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Invention: For difficult labor, bowstrings are tied around the waist, or the arrowhead of a crossbow is heated red and placed in wine for drinking. These methods all take advantage of the meaning of "rapid and swift release of the mechanism." Li Shizhen stated: Bowstrings used to induce labor derive their efficacy from swiftness; breaking bowstrings to stop bleeding derives its efficacy from severance.

Rush Mat
Invention: The nature of rush (Pu) is originally cold. When made into fans, they become deteriorated over time. Soaked by sweat for long periods, the salty and cold properties combine. Therefore, burning them to ash and mixing with powder to apply to the body takes the meaning of fanning to attract wind and stop sweating. Deteriorated rush mats should be those that have been slept on for a long time, burned to ash, and taken with wine in a dose of two qian. It treats blood stasis resulting from falls and trauma, and can be administered by decocting together with Puhuang (Pollen Typhae), Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Chishao (Radix Paeoniae Rubra), and Puxiao (Natrii Sulfas), then mixed with the decoction. Sweat is a fluid derived from blood; having been soaked for a long time, burning it to ash utilizes the principle of resonance between similar energies.

Invention: Lacquer (Qi) disperses blood. Therefore, smoke from burning lacquer is used to treat postpartum blood syncope; fumigation leads to immediate recovery. It also kills various insects.
(Lacquer) Bitter, pungent, cold, slightly toxic.

Invention: Tung oil becomes colder when boiled. Lamp oil absorbs the deepest earth-fire energy. Thus, it is used to treat sudden stroke with loss of consciousness, throat obstruction (Houbi), and phlegm syncope. Using a goose feather quill to dip and sweep the throat induces vomiting of stubborn phlegm, unblocking the rebellious upward flow, after which medication is administered.

Invention: Cooking cloth (Chuandan Bu) absorbs the most steam heat from steamers. Therefore, it is used to treat facial and ocular edema caused by scalds and burns. Applying the powdered ash causes immediate resolution, based on the principle of similarity induction. *Jin Gui Yao Lue* also uses it for all bone and tendon injuries resulting from falling off horses. Green cloth burned to ash and mixed with honey is effective for applying to heat-toxin sores.
(Green Cloth) Neutral, non-toxic.

Invention: Deteriorated drum skin (Bai Gupi) specifically treats Gu poison. Its use is based on its hollow shape and resonant sound. Burned into fragments and taken with water, the patient will call out the name of the Gu master. One must then go call the original owner; capturing the Gu leads to cure. Master Mei stated: Whenever one suffers from Gu poisoning, or passes blood resembling goose liver, or vomits blood, or experiences severe abdominal pain as if being bitten, failure to treat immediately results in death as the Gu consumes the five zang organs. To determine if it is Gu, have the patient spit saliva into water; what sinks is Gu, what floats is not. Use deteriorated drum skin burned to ash, taken with wine in a dose of one cun bi (square inch spoonful). Within moments, the patient will naturally call out the Gu master's name. *Waitai Miyao* states: To treat Gu, take deteriorated drum skin, 5 cun wide and 1 chi long; Rose root (Qiangweigen), 5 cun long and thick as a thumb; add 1 sheng of water and 3 sheng of wine, boil down to 2 sheng, and drink. Expelling the Gu poison leads to recovery.