strain out the fruit and take one sheng warm, three times a day. If the snake gourd fruit has turned yellow and is small, two fruits may be used instead.

Another formula:

Grind snake gourd root into a fine powder. Take half a money-spoonful, three times a day. The text says that the milk will then flow out like a stream.

A decoction of winged euonymus alone, for treating the same condition described above.

Take five liang of winged euonymus and boil it in six sheng of water until four sheng remain. Take eight ge each time, three times a day. Alternatively, burn the winged euonymus to ash and take one square-inch spoonful with water, three times a day.

Licorice Powder, for treating the same condition described above.

Take one liang of licorice, thirty zhu of akebia stem, twenty zhu of stalactite, two and a half liang of mica, and two handfuls of loose thatch from a rooftop. Burn the thatch to ash. Grind all five ingredients into a fine powder and sift. After meals, take one square-inch spoonful with a warm decoction of langdu root, three times a day. Stop taking it once the milk begins to flow.

Another prescription: Burn a dead rat to a char, grind it into a fine powder, and take it with wine. Each dose should be about one square-inch spoonful (an ancient measure for powdered medicine, holding roughly an amount the size of a square inch). Continue taking it for three days. It should bring about a bowel movement soon after taking it. Do not let the patient know that the prescription contains a dead rat.

Another prescription: Burn a carp’s head to ash, grind it into a powder, and take it with wine. Each dose should be a three-finger pinch.

A prescription for bringing on the flow of breast milk with crucian carp soup:

Crucian carp (seven inches long), half a jin of pork fat, and eight liang each of loulu and stalactite.

Chop the four ingredients. Do not wash or prepare the pork fat or fish. Combine them with one dou and two sheng of clear wine and cook together. Once the fish is cooked and the medicines have simmered, strain out the dregs and let the liquid cool until it is a suitable temperature. Divide it into five doses. Leave a short interval between doses so the medicine can continue to take effect. The milk will then begin to flow.