《葛仙翁肘後備急方》Vol. 5

This passage primarily discusses various prescriptions for treating carbuncles (purulent skin infections), breast abscesses, and other toxic swellings. The Immortal Master Ge (Ge Hong) recorded several practical methods:

For treating sheep carbuncle sores (a type of skin ulcer) with itching caused by parasites: Grind eight parts aconite and two parts hellebore into powder for topical application, which will naturally draw out the parasites.

Methods for treating breast abscesses and back carbuncles:

• Apply moxibustion directly to the affected area up to a hundred times
• Stir-fry rice flour until blackened, mix with egg white for topical application, then bandage firmly. For smaller abscesses, make small openings in the cloth to drain toxic Qi (vital energy), replacing the dressing when dry
• Crush stove-bottom soot and mix with egg yolk for application, with added fermented beans for enhanced effect
• Sieve phellodendron bark powder and mix with egg white into a thick paste for application, replacing when dry
• Burn deer antler into ash and mix with vinegar for highly effective topical use
• Grind deer antler on stone with water to create a turbid juice for application, replacing when dry
• Apply pinellia powder mixed with egg white, or use water-ground juice
• Crush and apply evodia fruit, ginger, or wild garlic mixed with vinegar

For severe toxic swellings: Crush turnip root (or substitute with black nightshade root), frankincense, coptis, and apricot kernels to make medicinal cakes. Apply according to the swelling size, replacing when dry.

For multiple carbuncles:

• Mix burned ox dung ash with egg white for application
• Separately crush and burn deer antler, cinnamon bark, and chicken droppings into ash, then mix with egg white

For suppurated carbuncles:

• Burn white chicken wing feathers for oral consumption to promote rupture
• Swallow one coix seed
• Apply sparrow droppings mixed with vinegar to the carbuncle apex

To prevent carbuncle expansion: Apply adzuki bean powder topically, enhanced with egg white.

These methods all emphasize the principle of continuous topical application with "replacement when dry," utilizing common medicinal herbs and food ingredients, reflecting the ancient wisdom of simple and practical emergency medical care.

Here are several traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions for treating breast swelling and pain, all collected by Ge Hong (the Immortal Elder Ge) as emergency treatments. These formulas primarily address mastitis (ancient term "du ru") and breast abscesses commonly occurring during lactation.

The first method involves grinding Yuanhua (Daphne genkwa) into powder and mixing it with gelatin juice to create a plaster, which should be replaced once dried. For cases already showing pus, bleeding, and severe pain, apply ten layers of fresh white catalpa leaves as a compress, then loosely bandage with cloth.

For breast distension, combine two parts each of cinnamon bark and licorice with one part processed aconite root, pulverize into powder, mix with vinegar, and apply on paper as a plaster. This formula is said to produce miraculous effects when suppuration occurs.

Another prescription requires scraping willow root bark, pounding it into paste, heating it in a cloth bag for hot compress, replacing when cooled. Alternatively, boil rice-pounding pestles in water, soak cotton wool in the decoction for hot fomentation—repeating the process dozens of times proves highly effective.

For mastitis treatment: Combine equal parts (two fen each) of rhubarb, duckweed, kitchen stove earth (fulonggan), and fresh ginger. First crush and sieve the first three ingredients, then add ginger to pound into paste, mixing with vinegar for topical application to relieve pain. Some omit ginger or substitute with crucian carp with comparable results.

The Yao family's transmitted formula: Mix one fen each of rhubarb, moist rat droppings, and coptis. Powder the first two ingredients, further crush the droppings, then blend with broomcorn millet porridge for perimammary application. If millet is unavailable, rice may substitute; even bovine or equine dung proves effective when applied.

The Xiaopin Fang records: Powder equal parts of scutellaria, ampelopsis, and peony root, taking one qian with rice water five times over seven days. For right breast lumps, drink expressed milk from the left breast; for left breast lumps, drink from the right. The Yao family confirms this formula's guaranteed efficacy.

Another Yao family method involves applying fresh rehmannia paste, replacing when warmth dissipates. Azuki beans also work. For purplish, hardened lumps, the aforementioned willow root bark method—simmered overnight for hot compress—brings overnight relief.

Ge Hong particularly warns: Retained milk failing to discharge forms "du ru," more urgent than ordinary abscesses. Xu Yu's treatment: Simmer three liang each of rhubarb and coptis in five sheng of water until reduced to one sheng two ge, divided into three doses—relief follows bowel movement.

Finally recorded is an emergency formula for sudden toxic swelling with pain: Peel large turnip roots, pound into mash, and mix with vinegar into mud for external application.

This passage describes several folk remedies and treatments for swelling, abscesses, and carbuncles:

The first method involves boiling the medicine three times, stirring vigorously before applying it to the swollen area. Wrap with cloth and change the dressing multiple times daily. Seed-based medicines can also be used.

Several alternative prescriptions are provided: apply a mixture of charred ox dung powder and vinegar, replacing when dry; or use lime mixed with water as a poultice, followed by applying a paste of shengma (Cimicifuga), qingmuxiang (Aristolochia), or sandalwood ground with vinegar; alternatively, crush duckweed for external application.

If swelling has spread to the abdomen, prepare a decoction with one liang each of musk, frankincense, qingmuxiang (Aristolochia), and cloves boiled in water to yield two sheng of medicinal liquid, to be taken in two doses.

For stubborn hard nodules, apply equal parts of evodia fruit and garlic pounded together—red garlic may also be used. Alternatively, use crushed crucian carp as a poultice.

For wind-induced swelling with itching that rises upon touch or causes rashes, simply massage and press the area multiple times daily until it subsides. Alternatively, repeatedly apply cinnamon twigs or duhuo (Angelica pubescens) ground with vinegar.

For sudden balloon-like swelling, boil thirty whole (unpeeled) croton seeds in water, then dab the affected area with cotton soaked in the decoction. This reduces swelling quickly, but avoid contact with the mouth.

Sudden red, hot, painful skin swelling called "jin" should be treated with a poultice of deer antler, bailian (Ampelopsis), oyster shell, and aconite crushed and mixed with vinegar, replacing when dry.

For rock-hard abscesses ("stone carbuncles"), apply a thick paste of charred deer antler ash, bailian (Ampelopsis), and yellow whetstone powder mixed with vinegar, while taking forsythia decoction internally. Another method involves repeatedly soaking red-hot stones in vinegar until half remains, then crushing the stones for medicinal use.

Important warning: For conditions like abscesses, tumors, stone carbuncles, or scrofula, never attempt to puncture them recklessly with needles—improper needling can easily cause danger. The passage concludes with a prescription for unruptured carbuncles.

This scripture primarily records several traditional methods for treating abscesses, boils, and toxic sores—all practical and easily accessible remedies.

For painful abscesses and swelling, mix the powder of wangcao (a medicinal herb) with egg white and apply it to thick paper, then affix it to the affected area. Replace it when dry to relieve pain and reduce swelling. If the abscess is hot and painful, blend rhubarb powder (dahuang) with vinegar and apply it as a poultice. Changing the dressing no more than three times should yield results and prevent pus formation.

For abscesses that have not yet suppurated, a simple method involves applying the earwax of an ox to the affected area for healing. If the sore contains decaying flesh, first use a corrosive agent to remove the necrotic tissue before applying ointment.

The corrosive agent (known as the "flesh-eating formula") is prepared by mixing equal parts of white charcoal ash and reed ash, then boiling them into a paste. This paste cannot be prepared in advance—it loses efficacy after ten days—but it can also be used to remove moles. Caution is advised, as this formula is highly toxic.

Another proven remedy for abscesses involves soaking gualou root and red adzuki beans in vinegar for five days, then drying and stir-frying them before grinding them into powder. Mix the powder with vinegar, spread it on paper, and apply it to the affected area. Another method combines two parts bailian (ampelopsis root) powder with one part lilu (false hellebore) powder, blending it with wine into a paste for external application. Changing the dressing three times daily yields excellent results.

For deep-seated ulcers (guju), grind equal parts of coptis (huanglian) and oyster shell (muli) into powder. First, clean the wound with saltwater and wine before applying the powder. If dark purple-black ulcers appear on the fingertips, they are difficult to treat and require comprehensive therapy.

For chronic bone ulcers with persistent pus discharge, boil maltose into a sticky paste and apply it to the sore, then cover it with a slice of raw carp. After about the time it takes to cook a meal, scrape the wound to reveal small worms crawling out. Repeat the cleaning and medication until no worms remain for recovery.

The text specifically warns of a malignant sore called biaoju, which suddenly appears as black dots the size of beans (or as large as plums in severe cases) deep within the muscles. These sores vary in color, penetrate deeply, and can damage the heart if untreated, eventually rotting to the bone and allowing toxins to invade the organs, proving fatal. In the south, it is called tazhuodu ("striking poison"). Treatment involves cutting open the thickest part of the flesh and cauterizing it three times with a red-hot iron, or directly applying moxibustion (jiu) in a hundred zhuang (units of moxa cones). It tends to flare up in spring, requiring special caution.

The text records several ancient prescriptions for treating abscesses and toxic swellings, all prepared with common medicinal herbs:

For heat-toxin induced swellings: One may drink mallow root juice, rhinoceros horn juice, or cimicifuga juice to clear heat. For combined internal and external treatment, reference should be made to the methods for treating erysipelas.

Liu Juanzi's Astragalus Flesh-Generating Ointment recipe: Take one liang each of astragalus root, peony root, rhubarb, Chinese angelica, Sichuan lovage root, pubescent angelica root, dahurian angelica root, and long-stamen onion bulb, plus three liang of fresh rehmannia root—nine ingredients total. Chop finely, add two and a half sheng of lard, decoct three times repeatedly, strain the dregs, and apply to wounds three times daily.

Initial application formula for children's erysipelas: Two liang each of cimicifuga, coptis root, rhubarb, and Sichuan lovage root; three liang each of scutellaria root and mirabilitum; one liang each of Chinese angelica, honey-fried licorice, and antelope horn. Decoct the nine ingredients in one dou three sheng of water until reduced to five sheng. Remove dregs, add mirabilitum and stir into paste. Apply with cloth according to temperature—swelling will subside quickly. This secret formula from Wang Lian and Gan Lin must not be applied to genital areas.

Hu Powder Scatter for exudative sores: Two fen each of fried hu powder, honey-fried licorice, luru herb, and coptis root. Pound the four ingredients into powder, sift, and sprinkle on sores three times daily for excellent results.

General ulcer ointment method: Take one liang each of wax, disheveled hair, alum, and pine resin, plus four liang of lard. First melt the hair, then add alum, followed by pine resin, finally adding wax and lard. Mix thoroughly and apply to sores.

Red Dragon Skin Decoction for cleaning ulcerated sores: Chop three sheng of oak bark, decoct in one dou of water until reduced to five sheng. Use cooled in spring/summer, warmed in autumn/winter. Effective for breast abscesses and other ulcerations—apply ointment after washing.

Rhubarb Decoction for initial back carbuncles: Two liang each of rhubarb, honey-fried licorice, and scutellaria root; two liang of cimicifuga; one hundred gardenia fruits. Decoct the five ingredients in nine sheng of water until reduced to three and a half sheng. Discontinue after several bowel movements—continue dosage if bowels remain inactive.

Muzhansi Powder for back carbuncles, breast abscesses and intestinal abscesses: One liang each of muzhansi, honey-fried magnolia bark, honey-fried licorice, asarum herb, trichosanthes root, saposhnikovia root, dried ginger, ginseng, platycodon root, and patrinia herb. Pound the ten ingredients into powder and take with wine.

(Note: The "liang" and "sheng" measurements mentioned are ancient units differing from modern standards. Herbs like luru and muzhansi refer to specific ancient medicinal substances. Caution should be exercised regarding herbal compatibility—professional medical guidance is recommended for reference.)

This passage primarily discusses various medicinal formulas and methods for treating external ailments like abscesses, ulcers, and sores in ancient times.

Regarding internal medications: It mentions taking approximately 1 gram ("fangcun qi") of powdered medicine, administered day and night with greater quantities being preferable. For intestinal abscesses and similar conditions, the medicine would induce vomiting if the disease was in the upper body or expel pus and blood if in the lower body. Prolonged use could treat various carbuncles and hemorrhoids, promote healing of ulcerated sores, and was particularly effective for back carbuncles. The text specifically highlights Liu Juanzi's formula—a powdered blend of ten ingredients including wood zhanthus (木占斯), cinnamon bark (桂心), and ginseng (人参)—which could direct medicinal effects precisely to affected areas.

External applications include multiple methods:

1. White Clematis Paste: Crushed mixture of eight ingredients including white clematis root (白蔹) and coptis root (黄连), blended with egg white into a mud-like consistency, applied on cloth and replaced when dry.

2. For severe back carbuncles: The top of a winter melon is cut off and placed over the sore; when the melon rots, it's replaced with fresh pieces until the wound contracts.

3. Powdered "Dragon's Furnace Earth" (伏龙肝, kiln hearth soil) mixed with wine for application.

4. Phoenix tree leaves (梧桐叶) burned to ash and blended with honey.

5. Mustard seeds (芥子) mashed with cypress leaves—particularly effective for heat-induced swelling, with mountain mustard being superior. Finely ground mustard seed mixed with vinegar could also be applied, though care was needed to avoid damaging healthy flesh.

6. Human feces burned to ash and blended with vinegar for swollen areas.

7. Orpiment (雄黄) and realgar (雌黄) minerals heated red-hot then quenched in vinegar to create a soft, mud-like poultice.

The text concludes with moxibustion techniques for reducing swelling. Most formulas emphasize replacing applications immediately after drying, with repeated use yielding better results.

This passage describes several external treatment methods in traditional Chinese medicine for addressing toxic swellings, abscesses, and carbuncles, primarily using garlic moxibustion and topical herbal applications:

The most effective treatment for toxic swellings is the single-clove garlic moxibustion method: Take an entire single-clove garlic bulb and slice it horizontally into pieces about one fen thick (approx. 3mm). Place these slices on the swollen, painful area. Use moxa cones the size of phoenix tree seeds to perform moxibustion on the garlic slices—up to one hundred zhuang (Note: one zhuang refers to one complete burning of a moxa cone). If the swelling persists, repeat the process multiple times—the more applications, the better. Be careful not to let the temperature get too high; if pain is felt, lift the garlic slice. Replace the slice if it chars to avoid burning the skin. Note that this method shouldn't be used on those with constitutional weakness. The author mentions having personally used this method effectively for lower abdominal swelling and pain.

Other topical formulas include:

1. Applying a mixture of raw ginseng crown tissue and magnetite powder blended with vinegar

2. Applying licorice juice (note: this particular preparation is not edible)

3. Applying chickweed (Stellaria media) topically

4. White clematis (Ampelopsis japonica) powder also proves effective

For treating inflammatory boils:

Apply melted glue frequently—ten or more times daily—especially effective for children's boils.

For severe toxic swellings with intense pain:

Knead dough into coin-sized discs, place over the swelling with Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum) in the center, cover with another dough disc, and apply moxibustion—pain relief is immediate. Alternatively, crushed castor beans (Ricinus communis) applied topically also work quickly.

For wind-toxin swelling on palms and soles:

Apply equal parts raw Sichuan pepper powder and salt mixed with vinegar for immediate relief.

For malignant flesh in abscesses and carbuncles:

First apply White Clematis and Ruta powder until necrotic tissue sloughs off completely, then apply flesh-regenerating plaster. If new tissue growth stalls, switch to Astragalus powder. For remaining malignant flesh, enhance efficacy by combining seven-headed red-skinned Ruta with White Clematis.

For malignant vessel disease (subcutaneous red vascular patterns):

Caused by pathogenic wind entering the collaterals during spring/winter leading to blood stasis—treat internally with Five-Aromatic Forsythia Decoction and externally with Salvia paste.

For malignant core disease (sudden subcutaneous hard nodules):

Common in southern regions, these plum/bean-sized mobile nodules cause shifting pain with fever and chills. Sudden onset may be fatal—immediately administer Five-Aromatic Forsythia Decoction internally with adzuki bean powder externally. Residual nodules can be treated with Salvia paste.

(Note: The "Yao Formulas" mentioned refer to proven treatments by renowned physician Yao Sengyuan.)

This section describes several methods for treating skin abscesses and toxic swellings. The first is malignant flesh disease, characterized by sudden eruptions of bean-sized flesh nodules that gradually grow into shapes resembling cow's milk or cockscombs. The treatment involves internally taking Loulu Decoction (made by boiling ten herbs including Radix Rhapontici and Ampelopsis japonica) while externally cauterizing the affected area with a red-hot iron three times daily until slightly charred, followed by applying Shengma Ointment.

The second condition is qi-pain disease, where sudden, excruciating pain resembling a beating appears in one area of the body, shifting locations with periodic attacks. Between episodes, the affected area feels cold as if covered by frost. This results from winter warmth followed by sudden spring cold pathogens. Treatment begins with Wuxiang Lianqiao Decoction (containing thirteen herbs including costus root and eaglewood), followed by hot compresses using willow bark boiled in white wine. If red spots appear on the skin, they should be pricked for bloodletting.

Wuxiang Lianqiao Decoction also treats malignant vessels (abnormal blood vessels), hard nodules, scrofula (lymph node tuberculosis), and wind-qi induced swellings. The formula includes: 2 liang each of costus root, eaglewood, and clove flower buds; half liang of musk; 1 liang of frankincense; 2 liang each of belamcanda, Japanese snake gourd root, cimicifuga, angelica root, parasitic loranthus, roasted licorice, and forsythia; 3 liang of rhubarb; and 3 sheng of fresh bamboo juice, boiled in water and taken in three doses.

Loulu Decoction primarily treats carbuncles, erysipelas (skin infections), toxic swellings, and malignant flesh. The ten-ingredient formula includes Radix Rhapontici and Ampelopsis japonica. If unavailable, rhubarb alone proves effective. Erysipelas treatment requires pricking the affected area for bloodletting.

Danshen Ointment addresses malignant flesh, hard nodules, scrofula, and wind-qi induced swellings. Twelve herbs including salvia and elderberry are soaked overnight in bitter wine, then boiled with lard until the wine evaporates. After straining, apply to affected areas five times daily. This formula can also be taken internally in small doses, though it causes significant diarrhea.

Shengma Ointment specifically treats erysipelas, heat-induced sores, and swellings, made from ten ingredients including cimicifuga and Ampelopsis japonica. These external ointments should be spread on old cloth before application.

Here are several emergency remedies for sudden toxic sores and swellings:

The first method: Finely chop and grind ten medicinal herbs, soak them in three sheng of water for half a day, then simmer with five sheng of lard until the water evaporates. Strain to obtain the medicinal ointment for external application, applied five times daily. In urgent cases, a decoction can be made directly by boiling in water, which proves highly effective.

Another remedy: Boil white willow bark in wine and apply it warm to the affected area to relieve pain.

The Shengjin Fang records a treatment for head/back carbuncles and malignant sores: During the twelfth lunar month, chop rabbit heads and seal them in jars—the longer stored, the better. Apply thickly on cloth when needed, replacing when heat or pain is felt until a cooling sensation occurs.

The Qianjin Fang describes moxibustion for back abscesses: Mix three sheng of fermented black beans (chi) with water into paste, form into half-cun thick cakes with a central hole, place over swelling, and apply moxa wool for sustained warmth without burning. Perform twice daily—pus discharge indicates efficacy.

The Waitai Biyao treats early-stage back sores: Dissolve three liang of saltpeter in warm water. After cooling, soak three layers of old indigo cloth in the solution and apply to redness, replacing when warmth is felt.

The Jiyan Fang uses snails for back sores: Soak one hundred live snails overnight in clean water. Mix the resulting mucus with clam-shell powder and apply with a chicken feather ten times daily to relieve pain and heal sores.

Cui Yuanliang's Haishang Fang secret recipe: Blend three liang of raw licorice powder with nine liang of barley flour, knead with butter into dough, form cakes slightly larger than the sore, and apply hot with oiled paper as insulation. Li Beihai praised this formula's miraculous effects.

The text records several ancient medical formulas for treating abscesses, ulcers, and swellings. For suppurated sores, maintaining ventilation and coolness is essential; for non-suppurated swellings, astragalus root (a Qi-tonifying herb) decoction porridge can be used as adjunct therapy.

Another method involves taking one large liang of roasted licorice root, crushing it, and steeping it in one large sheng of water. Place a small knife horizontally over the container and leave it uncovered overnight. The next morning, stir to produce foam, then drink the foamy water—effective for various sores, abscesses, and back carbuncles.

Other recorded formulas include:

• Meishi Fang notes: For newly formed red abscesses or breast lumps, immediate treatment is crucial to prevent fatal outcomes. Apply pounded ramie root topically and replace frequently.
• Shenghui Fang records: For bone-attaching abscesses and fish-eye sores, fumigate the affected area with smoke from burned dog skull.
• Zhang Wenzhong Fang states: For stone abscesses (hard as rock without suppuration), apply crushed pokeweed root (Phytolacca) topically, replacing when dry until softened.
• Zimu Lu describes: For hemorrhoidal fistulas and infantile erysipelas, wash with water boiled from jujube tree roots or apply powdered larvae of the golden tortoise beetle (grub).
• Xiaopin Fang advises: At the onset of abscesses, apply adzuki bean powder mixed with vinegar.
• Boji Fang suggests: For painful, unruptured abscesses, spread crushed fresh rehmannia on cloth, sprinkle with costus root powder, layer more rehmannia, and apply to the swelling for 3–5 days.
• Rihuazi recommends: For toxic swellings, apply cassia seed powder mixed with water.
• Shiliao Fang notes: For abscesses, boil trichosanthes root (snakegourd root) with vinegar until dry, crush, and apply with vinegar—especially suitable for those taking alchemical elixirs.
• Yang Wenwei Fang prescribes: For unruptured abscesses, mix equal parts trichosanthes root and adzuki bean powder with vinegar for topical use.
• Qianjin Fang states: For malignant sores that suppurate due to neglect, ingest ash from burned thorn branches with water for overnight relief; for unhealing sores, apply finely powdered burned mouse skin ash.
• Sun Simiao (the Celestial Master Sun) records: For multiple abscesses, apply cow dung ash mixed with egg white; for heat-toxin swellings, apply pokeweed root with a pinch of salt, replacing twice daily.

These ancient formulas predominantly use common herbs, animal products, and natural materials for topical application, fumigation, or washing. Caution is advised: some ingredients like pokeweed root are mildly toxic, and modern application requires careful consideration of symptoms.

Here are several ancient remedies for treating swellings, abscesses, and carbuncles:

For swelling and pain: Boil twenty willow branches (each three chi long) in water until extremely hot. Wrap the affected area with old cloth, then rinse it repeatedly with the hot medicinal decoction until healed.

Another remedy for abscesses: Grind white oyster shells into fine powder, mix with water to form a paste, and apply to the affected area. Reapply when dry. This formula works for various swellings before pus formation.

For heat-toxin swelling in feet: Simmer Sophora flavescens (苦参) in wine and soak the affected area in the liquid.

A Wai Tai Mi Yao (外台秘要) recorded remedy: Pound stove earth (伏龙肝) with garlic into a paste, spread on cloth, and apply to the swelling. Replace when dry.

For both unruptured and ruptured swellings: Soften a piece of white gelatin (possibly animal glue) in water and apply according to the swelling size. For ruptured abscesses, create openings for pus drainage; unruptured swellings will dissipate naturally.

Another swelling-reducing method: Burn carp into ashes, mix with vinegar, and apply until healed.

For heat-toxin swelling in hands/feet: Soak in Xanthium sibiricum (苍耳) juice or horse dung decoction.

For severe pain and swelling in extremities: Boil pig trotters with scallions, strain, add minimal salt, and soak the affected area.

For unidentified swellings: Swallow one mallow seed with freshly drawn well water per needed rupture point—the swelling will soon break.

To promote abscess rupture: Burn and powder the first feather under a white chicken's wings (one from each side), mix with water for oral intake. Alternatively, apply male sparrow droppings (the hardened ones) to hasten rupture.

Lastly, realgar's (雄黄) use against sores dates back to antiquity. The Rites of Zhou mentions ulcer doctors using the "Five Toxins"—a preparation of chalcanthite, cinnabar, realgar, arsenopyrite, and magnetite fired in a yellow clay crucible for three days and nights. The resulting ash treated ulcers by removing decay and regenerating flesh, as noted by Zheng Xuan. Song scholar Yang Yi's writings also document this practice.

When Yang Yu, a historian in the imperial archives, was young, he developed an abscess near his jawbone that swelled outward like an inverted earthenware basin, with constant internal suppuration and bloody discharge. The excruciating pain made even spitting unbearable. After trying various treatments for a year without success, someone recommended an ancient remedy passed down by Master Zheng: the medicine was burned into liquid form and dripped into the abscess. Shortly thereafter, the necrotic bone along with two teeth ulcerated and fell out, leading to rapid recovery. This demonstrates the remarkable efficacy of classical prescriptions. The "huang mou" mentioned here refers to the lidded earthen jars still sold today—these yellow ceramic vessels, also called huang wa ying, have been used since ancient times for alchemical preparations (Waidan). The character "堥" is pronounced like "武" (wǔ).

For treating postpartum milk stasis forming abscesses: Pound dandelion (Pu Gong Ying) into paste and apply to the affected area, changing the dressing three to four times daily. The name "Pu Gong Ying" is a dialectal variation of the vernacular term "仆公罌." It can also be taken as a decoction.

For mastitis (du ru): Grind cloves (Ding Xiang) into powder; take one square-inch spoonful (approx. 1g) mixed with water per dose.

For cracked nipples: Apply clove powder topically.

The Qianjin Fang prescribes roof beam dust mixed with vinegar for mastitis—this formula also treats genital swelling.

The Lingyuan Fang's remedy for early-stage mastitis with hardening and impending suppuration: Use genuine birch bark from northern regions taken with ash-free wine (pure liquor) in square-inch spoonful doses. Recovery occurs after one medicated sleep.

The Shenghui Fang's solution for persistent mastitis: Stir-fry half a jin of white flour until golden, then cook with vinegar into a paste for topical application to dissolve swelling.

The Chanbao Fang for mastitis and abscesses: Take powdered chicken droppings, one square-inch spoonful per dose; three consecutive doses bring swift relief. The Meishi Fang's cracked nipple treatment follows the same method.

The Jianyao Jizhong's approach to mastitis with milk obstruction and internal suppuration (termed "du ru"): Burn wasp nests into ash, grind finely, then decoct two qian in one medium cup of water until reduced to six parts. Strain and drink warm.

Another potent remedy for acute mastitis, the "Dusheng San": Crush half a liang of white sparrow droppings (Bai Ding Xiang), sieve, and take one qian seven fen with warm wine at any time.

The Zimu Lu's treatment for acute mastitis with chills and high fever: Apply lard soaked in cold water topically, replacing when warm—immediate effect.

The Yang Yan Nanxing Fang's solution for unbearable mastitis pain: (Original text missing; likely an internal or external remedy).

This records practical medicinal formulas from Ge Hong's (the Immortal Lord Ge) Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One's Sleeve, focusing on treating various abscesses and sores including mastitis, intestinal/lung abscesses, and malignant ulcers, using readily available herbs in simple preparations.

For mastitis with stone-hard swelling: Take one liang each of pangolin scales (roasted until yellow) and akebia stem, with half liang of native copper, used raw. Grind these three ingredients into powder and sift. Take two qian doses with warm wine, without fixed timing. Another formula uses one liang of green tangerine peel, soaked in hot water to remove pulp, then dried and powdered—take two qian seven fen doses with warm wine intermittently.

Multiple methods for malignant ulcers: For sudden eruptions of unidentified malignant sores, burn bamboo leaves and mix with egg yolk for application. Alternatively, grind two liang each of cnidium seeds and coptis root into powder, blending with lard for topical use. Snake skin may also be burned, powdered, and mixed with lard. Boiling willow leaves or bark into wash water (enhanced with salt) works effectively, even for facial sores.

Specialized sore ointment: In the twelfth lunar month, simmer one sheng of lard with a fist-sized clump of disheveled hair and one live crucian carp until fully melted. Add two liang each of realgar and sophora root powder, plus one powdered aconite tuber. Stir until congealed for topical application—effective against all ulcer types. Physician Hu Qian verified particular efficacy against carbuncles and scabies.

Modified formulas for specific symptoms: For protruding necrotic flesh, apply ebony plum powder or sulfur powder. For itchy, painful scabs, crush hyacinth beans for application until scabs detach. Children's scalp sores: blend two liang each of mercury, alum, cnidium, and coptis powder with twelfth-month lard, stirring until mercury particles disappear to make a salve. Physician Gong Qingxuan enhanced this formula by adding one liang of rubia root for better efficacy.

Other verified formulas: For scabies, melt one liang each of realgar, coptis, and pine resin with a pellet-sized ash of burned hair in lard-pine resin blend for hot application. Dry sores: apply powder of two liang each mercury, coptis, and lead carbonate, or mix with saliva. Children's malignant sores: wash with bamboo shoot juice before applying shoot-shell powder. These formulas address self-ulcerating sores resembling burns with targeted therapies.

This passage primarily records several traditional Chinese medicinal formulas and preparation methods for treating malignant sores (severe skin ulcers or infections). Here are the specific details:

A powder made from finely ground and sifted lead carbonate (hufen), amur cork tree bark (huangbo), and coptis root (huanglian) can treat sudden malignant sores. Applying a poultice of cocklebur seeds and peach tree bark shavings to the sore proves highly effective.

For head sores: Take two liang each of lead carbonate (hufen), mercury (shuiyin), and white pine resin (baisongzhi), combined with four liang of winter-hog lard. First decoct the pine resin, then mix and grind it with mercury and lead carbonate. Apply twice daily. Physician Hu Qia noted this formula also treats childhood facial sores, and adding two liang of coptis root (huanglian) makes it effective against tinea capitis.

The Realgar Ointment for malignant sores: One liang each of powdered realgar (xionghuang) and orpiment (cihuang), one liang mercury, two liang pine resin, half a jin of hog lard, and a ball of tangled hair (egg-sized). Decoct together, strain, then add mercury. Apply twice daily.

Another rapid-acting formula called "Flesh-Eating Realgar Powder": Six fen realgar, two fen each of ledebouriella root (luru) and alum stone (fanshi). Grind into powder for twice-daily application. Particularly effective for removing facial scar tissue.

A verified sore treatment formula: Eight fen coptis root, five fen each glutinous rice and red beans, one fen evodia fruit (wuzhuyu), six fen each lead carbonate and mercury. First crush and sift the herbal ingredients, then grind the mercury to extreme fineness in the palm. Mix with raw sesame oil to proper consistency. After cleaning and drying the sore, apply—exceptionally effective for various ulcerations.

The Gan Family Pine Resin Ointment specifically treats suppurating hot sores that won't scab without scarring: One liang each pine resin, white benzoin (bai jiaoxiang), and frankincense (xunluxiang), one and a half liang each angelica root (danggui) and wax, one liang sliced licorice root, half a ge each hog fat and sheep kidney fat, half a ge fresh rehmannia juice. Simmer the powdered resins in fats and rehmannia juice over low heat until yellowish, add wax, strain, and spread on cloth for application. This half-dose formula is a Gan family secret.

Rehmannia Ointment suits all ulcerated sores, promoting tissue regeneration and pus removal: One sheng rehmannia juice, two liang pine resin, one liang frankincense, sheep kidney fat and cow butter (each egg-sized). First decoct the resin and frankincense in rehmannia juice until dissolved. Add sheep fat, cow butter, and wax (half egg volume), simmer slowly until water evaporates into ointment. Strain and apply on silk gauze, changing once or twice daily. Adding a piece of old red silk and tangled hair enhances efficacy.

This passage records several folk remedies for treating skin ulcers and lesions collected by Ge Hong (the Immortal Lord Ge), explained in modern terms as follows:

For stubborn chronic ulcers that persist for years, there is a secret formula: Take two liang of yellow alum stone roasted until its juices are exhausted, one liang of ceruse (Hu fen), and one and a half liang of mercury. First pound and sift the alum and ceruse, then grind the mercury with a small amount of heated lard in a porcelain vessel until completely dissolved. Add the remaining lard and medicinal powder to form a thick paste. Before application, clean the affected area thoroughly, apply the ointment, then lightly dust with roasted yellow ceruse powder. Results should appear within days. The Gan family reported exceptional efficacy with this formula.

For "guo sores" (parasitic skin ulcers) below the waist, use a mixture of one bowl of rice-washing water soaked in vinegar, one cup of hemp seeds, and a pinch each of white salt powder. First cleanse the area with warm rice-washing water, then apply the mixture. One or two applications will heal even worm-bored holes.

For malignant ulcers unhealed for thirty years, grind equal parts (one liang each) of rhubarb (Da huang), skullcap (Huang qin), and coptis (Huang lian) into powder. After cleaning the wound, apply the powder three times daily. Phellodendron bark (Huang bai) can substitute with equal effectiveness.

Several treatments exist for baldness and white tinea: 1) Place a freshly slaughtered pig's stomach (still hot) over the head—the heat draws out parasites; 2) Mix veratrum powder (Li lu) with lard rendered in the twelfth lunar month; 3) Apply ashes of leaky gourd herb (Lou lu) gathered in May mixed into ointment. All require prior cleansing with saltwater. Another method uses single-rooted dock herb (Yang ti cao) roots (harvested avoiding sunlight and women) pounded with three-year aged vinegar into a poultice. The Yao family's method involves applying fragrant roasted mutton while hot—recovery occurs within three to four days. Alternatively, wash first with hot soapberry (Zao jiao) decoction before applying sesame oil.

Supplementary Qianjin Fang prescriptions note: For whole-body wind itch and scabies, washing with tribulus (Ji li) seedling decoction brings immediate relief, as does concentrated wormwood (Yin chen hao) decoction.

These formulas emphasize specific processing techniques (like roasting until juices are exhausted or fragrance develops through roasting) and special collection timings (such as twelfth-month lard or May-harvested leaky gourd herb), reflecting ancient physicians' attention to harvesting seasons and preparation methods.

This passage documents practical formulas from ancient medical texts such as Ge Hong's Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One's Sleeve for treating various skin conditions. Here are therapeutic approaches for common dermatological issues:

For newly emerged sores or itchy rashes in their initial stages, apply powdered turmeric externally. An alternative method involves chewing table salt and applying the paste to affected areas.

For oozing, damp rashes resembling modern eczema (known as "wet lichen" in Chinese medicine), crush sheep's hoof root (a medicinal herb) and mix with vinegar. After cleansing the affected area, apply the poultice. Rinse with cold water during treatment and change the dressing daily for efficacy. Alternatively, apply powdered sheep's hoof root directly.

For stubborn lichen sores: Mix toad ashes with lard for topical application. For chronic, scaly lichen, stir-fry half an ounce of blister beetles (cantharides), grind into powder, and blend with honey before application.

Scabies treatments include: 1) Crushed sheep's hoof root blended with lard (enhanced with salt), or 2) Veratrum powder mixed with unprocessed vegetable oil.

For full-body rashes resistant to treatment: Boil equal parts fleeceflower root and mugwort into concentrated decoction for medicated baths to relieve pain and regenerate tissue. For persistent lichen sores, combine sheep's hoof root juice with minimal lead carbonate powder into an ointment—use lard as emulsifier when dry.

Other verified formulas include:

• Rosin blended with calomel powder for topical application
• Mulberry paper tree leaves crushed into poultice
• Bamboo leaf ashes mixed with egg white
• Processed croton seed powder combined with ghee and lead carbonate (avoiding eye and genital areas)

These time-tested prescriptions offer targeted external therapies for diverse dermatological conditions, primarily employing common herbal ingredients through compresses, ointments, or medicated baths.

This text records several ancient prescriptions for treating skin diseases, primarily addressing lacquer dermatitis (allergic reactions caused by contact with lacquer trees) and wind-induced urticaria (itchy skin conditions resembling hives).

For treating lacquer dermatitis, the methods include: drying and frying chive roots, then crushing and mixing them with lard for external application; applying concentrated mirabilite (mangxiao) solution, replacing it once dry; washing the affected area with water boiled with Sichuan pepper (hanjiao); applying goat’s milk topically; or washing with five liters of water boiled with one jin (approximately 500 grams) of dried lotus leaves.

There are even more varied approaches for wind-induced urticaria: soaking cloth in water boiled with croton seeds (badou) and wiping the skin; soaking bitter orange (zhishi) in vinegar, heating it, and applying it as a warm compress; taking a medicinal bath with a concentrated decoction of chinaberry tree bark (kulianpi); repeatedly applying a decoction of bitter orange peel (zhiqiao); applying mirabilite solution externally; soaking wasp nests (fengfang) in water with added mirabilite and applying it five times daily; bathing in water boiled with silkworm excrement (cansha) (while avoiding wind); applying warm cheese mixed with salt; or rubbing the skin with wine-soaked evodia fruit (wuzhuyu).

For systemic wind-heat rashes, an internal remedy involves equal parts burdock seeds (niubangzi) and duckweed (fuping), taken with peppermint tea. For severe skin sores resembling leprosy (dafeng chuang), mulberry leaves are steamed, sun-dried, ground into powder, and taken with water. Sudden-onset erosive sores (characterized by ulceration and oozing) can be treated with rooster comb blood—failure to address such sores promptly may lead to life-threatening systemic spread.

These prescriptions reflect the ancient principle of "treating form with form" (yixing zhi xing). For example, plant-based remedies counteract plant toxins in lacquer dermatitis, while animal-derived ingredients (such as silkworm excrement or wasp nests) are often used for stubborn skin conditions. External treatments—such as topical applications, medicinal baths, and warm compresses—dominate, while internal remedies are relatively fewer.

This records several ancient medicinal formulas for treating skin ulcers and sores. The first method for treating "moon-bite sores" (a type of auricular ulcer): On the night of a full moon, mix rabbit droppings with substances from a toad's abdomen, burn them to ashes, grind into powder, and apply to the affected area for efficacy.

Another proven recipe involves crushing two liang of tiger skull bone and simmering it with one sheng of lard into an ointment for topical application. The Sheng Hui Fang documents a treatment for "flowering sores" (ulcers with everted edges resembling petals): burn one jin of purslane to ashes, grind finely, and mix with lard for application.

For ulcerations producing ant-like granulation tissue: take one liang of sulfur, grind finely, and apply a thin layer to make the granulations contract. The Gui Yi Fang mentions treating ulcerative polyps: burn black plum to ashes, grind into powder, and apply to quickly eliminate necrotic tissue.

The Jian Yao Ji Zhong Fang records this ulcer treatment: grind four liang of yellow yam rhizome into powder, mix with cold water for application, reapplying when dry. For painful heat sores caused by alchemical elixir consumption: encircle the swelling with paper, fill the center with saltpeter, then pour water over it until the heat and pain subside.

For head sores and various heat sores: first wash the scabs with vinegar water, rinse with warm water and dry, then mix finely ground plant ash with a small amount of cosmetic powder, blending with raw oil for immediate application.

A peculiar Tang Dynasty case describes a merchant whose left arm developed a face-like sore that neither hurt nor itched. When playfully pouring wine into its "mouth," the sore would redden; feeding it would make it "eat" - overeating caused arm swelling, while starvation led to numbness. After testing various medicines unsuccessfully, when using fritillary bulb, the sore frowned and closed its mouth. The merchant administered the medicine through reed tubes for several days until scabbing healed, though the condition remained unidentified, possibly a type of metal-wound sore.

Finally, a treatment for early-stage leprosy (resembling modern Hansen's disease): initial symptoms include skin numbness, itching like insect crawling, or eye.... These formulas reflect distinctive features of ancient Chinese external therapies, typically combining animal, mineral, and botanical ingredients.

This passage primarily documents ancient medicinal formulas and treatments for skin diseases (such as lai disease, white lai, etc.).

Regarding the treatment of white lai (a type of skin condition), several methods are recorded:

The first method involves steeping five jin of Sophora flavescens (苦参) in three dou of wine for continuous consumption, while also grinding the bark and roots of Sophora flavescens into powder for oral administration, which proves highly effective.

Another approach uses a concentrated decoction of mugwort (艾草) to ferment wine, to be consumed regularly until mildly intoxicated.

There is also a prescription from a physician surnamed Yao: Take a large pit viper (蝮蛇) (ensuring it is uninjured) and steep it in wine—one dou of wine for a large snake or five sheng for a smaller one—warming the wine over chaff fire. Then take about one cun of snake meat, mix it with lard from the twelfth lunar month, and apply it to the sores. This method can also treat scrofula (lymphatic tuberculosis) and various malignant ulcers.

Another formula: Steep two jin of Sophora flavescens, two liang of honeycomb (露蜂房), two jin of wine starter, and three dou of water for two days. After removing the dregs, add two sheng of glutinous millet to ferment into wine, consuming small amounts three times daily. Adding hedgehog skin (猬皮) enhances the effect.

Additional prescriptions include:

1. Treatment for severe lai disease (leprosy): Chop and dry-fry Pedicularis resupinata (马先蒿), grind into powder, and take two qian on an empty stomach and before dinner with warm wine.

2. Promoting regrowth of eyebrows and sideburns: Process Platycladus orientalis leaves (侧柏叶) through nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying, grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of phoenix tree seeds. Take 5–10 pills three times during the day and once at night with warm water, continuing for a hundred days for visible results.

3. Treatment for facial hair loss: Use mulberry wood ash (桑柴灰) heated with water to extract juice for washing the face, then neutralize the taste with soybean water slurry for better effect. Follow by washing with peeled mung beans in hot water—wash the hair every two days and the face daily.

4. Another method for white lai: Grind Verbena officinalis (马鞭草) into powder and take one qian before meals with a decoction of Schizonepeta (荆芥) and mint (薄荷).

Dietary therapy: Combine one jin of white honey with two jin of ginger (姜) (pounded for juice). First melt the honey in a pot, then add ginger juice and simmer over low heat until the juice evaporates completely. For those suffering from lai disease for thirty years, take a pill the size of a jujube each morning, three times daily, optionally with wine.

The Emergency Formulas Behind the Elbow by Ge Xianweng records several remarkable prescriptions and stories for treating difficult illnesses:

First, it describes the marvelous use of pine resin (the sap secreted by pine trees): After refining the resin twenty times consecutively, one mixes it with honey to form pills. Take two liang per dose, three times daily. Consistent use for three hundred days can even heal a broken nose bridge. However, during treatment one must abstain from salt and sexual activity (fangshi).

The Baopuzi documents a true case: Zhao Qu suffered from leprosy (dafeng) for years without cure and was abandoned by his family in a mountain cave. A xian (immortal) took pity on him and gifted the pine resin prescription. After taking it for over a hundred days, Zhao not only recovered but became light-bodied and vigorous, maintaining intact teeth and hair past one hundred years of age, often seeing mirror-like radiant lights at night.

The Biographies of Spirit-Responsive Immortals recounts the story of military officer Cui Yan: After suddenly contracting a strange illness causing blindness and hair loss, he fortunately met a Daoist priest in the mountains who taught him a secret formula—burning Chinese honey locust thorns to ash, then steaming and sun-drying them before taking with rhubarb decoction. Within ten days, Cui regained both his eyesight and original complexion.

The Records from Court and Country documents two cases of snake wine curing leprosy: A Shangzhou patient accidentally recovered after drinking wine steeped with black snakes; Li Zhou's younger brother followed advice to brew wine with live black snakes for treating wind disease (fengji). These records demonstrate ancient physicians had already discovered special therapeutic effects in certain animal-derived medicines.

(Note: The terms "dafeng" (great wind) and "efengji" (malignant wind disease) refer to ancient names for leprosy; "fangshi" (chamber affairs) denotes marital sexual relations; "qunie" refers to fermentation starters for winemaking)

This passage primarily documents ancient folk remedies for treating various types of fistulas (skin ulcerations with pus discharge), including scrofula (similar to tuberculous lymphadenitis) and ant-bite fistulas. Here are the specific treatments:

For scrofula (cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis): Physician Yao proposed that before suppuration occurs, one should apply cypress leaves to the affected area, cover them with heated salt for fomentation, using the warm Qi to dissipate the swelling. Ge Hong supplemented several methods: at initial onset, crush black chicken feet or plantain herb for external application; for already suppurated cases, apply warm cow dung three times daily; drinking one liter of water boiled with dictamnus root induces vomiting to expel the disease's root; eating cat meat soup (consumed on an empty stomach) or swallowing raw cat meat proves more effective. A secret formula records using one medium-sized rat, an egg-sized clump of tangled hair, and aged lard—simmer until bones and flesh dissolve, applying half externally and taking half with wine—said to expel the lesion.

Liu Juanzi's prescription involves equal parts of tortoise shell, licorice, cinnamon, realgar, dried ginger, and roasted fox bone, crushed and mixed with honey to fill the ulcer, enhanced by moxibustion. Another formula uses five liters of oak bark boiled with wine to make a concentrated decoction for internal use, capable of removing necrotic tissue.

For ant-bite fistulas with numerous small openings: apply pangolin scales burned to ash and mixed with lard externally, or burn fourteen spiders for topical application. Another proven method involves washing the sores with peach branch decoction before infusing the holes with the liquid.

Finally, it mentions oral fistulas without detailing specific treatments. The original text cautions that certain records (like claims about hair's indigestibility) may be unreliable, advising careful use. These methods predominantly employ animal-derived medicines (rats, cats, tortoise shell) and botanical ingredients (cypress leaves, plantain), combining topical applications, oral administration, and moxibustion—reflecting ancient medical principles of "treating form with form."

This passage primarily documents ancient folk remedies for treating various types of fistulas (festering skin ulcers) and genital swelling/pain. Here's a plain explanation:

For treating flesh fistulas (deep muscular ulcers): Pound white sophora bark into pills, wrap in cotton cloth, and insert into the affected area.

Two methods for treating rodent fistulas (similar to tuberculous lymph node ulcers): 1) Grind five herbs including photinia leaves and fresh rehmannia into powder for external application. 2) Mix burnt alum and blister beetle powder with vinegar for oral consumption - this expels worms from the fistula through urination.

For wind fistulas (ulcers caused by pathogenic wind): Roast honeycomb until yellow, grind into powder, and mix with lard from the twelfth lunar month for topical application.

Other simple therapies:

• Treat rodent fistulas by stuffing ulcer cavities with egg yolks cooked until blackened
• Apply pangolin scale powder mixed with lard for ant fistulas
• Wash ulcers with burnt oak leaf ashes for mole cricket fistulas
• Fill ulcer holes with pine resin for various fistulas

Methods for sudden genital swelling/pain:

• Apply moxibustion to the transverse crease of the second toe joint
• Take peach kernel powder with wine
• Apply furnace heart soil mixed with egg yolk externally
• Apply mashed turnip roots or verbena herb poultice
• Apply burnt chicken feather ashes mixed with cnidium powder
• For children's scrotal pain, use the same moxibustion technique

For acute severe pain: Consume belamcanda juice or "galloping horse decoction" (a formula mentioned in the corpse infestation section) to relieve constipation and pain.

(Note: "Yao Yun" refers to supplementary opinions from physician Yao Sengyuan; "chai" means recovery; "pellet-sized" indicates medicine balls the size of marbles)

This records medicinal formulas from Ge Hong (renowned Daoist physician, known as Immortal Elder Ge)'s Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One's Sleeve for treating acute male genital disorders. The text addresses various conditions including sudden retraction of the scrotum into the abdomen (called yin hernia), severe penile pain, genital ulceration and inflammation, as well as scrotal dampness and itching.

For sudden scrotal retraction with intense pain, prepare pills using four taels of langdu (wolfbane root), two taels of fangfeng (saposhnikovia root), and three taels of processed aconite mixed with honey. Take three pill-sized portions the size of tung seeds, three times daily. For acute penile pain, soak the affected area in a decoction made from two taels each of realgar and alum, plus one chi-length of licorice root boiled in five sheng of water until reduced to two sheng.

Multiple treatments exist for genital ulcers: wash with phellodendron bark decoction before applying white honey; or mix powdered coptis root and phellodendron bark with rendered pork fat as a poultice. For severe swelling nearing tissue necrosis, direct immersion in pork broth proves effective. Advanced ulcers may be treated with equal parts powdered toad and rabbit droppings.

Scrotal dampness and itching remedies include: applying chewed raw yellow soybeans; or external application of chewed sesame. For flaking and itchy scrotum, wash with a nine-day infusion of smoked plum, copper coins, salt and bitter wine - alternatively use sophora bark or phellodendron decoctions.

For suppurating genital sores: combine equal parts finely powdered Gaochang alum and hemp seeds with lard to make an ointment. First cleanse with sophora bark decoction, dry thoroughly, then apply ointment covered with catalpa leaves - typically effective within three applications. Genital sores divide into two types: pus-discharging "yin erosion sores" versus simple red swelling "heat sores" - the latter treated by washing with phellodendron and scutellaria decoction before applying coptis-phellodendron powder.

Female genital ulcers may use powdered sulfur applications or charred crushed apricot kernels; alternatively apply a mixture of two fen each realgar and alum with trace musk. For vaginal pain, insert cotton wrapped with processed alum, rhubarb and licorice powder.

For polyps (abnormal fleshy growths), soak five aconite roots (wutou) in three liters of vinegar for three days, then wash the affected area with this solution three to four times daily. If itching and pain occur, insert roasted pork liver into the affected area—the parasites will be drawn to the liver.

For childhood baldness: Pound the roots of Chinese anemone (baitouweng) and apply to the scalp overnight. If sores have formed, recovery will occur within twenty days.

Moxibustion for hernia (called "tui" in Chinese medicine): Apply one moxa cone (a unit of moxibustion) above the affected area, above the penis, along the lower abdominal meridians, and at the center of the big toe. Additionally, moxibustion should be applied to the corresponding side of the little toe based on the hernia's location.

Yao's method for treating swelling and pain: Take twenty willow branches, each as thick as a thumb and three feet long, boil them until very hot, cover the swollen area with old paper and felt cloth, then repeatedly apply the hot willow branches until symptoms subside.

For scrotal swelling: Pound peach kernels (taoren) and apply topically. This method also treats female genital swelling—replace the poultice when dry.

Xiaopin Mudan Powder for hernia distension: Combine equal parts of tree peony bark (mudanpi), saposhnikovia root (fangfeng), cinnamon bark (guixin), stir-fried fermented soybeans (douchi), and iron filings (tiejing). Pound into powder. Adults take one square-inch spoonful (fangcunbi), children take one knife-point dose (daogui). Recovery occurs in twenty days. For infants, mix the powder with breast milk and administer a soybean-sized portion.

Remarkable non-medicinal therapy: Have the patient hold a glutinous rice cake and one hundred皂角刺 (gleditsia thorns) while sitting at the village earth-god shrine (sheshe). First distribute the thorns to the shrine officials (sheguan) and village elders (sanlao), then present the cake while verbally requesting "needles" from them. When villagers ask "what will the needles strike?", the patient replies "strike the human chief" (referring to the hernia). After inserting all thorns into the cake, take it home and store it. When the cake dries, the hernia will vanish unnoticed—reported to be remarkably effective.

The Qianjin Fang prescription for scrotal swelling and pain: If cold qi enters the scrotum causing unbearable swelling and pain that prevents sleep day and night, select clean raw Sichuan peppercorns (huajiao), wrap them in cloth to form a half-inch-thick compress, and apply to the affected area. Warm qi will soon permeate the area. Replace twice daily until swelling subsides.

The Waitai Miyao method: Boil Japanese thistle root (daji) to make a decoction—immediate relief follows ingestion.

Meishi's method for sudden testicular pain:

This passage documents various folk remedies for treating male reproductive system disorders, primarily sourced from ancient medical texts such as Ge Xianweng's Emergency Prescriptions (Zhouhou Beiji Fang).

For treating scrotal swelling and pain: One may apply a paste made by mixing rhubarb powder with vinegar externally, replacing it when dry; alternatively, cinnamon bark powder can be mixed with water to form a dosage about the size of a fangcunbi (approximately 1 gram) for topical application; another method involves grinding soapberry pods (with skin intact) into powder and mixing with water for external application.

A remedy for hydrocele (water swelling of the testicles): Take unlimited quantities of oyster shells, wrap them in salt-mud, then calcine with three jin of charcoal until the fire extinguishes. After cooling, take two liang of the processed material, add one liang of prepared dried ginger, grind into fine powder, mix with cold water to appropriate consistency for topical application. Urination will normalize upon recovery.

For treating bladder and small intestine pain: Take one hundred jinlingzi (toosendan fruit), soaked in warm water and peeled, two hundred lightly crushed croton seeds, and two sheng of wheat bran. Stir-fry together in a copper pot until the jinlingzi turns red and fully cooked. After cooling, remove the pits and grind into powder. Take three qian per dose with heated wine or vinegar soup (note: only the jinlingzi powder is consumed—the bran and croton seeds are discarded).

Secret Essentials from the Imperial Library (Waitai Miyao) records a method for acute bladder discomfort: Pound wuyi (Chinese sumac) and mix with equal parts salt, wrap in cotton cloth to form a jujube-sized bundle, and insert into the anus to expel foul fluids and turbid qi.

For treating genital dampness and itching: Boil one sheng of evodia fruit in three sheng of water until it boils three times, then strain the decoction to wash the affected area. For genital sores, apply a mixture of honey-boiled licorice juice.

Thousand Gold Prescriptions (Qianjin Fang) documents treatment for severe glans inflammation (modern balanitis): Cuttlefish bone powder proves highly effective for topical application. Supplement to Thousand Gold Prescriptions (Qianjin Yifang) records using one burnt turtle shell mixed with egg white for external application.

These formulas reflect ancient therapeutic approaches to male disorders, predominantly employing topical applications with common herbs and food ingredients. Notably, toxic substances like croton seeds require particular caution in usage and should not be casually attempted in modern practice.