Library

[Shidan (Chalcanthite)]
Taste: sour, acrid. Nature: cold. Toxicity: toxic. Indications: improves vision, treats eye pain, metal wounds (Jinchuang), various epilepsy syndromes, painful erosion of the female genitalia, stone strangury (Shilin) with alternating cold and heat, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis (Bengzhong Xiexue), various pathogenic toxins and vapors, promotes fertility. Resolves phlegm-stagnation and accumulations (Zhengji), cough with rebellious Qi, and scrofula (Shulou) with malignant sores. *Yaoxing Lun*: As the Sovereign herb, it has great toxicity. Breaks down heat-toxins. Guiding herbs: Luying (*Euphorbia humifusa*). Ri Hua Zi states: Taste is sour and astringent, non-toxic. Treats dental diseases, nasal polyps. Another account says: treats dysentery with red and white discharge, sallow complexion, cold in the Zang organs of women, toothache, and stroke-induced paralysis. Guiding herb: Shuiying. Incompatibilities: Mugui (*Cinnamomum cassia* bark), Jungui (*Cinnamomum cassia* twig), Yuanhua (*Genkwa flos*), Xinyi (*Magnolia biondii* bud), Baiwei (*Clehorneae Radix*). Origin: Xin Zhou.

[Kongqing (Azurite)]
Taste: sour. Nature: cold. Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: benefits Qi, treats rhinorrhea (Qiubi), stops diarrhea and dysentery, induces vomiting to expel wind-phlegm. Grows in caves on the shady side of mountains, color is greenish-white. Modern physicians mostly use it to induce vomiting for wind-phlegm. Method: Select high-quality, superior pieces, first crush and sieve, then use water flotation (Shuifei) to grind until extremely fine, then grind again. For treatment of dizziness and oppression caused by wind-phlegm, take 2-3 qianbi of the powder, mix with 3-4 bean-sized grains of raw Longnao (Bingpian / Borneolum Syntheticum), grind uniformly, mix with fresh Bohe juice and warm wine to administer. Have the patient lie supine; after a short while, saliva will flow from the mouth, and the condition will resolve. If vomiting does not occur, its efficacy is faster than other drugs. Current usage shows frequent effectiveness, hence this method is appended.

[Yunmu (Mica)]
Taste: sweet, sour, acrid. Nature: very warm. Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: nourishes Heart Qi, improves vision, benefits essence, treats abdominal pain and diarrhea, dysentery with red and white discharge, facilitates urination, and treats carbuncles, ulcers, hemorrhoids, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis in women, difficult labor with retained placenta. Long-term consumption replenishes marrow, beautifies complexion, and enhances intelligence. *Yaoxing Lun*: As the Sovereign herb. Tonifies deficiency and exhaustion of the Five Zang organs. Another account says: treats fluid retention with vomiting of clear fluids, dysentery due to Cold Damage, cold-slippery Large Intestine, and seminal emission. Incompatibilities: Dahuang (*Rhei Radix et Rhizoma*), Songzhi (*Pini Resina*). Incompatibilities: Yuanhua (*Genkwa flos*).

[Baizhishi (Kaolinite)]
Taste: sweet, sour. Nature: neutral. Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: nourishes Lung Qi, thickens the intestines, supplements bone marrow, treats palpitations and insufficiency of the Five Zang organs, epigastric vexation, stops abdominal pain and watery stools, heat-induced loose stools with pus and blood from the Small Intestine, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea (red and white discharge) in women, expels carbuncles, ulcers, and hemorrhoids. Long-term consumption calms the mind. *Yaoxing Lun* states: Taste is sweet and acrid. Astringes the Large Intestine. Another account says: treats diarrhea and dysentery. Synergies: Combined with Houpo (*Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex*) and taken with rice decoction to stop pus and blood in stool. Guiding herb: Yanshi (*Stercus Hirundinis*). Incompatibilities: Mumu Dougong. Incompatibilities: Huangqin (*Scutellariae Radix*), Huanglian (*Coptidis Rhizoma*), Gancao (*Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma*), Feilian (*Cardui Thesi Herba*).