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Bitter in flavor, neutral in nature, slightly toxic. It treats jingxian (epilepsy induced by fright), alternating chills and fever, manic spasms caused by excessive heat, expelling evil qi and driving away demonic influences. It treats various diseases in children. For all types of heat-induced epilepsy with inability to open the mouth, and adult mania or癫疾 (madness/epilepsy), it can also induce abortion. Long-term use makes the body light, increases lifespan, and enhances memory. It is produced in Pingze, Jin region, growing inside cattle. After obtaining it, dry it in shade for one hundred days to ensure proper drying, avoiding exposure to sunlight or moonlight. (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma acts as its guiding herb; combined with Moutan Cortex and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, it benefits the ears and eyes; it is incompatible with Os Draconis, Rehmanniae Radix, Gentianae Radix, and Blatta orientalis; it fears Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix.)

Old texts mention that divine cattle entering and exiting while roaring exist; waiting at the place where horns grow, catching what they spit into a basin of water causes it to fall into the water. Nowadays, people mostly obtain it directly from the gallbladder. It is mostly produced in Liangzhou and Yizhou. One piece is as large as a chicken egg yolk, layered and overlapping, being the most precious among medicines, surpassing all others. One piece costs two or three fen, while good quality ones cost five to six thousand up to ten thousand coins. People often forge them, looking very similar; only those that do not peel off when ground with fingernails or licked are genuine. (From *Xinxiu Bencao* page 183, *Daguan Bencao* Volume 16, *Zhenghe Bencao* page 370)

Pungent in flavor, warm in nature, non-toxic. It primarily repels foul odors, kills demonic spirits, treats wen nue (warm malaria), gu du (poisonous accumulation), epilepsy, removes san chong (parasites such as roundworms, pinworms, and tapeworms), treats various malignant evil demonic qi, zhong e (sudden illness due to foul qi invasion), sudden abdominal pain and distension, pi man (fullness/blockage), feng du (wind toxicity), difficult labor in women, abortion, and removes yì (cataracts/opacities) from the face and eyes. Long-term use expels evil, prevents nightmares and sleep paralysis, and facilitates connection with immortals. It is produced in Zhongtai valleys and mountains of Yizhou and Yongzhou. Harvested at the Spring Equinox; fresh ones are superior.

The musk deer resembles a chamois, constantly eating cypress leaves and also consuming snakes. In May, obtained musk often contains snake skin and bones; thus, Musk is used to treat snake venom. Now, wrapping musk in shed snake skin makes the fragrance more intense, demonstrating a synergistic relationship. The fragrance lies within the skin anterior to the penis, wrapped in another membrane. Those produced in the barbarian regions of Sui Commandery, Yiyang, and Jinxī are inferior.

Current musk shapes resemble millet grains or human figures. Some say it is an egg, which is incorrect. Fragrance-rich products broken and mixed by barbarians are still inferior to those from Yizhou. Yizhou musk is flat-shaped, still wrapped in skin and membrane. One genuine piece is divided and mixed to make three or four pieces, scraping out the blood membrane, also mixed with other substances. Generally, there are fine and coarse qualities. Breaking open a piece, if hair is found inside the wrapping, it is considered superior, which locals use as a mark. If obtained from various Qiang and Yi tribes, it is mostly truly high quality. When burned, if the Dangmenzi (glandular pellet) bubbles and rises for a long time, it is also good. Currently, only live extraction is available; inspecting personally ensures authenticity. Producers claim it is formed from condensed essence and urine, but this is not true. Musk eats many snakes and insects in summer; when cold arrives, the fragrance fills the gland. In spring, suffering from urgent pain, it scratches it out with its feet and covers it with feces/urine, always in fixed places. Humans sometimes encounter it, even finding amounts up to one dou five sheng. Using this live-extracted method is superior to killing the animal. Carrying musk not only provides fragrance but also repels evil. Placing one genuine piece between the head and pillow repels bad dreams and尸zhu (corpse-transmission disease/demonic influence). (From *Xinxiu Bencao* page 184, *Daguan Bencao* Volume 16, *Zhenghe Bencao* page 369)