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(Cited from *Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao*)

[Names] Qingjin (Green Metal, from *Shuowen Jiezi*), Heixi (Black Tin), Jingong (Metal Duke, from *Bencao Gangmu*), Shuizhongjin (Gold in Water).
Li Shizhen stated: Lead flows easily, hence it is called Qian (Lead). Tin is white tin, so this black one is called Heixi (Black Tin). Alchemists deconstruct the character "Qian" into "Jin Gong" (Metal Duke) and obscure its name as "Shuizhongjin" (Gold in Water).

[Collection and Explanation] Su Song said: Lead is produced in Pingze, Shujun. It is now found wherever silver mines exist, obtained by smelting the ore.
Li Shizhen said: Lead grows among rocks in mountain caves. People carry oil lamps and enter several li deep, chipping it out along the twisting veins of the ore up and down. Its vapor is toxic to humans; if one remains underground for months without coming out, the skin becomes withered and yellow, the abdomen distends, appetite is lost, and death often ensues from illness. *Dijing Tu* states: Where grass has green leaves and red stems, lead is abundant underneath.
The essence of lead and tin forms an old woman (legendary reference). Dugu Tao said: Caojie Lead (Grass-joint Lead) is produced in Jiazhou and Lizhou; it is raw, unrefined lead. When broken, it is brittle; when burned, its odor resembles sulfur. Zibei Lead (Purple-back Lead) is refined lead, the essence of lead, possessing transformative properties capable of crushing diamond. Diaojiao Lead (Fishing-foot Lead) is produced in Yazhou, shaped like a soap nut or a tadpole, black in color, growing in mountain stream sands, and can absorb mercury. Lead from Lushi is coarse and poor in efficacy. Lead from Xinzhou contains copper qi. Lead from Yinping, produced in Jianzhou, is a sprout of copper and iron, and none of these are usable. *Baozang Lun* states: There are several types of lead: Bosi Lead (Persian Lead) is hard, white, and the best in the world. Caojie Lead, produced in Qianwei, is the essence of silver.
Xianyin Lead is lead from silver pits, containing five colors; all are excellent. Lead from Shangrao and Leping is inferior to Bosi and Caojie leads. Fuban Lead is an iron sprout and is unusable. Wo Lead (Japanese Lead) can be used to alloy gold. *Tusux Zhenjun Bencao* states: Lead is the ancestor of the Five Metals, hence it is called "Wujin Bian'an" (Prison Guard of Five Metals) and "Zhuihun Shizhe" (Soul-chasing Messenger), meaning it can subdue the Five Metals and neutralize the Eight Stones (alchemical minerals). Realgar is a sprout of gold but contains lead qi, making it the ancestor of gold. Silver pits contain lead, which is the ancestor of white metal (silver). Lead from Xin Zhou mixed with copper is the ancestor of red metal (copper). Lead shares qi with tin, making it the ancestor of green metal (lead). Cinnabar lies dormant in lead but dies from sulfur; sulfur clings to lead but is subdued by mercury; iron clings to magnetite but dies from lead; realgar clings to lead but dies from Pentapleura zeylanica. Thus, "Jin Gong" (Lead) undergoes the most transformations: the first transformation yields Hufen (Basic Lead Carbonate); the second, Huangdan (Red Lead); the third, Mituoseng (Litharge); the fourth, Baishuang (Lead White Frost). *Lei Shi Pao Zhi Lun* states: To stop the fire nature of lead, one must rely on Xiutian (Sky Repairer); if one desires firmness of form, how can one forget Zibei (Purple Back)? The annotation clarifies: Xiutian refers to Butian Shi (Heaven-mending Stone); Zibei refers to Tiankui.

[Processing] Li Shizhen said: For medicinal use, melt the lead in an iron ladle, pour it onto tiles, filter to remove dregs, and repeat this process several times before storage. The Heixi Hui (Black Tin Ash) is obtained by taking black ash from lead sand. Baixi Hui (White Tin Ash) is not used in medicine.

[Flavor and Property] Sweet, cold, non-toxic. Chen Cangqi said: Slightly toxic.

[Therapeutic Actions] Calms the heart and anchors the spirit; treats toxic vapors from Cold Damage (Shanghan); treats regurgitation, vomiting, and hiccups; treats bites from snakes and scorpions, applied via moxibustion or hot compress (from *Da Ming Bencao*). Treats goiter and tumors, ghostly qi, and pestilential influences. Ground into powder and mixed with Qingmuxiang (Aquilaria Agallocha), applied externally for carbuncles and malignant swellings (from *Cangqi Bencao*). Eliminates scrofula and abscesses, brightens eyes, strengthens teeth, darkens hair and beard, treats "Shinv" (virginity-related disorders), kills parasites, directs rebellious phlegm downward, treats dysphagia, diabetes, wind-phlegm epilepsy, and resolves toxicity from mineral drugs (Li Shizhen).
Heixi Hui (Black Tin Ash)
[Therapeutic Actions] Treats accumulations and masses, kills parasites. Mix with equal parts of Areca Seed powder, take at dawn with rice water decoction (from Zhang Yansheng).

[Elucidation] Wang Haogu said: Heixi (Black Tin) corresponds to the Kidney. Li Shizhen said: Lead inherits the qi of Gui Water in the North, being the essence of extreme Yin. Its weight is heavy and solid, its nature moist and slippery, its color black, and it internally connects to the Kidney. Therefore, Heixi Dan (Black Tin Pill) in *Ju Fang* and Buzhen Dan (Tonify True Pill) in *Xuanming Lun* both use it. When interacting with Mercury, it can treat all conditions of Yin-Yang confusion, excess above and deficiency below, rising Qi that fails to descend, manifesting as severe vomiting, vertigo, dysphagia, and regurgitation. Such sedative and descending agents have the power to restore balance. However, its nature carries Yin toxicity, so it should not be taken in large doses, lest it damage the Heart and Stomach. Lead's nature can also penetrate flesh; thus, women wearing lead bead earrings develop pierced ears naturally; for "Shinv" (women without vaginal opening), using a lead rod to rub daily will eventually open the passage, knowledge unknown to ancients. The transformed products of lead—Hufen, Huangdan, Mituoseng, and Qianbaishuang—share similar functions with lead. However, Hufen enters the Qi level, Huangdan enters the Blood level, Mituoseng sedates and descends, and Qianbaishuang specifically treats the Upper Jiao chest and diaphragm; this is the difference. Alchemists also cast it into combs to make hair and beard glossy and black, or boil them with herbs, which is particularly effective.

[Attached Prescriptions] Four old prescriptions, seventeen new ones.
Darken Beard and Brighten Eyes: Half a jin of Black Lead, melted in a pot, immediately add Mulberry Branch Ash, stir with Willow Wood until sandy, sieve into fine powder. Brush teeth every morning, rinse mouth and wash eyes with water; strengthens teeth, brightens eyes, and darkens beard and hair (*Shengjin Fang*).
Brush Teeth and Darken Mustache: Melt Black Lead, add segments of non-rotten Gleditsia Sinensis, stir-fry to charcoal, add a little salt, grind evenly. Use daily to brush teeth. Removes white whiskers, preventing them from turning white again. Another method: One jin of Black Tin, stir-fried to ash and buried in soil for five days, then stir-fried black with Cimicifuga, Asarum, and Terminalia chebula. Use daily to brush teeth; effective after 100 days (*Puji Fang*).
Loose Teeth: Same prescription as above.
Darkening Beard Lead Comb: Ten taels of Lead, three taels of Tin, three Poduo De, half a tael of Needle Sand and Prepared Rehmannia Root, one tael of Rubia Cordifolia and Walnut Peel, two and a half qian each of Myrobalan Fruit, Terminalia Chebula Peel, Sulfur, Pomegranate Peel, Magnetite, Green Vitriol, and Sesame Oil. Grind into powder. First melt lead and tin, add half the powder, mix evenly with Willow Wood, pour into comb mold to shape. Boil the remaining comb in the rest of the powder for three days and nights, adding water as needed. Take out and wrap tightly in old cloth for five days. Each time, use a熟 leather pad to comb the head 100 strokes, after washing and drying with Gleditsia water (*Puji Fang*).
Kidney Qi attacking the Heart, face turns black resembling death, and various Qi rushing upward causing asthma and urgency. Two taels of Lead, two taels of Litharge, one tael of Clove, one tael of Costus Root, one qian of Musk. Melt lead and stir-fry dry, add litharge and stir-fry urgently; when flames rise, spray with vinegar, pour into a pit in the ground and cover. When cool, take out and grind. Make pills the size of Euryale seeds using millet paste. Take two pills, dissolve in hot wine. Sweating, defecation, or passing gas indicates cure. If constipated, take another pill with five fen of Mirabilite (*Shengji Lu*).
Women's Blood and Qi, cold pain attacking the Heart: Same prescription as above.
Wind-Epilepsy with foaming, eyes rolling back, and convulsions in chronic cases: One tael each of Black Lead, Mercury (cinnabar-like aggregate), and Pinellia (processed). Grind into powder, make pills the size of mung beans using glutinous rice paste. One pill per year of age, taken with milk (*Puji Fang*).
Regurgitation and Hiccups: Melt Black Lead, add paper ash, grind into powder with a wooden pestle. One tael of powder, add one sheng of rice vinegar, simmer in a clay pot to a paste, add a little steamed cake powder, and make pills the size of small beans.
Take one pill, washed down with ginger soup (*Shengji Lu*).
Chronic Regurgitation not stopping: Two taels of Zibei Lead, two taels of Litharge, five taels of Salt Brine. Quench burning lead in brine until exhausted, stir-fry with litharge. If flames rise, cover the ladle to extinguish. Grind evenly, mix with steamed cake dough to make pills the size of mustard seeds. Take twenty pills, washed down with decoction of Nelumbo Nucifera Seed and dried persimmon (*Shengji Lu*).
Diabetes with irritability: Equal parts Black Lead and Mercury. Form into a paste, hold a bean-sized amount in the mouth, and swallow saliva (*Shenghui Fang*).
Taenia Saginata (Tapeworm): Eat a slice of pork first, then take four qian of Black Lead Ash mixed in sugar water at dawn. The worms will pass completely; eat white congee for one day. Scholar Xu suffered from gastric discomfort; after taking this, he expelled two worms: one inch long and broken, the other two chi five cun long, with segmented patterns (*Benshi Fang*).
Edema and Fullness: Five taels of Black Tin, one stick of Gleditsia Sinensis (roasted). Two dou of wine, boiled six times. Drink frequently until two to three sheng of urine is passed, then swelling subsides (*Qianjin Yi Fang*).
Urinary Retention: One tael of powdered Black Lead, half a tael of Ginger, a handful of Juncus Effusus. Decoct well water and drink. First apply fried scallions to the umbilicus (*Shenghui Fang*).
Sudden Cough: Equal parts Lead Filings from furnace, Cinnamon Twig, and Gleditsia Sinensis. Grind into powder, make honey pills the size of mustard seeds. Take fifteen pills with water, avoid scallions (*Beiji Fang*).
Scrofula and Tubercles: Three taels of Lead, stir-fry in iron vessel to obtain black ash, mix with vinegar and apply externally, cover with old cloth, change frequently to drain foul fluid. Continue for half a month; if no pain or rupture occurs, it will resolve internally into water and heal (Liu Yuxi, *Chuanxin Fang*).
Carbuncle on the Back: One jin of Black Lead, three taels of Licorice (slightly roasted). Soak licorice in one dou of wine in a bottle, then melt lead and throw it into the wine. Repeat nine times, strain. Drink until drunk and sleep; cured (*Jingyan Fang*).
Toxicity from Mineral Drugs: One jin of Black Lead, melted, thrown into one sheng of wine. Repeat over ten times. When wine reduces to half a sheng, drink at once (*Shengjin Fang*).
Extracting Calomel Toxicity: Five jin of wild Black Lead, hammered into a pot, filled with fifteen jin of distilled liquor, add half a jin of Smilax Glabra and three qian of Frankincense. Seal tightly, steam for one day and night, bury in soil to remove fire toxicity. Drink a few cups freely morning and evening. Catch urine in a clay basin afterward; the appearance of powder confirms efficacy. Stop when bone and tendon pain ceases (*Yifang Jiangyao*).
Arsenic Poisoning: Irritability like madness, abdominal pain, cold limbs, life hanging by a thread. Four taels of Black Lead, grind with water to make one bowl, force-feed (*Huatuo Weibing Fang*).
Sulfur Poisoning: Decoct Black Tin in water and drink; poison is resolved (*Jijian Fang*).