治痫风。
磁石（二两，能吸铁者，研极细水飞出，切忌火 ） 赭石（二两） 清半夏（二两） 朱砂（一两）
上药各制为细末。再加酒曲半斤，轧细过罗，可得细曲四两。炒熟二两，与生者二两，共和药为丸，桐
子大。铁锈水煎汤，送服二钱，日再服。
磁石为铁、养二种原质化合，含有磁气。其气和异性相引，同性相拒，颇类电气，故能吸铁。 之则磁
气全无，不能吸铁，用之即无效。然其石质甚硬，若生用入丸散中，必制为极细末，再以水飞之，用其随水飞
出者方妥。或和水研之，若拙拟磨翳散之研飞炉甘石法，更佳。
朱砂无毒，而 之则有毒。按化学之理，朱砂原硫黄、水银二
原质合成。故古方书，皆谓朱砂内含真汞，汞即水银也。若 之，则仍将分为硫黄、水银二原质，所以有毒。
又原方原用神曲，而改用酒曲者，因坊间神曲窨发皆未能如法，多带酸味，转不若造酒曲者，业有专门，曲发
甚精，用之实胜于神曲也。
磁朱丸方，乃《千金方》中治目光昏耗、神水宽大之圣方也。李濒湖解曰∶磁石入肾，镇养真阴，使肾水
不外移。朱砂入心，镇养心血，使邪火不上侵。佐以神曲，消化滞气，温养脾胃生发之气。然从前但知治眼疾
而不知治痫风，至柯韵伯称此方治痫风如神，而愚试之果验，然不若加赭石、半夏之尤为效验也。原方止此三
味，为加赭石、半夏者，诚以痫风之证，莫不气机上逆，痰涎上涌。二药并用，既善理痰，又善镇气降气也。
送以铁锈汤者，以相火生于命门，寄于肝胆，相火之暴动实于肝胆有关。此肝胆为木脏，即为风脏，内风之煽
动，亦莫不于肝胆发轫。铁锈乃金之余气，故取金能制木之理，镇肝胆以熄内风；又取铁能引电之理，借其重
坠之性，以引相火下行也。
附录∶
友人祁××之弟患痫风，百药不效。后得一方，用干熊胆若黄豆粒大一块（约重分半），凉水少许浸开服之
（冬月宜温水浸开温服），数次而愈。祁××向愚述之，因试其方果效。
Treatment for Epilepsy (Xian Feng).
Cishi (Magnetitum, 2 liang; select that which can attract iron, grind into an extremely fine powder and process by water levigation; strictly avoid calcination) Zhishi (Hematitum, 2 liang) Qing Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma Preparatum, 2 liang) Zhusha (Cinnabaris, 1 liang).
Process each of the above medicines into a fine powder. Then add Banqu Jiuhuang (Medicated Leaven made with Wine), half a jin, crush finely and sieve through a fine mesh to obtain four liang of fine leaven. Take two liang of this leaven, stir-fry until cooked, and keep the remaining two liang raw. Mix these with the medicinal powders to form pills, sized like Sophora japonica seeds. Decoct Tie Xiu Shui (Water containing Iron Rust) as a soup to deliver the pills; administer two qian per dose, twice daily.
Cishi is a compound of iron and oxygen, possessing magnetic properties. Its nature attracts opposites and repels similars, resembling electrical principles, thus enabling it to attract iron. If calcined, its magnetism is entirely lost, rendering it unable to attract iron, making its use ineffective. However, Cishi is very hard in texture. If used raw in pills or powders, it must be ground into an extremely fine powder and then processed by water levigation; only the portion floated up by water levigation should be used to ensure efficacy. Alternatively, grinding with water, similar to the method I proposed for processing Lu Ganshi (Calamina) in Mo Yi San, yields even better results.
Zhusha is non-toxic, but becomes toxic if calcined. According to chemical principles, Zhusha is synthesized from sulfur and mercury. Therefore, ancient medical texts state that Zhusha contains true mercury, where mercury refers to quicksilver. If calcined, it decomposes back into sulfur and mercury, hence becoming toxic.
Furthermore, the original formula uses Shenqu (Medicated Leaven), but here Jiuqu (Wine Leaven) is substituted. This is because commercially available Shenqu often fails to ferment properly according to standards, frequently acquiring a sour taste. In contrast, professional wine makers produce leaven with precise fermentation, making Jiuqu practically superior to Shenqu.
The Cishi Zhu Wan formula is a sacred prescription from Qian Jin Fang for treating blurred vision and dilated pupils (Shen Kuan Da Kuo). Li Shizhen explained: Cishi enters the Kidney channel, anchoring and nourishing True Yin, preventing Kidney Water from leaking outward. Zhusha enters the Heart channel, anchoring and nourishing Heart Blood, preventing pathogenic Fire from invading upward. Shenqu assists by resolving stagnant Qi and warming/nourishing the Spleen and Stomach's generating Qi. Previously, this formula was known only for treating eye diseases and not for epilepsy. It was not until Ke Yunbo praised this formula for treating epilepsy miraculously that I tested it and found it effective. However, adding Zhishi and Banxia proves even more efficacious. The original formula contains only these three ingredients. The addition of Zhishi and Banxia is indeed because in cases of epilepsy, Qi invariably rebels upward, and Phlegm-Saliva surges upward. These two herbs, used together, are excellent at regulating Phlegm and anchoring/descending Qi.
Administering with Tie Xiu Tang (Iron Rust Soup) is based on the principle that Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo) originates from the Gate of Life (Ming Men) and resides in the Liver and Gallbladder. The violent agitation of Ministerial Fire is closely related to the Liver and Gallbladder. As the Liver and Gallbladder are Wood organs, they are also Wind organs; the stirring of Internal Wind invariably begins in the Liver and Gallbladder. Iron rust is the residual Qi of Metal; thus, we utilize the principle that Metal controls Wood to suppress the Liver and Gallbladder and extinguish Internal Wind. Additionally, utilizing the principle that iron conducts electricity, we leverage its heavy and sinking nature to guide Ministerial Fire downward.
Appendix:
The younger brother of my friend, Mr. Qi XX, suffered from epilepsy, to which all medicines failed. Later, he obtained a prescription using Gan Xiong Dan (Dry Bear Bile), a piece the size of a soybean (approximately 0.5 qian). Soak it in a small amount of cool water before administration (in winter, soak in warm water and take warm). After several doses, he recovered. Mr. Qi XX recounted this to me, so I tested the formula and it proved effective.