虚则空而不实。非有实以镇之。则易覆矣。虚则轻而易败。非有实以投之。则易坠矣。
故重
坠之药。亦为治病者所必需也。然用金石诸药以治。而不审其气味以别。亦非治病通活之妙
。故有热者。宜以凉镇。如代赭石珍珠之治心肝二经热惊。辰砂之清心热。磁石之治肾水虚
怯。龙骨龙齿之治肝气虚浮是也。有寒者宜以热镇。如云母石之能温中去怯。硫黄之能补火
除寒。通便定惊是也。寒热俱有者。宜以平镇。如禹余粮金银薄铁粉密陀僧之属是也。但禹
余粮则兼止脱固泄。金银薄则兼除热祛风。铁粉则兼疗狂消痈。皆借金性平木。密陀僧则兼
除积消热涤痰也。其一镇坠。而药品气味治用各自有别。其不容紊如此。然要病有外邪。不
可轻投。寒邪得镇而愈固耳。
（金）平肝镇怯
金（专入肝）。禀刚健之性。最能杀人。惟作薄乃无伤耳。银薄亦然。二薄性皆辛平。
其治俱
属除邪杀毒。（解热）驱烦安魂定魄。养心和血。止癫除狂。疗惊祛风。幼科镇心丸。衣以
为
饰。皆取金能平木重以镇怯之意云耳。（风热多生于肝。肝属木。故得金为之制。魂魄飞扬
者。其神散而不收。必得重为之镇。）但银薄色白入气。金薄色黄入血。差各有别。畏锡水
银。（遇铅则碎。五金皆畏。）入丸为衣。入汤剂水煮用。
Deficiency manifests as emptiness and lack of substance. Without heavy substances to anchor it, the condition is prone to collapse. Deficiency implies lightness and susceptibility to damage; without substantial substances to fill it, the healthy qi is prone to sinking and dissipating.
Therefore, heavy and descending medicines are also essential for treating diseases. However, if metal and stone minerals are used for treatment without carefully distinguishing their flavors and thermal properties, it does not constitute the subtle art of flexible and effective therapy.
Thus, for conditions with heat, cool anchoring agents are appropriate. For example: Ochre (Dai Zhe Shi) and Pearl (Zhen Zhu) treat heat-induced palpitations and fright in the Heart and Liver meridians; Cinnabar (Chen Sha) clears Heart heat; Magnetite (Ci Shi) treats deficiency-cold timidity due to Kidney water insufficiency; Dragon Bone (Long Gu) and Dragon Teeth (Long Chi) treat floating and unanchored Liver qi.
For conditions with cold, hot anchoring agents are appropriate. For example: Mica (Yun Mu Shi) warms the middle and dispels timidity; Sulfur (Liu Huang) tonifies Fire, dispels cold, promotes bowel movement, and calms fright.
For conditions with both cold and heat, neutral anchoring agents are appropriate. For example: Halloysitum Rubrum (Yu Yu Liang), Gold Leaf (Jin Yin Bo), Iron Powder (Tie Fen), and Litharge (Mi Tuo Seng) belong to this category. Among them, Halloysitum Rubrum additionally stops leakage and consolidates diarrhea; Gold Leaf additionally clears heat and expels wind; Iron Powder additionally treats mania and resolves carbuncles, all utilizing the metallic nature to calm Wood; Litharge additionally resolves accumulations, clears heat, and washes away phlegm.
Although these are all "anchoring and descending" substances, their medicinal properties, flavors, and therapeutic uses differ distinctly and must not be confused. However, if external pathogenic factors are present, heavy descending agents should not be lightly administered, as cold pathogens would become firmly entrenched by the anchoring action.
[Gold] Calming the Liver and Anchoring Timidity
Metal (specifically enters the Liver meridian) possesses a rigid and vigorous nature, capable of causing harm (to healthy qi if misused); only when processed into thin leaves is it harmless. Silver leaf is similar. Both gold and silver leaves have a pungent and neutral nature. Their therapeutic actions belong to eliminating evil and detoxifying. (They resolve heat,) drive away irritability, stabilize the soul and spirit, harmonize the Heart and nourish blood, treat epilepsy and mania, alleviate fright, and expel wind. In pediatric formulas such as *Zhengxin Wan* (Heart-Calming Pill), they are used as coatings, taking advantage of the principle that metal can subdue Wood and heaviness can anchor timidity. (Wind-heat often arises from the Liver; the Liver belongs to Wood, thus it is controlled by Metal. When the soul and spirit fly upward due to scattered and uncollected Shen, heavy substances are necessary to anchor them.) However, silver leaf is white and enters the Qi level, while gold leaf is yellow and enters the Blood level; there are distinct differences between them. They are incompatible with Tin and Mercury. (Lead causes them to crumble; among the five metals, all fear Lead.) They are used as coatings in pills or boiled in decoctions.