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Twenty-eight Species of Gold

(Included in the Middle Category of *Bie Lu*)
[Correction] Merged with "Jin Jiang" (Gold Slurry) from *Shi Yi*.
[Names] Huang Ya (Yellow Tooth, from *Jing Yuan*), Tai Zhen.
Li Shizhen says: According to Xu Shen's *Shuo Wen Jie Zi*: "Among the five metals, gold is the leader. Buried for a long time without rusting, refined a hundred times without losing weight, compliant with change without violating nature, born from the earth; thus the character 'gold' has left and right components, symbolizing the form of gold within the soil." *E Ya* states: "Gold is called Rong; beautiful gold is called Liu; cake-shaped gold is called Ban; gold with perfect luster is called Xian." Dugu Tao says: "Naturally formed tooth-shaped gold is called Huang Ya." Sanskrit calls it Su Fa Luo.
Tao Hongjing says: In alchemical prescriptions, gold is named Tai Zhen.
[Collection and Explanation] *Bie Lu* states: Gold flakes are produced in Yi Zhou, collected at any time.
Tao Hongjing says: Gold is found everywhere, particularly in Liang, Yi, and Ning provinces, emerging from water and sand. Processed into fragments, it is called Sheng Jin (Raw Gold). Jian Ping and Jin An also have gold sand, extracted from rocks; after smelting and casting into ingots, although heated, it is not yet fully refined and requires further processing.
Items from Goryeo, Funan, and Western Regions are all refined and cooked, making them suitable for consumption.
Meng Shen says: Sheng Jin is found in the caves of the Yi and Liao tribes in Ling Nan, resembling red-black crushed stones or iron-gold feces. Southerners say: Snake teeth fall into stones. Also, snake excrement adhering to stones, or droppings of the myna bird (*Quyu*) on stones, will crumble; taking the toxic parts yields Sheng Jin, which is highly toxic and fatal. The herbal texts stating that yellow gold is toxic are mistaken. Sheng Jin is entirely different from yellow gold. Commonly, people mine gold by digging over three meters deep to reach Fen Zi stone layers; the stones are blackened on one side like burnt charcoal, with gold underneath. Large pieces are finger-sized, small ones like hemp seeds, colored like mulberry yellow, extremely soft when bitten—this is true gold. Craftsmen who secretly swallow it show no signs of toxicity. Its bran-like gold comes from river sands, washed with felt, or obtained from goose or duck stomachs; it can be immediately forged into vessels without re-refining. Decocting its juice can calm the heart and spirit.
Chen Cangqi says: Modern physicians use refined gold foil or decoct gold vessels to extract the liquid, which is non-toxic. Upon our dynasty's recovery of Ling Nan, inquiries revealed no mention of snake excrement; Chen Cangqi's hearsay is incorrect.
Su Song says: Current sources include Rao, Xin, Nan Jian, and Deng Zhou. Collection methods vary; some resemble mountain rocks, others rice or bean grains. These unrefined forms are all Sheng Jin.
Lu Tian says: *Shan Hai Jing* mentions abundant gold in various mountains, too numerous to record. *Guang Zhou Ji* states: Da Shi country produces the most gold, using gold coins for trade. *Yi Wu Zhi* states: Gold grows in Li Shui. Additionally, Cai Zhou produces melon-seed gold, Yunnan produces nugget gold mined from rock crevices. Qian Nan, Sui Fu, and Ji Zhou waters produce bran gold. *Ling Biao Lu Yi* records: Within the Five Ranges, Fuzhou, Binzhou, Chengzhou, and Fu County rivers all yield gold. Locals raise geese and ducks to collect feces for washing gold flakes, yielding half an ounce to one ounce daily, though some days yield nothing. This gold glows at night.
Kou Zongshi says: Nugget gold is found by digging deep into mountains, identifying associated mineral stones to locate gold. The host rock is brownish, blackened on one end as if scorched, with deep reddish-yellow gold. Bran gold is washed from river sands, appearing pale yellow. Both are Sheng Jin and must be cast and refined; bran gold suffers high loss. For medicinal use, nugget gold is preferred; its deep color indicates sufficient metallic Qi. One must guard against artificially created or transmuted gold, which lacks natural creative Qi.
For instance, in medicines like Zi Xue (Purple Snow), boiling gold in water utilizes its natural Qi. Furthermore, southeastern gold is darker, while southwestern gold is lighter, reflecting geographical suitability. Li Shizhen says: Gold exists as Mountain Gold and Sand Gold. Colors range from seven shades of blue, eight of yellow, nine of purple, to ten of red, with red being pure. Alloyed with silver, it is soft and leaves a blue mark on a touchstone; alloyed with copper, it is hard and makes a sound on the touchstone. *Bao Huo Bian Yi* notes: Horse-hoof gold resembles a hoof and is rare. Olive gold comes from Jinghu and Lingnan; hip-belt gold resembles a belt buckle from Hunan/Hubei; melon-seed gold is size of a melon seed, bran gold like wheat bran from Hunan; sand gold is fine as dust from Shu; leaf gold from Yunnan. *Di Jing Tu* states: Gold emits red Qi, night firelight, and attracts white mice. Some say: Where wild onions grow, gold lies below. Gold found in tombs or used as hairpins/bowls is called Ru Jin (Disgraced Gold) by Tao Hongjing and should not be refined. *Bao Zang Lun* lists twenty types of gold plus five foreign varieties. Huan Dan Jin (Return Elixir Gold) comes from cinnabar caves, containing cinnabar, very red, and potent when taken with elixirs. Bran gold from Wuxi and Han River is mild and non-toxic. Mountain gold from Jiao, Guang, Nan, Shao grows attached to rocks. Horse-hoof gold is the finest, two hooves weighing one jin. Du Jin (Poisonous Gold) is Sheng Jin from Jiao/Guang rocks, red and highly toxic until refined over ten times. These five are true golds. Mercury gold, cinnabar gold, realgar gold, orpiment gold, sulfur gold, azurite green gold, malachite green gold, chalcanthite gold, mother sand gold, white tin gold, black lead gold are all chemically prepared. Copper gold, raw iron gold, wrought iron gold, arsenic stone gold are point-converted. The above fifteen are fake golds, stubborn and toxic. Five foreign types exist: Persian Purple Polished Gold, Eastern Barbarian Lapis Lazuli Gold, Linyi Red Gold, Western Rong Gold, Champa Gold.
Gold Flakes [Flavor and Nature] Pungent, Neutral, Toxic.
Meng Shen says: Non-toxic.
Chen Cangqi says: Raw is toxic, cooked is non-toxic.
Kou Zongshi says: The term "flakes" implies grinding for use; it must be cooked, forged, and beaten into foil before medicinal use.
Gold foil shares the toxicity of raw gold, capable of killing and difficult to antidote. If poisoned, only partridge meat can cure it. Unforged flakes are unusable.
Gold dislikes tin and fears mercury; obtaining Phyllanthus emblica (Yu Gan Zi) softens it through mutual influence.
Li Shizhen says: Wash gold with salt. Camel, donkey, and horse fats soften gold. Gold shatters upon contact with lead; jadeite can grind gold dust, demonstrating mutual control of natures. Golden snakes can detoxify raw gold. Lady Jia of Jin died drinking gold-flake wine, proving raw gold's toxicity. When using gold foil, distinguish it from copper foil.
[Indications] Calms spirit, strengthens bone marrow, clears pathogenic Qi from the five zang organs, confers immortality (*Bie Lu*).
Treats pediatric shock injuring the five zang, wind-phlegm epilepsy with loss of will, calms the heart and secures the soul (Zhen Quan). Epilepsy with wind-heat, hyperactive lung Qi with cough, lung damage with hemoptysis from cold damage, bone-steaming consumptive fever with extreme thirst; all treated with gold foil pills/powders (Li Xun).
Breaks cold qi, dispels wind (Qing Xia Zi).