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Treats Gui Zhu (Ghost Tethering), Chuan Shi (Transmitting Corpse), and Lao Zhai (Consumptive Disease). This is one of the Five Zhu (Five Types of Infectious/Parasitic Diseases). This type of Zhu causes alternating chills and fever, a state of depression and silence, with no clear sense of suffering, yet a feeling of aversion throughout the body. After death, it transmits to others, potentially wiping out an entire family.

One whole liver of a otter (Lutra lutra), which must be taken from a live otter to avoid counterfeits, should be dried in the shade and ground into powder. Take two qian with water, three times daily. Why can the otter liver treat Gui Zhu? Generally, creatures that dislike humans, dwell in secluded places, hide during the day, and emerge at night belong to the Yin category. Therefore, they are borrowed to treat Yin diseases. Specifically using its liver is because the Liver is the zang organ of Jueyin (Jueyin Meridian) where the Hun (Ethereal Soul) resides. However, those that hide by day and emerge by night include foxes and rats, not just otters. The *Bencao* (Materia Medica) states: All animal livers have a fixed number of lobes, but the otter's liver grows one lobe per month, and among them, there are also regressing lobes. It is unique among other beasts, which is why it can treat Gui Zhu.

Treats Wu Lao (Five Exhaustions) and Qi Shang (Seven Injuries), with Gan Xue (Dry Blood/Stagnant Blood) inside, skin rough and scaly like fish scales (Jia Cuo), and dark circles around the eyes.

Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 10 liang, steamed with wine) Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix, 2 liang, stir-fried) Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, 3 liang) Taoren (Persicae Semen, pitted and tip removed, stir-fried) Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum, pitted and tip removed, stir-fried) Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix, each 4 liang, stir-fried) Ganqi (Resina Ferulae, 1 liang, stir-fried) Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, 10 liang) Shuizhi (Hirudo, 100 pieces, roasted until yellow) Mengchong (Ophryognathia, wings and legs removed, stir-fried) Qicao (Blaps, each 1.5 liang, stir-fried) E'chong (Asiatic Ground Beetle, 1 liang, head and legs removed, stir-fried)

Form pills with honey, size of beans. Take five pills with wine, three times daily. Symptoms of labor injury invariably involve blood stasis. When blood stasis persists for a long time, it generates heat. Heat consumes fluids, causing dryness in the meridians. The drier it gets, the more heat is generated; the hotter it gets, the drier it becomes. Consequently, new blood is damaged and cannot moisten the skin, resulting in Jia Cuo (skin scaling). Eyes rely on blood for vision. When Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi) fails to penetrate the orifices, the eye area appears dark. Zhang Zhongjing, a sage in medicine, clearly perceived this syndrome. He determined that tonification was inappropriate and cooling was ineffective, thus establishing this formula. The *Classic of Internal Medicine* (*Neijing*) states: "Blood primarily nourishes." Therefore, Dihuang is used as the Jun (Monarch) herb. "Hard accumulations are削 (scraped away/reduced)." Therefore, Dahuang is used as the Chen (Minister) herb. The Spleen controls blood. The *Neijing* states: "The Spleen desires relaxation; urgently use sweet flavors to relax it." It also states: "Sour and bitter induce vomiting and purging, belonging to Yin." Therefore, Gancao, Taoren, Xingren, and Shaoyao are used as Zuo (Assistant) herbs. The *Neijing* states: "Salty flavors travel to the Blood; Bitter flavors overcome Blood." Therefore, the bitterness of Ganqi and the saltiness of the four insects are used as Shi (Envoy) herbs. Mr. Wu stated: "If turbid Yin does not descend, Clear Yang cannot ascend. If blood stasis is not removed, new blood cannot be generated." Nowadays, when people encounter labor syndromes, they immediately use yin-nourishing drugs. When these fail, they sit and wait for death. How do they know that removing stasis allows for the generation of new blood? It is like washing clothes: only after the dirt is gone can starch be applied.