Library

[Six Prescriptions]

**Method for Refining Stalactite (Zhongru):**
Stalactite, regardless of its density or thickness, can be refined if it is bright, clean, and lustrous in color; only those with yellow or reddish hues are unsuitable. Take one *jin* (approx. 500g) and place it in a gold or silver vessel (this method helps to calm the heart and mind and replenish qi). If gold or silver vessels are unavailable, porcelain vessels may also be used. Place water in a large cauldron and set the vessel containing the stalactite into the water, ensuring the water level submerges the stalactite. Maintain a gentle boil resembling "fish eyes." Add water as it evaporates. For thin stalactite, boil for three days and nights; for stalactite shaped like goose teeth or thick and fatty tubes, boil for seven days and nights. When the stalactite turns yellowish-white, it is considered cooked. If there is doubt about whether it is fully cooked, boiling for ten days is preferable. After boiling, remove the vessel from the cauldron. The water in the cauldron will become yellow and turbid; discard this water and do not allow anyone to consume it. Ingestion of this water causes irritation to the throat, damage to the liver and lungs, headache, and diarrhea. If ingested accidentally, eating pork will stop the toxicity. Discard the yellow liquid, add fresh clear water, and return the processed stalactite to the vessel for further boiling. Remove after approximately half a day. If the water remains clear and unchanged, the process is complete, and the stalactite is non-toxic.

**Method for Grinding Stalactite:**
Take the refined stalactite and place it in a porcelain vessel. Pound it into fragments using a jade pestle. Grind it with water, adding water as needed, maintaining a consistency similar to thin rice gruel. Fine particles of stalactite float to the top, while impurities sink to the bottom. Continue grinding around the pestle until it breaks down easily. After five days, the mixture resembles milk. By the seventh or eighth day, the stalactite emits a white luster, which is highly desirable. Apply a small amount to the arm and rub; it should feel smooth like rubbing a bookworm found in old books, emitting a natural white light. Rinse with water; if it does not wash away, it is sufficiently processed. If it dissolves or falls off upon contact with water, it is raw and requires further grinding. The standard is that it does not fall off with water. Once processed, clarify the mixture, dry it in the sun, and prepare it into pills or powders for administration as desired.

**Cui Shangshu’s Milk-Boiled Stalactite Prescription:**
Indications: Accumulated cold causing rebellious qi, restlessness in sitting or lying down; treatment for wind-deficiency consumptive fatigue, weakness of the lower back and legs; tonifies the body, promotes vitality, and strengthens qi.
Ingredients: Zhongru (Stalactite), 3 *liang*.
Process: Grind the single ingredient into a powder. Place it in a double-layer silk bag, leaving some room inside, and tie the mouth tightly. Boil the bag in one *sheng* (approx. 200ml) of cow's milk until the volume reduces by one-third. Remove the bag and drink the milk on an empty stomach. If unable to consume it all at once, divide it into two doses. If dividing, take the second dose when the evening meal has been digested. If consuming at once, finish it early in the morning. This prescription does not cause vomiting or diarrhea. For individuals with slight deficiency-cold, mild passage of duck-like loose stools is acceptable and not harmful. The next morning, repeat the process with another *sheng* of cow's milk according to the same method. After each boiling, rinse the bag with a small amount of cold water; otherwise, the medicinal qi will not circulate freely. Repeat this process 30 to 40 times until the efficacy is exhausted. The residue in the bag can be mixed with flour to feed hens; their eggs are beneficial for consumption. Alternatively, the residue can be used to soak medicinal wine. For those wishing to consume Bai Shiyin (Quartz), follow this same method. For patients with cold conditions, use wine for boiling; for those with heat conditions, use water. If using water or wine, reduce the dosage by half. Using cow's milk with a one-third reduction provides unparalleled benefit for deficiency and damage, without triggering adverse reactions. Avoid aged or spoiled foods. Do not consume hot noodles, pork, fish, or garlic.

**Prescription for Taking Stalactite Wine:**
Zhongru (Stalactite), 3 *liang*, selected from properly refined high-quality pieces.
Process: Mix the single ingredient with one *dou* (approx. 10 liters) of clear, new, unfermented wine in a non-leaky vessel. Seal tightly. Infuse for seven days in winter or three days in summer. Take 3 *he* (approx. 60ml) warm on an empty stomach, twice daily. Gradually increase the dose until therapeutic effects are observed (*zhi*). The batch should be consumed within 15 to 16 days. Observe dietary restrictions and precautions as mentioned previously.

**Caog Zhongru Wan (Herbal Stalactite Pills) Prescription:**
Source: Lord Cao’s Prescription.
Indications: Five labors and seven injuries damaging lung qi causing rapid breathing; treats male senility, exhaustion of yang qi, cold hands and feet, scanty qi in the chest, emptiness of marrow, lower back pain, leg bi-syndrome, bodily irritability, dry mouth, and inability to eat. Administration stabilizes the five zang organs, tonifies the spleen and stomach, resolves various diseases, directs rebellious qi downward, aids digestion, promotes muscle growth, and harmonizes the middle jiao.
Ingredients: Zhongru (Stalactite), 2 *liang*, ground separately to fine powder; Tusizi (Seed of Dodder), 1 *liang*, soaked in wine overnight and pounded separately; Shihu (Dendrobium Stem), 1 *liang*; Wuzhuyu (Fruit of Evodia), 0.5 *liang*.
Process: Ponder and sieve the four ingredients separately into powders. Mix with refined honey to form pills the size of mulberry seeds. Take seven pills on an empty stomach, twice daily. After ingestion, walk several hundred steps, then drink 3 *he* of warm clear wine. Walk another 200–300 steps. A feeling of warmth in the mouth and chest will arise; once stable, consume dry rice and bean paste. After one day, resume normal diet. Maintain warmth and care; avoid odors of corpses or filth. Do not consume coarse, foul-smelling, or stale foods. Abstain from sexual intercourse for the first seven days of intake. After seven days, activity may resume but should not be excessive. If efficacy is felt after taking half a dose, continue for three full courses to ensure lifelong health. For those with frequent sexual activity, add 30 male moths (*Xiong E*). For those with seminal emission, add 3 *liang* of Rongrong (Cistanche).

**Prescription for Taking Soft Raw Stalactite (Jia Ru):**
If the efficacy of this type of stalactite diminishes, doubling the dose prevents recurrence. Select pieces longer than half an *cun* (approx. 3cm) that float in water. Grind them finely according to the method. Steam them over rice in a granary vessel. Stop steaming when the rice is cooked. Consume any amount as desired. There are no contraindications. Those taking this stalactite may also take other types of stalactite, provided measures are taken to prevent disharmony.