《孫真人備急千金要方》Vol. 66

A rapid pulse without fever in the body suggests that an abscess—a pus-filled mass forming inside the body—may already be present.

Floating, rapid pulses, in which the pulse is felt near the surface and beats quickly, should usually be accompanied by fever. If instead the person has waves of chills and pain in one particular area, an abscess may be forming there.

A faint, slow pulse will inevitably be followed by fever. A weak, rapid pulse brings chills and trembling, and may signal the development of a swollen abscess.

If the pulse is floating and rapid but the body is not feverish, the person appears calm, the stomach feels slightly dry, and the site of pain is unclear, an abscess may be developing.

A slippery, rapid pulse indicates that the illness is substantial and that there is heat. A slippery pulse corresponds to Ying Qi (the Qi and blood that nourish the body), while a rapid pulse corresponds to Wei Qi (the Qi that protects the body). When Ying Qi and Wei Qi become entangled, an abscess forms. Wherever pathogenic heat passes, it may turn into pus; painful areas of the body may also develop sores from time to time.

Someone asked, “A faint, rough pulse at the cun-kou (the pulse at the wrist) should indicate blood loss. But if there has been no sweating, how can this be explained?” The reply was, “If there is a sore on the body, or the person has been wounded by a blade or another object, then that is the cause of the blood loss.”

A slippery, rapid pulse at the fu-yang (the pulse on the top of the foot) should be accompanied by difficulty passing stool and a feeling of urgency and incomplete evacuation. If the shao-yin pulse (a pulse position associated with the Kidney meridian) is slippery and rapid, a woman may develop a sore in the genital area.

Discussion: At first, a yongju (abscess or ulcer, terms used in antiquity for different kinds of pus-filled sores) is often mild, so people tend to dismiss it. Yet it can worsen quickly, and many cases have led to serious harm because treatment was delayed. On the back, a sore with thin skin is called a yong, while one with thick skin is called a ju; both should be treated promptly.

In its early stages, a yongju may resemble a small boil; it may be very painful or only mildly painful. Sometimes the only sign is a tiny, rice-grain-sized spot with a white tip of pus. These are all early signs and should be watched closely. At the first sign of an abnormality, treatment should begin at once, along with dietary restrictions and timely use of decoctions to clear heat and resolve toxins. If medicines are unavailable, moxibustion (the traditional practice of warming an acupoint with burning mugwort) may be applied at the center of the affected area for one hundred cones. In severe cases, two or three hundred cones may be applied around the area and at its center. The book also says that cold medicines and other methods may be used in combination.

Topical medicines should be applied directly to the head of the sore, with an opening left in the plaster to let heat escape. Another method is to insert a fire needle four fen into the center of the affected area; the book states that this will bring about recovery. These are treatments recorded in ancient medical texts.

Abscesses, deep-seated sores, tumors, stone abscesses, knotted tendons, and scrofulous swellings must never be treated with acupuncture or the horn method (using a horn device to draw out fluid, similar to cupping). Even a slight mistake in applying the horn method can often bring harm.

Whenever an abscess appears, whether large or small, treat it as soon as you notice it. Take a piece of glue material used for dressings about the size of your palm, soften it in warm water, and cut it to fit the swelling. Cut a hole in the center about the size of a copper coin. Place the glue over the swelling with the hole directly above it, and, after a while, let it dry and adhere firmly. If there is no pus yet, the swelling will stop and will not grow larger; if pus has already formed, it will drain on its own. You may also insert a sharp needle through the hole until all the pus has drained and the condition has healed, then wash the glue away.

A swelling whose base is less than one cun in diameter is called a “boil”; one more than a cun across is called a “small abscess.” A swelling about the size of a bean is called a “pustule.” When these conditions first appear, take Five-Flavor Forsythia Decoction promptly for several doses, and stop once the condition has healed.

If an abscess is raised and shiny but not very hot, and the swelling is flat, without a pointed head, and purple in color, there is no need to forcefully treat it with medicines. Use only Bamboo Leaf and Astragalus Decoction to support Qi and blood. A flat swelling indicates that pus has not yet formed.

For an abscess that suddenly becomes painful, apply Eight-Ingredient Astragalus Powder. Apply it for seven days for a large abscess and five days for a small one. If a hard area has formed within the swelling, it is better to let it mature and rupture on its own to drain the pus. If it is so hot that the hand cannot be brought near it, first take Wangbuliuxing Powder, and apply Back Abscess Plaster externally. Abscesses on the back generally need not cause concern once they have ruptured; an abscess on the breast, however, should be allowed to mature fully. Press the swelling with your hand: if it springs back as soon as you release it, the sore has matured and should be lanced.

When lancing, be sure to reach the pus, judging the depth according to the circumstances. Do not insert the needle more than one cun into the chest or back, and carefully gauge the depth. If no pus comes out, use Meat-Eating Paste Powder and apply it inside the opening of the abscess. If the body’s fever has subsided, take Wood-Occupying Powder. Five days later, when the abscess is about to scab over, take Pus-Expelling and Wound-Filling Powder.

After an abscess ruptures, if the person becomes so weak they seem near death, with internal cold and external heat…. Some swellings look like abscesses but are not. Press the swelling with your hand; if it is not connected to the surrounding area, it is wind toxin. Do not lance it. Take Cimicifuga Decoction and apply medicinal plaster externally.

When opening an abscess, leave a gap of one-third at the top and one-third at the bottom, then lance it. Be sure the affected area becomes thoroughly warm; once warmth develops, the pain will cease. If the wound remains rotten and unhealed after rupturing, wash it with Pig-Trotter Decoction twice a day: for two days in summer and six or seven days in winter. You may also use only half a dose of Pig-Trotter Decoction.

After a boil has burst and ulcerated, if dead flesh remains, wash the area with pig’s trotter soup to remove the impurities, then apply the Shí Ròu powder to help the dead flesh slough off. Once it has all been removed, apply the Shēng Ròu powder and spread it around the edges of the sore so healthy new flesh can grow as quickly as possible. During treatment, abstain from sexual activity, avoid wind and cold, and do not overexert yourself. Resume ordinary activities only after the sinews and vessels have recovered. Newly grown flesh is easily injured. If it is damaged, the inside of the sore will ulcerate, the condition will worsen and recur, and a recurrence is often difficult to treat. Great care is essential. In particular, avoid the formation of white scabs.

Sudden swellings vary in nature, but regardless of how long they have been present, take the Five-Spice and Forsythia Decoction, lance the swelling to release blood, and apply red bean powder. Continue to release blood with a needle from time to time during treatment. If treatment is delayed and the swelling has already ulcerated, still take the Five-Spice Decoction and the Lòu Lú Decoction to purge with medicines; adjust the dosage to the severity of the heat, as prescribed. For external treatment, wash and apply hot compresses with the Shēng Má Decoction (formula in “Erysipelas”), and apply Shēng Má Ointment (formula in “Erysipelas”). If a polyp forms—an overgrowth of flesh in the sore—apply the Bái Lǘ Rú Powder. Stop using it once the blue-black dead flesh has been cleared away. When healthy flesh begins to grow, switch to Shēng Má Ointment. If the flesh still does not grow, apply the One-Ingredient Huáng Qí Powder.

If the blue-black dead flesh remains after applying Bái Lǘ Rú Powder, take half a coin-weight of Qī Tóu Lǘ Rú Powder and mix it with three coin-weights of Bái Lǘ Rú Powder. Apply a small amount at a time, in successive applications. Select the ingredients for each powder according to their color, pound and sift them separately, and use them directly as powders. These methods were collected from proven prescriptions for treating huǎn jū, a type of sore that develops slowly.

Sometimes a sudden pain arises somewhere in the body, as if the area had been struck. The pain is unbearable and shifts from place to place; it comes and goes. During an attack there is some fever, and when the pain stops, the person feels cold. This condition is called “Qi pain.” The text explains that it occurs when warm Qi is encountered in winter, then a sudden cold wind strikes in spring. The warm Qi fails to develop into a warm disease and instead manifests as Qi pain. Treatment should begin with the Five-Spice and Forsythia Decoction, followed by application of Dān Shēn Ointment. Willow bark may also be boiled in white liquor and applied as a warm compress. If red spots appear on the skin, lance them with a needle to release blood. Several doses of the Five-Spice and Forsythia Decoction and the Small Bamboo-Drain Decoction may be taken in succession. Do not stop after one dose merely because no improvement is apparent, assuming the medicine has failed; doing so may be dangerous. Taking Bái Wēi Powder alongside them is also beneficial.

There is also a condition called “Qi swelling pain.” It resembles a swollen sore but has no pus head. The swelling is soft and raised, its color unchanged, but the skin is taut and painful, sometimes too tender to touch. The Five-Spice Decoction should also be taken, followed by treatment with a plain needle.

After treatment by purging, apply Tribulus powder to the affected area.

People with pain in the chest and shortness of breath should enter a dark room and press on the left eye with a finger. If they can still see light, this indicates an abscess forming in the chest. If they cannot see light, the condition is a deep-rooted carbuncle—one that arises inside the body and develops outward.

The scriptures say that when pathogenic Qi remains lodged in the channels, Qi and blood both become sluggish and cannot flow freely. As they accumulate and knot together, an abscess or carbuncle forms. The scriptures do not say that this is caused by pathogenic heat. But an abscess may develop later because Yang Qi gathers and pathogenic Cold transforms into heat. When the heat becomes intense, the flesh decays and turns to pus. When the body is already hot and is then invaded by cold, the network vessels become blocked. Heat then stagnates and forms an abscess or carbuncle.

There are treatments for abscesses and carbuncles that use moxibustion, as well as warming treatments. If the inside of the affected area is still cold and has not yet developed heat, cooling medicines may be applied. Once heat has formed, it should be cleared and dispersed to prevent the formation of pus. If the affected area is red and swollen and has a pointed head, apply hellebore ointment. Another method calls for mixing oyster-shell ash with vinegar and applying it; when the medicine dries, replace it.

I suffered from abscesses and carbuncles many times in my life. Whenever a treatment proved effective, I recorded it at once. On examining the origins of these illnesses, I found that most were caused by the effects of medicines. In some families, elders had taken mineral-based medicines, and their descendants were also often afflicted with this condition. As for diet, one should especially avoid wheat foods, alcohol, and garlic, and be cautious about using a warm bed and thick quilts. If these precautions are followed, perhaps no other problems will arise throughout one’s life. I have verified all of this through personal experience, so I have recorded it in particular.

Five-Fragrance and Forsythia Decoction, for treating various malignant nodules, scrofula (a condition akin to tuberculous lymph-node disease), abscesses and carbuncles, malignant swellings, and disorders affecting the back.

Ingredients: greenwood root, agarwood, clove, frankincense, musk, blackberry lily, cimicifuga, angelica pubescens, Chinese taxillus, forsythia, and tetrapanax pith, two liang each; rhubarb, three liang.

Cut the twelve ingredients into pieces and decoct them in nine sheng of water until four sheng of liquid remain. Add two sheng of bamboo sap and continue decocting until three sheng remain. Divide into three doses and take to promote evacuation. A formula in the Zhouhou Fang adds purple kudzu and licorice in place of tetrapanax pith; it treats malignant flesh, malignant vessels, and malignant nodules, as well as swelling and pain caused by wind pathogenic factors becoming lodged. The formula in the Yaoji Yuyi adds six fen each of astragalus, licorice, and mirabilite. The Qianjin Yi says it may be taken continuously until the illness is cured. Its formula is similar to the one in the Pediatrics Chapter, but differs slightly.

Astragalus and Bamboo-Leaf Decoction, for treating abscesses and carbuncles on the back.

Ingredients: astragalus, licorice, and scutellaria.

Peony root, ophiopogon root (three liang), Chinese angelica root, ginseng, gypsum, cnidium rhizome (also known as Sichuan lovage), and pinellia tuber (two liang each); fresh ginger (five liang, used fresh); rehmannia root (eight liang); jujubes (thirty); and a handful of lophatherum leaves.

Coarsely chop the fourteen ingredients. First boil the lophatherum leaves in one dou and two sheng of water until the liquid is reduced to one dou, then strain out the leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until three sheng of liquid remain. Divide this into four doses. Leave about as much time between doses as it takes to walk twenty li; take three doses during the day and one at night.

Eight-Ingredient Astragalus Powder

Astragalus root, cnidium rhizome, rhubarb, goldthread, peony root, Chinese lizard’s tail, baical skullcap root, and gardenia seed, in equal parts.

Grind the eight ingredients into a fine powder and mix it with egg white to make a paste. Spread the paste on an old piece of cloth and apply it over the swelling, matching the size of the affected area. Replace it when the medicine dries. If the sore has already opened, leave an opening in the dressing so that air can pass through.

Wangbuliuxing Seed Powder, for swellings and abscesses that are difficult to rupture and cause the patient severe pain.

Wangbuliuxing seeds (three ge; the Qianjin Yifang gives one sheng), dragon bone, and Chinese angelica root (two liang each); wild kudzu bark (half a fen); dried ginger and cassia bark (one liang each); and trichosanthes root (six fen).

Grind the seven ingredients into a fine powder. After meals, take one fangcun bi measure—a small ancient spoonful of powder—with warm wine, three times a day. After taking it, aim for a slight tingling or numbness in the limbs. If no sensation occurs, gradually increase the dose until the patient feels at ease. The prescription says that the pus will break out on its own, after which the wound will scab over and heal. This remedy is called “Spirit Powder” and is said to make swellings and abscesses subside. The Qianjin Yifang records its use for carbuncles, deep-rooted abscesses, and various kinds of swelling, and says it may be taken even after they have opened.

Internal Supplement Powder, for carbuncles, deep-rooted abscesses, sores on the back, breast abscesses in women, and various boils and sores. If they have not yet opened, taking the powder may disperse them; if they cannot be dispersed, it may help them rupture promptly and heal.

Muzhansi, ginseng, dried ginger (some versions read dried rehmannia root), cassia bark, asarum, magnolia bark, patrinia herb, saposhnikovia root, trichosanthes root, platycodon root, and licorice root, one liang each.

Grind the eleven ingredients into a fine powder and take one fangcun bi measure with wine. The original text says that after taking it, one may feel the medicine’s force flowing into the sore. This prescription may also be taken when a carbuncle or deep-rooted abscess has failed to respond or suppurate after moxibustion. The original text ends here unfinished.

For an area of illness that has not yet broken down, remove the bai jiang. If it has already filled with pus, include bai jiang in the medicine and take it. Take it seven or eight times during the day and two or three times at night; the more often, the better. If the illness is in the lower part of the body, pus and blood should be discharged. This is intestinal abscess. For illnesses within the body, taking this medicine will bring its effects; if there is pain, it will relieve it. Taken over a long period, it can treat various sores and swellings, deep abscesses, and hemorrhoids. Even sores that have already burst can heal more quickly.

Physicians do not know how to use this medicine, so no one can treat illness that develops on the back. If you first notice an unhealthy area on the back and also feel thirsty, take this medicine frequently. Once the medicine takes effect and the thirst stops, the affected area will disperse. Even if the area has already broken down, take the medicine day and night without stopping; the swelling will disperse on its own. If you intend to take it over a long period, remove the bai jiang. Women with breast abscesses should take it as early as possible.

Another formula contains no cassia bark heartwood and is called “Mu Zhansi Powder.” It treats hard, clustered abscesses and swellings: if they have already broken down, it helps them heal more quickly; if they have not, it prevents them from developing into abscesses and helps them disperse. (The formula transmitted by Zhang Wenzhong contains no cassia bark heartwood; Liu Juanzi says it is a formula by Hua Tuo.)

Pus-Draining Internal-Support Powder: Treats large sores after the heat has subsided, when pus and blood continue to flow and the flesh inside the sore is weak and painful.

One liang each of fangfeng, fuling, baizhi, jiegeng, yuanzhi, gancao, renshen, chuanxiong, danggui, and huangqi; two liang of houpo; two fen of cassia bark heartwood; two aconite tubers; and five ge of red beans, first soaked in wine and then stir-fried until dry.

Grind these fourteen ingredients into a coarse powder. Take with wine, one level fangcun spoonful (an ancient medicinal measure), three times during the day and once at night.

Pig’s Trotter Decoction: Treats abscesses and deep sores, including abscesses on the back.

One pig’s trotter, prepared as for ordinary cooking; three liang each of huangqi, huanglian, and shaoyao; two liang of huangqin; and eight liang each of rose root and langya root.

Cut the seven ingredients into pieces. First boil the pig’s trotter in three dou of water. When it is cooked, clarify the liquid, take two dou, and add the remaining ingredients. Boil until one dou remains, then strain out the dregs. Wash the sore with the liquid. After about the time it takes to eat a meal, dry it with a cloth, then apply fresh-flesh ointment, which promotes the growth of new tissue. Do this once a day. If there is pain, add two liang each of danggui and gancao.

Another formula treats abscesses that develop on the fingers or begin at the bladder, as well as cases in which abnormal, decaying flesh grows on the back after an illness develops there: [the original text ends here unfinished].

Take one pig’s trotter and prepare it in the usual way for eating. Also take one liang each of danggui, rhizoma ligustici (chuanxiong), peony root, huangqin, angelica pubescens, mangcao, and lüru.

Chop the eight ingredients. Boil the pig’s trotter in three dou of water until eight sheng remain, then remove the trotter. Add the herbs and continue boiling until four sheng remain; strain out the herbs. Soak the affected area in the liquid for about as long as it takes to eat two meals, then wash and dry it before applying Musk Paste.

Musk Paste: Used to treat deep-rooted abscesses, sores on the back, and other severe sores, and to remove dead tissue.

Take one liang each of musk, lüru (some versions read “pearl”), realgar, and alum stone. Grind them finely and sift. Mix with lard to form a paste, and apply it to the dead tissue. Stop using it once the dead flesh has been removed, and switch to Flesh-Growing Paste.

Paste for Eroding Dead Tissue:

Take one liang each of rhubarb, rhizoma ligustici, mangcao, pearl, orpiment, and raw aconite; two liang each of baolian, alum stone, huangqin, and lüru; and half a liang of realgar. Chop the eleven ingredients. Boil them in one and a half sheng of lard until the mixture comes to a boil five or six times, then strain out the herbs. Add finely ground lüru and alum stone, mix well, and apply inside the sore. Stop using it once the dead tissue has been removed.

Prescription for Swellings and Abscesses When Dead Tissue Remains:

Take suitable quantities of the ash of shuaiyao (some versions read “diao ash”) and lime. Leach each separately to obtain the liquid, combine them, and boil the mixture down to a paste. Apply it to erode dead tissue; it can also remove black moles. Do not use this medicine if it has been stored for more than ten days.

Another prescription: Boil fresh rehmannia juice until it becomes gelatinous, shape it into a cake, and apply it to the affected area. Replace the dressing four or five times a day.

Powder for Eroding Dead Tissue:

Take two fen each of sulfur, cinnabar, musk, lacquer-treated lüru, machi fan, realgar, orpiment, and white alum. Grind finely and sift, then sprinkle it on the affected area so the medicine adheres to and erodes the dead flesh.

The “Thin Plasters” section of the Qianjin Yifang omits white alum and orpiment, adds veratrum, and says the powder may be mixed with paste before application. The “Treatment of Abscesses and Sores” section of the Waitai Miyao omits cinnabar. The Guangji Fang records that after an abscess has discharged pus, if purple, decayed flesh remains in the sore and does not disappear even after incision, this powder may be sprinkled on the area or packed into the sore to corrode and detach the tissue.

Another prescription: Take two fen each of lüru, alum stone, realgar, and sulfur. The source text ends here, and the remaining preparation instructions are missing.

Grind the four ingredients above into a fine powder and apply it inside the wound. Stop using it once the dead, decaying flesh has been completely removed; do not damage healthy flesh.

Fresh-Flesh Salve, used after abscesses and ulcers, including sores on the back, have broken down and become ulcerated, to help new flesh grow.

One jin of raw Rehmannia root; two liang of magnolia flower; one liang each of pubescent angelica root, Chinese angelica root, rhubarb, milkvetch root, Sichuan lovage rhizome, angelica dahurica root, peony root, baical skullcap root, and teasel root; five liang of Chinese chive bulb.

Chop the twelve ingredients. Simmer them in four sheng of lard from the twelfth lunar month. When the angelica dahurica turns yellow, strain out the herbs. Apply the salve to the affected area; it is said to heal quickly.

Another formula:

Two liang each of licorice, Chinese angelica root, angelica dahurica root, cistanche, Sichuan pepper, and asarum; six fen of raw aconite; one liang of snake-tongue herb; twenty stalks of Chinese chive bulb; and three liang of dried Rehmannia root.

Chop the ten ingredients and first soak them overnight in half a sheng of vinegar. The next day, add three jin of lard and simmer. Bring it to a boil three times, removing it from the heat to cool after each boil before heating it again. When the salve is ready, apply it to the affected area; it is said to heal quickly.

Snake-Tongue Fresh-Flesh Salve, used to treat abscesses and ulcers, as well as suppurating, decayed wounds caused by metal objects such as knives and swords.

Six fen each of snake-tongue herb and Chinese angelica root; three liang of dried Rehmannia root; one liang each of coptis, milkvetch root, baical skullcap root, rhubarb, teasel root, Sichuan pepper, peony root, bletilla rhizome, Sichuan lovage rhizome, Chinese lizard’s tail, angelica dahurica root, aconite, licorice, and asarum; and one handful of Chinese chive bulb.

Chop the eighteen ingredients and soak them in vinegar for two nights. Then add seven sheng of lard from the twelfth lunar month and simmer. Bring it to a boil three times, removing it from the heat to cool after each boil before heating it again. When the vinegar has boiled away, strain out the herbs and use the salve as an application. Apply it twice during the day and once at night. The formula recorded by the Cui family adds one liang each of kansui and pubescent angelica root, and omits Rehmannia root, coptis, milkvetch root, teasel root, bletilla rhizome, Sichuan lovage rhizome, angelica dahurica root, and licorice.

Five-Fragrance Decoction, used to treat sudden swelling and pain caused by heat toxin Qi, which forms a lump. The symptoms may resemble an abscess or boil, but are not actually one. The patient may have a headache, chills and fever, and shortness of breath; if these symptoms persist for several days, the condition may become life-threatening.

One liang each of green costus root, patchouli, frankincense, agarwood, and clove.

Chop the five ingredients, add five sheng of water, and decoct until two sheng of liquid remain. Divide into three doses.

If the condition has still not healed, take another dose and apply the remaining medicinal residue to the swelling. (The Qianjin Yifang records musk in place of agastache.)

Loulu Decoction (a formula for purging pathogenic heat)

Loulu, bletilla, scutellaria, ephedra, baiwei, immature bitter orange, cimicifuga, peony, and licorice, two liang each; rhubarb, three liang.

Cut the ten ingredients into pieces. Boil them in one dou of water until three sheng of liquid remain, then divide into three doses.

To make the medicine purge more rapidly, the dosage may be increased as appropriate. If no other medicines are available, rhubarb alone may be used. (The Zhouhou Fang says this formula treats abscesses, erysipelas, toxic swellings, and malignant flesh. The ingredients differ slightly among medical texts: the Qianjin Yifang omits baiwei; the Liu Juanzi Guiyi Fang omits peony and adds forsythia. It is used to treat red abscesses, erysipelas, and toxic swellings caused by seasonal heat toxins, as well as red, painful eyes and corneal opacities. When the heat is severe, two liang of mirabilite may be added. The Jingxin Lu omits baiwei and adds two liang each of anemarrhena, rhinoceros horn, and mirabilite. This formula is the same as one in the Xiao’er Fang, but the dosages and method of administration differ.)

Salvia Paste

Salvia, Chinese elder, langdu, Sichuan pepper, and zhizhu, two liang each; gentian, pubescent angelica, bletilla, achyranthes, chrysanthemum, aconite, and fangji, one liang each.

Cut the twelve ingredients into pieces and soak them overnight in two sheng of vinegar; in summer, soak them for half a day. If the paste is needed urgently, omit the soaking and cook the ingredients directly: add four sheng of pork fat and simmer over low heat until the vinegar smell has dissipated, then strain out the medicinal residue. Apply the paste to the affected area five or six times a day. (The Zhouhou Fang uses fangfeng in place of fangji. It records that this paste can treat malignant flesh, hard nodules, scrofula, wind-related lumps, and various swellings, and says it may also be taken internally.)

Small Bamboo Sap Decoction (a formula for treating Qi pain)

Two sheng of light bamboo sap; arrowhead, apricot kernels, pubescent angelica, immature bitter orange, atractylodes, fangji, fangfeng, gentian, peony, licorice, skimmia, poria, scutellaria, and ephedra, two liang each.

Cut the fifteen ingredients into pieces. Boil them in nine sheng of water until the liquid is reduced by half, then add the bamboo sap and continue boiling until three sheng remain. Divide into four doses.

Baiwei Powder

Baiwei, fangfeng, arrowhead, and atractylodes, six fen each; ephedra and gentian, five fen each.

Chinese angelica root (danggui), fangji, aconite (wutou), qingmuxiang, asparagus root (tianmendong), immature bitter orange (zhishi), pubescent angelica root (duhuo), Solomon’s seal (weirui), and Asiatic cornelian cherry (shanzhuyu), four fen each; bupleurum (chaihu) and Dahurian angelica root (baizhi), three fen each; mangcao; and Sichuan pepper (shujiao), two fen.

Grind these nineteen ingredients into a fine powder. Take it with fermented rice water, an ancient sour drink, using one square-inch spoonful, an ancient measure for powdered medicine, each time, three times a day. Gradually increase the dose to two spoonfuls each time.

Tribulus Powder: A formula for painful Qi swelling

Take one sheng of tribulus seeds, roast until yellow, and grind into powder. Mix with sesame oil to form a paste, then roast until charred black. Spread the medicine on a piece of old, soft cloth and apply it to the swollen area. Make the cloth large enough to cover the swelling; do not cut holes in it. Apply it directly, and replace it when the medicine dries. If tribulus is unavailable, mix red bean powder with egg and apply it in the same way.

Veratrum Ointment: A formula for red, raised lesions with a pointed head

Veratrum, two fen; Coptis rhizome, alum, realgar, pine resin, and Scutellaria root, eight fen each. Grind the six ingredients into powder. Add two sheng and two he of lard, heat until melted, and mix well. Apply to the affected area. The text says this formula is highly effective for ringworm sores and sores on the head. It may also be used for superficial sores that have not healed for years and have formed openings after scratching.

Dianthus Powder: A formula for abscesses and swellings, to promote pus drainage, relieve pain, and ease urination

Dianthus, one liang; peony root, cassia heart (the inner portion of cinnamon bark), red beans (soaked in wine and then roasted), Ophiopogon root, chuanxiong, astragalus root, Chinese angelica root, and amur cork tree root, two liang each. Grind the nine ingredients into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine before meals, three times a day.

The version in Qianjin Yifang uses asarum, coix seed, and Dahurian angelica root in place of cassia heart, Ophiopogon root, and amur cork tree root. The formula is recorded for various abscesses and sores, whether ruptured or not. It is also described for cases involving pain within a sore, continuous discharge of pus and blood, and unbearable pain.

Coix Seed Powder: A formula to help abscesses rupture on their own and promote tissue growth

Coix seed, cassia heart, amur cork tree root, Chinese angelica root, cistanche, and dried ginger, two liang each. Grind the six ingredients into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with warm wine before meals, three times a day, and twice more at night.

Astragalus and Poria Decoction: A formula for excessive pus and deficiency heat after an abscess or deep-seated sore has ruptured

Astragalus root and Ophiopogon root, three liang each; fresh ginger, four liang; schisandra fruit, four he; chuanxiong and poria…

The original text breaks off here; the remaining ingredients and instructions for decocting and taking the medicine are not recorded.

Cinnamon heartwood (two liang) and Chinese dates (twenty).

Coarsely chop the eight ingredients above. Boil them in one and a half dou of water until four sheng remain, then divide into six doses. The Qianjin Yifang includes three additional ingredients in this formula: polygala, Chinese angelica, and ginseng, two liang each, and licorice, six liang.

Internal-Resolution Powder: Suitable for treating all kinds of abscesses and sores—suppurating swellings between the skin and flesh.

Adzuki beans (soak one sheng in vinegar, then dry-fry), ginseng, licorice, Chinese pink, Chinese angelica, poria, and baical skullcap (two liang each); Chinese ampelopsis, coix seed, and astragalus (three liang each); saposhnikovia (one liang); and cimicifuga (four liang).

Grind the twelve ingredients above into a fine powder and sift. Take one fangcunbi (the amount held by a small ancient medicinal spoon) with wine three times a day. Continue taking it until the illness is cured.

Hedgehog-Skin Powder: Treats abscesses and sores that rupture inward and leak pus and blood, various ulcerating fistulas, sores on the back in men, sores on the breasts in women, and the five kinds of hemorrhoids.

Hedgehog skin and honeycomb (one whole of each); sanguisorba, aconite, cinnamon heartwood, Chinese angelica, and teasel (five fen each); dried ginger, Sichuan pepper, and ligusticum (four fen each); and magnolia bark (six fen).

Grind the eleven ingredients above into a fine powder and sift. Take one fangcunbi with wine on an empty stomach, three times a day, until the illness is cured. Adding seven meloe beetles makes it more effective.

Swelling disorders are generally caused by accumulated heat within the body, so cold-natured medicines should be taken. After recovery, some people develop cold-type diarrhea, with persistent loose stools. The following formula is used:

Ginseng, dragon bone, red halloysite, licorice, and dried ginger (two liang each); aconite (one piece).

Coarsely chop the six ingredients above. Boil them in eight sheng of water until two and a half sheng remain. Divide into three doses, taking eight ge at a time.

Gardenia Decoction: Treats heat in both the exterior and interior, dysfunction of the Triple Burner, sores on the body, abscesses or boils, and difficulty passing urine or stool.

Gardenia seeds (twenty-seven), mirabilite (one liang), baical skullcap, licorice, and anemarrhena (three liang each); rhubarb (four liang).

Coarsely chop the six ingredients above. Boil them in five sheng of water until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the rhubarb and continue boiling until one sheng and eight ge remain. Strain out the dregs, then add the mirabilite. Divide into three doses.

Five-Benefit Decoction: Treats people under forty who are physically strong and often suffer from severe fever and abscesses… The original text ends here.

If a deep, pus-filled swelling occurs in different places and urination and bowel movements are blocked, one may use the “Rhubarb Decoction” attributed to Liu Juanzi: one liang of mirabilite, two liang each of cimicifuga and baical skullcap root, three liang of rhubarb, and five liang of gardenia seed. Cut the five ingredients into pieces and decoct them in five sheng of water until two sheng and four ge remain. Strain out the dregs, add the mirabilite, and take the decoction in four portions. Stop taking it once the blockage has cleared.

The “Dried Rehmannia Pill” is suitable for long-term use by people who often have fever. The original text says that taking it can prevent abscesses and deep, pus-filled swellings throughout one’s life, and can make the body robust, the spirit cheerful, and a person able to endure hard work. Use five liang of dried rehmannia root; two liang each of peony root, licorice, cinnamon bark, astragalus root, baical skullcap root, and polygala root; three liang each of dendrobium, Chinese angelica root, and rhubarb; one liang each of morinda root, trichosanthes root, and ginseng; and four liang each of asparagus root and cistanche. Grind the fifteen ingredients into a fine powder and mix with honey to form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take ten pills with wine three times a day, gradually increasing to twenty pills per dose.

Another prescription is for deficiency heat and for sores and boils caused by deficiency heat. Use four liang of dried rehmannia root and six fen of rhubarb; three liang each of peony root, cowherb seed, poria, licorice, polygala root, ophiopogon, ginseng, cimicifuga, and baical skullcap root; and six liang of cinnamon bark. Grind the twelve ingredients into a powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of wutong seeds, and take ten pills with wine three times a day, gradually increasing to twenty pills per dose. The original text says that long-term use can make the body robust and healthy. Another version adds three liang of immature bitter orange. The version recorded in the Waitai Miyao omits licorice, polygala root, ophiopogon, ginseng, cimicifuga, and baical skullcap root.

Another prescription treats internal heat caused by physical debility and exhaustion, as well as abscesses and sores that recur and persist for years without healing. Use four liang of dried rehmannia root; three liang each of astragalus root, baical skullcap root, rhubarb, goldthread, alisma, and asarum; two liang each of licorice, cinnamon bark, peony root, poria, and dry lacquer; one liang of ginseng; and five liang of asparagus root. Grind the fourteen ingredients into a powder and mix with honey to form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take ten pills with wine three times during the day and once at night, gradually increasing to twenty pills per dose. The original text says that long-term use can prolong life and prevent abscesses and deep, pus-filled swellings throughout one’s life.

For prescriptions treating carbuncles and deep abscesses (pus-filled swellings between the skin and flesh), whenever rhubarb is used, slice it thinly. Take five sheng, steam the slices over the steam from cooking rice, then dry them in the sun for later use. If the heat is especially severe, double the amount of rhubarb. The words “Yaoji yuyi / no Alisma” are suspected to be corrupt or missing from the text, so their meaning is difficult to determine.

Rehmannia Decoction: Used to replenish deficiency and clear heat. It is also suitable for ailments that arise after taking mineral medicines such as stalactite, as well as for carbuncles, boils, hemorrhoids, and similar conditions. The prescription is as follows:

Take fresh Rehmannia in any quantity. Pound it three times and press it three times, extracting as much juice as possible. Put the juice in a copper vessel and heat it in a water bath without covering it, allowing the steam to escape. When the juice has reduced by half, remove it and strain it through cloth to get rid of coarse pieces, clumps, and cloudy impurities. Continue simmering until it is thick like malt syrup. Take one pill about the size of a pellet, washed down with wine, three times a day. Do not increase the dose. According to the original text, after taking it for one hundred days, carbuncles and deep abscesses will no longer occur.

Goji Berry Decoction: Used to treat deficiency taxation, help the body feel light and strong, and replenish energy. It may also be used for carbuncles and deep abscesses, to keep them from occurring. The prescription is as follows:

Take thirty jin of goji berries and chop them. When the leaves have not yet fallen, the stems and leaves may be used; after the leaves have fallen and before new ones have grown, the roots may be used. Add one shi of water and boil, then collect five dou of juice and strain out the herbs and sediment. Return the herbs to the pot, add water, and boil as before; collect another five dou of juice. Combine the two batches of juice, making one hu. Let it settle and strain out the sediment. Simmer it in a pot until it has reduced to about two dou, then pour it into a small copper pot and continue simmering until it bubbles continuously and thickens like malt syrup. Then remove it from the heat. It may also be placed in a vessel and heated in a water bath, which is better. Take one he each morning, then take another after half a day. Begin with one he per dose and gradually increase the amount.

Prescription for treating wind-dampness and bodily pain, inability to eat, and for replenishing weakness after carbuncles and deep abscesses:

One hundred jin each of rose root and goji root; ten jin each of food-grade honey and fresh Rehmannia.

Chop the four ingredients. First, boil the rose root and goji root in water until the medicinal flavor is strong. Collect two hu of juice and strain out the sediment. Add the fresh Rehmannia and cook until soft, then strain out the herbs and simmer over low heat until it becomes porridge-like. Add the honey and stir thoroughly. Take one pill about the size of a pellet after meals.

Prescription for external application to swellings:

Three fen each of rhubarb, Baical skullcap, amurath, and mirabilite.

Chop the four ingredients, add six sheng of water, and boil until three sheng of liquid remain. Soak four layers of old cloth in the liquid and apply them to the swelling. Replace the cloth when it dries. Apply as often as needed, during the day or night.

Another prescription, for carbuncles and deep abscesses at their onset, when the swelling is red, hot to the touch, and growing rapidly:

Green-costus root, rhinoceros horn, rhubarb, gardenia seed, red sandalwood, cimicifuga, Baical skullcap, antelope horn, coptis…

The original text breaks off here; the amounts and preparation instructions for the remaining ingredients are not recorded.

Decoct licorice root, mirabilite, blackberry lily, Amur cork tree bark, white peony root, rehmannia juice, musk, and other medicinal ingredients in water. Let the liquid cool somewhat, then soak two layers of old cloth in it and apply them to the swelling. Replace the cloth as soon as it dries, several times throughout the day and night.

Another prescription is for large, red, swollen lumps on the neck, chest, or back. Apply the medicine as soon as the swelling appears, to prevent it from turning purulent. Take five liang of mirabilite and half a jin each of fermented black beans and fresh rehmannia juice. Mix and pound them together, then cook until the rehmannia is soft and pulpy. Spread a thick layer, about two fen thick, over the swelling. Change the dressing three or four times a day until it heals. This prescription is also used for various kinds of lumps.

Another prescription is for painful, troublesome abscesses and swellings: place ten layers of fresh Chinese catalpa leaves over the affected area and bind them with cloth, neither too tightly nor too loosely. Change the dressing twice a day. This method relieves pain, reduces swelling, and draws out pus, and is highly effective. In winter, dried catalpa leaves may be gathered in advance and moistened with salt water before use. Alternatively, shave the bark of the catalpa tree thinly and apply it.

Another prescription for abscesses and swellings in adults and children: spread raw pig brain on paper and place it over the affected area. Replace it when it dries, three or four times a day.

You may also grind mustard seeds into powder, mix them with hot water, spread the mixture on paper, and apply it. Another version says to mix it with pig bile instead.

You may also grind white jiang stone into powder, pound it together with garlic, and apply it to the affected area.

You may also pound verbena and apply it to the affected area; it is said to make the head of the abscess appear quickly.

Moxibustion may also be applied to a particular point on the inner side of the big toes of both feet, called “Qizhong” in the original, though its exact location is unclear. If the condition is on the left or right side, apply moxibustion on the corresponding side.

When an abscess first begins to swell, take equal parts of rhubarb, tetrapanax pith, garden cress seed, and Chinese alangium, grind them into powder, and mix with water to make an application. Replace it when the medicine dries.

Another prescription: take a small pinch of henbane powder, about what can be picked up between three fingers, and swallow it with water three times a day. The original says this method is highly effective.

For abscesses, grind lilac daphne root into powder and mix it with glue to make a porridge-like paste. Apply it to the affected area.

For abscesses or deep sores on concealed areas such as the abdomen, back, and armpits, or for dozens of swellings appearing over the body, burn dried cow dung to ash and sift it. Mix the ash with egg white and apply it; replace it when dry.

If an abscess has already collected pus and the swelling has grown, grind trichosanthes root into powder and mix it with bitter wine—a historical term for sour liquids such as vinegar. Apply it to the affected area and replace it when dry.

Small beans are also very useful.

A remedy for suppurating boils and ulcers, to bring the pus out

Take twenty-one chicken feathers and burn them to ash. Swallow the ash, and the boil or ulcer will burst.

Another remedy: mix flour with human breast milk and apply it to the affected area. Around daybreak, all the pus and blood will drain out. Do not let your hands come near the affected area.

One more remedy: burn the cord used for binding foil to ash, mix it with pork fat prepared in the twelfth lunar month, and apply it below the affected area. The boil or ulcer will burst without the need for needling or moxibustion.

A remedy for swellings and back abscesses at their onset, or for cases lasting more than ten days, with red, swollen, burning, painful lesions, intense toxic heat, pain day and night, and no relief from any medicines

Take one unhatched chicken egg and a fresh piece of dog feces about the size of an egg. Stir the two ingredients together and simmer over a low flame until the mixture has a moderately thick, smooth consistency. Shape it into a cake and apply it to the hard top of the swelling. Cover it with paper, then wrap it in cloth. Check it frequently, and replace the cake as soon as it feels hot. Do not move the cake, and do not leave the affected area uncovered. After one night, the condition will stabilize. For patients whose illness has lasted longer, apply it for three days in a row, changing it once a day, until they recover.

This remedy is filthy and foul-smelling, so it is not suitable for use on people of rank. Yet in its effectiveness, no other remedy can match it. The other remedies recorded in the book are included only to supply the prescriptions needed for a physician’s formal practice. Those who study medicine should know this remedy and keep it in reserve for emergencies.

Black Sesame Oil Salve, for various fistulas and malignant sores

This salve can treat thirteen kinds of conditions, including nail boils, wandering swellings of five colors, abscesses and boils, toxic heat, fox bites, snake venom, rabid dog bites, injuries caused by insects or animals such as wolves, wounds of uncertain origin, fistulas lasting twenty years, weapon wounds, and windstroke. Apply the salve to the affected area and stop once the foul pus has drained completely; it relieves pain and promotes the growth of new tissue. After the first application, there is no need to replace the dressing. Simply wipe the pus from the salve once a day and apply it again until recovery.

Take one jin of raw black sesame oil, four liang of yellow lead oxide, and four fen of wax, with the jin, liang, and fen measured in the larger units. On the afternoon before the first day of the twelfth lunar month, put the oil in a copper vessel and simmer it over a low flame until the following morning. When the oil has decreased by about one tenth, add the yellow lead oxide. Once it has dissolved, add the wax. When the foam from the wax disappears, the salve is ready. Remove it at noon. Only a man should prepare this salve; children, women, and livestock should not see it being made.

A topical remedy for various lumps and swellings

Take ten parts purple kudzu, five parts rhubarb, and one part green costus root. Also take scrophularia root, ampelopsis root, baical skullcap root, coptis root, elm inner bark, and cimicifuga root.

Chinese gentian vine (a medicinal herb; three fen), and small red beans (one ge).

Grind all eleven ingredients together into a coarse powder. Mix it with fresh Rehmannia juice and apply it to the swelling. Replace the dressing once the medicine dries. If fresh Rehmannia juice is unavailable, mix the powder with rice vinegar.

Pine Resin Ointment: A Formula for Treating Abscesses and Swellings

Pine resin (one and a half jin), lard (one and a half ge), Scutellaria root, Astragalus root, Coptis root, Chinese angelica root, rhubarb, peony root, Chuanxiong, and wax (one liang each).

First, chop eight of the ten ingredients and simmer them over a low flame with the two fats. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool three times, then strain out the herbs through cotton cloth or other fabric. Warm the ointment gently over a fire, spread it on dressing paper, and apply it in a patch sized to fit the swelling. Change the dressing three times a day; recovery should follow soon.

Another Formula

Pine resin (one jin), lard (half a jin), rhubarb (one liang), white wax (four liang), Asarum, Saposhnikovia root, Scutellaria root, Chuanxiong, Baiji root, Chinese angelica root, peony root, Langdu, Phellodendron bark, dahurian angelica root, and Coptis root (half a liang each).

Chop all fifteen ingredients. First simmer the two fats and the white wax. Once they have melted, add the remaining herbs. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool three times, then strain it through cotton cloth or other fabric. Pour the liquid into water and shape it into cakes. Warm a small piece of cake over a fire, spread it on oiled paper, and apply it to the sore. The Qianjin Yifang records an additional one liang of Astragalus root in this formula.

A Formula for Abscesses, Fistulas, Hemorrhoids, Severe Sores, Breast Inflammation in Women, and Lacquer Rash

Langdu, peony root, Chinese chive bulb, Chinese angelica root, and Tetrapanax pith (two fen each), and aconite (one fen).

Chop all six ingredients and soak them in vinegar for half a day. First heat eight ge of lard until it smokes. Add two fen of unwashed hair and fry until it has completely dissolved, then remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. Add eight fen of pine resin and two fen of wax, return the pot to the fire, and stir until evenly mixed. Add the herbs and simmer until boiling. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool three times. Strain out the herbs, then use an old cloth dipped in the medicine to dress the swelling; replace it when dry. In spring, the aconite may be omitted. The hair must be thoroughly washed to remove all dirt, or it will make the sore painful.

Green Dragon Five-Ingredients Ointment: For Abscesses, Fistulas, Hemorrhoids, and Severe Sores

Apply this formula to conditions that discharge pus and blood, to dress the affected area and draw out the discharge.

Fresh white bark of the paulownia, fresh white bark of the mulberry, fresh green bamboo shavings…

Mix powdered oyster shell with sour wine vinegar to make a paste, then apply it to the affected area.

To treat a swelling or toxin-related lesion that has not subsided for a long time, take powdered oyster shell, mix it with sour wine vinegar (a type of vinegar used in ancient times), and apply it to the affected area.

Pound purslane to extract its juice, boil it, and apply it to the affected area.

A prescription for treating carbuncles and boils that continue to drain pus after rupturing, as well as wounds from punctures by various objects that have not healed for a long time:

Two fen of powdered mineral sulfur. Take a piece of tendon, pound one end until frayed, and moisten it slightly. Dip it in the sulfur powder, then insert it into the opening of the wound. Continue until the wound heals.

A prescription for carbuncles growing deep in the flesh, with an eye-like appearance, that do not respond to other medicines:

Trim aconite root to the size of a game piece and place it on the swelling. Hold it in place with saliva, then warm it over a fire. When the aconite is nearly charred, moisten it again with saliva and continue heating. Repeat this three times, allowing the aconite’s heat to penetrate inward; the swelling will then heal. This method is very effective.

Lianshi Powder: for carbuncles with a hard lump inside, as firm as stone, that is large and does not change color; sometimes these develop into “stone carbuncles,” which are hard as stone and usually do not form pus.

One jin of coarse-grained yellow stone, eight liang of deer antler (burnt), and three liang of white ampelopsis root. First heat the yellow stone until red-hot, then place it in five sheng of vinegar. Repeatedly heat the stone and immerse it in the vinegar until the vinegar is reduced by half. Pound all three ingredients into powder, then mix them with the remaining vinegar into a thick paste and apply it. Replace the dressing when it dries, and continue until the affected area subsides. This prescription is also used for fistulas and scrofula (lumps in the lymph nodes of the neck). The lesion may also be pierced with a cauterizing needle before applying the medicine. A paste made with deer antler alone and powdered pinellia is less effective than this prescription.

For stone carbuncles that are hard as stone and do not form pus:

Take fresh pokeweed root, pound it to a pulp, and apply it. Replace it when it dries, continuing until the lump softens. It also treats moist fistulas and various carbuncles and boils.

Another prescription: Dry the white bark of Sichuan mulberry roots in the shade and grind it to powder. Melt glue and mix it with the powder and wine, then apply the paste to the base of the swelling to draw it out.

Another prescription: Grind henbane seeds to powder and mix them with vinegar. Apply the paste to the top of the sore to draw out the base of the swelling.

Another prescription: Apply shed snake skin; the sore will heal overnight.

Another prescription: Take one acorn and grind it with vinegar on a green stone until it forms a paste. Apply it to the swelling, reapplying when it dries. It will heal within ten applications at most.

Another prescription: Mix equal parts dust from a roof beam and ash made by burning the roots and stems of mallow with vinegar, and apply it; the sore will heal.

Another prescription: Apply one hundred moxibustion cones to the center of the swelling, breaking apart and expelling the stone-like hard core. If it has not yet been expelled, increase the number of cones. Any swelling that becomes hard and has a root is called a “stone carbuncle.”

A prohibited method for reducing swelling.

When you hear thunder for the first time in early spring, immediately point both hands toward it with your fingers, and keep pointing until the thunder stops. Do not wash your hands for the next seven days. After doing this, if you have any kind of swelling or pain, a scorpion sting, or a toxic or ulcerous swelling, rub the affected area with your hand; the swelling and pain will then subside at once.

A Written Remedy for Swelling

Write the characters “Tianyi (jia yi does not arise), wei (yi yi does not form; ren and gui perish)” in cinnabar, holding your breath as you write. Then write the characters on the swollen area. It is said to bring an immediate cure.

A Remedy for Severe Toxic Swelling and Pain

Severe toxic swelling and pain may occur in the scrotum or on one side of the body. The pain and tightness may pull toward the lower abdomen and become unbearable; the condition may prove fatal within a single night. Pound fennel herb to extract its juice and drink one sheng each time, three or four times a day. Apply the herbal pulp to the swelling. In winter, when fresh fennel herb is unavailable, its root may also be used. The original text calls this a “miraculous remedy from a foreign land,” saying it was used at the end of the Yongjia era and had the marvelous power to bring the dead back to life.

A Remedy for Toxic Swelling Caused by Wind and Taxation

For painful toxic swelling with tightness of the sinews and vessels, pain that pulls toward the lower abdomen, or pain in the lower back and thighs, take one sheng of peach kernels and grind them in the usual way. Mix with three sheng of wine and drink all at once. Put on thick clothes and cover yourself with heavy bedding to induce sweating. At most, three doses will bring a cure.

A Remedy for Swelling of the Feet That Spreads Up to the Abdomen and May Be Fatal

Take one dou of adzuki beans and boil them in three dou of water until soft. Remove the beans and soak both feet in the cooking liquid up to the knees, once a day until cured. If the swelling has already spread to the abdomen, stop soaking the feet and simply cook and eat the adzuki beans. Avoid salt, vegetables, rice, and wheat. When thirsty, drink the bean broth; stop once cured.

Hempseed and Adzuki Bean Soup: A Remedy for Toxic Swelling That Shifts from Place to Place

Toxic swelling may have no fixed location. Sometimes it becomes red and is accompanied by chills; at other times there is stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen and a sense of distress. This indicates that the toxic Qi has penetrated deeply.

Take five sheng each of hempseed and adzuki beans, two sheng of fresh Shanglu, two liang of aconite, three liang of blackberry lily, and four liang of cimicifuga. Cut up all six ingredients. First, take four of them and boil them in four dou of water until two and a half dou remain; strain out the dregs. Then grind the hempseed, stir it into the liquid, bring it once to a boil, and strain out the dregs. Use the strained liquid to cook the adzuki beans until soft. Take five he each time, twice during the day and once at night, until urination flows freely. The swelling’s disappearance counts as a cure. Eat the cooked adzuki beans as well.

A Remedy for All Kinds of Toxic Swelling and Unbearable Pain

Pound castor seeds and apply them to the affected area. It is said this will bring a cure.

A Remedy for Sores That Recur After Forming White Scabs

The original text ends here and gives no specific remedy.

Take equal amounts of garlic, mouse droppings, and writing ink. Grind them into a fine powder and apply it to the affected area three times a day.

Remedies for Boils

For a boil that has not yet come to a head, swallow one sunflower seed. Do not take more.

Another remedy: take equal amounts of ground fresh Sichuan pepper and soil from beneath a cooking pot. Mix them with vinegar and apply to the affected area. The Supplement to the Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold also records “ground fermented grain,” making this a three-ingredient remedy.

Another remedy: take equal amounts of dog skull and rapeseeds. Grind them into a fine powder, mix with vinegar, and apply to the affected area.

Another remedy: burn kudzu vines to ash, apply the ash to the affected area, and bandage it. The boil will subside on its own. Ash made by burning cow dung may also be used.

Another remedy: place the roots and leaves of burdock on the affected area.

Another remedy: mix sparrow droppings with water and apply to the affected area.

From volume 66 of Sun the Perfected’s Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold for Emergencies.