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Medicinal materials are substances used to treat diseases. Their efficacy depends on the changes in the disease, their therapeutic action depends on the medicinal material itself, and their preparation and use depend on human operation; these three aspects are indispensable. For methods involving the processing of single herbs or the treatment of sores and swellings with single prescriptions, references to the original sources should be cited rather than annotated within each formula.

Cinnabar (Zhusha)
Must be ground finely, processed by water levigation (shui fei), filtered, and dried. If incorporated into ointments, add it after the ointment base has been boiled and cooled slightly until semi-solid, stirring rapidly to prevent sedimentation. This applies generally to all mineral drugs.

Mica (Yunmu)
Must be used as refined powder. Those handled by women's hands are ineffective. *Shenghui Fang* treats burns and scalds by mixing with sheep marrow to form an ointment for application, which is highly effective. *Qianjin Fang* treats metal wounds and various malignant sores by applying according to the above method, showing great efficacy.

Alum (Fanshi, i.e., Bai Fan)
When used, must be calcined over charcoal fire until dry. It treats genital erosion and malignant sores, removes nasal polyps, and treats acute throat obstruction by holding in the mouth and swallowing saliva. *Zhouhou Fang* treats sudden ear swelling and pain with pus by blowing a "yi zi" amount into the ear via a bamboo tube and plugging with cotton for immediate effect. It also treats bites from poisonous insects and beasts; application leads to recovery. *Qianjin Fang* uses vinegar-boiled decoction to heal scorpion stings immediately. Wang Shi's *Boji Fang* treats injuries from horse sweat toxins causing sore swelling, mixed with Minium (Huang Dan). *Lingyuan Fang* treats traumatic sores and swelling by soaking/bathing in boiling water infused with calcined alum. *Yuyao Yuan Fang* treats dampness in the groin area by adding calcined alum to boiling water...

Mercury (Shuiyin)
Treats scabies, tinea capitis with crusts, and alopecia areata. When added to ointments, incorporate after cooling and solidification, stirring until evenly dispersed like stars, avoiding sedimentation.

Calomel (Shuiyin Fen, i.e., Qing Fen)
Treats scrofula, kills scabies and lice mites, and treats rhinophyma (Jiu Zao Feng). Mix with sheep marrow to form an ointment for application; one application suffices.

Calcined Stone (Duanshi)
Effective for scabies, bone abscesses, and wind-induced changes in metal wounds. *Waitai Mi Yao* treats wind-rash by mixing with rice wash water, heating, and sweeping the affected area for immediate cure. Sun Simiao treats scabies by washing with warm water infused with calcined stone; aged material is better.

White Wheat Rice Stone (Baimai Fanshi, i.e., Culi Huangshi)
Those used for sharpening knives are best. Must be quenched in strong vinegar to allow fragments to fall into the vinegar. Can be used alone for back carbuncles. *Shennong Bencao Jing* states that most stones treat carbuncles and ulcers.

Huari Stone (Huarui Shi)
Stops bleeding in metal wounds. Stir-fried with sulfur over charcoal fire for good results, or scraping Huari stone powder alone is also effective.

Astragalus (Huangqi)
Treats chronic, non-healing carbuncles and ulcers, expels pus, relieves pain, and treats five types of hemorrhoids, scrofula, and thirst. Formulas from *Shenghui*, *Qianjin*, and *Waitai Mi Yao* treat back carbuncles and brain abscesses, supporting the interior and stopping thirst: use 6 liang of Astragalus and 1 liang of Licorice, chopped and decocted in water, taken warm at any time, showing great efficacy.

Xanthium (Er, i.e., Cang Er)
*Qianjin Yi Fang*: For carbuncles, use roots, stems, and leaves, stir-fry to ash retaining nature, grind to powder, mix with vinegar and rice bran water to paste, apply three times daily. Swelling subsides in three days, and the carbuncle root extracts itself. Also treats various swellings; sweeping application leads to quick cure.

Ephedra (Mahuang)
When used, boil roots and nodes for three boils, skim off foam, dry, and chop.

Scutellaria (Huangqin)
When used, remove rotten rhizomes; select fine and solid ones. Mei Shi's Formula: Treats various erysipelas forms by grinding to powder, mixing with water, and sweeping application. Also treats burns and scalds.

Aconite Root (Wutou) and Aconite Lateral Root (Fuzi)
When used, must be processed until cracked, removing skin and navel.

Pinellia (Banxia)
When used, wash seven times in hot water to remove slipperiness.

Rumex Root (Yangti Gen)
Treats dry tinea, scabies, and alopecia; chewing and applying the root is effective. *Jianyao Jizhong Fang*: For chronic tinea sores not healing, extract juice from fresh roots, mix with Calomel (Nifen) to form an ointment...

Metaplexis (Yelangdu)
Treats carbuncles, malignant sores, and scrofula. *Shenghui Fang* treats chronic tinea sores with yellow discharge, itching, and pain by applying powder, or using lard...

Banana Root (Bajiao Gen)
Treats sores and swellings. Crushing root and applying juice is effective. *Baiyi Fang* treats back carbuncles by applying root juice.

Aristolochia Root (Tu Qingmuxiang, i.e., Madouling Gen)
Treats head wind, itching, and bald scalp sores.

Forsythia (Lianqiao)
Treats chills and fever, scrofula, carbuncles, malignant sores, and goiters; taken with Licorice.

Dandelion (Pugong Cao)
Treats mastitis. Drinking the decoction causes spontaneous resolution. Mei Shi's Formula applied externally also resolves it.

Talc (Huashi)
Although the Materia Medica does not mention treating sores/swellings directly, its nature suits treating chronic non-healing sores, eliminating heat-toxin swelling, stopping bleeding in metal wounds, and treating burns/scalds effectively.

White Quartz (Baishiyin)
Treats lung abscess with pus cough, wind-heat phlegm above the diaphragm, lung wasting, wasting-thirst syndrome, and yin bi. Tonifies the five zang organs.

Red Halloysite (Chishizhi)
Treats sores/abscesses, hemorrhoids, and diarrhea. Mix equal parts with Ligusticum (Xiong) powder, take 1 qian with gruel drink for miraculous effect. For cold patterns, add Dried Ginger (Ganjiang).

White Halloysite (Baishizhi)
Treats carbuncles/ulcers, expels pus, promotes tissue regeneration, and treats neonatal umbilical wetness.

Realgar (Xionghuang)
Treats chills/fever, scrofula, malignant sores, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, necrotic tissue, and scabies/tinea.

Sulfur (Huangliu)
Treats female genital erosion, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, malignant sores, and scabies/tinea. Kills parasites.

Orpiment (Cihuang)
Treats malignant crusts/scabies, bald scalp, and hidden sores in the lower body. Kills parasites.

Magnetite (Cishi)
Eliminates swelling, treats scrofula cervical nodes, and sore throat.

Lead Monoxide (Mituo Seng)
Stops bleeding in metal wounds, treats oral ulcers and gum erosion, and facial scars.

Longtan Earth (Fulonggan)
Sprinkled to treat malignant sores; mixed with water to sweep erysipelas swelling; mixed with wine to seal back carbuncles to promote internal resolution.

Shizhongru (Stone Milk)
Treats chills/fever, scrofula, and malignant sores; corrosive to muscle and fatal (Note: Text implies specific toxic usage).

Jiangshi (Ginger Stone)
Grind to powder, mix with egg white, apply to carbuncles, erysipelas tumors, and mastitis.

Culi Huangshi (Coarse Yellow Stone suitable for grinding)
Qi Dynasty physician Ma Siming treated Yang Zunyan's back carbuncle by heating this stone red-hot, quenching in strong vinegar, collecting the falling fragments, grinding to powder, and boiling in vinegar to a paste. Apply thickly for immediate cure. Generally, stones treat carbuncles.

Calamine (Luganshi)
Promotes wound healing and stops bleeding, treats red eyes and sores...

Centipede Grass (Dengxin)
Treats trauma with bleeding; apply to the wound and bandage for immediate cure.

Sophora Root Bark (Huai Genpi)
Treats hemorrhoids and vitiligo (Bai Pi); decoct for fumigation and bathing is effective, especially with Schizonepeta (Jingjie).

Wolfberry Root Bark (Digupi)
Treats chronic abscesses; wash with decoction of coarse bark. The fine white pith should be separately ground and sprinkled for cure.

Phellodendron (Huangbai)
Highly effective for sores/swellings. Remove coarse bark, honey-roast, and chop. Decoctions soak genital sores well. Powder mixed with honey water applies to swellings.

Bitter Orange (Zhiqiao)
When used, stir-fry with bran, remove pulp, and chop. Zhisshi is treated similarly.

Magnolia Bark (Nongpu)
When used, remove coarse bark, coat with ginger juice, roast until slightly charred, and chop.

Gleditsia Sinensis (Zaojiao)
When used, select non-borer specimens. Remove black skin and strings, roast with butter until yellow, and chop.

Momordica Charantia Seed (Mubiezi)
When used, remove shell. Treats malignant sores and toxic swelling. Sun Yonghe's Formula: For hemorrhoids, use 3-5 seeds, grind to paste, soak in boiling water. Fumigate first, then wash when tolerable, three times daily.

Chinese Fig Tree White Bark (Qiushu Baipi)
Boil alone into ointment for carbuncles, malignant sores, gum erosion, and hemorrhoids; burn "white horse tooth" part to ash for early-stage back carbuncles, sprinkle on sore, seal with ointment.

Rabbit Head
With skin and bone, finely chopped in December, sealed in jar for 100 days. Apply to brain abscess, back carbuncle, and malignant sores (from *Baiyi Fang*).

Rabbit Belly White Hair
For ruptured burns/scalds, first apply glue, then rabbit white hair; upon shedding, skin heals. Shengjin Fang treats hemorrhoids using "Wanyue Sha" (rabbit feces), mixed with Frankincense powder, taken with wine, 3 qian, three times daily for cure.

Honey (Mi)
Refine by boiling and skimming foam. *Waitai* treats genital sores by mixing honey with Licorice powder for application (miraculous). *Zhouhou Fang* applies honey alone to burns/scalds.

Oyster Shell (Muli)
When used, roast in charcoal ash until red-hot, place on damp ground overnight before use. Empirical Formula for scrofula: Oyster Shell 4 liang, Scrophularia (Xuanshen) 3 liang, make pills like wu-tong seeds. Take 30-50 pills with wine after meals; cures root cause. *Jiyan Fang* treats all swellings: sweep with Oyster Shell powder mixed with water; repeat when dry; named "Poison-Pulling Powder". Chu Yushi treats scrofula with Oyster Shell and Licorice powder, taken with tea, 5 qian, highly effective.

Snake Slough (Shetui Pi)
Used in formulas for carbuncles and malignant sores lasting ten years. Use whole, roast to retain nature, mix with lard for application; verification shows miraculous effect.

Spider
*Shenghui Fang* treats scrofula, new or old, or suppurated. Dry, grind to powder, mix with butter to paste, apply three times daily; great efficacy. *Qianjin Fang* treats back carbuncles and scrofula; highly effective. Tan Shi treats pedunculated fibromas: use spider web silk as thread, tie around base, falls off after one night.

Dung Beetle (Qianglang)
*Shenghui Fang* treats all malignant sores: collect on Dragon Boat Festival, dry, grind to powder, mix with oil for application (miraculous). *Zimu Milu* treats sudden malignant sores: crush fresh beetle, apply juice (great efficacy). Ancient/modern formulas for dying carbuncle patients: take the slightly white heart/abdomen of the beetle, prick the carbuncle center and four sides, apply heart to puncture site; pain stops immediately. Carbuncle extracts next day. Strictly avoid mutton, otherwise ineffective.

Aged Tangerine Peel (Chen Jupi)
When used, soak in warm water to remove white pith; Qing Jupi (Green Tangerine Peel) is treated similarly.

Loquat Leaf (Pipaye)
Treats vomiting and rebellious qi. When used, remove hairs/thorns, wash with Licorice decoction; three leaves weighing 1 liang are best.

Peach/Apricot Kernels (Taoren/Xingren)
When used, soak in hot water, remove skin and pointed ends, keep double-kernel ones, stir-fry, chop, or grind.

Wuxin Cao (Heartless Grass)
When used, remove rhizome/shoots, decoct to wash paronychia (Jiabongju); miraculous effect.

Saposhnikovia (Fangfeng)
When used, remove forked rhizomes.

Veratrum (Lilu)
When used, remove shoots.

Rhinoceros Horn (Xijiao)
When used, raw and never exposed to fire, shave/crush to powder.

Poria (Fuling)
When used, remove coarse bark; white variety is best.

Peony (Shaoyao)
White variety is also best.

Morning Glory Seed (Qianniuzi)
When used, select mature black ones, lightly stir-fry. From 1 jin, take the finest sifted powder, 4 liang.