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[Indications of Quanyang Dan]: Treats head wind (toufeng) causing cough and rebellious qi, wheezing and vomiting, pain in the lower back and legs, weakness of qi and strength, all kinds of wind diseases, masses in the chest, retained food not digesting, feeling full upon seeing rice but hungry after leaving the bowl, emaciation and deficiency, deafness, palpitations with fright; also treats long-term decline of sexual function, impotence, benefits essence, preserves youthfulness, fills marrow, lightens the body, increases appetite and strength, making one robust and healthy.

[Administration Method]: First take a purgative (using Wenbai Wan) to clear old filth from the abdomen. The next morning on an empty stomach, swallow one pill with wine or liquid gruel. Thereafter, gradually increase the daily dosage to below thirty pills, stopping when it reaches above twenty pills. If there is no effect, increase the dosage again to below twenty pills, but for severe cases, take above fifty pills, up to sixty or seventy pills. If still feeling weak, take up to one hundred pills. Everything should be adjusted according to the severity of the illness; how can one stick rigidly to fixed rules? If the patient wishes for early recovery, taking two or three pills daily is also acceptable. However, when taking the medicine, wash less than two he of rice clean, swallow the pill with it, then eat three or four mouthfuls of rice to suppress it, fearing the medicinal qi rushing to the head and face. But if the disease is located above the chest and diaphragm, eat washed rice first, then take the elixir; if the disease is located below the waist, take the medicine first, then eat rice. If the disease is in the head/face or throughout the body, do not use washed rice, only use wine or liquid gruel. If irritability occurs, occasionally take Jingu Dan, Gandou Tang, or Lugen Tang. If the drug triggers adverse reactions, follow the prescriptions for treating stone elixir toxicity.

[Contraindications]: Pork, greasy foods, stale/foul-smelling foods, sticky/slippery foods, kelp (Haizao), Five Pungent Spices (Wuxin), blood meat, green vegetables, etc.

[Nature, Flavor, and Functions]:
Bencao Jing states: Shizhongru (Stalactite), sweet in flavor, warm in nature, non-toxic. It mainly treats cough with rebellious ascending qi, brightens the eyes, benefits essence, calms the five zang organs, unblocks joints, opens the nine orifices, promotes lactation, supplements qi and essence, treats deficiency and damage, cures weak/cold painful legs, treats depletion of the lower jiao, strengthens the yin. Long-term use extends life and longevity, keeps one youthful and attractive, and enables procreation. Eating it without refining causes strangury (lin). (Tao Hongjing notes: Only those that are hollow through the center, thin and light like goose quills, breaking like fingernails, without eagle-beak-like impurities inside, and bright in color are superior. Jing Xianmo notes: Although dense and bright/lovely, they can be taken.)

Qipo Fang states: Regarding Zhongru, select those with tubes showing white light, moist and lustrous like horsefly wings or cicada wings; these are good for taking and effective. Dense ones cannot be taken. Those sourced from water flowing south are superior, east-flowing are secondary; others from other directions are unsuitable. Generally, white-light Zhongru is superior, yellow-light is secondary, red is unsuitable due to its great heat nature. Among all longevity and tonifying substances, none surpasses Zhongru. It must be taken regularly. People who take Zhongru and get angry easily will die within nine years; be very cautious. Those who cannot control anger should not take it.

Jiyao Fang states: Zhongru is called "Ru" (Milk) by immortals because it is made of essence and paste, vastly different from ordinary stones. The Master said: Consuming one jin of Ru eliminates hundred diseases; consuming two jin benefits three generations; consuming three jin results in unchanged complexion at death. Even buried underground, after a hundred years, the corpse may pierce the tomb and become a stiff person. Such people in the secular world, even for a thousand years, never look back. Beyond a thousand years, walking in the sun without rest, they become true immortal officials.

Zhongru is the essence paste of this stone, not mixed with earth and rocks. It grows alone in stone chambers, suitable as a foundation for divine elixirs. This is because, in general alchemy, the essence of various stones is volatilized into frost and snow, turning into gold and silver; taking it leads to immortality. Therefore, elixir takers first consume the essence of stones as a foundation. Taking Zhongru together with elixirs regulates the stone elixirs, tonifies deficiency and benefits essence. Long-term use transforms and refines bone marrow, reverses aging, and enables procreation. It is an essential herb for nurturing life.

[Method of Taking Ru]:
When taking Ru, choose auspicious days such as Wangxiang days or Jianchu Kai days. Also, usually use Wuji days.
Before taking medicine, one must take a purgative to remove evil filth from the abdomen.
For those taking stone medicines, if there is constipation, purge it. If the person is weak, purging may not be necessary.
Before taking medicine, on an auspicious day early in the morning, dress neatly, rinse the mouth cleanly, stand facing east, bow twice, make a sincere vow: wishing that after taking the divine medicine, thousand calamities scatter, hundred diseases eliminate, striving for longevity without violating the wish, earnestly requesting Great Sages' protection to remove disasters and restore youth. After this vow, rinse the mouth with clean water, hold a date-pit-sized amount of honey in the mouth, then take one or two pills.
Those taking medicine take purgatives on Wang days, and start taking medicine on Xiang days, starting from one pill, gradually accumulating over days. It can reach two or three pills per dose, with two liang as one course.
The method for taking Zhongru starts with two or three pills with warm wine, five pills the next day, seven the following day, nine, eleven, thirteen, and then stabilize at fifteen pills, not exceeding this amount.
If taking fifty or sixty Zhongru pills yields no effect, one can take one or two hundred pills, pause slightly, and observe the complexion/qi.

Jiyao Fang (Empty Stomach Method): Select refined Zhongru, weigh one liang, divide into two doses. Take in the morning, finish by evening. Regardless of the amount, one liang is the standard.
When taking Ru, always take with warm clear wine, keeping the alcohol qi continuous is best, but avoid drunkenness and vomiting. When taking Ru, eat little, about one sheng of rice per day. If one does not defecate for three days, it indicates the Ru is working. It does not pass with feces; inside the abdomen for three days, it refines into fluids entering the bone marrow. If eating too much, the Ru does not refine and passes out with stool later, wasting effort and efficacy. One must eat little. After three days, once old feces are expelled, one can freely eat delicious foods to supplement. Supplement for three days. To continue taking, follow the previous methods. The amount of Ru depends on the person's wealth.

Jianzhen's Age-Appropriate Zhongru Prescription: Shizhongru, sweet/warm/non-toxic. At age 20, take two liang; up to age 50, take five liang; over 60, increase to seven liang. Take according to age for good fortune. For under 40, divide one liang into two doses. For over 50, one dose is one liang. Mix with three liang of flour, knead hard, cook in a five-sheng pot for five or six boils until done. Mix with wine until juice is consumed. Finally, press with warm rice for seven days. Observe dietary restrictions as per medication rules.

Li Buche's Refining and Grinding Method: Mix date paste with Ru, grind and pound until integrated. Every morning on an empty stomach, take fifteen pills the size of wutong seeds, downed with warm wine. Eat only when hungry, eat little, do not get full. Drink alcohol frequently every day, allowing the body to feel slightly warm with constant alcohol qi, promoting qi circulation.
When taking Ru, for three to five days, eat one or two mouthfuls of granary rice and a little spoiled meat. Do not avoid attending funerals or handling corpses; let oneself get used to it. Take one da jin annually, applicable to all seasons, managed in summer/autumn, taken at Start of Winter.

Shilun states: If food/drink is taken close to medication time, it is hard to obtain medicinal power. Dinner should be small, not excessive. Excess hinders medicinal action; small amounts facilitate passage and rapid absorption. Be cautious. Do not take on an empty stomach or immediately after purging; wait three days to recuperate before taking stone medicine. If only taking medicine after purging, or if medicine stagnates in hidden areas for a year, walk one hundred steps after taking medicine so Ru qi enters the abdomen more effectively. If feeling hot, eat one or two mouthfuls of cold rice and walk to adjust; this is good.

[Supplementing Method]:
Shilun states: For every ten days of taking Ru, supplement for ten days. Same for hundred and thousand days, using this as a rule. Sitting, lying, rising, and sleeping quarters must be fragrant and clean. Clothes should be fresh and incense-treated properly. Wake up early to take medicine and practice Daoyin, ensuring clear spirit and active medicine. At the beginning of the fifth watch, wake up and tap the "Heavenly Drum" (temples) thirty-six times. Wine is the root of life; drink hot fine wine morning and evening, keeping the body slightly warm, but do not drink white wine. When bathing, do not sit in bathwater; pour water over the body.

Jiyao Fang states: For every three days of taking Ru, supplement for three days; for ten days taking, supplement for ten days, as a rule. Supplementation requires full meals; taking Ru requires eating little. For supplementation, eat beef, mutton, roe deer, etc., boil bones for juice, and make delicious food. Do not eat granary rice or rotten meat. Other things are not restricted.
From initial taking to completion of supplementation, absolutely no sexual intercourse or ejaculation. This is the greatest taboo. After finishing supplementation, rest for another month before resuming sexual activity; do not ejaculate suddenly, as this exhausts medicinal qi.

[Signs of Efficacy]:
Jiyao Fang: When Ru takes effect, one first feels flesh rising around the navel, body feverish, food tastes sweet. Yang qi grows daily. Rise frequently, strictly avoiding sexual contact. If symptoms intensify, engage in sex but strictly avoid ejaculation to nourish essence and qi, forming fat in the abdomen. Ru qi overflows and flows through all vessels, making yang abundant and hot, enduring battles without fatigue, forever free from the Five Labors and Seven Injuries.

[Contraindications]:
Shanfan Lun states: Regarding prohibitions, if taking stone elixirs, wait one month. Otherwise, not only ineffective but disastrous.

Qipo Fang states: Generally prohibit raw/cold, sour/slippery, dusty/foul, overeating, starvation, anger, sorrow, crying, worry. Do not expose to wind/snow or dirty situations. Keep diet warm, stay comfortable and relaxed. Avoid Wujia and Diyü with Ru as they counteract the medicine.

Jiyao Fang: Avoid anger, extreme joy/fear, sexual intercourse. Do not drink white wine or cold vinegar. Do not eat too many cakes, hot foods, pork, fish, butter, or foul-smelling items. Do not eat dog/horse/meat mixtures, rapeseed, coriander, Nifen (lead powder), noodles, malt sugar, or similar foods. Do not enter homes of childbirth, birth, mourning, or filial piety rituals. Do not tell others you are taking this medicine.

Shilun states: Do not get angry when taking Ru. Harmonize emotions, be joyful and content. Regulate sex, reduce sleep. Avoid extreme anger, joy, worry, crying. Do not eat coarse, cold, hard, indigestible foods. Eat soft, sweet, delicious foods to regulate.
General prohibitions for this medicine: Stale/foul foods, raw garlic/scallions, mixed raw vegetables, pork, fatty soups, slippery foods, raw fish, sashimi, raw/cold oily dough, etc.

[Treatment for Ru Activation/Toxicity]:
Huiyi states: Ru activation causes headache; drinking hot wine resolves it.

Jiyao Fang: After taking Ru, pre-existing diseases may interact with Ru's power. If disease qi is strong and Ru power not yet formed, they conflict.
Various activations:
- Shu activates Ru: Eye pain.
- Haige activates Ru: Headache and brain stuffiness.
- Cangmi/Rotten meat activates Ru: Sores on joints and Back Carbuncle (Fabei).
- Sexual activity activates Ru: Weakness of qi/strength, limb numbness/paralysis, or facial/body swelling and jaundice.
- Diet imbalance activates Ru: Alternating chills/fever, abdominal cramping pain, diarrhea or vomiting, aversion to food/smells.
- Seasonal temperature changes activate Ru: Malaria-like symptoms; if not treated early, turns into Jaundice.

Now providing formulas for these activations. Must carefully observe the root cause. Knowing the precise condition ensures cure. Do not miss details.

If activated by fruits/general activation: Take Gancao (Licorice Root) one liang roasted, Mahuang (Ephedra) one liang, remove joints, cut. Boil in two sheng water to obtain half jin. Mix with half sheng clear wine. Apply moxibustion near fire to generate mild heat until sweating is desired, then drink hot. Cover and lie down to sweat; it will heal.

If activated by Cangmi/Rotten meat: Make Doujiang (Fermented Soybean Decoction), take slowly, about five or six times. Cangmi will digest, eye condition improves.

If damaged by sexual activity: Practice breath retention regulation for one day and night. Also, boil beef/mutton bones into soup and eat. For male patients, have women massage the body; for female patients, have men massage. Strictly avoid further violation. Regulate for three days and nights, naturally feeling healthy.

If damaged by diet: Add Danggui (Angelica Sinensis) one liang to Congchi Tang (Scallion and Fermented Soybean Decoction), boil, strain, take warm. It heals. If not resolved, take Lugen Tang.
Lugen (Reed Rhizome) - one handful
Diyü (Sanguisorba Root) - one handful
Wujia (Acanthopanax Bark) - one handful
Cut, boil in three sheng water to obtain one sheng. Take once.

If activated by seasonal temperature changes: Make Shengshu Tang (Raw and Cooked Water Bath). Sit in the container, do not move. Soon, cold/heat qi from all joints exits through pores as sweat. If heart feels hot/stuffy, take a little hot soup to settle.

Qipo Furu Fang states: If feverish and thirsty, take one handful of raw Lugen and one ge of millet, boil millet until cooked, drink; very good.
Also, after taking Ru, taking single Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta Seed) three jin greatly benefits humans. Another formula: Che Qian Zi (Plantago Seed) is also good.