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(From *Bencao Shiyi* [Supplement to Materia Medica])

[Names] Baixi (White Tin, pronounced "La"), Yinyin (Lead Tin, pronounced "Yin"), He.
Li Shizhen states: *Erya* records that tin is called Baixi. Guo Pu's annotation says it is white tin. Alchemists call it He, likely because tin from Linhe is considered the finest.

[Collection and Explanation] *Mingyi Bielu* [Record of Famous Physicians] states: Tin is produced in the valleys of Guiyang.
Tao Hongjing says: It is now produced in Linhe, which still belongs to the jurisdiction of Guiyang. Lead and tin look similar, but their medicinal uses are vastly different.
Li Shizhen says: Tin is produced in Yunnan and Hengzhou. Xu Shen in *Shuowen Jiezi* [Explanations of Simple Graphs and Analysis of Compound Characters] states: Tin is a metal between silver and lead. *Tusux Bencao* [Materia Medica of Tu Su] states: Tin is born receiving the Qi of Great Yin; if left undisturbed for two hundred years, it turns into arsenic; after another two hundred years, arsenic generates tin again. Tin inherits Yin Qi, therefore its texture is soft. If left undisturbed for two hundred years and exposed to the Qi of Great Yang, it transforms into silver. Nowadays, people place wine in new tin vessels; if soaked for a long time, it may cause death. This is because arsenic can transform tin. Since the time elapsed is relatively short, it is mined, and thus contains hidden toxicity. It is also said that arsenic is the root of tin. Tin is silver-colored but has the quality of lead. Among the Five Metals [Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, Tin], only tin is easy to smelt. Without proper medicinal regulation, it becomes a thief among the metals; with proper regulation, it becomes a medium for the metals. *Xingcha Shenglan* [Victorious Navigation] states: In the country of Malacca, tin is extracted by washing sand in mountain streams without the need for smelting, forming blocks known as Douxi.

[Correction of Errors] Su Gong says: The material mined in Linhe is named lead, also called Baixi, and this single source supplies the entire world. True tin is found wherever silver is produced. Their physical forms are similar, but their medicinal applications are vastly different.
Li Shizhen says: Su Gong did not distinguish between lead and tin, mistaking tin for lead and lead for tin. His claim that Huangdan [Red Lead] and Hufen [Cerussa] are made from fried tin stems entirely from his lack of knowledge.
This is now corrected.

[Flavor and Properties] Sweet, cold, slightly toxic. Dugu Tao says: Sheep horn, Wulingzhi [Trogopterus Dung], Fulonggan [Pillared Earth], and Mabianncao [Verbena officinalis] can all cause He tin to contract. He tin and arsenic can harden tin. Badou [Croton Seed], Bimazu [Castor Bean], Jiangzhi [Ginger Juice], and Dihuang [Rehmannia Root] can control tin. Songzhi [Pine Resin] is used to solder tin. Tin ore can shrink silver.

[Indications] Toxic wind sores (from *Daming Bencao*).

[Elucidation] Li Shizhen says: Hong Mai's *Yijian Zhi* [Records of Hearing and Seeing] states: People in Ruzhou often suffer from goiter. The land is rich in wind and sand; sand enters the wells, and drinking this water causes goiter. Therefore, households in Jinfang use tin for well rims, suppressing them with coins containing tin, or sinking tin into the well to avoid this affliction.

[Attached Prescriptions] Two new prescriptions.
To resolve Arsenic Poisoning: Use a tin vessel, grind it on a coarse stone to obtain tin water, and drink it. (*Jiji Fang* [Urgent Emergency Formulas])
For Chancre (Syphilis): Black lead and Guangxi tin, each 2.5 qian (processed into powder), two centipedes, ground into powder, rolled into small paper twists, soaked in oil overnight, then applied to the sore twice under lamp light. Visible effects appear within seven days. (*Jixuan Fang*)