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(Song Jiayou Bencao)
[Flavor and Nature] Pungent, cold, non-toxic.
[Indications] Primarily unblocks the large intestine, treats pediatric gan accumulation (malnutrition syndrome) with bi-syndrome (obstruction) and scrofula (tuberculous lymphadenitis), kills parasites causing scabies and tinea, and eliminates nasal rosacea and itching caused by wind sores.
[Verification] It is said: The method of sublimating mercury powder is divided into red and white types. For the white type, use 1 qian of Mercury (Hydrargyrum), 2 qian of Alum (Alumen), 1 qian of Sea Salt (Mare Sal), 1 qian of Green Vitriol (Melanterite), and 2 qian of Saltpeter (Natrii Nitras), grinding them together until no star-like particles are visible. Store in a jar. First, use 9 liang of Talcum (Talcum), grind it extremely fine, process by water flotation (water flying), dry it, and grind again; then use 4 liang of Black Lead (Plumbum), divide it into several pieces, beat into thin sheets; layer the Talcum and Lead sheets, place them on top of the medicine, compact it extremely firmly, leaving a few cun empty at the top to allow the medicinal qi to transform easily. Cover the jar mouth with a bowl/lid. First, slowly roast the bottom of the jar in ash fire. When there is no sound inside the jar, secure it tightly, and seal the jar mouth with salt mud. Start with a base fire for one incense stick's duration, then use a two-cun high fire, gradually increasing to a three-cun high fire for two incense sticks' duration. While using fire, wipe the inside of the lid with cool water. Once the fire is sufficient, remove the heat and let it cool down. The medicine sublimes onto the lid and the empty space above. For the red type, use only 1 qian of Mercury (Hydrargyrum), 2 qian of Saltpeter (Natrii Nitras), and 2 qian of Alum (Alumen), grinding them extremely fine. The sublimation method is exactly the same as the white type. It can also be collected within a pot or bowl, without needing to wipe the top of the pot with water, which is very convenient, and does not require bathing processes that might damage the medicinal potency. Since Talcum and Black Lead are used as containers, the salty and astringent flavors of salt and alum are completely extracted by the lead and stone, making the efficacy even more miraculous. However, the fire control should prioritize slowness, and obtaining the medicine should prioritize small quantities. This method is a secret kept by alchemists. Lu Zhiyi does not keep it private but makes it public to the world.

(Bencao Gangmu / Compendium of Materia Medica)
[Flavor and Nature] Pungent, warm, toxic.
[Indications] Primarily descends phlegm-saliva, eliminates stagnation, and promotes urination (benefits water passages).
[Verification] It is said: The sublimation method uses 1 qian of genuine Frost Powder (Calomelas/Fen Shuang), placed in a clay jar. An iron bowl is inverted to cover the jar mouth, sealed with salt mud. First, spread small charcoal fire at the bottom and around the jar for about half an incense stick's duration. Frequently wipe the iron bowl with water without interruption. Then gradually increase the fire to the neck of the jar for about one incense stick's duration. Remove the heat and let it cool down. The frost forms.
[Annotation] It is said: The "Mercury Powder" mentioned in *Jiayou Bencao* is what is now called "Frost Powder" (Fen Shuang). The "Frost Powder" mentioned in *Bencao Gangmu* is what is now called "Light Powder" (Qing Fen/Calomelas). Light Powder is light as snow, smooth and greasy like powder, pure white without impurities, formed without external substances, sublimating and collecting on the top of the pot, resembling the frost wheel turning in the clear autumn moon. Essentially, Dragon comes from Fire, Metal seeks Water, which refers to this. Wood represents Dragon, indicating the transformation of Cinnabar (Zhusha). Cinnabar, when fired, transforms into Kan Water (Water element), turning into Western White Gold (Metal), departing from heaviness and transforming into lightness, manifesting gold color and condensing into white frost. Thus, it can enter the Lung, descend phlegm-saliva, eliminate stagnation, benefit water passages to remove lung diseases, utilizing lightness to resolve heaviness. In recent times, using it to spot-treat venereal sores has caused toxins to penetrate deeply into the bone marrow, leading to bone disintegration, tendon burning, muscle decay, and skin peeling, resulting in death where medication cannot save. Because venereal sores originate from the bone marrow, they exit through the bone marrow. This transforms heaviness into lightness for spot-treatment or ingestion; it transforms lightness into heaviness, re-entering from the exterior to the interior. As for Mercury Powder, combined with Green Vitriol and White Alum, Sea Salt, and Saltpeter and sublimated, the tender form is yellow, the aged form is white; yellow is preferred over white. Combined only with White Alum and Saltpeter and sublimated, the tender form is red, the aged form is purple; tender is preferred over aged. However, the substance sublimated possesses the inherent ability to sublime; the manifested colors and the purity/intensity of the flavor result from the combination and transformation of Salt, Alum, and Saltpeter into yellow, white, purple, and red. Therefore, if the flavor is mellow, the qi is clear and the color is yellow-red; if the flavor is intense, the qi is turbid and the color is purple-white. Yellow-red forms are suitable for both spot-treatment and ingestion; purple-white forms must undergo "bathing" (detoxification processing) using Yin Fu (likely referring to specific alchemical detoxification methods), unlike the pure essence obtained when using Lead and Cold Water as containers. This refers to the undifferentiated primordial Qi, manifesting as yellow powder in Earth, and returning to red Cinnabar in Fire; seeking Metal in Water, Metal is obtained from Water. Thus, it unblocks the Large Intestine of the Lung-Fu system, kills parasites causing sores, scabies, and tinea on the skin and hair of the Lung form, and treats scrofula in the shoulder, neck, and lung regions, as well as nasal rosacea and wind-sores itching at the nasal root and lung orifices. In recent times, the mellow, tender, yellow form is used to spot-treat sore toxins and stubborn flesh; the tender red form is applied to various sore toxins on the skin, acting swiftly like an echo. It can also be ingested to purify venereal sores, achieving rapid results. However, the extreme toxicity in the bone marrow and form-zang organs converges via the meridians into the Stomach, exits through the upper opening of the Stomach, often causing oral ulceration and tongue severance. People fear it and dare not try it lightly. The reason why toxins exiting the mouth reach the orifices but instead cause oral and tongue ulceration is that when lying down, Qi returns to the Zang organs and converges in the Stomach. Stomach Qi steams upward, preventing toxin excretion, thus causing simultaneous oral and tongue lesions. The secret of alchemists is to hold a tube while sleeping, allowing toxic vapors to escape externally through the tube, thus avoiding the disaster of erosion.