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Good. (Shimi in the *Shennong Bencao Jing*. The *Yanyi* states: "Shi" is the character for "white".)

Longgu (Dragon Bone). Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats Guizhu (a type of accumulation disease caused by evil qi) in the heart and abdomen, spirits and old demons (referring to malevolent entities), cough with rebellious qi, diarrhea and dysentery with pus and blood, spontaneous fright during sleep, anger, latent qi lodged in the epigastrium causing inability to breathe. It stops sweating, reduces urination and hematuria, nourishes the spirit, stabilizes the hun and po, and calms the five zang organs. (The *Yaoxing Lun* states: Avoid fish; it stops nocturnal seminal emission and treats dreams of sexual intercourse with ghosts. The *Tujing* states: Generally, this substance is rare in the world. Sun Guangxian recorded in *Beimeng Suoyan*: During the Later Jin period, at the border between Zhenzhou and Xingtai, a dragon was once killed. A villager named Cao Kuan saw it and took its two horns. In front of the horns was an object, blue in color with patterns like chaotic brocade, which no one recognized. Cao Kuan was killed by bandits within a year, and the military governor was subsequently executed. The *Yanyi* states: Various theories are inconsistent; since they cannot be specified, they are ultimately speculative. A commoner in Yingyang County, Western Capital, suddenly obtained a pair of dragon bones from cliff soil, complete with skin, body, head, and horns, not knowing it was shed. If it were shed while alive, it would be a tangible object yet living unseen, only visible upon death; if it transformed away, why would its form alone not transform? In the Guiyou year of the Jiajing era, I was a guest in Suqian County, Pizhou. At that time, the Huai and Si rivers flooded, with no visible banks. After the frost, the water receded, and a new sandbar emerged in the river, upon which lay a complete pair of dragon bones, including head, horns, body, and tail. Residents were astonished and competed to cross the river to retrieve them. Someone gave me half a horn; it was white in color, shaped like dry bone, and sticky to the tongue. It is highly effective in medicinal use, though its origin remains unknown. I record this here pending verification by scholars.)

Ejiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin). Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, slightly warm, non-toxic. Primarily treats internal hemorrhage in the heart and abdomen, extreme exhaustion, chills resembling malaria, lower abdominal and lumbar pain, soreness and pain in the four limbs, vaginal bleeding in women, fetal calming, lower abdominal pain in men, deficiency consumption with emaciation, insufficiency of yin qi, soreness in the legs preventing prolonged standing, and nourishment of liver qi. Produced in Dong'e. (Tao Hongjing states: Produced in Dong'e, hence the name Ejiao. For decoctions, it should be lightly roasted; for pills and powders, it must be extremely dry. Chen Cangqi states: It is boiled with water from the Ajing Well; most used in the world is not genuine. All gelatins can treat wind, stop diarrhea, and tonify deficiency, but donkey-hide gelatin is best for treating wind. The *Tujing* states: Now Yenzhou can produce it; using water from the well north of Acheng County produces the genuine article. The method is: boiling black donkey hide with water from the Ajing Well, as per standard gelatin preparation methods. This well is officially prohibited for private use, making genuine gelatin very hard to obtain. Many sold in the capital are likely fake. Investigating medical texts, the reason it surpasses other gelatins is largely due to the combination of donkey hide and Ajing water. Now belonging to Dongchang Prefecture, there is a small walled town without a county seat; the well remains, still under official prohibition. Due to historical relics, the town is named Acheng. The gelatin is produced when officials transport water to the prefecture for boiling, with hides supplied from the official storehouse. Genuine gelatin is rare among the people, as before. Cai's *Shuchuan* states: Shen of Wuxing cited ancient theory that the Ji River flows underground. Now in Lixia, digging anywhere reveals flowing water, believed by the world to be the Ji River passing beneath. Dong'e is also on the path of the Ji River. Taking its well water to boil gelatin is called Ejiao. When stirred into turbid water, it clears it. When ingested by humans, it descends through the diaphragm and disperses phlegm. This is likely because the water nature tends downward, being clear and heavy.)

Zhudan (Pig Bile). Bitter in taste, great in coldness. Primarily treats heat and thirst from Shanghan (Cold Damage). (Liu Yuxi states: Promotes bowel movement.)

Fu (Skin/Flesh). (Not recorded in various pharmacopoeias.)

Wenge (Clam Shell). Salty in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic. Primarily treats cough with rebellious qi, chest bi (obstruction), lower back pain, and acute hypochondriac pain.

Jizi (Chicken Egg). Primarily treats removal of heat, fire sores, epilepsy, and spasms. Egg white (Lvbai): Slightly cold. Treats red and painful eyes due to heat, removes latent heat in the epigastrium, stops fullness and oppression, cough with rebellious qi, and diarrhea in children. Soaked in vinegar overnight, it treats jaundice and breaks severe irritability and heat. (Chen Cangqi states: Eggs benefit qi; excessive consumption causes hoarseness. The *Yaoxing Lun* states: Egg liquid treats red and painful eyes; egg yolk treats chronic malaria. Ri Huazi states: Eggs calm the heart and stabilize the five zang organs, stop fright, calm the fetus, treat epidemic febrile diseases during pregnancy, mania, and open the throat. Avoid garlic.)

Mengchong (Blue Bottle Fly Larvae). Bitter in taste, slightly cold, toxic. Primarily drives out blood stasis, breaks down subcutaneous blood accumulations, hard masses, jia masses (abdominal lumps), alternating cold and fever, unblocks meridians and vessels, and opens the nine orifices. Treats menstrual blood stasis in women, removes "thief blood" (pathological blood) in the chest, abdomen, and five zang organs, and treats throat obstruction and blockage. (The *Tujing* states: Mumeng is the largest and green, resembling a cicada; Feimeng resembles a honeybee and is yellow. The fly larvae used in medical formulas are these. There is another small fly named Lumeng, size of a housefly, fierce in sucking cattle and horse blood. These three are generally similar in structure and all can treat blood disorders, but physicians traditionally use only Feimeng, rarely using others. The *Huainanzi* states: Fly larvae disperse accumulated blood. The *Bencao Jing* mentions Mumeng and Feimeng.)

Shuizhi (Leech). Salty and bitter in taste, neutral in nature, slightly cold, toxic. Primarily drives out foul blood and blood stasis, treats amenorrhea, breaks blood jia masses and accumulations, infertility, promotes urinary flow, and can induce abortion. (Chen Cangqi states: When drying leeches, stretch their bodies. Remove those with eggs in the abdomen. This creature is hard to kill; even after roasting over fire, it resembles fish roe. Smoked for years, it revives when wet. Used as a case for King Chu's illness. The Shu edition states: Collect and place in bamboo tubes to dry, then soak in rice washing water overnight, sun-dry, and fry in winter pork lard until golden brown before use. Do not mistake this. Ri Huazi states: Repelled by calcined alum. The *Yanyi* states: Repelled by salt.)

Muli (Oyster Shell). Salty and neutral in taste, slightly cold, non-toxic. Primarily treats alternating cold and fever from Shanghan, chills from Wenmalaria (Warm Malaria), fright and anger, removes lingering heat in joints and defensive/defensive qi moving unpredictably, irritability and fullness, stops sweating and thirst, removes old blood, astringes the large and small intestines, stops defecation and urination, treats seminal emission, throat obstruction, cough, and epigastric/hypochondriac stagnation with heat. (The *Yaoxing Lun* states: Stops night sweats, treats Warm Malaria.)

Tugua Gen (Trichosanthes Root). (The *Bencao Jing* Wanggua: Bitter and cold. Treats Xiaoke (wasting-thirst), internal obstruction, blood stasis, amenorrhea, and alternating cold and fever. The *Bielu* calls it Tugua, treating various evil qi and heat accumulations. The *Yanyi* states: Its root is Tugua Gen. Ri Huazi states: Tugua Gen unblocks meridians and vessels, treats epidemic febrile diseases, alcoholic jaundice, and intense heat with irritability.)

Jiangshui (Fermented Grain Water). Sweet and sour in taste, slightly warm, non-toxic. Primarily regulates the middle jiao, guides qi, strengthens vitality, opens passages and stimulates appetite, stops thirst, treats cholera-like diarrhea, digests retained food, resolves irritability, dispels drowsiness, and regulates fu organs. Best made from newly harvested millet with white flowers. Boiled until sour, it stops vomiting and hiccups. (Not in the *Bencao Jing*, excerpted from the *Bielu*.)

Glan Shui (Agitated Water). Liaoshui (Rainwater collected from puddles). (Neither of these two types is recorded in pharmacopoeias.)

Dou, Sheng, He (Measures of Volume). The twelve pitch-pipes of Lülu have a diameter of slightly more than 3 fen and an inner circumference of 9 fen. The Huangzhong pipe is 9 cun long. Using it to measure volume, 1200 grains of millet fill one Yue. Ten Yue make one He. Ten He make one Sheng. Ten Sheng make one Dou. Ten Dou make one Hu.

Zhu, Fen, Liang (Units of Weight). Using the balance of the Huangzhong Yue to weigh weight, the capacity of 1200 grains weighs 12 Zhu. Half of this, 6 Zhu, is defined as one Fen. Two Yue (24 Zhu) constitute four Fen, which equals one Liang. Sixteen Liang make one Jin. Thirty Jin make one Jun. Four Jun make one Shi. One Zhu is approximately 0.16 hao (of a qian). One Fen is 2.5 qian.

Fangcun Bi (Square-inch Spoon). Bi means spoon. Anciently made of bamboo or wood, now of copper. It is square, one cun on each side. A scoop of powder that does not fall off weighs one fen, constituting one dose. One cun is defined such that one grain of millet equals one fen. The Huangzhong is 90 fen long (1/10th of a cun). Using it to measure length generates zhang and chi from the cun of Huangzhong. This is why Huangzhong is considered the root of all things.

Ju (Chewing/Masticating). Refers to crushing herbs to an appropriate size, where particles are chewable and flavorful. The *Jia You Bencao* states that for wines, decoctions, and pastes, old formulas say "Ju," meaning after weighing, crush to the size of soybeans and blow away fine dust. This is impractical. Herbs vary in ease of crushing; too much dust makes weighing inaccurate. Now, herbs are finely cut to approximate the state of "Ju," ensuring no fine dust while allowing proper mixing.