Library

Treats abdominal distension, yellowish edema, hyperactive bowel sounds, and diarrhea with white mucus.

Houpo (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex), stir-fried with ginger juice; Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), each five liang; Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), half a jin, soaked in rice-washing water and stir-fried; Fuling (Poria); Zhigancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparatum), roasted; Renshen (Panacis Ginseng Radix), each two liang.
Grind all into fine powder. Take three or five qian per dose, mixed with decoction of Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) and Dazao (Jujubae Fructus).

Treats plague (Yiwen). In the past, during a severe epidemic in the city, a white-haired old man taught wealthy people to prepare and distribute this medicine, and all patients recovered. The plague spirits looked at each other and said, "This old man has already instructed three people," and then fled.
Zisu (Perillae Folium); Xiangfu (Cyperi Rhizoma), vinegar-processed, each two liang; Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), pith removed, one liang; Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), five qian.
Grind all into fine powder. Take three qian per dose, decocted in one and a half bowls of water until reduced to eight-tenths full, taken warm.

In winter, take a section of bamboo tube, scrape off the green outer skin, keep the nodes at both ends, drill one small hole through one end. Fill it with chopped Da Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), seal the hole tightly with a wooden plug, and immerse it in a dung pit for two to three months. Retrieve it around Qingming Festival, dry it, and store it for use. It is highly effective in treating epidemic toxins.
Whenever an epidemic occurs, place one or two pieces of Guanzhong (Cyrtomii Rhizoma) next to the daily water storage vat. Use this water for brewing tea and cooking rice; all food prepared with this water will not be infected by the plague, saving many lives effectively.
Whenever encountering seasonal prevalent diseases (Shiqi), fearing transmission, one should go out late and return early. Burn Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma) frequently in rooms to ward off pestilence and expel evil. Smell Xionghuang (Realgar) applied to the nostrils, and chew Dasuan (Allii Sativi Bulbus) in the mouth; these are the best methods.
Laojun Shenming San and Dongpo Shengsanzi: These two formulas consist entirely of acrid, hot, drying, cracking, and toxic herbs, lacking any ingredients that tonify healthy qi, expel pathogens, eliminate turbidity, or detoxify. It is unknown why medical texts list them under epidemic categories; they must be later forgeries. Scholars must not blindly use them based on their names, as doing so causes significant harm. Yu Tianmin analyzed this in detail, which cannot be overlooked.

Li Yili stated, "If I have insights, I cannot forget them; if I gain understanding but do not share it publicly, what difference is there from having no insight or understanding?" To joyfully let go of insights once gained, and to openly share understandings with an open mind—this is the humble attitude of predecessors in transmitting knowledge. One need not physically reach every place or manage every sight; rather, let listeners grasp the essence intuitively, realizing truths beyond words and numerical symbols. How profound such discourse can be! Although I am not intelligent, I secretly yearn for this state and would gladly follow even as a humble servant holding the whip. Therefore, I commissioned this publication.
Postscript by Lin Qilong of Yuyang, Autumn of the Yimao Year, Kangxi Reign.