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Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex, moist texture) Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma, soaked in rice wash water for seven days, equal parts)
Grind together into powder. For each use, take three qian mixed with wine.
For pain caused by damp-heat, regardless of whether it is upper or lower body, this formula is often effective.
Cangzhu excels at drying dampness, Huangbai excels at clearing heat. Both herbs possess a vigorous nature; this is also a simple and easy-to-use formula.

Ruxiang (Boswelliae Resina) Moyao (Commiphorae Resina) Dilong (Pheretima, stir-fried with wine) Xiangfu (Cyperi Rhizoma, soaked in urine of a young boy) Taoren (Persicae Semen) Honghua (Carthami Flos) Gancao Jie (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, the joint part) Niuxi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, soaked in wine) Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) Wulingzhi (Trogopterori Faeces, washed with wine to remove soil)
This formula governs pain caused by stagnant blood and damp-phlegm accumulating between the limbs and joints.
The area between limbs and joints is where sinews and bones meet, and where hollow passages exist; thus, pathogenic factors easily reside there. In this formula, Taoren, Honghua, Niuxi, and Danggui nourish blood and invigorate blood circulation. Ruxiang, Moyao, and Wulingzhi dissipate nodules and alleviate pain. Qianghuo dispels wind, and Xiangfu regulates qi and resolves stagnation. As for Dilong, it is an organism transformed from damp earth; following its own kind, it can reach areas where damp pathogens are knotted and stagnant. Gancao Jie is used for its neutral nature, which harmonizes Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive qi) and alleviates the trend of acute pain. One might ask: How to distinguish damp-phlegm from stagnant blood? I say: Heaviness in the limbs indicates damp-phlegm; worsening of symptoms in the evening indicates stagnant blood.

Chen Na, Military Commissioner of Jiangling during the Tang Dynasty, submitted the Yanshou Wan prescription: "My younger brother, Yanshou, aged thirty-one, has suffered from stroke and been bedridden for five years, without cure despite numerous physicians. A Daoist priest named Zhong Jian, seeing this affliction, said: 'You can take Yanshou Wan, and he will surely recover.' This herb mostly grows in fertile soil, about three chi high, with nodes and leaves growing opposite each other. It is harvested in May, washed clean of soil, and only the leaves and branch tips are picked. It undergoes nine steaming and nine sun-drying processes. It need not be too dry; only until thoroughly steamed is it taken. It is pounded into powder, refined honey is added to form pills the size of a large mustard seed. Taken on an empty stomach with warm wine or rice drink, twenty to thirty pills per dose. If the illness suddenly worsens, do not worry. After taking four thousand pills, he will surely return to normal; after five thousand pills, he will regain the vigor of a young man." I followed the method to prepare and administer it to Yanshou, and indeed it was as he said. Zhong Jian further stated: "This herb's efficacy differs from that described in Bencao, likely because it thrives in Jiangdong, where locals call pigs 'xi' and stink 'xian'. Presumably, because this herb smells like a stinking pig, it is named thus. After long steaming and drying, the odor disappears. When taking a large dose, one must eat three or five spoonfuls of rice to suppress it." Ordered to be forwarded to the Imperial Medical Bureau for detailed recording.
Furthermore, Zhang Yong, Prefect of Yizhou, submitted a memorial for Yanshou Wan: "While at Longxing Temple, I excavated a stele inscribed with methods for cultivating Qi and two medicinal items. Following the prescription, I sent personnel to inquire and gather them. The herb is quite unusual, with golden edges and silver veins, white roots and purple stems, growing in opposite nodes. In Shu, it is called Huoxian. Its stems and leaves resemble those of Xuan Can Er (Arctii Fructus). Who would have thought that such a humble substance possesses extraordinary effects? I myself took it up to one hundred doses, and my eyesight became clear; upon reaching a thousand doses, my beard and hair turned black, and my sinews, bones, stomach, and intestines became stronger, with multiple verified effects. Luo Shouyi, a Chief Marshal in my prefecture, once suffered from stroke after falling from a horse, losing his voice and unable to speak. I gave him ten doses, and his illness was instantly cured. Monk Zhiyan, aged seventy, suddenly suffered from hemiplegia, with mouth and eyes deviated, constantly spitting saliva. I gave him ten doses, and he also recovered. Now, I have prepared one hundred batches and dispatched official Shi Yuan to present them." Reference examination can be found under the Stroke section.