《急救仙方》Vol. 11

This passage documents the Daoist medical prescriptions for treating "consumptive corpse disease" (a wasting illness resembling tuberculosis), detailing the preparation and application methods for "Musk Powder" (麝香散) and the subsequent restorative formula "Spirit-Subduing Powder" (伏神散).

The Musk Powder formula contains multiple medicinal ingredients: human skull bone (symbolizing the transformation of life and death) and musk (one portion each), bupleurum root (一两), powdered rhinoceros horn (半两), donkey-hide gelatin, peach branches growing eastward, wormwood, willow branches growing eastward, pomegranate rind (one handful each), licorice root (three inches long, measured by the patient's middle finger—left hand for males, right for females), and Chinese chives with scallion stalks (seven inches each). All ingredients are ground into powder, soaked overnight in two and a half liters of boys' urine, then decocted the next morning and evening until reduced to one and a half liters. The dregs are removed before consumption.

Special attention is given to the preparer's gender: male patients require female preparers, while female patients need male preparers. The decoction process must avoid being witnessed by cats, chickens, dogs, donkeys, horses, monks/nuns, pregnant women, strangers, or mourners. The finished decoction is divided into three doses, each taken warm with three qian of areca nut powder added. After the first dose, the patient walks three to five li before taking the second dose; nausea can be relieved with white mume plum. Typically three to five doses produce effects, expelling strange worm-like substances, after which scallion congee should be taken for nourishment.

Concurrently, Spirit-Subduing Powder is administered to regulate the five viscera. Post-treatment requires one month of wind avoidance and dietary restrictions including greasy foods, wet noodles, salty flavors, and meats from cattle, pigs, chickens, ducks, and dogs. The text emphasizes rapid efficacy—even chronic cases may recover within two doses, milder cases with one.

The Spirit-Subduing Powder combines white poria spirit, poria cocos, ginseng, polygala root (with core removed), dragon bone, cinnamon bark, licorice, tangerine peel (stir-fried), Chinese angelica (one liang each), schisandra berries (one and a half liang), astragalus root (two liang), and fifty-six jujubes. The expelled worms' color indicates prognosis: red suggests treatability, black indicates difficulty, while white signifies marrow penetration and near-hopelessness. After initial efficacy, continued use of Spirit-Subduing Powder is necessary for bodily restoration.

This scripture records several secret formulas and administration methods for treating consumptive diseases (known in ancient times as "lao bing," referring to wasting illnesses like tuberculosis).

The first is the "Divine Efficacy Powder" (Shenxiao San), specifically designed to treat various infectious consumptive diseases by eliminating internal parasites. This formula originated from the Heyuan Commandery Prince's household and is said to have saved many lives. Its main ingredient is two jin of Sichuan pepper (huajiao), with seeds and unopened husks removed, stir-fried until oil is released. It is then ground into a fine powder, with a dosage of two qian taken on an empty stomach, washed down with rice water. Alternatively, it can be made into wine-paste pills the size of Chinese parasol seeds, with a dosage of thirty to fifty pills per serving.

The second is the "Immortal’s Secret Formula" (Shenxian Mifang), used to expel parasitic worms. It requires green mulberry bark, willow branches, plum branches, pomegranate branches (some versions omit this), peach branches (specifically those growing eastward), scallion whites, asafoetida (a resinous medicinal herb), true benzoin resin, and qinghao (Artemisia). Except for the asafoetida and benzoin, all other ingredients are boiled in boys' urine until the liquid is reduced by half. The decoction is then strained and used to dissolve the asafoetida and benzoin, boiled over ten times, filtered again, and divided into two doses.

The third method involves grinding cinnabar (chensha), betel nut (binlang), and musk (shexiang) into a fine powder, divided into two doses: the first taken during the fifth watch (3–5 AM), the second at three o'clock (possibly 3 PM). After taking the medicine, worms will be expelled—red worms indicate a treatable condition, while green worms suggest a difficult prognosis. The expelled worms must be fried in hot oil to kill them, followed by consuming warm congee for recuperation. During treatment, raw, cold, and toxic foods must be avoided.

Lastly, the "Golden Clarity Powder" (Jinming San) is mentioned to restore liver damage caused by consumptive disease. Its ingredients include ginseng (renshen), anemarrhena (zhimu), poria (fuling), clove (dingxiang), gentian (qinjiao, with roots removed), and roasted licorice (zhi gancao). Special emphasis is placed on selecting an auspicious day for preparation, with incense burned in prayer to heaven and earth. The patient must face an auspicious direction when taking the medicine, while avoiding exposure to cats, dogs, mourners, or unclean women. The patient must also not smell the medicine beforehand.

Here are several ancient Daoist medical prescriptions for treating exhaustion of the five viscera, each detailing precise herbal ratios and administration methods.

The first prescription involves calcined gypsum powder. Take two qian (approximately 7.5 grams) of the powder, decoct with one cup of water and three cun (about 9 cm) of scallion whites until reduced by twenty percent. Drink warm to treat heart overexertion.

The second formula, called Soul-Calming Powder (Shouling San), contains one liang (about 37.5 grams) each of white poria (Fuling), clove buds (Dingxiang), and chebule (Hezi), plus one fen (about 0.375 grams) each of platycodon root (Jiegeng), peony root (Shaoyao), notopterygium root (Qianghuo), and honey-fried licorice (Zhigancao). Grind into powder, then decoct two qian with one cup water, adding one silver earring and three cun scallion whites until twenty percent reduced. This treats spleen exhaustion.

The Spirit-Settling Powder (Hunting San) addresses spleen deficiency, combining one qian (about 3.75 grams) each of white yam (Baiyaozi), platycodon root, ginseng (Renshen), chebule peel, poria, honey-fried licorice, and clove buds. Take two qian powdered with one cup water and one spoon honey.

For lung deficiency, the Deficiency-Transforming Powder (Xucheng San) contains half liang each of immature bitter orange (Zhishi), large gentian root (Qinjiao), white poria, peony root, ephedra (Mahuang), corydalis rhizome (Yanhusuo), Chinese angelica (Danggui), and roasted fennel (Huixiang), plus one fen honey-fried licorice. Decoct two qian with one cup water, one pair silver earrings and five drops honey.

The Infant-Nourishing Powder (Yuying San) treats kidney deficiency, combining one fen each of roasted cyperus tuber (Xiangfu), one processed aconite (Fuzi), costus root (Muxiang), and deborned tribulus fruit (Baijili), half liang white poria, and one qian honey-fried licorice. Decoct two qian with one cup water, seven ginger slices and scallion whites until thirty percent reduced, taken before meals.

Finally, Gentian Pill (Longdan Wan) clears heat toxins: one liang each of gentian root (Longdan), bupleurum root (Chaihu), lycium root bark (Digupi), scutellaria root (Huangqin), and vinegar-fried turtle shell (Biejia), plus half liang each of peach kernel (Taoren), gardenia fruit (Shanzhizi), aged tangerine peel (Chenpi), Chinese angelica, rhubarb (Dahuang), and honey-fried licorice. Form into firmiana seed-sized pills with honey; take twenty pills to clear heat, reduce swelling, and resolve toxins.

This passage records several ancient medicinal formulas and administration methods for treating consumption (tuberculosis).

The preparation method for Wubi Wan (Matchless Pill): Take placenta (soaked in vinegar overnight, then dried and ground into powder), peony root, turtle shell (half an ounce, vinegar-fried), platycodon root, picrorhiza rhizome, processed rhubarb, roasted licorice, gentian root, sophora root, yellow yam root, anemarrhena rhizome, fritillaria bulb (with core removed), autumn mineral (ground), fermented soybean (roasted), zedoary rhizome, mirabilite, and powdered rhinoceros horn (each two and a half fen), grind into fine powder, and mix with honey to form pills the size of phoenix tree seeds. Adults should take twenty pills per dose with warm wine. For fever caused by intestinal parasites, take before meals; for fever above the diaphragm, take after meals. Dosage should be reduced for children. This formula primarily treats infectious consumption—continuous use for one month leads to recovery, while other wasting diseases show improvement after several doses.

The formula for Duoming San (Life-Seizing Powder): Use vinegar-fried turtle shell, skullcap (soaked in vinegar overnight, coated with butter, and roasted until yellow), bupleurum root with ends removed, sweet wormwood, anemarrhena rhizome (each one ounce), licorice, ginseng (each half an ounce), asafoetida (the size of four jujubes), a handful of scallion stalks, and twenty-one peach kernels (peeled, tips removed, and bran-fried). First, grind the skullcap and turtle shell into powder, then crush together with ginseng, anemarrhena rhizome, bupleurum root, and licorice. Next, add scallion stalks, sweet wormwood, peach kernels, and asafoetida, pounding into a cake that is then slowly dried over low heat and ground into powder. For each dose, take two qian of the powder, boil with two cups of boys' urine until reduced to one cup, strain, and leave uncovered overnight. At the fifth watch (around 3–5 a.m.), warm half a cup and take it, then cover with blankets and rest until dawn before warming and taking the remaining half cup. During treatment, avoid washing hands or face for three days—finger hair growth indicates efficacy. Each morning, first take the medicine with plain boiled water.

The formula for Tianzhu Huang Yinzi (Bamboo Silica Decoction): bamboo silica, ophiopogon root (with core removed, each one ounce), ginseng, poria, licorice, spirit poria, dried rehmannia root, polygala root (with core removed), saposhnikovia root, dragon bone (each half an ounce), seven corydalis tubers, eleven betel nuts, and additional rhinoceros horn. This formula primarily treats symptoms such as mental restlessness.

(Note: The original text contains historical medicinal practices, some of which may no longer be considered safe or ethical by modern standards. This translation is provided for academic reference only.)

This scripture records several ancient prescriptions for treating febrile diseases and parasitic infections along with their application methods.

The first is Musk Powder (Shexiang San), used to treat accumulated heat in women and unmarried maidens (室女), presenting with bone-steaming tidal fever (骨蒸潮热), amenorrhea, and emaciation. The formula consists of Clematis root (威灵仙), realgar (雄黄), musk (麝香), and roasted dry lacquer. Grind the ingredients into fine powder, then decoct one daqian (approx. 3g) with water for oral administration. After ingestion, it expels foul matter from the body - the root of the illness. For patients who find it difficult to swallow, the powder can be mixed with steamed cake paste to form phoenix tree seed-sized pills, taking 15-20 pills per dose.

The second prescription, Peach Kernel Powder (Taoren San), primarily treats parasitic diseases. The formula contains peach kernels (桃仁), red poria (赤茯苓), peony root (芍药), and ginseng (人参). If red-headed parasites are expelled after administration, the patient must immediately take Bamboo Yellow Decoction (Tianzhu Huang Yinzi) to protect the heart. Even if no parasites are expelled, preventive heart-protecting medicine should be taken in advance.

The third formula, Bupleurum Powder (Chaihu San), treats pediatric bone-steaming fever and post-febrile disease sequelae. It includes bupleurum root (柴胡), rhubarb (大黄), and vinegar-prepared turtle shell (醋炙鳖甲). Decoct one qian (approx. 3g) with wheat and administer cooled.

Finally, a unique parasite extraction method is described: feed a woodpecker with pork mixed with cinnabar (朱砂) pellets the size of mung beans. If woodpeckers are unavailable, other birds may substitute. This technique utilizes avian digestive systems to isolate parasites.

Note: The term "bone-steaming" (骨蒸) refers to afternoon tidal fever caused by yin deficiency with internal heat; "unmarried maiden" (室女) denotes virginal women; "turtle shell" (鼈甲) refers to Trionyx shell. Some ingredients like realgar and cinnabar contain toxic components and are no longer recommended for modern use.

This scripture records two ancient Daoist medical prescriptions for treating parasitic infections: the "Worm-Fishing Pill" and the "Life-Seizing Divine Worm-Fishing Powder."

The first method requires sealing a container with salt clay (a mixture of salt and clay), placing medicinal ingredients inside, and calcining it over intense flames for an entire night. Before sunrise the next day, the container—still intact with its salt clay seal—must be retrieved and buried two feet underground. After one day and night, the contents are ground into powder, mixed with ash-free wine (pure alcohol) and a small amount of musk for oral administration. During treatment, the patient must be placed in an enclosed tent, with iron tongs ready to immediately grasp any parasites emerging from the mouth and plunge them into boiling oil to kill them. Preparations must include having boiling oil and a brazier placed beside the patient. After expelling the parasites, the patient should take Jiasan Powder (a tonic formula) and congee for recuperation. The process concludes with reciting the worm-expelling incantation: "Om □ wu □ hong hong zha."

The second method, the "Worm-Fishing Pill," contains magnetite, dragon bone (fossilized bone), sal ammoniac, musk, and calomel, formed with wax into cherry-sized pills. Before administration, small holes are pierced through the pills to thread them with green-red strings attached to large copper coins. The patient must sit upright facing the "broken direction" (an inauspicious方位) and swallow the pill with warm water while biting the copper coin. When nausea occurs, parasites will be vomited out and must immediately be killed in hot oil. Even if only mucus or bloody threads are expelled, this still indicates efficacy—the patient should then take spleen-stomach regulating medicine to complete recovery. Notably, these pills can be washed with warm water and reused; for treating consumptive disease (tuberculosis), one pill can treat two patients.

The third method, the "Life-Seizing Divine Worm-Fishing Powder," combines clove buds, wine wax, turtle shell, sulfur, and fossilized swallow stones into wax pills the size of mung beans. Each pill is tied with a twelve-foot red string coated with snow ointment (likely a lubricant) and fixed with silkworm cocoons. The administration method resembles the previous techniques.

These methods reflect ancient Daoist medicine's unique understanding of parasitic diseases, combining herbal treatment with Daoist rituals while emphasizing directional orientation and environmental arrangements during deworming. The use of boiling oil to kill parasites and copper coins to induce vomiting bears distinct historical characteristics of its era.

Here are recorded several secret formulas for treating "consumption disease" (similar to tuberculosis) and general debility conditions. First is the method of ingesting paper pellets: Before treatment, the physician must observe purification rituals (zhaijiao) and cleanse the mind, burning incense before divine images. Egg white is applied to paper and dried, then cut into coin-sized pellets for the patient to swallow before taking other medicinal powders or pills.

The Tong Shen Powder formula for consumption disease: Take one aconite root (fuzi), one liang of rhubarb (dahuang), and two qian of bezoar (niuhuang), ground into powder. Add seven handfuls each of peach twigs, willow twigs, and wormwood (qinghao) chopped finely, soaked overnight in half a bowl of a child's urine. At dawn the next day, boil for several dozen bubbling cycles, strain, and mix with half the medicinal powder for ingestion. After taking the medicine, the patient should cover themselves and sleep until foul substances are expelled. The discharge may contain four types of parasites resembling horse tails, tangled hair, centipedes, or egg-like forms, possibly including cotton-like matter. During treatment, avoid hard foods, tea, grilled meats, crab, blood products, raw/cold/greasy foods, and pickled items. Follow-up treatment involves decocting half a liang each of licorice (gancao), coptis (huanglian), angelica (danggui), and costus root (muxiang) in wine.

The Purple River Chariot Elixir (ziheche dan), made from placenta, specifically treats sudden epidemic diseases ("flying corpse ghost infestations") and consumptive conditions with emaciation and coughing. Preparation method: Take a healthy male infant's placenta, first wash with soapberry water, then rinse with rice vinegar and dry. Slowly roast in a sealed baking basket over low heat to prevent medicinal qi (energy) from escaping. If no baking basket is available, use a small sealed container over strong fire until completely dried (reducing to about 12-13 qian weight). After drying, add one and a half liang of ginseng (renshen), half liang of costus root (muxiang), and fried white atractylodes (baizhu) for further processing.

These formulas emphasize specific timing (such as before sunrise on the Dragon Boat Festival) and special materials (child's urine, firstborn placenta), reflecting Daoist medicine's principle of "using the extraordinary to overcome disease." The careful observation of post-treatment reactions and dietary restrictions demonstrates ancient practitioners' meticulous approach to understanding the relationship between illness and therapy.

This prescription records several formulas for treating consumptive disorders, all commonly used in ancient Daoist medicine.

The first formula combines one liang each of white poria, fushen spirit fungus, Chinese angelica root, and prepared rehmannia root, with four qian each of frankincense and myrrh, plus two qian each of cinnabar and musk. These ingredients are ground into fine powder and mixed with red wine to form pills the size of wutong seeds. Take fifty pills per dose, swallowed with ginseng decoction on an empty stomach at noon, four times daily. Alternatively, the mixture can be prepared with honey into pills. Named "Bright Vision Elixir," this formula also expels intestinal parasites and treats infectious consumptive diseases.

Another formula uses white rabbit droppings (forty pellets collected on Mid-Autumn night being most potent) mixed with sal ammoniac, ground into powder and formed into wutong seed-sized pills with honey. Take seven pills per dose with thick licorice juice extracted by pounding half a liang of root in water. For emaciated patients, roast the licorice and administer at the fifth watch (3-5 AM) on an empty stomach. Before taking, advise patients to maintain mental tranquility—the medicine may be taken cool. After effectiveness is observed, repeat every two days until parasites are expelled, preferably during the first ten days of the lunar month.

"Artemisia Decoction" treats consumptive disorders with one sheng of red-rooted artemisia seeds, five liang of shade-dried leaves, three liang of tender peach branches, one liang each of bupleurum and licorice, three liang of tender willow branches, two liang of wolfberry root bark, and one liang of gardenia kernels (adjusted according to constitution). Chop ingredients and decoct three qian per dose with one bowl of water and two dark plums until reduced by 30%. Take warm without time restrictions.

"Bupleurum Powder" replenishes consumptive disorders with equal parts (one liang each) of: bupleurum, ginseng, white poria, platycodon, peony root, green tangerine peel (white removed), Sichuan angelica (soaked overnight in wine), ophiopogon (core removed), ligusticum, cimicifuga, mulberry root bark, atractylodes (soaked overnight in rice water), and licorice. Grind into powder, decoct two qian per dose in one bowl of water until 70% remains, and take warm.

The final "Turtle Shell Decoction" also treats consumption: one vinegar-fried turtle shell (until yellow) combined with one liang each of bupleurum (root removed), Sichuan angelica, roasted licorice, platycodon, red peony root, and ginseng, plus half qian of musk and stir-fried apricot kernels (skin and tips removed). These formulas exemplify Daoist medical principles emphasizing herbal compatibility and precise timing of administration.

This text records several ancient Daoist medicinal formulas primarily used to expel internal parasites (referred to as the "Three Corpses and Nine Worms") and treat consumptive cough (a chronic cough resembling tuberculosis). All formulas employ common Chinese medicinal ingredients prepared into small pills for oral administration.

The first formula combines finely powdered herbs including Picrorhiza root (huhuanglian), wolfberry root bark (digupi), and costus root (muxiang) with wormwood juice, ghee, and honey to create a paste, then formed into pills the size of phoenix tree seeds. The dosage is fifteen pills per serving, taken with warm wine or rice water three times daily. During autumn and winter, seven peach and willow buds may be added, decocted together with bupleurum powder (chaihusan).

The second formula, the Dryopteris Pill (guanzhong wan), specifically targets various parasites. It combines nine ingredients including Dryopteris root (guanzhong) to subdue latent corpses, dictamnus root bark (baixianpi) to kill worms, and dichroa root (shuqi) to eliminate white worms. After roasting and stir-frying until yellow, the ingredients are powdered and mixed with honey into phoenix-tree-seed-sized pills. Begin with five pills per dose, gradually increasing to twenty pills over twenty consecutive days. The treatment requires purification rituals (zhaijie) during administration and is said to also treat infertility.

The third formula, Cinnamon Pill (guixin wan), uses just three ingredients: prepared rehmannia root (shudihuang), dried lacquer (ganqi), and cinnamon bark (guixin), powdered and mixed with honey into pills. Seven pills per dose are taken with rice water.

The simpler fourth formula, Realgar Pill (xionghuang wan), uses only realgar and pine resin melted together to form lotus-seed-sized pills. One pill is swallowed on an empty stomach each morning for seven consecutive days.

Finally, the Light Bone Powder (qinggu san) for consumptive cough combines twelve ingredients including smoked plum (wumei), gentian root (longdancao), fritillaria bulb (beimu), anemarrhena rhizome (zhimu), and turtle shell (biejia). Most ingredients possess heat-clearing, cough-suppressing, and yin-nourishing properties, with special processing methods like vinegar-frying enhancing efficacy.

Important Note: These ancient formulas document historical medical practices, with some ingredients like realgar containing toxic components. Modern readers must never prepare or consume these without professional guidance. These records serve primarily for studying ancient Daoist medical thought—always consult licensed practitioners for actual medical treatment.

Here are two medicinal formulas for treating consumptive cough, both employing unique preparation methods.

The first formula primarily uses herbs like sweet wormwood, donkey-hide gelatin, and apricot kernels. The preparation involves sun-drying the ingredients, grinding them into powder, then mixing with premium ink sticks and well water to form finger-sized medicinal cakes. These are air-dried in shade for fourteen days. For administration, one cake is dissolved in well water with fifty myrrh grains ground into it, taken during the fifth watch (3-5 AM). This should be accompanied by two qian (about 7.5 grams) of yellow citrus peel decoction, consumed warm in small sips before immediate rest. Severe cases typically show improvement within three doses.

The second formula, called Gecko Powder, specifically treats consumptive emaciation. Ingredients include poria cocos, mulberry root bark, apricot kernels, anemarrhena rhizome, a pair of geckos (male and female), fritillaria bulb, licorice root, ginseng, and milk butter. Each herb undergoes specialized vinegar or butter roasting: repeatedly brushed with vinegar or butter then lightly baked to specific colors. For instance, mulberry bark is roasted until yellow-purple, apricot kernels are peeled, stir-dried and powdered, while geckos are first soaked in vinegar-butter before roasting.

Administration involves grinding all ingredients into powder, taking two large qian (about 7.5g) decocted until 70% liquid remains. Patients must avoid greasy and raw-cold foods during treatment. Important note: chronic cough may initially worsen upon taking the medicine—persistent use yields results while maintaining bodily nourishment.

Both formulas treat consumptive fever, stop bleeding, and relieve coughs, with the second being particularly effective for chronic cases. The elaborate preparation—especially the repeated vinegar-butter roasting—enhances medicinal potency.

This text records several medicinal formulas and moxibustion methods for treating consumptive disorders. First is the Gecko Formula: Take a pair of geckos (a medicinal lizard), clean them, soak in wine and vinegar, then roast. Add half an ounce each of scutellaria (huangqin), picrorhiza (huhuanglian), gentian (qinjiao), licorice (gancao), raw rehmannia (shengdihuang), prepared rehmannia (shudihuang), artemisia (qinghao), stir-fried ginseng (renshen), bupleurum (chaihu), ephedra (mahuang), anemarrhena (zhimu), fritillaria (beimu), and bitter apricot kernels (xingren) with removed skin and tips. Also include one ounce each of wine-vinegar roasted turtle shell (biejia), platycodon (jiegeng), gentian (longdancao), and costus root (muxiang). Grind these ingredients into fine powder and decoct with dark plum (wumei), fresh ginger (shengjiang), and jujube (dazao) for oral administration.

Another formula for consumptive disorders uses one jin of apricot kernels combined with six liang of finely chopped ginger. For those with cough, add four liang of chopped ginseng. Place these in a new earthenware pot with one dou of "rootless river water" (rainwater). Simmer over charcoal fire alternating between gentle and strong heat until the liquid evaporates. Remove the ginger and ginseng residue, then consume five to seven apricot kernels per dose after cooling, taken regularly.

For treating "corpse-transmission consumption" (a wasting disease resembling tuberculosis), there's a special formula: Take one cup of "child's urine" (healthy boy's urine) and one bowl of ash-free wine (pure alcohol) in a new porcelain vessel. Add a pair of intact pork kidneys, seal tightly with clay. Simmer over slow fire in the evening until midnight, then pause heating. At fifth watch (before dawn), reheat and consume both the liquid and kidneys. Severe cases should take this for one month. Even generally weak individuals may use this method—it follows the principle of "nourishing blood with blood" and proves far more effective than mineral or herbal medicines.

Another prescription uses one otter liver dried in shade and ground into powder. Take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient measure ≈1g) three times daily for effect. A simpler version involves baking and powdering "red □-er" (folk name: wanggua, likely Trichosanthes kirilowii), taken with warm wine.

Finally, the text mentions the Yellow Emperor's Moxibustion Methods, recording twenty-one moxibustion treatments for consumptive diseases. The preface states that humans receive the vital Qi (energy) of heaven and earth, and improper cultivation leads to serious illness. This "bone-steaming disease" (consumptive disorder) has multiple names—for men it roots in primordial Qi (yuanqi), for women in the "sea of blood." Symptoms include dry, sparse hair that sometimes clumps, abdominal masses, nodules on the forehead, night sweats, ghost intercourse (sexual dreams), and visible but weak limbs despite functional eyesight.

This passage documents an ancient Daoist medical technique titled Emergency Immortal Formulas, primarily detailing acupuncture treatments for various intractable diseases. The author recounts using these methods during his tenure as Sima in Luozhou, where he successfully revived thirteen patients within thirty days.

The text meticulously describes specific acupuncture points and their operational techniques for different ailments. For instance, to treat lung diseases, one should target the "Feishu point" (Lung Transport Point), located one and a half cun (a traditional Chinese measurement) lateral to the lower border of the third thoracic vertebra. This point addresses epilepsy, rebellious Qi (vital energy), vomiting, back pain, fever with chills, and other symptoms. The needle should be inserted to a depth of three fen (another traditional unit), leaving seven fen exposed. After achieving the sensation of Qi (Deqi), moxibustion should be applied for three zhuang (a unit referring to the complete burning of one moxa cone).

Other crucial acupuncture points include:

• Jueyin point (below the fourth thoracic vertebra): treats vomiting, heart pain, and chest oppression.
• Xinshu point (Heart Transport Point, below the fifth thoracic vertebra): addresses mania, incoherent speech, and abdominal distension.
• Ganshu point (Liver Transport Point, below the ninth thoracic vertebra): alleviates stroke, indigestion, vomiting blood, and blurred vision.
• Pishu point (Spleen Transport Point, below the eleventh thoracic vertebra): counters abdominal distension, diarrhea, and jaundice.
• Shenshu point (Kidney Transport Point, location unspecified).

The author emphasizes that these methods are effective not only for "bone steaming" (a consumptive disease resembling tuberculosis) but also for wind disorders, miasma, exhaustion, and pathogenic influences. Concerned that oral transmission might lead to errors, he included diagrams to ensure accuracy for future practitioners. This medical art is straightforward and practical, accessible even to laypeople, reducing dependence on professional physicians.

This passage provides detailed documentation of ancient Chinese acupuncture point selection methods and specific treatment procedures. It primarily describes the therapeutic scope of the Shenshu (Kidney Transport) point, located one and a half cun lateral to the lower border of the fourteenth thoracic vertebra. This point addresses various conditions including consumptive fatigue, deafness, kidney deficiency edema, lumbar pain, and turbid urine. The recommended needling depth is three fen, with the needle retained for seven respiratory cycles, and it can also be treated with three moxa cones.

The text then introduces several other important acupoint locations: Dazhu (Great Shuttle) at the first thoracic vertebra, Geshu (Diaphragm Transport) at the seventh, Danshu (Gallbladder Transport) at the eleventh, while Sanjiaoshu (Triple Burner Transport) and Weishu (Stomach Transport) are both found at the thirteenth thoracic vertebra. Xinshu (Heart Transport) is located at the twentieth vertebra. The text particularly recommends combining these with moxibustion at the Sihua Gaohuang points for enhanced effectiveness.

Three specific point measurement methods are emphasized: First, have the patient stand straight while measuring with a thin cord from the sole along the posterior leg to the popliteal crease before cutting. Second, have the patient sit upright while measuring downward from the hairline along the spine. Third, have the patient sit properly while measuring with a cord from the Jiuwei (Dove Tail) point below the xiphoid process to the Adam's apple before turning to the back. All methods require precise, undistorted measurements during the process. After locating exact points, apply moxibustion using seven to twenty-one cones per session, accumulating up to 150 cones total. Subsequent treatments should only commence when the moxibustion blisters begin to form.

This passage describes a combined treatment of moxibustion and herbal medicine for "consumptive corpse disease" (a wasting illness similar to tuberculosis). First, locate the Four Flowers acupoints (special points along both sides of the spine) on the back, measuring their positions with string before applying moxibustion. The best mugwort for this purpose is gathered on the third day of the third lunar month, and the treatment should avoid "unpropitious days" (Li Ri). After moxibustion, observe celibacy for one hundred days, maintain dietary restrictions, and rest quietly for one month. If recovery is incomplete, repeat the moxibustion.

Another method involves standing bare-legged during the late night of Guihai Day (around 9–11 pm), marking the depressions on both sides of the waist (Yaoyan acupoints), then applying seven small moxa cones to each side (fourteen cones total). After treatment, vomiting or diarrhea may expel "consumptive worms" (ancient physicians imagined disease-causing parasites).

Post-moxibustion, herbal medicine should be taken: combine two liters each of fresh rehmannia juice, artemisia juice, and mint juice, simmer with children’s urine and good liquor into a paste, then add one liang each of bupleurum root, vinegar-fried turtle shell, and gentian root, along with half a liang each of musk and cinnabar to form pills. Take 15–20 pills per dose with warm wine, avoiding raw, cold, or toxic foods.

Another deworming formula: first apply seven moxa cones each to the third spinal vertebra and the Gaohuang acupoint (located three cun lateral to the fourth thoracic vertebra), regulate the diet, then administer medicine to expel worms. The expelled parasites may appear as tangled threads or red threads. In spring, pills can be made from realgar, sulfur, one debittered croton seed, and seven fermented soybeans, taken with children’s urine.

These methods reflect ancient physicians’ understanding of chronic wasting diseases, imagining microbial infections as "worms" and using moxibustion to stimulate Yang Qi (vital energy) alongside herbal medicine to expel pathogenic factors. The precise acupoint location, timing of moxibustion, and herbal combinations embody the Daoist medical principle of "correspondence between heaven and human" in treatment.

This scripture records the medical prescriptions and rituals of the Jingming tradition (an important Daoist school emphasizing the path of loyalty, filial piety, purity, and illumination) for treating consumptive diseases (known in ancient times as "laozhai," similar to modern tuberculosis). The prescriptions vary according to seasonal changes:

For summer treatment, the formula includes lufta seeds, carpesium, sulfur, croton seeds (one seed, with oil removed), and fermented soybeans (seven beans). These ingredients are made into pills to be taken with the decoction mentioned earlier.

In autumn, the prescription changes to tin ash, realgar and orpiment (two mineral-based medicinal substances), mung bean powder, fermented soybeans (seven beans), and degreased croton seeds (one seed), similarly prepared as pills for consumption.

Winter treatment employs realgar and orpiment, tin ash, degreased croton seeds, and seven fermented soybeans. Each dose must be taken with a specific accompanying decoction.

Particularly significant is the Jingming healing method transmitted by Master Yuzhen, which requires performing the liandu ritual (a Daoist rite for the salvation of souls) according to established protocols. The specific procedure is as follows: Take five qian of southern costus root, sliced, and decoct it in a clean earthenware vessel over low heat to obtain a concentrated liquid, divided into two portions. One portion is used to mix with cinnabar for talisman drawing, while the other is blended with sweet wormwood. Separately, take nine jin of sweet wormwood, chopped, and boil in an iron pot for one full day. After removing the dregs, combine with the leftover costus root dregs for further decoction, finally mixing with the concentrated costus liquid to form a paste.

Grind five qian of cinnabar into fine powder, blending it with the reserved costus liquid to inscribe the Five Qi talismans (fu representing the energies of the Five Phases). Then burn these Five Qi talismans from the liandu ritual into the costus liquid, using this mixture to dissolve the sweet wormwood paste for the patient to ingest. Crucially, the preparation process must be concealed from the patient, performed with utmost sincerity, and shielded from observation by outsiders or animals. Tradition holds that this prescription yields exceptional results when combined with Jingming practices.