《仙傳外科祕方》Vol. 4

This passage discusses a cooling topical medicinal formula in Daoist medicine called "Hongbao Dan" (also known as Golden Elixir Inch Gold, Four Yellows Powder, or Single Yellow Powder), compiled and recorded by the Yuan dynasty Daoist priest Zhao Yizhen. The primary ingredients include trichosanthes root (three liang), turmeric (one liang), angelica dahurica (one liang), and red peony root (two liang), ground into powder that can be mixed with tea, wine, or decoctions depending on symptoms.

This formula possesses remarkable properties for cooling blood and resolving stasis: it transforms congealed blood into fluid, eliminates blood stagnation, promotes muscle regeneration, and clears necrotic tissue. It simultaneously reduces swelling and alleviates pain while adaptively either promoting or suppressing suppuration as needed. However, its medicinal nature is peculiar—exceptionally effective for heat syndromes but counterproductive for cold syndromes. Unless treating clearly evident heat conditions, one should avoid casual use to prevent cold congealing that complicates treatment. Yet for bleeding wounds from blades or weapons, it becomes the primary remedy.

Application requires attention: for severe heat syndromes, mix with hot tea; moderate heat conditions use wine; for pus drainage, blend three parts ginger juice with seven parts tea—the formula's cold nature retreats blood while ginger's hot property guides it, their interaction facilitating proper drainage. If wounds harden without resolving, wind pathogens are suspected; add duhuo (angelica pubescens) to expel wind, applying with heated wine.

The author concludes with a military analogy: employing medicine resembles commanding troops, requiring flexible adaptation to disease conditions just as generals must adjust tactics mid-battle. Those without medical cultivation can scarcely grasp such subtleties.

This passage discusses several methods for treating metal wounds (incisions caused by blades or other sharp objects) and abscesses (purulent infections), with particular emphasis on selecting appropriate topical medications according to different conditions.

For severe cases where wind toxins have penetrated deeply and the muscles have hardened, adding Cercis chinensis bark can enhance the dispersing effect. This formula is especially suitable for treating metal wounds and various types of heat-induced redness and swelling, as it completely stops bleeding. However, one must be cautious—abscesses (purulent inflammations) should not be treated carelessly with this formula, as it may cause toxins to attack internally. If toxins invade the bones, they can turn into bone abscesses; if they gather in the throat, they can accumulate toxic Qi; if they affect the chest or back, they can corrode internal organs; and if they settle in the abdomen, they can form life-threatening internal abscesses. In such cases, milder formulas like Chonghe Yulong should be used instead.

For young people with vigorous blood-Qi and elderly people with weakened blood-Qi, heavy bleeding must be stopped immediately. For bleeding in the limbs, tea-infused medicine can be applied above and below the wound. For bleeding in the chest, back, waist, or abdomen, the medicine should be applied broadly to block blood flow, followed by hemostatic agents like Galla Chinensis. In cases of severed tendons and severe blood loss, the arm should first be tied off with a rope before applying medicine to stop the bleeding.

If head or facial wounds continue to bleed uncontrollably, tea-infused medicine should be applied around the neck to cut off blood flow. If water exposure causes the flesh to turn outward, a paste made with Allium macrostemon juice should be applied to both sides of the wound, followed by gentle heating with a low flame or fumigation with rice straw smoke until fluid seeps out. If no fluid emerges, it indicates wind pathogen invasion, requiring alternative treatment.

Finally, a warning: during treatment, internal tonics or blood-nourishing formulas like Siwu Tang should not be used, as they may induce vomiting and, in severe cases, lead to facial distortion, fever, or even tetanus. If tetanus symptoms appear, specialized remedies like Pueraria Decoction should be administered. For wound care, military-grade trauma medicine can be used alongside specially processed turtle shell powder.

This passage primarily discusses several medicinal formulas for external application and internal ingestion to treat various traumatic injuries and bleeding symptoms.

First, it mentions that a paste made from Arisaema rhizome (a Chinese medicinal herb) mixed with tea can be applied externally to treat wounds. For women experiencing heavy postpartum or menstrual bleeding, applying medicine mixed with well water to the neck, or using mugwort leaf juice as a medium, can immediately stop the bleeding. If blood blisters form due to tongue bleeding, one should tie the base of the tongue with thread while applying medicine to both the neck and tongue. After the blisters rupture, removing the thread will prevent further swelling.

For redness, swelling, and pain caused by heat toxins, egg white can be used as a medium for external application—this method also works effectively for burns. In cases of chest trauma with blood stasis, taking medicine mixed with mung bean water internally can help expel the stagnant blood. For patients suffering from fall injuries in cold weather where blood stasis has congealed, consuming ginger powder mixed with heated alcohol can activate blood circulation and resolve stasis by utilizing the warming properties of alcohol.

The passage then introduces two internal formulas:

1. Yellow Alum Pills (also called Protective Membrane Powder), made from alum and yellow wax formed into small pills. This protects internal organs from toxin invasion and works regardless of whether wounds have ulcerated.

2. Oak Leaf Decoction, prepared by boiling oak leaves, lotus leaf bases, and daylily roots. This treats carbuncles, abscesses, and sores on the back or body. Being made from inexpensive herbs, it's particularly suitable for the poor.

These formulas all specify precise herbal ratios and application methods, offering both topical and oral treatments with targeted therapeutic approaches for different symptoms.

This prescription treats toxic sores and wasting-thirst syndrome (similar to diabetes symptoms). Take it once each morning and evening, and the boiled dregs can be decocted again for another dose. Festering sores will naturally dry and scab, while suppurating ones will subside. During treatment, avoid all toxic or irritant foods.

The Three Stones Powder specifically targets toxic sores and wasting-thirst with frequent urination. Formula composition: ginseng, white atractylodes, Chinese angelica, white peony root, platycodon root, anemarrhena rhizome, and gardenia fruit (1 qian each); poria, forsythia, trichosanthes root, and kudzu root (2 qian each); cinnamon bark, agastache, and costus root (0.5 qian each); licorice (6 qian); crude mirabilitum (1 liang 6 qian); calcite and gypsum (8 qian each); talc (1 liang); rhubarb (1 liang). Grind into powder, decoct 5 qian per dose with one bowl water and three ginger slices. Filter and add honey before taking. Gradually increase dosage to 1 liang, taken three times daily. Maintain urinary flow during treatment—discontinue crude mirabilitum and rhubarb if diarrhea occurs. Alternatively, the Eight-Ingredient Pill from Essentials of External Medicine also treats this condition.

Trichosanthes Powder treats carbuncles and deep-rooted ulcers: use fresh or aged trichosanthes fruit (stir-fried and crushed with zanthoxylum), 20 zanthoxylum berries, 3-5 cun of sliced licorice, and 5 pieces of frankincense (size like gleditsia seeds). Decoct with 3 bowls of ash-free wine (pure liquor) until reduced to 1 bowl. Filter and drink hot for rapid detoxification. Non-suppurating sores will rupture, while festered ones will drain spontaneously without manual pressure.

The Overseas Formula treats internal suppuration with foul pus-blood discharge and cold pain around the navel—caused by necrotic pus. Formula: angelica dahurica (1 liang), white peony root and dried alum (0.5 liang each), single-petal hollyhock root (2 liang). Powdered and mixed with melted wax and alum to form firmiana seed-sized pills. Take 30 pills with rice water on empty stomach until pus is fully expelled, then nourish the body with Ten Virtues Restorative Powder.

Two simple remedies: one uses crucian carp fried in lard to treat intestinal abscess (like appendicitis); another involves taking turtle shell ash (with retained medicinal properties).

Here are three ancient Daoist medical formulas commonly used for external application and pill preparations:

The first is called "True Lord's Marvelous Application Powder," composed primarily of three taels of sulfur and two taels of buckwheat flour. The preparation method involves grinding the ingredients into fine powder, mixing with well water drawn at dawn to achieve proper consistency, then shaping into cakes to dry in sunlight or by gentle heat. When treating severe ulcerous toxins, the dried cakes are ground again and mixed with well water into a paste for topical application. Characteristically, this remedy relieves pain when applied to originally painful areas, while initially causing pain before healing in originally painless conditions.

The second formula, "Wind-Chasing Pills," specifically treats "Drumstick Wind" (similar to modern rheumatism or arthralgia) caused by cold invasion leading to obstructed blood flow, limb numbness, and meridian blockage in both genders. The prescription contains seventeen ingredients including eaglewood, achyranthes root, and Chinese angelica. Preparation involves grinding all components into powder, blending with honey to form pills—thirty pills per dose taken with wine. For beriberi treatment, the pills are prepared with wine paste and taken with warm wine. Patients must avoid pungent and heating foods during treatment.

The third is "Damage-Searching Pain-Seeking Pills," primarily for fractures and systemic pain, particularly effective for old bone injuries or post-sword wound recovery. The fifteen-ingredient formula includes frankincense, myrrh, and Chinese angelica, with special note that additional coix seed should be added for severe tendon rupture. All ingredients require dry-frying before grinding into powder.

These formulas embody the Daoist medical principle of "treating external disorders internally through integrated approaches," with ingredient combinations emphasizing Yin-Yang balance and preparation methods focusing on precise fire control. Notably, the formulas contain toxic herbs like Sichuan aconite and wild aconite, which require strict traditional detoxification processes—modern attempts at preparation without proper expertise are strongly discouraged.

This medical text records several ancient surgical prescriptions and their preparation methods:

First is the preparation of fracture-healing pills: Grind medicinal herbs into fine powder and mix with honey to form pills. When administering, have the patient chew ginger thoroughly and swallow the pills with warm wine. Alternatively, the powder can be directly mixed with ginger-infused wine for consumption, or the herbs may be steeped in wine. For bone fractures, administer the medicine only after the patient experiences full-body numbness. For setting bones, add seven fen of monkshood (a toxic Chinese herb) mixed with heated wine, adjusting dosage according to the patient's constitution. If numbness persists after taking the medicine, prepare concentrated black bean broth as antidote - fermented soybean soup may substitute when black beans are unavailable. For vomiting, add ginger juice to alleviate symptoms.

Next is the compound decoction powder for treating carbuncles (purulent infections): The formula includes one qian each of phellodendron bark, scutellaria root, and coptis root; one qian each of anemarrhena rhizome and rehmannia root (washed with wine); and half qian each of saposhnikovia root, gardenia fruit, notopterygium root, astragalus root, ophiopogon tuber, honey-fried licorice, pubescent angelica root, and ginseng; plus two qian of Chinese angelica root tail, and half qian portions of tangerine peel, saposhnikovia root tips, raw licorice tips, sappan wood, angelica root body, schisandra berry, polyporus, ligusticum root, forsythia fruit, and platycodon root. Preparation involves chopping the herbs, then boiling four qian of the mixture in two bowls of water until reduced to 70% volume. Strain the decoction and administer before or after meals depending on the affected body area.

The Divine Edge Powder (also called Needle-Substitute Paste) for pus drainage contains: cake medicine, needle water, seven grains of white clove (an insect secretion used medicinally), and one zi of sal ammoniac. Mix with needle water and apply externally to affected areas.

Black Gold Powder for removing necrotic tissue and pus: Combine half qian of croton seed with two liang of Cold Food Festival flour (specially prepared flour). Wrap the croton seed in dough, char until blackened, then apply externally according to wound size.

Lastly, the Blood-Seeking Powder for treating infected knife wounds addresses tetanus symptoms like tidal fever, facial swelling, and labored breathing after blade injuries. The formula includes three qian each of kudzu root (substitute with ligusticum rhizome for weak elderly or blood-loss patients), saposhnikovia root, red peony root, asarum herb, notopterygium root, platycodon root, fried licorice, and cinnamon bark. Adjust ingredients based on the patient's specific condition.

This passage records several ancient medicinal formulas for treating sword wounds and traumatic injuries. First is the Angelica Dahurica Powder (Baizhi San), made by grinding three qian of angelica root into powder, to be taken with decoctions of ginger and scallions. Next is the Kudzu Decoction (Gegen Tang), specifically for treating chills, fever, redness, swelling or pain after blade injuries. The formula contains ten ingredients including cimicifuga, kudzu root, licorice, pinellia, and perilla leaf, with two qian per dose decocted with ginger and scallions, taken on an empty stomach.

For excessive blood loss from blade wounds, there's the Blood-Dispersing Powder (Sanxue San) to replenish blood, containing qi- and blood-tonifying herbs like ginseng, Chinese angelica (danggui), and astragalus (huangqi). Three qian per dose is decocted with ginger and jujube, taken without time restrictions. This formula also aids wound healing. The Blood-Unblocking Powder (Tongxue San) treats internal blood stasis, whole-body redness/swelling, or urinary/defecation difficulties, primarily using rhubarb (dahuang) and Chinese angelica, taken with decoctions of sappan wood and bitter orange. Wine should be avoided when fever is present.

A simple Dawn Rooster Powder (Jiming San) is recorded, mixing raw rhubarb powder with stir-fried apricot kernel powder. Finally mentioned is Chancellor Boyan's military secret formula, using frankincense, myrrh, notopterygium root, perilla, and asarum to treat various weapon wounds, reportedly with excellent efficacy.

These formulas reflect ancient military and folk experiences in trauma treatment, emphasizing blood activation, stasis removal, qi replenishment, and tissue regeneration, often assisted by ginger, scallions or wine to enhance medicinal potency. Note these are historical medical records—practical application requires professional medical guidance.

This passage records several ancient medicinal formulas for treating external injuries and sores, primarily categorized into topical applications and fumigation-wash treatments.

First is the topical powder for stopping bleeding and promoting tissue regeneration, composed of over ten ingredients including wild aconite (also called caowu), musk, calcined pyrite, cinnamon bark, angelica dahurica (which must not be exposed to fire), dalbergia wood, and Chinese angelica. These herbs are ground into a fine powder and applied directly to wounds to stop bleeding, relieve pain, dispel wind, and regenerate flesh. For best results, Hongbao Dan can be applied around the wound in conjunction with this treatment.

Next is the fumigation-wash formula, used for treating various abscesses, back sores, fractures, and external injuries. The main ingredients include mulberry root bark, angelica dahurica, and red peony root, adjusted according to symptoms: for knife wounds, add more schizonepeta and mulberry root bark; for foul-smelling wounds, add patchouli; for toxic sores, add Chinese tallow tree root bark. The decoction is boiled and then poured into a bottle while warm to rinse the wound. For severe full-body injuries, the patient should first be exposed to steam from the hot medicinal decoction in a sealed room, followed by quenching red-hot bricks in the liquid to intensify the heat, inducing mild sweating for optimal effect.

Additionally, two specialized formulas are recorded:

Musk-Light Powder (also called Taohong San) contains frankincense, myrrh, and Chinese gall, among other ingredients. It promotes tissue regeneration, closes wounds, relieves pain, and dispels wind, making it suitable for chronic sores or stubborn wounds that refuse to heal. The affected area must first be cleansed with medicinal water before applying this powder.

Miraculous Four-Seven Paste consists of seven herbs, including frankincense, myrrh, and saposhnikovia root, specifically formulated for persistent malignant sores and toxic ulcers that resist healing over long periods. These recipes emphasize precise preparation methods (such as calcination or quenching in boys' urine) and contraindications (e.g., angelica dahurica must not be exposed to fire).

This passage documents several secret formulas from ancient Chinese surgical medicine, detailing their preparation methods and applications.

The first formula uses angelica root, coptis, cinnamon, gleditsia spine, gallnut, croton seeds (shell removed), momordica seeds, minium (a mineral medicine), castor beans, pyrolusite (another mineral medicine), betel nut, talcum powder, calomel (yet another mineral medicine), liquidambar resin, long pepper (or lindera root as substitute), pine resin, and yellow wax. During preparation, frankincense, myrrh, musk, calomel, and minium are ground separately. The other ingredients are fried in clear oil until charred black, then liquidambar resin, pine resin, and yellow wax are added and melted. After filtering, minium and talcum powder are incorporated and boiled until the mixture turns purple. Finally, the previously ground ingredients are added while stirring continuously with peach, willow, and locust branches until the mixture forms droplets that don't disperse. The finished product is stored in earthenware containers.

The second formula serves to stop bleeding, regenerate tissue, and promote wound healing. Its main components include talc, calcined mirabilite, calcined gypsum, burnt sandalwood, realgar (which eliminates odor and removes decay), calcined dragon bone (a potent ingredient), fried pangolin scales, plant soot (from stove bottoms), fried siegesbeckia herb, fried vaccaria seeds, cherokee rose fruit, senecio herb, burnt ramie root, and burnt pine bark. All ingredients are ground into powder, with dosages adjusted according to circumstances. A special "Pain-Stopping Black Powder" is mentioned within this formula, composed of plant soot, burnt ramie root, and burnt sandalwood, effective for stopping both pain and bleeding.

The third formula, named "Miraculous Qi-Restoring Powder," treats initial symptoms of various malignant sores, effective against carbuncles, deep-rooted ulcers, boils, and swelling pains. The prescription includes three taels of angelica root, one tael of licorice, half tael of fresh rehmannia, one tael of astragalus, one tael of white peony root, one tael of trichosanthes root, half tael of prepared rehmannia, and two taels of honeysuckle flowers. For each dose, five qian of the mixture is boiled with one and a half cups of water until reduced to one cup, taken warm either before or after meals depending on the affected body area.

This scripture records a medicinal formula known as the "Immortal-Transmitted Secret Prescriptions for External Medicine," detailing various herbal aliases and preparation methods.

First, it explains the alternative names of the herbs: "Horse Liver Stone" refers to Fleeceflower Root (何首乌), "Jade Lotus □" is an alternate name for Akebia (木通), "Red Peony" is actually Red Peony Root (赤芍药), and "Spring Wood Wax" refers to Acorus Calamus (木菖蒲). "Stomach-Soothing Fragrance" and "Face Fragrance" are the same herb, while "Longevity Grass" denotes Angelica Pubescens (独活, known for its resuscitative properties). "Golden Crow Powder" is a processed form of Aconite (草乌), and "Tiger Bone Paste" is the same as Arisaema (南星). "Huai Orange" refers to Bitter Orange Peel (枳壳), and "Dragon Spring Fragrance" is stir-fried Galangal (军姜). "Blood-Nourishing Fat" is Angelica Sinensis (当归) roasted with wine, and "Treasured Tripod Fragrance" is Turmeric (姜黄). "Jade Arrow" is another name for Angelica Dahurica (香白芷), while "Earthen Lindera" can be transformed into Wood Perilla (木苏). "Golden Dust Cinnamon" must not be exposed to fire, and "Purple Haze Glue" is Bauhinia Bark (紫荆). "Jade Marrow Nectar" refers to Myrrh and Frankincense (番乳没), and "Heavenly Flower Powder" resembles the indistinct appearance of auspicious snow. "Elder of the Land" is actually another name for Licorice (甘草), and these herbs can be used in combination.

Next, it describes the preparation methods: Angelica Dahurica and Cinnamon must not be exposed to fire, and Fleeceflower Root must not come into contact with iron. Earthen Lindera, Red Peony Root, Face Fragrance, Bauhinia Bark, Vanishing Mist (望见消), and Galangal must be stir-fried together. Angelica Pubescens should be cut at the nodes and then stir-fried, Angelica Sinensis must be washed with wine and then dried by roasting, while Bitter Orange Peel should be aged and stewed. Licorice needs to be roasted, Akebia must have its bark and nodes removed, and Arisaema should be stewed. Huai Aconite (淮草乌) must also be stewed, while Turmeric and Heavenly Flower Powder should be used raw.

These herbs and their preparation methods are primarily used in external medicine, reflecting ancient physicians' precise understanding of herbal properties and unique processing techniques. Each herb has specific treatment methods—whether stir-frying, stewing, washing with wine, or removing bark—all aimed at maximizing their therapeutic effects.