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Non-toxic. Grows in mountain caves.

Talcum (from *Shennong Bencao Jing* [Divine Farmer's Materia Medica]): Mainly treats body heat, diarrhea; women with lactation difficulty and stranguria (difficulty in urination), promotes diuresis; clears accumulation of cold-heat pathogens in the stomach, benefits essence and qi; long-term consumption makes the body light, withstands hunger, and prolongs life. (The above in red characters is from *Shennong Bencao Jing*).

Promotes the flow of fluids through the nine orifices and six fu organs, removes stagnation and accumulation, stops thirst, and facilitates internal circulation. (The above in black characters is recorded by famous physicians).

[Names]: Yeshi (Liquid Stone), Gongshi, Tuoshi, Fanshi, Huashi (Painted Stone), Xileng.

[Origin]: *Tu Jing* states: Produced in valleys of Zhe Yang and on the north slope of Mount Tai, or in Baishan north of Ye County, or in Juan Mountain. Currently, Dao Zhou, Yong Zhou, Cai Zhou, and Hao Zhou all produce it. There are three types here: Those from Dao and Yong Zhou are white, smooth, and like congealed fat; *Nan Yue Zhi* says the Talc from Liao Cheng County is this type. Those from Cai and Hao Zhou have a coarse texture, are greenish-white with black and white spots, and are also called Ban Shi (Mottled Stone). These two types can only be used to make cooking vessels and are not suitable for medicinal use. The lands described in *Ben Jing* are mostly in the north, but what physicians use now is mostly white, coming from the south. According to Lei Gong, Talc has five colors; one should use the white ones resembling Calcite, those that are bluish-green, and Painted Stones with fine white patterns as genuine. The rest are toxic and not used in medicine. This resembles the appearance and color of those coming from the south today, so there is no doubt in using them.

[Season]: No specific time for growth, no specific time for harvesting.

[Usage]: White and fine-textured ones are preferred.

[Texture]: Soft and dull, similar to Calcite.

[Color]: White.

[Taste]: Sweet.

[Nature]: Greatly Cold.

[Qi Property]: Thin Qi, Yin within Yang.

[Odor]: Rotten.

[Action]: Promotes water pathways.

[Meridian Tropism]: Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian.

[Assistant Herb]: Epimedium Leaf (Shiwei) acts as its guide.

[Incompatibility]: Dislikes Azurite (Zengqing).

[Processing]: (Lei Gong says) Scrape and grind into powder with a knife, boil together with Cortex Moutan (Mudanpi) for one shi (approx. 2 hours), remove the Moutan bark, take the Talc, wash it again with flowing water from the east, dry it in the sun before use.

[Treatment]: (Therapy) (*Tu Jing* says): Promotes diuresis, treats stranguria with astringency. ○ For Shilin (Stone Stranguria) with irritability, take 12 fen, grind into powder, divide into two doses, mix with water, stir until dispersed, and take at once. Stop subsequent doses when irritability and heat subside; if not cured, finish the dose to ensure recovery. (*Yaoxing Lun* says): Powder taken internally treats Wulin (Five Types of Stranguria), main difficult labor, removes irritability and heart restlessness. (*Rihua Zi* says): Treats mastitis, promotes fluid secretion. (*Yanyi* says): If sudden vomiting and inability to eat occur, take 2 qianbi of raw Talc powder finely ground, administer with warm water, and immediately press down with half a cup of fine flour. (*Bielu* says): For restlessness, heat, irritability, and unquenchable thirst caused by "Ru Shi" (milk stone/drug) activation, take half liang, finely ground into powder, squeeze juice with one zhongzhan of water to resemble white drink, take at once. If not cured, take again. ○ For pregnancy with inability to urinate, grind into powder, mix with water, and apply to two cun below the navel. ○ For Qi stagnation, Guan Ge (obstruction) with non-flowing urine, stranguria with knotting, discomfort and pain below the umbilicus, take 8 fen of Talc, grind like flour, mix with five he of water, stir, and take at once.

[Compound Treatment]: Powder combined with Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Danshen), Honey, and Pig Fat to make a paste; treat late pregnancy, take orally with wine on an empty stomach, size of a bean, double the dose at delivery to facilitate easy birth. ○ Mix powder with Onion Decoction, take 2 qianbi; treat women whose bladder turns due to holding urine too long. ○ Take 2 liang, crush, decoct with three large zhan of water to obtain two zhan, remove dregs, add two he of Rice (Jingmi), cook into porridge, eat warm; treats upper diaphragm irritability and excessive thirst, promotes flow through nine orifices. ○ Take one sheng of powder, mix with Juice of Plantago Seed (Cheqian), apply around the navel covering four cun square; treat urinary retention, change if hot, mixing with water is also acceptable in winter.

[Contraindications]: Painted Stones with blue-black color kill people; Green ones are cold in nature and toxic, not for medicinal use.