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Raw Soft Gypsum (Sheng Ruanshi Gao, 5 qian) [Gypsum Fibrosum], Dried Stem and Root of Drynaria (Gusuibu, 6 qian, remove hairs, mix with honey water, dry in sun, bake over low fire), Green Salt (Qingyan, 6 qian), Sophora Flower (Huaihua, 5 qian, dry until crisp), Cold Water Stone (Hanshuishi, 5 qian), Myrobalan Nut (Meishizi, 5 qian, boil in oil then roast over fire). Grind all together into fine powder. Rubbing teeth with this daily is best for strengthening teeth.

Zhenxintong (True Heart Pain, severe cardiac pain caused by pathogenic factors directly affecting the Heart organ): The hands and feet turn cyanotic up to the joints; if it occurs in the morning, death follows in the evening; if it occurs in the evening, death follows in the morning. This is because cold evil damages the "Monarch" (the Heart). Since the Heart is the Monarch, it theoretically should not be invaded by pathogens. If invaded, it is a disease of its own meridian, which is invariably fatal and untreatable. Current treatment examples often state that the Pericardium Collateral (Baoluo) is affected, implying the disease is in the Fu organs rather than Zang organs, or in the collaterals rather than the main meridians; thus, it is not true Zhenxintong. Because the pain is located in the region of the Heart, or involves the Heart's vessels, or the vessels of the Hand-Jueyin (Pericardium), or the epigastrium, or the chest and diaphragm, whether due to dietary injury, cold invasion, qi rebellion, phlegm-fluid retention, static blood, parasites, or stagnant fire, all can cause pain. The Stomach belongs to damp earth, situated in the Middle Jiao, serving as the sea of water and grain. The Qi of the five Zang and six Fu organs, and the twelve main meridians, all derive nourishment from here. Those who are robust cannot have their Qi disturbed by pathogens; those who are weak allow pathogens to lodge and cause disease. When the harmonious Qi of the Stomach becomes biased towards cold or heat, leading to fluid retention and food stagnation, these contend with True Qi causing pain. Among these, Liver Wood overacting on the Spleen/Stomach is the most severe, followed by rebellious Kidney Qi. Stomach disease manifests as abdominal distension, pain in the epigastrium centered at the heart area, radiating upward to support both hypochondria, and obstruction in the throat and diaphragm. This is because the epigastrium is close to the Heart, allowing pathogenic factors to shift and easily harm the Heart.
The *Mai Jing* states: There are cases where worry and overthinking damage the Heart causing pain. The person is fatigued, their head and face become red while the lower body feels heavy, the heart pain penetrates to the back, and the pulse is wiry. This is caused by Heart injury. Since the Heart governs blood and regulates emotions, fright and overthinking damage the Shen (Spirit) and deplete blood. Consequently, clear Yang fails to ascend, and turbid Yin fails to descend, allowing nine types of pathogens—dietary, wind, cold, heat, palpitations, parasites, infectious miasma—to invade due to deficiency.
Parasitic pain (Chongtong): During attacks, there is mental restlessness and discomfort. Swellings gather and disperse, moving up and down causing pain. The pain comes and goes. There is heat in the heart and abdomen with excessive thirst, salivation, and complexion changing suddenly between green, white, and red. Vomiting clear water indicates roundworms (Ascaris).
For severe deficiency-type heart pain, tonification is appropriate. For severe excess-type heart pain, often triggered by dietary indiscretion combined with anger, sudden pain occurs. The stool may be constipated. After a long time, the chest and heart area protrude, and pressing causes severe pain with inability to eat. Purging/draining methods are appropriate.
Cold-Jue type heart pain: The limbs are cold in a reverse manner, the whole body sweats cold sweat, urination and defecation are clear and copious, bowel movements are free without thirst, breath is faint and strength is weak. Urgently use Shu Fu Tang (Aconite and Atractylodes Decoction) to warm. Cold-Jue sudden pain is not a chronic condition. Morning onset leads to evening death; urgent rescue is required. Thus, we know chronic diseases do not present with pure cold, and acute diseases do not present with pure heat.
There are nine types of heart pain: Fluid, Food, Wind, Cold, Heat, Palpitation, Parasite, Infectious Miasma, and Migratory Pain. Except for Wind, Heat, and Cold which belong to external causes, the others belong to non-internal/non-external causes. Additionally, in women, evil blood entering the Heart and Spleen meridians causes pain more severe than other pains. Also, sudden attack by guest evils, ghost strikes, or corpse miasmas causing heart pain also belong to non-internal/non-external causes; treatment should be guided by deduction and reasoning.
Pain in the Heart and Diaphragm must be distinguished by newness or duration. If it is known to be caused by exposure to cold air or ingestion of cold foods, during the initial stage, warming and dispersing methods, or warming and draining methods, should be used. If the disease persists for some time, it forms stagnation (Yu). Stagnation generates heat and fire. If one continues to use warming and dispersing methods, would it not aid the fire and worsen the illness? Therefore, ancient formulas often use Gardenia Fruit (Zhizi) as the sovereign herb, adding heating herbs as guides to open stagnation and move Qi, so that pathogens are easily subdued and the illness recedes. However, after recovery, if one indulges in taste preferences, the illness will surely recur.
Generally, it is believed that all pains belong to excess patterns, there is no tonification method for pain, and pain decreases with purgation/drainage; this is considered an unchangeable rule. However, one must not realize that this is only suitable when the physique is solid, the pathology is excess, and there is constipation/obstruction. If the physique is deficient, the pulse is weak, appetite is poor, and there is loose stool, how can mixed treatment be tolerated? One must know that pain accompanied by distension and obstruction is mostly excess; pain without distension or obstruction is mostly deficiency; pain that refuses pressure is excess; pain that accepts pressure is deficiency; fixed pain is Blood stasis; wandering pain is Qi stagnation; preference for cold indicates excess; preference for warmth indicates deficiency; worsening after eating indicates excess; worsening on an empty stomach indicates deficiency; solid pulse and coarse breath indicate excess; deficient pulse and faint breath indicate deficiency; acute illness in young and strong people indicates excess; chronic illness in elderly and frail people indicates deficiency. Ineffectiveness of tonification suggests excess; aggravation after purgation suggests deficiency. Pain in the meridians often presents with wiry-large pulses; pain in the Zang organs often presents with deep-micro pulses. Exterior deficiency with pain indicates insufficient Yang, requiring warming of the meridians. Interior deficiency with pain indicates insufficient Yin, requiring nourishment of Ying (Nutritive) Qi. Upper deficiency with Spleen injury requires tonification of the Middle Jiao. Lower deficiency with Spleen and Kidney failure requires warming and tonifying the Gate of Vitality (Mingmen). Adhering rigidly to "no tonification for pain" causes significant harm.
When pain is caused by food stagnation and phlegm-fluid, the Stomach Qi relies on nourishment, so even if sudden deficiency does not occur, and despite many days passing, not eating does not cause damage. If food is eaten as soon as pain stops, the pain will surely recur. It is necessary to take three to five doses of medicine before gradually recuperating through diet. For severe pain, the pulse is likely hidden (Fu); use warming herbs like Aconite. Do not use Ginseng or Atractylodes, as various pains should not be treated by tonifying Qi.
One type: Pain caused by heat in the Stomach requires Gardenia Fruit (Zhizi), assisted by Ginger Juice, and using Tai Xiong (Sichuan Lovage Rhizome) to open and disperse.
Another type: Pain caused by habitual consumption of hot foods leading to static blood remaining in the stomach opening, characterized by lighter pain during the day and heavier at night. Severe cases require Peach Kernel and Rheum Decoction (Taoren Chengqi Tang) to purge. Mild cases use Leek Juice to dissipate blood and Platycodon Root (Jiegeng) to lift Qi.
Parasitic pain: White spots on the face, red lips, frequent vomiting of clear water, ability to eat when pain subsides, intermittent occurrence, presence of moving masses up and down. Treatment uses roots of Melia Toosendan (Kuilgen) and Tin Ash. However, parasites with heads pointing up in the first half of the lunar month are easier to treat; those with heads pointing down in the second half are difficult. Before administering medicine, feed meat broth and honey/sugar to guide the parasite's head upward, then administer medication to expel it. If the pulse is firm and large with constipation, purge it. For heart pain, use Gardenia Fruit and "robber medicines" (strong analgesics/astringents) to stop it. If it recurs, a dose of Mirabilite (Xuanmingfen) can stop it immediately. A rapid pulse on the left hand indicates much heat; a choppy pulse indicates static blood. A tight-firm pulse on the right hand indicates phlegm accumulation; a wiry-large pulse indicates chronic illness.
Spleen pain with obstruction of urination and defecation indicates phlegm blocking the Middle Jiao and Qi gathering in the Lower Jiao. In heart pain, the pulse is necessarily hidden because the Heart governs the vessels and cannot withstand the severity of the pain, hence the hidden pulse. Do not mistake the hidden pulse and mental confusion for Heart deficiency and use Rehmannia Root (Dihuang) and Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Baizhu) for tonification. Pathogens disperse when warmed; adhering to warming alone prevents dispersion. After warming and dispersing, Yin-Yang balanced tonification can be used. If the Central Palace (Middle Jiao) Qi is unclear, pain occurs, potentially involving phlegm and fire, or accumulation formed over time. Ancient formulas use Tangerine Peel (Chenpi), Cyperus Rhizome (Xiangfu), and Licorice Root (Gancao) as sovereign herbs, adding based on accompanying factors: add Sea Sponge (Haifen) for phlegm, Gardenia (Zhizi) for fire, Vinegar-processed Curcuma (Cu Pengzhu) for accumulation, and Dry Lacquer (Ganqi) for static blood. If there is clear phlegm and retained fluids in the Stomach, with gurgling sounds in the abdomen, cold pain in hands and feet, or cramping pain in waist, knees, spine, and hypochondria, nausea, vexation, frequent vomiting of yellow water, and even audible water sloshing upon shaking the abdomen, use Xiao Wei Dan or Kong Yan Dan to thoroughly eliminate the root of the disease.
Danxi stated: Galanga Seed (Caodoukou) alone has a warm nature capable of dispersing stagnant Qi and benefiting phlegm above the diaphragm. If the pain is indeed due to cold, it works as swiftly as a drumstick striking a drum. If pain is caused by damp-stagnation forming phlegm, it is effective. If pain is caused by heat-stagnation, it is theoretically inappropriate, but cool herbs can be used instead, such as fried Scutellaria Root (Huangqin), Phellodendron Bark (Huanglian), and Gardenia Fruit (Zhizi), which still yield quick results. Dongyuan's Caodoukou Wan treats Cold-Jue heart pain with remarkable efficacy. However, for prolonged heat or severe stagnant heat, all aromatic-drying herbs must absolutely not be used.