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I once suffered from a heavy sensation in the waist. After sitting for a long time, my legs would become stiff and difficult to move, requiring me to walk more than ten steps before I could proceed normally. A military officer saw this and asked me, "Are you using Sophora flavescens Root (Kushen, 苦参) to clean your teeth?" At that time, I had been using Sophora flavescens Root (Kushen, 苦参) for several years due to dental issues. I replied, "This is indeed the cause of my illness." When Sophora flavescens Root (Kushen, 苦参) enters the teeth, its qi damages the Kidney (Shen, 肾), causing heaviness in the waist. Later, Shu Zhaoliang, Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, also used Sophora flavescens Root (Kushen, 苦参) to wipe his teeth. After many years, he too developed waist pain. From then on, everyone stopped using it, and their waist pains all healed. These are matters not previously recorded in medical texts. (From *Bitan*)

For bleeding from the gum fissures that does not stop and cannot be treated by other medicines, salt should be used as the primary treatment. The *Suwen* states that this is because salt can overcome blood. (From *Lanshi Baojian*; rinsing with Ophiopogon Decoction is also effective.)

Tiger whiskers can treat toothache. The immortal Zheng Siyuan often rode tigers, so when his friend Xu Yin sought treatment for toothache, Zheng said, "Take hot tiger whiskers and insert them between the teeth; it will heal immediately." He then pulled out several whiskers and gave them to him.

Fresh fat from a donkey mixed with fresh ginger, cooked and pounded into a paste, wrapped in cotton cloth, and inserted into the ear can treat chronic deafness lasting for years. (*Bencao* commentary: This refers to raw Sichuan pepper, not ginger; it has not yet been tested.)

Bone splinter obstruction. (The character "" is used in *Yunlüe* to refer to this condition.)

Generally, the methods for treating bone splinter obstruction can be deduced by analogy. Cormorants can treat fish bone obstruction; magnetite can treat needle obstruction; hair ash can treat hair obstruction; and certain animals (Li Hu) can treat bone obstruction. Each treats according to its own kind/nature.

Wang Youliang from Poyang accidentally swallowed a bone about the size of a small finger while eating spicy trotters. It lodged in his throat, visible under the skin, and palpable by hand. Hundreds of methods were tried but failed to dislodge it. For several days, even coughing caused pain, and he could only swallow a little soup. His family was extremely worried. While he was in a deep sleep, he dreamed of a person wearing red clothes who told him, "I hear you are suffering from a bone splinter. I have a medicine: Southern Borax (Nan Pengsha, 南硼砂) is the best." He woke up suddenly, feeling it was not a dream, but rather a divine revelation to save his life. He searched his medicine chest, found a small piece of borax, washed it with water, and held it in his mouth to dissolve. After a short while, the bone passed away naturally. (From *Ren Zhi*)

Fill a clean vessel with one cup of freshly drawn water. Hold it facing east and silently recite the incantation: "Respectfully invite the Supreme Lord, East Flowing Smooth Water, Hurry! As per the Edict of the Fire Emperor of the South." Recite this seven times with each breath, then blow one breath into the water. Repeat this blowing process seven times. Have the patient drink this water, and the obstruction will fall down immediately. Alternatively, using this incanted water can also help swallow needles or bamboo splinters. (From *Bai Yi Xuan Fang*)

A servant of Wang Shunfu in Pucun, Wujiang County, Suzhou, was choked by a bone from a mandarin fish. The bone was stuck in his chest, neither going up nor down, causing pain loud enough to disturb neighbors. For over half a month, he could not eat or drink and was near death. Suddenly, a fisherman named Zhang Jiuyan appeared and told him to give olives to the patient, which would soften the bone. Since it was spring and summer, olives were unavailable. Zhang Jiuyan said, "If olives are not available, crush olive pits into powder, mix with fast-flowing water, and administer orally." The patient recovered safely. When asked how he knew olives could treat bone obstruction, Zhang Jiuyan replied, "Our elders passed down the knowledge that olive wood is used to make combs for fishing. If fish touch these combs, they float to the surface and can be caught. Thus, we know fish fear olives. Now, people use olives when cooking pufferfish, knowing it can neutralize fish toxins." (From *Mingyi Lu*)