《孫真人備急千金要方》Vol. 77

For injuries caused by blows, when blood and Qi become congested, the chest feels stifled, breathing stops, and the person cannot speak, one may pry open the injured person’s mouth and pour in urine, making them swallow it. It is said this can bring the person back to consciousness. Another account says that someone who has fallen from a cart or horse, or been run over by a cart or struck by a piece of wood and left unconscious as if dead, should be laid on their back. Cover their mouth and nose with a sleeve, wait about as long as it takes to eat a meal, then check whether they have revived and opened their eyes. Once awake, give them two sheng of hot urine.

Prescriptions for bruising and swelling caused by blows to the head or eyes:

Heat fatty pork by roasting it, then apply it to the injured area. (The Zhouhou Fang says this is also used to treat blood that has collected between the layers of the skin and does not disperse for a long time.)

Another prescription: Take rotten bone from a wall, grind it with saliva on a stone, and spread it over the affected area. Replace it when the medicine dries.

Another prescription: Roast pig liver until hot and apply it to the injured area.

Another prescription: Take freshly slaughtered mutton and apply it to the injured area while still hot.

Another prescription: Grind soybeans into powder, mix with water, and apply.

Prescriptions for injuries caused by blows, with blood stasis in the abdomen:

Take one sheng of Puhuang, two liang of Danggui, and two liang of Guixin. Grind the three ingredients into a fine powder and sift it. Each time, take one fangcunbi—an ancient medicinal spoon measure—with wine, three times a day, and once more at night.

Another prescription: Take one liang each of Liujinu, Yanhusuo, and Gusuibu. Chop the herbs and decoct them in two sheng of water until reduced to seven he. Add one he each of wine and urine, warm the mixture, and drink it all at once.

Another prescription: Take thirty each of Zhechong, Mengchong, and leeches, fifty peach kernels, two liang of Guixin, and five liang of rhubarb. Chop the ingredients and decoct them in five sheng each of wine and water until reduced to three sheng. Divide into five doses.

Another prescription: Take three sheng of raw Rehmannia juice and one and a half sheng of wine; decoct until reduced to two sheng and seven he, then divide into three doses. (The Zhouhou Fang says this prescription is for blood stasis and congestion after a fall from a height, accompanied by fullness and distension in the chest and abdomen, a bluish-purple complexion, and shortness of breath as if near death.)

Another prescription: Grind henbane seeds into powder and apply it to the wound.

White Horse Hoof Powder: Said to treat blood stasis in the abdomen after an injury caused by blows, and also to be used for women with blood stasis. Burn a white horse’s hoof until the smoke is gone, then pound it and sift it. Take it with wine. In the original, the phrase “one fangcun” is followed by “seven days”; the text appears to have a lacuna, so the dosage and frequency are incomplete.

The opening phrase “three nights and one” in this passage, along with several medicine names, dosages, and punctuation, may be incomplete. The following interpretation is based on the surviving text.

A method for treating injuries from a beating, with blood stasis accumulating in the abdomen and causing distension and agitation:

Take one sheng of fermented beans, add three sheng of water, and boil three times. Divide the liquid into two doses. If the condition does not improve, boil another batch. Alternatively, take hemp seeds and decoct them in the same way as the fermented beans. If there is still no improvement, decoct fermented beans and take them.

A method for treating blood stasis accompanied by forgetfulness, aversion to hearing people’s voices, obstructed breathing in the chest, and shortness of breath:

Use one liang of licorice, two liang of poria, and fifty apricot kernels. Coarsely chop the three ingredients, add two sheng of water, and decoct until nine ge of liquid remain. Divide into two doses.

A method for treating a fall from a height that causes a fracture or other injury, severe pain, agitation and cries, and inability to lie down:

Burn mouse droppings to ash, mix with lard, and apply to the painful area, then bandage it immediately. The Zhouhou Fang says this method is used to bandage places where the bone has broken.

A method for treating injuries from a fall from a height, being crushed by wood or stone, or falling from a horse, when the body is injured, blood stasis congeals, breathing stops, and death seems imminent:

Steam five sheng of clean earth until hot. Divide it into two portions and wrap each in several layers of old cloth, then apply them to the affected area as hot compresses. Take care not to make them too hot, lest they burn the flesh; replace the earth when it cools. Stop once the pain has ceased. The scripture says this method works well for all kinds of injuries. It may even save someone who has already lost the ability to speak, and can also treat old injuries.

A method for treating cuts and scrapes caused by falling between a carriage and horses, or being crushed by a saddle or other objects:

Mix flour with vinegar and apply it to the wound.

Angelica Powder: Treats injuries from falling off a horse or carriage, as well as injuries to the wrist, arm, leg, or foot that cause persistent pain.

Use two fen each of angelica, cinnamon bark, Sichuan pepper, and aconite; one fen of Indian madder; six fen of Sichuan lovage; and five fen of licorice. Fry all seven ingredients together until fragrant, then grind them into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times a day. The scripture says this can be taken for all kinds of injuries, which may heal within ten days; the same applies to children. The Jiujifang records that this formula is for people who have fallen from a horse or carriage or been beaten, broken a wrist, arm, or bone, and are crying out from pain. The severe pain will ease soon after taking it, and after thirteen days the sinews and bones will have joined.

Astragalus Powder: A method for treating a broken wrist.

Astragalus and peony, three liang each; angelica, dried rehmannia, aconite, and teasel root. The surviving text ends here, so the dosages and remaining preparation instructions are missing.

Grind the above medicines into a fine powder. Before meals, take five fen of the powder with wine (fen is an ancient unit of weight), three times a day.

The prescription recorded in the Qianjin Yifang does not include rhubarb.

Prescription for fractures and tendon injuries

Grind the four ingredients—dried Rehmannia root, Chinese angelica, notopterygium root, and Sophora root—into a fine powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine (an ancient unit of measure), three times a day.

Prescription for a painful wrist fracture

Take the roots and leaves of hemp, pound them, and extract the juice. Drink one sheng. If fresh hemp is unavailable, boil dried hemp and drink the resulting liquid. This method is also used for bruising, fullness and distension in the chest and abdomen, and shortness of breath after a fall from a height or a blow.

Prescription for severed tendons

Take the brain from a crab’s head and the marrow from its legs. Fry them until hot and apply them to the wound. The original text says that the tendon will then grow back together.

Prescription for wrist fractures, broken bones in the limbs, and tendon injuries from falls or blows

Take an appropriate amount of fresh Rehmannia root, pound it into a paste, and apply it to the injured area.

The Zhouhou Fang, quoting the Xiaopin Fang, says: Pound fresh Rehmannia root, heat it in a pan, and wrap it around the injured area. Then secure the area with bamboo splints and bandages so it cannot move. Change the dressing ten times a day; it will heal in three days. If blood has collected at the fracture, use a knife to make an incision and release the clotted blood.

Prescription for broken bones in the limbs and tendon injuries from falls or blows

Soak three sheng of fermented soybeans in two sheng of water. Strain and drink the liquid.

Deer-Marrow Powder

Used for the injuries described above. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine, three times a day.

The Zhouhou Fang says this prescription is for bruising caused by a fall from a height or by being struck or crushed by a heavy object.

Another prescription: When the tendons or bones have just been injured and the skin is broken, apply hot horse manure to the wound. The original text says this will leave no scar.

Yet another prescription: Boil two sheng of soybeans in five sheng of water until two sheng remain. Mix this with six or seven sheng of strong wine and drink it over the course of a day. The original text describes its effect as “hot water poured over snow,” meaning that the bruising dissipates quickly. The Zhouhou Fang says this prescription is for bruising caused by falls or crushing blows. If soybeans are unavailable, red beans are preferable.

Prescription for a split head with the brain exposed, accompanied by windstroke and locked jaws

Take one liang of sheep’s brain and half a liang each of hair ash, lead white, and walnut oil. Pound the four ingredients together into a paste, apply it to the wound, and wrap it with plain cloth.

Roast one dou of soybeans until cooked to remove their raw odor, but do not roast them too thoroughly. Grind them into a fine powder. While the steam is still hot, place the soybean powder in a basin beneath the steamer and pour one dou of wine over it. When warm, take one sheng, then cover yourself well with a quilt and sweat. Apply almond paste to the wound.

Purple Decoction: Used when, after an injury, Wind Evil invades the limbs, the body arches backward like a bow, the jaws are clenched, and the person cannot speak. It is also used for miscarriage. Whenever these symptoms occur, the condition is severe; this formula should be taken no more than five times. (The formula appears in Volume Eight.)

Formula for injuries from a fall from a height that damage the five viscera: In milder cases, the person spits saliva mixed with blood; in more severe cases, they vomit blood. It is also used for metal wounds that damage the channels, and for uterine bleeding in women.

Take two liang each of donkey-hide gelatin, mugwort leaf, and dried ginger, and three liang of peony. Cut the four ingredients into small pieces and decoct them in eight sheng of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs, then add the donkey-hide gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Take in two doses; people who are weak should divide it into three doses. It may also be used for postpartum uterine bleeding and excessive blood loss in women, accompanied by Qi deficiency, panting, cramping abdominal pain, and bleeding that does not stop.

Major Donkey-Hide Gelatin and Mugwort Decoction: Used when a man’s blood vessels are damaged after an injury, or when a fall from a height damages the five viscera. In milder cases, he spits saliva mixed with blood. It is also used for metal wounds that damage the channels.

Take two liang each of donkey-hide gelatin, mugwort leaf, licorice, Chinese angelica, and Chuanxiong, one liang of dried ginger, and three liang each of peony and dried rehmannia. Cut the eight ingredients into small pieces and decoct them in eight sheng of water until three sheng remain. Strain out the dregs, add the donkey-hide gelatin, and stir until it dissolves. Take in two doses; people who are weak should divide it into three doses. This formula is also used for postpartum uterine bleeding and excessive blood loss in women, accompanied by Qi deficiency, panting, severe abdominal pain, and bleeding that does not stop, even to the point of imminent death. The source describes its effects as excellent.

Bamboo Skin Decoction: Used when an impact from a weapon, piece of wood, or stone causes blood to collect in the chest, back, or sides, bringing pain and making it difficult to breathe freely.

Take equal amounts of bamboo shavings scraped from green bamboo and tangled hair, each about the size of two eggs. Roast them over charcoal until scorched and dry, combine and grind them, then sift the mixture. Boil it in one sheng of wine three times, then immediately remove it from the heat and drink it all at once. The source says that taking it three times is enough to recover.

Formula for bleeding, abdominal distension, and shortness of breath after falling from a horse, a carriage, or a tree: Take five sheng of soybeans and boil them in one dou of water until two sheng remain. Strain out the beans and drink the liquid all at once. In severe cases, boil and take it up to three times.

Formula for blood collecting in the chest and abdomen, with persistent coughing and spitting, after falling between a carriage and a horse.

Grind dried lotus root into a fine powder and swallow one square-inch spoonful with wine. (“Three times daily” means taking it three times a day.) If dried lotus root is unavailable, take fresh lotus-root juice instead.

Peach Kernel Decoction: Used when someone has fallen from a height or been struck by a large log, a cart, or a horse, causing bleeding inside the chest or abdomen and difficulty breathing.

Fourteen peach kernels, twenty jujubes, one liang each of rhubarb, sodium nitrate, and licorice, and one and a half liang of cattail pollen. Chop the six ingredients, simmer them in three sheng of water until reduced to one sheng, and strain out the dregs. Let the decoction cool or warm to a comfortable temperature, then drink it all at once. It should induce a bowel movement. If the purging continues without stopping, soak hemp seeds to make a cup of hemp-seed liquid and drink it; this should stop the purging.

Another Formula: Used for pain caused by stagnant blood in the abdomen that has not been expelled, accompanied by abdominal distention and pain, shortness of breath, and inability to urinate or defecate.

Thirty peach kernels and thirty ground beetles, half a fen of Japanese catnip, three liang each of rhubarb and Sichuan lovage, two liang each of Chinese angelica, cassia bark, and licorice, and five liang of cattail pollen. Chop the nine ingredients, simmer them in one dou of water until reduced to three sheng, and divide into three doses.

Another Formula: Used for stagnant blood after a fall.

Fifty peach kernels, twenty leeches, twenty gadflies, two liang each of licorice, cassia bark, and Chinese angelica, three liang of mirabilite, and four liang of rhubarb. Chop the eight ingredients, simmer them in eight sheng of water until reduced to three sheng, and strain out the dregs. Let the decoction cool or warm to a comfortable temperature, then take one sheng per dose, three times daily. (The Shenshi Formula omits mirabilite.)

Another Formula

Fifty peach kernels, thirty gadflies, thirty ground beetles, thirty leeches, five liang of rhubarb, and two liang of cassia bark. Chop the six ingredients, combine five sheng of wine with five sheng of water, and simmer them together until reduced to three sheng. Let the decoction cool or warm to a comfortable temperature, then drink one sheng per dose, three times daily.

Another Formula: Used for stagnant blood after a wrist fracture.

Forty peach kernels, a handful of tangled hair, and one piece of rhubarb about the size of a finger joint. Wrap the hair in a piece of cloth measuring four cun square and burn it to ash. Then chop the rhubarb and peach kernels, simmer them in three sheng of wine until reduced to one sheng, and drink it all at once.

(The preceding text is incomplete.) The Elbow-Back Pocket Formulary records a prescription by Zhang Zhongjing: three liang of rhubarb; one piece of red silk, about the size of a palm, burned to ash; a clump of tangled hair, about the size of an egg, also burned to ash; one chi of single-layer cloth, burned to ash; forty-nine peach kernels; a handful of worn rush mat, cut into three-inch lengths; and one piece of licorice root about the size of a finger. Adjust the amount of a child’s urine as needed when decocting the ingredients. Once the decoction is ready, add one large cup of wine. Divide the medicine into three portions and drink them warm. Separately, chop half a worn rush mat and boil it to make a bath. Cover yourself with clothes and bedding. After taking the medicine, you should pass stool several times, and the pain will soon ease. Do not be alarmed if the discharge and bathwater are red: that is stagnant blood.

Another prescription: sixty peach kernels, six liang of rhubarb, and two liang of cassia bark. Coarsely cut the three ingredients, decoct them in six sheng of wine, and reduce the liquid to three sheng. Divide it into three doses. Stagnant blood should be expelled after taking it, and the illness will be cured.

Pollen Powder: For injuries from falling from a height with stagnant blood inside the body. Eight liang of cattail pollen and one liang of aconite. Grind the two ingredients into powder. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times daily; if it has no effect, increase the amount as needed.

Another prescription: For a wrist fracture with stagnant blood. One sheng of cattail pollen and two liang of Chinese angelica. Grind the two ingredients finely and sift them. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine before meals, three times daily.

Another prescription: Twenty gadflies, an insect used medicinally in ancient times, and one liang of peony root. Grind the two ingredients finely and sift them, then take one square-inch spoonful with wine. It is said to disperse blood clots. The Formulary for Emergencies records this prescription for stagnant blood that has remained for a long time in the joints without dispersing, or for stagnant blood beneath the skin: use equal amounts of the two ingredients.

Another prescription: Drink the juice of Artemisia anomala; its seeds may also be taken.

Another prescription: For injuries from blows, postpartum lochia, or any kind of stagnant blood, decoct the juice of Sambucus williamsii and drink three sheng.

Prescription for uterine bleeding after a fall from a height: Two parts each of Chinese angelica and rhubarb. Grind the two ingredients finely and sift them. Take one square-inch spoonful with wine three times daily.

Prescription for staff injuries: Seven jin of lime and one sheng of fresh pig’s blood. Mix them together into pills and roast them until cooked, then break them up, form them into pills again, and roast them once more. Repeat this process three times in all. Finally, grind the pills into powder and apply it to the injured area.

There is another remedy: Grind the soil from beneath a cooking pot into a fine powder, mix it with oil, and apply it to the affected area. Then lie on a sheepskin.

There is another remedy: Drink your own urine; it is said to be effective.

Remedies for bamboo or wooden splinters lodged in the skin that cannot be removed

Burn dried sheep droppings to ash, mix them with lard, and apply the mixture where the splinter entered. If the splinter has not come out, apply it again. When you can no longer feel the splinter, it is said to have come out. Another account says to grind dried sheep droppings into powder and use that.

There is another remedy: Burn roses to ash, mix the ash with water, and take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient measuring spoon, roughly a small teaspoon) three times a day for ten days. The splinter will come out.

There is another remedy: Burn jujube pits to powder and swallow it.

There is another remedy: Burn the handle of a chisel to ash and wash down two square-inch spoonfuls with wine.

There is another remedy: Apply scalp grime to the place where the splinter entered, and it will come out.

Remedies for splinters embedded in the flesh that cannot be removed

Boil the juice of mountain qumai and drink it three times a day. Stop taking it once you have recovered.

There is another remedy: Take the fresh roots and stems of niuxi, pound them together, and apply them to the affected area. The splinter will come out. It will come out even if the wound has already closed.

There is another remedy: Burn white cogongrass roots to ash, mix them with ointment, and apply the mixture. This can also treat swelling caused by wind entering a wound.

There is another remedy: Burn deer antler to powder, mix it with water, and apply it. The splinter will come out quickly; even if it has been lodged for a long time, it will come out within one night.

There is another remedy: Chew white plum until soft, then apply it to the affected area. The Zhouhou Fang says to use smoked plum.

There is another remedy: Chew fermented soybeans until soft, then apply them.

There is another remedy: Soak the affected area in warm urine.

Remedies for splinters lodged for a long time that cannot be removed

Take wangbuliuxing (a Chinese medicinal herb), and the splinter will come out. At the same time, grind its roots into powder and apply them to the affected area.

Remedies for severe splinters

Cut open a bitter gourd, pour a child’s urine into it, and boil it two or three times. Use it to soak the affected area.

There is another remedy: Boil henbane roots (a Chinese medicinal herb) in water and soak the affected area. Replace the liquid when it cools. The text calls this a “miraculous remedy.”

There is another remedy: Pound plum leaves and jujube leaves together, squeeze out their juice, and drip it onto the affected area. It is said to work immediately.

There is another remedy: Boil soybean juice until concentrated, then use it to soak the affected area until it heals.

Remedies for severe splinters and “fox-urine splinters”

Soak the affected area in the urine of a black donkey.

There is another remedy: Soak the affected area in warm white horse urine.

Remedies for wounds with severe swelling and pain that may cause death within days, or for wounds caused by exposure to wind and cold, contact with water, or “fox-urine splinters”

Burn millet stalks, cattle or horse dung, or fresh mulberry branches—or other materials that produce abundant smoke. Fumigate the affected area until pus flows out; it is said that this will bring recovery.

There is another remedy: Put hot wax into the wound. This is also suitable for fresh wounds.

There is another remedy: Pick the roots and stems of dandelion and apply plenty of their white sap to the affected area.

Apply the medicine as a poultice. It works very well, and the wound will heal.

On the night of the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the fifth year of the Zhenguan era, the back of the middle finger on my left hand struck a tree in the courtyard. By dawn, the finger was unbearably painful. The pain continued for ten days, growing worse each day, while the sore grew larger and turned the color of ripe red beans. I had heard older people describe this treatment, so I tried it. As soon as I applied the medicine, the pain disappeared and the sore began to improve. In fewer than ten days, my finger had returned to normal. The treatment is extremely effective, so I have recorded it here. In Shu, people call this herb “erban cai”; in Guanzhong, they call it “gouru” (pronounced something like “nu gou”).

Prescription for swelling after water enters a wound

Take equal parts lime, white lead, and charcoal. Mix the three ingredients with animal fat and apply the mixture to the wound. Once the fluid drains out, the pain will stop.

Prescription for a sudden puncture wound to the hands or feet infected with “water toxin”

Pound the leaves of Chinese chives and indigo plant, then apply them to the affected area. Warm the area over a fire until the heat reaches the wound, and it will heal.

Prescription for swelling caused by wind entering a wound

Take one jin of oak root bark and boil it down to a strong decoction. Add a handful of salt and use the liquid to soak and wash the affected area.

Prescription for swelling caused by wind entering a wound after an injury

Apply a thick layer of almond paste, then light a hemp candle and warm the affected area from a distance.

Prescription for a swollen, painful wound

Swelling and pain in a wound are caused by water entering it or by exposure to wind and cold. If the swelling spreads to the abdomen, the condition may become life-threatening. Soak and wash the affected area with warm liquid made from mulberry wood ash. Rewarm it when it cools, keeping it hot throughout. This is a secret prescription.

Prescriptions for wind and water entering a puncture wound

Drink hot black ox urine, two sheng at a time. Three doses will stop the condition.

Another prescription: Take one liang of wax, heat it, and apply it to the affected area as a compress. Wrap it in thin cloth and let the fluid drain out; the wound will then heal.

Another prescription: Burn fish eyes to ash and apply the ash to the affected area.

Another prescription: Boil Chinese chives and apply them to the affected area.

Another prescription: Scrape the lacquer from beneath an arrow’s feathers and apply it to the affected area.

Prescription for swelling after dew enters a wound

If, during the eighth or ninth month, a puncture wound to the hands or feet is exposed to harmful dew and swells, the condition may become life-threatening and must not be taken lightly.

Take three fresh mulberry branches and repeatedly turn them in hot ashes until they are extremely hot. Break them, then press the ends against the wound. Replace each branch when it cools. After all three branches have been used, the wound will break open on its own. Next, pound Chinese chives, wrap them in cotton cloth, and heat them in hot ashes until very hot. Remove the chives, apply them to the wound, and bind them tightly with cloth. Chinese chives are the best remedy when the affected area is swollen.

Prescription for lacquer sores

Take three jin of fresh willow leaves, chop them, and boil them in one dou and five sheng of water to make a decoction.

Wash the affected area with seven sheng of water warmed to a suitable temperature, three times a day. The Zhouhou Fang says that old willow bark is especially effective.

Another remedy: Take the sediment from beneath a grindstone and apply it to the affected area until it heals. It works well.

Another remedy: Boil shucha leaves down to a strong decoction and use the liquid to wash lacquer sores—rashes caused by contact with lacquer trees or lacquered objects. Alternatively, crush the leaves, extract their juice, and apply it to the affected area.

Another remedy: Crush qigu grass and apply it to the affected area. The Jiujifang says to mix the qigu grass with mirabilite before applying it.

Another remedy: Grind guanzhong into powder and apply it to the affected area. Once the powder has dried, mix it with oil and apply it again; the sores will then heal.

Another remedy: Take one jin of sun-dried lotus leaves and boil them in one dou of water until five sheng of liquid remain. Wash the affected area twice a day.

Another remedy: Apply sheep’s milk to the affected area.

Another remedy: Take five liang of mirabilite, soak it in hot water, and wash the affected area with the liquid.

Another remedy: Apply pig fat to the affected area.

Another remedy: Put alum stone in hot water. Once it has dissolved, wash the affected area with the water.

Another remedy: Eat pork, and apply chewed millet to the affected area.

Sun Simiao’s Essential Prescriptions for Emergencies, juan 77