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It is stated: The *Neijing* (Classic of Internal Medicine) mentions that stone medicines (referring to ancient mineral-based elixirs, such as the Five-Stone Powder) have fierce properties and should not be taken by anyone who does not possess a calm mind and peaceful temperament. The teachings left by the sages are profound. Those in the world who take stone medicines end up disregarding their lives and damaging their natures, relying on trivial benefits while failing to guard against the excessive toxicity. Seventy or eighty percent die prematurely, unaware that Nature (the Great Forge) shapes human form; if spirit is complete and vitality is solid, with harmony and balance sufficient, there is originally no addition or subtraction. Those skilled in nurturing life do so to obtain blessings, thereby preserving life and fulfilling their years. However, once the gates of desire open and cravings intensify, they instead rely on fierce and violent agents to seek nourishment. This is like accumulating water in small ditches and letting it drain from the Weilu (a legendary convergence point for sea water, metaphorically referring to the lower body's excretory outlets); what reliance can there be?

Commentators claim that stone medicines can replenish qi and essence, calm the five zang organs, unblock the hundred joints, benefit the nine orifices, prolong life, and extend longevity, asserting that they are so beneficial one must eat them. Regarding the method of consumption, distinctions are made between those who are young and strong taking it first or last, and between "stone essence" (pure parts) and "stone dregs" (impurities) to distinguish the superiority of what the "superior scholar" versus the "inferior scholar" takes. If it is indeed beneficial to humans, using it to dispel chronic and stubborn diseases is acceptable. But when the constitution is harmonious and Ying-Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi) circulate freely, why cling to refining and ingesting these substances? Why not examine the aftermath of ingestion, where care methods are numerous, and a single loss of measure results in various abnormal manifestations? In terms of diet, there are excesses of heat or warmth; in sitting and lying, there are hazards of wearing warm/thick clothes, long sitting, or prolonged stillness. Other taboos such as the "Six Reversals," "Seven Urgencies," "Eight Impossibilities," and "Three Certainties" must be observed with caution and practiced diligently. Any negligence will cause disease to strike immediately. Rather than losing measure in ingestion and bringing sorrow upon oneself, is it not better to maintain clarity, tranquility, and blandness, and to preserve the harmonious state? Herein lies the discussion of the causes of illness, hoping that people will not lightly ingest these substances.

It is stated: There are procedures for taking medicinal elixirs, requiring cautious adaptation to daily life. One must be thorough and meticulous. Especially since stone medicines are fierce, extreme caution is required. After refining and consuming them, what should be done? Aspects to investigate regarding diet, clothing, dwelling, labor, rest, and degrees of heat, cold, warmth, and coolness number no less than dozens. A single loss of measure causes disasters of disease to arise faster than shadows or echoes. Ordinary people are not as perceptive as Hua Tuo, nor do they diagnose as skillfully as Zhang Zhongjing. Trusting blindly in ingestion, rejecting correctness for error, leads to sudden acute crises without knowledge of how to rescue oneself. Only those who can modulate measures and attentively observe symptoms may barely avoid distress and death.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with sore throat, nasal congestion, and runny nose, caused by wearing warm clothes or staying near fire: Immediately remove clothing, expose oneself to wind to cool down, and apply cold stones to soothe the throat and nose. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with frequent quiet lying down and unwillingness to speak, caused by excess heat, poor appetite, and loss of mental control: Administer hot wine, perform cold washes, consume cold food, and engage in moderate physical exertion. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with tinnitus sounding like wind and sweating, caused by overexertion and disharmony of Yang leading to upward rushing of Qi: Increase dietary intake to tonify, and abstain from sexual activity. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with joint stiffness and inability to flex or extend, caused by prolonged rest without self-movement, allowing medicinal Qi to stagnate and gradually invade tendons and blood: Engage in physical effort to generate warmth, and wash with cold water. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with wandering body pain, similar to migrating wind pathogens, caused by exposure to heat: Perform cold washes and apply cold stones. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with chest oppression and mental confusion after taking medicine, caused by warm medicines clashing with pathogenic factors: Induce vomiting. If vomiting does not occur, the condition may become critical. If vomiting persists, consume cold drinks/food. If the patient is unconscious and cannot open the mouth, pry open the teeth and pour in hot wine. Once swallowed and vomited out, administer again. As long as the aroma of wine reaches the interior, consciousness will return within half a day.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with unilateral spasm and pain in arms and legs, caused by prolonged sitting/lying in warm environments without movement, allowing Qi to enter the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach: Frequently wipe with cloths soaked in cold water, replacing them when they warm up. Recovery will follow in three days.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with symptoms resembling Cold Damage or Warm Malaria, caused by exposure to heat: Use standard formulas for treating Cold Damage or Warm Malaria, but do not use hot medicines. These Cold Damage formulas clear heat and break accumulations, and do not conflict with cold foods/diets, so they can be used generally. Even if heat resolves after taking cold foods/diets but illness recurs, first rescue with cold foods/diets; ultimately, this will not cause cold injury.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with feeling cold when undressing and feeling hot when dressing, caused by improper regulation of clothing: Dress slightly when feeling cool, undress slightly when feeling warm, and perform cold washes. Do not hesitate to wash. Enduring this will lead to established disease.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with surging/full pulse, or intermittent/deficient pulses resembling death pulses, or fine/rapid/wiry pulses. Causes vary: Excess heat presents with wiry pulses; accumulations present with surging/full, rapid, and painful pulses. Consume cold foods/diets; discomfort will cease naturally, as this is typical of activation by hot medicines.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with insomnia at night, caused by poor intake and internal heat: Administer Sanhuang Tang (Three Yellows Decoction containing Rhubarb, Scutellaria, and Gardenia), frequently consume cold foods/diets, and sleep will naturally ensue.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with vertigo and dizziness threatening collapse, caused by heavy clothing and exposure to heat: Pour cold water over the head and wash. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with severe foot pain as if breaking, caused by prolonged sitting in warm places: Sleep on a single bed, wear thin clothes, avoid laziness, engage in walking/exercise, and wash with cold water. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with difficulty swallowing due to cold sensation in the stomach, caused by long-term consumption of cold foods and loss of taste: Prepare millet porridge with white wine and add plenty of butter/ghee. Eat warm portions for one or two meals. If slight chest oppression occurs, allow consumption of chilled drinks/foods. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with foul decay in the lower body, caused by sitting on thick, hot mats: Sit in cold water. Recovery will follow.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with soreness and pain in all joints, caused by sleeping in warm places, covering with thick/warm bedding, and failing to remove them timely: Sleep on a single bed with thin bedding, or wash with cold water. Do not wear old, dirty clothes. Even in winter cold, expose hair/head to wind. Apply cold stones to clothes, and do not tie belts tightly. If this provokes oppression/confusion, urgently bathe in cold water. Do not endure pain out of fear of cold.

To treat Stone Medicine Activation presenting with involuntary fecal incontinence, caused by heat entering the Stomach and failure of the Large Intestine to control: Wash with cold water. Recovery will follow.