重、泻、明目。
咸寒。治青盲目翳。天行热疾。解一切金石药毒。醋磨敷痈肿。出南海。体质石也。而
与蟹
相似。细研水飞。（圣济总录方、治喉痹肿痛、石蟹磨水饮、并涂喉外。）以上石类。
泻热润燥、补心、通二便、宜涌吐、为诸药引经。
咸。甘辛寒。咸润下。故通大小便。咸走血而寒胜热。故治目赤痈肿。血热。咸补心。
故治
心虚。（以水制火、取既济之义、故补心、药用盐炒、一人病笑不休、用盐炒赤、煎沸饮之
而瘳、经曰∶神有余则笑不休、神、心火也、用盐水、制火也、一妇病此半年、张子和亦用
此法而愈。）咸入肾（故补肾药用盐汤下。）而主骨。故坚筋骨。治骨病齿痛。（擦牙甚佳、
清
火固齿、齿缝出血、夜以盐浓敷龈上、沥涎尽乃卧、或问咸能软坚、何以坚筋骨、不知骨消
筋缓、因于湿热、泻热即安矣。）咸润燥而辛泄肺。（煎盐用皂角收、故味微辛、今南方多石
灰收。）故治痰饮喘逆。咸软坚。故治结核积聚。又能涌吐醒酒。（水胜火。）解毒。（火热即
毒也、能散火凉血。）杀虫。（浙西将军中蚯蚓毒、每夕蚓鸣于体、一僧教以盐汤洗身、数日
而愈。）定痛止痒。（体如虫行、风热也、盐汤浴三四次、佳、亦治一切风气、凡汤火伤、急
以盐末掺之、护肉不坏、再用药敷。）洗目去风。凡痰嗽哮证。（盐能伤肺。）血病消渴（走
血渗
或
引痰生。或凝血脉。或助水邪。或损颜色。或伤筋力。故西北人
不耐咸。少病多寿。东南人嗜咸。少寿多病。（嘉言曰∶经谓味过于咸、大骨气劳、以食盐
过多、峻补其肾、腰骨高硕之所、其气忽积、喜于作劳、气既勃勃内动、则精关勃勃欲开、
虽不见可欲、而不觉关开莫制矣、尝见高僧高道、栖真习定、忽焉气动精倾、乃知味过于咸
、大骨气劳之说、不尽关于情欲也、经谓强力入房、肾气乃伤、高骨乃坏、此固嗜欲无节者
之本病、奈何清修卓练之士、每于菜蔬间多食咸、藏浓味以亏道体、无有以内经之理一陈其
前者、及病已成而食淡斋、长年累月自苦、亦足补偏救弊、然不如当日味勿过咸之超矣。
盐品颇多、江淮南北、盐生于海、山西解州、盐生于池、四川云南、盐生于井、戎盐生于
土、光明盐或生于阶成山崖、或产于五原盐池、状若水晶、不假煎炼、故一名水晶盐、石盐
生于石、木盐生于树、蓬盐生于草、造化之妙、诚难穷也。）
[Shixie (Stone Crab)]
The flavor is heavy and salty, with the effects of purging downward and brightening the eyes.
It is salty and cold in nature. It treats Qingmang (blurred vision or blindness) and corneal opacity (eye nebula). It treats epidemic febrile diseases (Tianxing Reji). It resolves the toxicity of various metallic and mineral drugs. When ground with vinegar and applied externally, it treats carbuncles and swelling. It originates from the South Sea. Its texture resembles stone, but its shape is similar to a crab. For use, it should be finely ground and processed by water flotation (water flying method). (From *Shengji Zonglu*: To treat sore throat with swelling and pain, grind Shixie into water for oral administration and apply externally to the throat.) The above belong to the category of stone herbs.
[Yan (Salt)]
It has the effects of purging heat, moistening dryness, tonifying the Heart, unblocking both bowels, inducing vomiting, and serving as a guiding herb for other medicines.
Its flavors are salty, sweet, and acrid, and its nature is cold. The salty flavor has a descending and moistening action, thus it can unblock the large and small intestines. Salty flavor enters the blood level, and cold nature overcomes heat; therefore, it treats red eyes, carbuncles, and blood heat. Salty flavor tonifies the Heart; therefore, it treats Heart deficiency. (Using water to control fire, taking the meaning of "Water and Fire in Mutual Interaction" [Ji Ji], it tonifies the Heart. In herbal processing, salt frying is used. One patient suffered from incessant laughter. He was cured after drinking decoction made from salt-fried red [herb]. The *Neijing* states: "When Shen [Spirit] is excessive, there is incessant laughter." Shen refers to Heart Fire; salt water controls this fire. A woman suffered from this condition for half a year, and Zhang Zihe also cured her using this method.) Salty flavor enters the Kidney (therefore, Kidney-tonifying herbs are often taken with salt water), and it governs the bones; thus, it strengthens tendons and bones. It treats bone diseases and toothache. (Brushing teeth with it is very effective for clearing heat and strengthening teeth. If bleeding occurs from the gum spaces, apply thick salt water to the gums at night, wait until saliva drains completely, then sleep. Someone asked: "Salty flavor can soften hardness, why can it also strengthen tendons and bones?" One does not realize that bone resorption and tendon laxity are caused by damp-heat; purging the heat brings relief.) Salty flavor moistens dryness, while acrid flavor disperses Lung Qi. (When refining salt, Gleditsia sinensis [Zao Jiao] is used for astringency, so the taste is slightly acrid; nowadays in the south, lime is mostly used for this purpose.) Therefore, it treats wheezing and counterflow qi due to phlegm-fluid retention. Salty flavor softens hardness and dissipates nodules; therefore, it treats tubercles and accumulations. It can also induce vomiting and resolve alcohol intoxication. (Water overcomes Fire.) It detoxifies. (Fire-heat is poison; salt can disperse fire and cool blood.) It kills parasites. (In Zhejiang West, soldiers suffered from earthworm poison, feeling worms singing inside their bodies every evening. A monk taught them to wash their bodies with salt water, and they recovered after a few days.) It stabilizes pain and stops itching. (A sensation like insects crawling on the body is due to wind-heat; bathing in salt water three or four times is beneficial. It also treats all kinds of wind pathogens. For scalds and burns, immediately sprinkle salt powder to protect the flesh from necrosis, then apply medication.) Washing the eyes removes wind. For those with phlegm-cough and asthma (because salt can injure the Lung). For those with blood diseases and Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst syndrome) (Salt travels through the blood and has strong permeability; it may guide phlegm production, coagulate blood vessels, assist water pathogenic factors, damage complexion, or injure sinews and strength. Therefore, people in the Northwest cannot tolerate salty food, suffer fewer illnesses, and live longer. People in the Southeast are fond of salty food, have shorter lifespans, and suffer more illnesses. (Jiayan said: "The *Neijing* states 'Excessive salty flavor causes Lao [exhaustion] of the great bones.' This is because excessive salt intake strongly tonifies the Kidney. At the lumbar region where the great bones are prominent, Qi suddenly accumulates, leading to a desire for labor. Since Qi surges internally, the essence gate desires to open. Even without seeing desirable objects, one feels unable to control the opening of the gate. I have seen high monks and Daoists who dwell in truth and practice meditation suddenly experience Qi movement and essence leakage. Thus, I know that the saying 'Excessive salty flavor causes Lao of the great bones' is not entirely related to sexual desire. The *Neijing* states 'Forced intercourse injures Kidney Qi and damages the high bones.' This is indeed the root disease of those with unregulated desires. Alas, how can practitioners of pure cultivation, who eat too much salt in their vegetables, hide strong flavors and impair their Daoist constitution, fail to present the principles of the *Neijing* beforehand? Waiting until illness is established to adopt a bland diet and fasting, suffering month after month, is sufficient to correct bias and save defects, yet it is not as superior as avoiding excessive saltiness from the beginning.)
There are many types of salt. In Jianghuai North and South, salt is produced from the sea; in Xiezhou, Shanxi, salt is produced from pools; in Sichuan and Yunnan, salt is produced from wells; Rongyan (military salt) is produced from soil; Guangmingyan (bright salt) is produced either from cliffs in Jiecheng or from salt pools in Wuyuan. Its appearance resembles crystal, requiring no boiling or refining, hence it is also called Shuijingyan (crystal salt); Shiyan (stone salt) is produced from stones; Muyan (wood salt) is produced from trees; Pengyan (mound salt) is produced from grass. The wonders of creation are truly inexhaustible.)