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*Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) or someone asked: Ancients used medicines in small amounts, and dosages were light, yet they cured many diseases. Looking at your prescriptions, they are not without being complicated and heavy, with large dosages, but the number of cures does not match that of the ancients. Why is this? I answered: In ancient times, days and months were long; medicines naturally nourished themselves in the soil for a long time, possessing authentic and true qi and flavors. The common people had few desires and were endowed with balanced and harmonious constitution, so the diseases contracted were mild and easy to treat. Nowadays, days and months are short; medicinal power is light and empty. People are cunning and deceitful, contracting severe and deep-seated diseases that are difficult to treat. Therefore, when the disease is mild, the number of herbs should be few; when the disease is severe, more medicines must be used. This is merely one aspect of medicine, what is there to wonder about?

Furthermore, ancient physicians understood how to collect medicines themselves, drying them in the shade or sun, all according to proper methods. They used medicines based on their geographical origin, thus curing nine out of ten cases. Modern physicians only know how to diagnose by pulse and prescribe, but do not know the timing of herb collection, nor the origin, land quality, freshness vs. age, and deficiency vs. excess of the materials. Thus, they cannot cure five or six out of ten cases, truly due to this reason. Prescribers must pay close attention and repeat the use of medicines (referring to strict adherence to processing and compatibility) for the medicines to be effective. If one only learns the form of the ancients without understanding the substance, it will only mislead oneself. Future learners must study and memorize these points in detail.

For minerals such as Zhi Shiying (Purple Quartz), Bai Shiying (White Quartz), Zhusha (Cinnabar), Xionghuang (Realgar), and Liuhuang (Sulfur), they must be bright, transparent, fresh, and clean in color and texture. Otherwise, they will cause dryness, fever, dry mouth, and even death in the body.

For all herbal plants, the land of origin must be solid and the aroma strong. If not, the diseases will not be cured.

For Yelangdu (Stemona Root), Zhishi (Immature Bitter Orange), Jupi (Tangerine Peel), Banxia (Pinellia Rhizome), Mahuang (Ephedra Herb), and Wuzhuyu (Evodia Fruit), aged ones are preferred. For others, only fine and fresh ones are needed.

Question: When preparing decoctions and handling various grasses, stones, insects, and beasts, what are the amounts of water in sheng units and the rules for detoxification? Answer: For herbs, there are roots, stems, branches, leaves, bark, wood, flowers, and fruits. For insects, there are hairs, wings, skins, shells, heads, feet, tails, and bones. Some require burning, refining, or frying, with specific rules for raw or cooked use, exactly as follows. Following the prescription brings fortune; violating it brings disaster. Some require removing skin to keep flesh, some require removing flesh to keep skin, some require roots and stems, some require flowers and fruits. Process according to the prescription, ensuring extreme cleanliness, then measure using sheng, he, cheng, and liang. Do not allow discrepancies. Herbs have mutual generation and destruction relationships, with strengths and weaknesses in potency. The Sovereign (Jun) and Minister (Chen) herbs regulate each other, while Assistant (Zuo) and Envoy (Shi) herbs support each other. Without extensive knowledge of the classics, one cannot distinguish good from bad. If a physician arbitrarily adds or subtracts ingredients without following dosage ratios, the strong and weak properties of herbs and minerals may conflict. Entering the human abdomen, they fail to cure the disease and instead exacerbate internal strife. Conflicting herbs and minerals can cause confusion, their force exceeding that of swords and knives. If properly harmonized, although they may not immediately cure the disease, they benefit and calm the Zang-Fu organs and prevent the disease from worsening. For example: In classical prescriptions, all refining and processing instructions are noted below. Current prescriptions are not like this; this chapter is comprehensive.

After all medicines are processed, fried, or roasted, they are weighed for use. Raw medicines shall not be weighed directly.

All mineral medicines and jade should be crushed to the size of rice or beans, wrapped in silk, and boiled in decoctions or wine.

For Zhongru (Stalactite) and other stones, grind them with a jade pestle in water for three days and nights, washing and refining until extremely fine. Dry grinding takes seven days and nights.

Silver powder should be mixed with Mercury (Shuiyin) to form a paste.

Pishi (Arsenic Trioxide) should be wrapped in yellow clay mud, fired for half a day until ripe and usable, but not over-fired. If not refined and used raw, it damages the Heart and Liver.

Pu Xiao (Mirabilite) and Fanshi (Alum) should be burned until the liquid runs out, then used for pills and powders. Mang Xiao (Niter) and Pu Xiao should be dissolved in hot water, added to the liquid, boiled two or three times until completely melted, then taken.

When Dansha (Cinnabar) and Xionghuang (Realgar) are used in decoctions, they must be finely ground into powder and added to the decoction just before taking, stirred well, and consumed.

Whole items used in decoctions, such as dried dates and Gardenia fruits (Zhizi), should be torn open. Items with small pits, such as Cornus officinalis fruit (Shanzhuyu), Schisandra fruit (Wuweizi), Prunus mume seed (Ruiren), and Cassia seed (Juemingzi), should also be broken. Small flower seeds, such as Inula flower (Xuanfuhua), Chrysanthemum flower (Juhua), Kochia fruit (Difuzi), and Sunflower seed (Kuizi), should be used whole. Grains like wheat, millet, and beans should also be used whole.

Tangerine peel (Jupi), Evodia fruit (Wuzhuyu), and Pepper (Jiao) do not need to be chewed or crushed when making decoctions.

All nut kernels should have their tips, skins, and twin kernels removed. Rub and beat in water to remove skins, then slice. For Zhizi, remove the skin. For Puhuang (Lycopodium Spore), add after the decoction is finished.

Fresh Ophiopogon tuber (Maimendong) and Fresh Ginger (Shengjiang) for decoctions should be sliced, pounded three times, and squeezed for juice. Add the juice to the finished decoction, boil for five or six boils, according to the prescribed volume. Do not boil with other herbs. Another method is to slice thinly and use.

Ophiopogon tuber (Maimendong) should be slightly moistened, and the heart removed.

Ephedra herb (Mahuang): Remove nodes, boil separately for two or three boils, skim off the foam, add water to restore original volume, then add other herbs to boil. Otherwise, it causes irritability and abnormal pulse at the Cun position. Xiao Cao (Radix Polygoni Citrini) and Qumai (Herba Dianthi) should be cut into 5 fen lengths. Xixin (Asarum Root) and Baiqian (Cynanchum Root) should be cut into 3 fen lengths. In ointments, cut finely.

Achyranthes root (Niuxi) and Dendrobium stem (Shihu) for decoctions or wine should be smashed. For Shihu in pills/powders, pound thoroughly with a tool until broken, then place in a mortar; otherwise, it will not grind well.

Cinnamon twig (Guizhi), Magnolia bark (Houpo), Eucommia bark (Duzhong), Bark of Qin Pi, and Magnolia bark (Mulanpi) should have the soft, rough outer layer shaved off, keeping only the flavorful inner part for weighing. Poria (Fuling) and Polyporus (Zuling) should have black skin shaved off before weighing. Peony root (Mudanpi), Asparagus tuber (Tianmendong), Morinda root (Bajitian), Polygala root (Yuanzhi), and Wild Kadsura (Yege) should be smashed and hearts removed. Astelia root (Ziwan) should be washed to remove dirt, dried, then weighed. Allium macrostemon (Xiebai) and Scallion (Cong) should have roots removed. Micao (Mangcao), Nanmu (Shinannan), and Itea leaf (Yinyu) should have leaves and tender stems selected, removing large branches. Podophyllum rhizome (Guijiu) and Coptis rhizome (Huanglian) should have root hairs removed. Pyrola leaf (Shiwei) and Magnolia bud (Xinyi) should have hairs wiped off and hearts removed. Sichuan pepper (Shujiao) should have eyes and closed-mouth peppers removed. Dates (Dazao) and Smoked Plums (Wumei) should have pits removed. Arrowwood twig (Guijianyu) should have the feather-like bark peeled off.

For Shaoyao (Peony Root), white varieties are required for tonifying formulas, and red varieties for purging formulas.

Cuscuta seed (Tusizi): Wash in decoction to remove dirt, drain, soak in warm wine overnight, drain, dry until slightly white, then pound. If not fully crushed, soak in wine again for 3-5 days, dry slightly, and pound. It becomes very brittle and crushes easily.

Glycyrrhiza root (Gancao), Magnolia bark (Houpo), Immature Bitter Orange (Zhishi), Shinannan, Itea leaf (Yinyu), Veratrum root (Lilu), and Soapberry pod (Zaojiao) should be roasted. Zhishi should have pits removed, Lilu heads removed, Zaojiao skin and seeds removed.

Sichuan pepper (Jiao) and Caesalpinia fruit (Yunshi) should be lightly stir-fried until "sweating" to enhance potency.

For Tianxiong, Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root), Wutou (Aconite Mother Root), Wu Hui, and Cezhi (Side Root of Aconite) used in decoctions, pills, or powders: Fire-roast in ash until slightly cracked, shave off black skin, then weigh. Only in Jiang Fu Tang (Ginger-Aconite Decoction) and ointments/wines are they used raw, but still shaved and weighed. Split straight into 7-8 slices. Banxia (Pinellia Rhizome): Soak and wash in hot water to remove slipperiness. One method says wash ten times, break into four pieces, then weigh. For decoctions, if used in ointments, wines, pills, or powders, use fire-ash roasted versions.

Castor bean (Badou): Remove heart, skin, and membrane, roast until purple. Almond (Xingren), Peach kernel (Taoren), Lepidium seed (Tinglizi), Sesame (Huma) and other oily drugs should be roasted until yellow, pounded separately into a paste-like consistency. Gradually add to existing powders in a mortar, grind until dispersed, sieve through fine silk, and return to mortar.

Brewer's yeast (Maiqu), Soybean sprout (Dadou Huangjuan), Itea leaf (Zelan), and Elaeagnus fruit (Wuyi) should be lightly stir-fried. Dry resin (Ganqi) should be roasted until smoke stops. Wumei for pills/powders should be roasted. Prepared Mugwort (Shuai Ai) should be stir-fried, finely torn, and pounded with other herbs. If fine powder cannot be sieved, mix it into the powder blend.

Feathers, teeth, claws, hooves, shells (turtle, softshell turtle, shark, carp), bones, horns, sinews, and Deer antler (Lurong) should be roasted. Snake slough (Shetuopi) should be lightly roasted.

Mylabris beetles (Banmao) and other insects: Remove legs and wings, lightly roast. Sangpiaoxiao (Mantis Egg Case): Break in half and roast. Oyster shell (Muli): Roast until yellow. Bombyx Batryticatus (Jiangcan) and Honeycomb (Fefang): Lightly roast.

Musk (Shexiang), Rhino horn (Xijiao), Deer horn (Lujiao), Antelope horn (Lingyangjiao), and Calculus Bovis (Niuhuang) used in decoctions should be powdered and added to the decoction just before taking, stirred well, and consumed.

Gelatin (Jiao) used in pills/powders should be roasted first until bubbling and dry, then pounded. Unbubbled parts should be roasted again. For decoctions, use raw without roasting. Ejiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin) in decoctions: After straining the decoction, add to the liquid, heat until completely melted.

Honey (Mi): Boil to skim foam until purple-yellow. This ensures pills last long without spoiling. Amount of skimming depends on honey purity, thickening it appropriately for better pill formation.

Beeswax (La) in pills: Melt and mix with a little honey to bind herbs.

Maltose (Yitang) and Bran (Kang) in decoctions: Add after the decoction is finished. Wine in decoctions: Add near the end of cooking.

Ancient scales only had Zhu and Liang, no Fen. Now, 10 grains of millet = 1 Zhu, 6 Zhu = 1 Fen, 4 Fen = 1 Liang, 16 Liang = 1 Jin. This is the Shen Nong scale. Wu people used 2 Liang as 1 Liang; Sui people used 3 Liang as 1 Liang. Now, 4 Fen = 1 Liang is standard. "Equal parts" in prescriptions refers to pills/powders where quantities vary by disease severity, but multiple herbs are weighed equally.

"Said to be X Fen Liang" in pills/powders refers to the ratio of ingredients, not necessarily stopping at that exact weight. E.g., taking 3 Fangcun Bi doses until cured might equal 3-5 Liang of total medicine.

"Dao Gui" for powders is 1/10 of a Fangcun Bi, equivalent in weight to a Sophora japonica seed. Fangcun Bi: Square inch scoop, level fill. Qian Bi: Scoop full on a coin. Half Qian Bi: Scoop one side of a coin. Use Wuzhu coins. Qian Wu Bi: Scoop using the "five" character on the coin edge. Yi Cuo (One Pinch) = 4 Dao Gui. 10 Cuo = 1 Shao. 10 Shao = 1 He. Using Sheng for measurement is for herbs of varying density/weight. Sheng mold: Top diameter 1 cun, bottom 6 fen, depth 8 fen. Fill loosely, level gently. Modern practice rarely uses this.

"Pills the size of fine sesame": Hu Ma (Sesame). Not necessarily flat, just roughly similar size. Same for Millet/Sorghum. 16 Millet = 1 Large Bean. Size of Hemp Seed = 3 Fine Sesames. Size of Broad Bean = 2 Hemp Seeds. Size of Small Bean = 3 Hemp Seeds. Size of Large Bean = Small Bean. Size of Sophora Seed = 2 Large Beans. 1 Fangcun Bi powder + Honey = 10 Sophora-sized pills. Pill sizes like bullet or egg yolk are larger.

"Ba Dou X Ge Mei" (Ba Dou X pieces): Weigh after removing heart/skin. 1 Fen = 16 pieces. "Fuzi/Wutou X Ge Mei": Weigh after removing skin. 0.5 Liang = 1 piece. "Zhishi X Ge Mei": Weigh after removing pit. 1 Fen = 2 pieces. "Jupi 1 Fen" = 3 pieces. Dates vary in size.

"Ban Xia 1 Sheng": Weigh 5 Liang after washing. "Jiao 1 Sheng": 3 Liang. "Wuzhuyu 1 Sheng": 5 Liang. "Tusizi 1 Sheng": 9 Liang. "[Missing] 1 Sheng": 4 Liang. "Shechuangzi 1 Sheng": 3.5 Liang. "Difuzi 1 Sheng": 4 Liang.

"Gui 1 Chi" (Cinnamon stick 1 chi long): Shaved, weighs 0.5 Liang. "Gancao 1 Chi": 2 Liang. "Yi Su Cao" (One bundle): 3 Liang. "Yi Ba" (One handful): 2 Liang.

"Mi 1 Jin": 7 He. "Zhigao 1 Jin": 1.2 Sheng.

"Fu Ju" (Chewing/Crushing): Old prescriptions say "Fu Ju," meaning crush to soybean size and blow away fine dust. This is inaccurate as crushing varies. Now, finely slice to approximate "Fu Ju" effect, ensuring uniform particle size without excessive dust. "Mo Zhi" means pound and sieve properly.

Pills/Powders: Slice finely, dry, then pound. Some pounded separately, some together, per prescription. Moist herbs like Tianmendong and Dihuang: Slice, dry, pound separately until broken, tear fine, dry again. If rainy, dry over mild fire, cool slightly, then pound.

Wet herbs lose significant weight when dried; increase dosage accordingly. Weigh as powder/dust. Not necessary for decoctions/wines.

Sifting pill powder: Use dense silk for fine powder (better for honey pills). Sifting powder for wine: Use loose silk (prevents clumping). Mineral powder: Fine silk. After sifting, return to mortar, pound hundreds of times until color and texture are uniform.

Boiling decoctions: Low heat, gentle boil. Water amount per prescription. Rule of thumb: 20 Liang herbs to 1 Dou water, boil down to 4 Sheng. Strain dregs, then adjust. For purgative/decoctions wanting "raw" effect: Less water, more extract for rapid action. For tonic/"cooked" effect: More water, less extract for gradual nourishment. Observe carefully. Use new cloth and wooden roller to strain. Clarify turbidity. Divide into 2 or 3 doses. Cover 2nd/3rd doses with paper to prevent vapor loss. Warm copper vessel in hot water before taking. If using pot, ensure no condensation water enters. "Take 2-3 doses" implies maintaining efficacy...