Library

Indicated for children aged three to five suffering from "Wugu" disease (a traditional pediatric condition often associated with parasitic infection or severe malnutrition presenting with wasting and diarrhea), manifesting as diarrhea and dysentery; this formula may also be administered.

Sulfur, also known as Shitingzhi (Pyrite) or Jin Ye (Golden Liquid), is selected in quantities ranging from 3–5 taels up to 10 taels. It should undergo processing; sulfur imported by sea (Bo Shang Huang) is considered the best grade, though other origins are acceptable provided they are free from impurities. The sulfur is crushed and ground into fine powder, placed into a crucible, filling it to about eight or nine parts full, without overfilling.

Take one medicinal crucible for the aforementioned material, place the drug inside, and secure the lid. Gather a large handful of Gouti Cao (Dog's Foot Grass, botanically identified as *Ranunculus ternatus*, formerly called Shilongrui) and a large handful of Mujian Cao (Wood Mirror Grass, which grows in rice fields, has one stem bearing four flowers arranged like the character "Tian", also known as Shuitiancao, growing singly). Place these two herbs into an iron mortar and pound them thoroughly until broken down. Add loess soil scooped from the earth and pound together until the mixture is uniform and mud-like. (If the aforementioned two herbs are unavailable, Yimucao [Motherwort] may be used as a substitute). Wrap the bottom and surrounding sides of the drug-filled crucible with this herbal mud paste, applying a thickness of approximately 5–6 fen, leaving only the seam of the crucible mouth unwrapped. Then place the crucible on level ground. Surround it with 5–6 jin of charcoal, and place 1 jin of pre-heated fire/charcoal on top to ignite. Continue burning until the crucible glows red through nine-tenths of its volume. Specifically monitor the crucible mouth seam; when greenish-blue flames appear, immediately clear away the charcoal and rapidly cover the entire setup with 3 dou of wood ash to prevent any fumes from escaping. Wait until completely cool, then remove the ash, extract the crucible, and scrape off the adhered mud. (This constitutes one cycle of processing; subsequent cycles follow this method). For the second cycle, repeat the process: pound the herbal materials again, wrap the crucible securely, and process as before. Perform this cycle five times in total. If the heat control is appropriate, the resulting substance will resemble the yolk of a boiled egg and emit a fragrant aroma, indicating that the processing is complete. If immediate use is required, processing for only two cycles is permissible, though more cycles are preferable. Once the required number of cycles is completed, bury the furnace/crucible in clean soil overnight to eliminate residual "fire toxicity". After each cycle, scraping off the sand and gravel from the bottom is particularly beneficial. Retrieve the crucible, add water in a boiling vessel (Diaozi), and boil for ten to twenty cycles of boiling. Then break open the crucible, retrieve the processed sulfur, pound it until fine, and further grind it in a ceramic mortar with water until it forms a smooth, homogeneous paste without any coarse particles. Dry the paste. For every 1 tael of processed sulfur, take slightly more than 1 tael of steamed dough (Zhengbing), soak it, squeeze out the water, and mix it with the sulfur. Pound the mixture uniformly in a tea mortar until it resembles flour. Form pills the size of Sophora seeds (Wutongzi). Sun-dry the pills. For pediatric administration, retain some powder and grind it finely. Administer by mixing with rice water and pouring into the child's mouth using a cup. For symptoms such as night crying, fright, or milk-stagnation with phlegm-saliva, quickly grind more than 1 fen of the medicine and administer. Take twice daily. This will naturally facilitate the expulsion of accumulated pathogenic matter. It can be taken in larger amounts without contraindications. It is effective for children aged three to five suffering from Wugu-related diarrhea and dysentery.