Library

Neutral in nature, it benefits Qi and strengthens the will; long-term consumption enables one to conceive. Those without bones are called cuttlefish (soft fish); their tentacles should be long and straight for superior taste. When wind and waves are slightly turbulent, they use their tentacles to adhere to rocks as anchors.

Toad (Hanma)
Toad is pungent and cold in nature, and toxic. It can be taken internally for carbuncles, sores, and metallic wounds; it breaks up accumulations, treats malnutrition (Gan syndrome), and dog bites. Freshly pounded externally is also suitable for contusions. Chan Su (Toad Venom) is the essence of the toad, with particularly rapid effects on malignant sores and malnutrition emaciation.
This refers to the current common toad, also known as Bufo bufo gargarizans. Its body has a small belly and large back, with many black spots on the skin; it jumps to catch and eat hundred insects. It is often found in slopes and marshes making "ga ga" sounds, moving very hastily.
It primarily treats carbuncles, back infections, leprosy, malignant sores, genital erosion, scabies, and tinea, causing swelling and toxicity to dissipate immediately. It breaks up hard accumulations, treats pediatric malnutrition with bone-steaming fever, blurred vision, sallow complexion and emaciation, and rabies poisoning.
Freshly pounded into a paste for contusions and injuries. Zhu Danxi stated: It belongs to Earth and Water. Materia Medica records that consuming it does not cause heat syndromes; some are roasted, dried, or calcined to ash, and incorporated into prescriptions, unlike common people who boil them into soup with salt. This substance is damp in transformation; fire can stimulate dampness, which over time transforms into heat. Beware! It also treats worm erosion. For intestinal perforation in the lower part, take one toad and one part chicken bone, calcine to ash, and insufflate deeply into the lower part; this is highly effective. For pediatric moon-erosion sores, apply mixed with pig lard. For usage, collect those crawling eastward on the Dragon Boat Festival, remove skin, claws, intestines, and stomach, dry in shade, roast with Chan Su oil, or wine-roast to remove bones, or calcine to ash. Chan Su is the white juice from between the eyebrows. Collection method: Turn the toad upside down with four feet facing the sky; do not let the juice spray into the eyes or blindness will result. Squeeze the juice from between the eyebrows onto oiled paper and dry in shade. It treats carbuncles, furuncles, scrofula, all malignant sores and stubborn tinea, and bleeding from carious teeth gaps; apply a little with a paper wick to stop bleeding immediately. Mixed with beef suet and adjusted with juice of Evodia seedling leaves, massage the waist eyes and scrotum to treat cold kidneys and assist Yang Qi. Also, collect eyebrow juice on the Dragon Boat Festival, mix with Cinnabar and Moschus, form pills the size of sesame seeds, take one pill on an empty stomach to treat pediatric malnutrition emaciation; for brain malnutrition, adjust with breast milk and drip into the nose. Toad fat can soften jade making it easy to chop, and resolves various sore toxins. Toad brain brightens the eyes and treats blindness (Qing Mang).

Pangolin Scale (Lingli Jia)
Pangolin scale is slightly cold and toxic. It is applied and taken internally for ant hemorrhoids, bi-syndrome, wind-pathogen, malaria with blood rushing to the heart, and treats fright evil with excessive crying.
Produced in hills, resembling carp but with scales like iron armor. Because it likes burrowing underground, it is also called Pangolin (Chuan Shan Jia). It treats all kinds of malignant sores, scabies, tinea, hemorrhoids, and mastitis; calcined to ash for application, or mixed with water or wine for internal use. *Tu Jing* states: At noon it comes ashore, opens its scales as if dead, allowing ants to enter; when full, it closes and enters water, ants float out, and it eats them. Thus, it is best for treating ant hemorrhoids. It treats wind-bi, mountain miasma malaria, postpartum blood qi rushing to the heart causing fainting; this medicine can harmonize Qi and nourish blood. It also treats pediatric fright evil, women crying due to pathogenic invasion, and various chronic diseases. Wash, finely slice, stir-fry with freshwater mussel powder until pearl-like, then grind into powder.

Leech (Shu Zhi)
Leech is bitter and salty, toxic and cool in nature. It is good at sucking pus and blood from carbuncles, managing fractures, promoting old blood, resolving accumulations, inducing abortion, unblocking menstruation, and saving women.
Zhi means substance; it is the substance in water. Also known as Horse Leech. It is toxic. It treats red-white wandering rashes and carbuncle swelling. First wash away the salty residue from the swollen skin, attach leeches using a bamboo tube; after a moment they suck, detach themselves when full of blood, then have a hungry person suck again until the skin wrinkles and flesh turns white; recovery is certain. It is also effective for falls and fractures; take one qian adjusted with hot wine, pain relieves after a short while, another dose stops pain. Or mix with Moschus powder, take one qian with wine to promote discharge of retained blood. Since bitter enters blood and salty overcomes blood, it is used for typhoid blood syndromes. It also promotes water pathways and breaks blood stasis. Formerly, King Chu swallowed something obtained from cold pickles, which indeed removed accumulations. Although considered Yin poison, it is also due to its nature. For women's accumulations and masses, amenorrhea and infertility, it is also used; for inducing abortion, it is most urgent. There are water leeches, mud leeches, and grass leeches; only water leeches are used, with smaller ones being better. This creature is hard to kill; even after roasting for years, it resembles fish roe; smoked for three years, it revives in water. Collect in May and June; discard those with eggs in the abdomen. Soak in rice washing water overnight, sun-dry, finely slice, stir-fry over low heat, or fry in pig lard until yellow to cook thoroughly; otherwise, it may produce offspring in the abdomen causing harm. It fears salt and lime.

Centipede (Wu Gong)
Centipede is toxic and can attack toxins; its odor is pungent and warm, killing evil insects, resolving accumulations, breaking stasis, inducing abortion, treating mouth sores and trismus, protecting infants.
Most abundant in Wu Chuan valleys, also found in Jiangnan. Green back, yellow belly; those with red heads and legs are male, yellow and thin are female; use males, not females, hence called "Gong".
Resolves various sore toxins, Dan Liu toxins, controls snake toxins, insect/fish toxins, Gu poison, and corpse transmission evil qi. Kills three parasites, stops evil malaria, treats heart/abdominal cold-heat accumulations, masses, removes evil blood, induces abortion. Treats pediatric mouth grasping, tongue sores, trismus preventing breastfeeding; grind to powder, adjust with pig milk and administer. Chickens like to eat this; thus, for poisoning, apply with black chicken manure water, or slug is even better. Moschus eats snakes and specifically controls snake venom; Jing gardens have no spiders; substances control each other, often so. Roast with ginger juice, remove head and feet, grind to powder, wrap in cotton paper, stir-fry over smokeless fire until cooked.

Mylabris (Ban Mao)
Mylabris is pungent and cold, must be stir-fried until cooked; internally resolves scrofula, externally applies for tinea toxins, breaks blood stasis, treats lithiasis strangury, unblocks menstruation, induces abortion, ulcerates human flesh.
The shell has yellow and black patterns like painting. Highly toxic. Treats scrofula, furuncles, malignant sores, necrotic tissue, stubborn tinea, and crusty itching. Breaks blood stasis and masses, promotes water pathways, treats lithiasis, unblocks menstruation, induces abortion, moves Gu poison. *Yan Yi* states: Pregnant women must not take it. Because it ulcerates flesh, it is often used in strangury treatments; extremely bitter, caution is advised. Collect when beans are lush in July-August, dry in shade, remove wings and feet, stir-fry with glutinous rice until rice turns yellow; raw causes vomiting and diarrhea. *Ma Dao* is the guiding herb; it opposes Ba Dou, Danshen, Kong Qing, and Fu Qing.

Xanthium Seed (Wu Ti)
Xanthium seed is non-toxic, pungent and neutral in nature; treats wind, cures scabies, spirits insects effectively, indispensable for accumulation and slippery intestines, reliable for cold qi pain in abdomen and heart.
"Wu" means foul; "Ti" means damaged; its odor smells like spoiled things. Treats wind-toxin in skin and joints, creeping sensation like insects walking; also treats malignant sores, scabies, tinea, hemorrhoids, and all sores, mostly for external application. Nature kills insects, removes three parasites, expels tapeworms from spleen and stomach. Eating causes pain, forms accumulations, borborygmus and abdominal pain, cold dysentery, slippery diarrhea, and cold qi heart pain; indispensable. Also treats uterine wind-deficiency in women, pediatric malnutrition accumulation, sudden evil Gu poison. Meng Shen said: Excessive use causes fever and heart pain due to its pungency. Aged ones are good; small ones are elm seeds, only suitable for sauce and treating chicken diseases; for medicine, use large ones, stir-fry with flour until yellow, combined with Chebula and Cardamom is good.

Omphalia Lapponica (Lei Wan)
Omphalia lapponica is salty, bitter, cold, slightly toxic; drives out skin heat toxins, kills various worms, paste treats hundreds of children's diseases, long-term use damages Yin in both men and women.
"Lei" means accumulated; "Wan" means round; accumulated together like spheres. Primarily disperses heat knots and toxic gases in skin, evil heat in stomach. Kills worms in sores/scabies and tapeworms/three parasites. Made into paste to remove various pediatric accumulations. Materia Medica says: Benefits men, not women. Promotes Qi in men, does not promote organ Qi in women; this is not beneficial benefit. Thus, it says: Long-term use causes impotence. In short, draining agents damage Yin and blood; once the disease is addressed in men and women, excessive use is not recommended. Also treats epilepsy, running madness, Gu poison. Produced in Hanzhong; white is good, red kills. Soak in vinegar, remove black skin, bake. Lei Gong soaks in Licorice decoction for two days, scrapes black skin, mixes with wine, steams for half a day, bakes dry. Genkwa, Magnolia bark, and Lychee seed are guiding herbs; opposes Pueraria.

Aloe (Lu Hui)
Aloe is bitter and cold, treats wind-heat, brain malnutrition, nasal itching, empty gums, blurred vision, neck tinea, and hemorrhoids, calms pediatric convulsions, kills malnutrition worms.
"Lu" means black; "Hui" means gather. Tree resin solidifies, color black like tin; true material dissolves and re-gathers when scattered in water. Due to bitter taste, also called Elephant Gallbladder. Lei Gong said: It is the white elephant gallbladder from foreign lands. Non-toxic. Treats wind-heat restlessness, heat in chest. Insufflated into nose, treats brain malnutrition, removes nasal itching, applied to gums. Mixed with half amount of Licorice powder, applied to neck, ear, cheek tinea, wet itch, and hemorrhoid sores. Brightens eyes, calms heart, treats pediatric epilepsy, convulsions, various heats. Treats five malnourishments, kills roundworms and three parasites. Resolves Ba Dou toxicity. Grind separately.

Sulfur (Liu Huang)
Sulfur is sweet, acrid, very hot in nature; kills various sore worms, dries pus and blood, strengthens Kidney Yang, warms Lung and Spleen, secures essence, treats bi-syndrome, removes hiccups.
"Liu" means flowing. Helps saltpeter make gunpowder, flows without returning. Sulfur is stone liquid, fire essence. Toxic. Treats carbuncle hemorrhoids, malignant sores, bald head, lower part yin sores, female genital erosion, all scabies/tinea, various sores, polyps, evil blood. Kills insects and abdominal worms. Warms Kidney, strengthens Yang, treats cold painful weak legs, stiff bi-syndrome of tendons/bones, lower Yuan deficiency cold, seminal emission, cold constipation. Also treats spleen-cold chronic diarrhea, heart/abdominal masses/accumulations, cold Lung/Stomach, cough with reverse Qi, epistaxis, all cases where Spleen/Kidney Yuan Qi is about to fail; taking it is effective. Stop when disease is cured, do not overdose. Can transform gold, silver, copper, iron, and strange objects. *Ye* states: Laifu Dan uses Saltpeter etc., supreme Yang assisted by supreme Yin, similar intent to Baitong Tang assisted by human urine and pig bile. Thus removing rejecting cold, and having hidden Yang, it is necessary. If no hidden Yang, no need to assist with Yin medicines. Imported from Guangzhou ships, it is alum stone liquid. Yellow, clear, and clean is good. For usage, melt into sesame oil, or soak in child's urine for seven days, fine grind and water-triturate. For chronic cold medicines, mix with sparrow brain marrow to remove odor. Method 1: 4 liang Sulfur, 8 liang Alum, put in clay pot, boil in tofu slurry for one day, remove water, slow fire dry until forming a block. Next day dig pit, bury clay pot with one bowl rice vinegar inside, use iron sheet with dozen holes, cover pot mouth, place sulfur pot upside down on iron sheet, mouths facing each other, seal with salt mud, wait for dry, roast with charcoal fire for three incense sticks duration; Alum sticks to upper pot, Sulfur flows into lower pot vinegar, cool, take out, soak in water overnight, dry in shade, grind. Zeng Qing is guiding herb. Fears Asarum and Iron. Also earth sulfur, produced in Rongzhou, Guangdong, flowing from streams. Pungent, hot, fishy smell. Treats sores/scabies, kills Gu poison.

Realgar (Xiong Huang)
Realgar is bitter, sweet, neutral, toxic; treats various sores/tinea, nasal polyps, resolves Gu poison, kills insects, dispels miasma evil, breaks masses, heals tendons and bones.
Produced in Dunhuang mountains; produced on sunny slope is Real (Male), shady slope is Female (Ci). Treats various sores, scabies, tinea, hemorrhoids, yin sores, nasal polyps, all malignant sores and necrotic tissue. Once someone mistakenly ate hair causing abdominal Gu; after one dose, vomited eyeless snake, burning it released hair odor, then healed; this is verification of resolving Gu poison. Resolves Veratrum toxicity, kills various snakes/insects toxins, dispels mountain miasma, ghosts/demons, sudden evil qi. Breaks masses/accumulations, severed tendons/broken bones, great wind in joints. *Yao Xing Lun* states: Wearing it, ghosts/spirits cannot approach; entering mountains, tigers/wolves lie down; crossing rivers, poisonous creatures dare not hurt; pregnant women wearing it, changes female to male. Single prescription ground to powder, made into pills with steamed dough, taken with Licorice decoction; effective for summer dysentery/diarrhea. Red like chicken comb, clear, solid, non-odorous can be used for ingestion/medicine; others only for treating sores, fine grind and water-triturate.

Orpiment (Ci Huang)
Orpiment is pungent, sweet, neutral, toxic; malignant sores, scabies, leprosy, bald head, body itch, white patches, dead skin, lung consumption chronic cough also suitable for taking.
Treats malignant sores/crusts/scabies, black leprosy/bald head, nasal polyps, lower yin sores, wind-worm body itch, white patches on body, skin dead muscle, lung consumption chronic cough, female blood/qi long cold, unremitting heart pain. Also kills bee/snake toxins, dispels evil qi. *Yan Yi* states: Rarely used in medicine, mostly external work. Those ingesting should examine carefully. Color yellow like mica, cracked and breakable is good. Fine grind, put in clay pot, roast red hot, cool, fine grind, water-triturate.

Alumen (Bai Fan)
Alumen is sour, cold, treats various sores, scrofula, nasal polyps, yin erosion itch, ears/eyes/mouth/teeth/throat wind-bi, phlegm-heat thirst diarrhea, poison insect injury.
Fan means brine. Wet land produces brine, leaching brine forms alumen. Non-toxic. Treats malignant sores, scrofula, hemorrhoids/fistula, yin erosion, pus discharge with severe itch, paronychia swelling/pain, nasal polyps, epistaxis, all scabies/wind-rash, excellent agent for removing evil flesh and generating new muscle. Also treats sudden ear swelling/pus, red eyes/corneal opacity/polyps, mouth/tongue sores, tooth swelling/pain/bleaching, long-term crumbling, acute throat wind-bi, heart/lung irritability, wind-phlegm congestion, thirst/dysentery. Also treats snake/scorpion, vicious dog, wall lizard, donkey saliva, horse sweat poison injuries. This medicine originally removes heat in bone marrow; excessive use damages bone; originally repels water and eliminates phlegm; excessive use damages heart/lung. Produced in Jinzhou; white and bright is good. Fine grind, put in clay pot, roast for half day; white like light powder is named Calcined Alumen (Ku Fan). Only for resolving phlegm use raw; treat tooth pain/throat bi, wrap in cotton, suck and swallow raw. Licorice is guiding herb. Opposes Oyster shell, fears Ephedra. Examining alumen has five types: Only Bai Fan is mostly used in medicine; Lv Fan treats various sores, also used in throat/tooth medicine; Huang Fan was needed by alchemists, also treats sores/generating flesh/dyeing skin; Hei Fan, also called Zao Fan, treats malnutrition and dyeing hair/beard; Hong Fan, also called Shi Dan, originally green, turns red when roasted, now rare. Crucian Carp Alumen Powder: One crucian carp, break open remove intestines, fill with Bai Fan, roast on tile until charred but retaining nature, grind to powder. Use chicken feather to roll medicine and apply; treats chronic hemorrhoid fistula not healing, effective.

Cinnabar (Dan Sha)
Cinnabar is slightly cold, sweet, non-toxic; promotes measles, treats various sores/polyps, cools Heart, moistens Lung, clears Liver, benefits Qi, unblocks blood, brightens eyes.
Dan means red color; shape like sand grains, also known as Zhu Sha. Treats various sores, scabies/crusts, polyps; internal and external application. Before measles erupt, take to resolve toxin, reduce eruption. Treats heart-heat irritability, nourishes spirit, calms魂魄 (hunpo), moistens Lung, stops thirst, clears Liver, brightens eyes, absorbs floating fire, benefits Qi and essence, unblocks vessels, also dispels evil/epidemics, sudden evil abdominal pain, breaks masses, delivers dead fetus. Should be used raw; refined use is toxic. *Zhou Li* uses five poisons to attack sores, using Cinnabar, Shi Dan, Realgar, Alumen, Magnetite placed in clay vessel, roasted for three days/nights; smoke adheres above, sweep with chicken feather to apply to sore, evil flesh, rotten bone, pus/blood discharges then heals. Produced in Chenzhou, bright and clear, large like chicken egg, small like pomegranate seed, arrowhead purple-dark like iron color, broken like cloud-mica sheets on walls is good. Fine grind and water-triturate, spread paper in ash bowl to dry. Oppesses Magnetite, fears salty water.

Frankincense (Ru Xiang)
Frankincense is pungent, warm, good at stopping pain, treats various wind-sores and wind-stroke, reduces swelling, stops diarrhea, stabilizes cholera, benefits Kidney, induces labor, all essential uses.
Shape resembles nipple, i.e., Persian pine resin. Pure Yang, non-toxic. Can regulate Qi and blood, stabilize pain in all meridians, internal heart/abdomen/joints, external sores/carbuncles pain must use it. Treats various wind-sores, urticaria, itch-toxins; taken internally resolves, boiled into paste generates muscle. Also treats stroke mouth-locking speechlessness, reduces wind-water toxin swelling, stops large intestine diarrhea, stabilizes cholera, benefits Kidney/essence, warms waist/knees, descends Kidney Qi, female difficult labor, induces delivery of dead fetus, pediatric acute/chronic convulsions, all essential medicines. Purple-red like cherry is superior; Liquidambar and Pine resin often mix; burn to distinguish true/false. For pills/powders, lightly stir-fry to kill toxicity. To prevent sticking, or crush wrap in paper, sleep under mat overnight, grind separately. Method 1: Hang in silk bag in window crack for long time, then grind to avoid sticking. Xun Lu Xiang is also of this category.

Myrrh (Mo Yao)
Myrrh is bitter, neutral, treats sores/wounds, breaks blood/stops pain is most miraculous, heart/abdomen/tendon/bone pain all use, postpartum metallic wounds also suitable.
Mo means sinking/submerging. Tree gum sinks into ground condensing into blocks, varying sizes, also Persian pine resin. But color is black, non-toxic. Dong Yuan said: Myrrh is in the category of treating sores and dispersing blood. Whenever blood stagnates, Qi obstructs, meridians full/tight causing pain/swelling, this medicine pushes out old and brings forth new, thus breaking old blood, reducing swelling/stopping pain, a miraculous medicine for sore practitioners. Also treats female internal injury/stasis, umbilical/abdominal stabbing pain, abortion, heart/abdomen pain, postpartum blood fainting/blood qi pain, and joint wind, bone/joint pain, all metallic wounds, beating wounds, contusion/fractures all suitable. Also treats sudden hematochezia, corneal opacity/dizziness/red skin. Preparation same as Frankincense.

Dragon's Blood (Qilin Jie)
Dragon's blood is sweet, salty, neutral, closes wounds, generates muscle, stops pain/bleeding, further breaks old blood, removes blood fainting, female deficiency leukorrhea use is spiritual, Zi Kuang inner red outer purple-black, can eliminate Yin stagnation, benefit Yang essence.
Produced in Southern Barbarians. Resin of Qilin tree condensed, also known as Xue Jie, meaning red color. Slightly toxic. All malignant sores/scabies/tinea not healing for long time, this medicine originally generates muscle/stops pain/bleeding, but nature is urgent, excessive use反而 draws out pus. Also mainly for trauma fracture pain and blood qi heart/abdominal stabbing pain, breaks stasis, removes five zang evil qi, removes female postpartum blood fainting and chronic deficiency red/white leukorrhea, blood accumulation. For usage, taste slightly salty/sweet, makes Gardenia odor, chew does not rot like wax is good; taste very salty, makes fishy odor is not for medicine. Grind separately, combined with Litharge is good. Zi Kuang grows in Hainan valleys, also tree resin condensed, shape like rotten stone, same category as Dragon's Blood, efficacy completely different. Non-toxic. Treats wet itch sores/scabies, suitable for paste use. Also can eliminate Yin stagnation Qi, benefit Yang essence, needed by dyers.

Borneol (Long Nao)
Borneol is pungent, warm, first among hundred medicines, fragrance penetrates Kidney gate and vertex, lower malnutrition/throat bi/eye/skin opacity, clears Heart, resolves heat, disperses wind-phlegm.
It is Sandalwood resin from Polu country. Brain is flowing fragrant liquid, medicine only this is most precious, hence called Dragon. Odor clear/fragrant, first among hundred medicines, pure Yang, non-toxic. Good at dispersing and penetrating, unblocks nine orifices, below enters Kidney/bone, above penetrates ears/eyes/vertex. Dying person swallows it, Qi scatters completely, because fragrance is extreme and dispersal is fast. Ancient formulas treat red eyes, internal/external skin opacity, deafness, throat bi, lower malnutrition sores, and eruptive measles, all wind-sores mostly use it. Also wind-damp evil qi, heart/abdomen accumulations, and epidemic heart irritability/maniacal agitation/fright-heat, adult/pediatric wind-phlegm obstruction, female difficult labor also use it, all due to its pungent dispersal. Danxi said: Borneol belongs to Fire. World people mistakenly think it is cold, not knowing its nature disperses greatly seeming like cold. *Ju Fang* often uses with Moschus, assisting Cinnamon Twig/Aconite. Human body Yang easily moves, Yin easily deficient, and all fragrances belong...