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The art of medicine, if one does not grasp it intuitively but relies on books for application, is rarely able to reach its subtlety. For instance, Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) can counteract the effects of Zhongru (Gypsum Fibrosum). The *Lushi Lun* (Treatise on Mineral Drugs) states: "When taking Zhongru, one must avoid Baizhu for life." In formulas such as Wushi San (Five-Mineral Powder), which uses Zhongru as the principal ingredient, adding Baizhu is extremely contradictory in principle, and I do not know what this implies. I asked elderly physicians about this, but none could explain the rationale. According to the *Lushi Lun*: "Mineral drugs are warm in nature but cold in substance; they are heavy and require mutual steaming and thinning before they take effect." Thus, those who take large amounts of minerals will naturally have their energies steam each other. If one attempts to trigger this effect with herbs, the reaction will be severe. Wushi San contains many miscellaneous herbs but very few minerals, so its power cannot steam itself; it requires external stimuli to induce activation. This is like a small fire that needs wind to ignite; if the fire is already strong, fanning it may cause harm. This is the natural order. Therefore, Sun Simiao said: "Wushi San is highly toxic; better to eat wild gourd (Yege) than to take Wushi San." Upon encountering this prescription, one should burn it to prevent harm to living beings. He also stated: "Those who do not take mineral drugs find everything unsatisfactory; those who have minerals in their bodies find everything harmonious." However, one must not take Wushi San, likely because it gathers things the body abhors and forces them to act violently. Ancient prescriptions generally followed such principles, which this book cannot fully detail. Moreover, medical texts often contain spurious content. Even the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), an ancient classic, has many discrepancies. Physicians must be aware of this.

Zhang Que, a Secretary of the Center, took Cinnabar (Zhusha) daily from his youth. In his old age, after returning to Fuzhou, he became obese, and his food and drink intake were ten times that of ordinary people. His family struggled to provide for him. Only one nephew and his wife served him diligently. Zhang appointed his nephew to an official post. Whenever Zhang suffered hunger at midnight, he would tap the bed screen, demanding steamed buns (mantou); he would not stop until he had eaten fifty. He required ten stalks of vegetables and five jin (approx. 2.5 kg) of mutton per meal. After several years, his nephew's family was exhausted by these demands. Suddenly, a sore appeared at his hairline, spreading over the top of his head, rising high like a mound, forming thirty-six ulcers. More than ten days later, they burst with a sound, turning outward like inverted lips, and he died.

Those who take mineral drugs secretly use their medicinal power to satisfy desires, yet most hide this and refuse to speak of it. Once illness strikes, concealment becomes impossible. Wu Jingyuan, a Minister of Justice from Wuxing, took Sulfur (Huangshi). Few knew of this. Twenty years later, while serving as the Market Exchange Official in Huating, he died of a carbuncle on his back. It was then realized that the toxicity and transmitted qi affected even his son. How can one not be cautious?