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Take fresh poppy shell (Yingsuqiao, 罂粟壳) in any quantity, pound it into a paste, and decoct it with clear water in a clay pot to filter out the juice. Add more water and decoct again. Press until extremely dry; discard the dregs. Only use the two juices, slowly boil them down over low heat until they resemble a paste, then mix in finely ground powder of fried black *Arca subcrenata* (Wenge, 文蛤) to form cakes. Dry them in the shade. For chronic cough with hemoptysis, prolapse with diarrhea, metrorrhagia (Bengzhong, 崩中), and persistent diarrhea, this remedy is miraculous. People are unaware of its true value, claiming that poppy shell merely suppresses symptoms forcibly. They do not realize that for chronic diarrhea unresponsive to other medicines, when death seems imminent and life hangs by a thread, only the "robbing" (Jie, 劫) power of poppy shell can resolve such critical danger. A physician's use of medicine is like adapting to changing circumstances; those who understand the Way should employ it, as the principles of orthodoxy and expediency (Jingquan, 经权) are one. Thus, the function of "robbing medicines" is akin to Guan Zhong assisting Duke Huan of Qi in hegemony; should it not be acknowledged?

In April, gather green plums (*Mume Fructus*, Wumei, 乌梅), either one shi or five dou. Mix slightly with aged coal dust for one or two days until slightly soft. Smoke them on a brick kiln using firewood or straw for two days and nights, controlling moisture appropriately. Collect them, fold them on mats, let them cool, and then sun-dry them thoroughly to produce Wu Mei. This substance fears water and dampness; if exposed, it heats up like fire, burning and drying out until only bare pits remain. If even half a cup of water is added to a basket of them, the entire batch will rot and become useless. In pharmacology, Wu Mei has the functions of generating fluids and quenching thirst, stopping cough, arresting sweating, stopping diarrhea, and halting dysentery; thus, it is indispensable.

Take large black soybeans (*Soybean*, Heidou, 黑豆) in any quantity. Steam them in a steamer until fragrant and fully cooked. Remove and spread them in a colander. While still warm, place them in a windless area and tightly cover all sides and top with leaves of *Vitex negundo* var. *heterophylla* (Huangjingye, 黄荆叶) or green stalks. After several days, open and check; once a yellow mold covers the beans completely, take them out and sun-dry for one day. The next day, wash with warm water, optionally mixing with chopped perilla leaf (*Perillae Folium*, Zisuye, 紫苏叶). Sun-dry thoroughly until very dry, then store in porcelain jars with tight seals.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, soak black soybeans in water overnight. Steam until cooked and spread on mats, covering with a winnowing basket. Check every three days; when yellow mold covers the beans completely, sun-dry them. Winnow away the yellow mold. Moisten appropriately with water, pack tightly into bottles, plug the mouth with mulberry leaf (*Mori Cortex*, Sangbaipi, 桑白皮), and seal with mud. Sun-dry for seven days, open and air-dry for one shichen (two hours), moisten with water again, and repack. Repeat this process seven times, then steam once more to dissipate the "fire qi." Pack tightly into bottles, seal with mud, and the preparation is complete. For external use: grind *Mori Cortex* (1.5 cun), root of *Cucumis melo* var. *debilis* (Tugua gen, 土瓜根), and jujube dates (seven fruits) into a fine paste. Dissolve in water in the morning to wash face and hands; this greatly reduces wrinkles.
Another method: Boil black soybeans until soft, remove, and spread on a floorboard to a thickness of three cun. Cover densely with dry grass for twenty-one days until dry and covered with yellow mold. Remove the grass, take the bean cake, and sun-dry for seven days before use.
On the early morning of the sixth day of the sixth lunar month (around 5 AM), wash off the yellow mold using river water. Place the warm beans into a wooden barrel to ferment. After five days, take them out and sun-dry until extremely dry. Store in clean vessels for use as needed.