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(From *Bencao Shiyi* / Supplement to Materia Medica)

[Collected Explanations] Li Shizhen said: This stone is found in streams and ravines everywhere. The large ones are the size of chicken eggs, and the small ones are the size of fingers. There are two colors: black and white. For medicinal use, the smaller white stones are selected.

[Indications] It treats abdominal distension and fullness leading to the formation of *jia* (abdominal masses), pain and stifling sensation, and gradual emaciation caused by excessive consumption of fish. Take dozens of stones, heat them until red-hot, and quench them five sheng (approx. 1 liter) of water seven times. Drink the liquid while hot. Repeat this three to five times; the *jia* should be discharged through the bowels. Alternatively, quench the red-hot stones in water, add three he (approx. 60 ml) of salt, and use the solution to wash wind-induced pruritus and urticaria (from Chen Cangqi). It treats sudden swelling on the back resembling a plate, of unknown etiology. Take one or two bowls of stones, heat them thoroughly, immerse them in water, and frequently wash the affected area with the hot water; recovery will be immediate (from Su Song).

[Elucidation] Li Shizhen said: In the past, some people had a method of "boiling stones for food," using precisely this type of stone. The method involves boiling it with juice of wild onions (*Allium fistulosum*) or roots of *Sanguisorba officinalis*, etc., until it becomes soft like taro, referred to as "stone soup." *Baopuzi* records: The grain-avoidance prescription of Dong Wei, a Daoist priest from Luoyang: Uses ten or more types of herbs such as *Saposhnikoviae Radix* (Fangfeng), *Amaranthus* seeds (Xianzi), and *Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma* (Gancao) ground into powder. First, take three square-cun bi (approx. 15-20g) of the powder, then swallow twelve stones the size of sparrow eggs. After maintaining this for one hundred days without eating, energy and complexion remain unchanged. When desiring food, drink *Abutilon* soup to expel the stones. There are also "Red Dragon Blood" and "Green Dragon Ointment," which can also be used to boil stones. Additionally, there is "Yinshi San" (Stone-Guiding Powder); adding one square-cun bi can boil one dou (approx. 10 liters) of white stones, making them instantly soft like taro and edible.

(From *Bencao Shiyi* / Supplement to Materia Medica)

[Names] Sha (Sand) refers to small stones. The character comprises "shao" (few/small) and "shi" (stone), forming a compound ideogram.

[Indications] It treats Shi Lin (lithiasis/gravel strangury). Take three sheng (approx. 3 liters) of fine white sand, stir-fry until hot, pour three sheng of wine over it to extract the juice, and consume one ge (approx. 20 ml). Administer twice daily. It also treats Jiao Chang Sha (intestinal colic/spasm pain). Stir-fry the sand until red-hot, quench it in cold water, clarify the liquid, and consume one or two ge (from Li Shizhen). It addresses stubborn Bi syndrome due to wind-dampness resulting in numbness, tendon contraction, paralysis due to cold wind, and interruption of blood vessels.

Collect river sand in June, expose it to the scorching sun until extremely hot, and sit prone upon it. Replace the sand when it cools down. Allow the heat to penetrate thoroughly to induce sweating, then administer medication according to the specific condition. Strictly avoid exposure to wind-cold and physical overexertion (from Chen Cangqi).

[Attached Prescriptions] New Prescription 1.
Drowning death: Use white sand (stir-fried). Cover the face of the deceased above and below, leaving only the seven orifices exposed. Replace with cool, moist sand if it becomes too hot or dry (from *Qianjin Fang*).