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Salt is generated by inheriting the nature of Water. The *Book of Documents: Hong Fan* states: "Water flows downward, and its taste is salty." The *Huangdi Neijing: Suwen* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Basic Questions) posits: "Water generates saltiness." This is the origin of salt. Salt is cold in nature and salty in flavor, non-toxic. Its qi is thin while its flavor is strong; it belongs to Yin and has a descending property. It enters the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, as well as the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian, Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, and Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. It serves as an agent for clearing heat, removing dampness, detoxifying, softening hardness, dissipating nodules, and promoting bowel movements.

Rongyan (Military Salt), also known as Qingyan (Green Salt) or Huyan (Hu Salt), is formed by the condensation of the most extreme Yin energy within water, without undergoing refining processes. It grows in the shady areas of riverbanks. Its flavor is salty, its nature is cold, and it is non-toxic. It enters the Hand- and Foot-Shaoyin meridians. The Classics state: "When heat floods internally, treat it with salty-cold substances." Due to its salty-cold flavor, it can assist water to benefit essence, remove heat and relieve pain, soften hardness and break up accumulations, brighten the eyes, and be used for brushing teeth. Take one jin of Qingyan, half a jin of Huai branch, add four bowls of water, and decoct until two bowls of juice remain. Boil the salt until dry, stir-fry, and grind into powder. Using this daily to brush teeth and wash the eyes is excellent.

Taiyin Xuanjingshi (Xuanjing Stone of Taiyin) originates from saline lands. It is formed from the essence of extreme Yin condensing together; thus, its shape is invariably hexagonal, symbolizing the number of Old Yin. Its color is blue-white, and those with a tortoise-shell pattern on the back are of superior quality. Its flavor is salty, its nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. Relying on its properties of softening hardness via saltiness, dispersing via warmth, and moistening/descending, it is required for treating accumulations, damp-bi syndrome, headaches, and leukorrhea (abnormal vaginal discharge) to benefit essence.

Shiyan (Table Salt), when fried and dissolved in soup, can be used to wash sores in the lower body. It can induce vomiting to expel phlegm-stagnation in the middle jiao, relieve sudden heart and abdominal pain, be inserted into tooth gaps to stop bleeding gums, and wash the eyes to eliminate pathogens causing acute wind-induced redness. Probing the throat to induce vomiting treats the intestinal colic of cholera. It drives out earthworm poison injuries and kills ghost-worms and epidemic diseases. In small doses, it guides herbs into the Kidney; however, excessive use tends to cause coughing and damage the Metal element (Lungs). It depletes blood, damages tendons, darkens the skin, causes loss of luster, may generate phlegm, coagulate blood vessels, or exacerbate water pathologies. This is what is meant by saying that excessive salt consumption injures the Kidneys. Patients with edema and cough must strictly avoid taking it. Therefore, people in the Northwest cannot tolerate salty food, suffer fewer illnesses, and live longer; people in the Southeast are fond of salt, suffer more illnesses, and have shorter lifespans. Practitioners of self-cultivation believe that a bland diet can better nourish the body.

Rongyan (Military Salt), also known as Qingyan (Green Salt), benefits Qi, removes Qi-gu (parasitic disease caused by bad air/water), brightens the eyes, relieves eye pain, stops hematemesis and epistaxis, strengthens bones, joints, and tendons, assists the Water organ (Kidney), benefits essence and Qi, removes pathogenic heat, treats heart and abdominal pain, and eliminates accumulations and masses in the Five Zang organs. Externally washed for wind-eye with rotting eyelids; internally rubbed for wind-heat toothache.

Xuanjingshi (Xuanjing Stone) stops headaches, benefits essence and Qi, treats heart and abdominal accumulations, drives away cold qi, removes wind-cold pathogens and damp-bi syndromes, regulates male Yin syndromes and cold damage, and stops chronic cold-induced leukorrhea in women.