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Sweet and salty, neutral in nature. Expels evil spirits. (Ghosts most fear saliva. The folklore from Dongyang states: If a person suffers from nightmare death and cannot cry out, one should bite firmly at the heel and the edge of the big toenail, spit frequently onto their face, and slowly call their name; they will naturally awaken.) Reduces swelling and toxicity. Brightens the eyes. (Li Shizhen said: Saliva is transformed from essence and qi. If a person rinses their mouth and brushes their teeth every morning, washes their eyes with saliva, and often licks their big toenail with their tongue to wipe their eyes, over time it makes the vision bright and clear, removes nebulae (corneal opacity), and treats any clouding of vision by having someone lick the affected area several times daily; eventually, true qi permeates, toxins disperse, and nebulae recede.) Nourishes the skin. (Saliva produced before dawn without speaking reduces swelling when applied; wiping the eyes removes obstructions; swallowing it into the Dantian consolidates essence and controls fire. Cultivators swallow saliva, calling it "clear water irrigating the spiritual root." If a person refrains from spitting all day, focuses inward (shishi fanting), essence and qi remain condensed, and the complexion does not wither. However, excessive spitting damages spirit and causes lung disease, leading to dry skin. Thus, it is said that distant spitting is inferior to near spitting, and near spitting is inferior to no spitting. Improper swallowing of saliva easily generates phlegm, which should be known.)

Indicated for deficiency-cold of the lower yuan. Daily, have children or young men/women blow air through clothing into the umbilicus. Very effective. For body joint bi-pain, have people take turns blowing warm air and applying heat. Over time, meridians and collaterals become unobstructed. Also, for epistaxis and metallic wounds, blowing can stop bleeding. (Li Shizhen said: What physicians call Yuan Qi and Xiang Huo, and what immortals call Yuan Yang and Zhen Huo, are the same. Heaven cannot generate life without this fire; humans cannot sustain life without it. Therefore, for the elderly and the deficient, co-sleeping with youths under seventeen years old (whose Shaoyin qi is vigorous) to borrow their warming vapor is most beneficial. Du Fu's poem says, "To warm the old, one needs Yan Yu," which refers to this meaning. However, sexual intercourse must be avoided to prevent loss of vital essence and shortened lifespan. Recently, some practitioners allow virgin girls to direct breath into the nostrils, umbilicus, and Jingmen to open the Three Fields, called "Jie Bu" (connecting and supplementing). This is a minor technique; those who do not follow the correct method may instead cause illness. According to the *Book of Later Han*, Taiyi Shi Xun stayed in the palace; when his cold hernia attacked and he could not find fire, everyone blew on his back repeatedly until dawn, and he recovered. *Yi Yuan* records that a servant of the Sun family treated victims of tiger bites or snakebites who were near death by using breath prohibition techniques, resulting in safety.)