以汞粉转升成霜。一名水银霜。又名白灵砂。崔氏造霜法。用水银十两。配石硫黄十
两。各以一铛熬之。良久。汞熟硫溶。急倾入一铛。（稍缓即不相入）仍急搅之。良久。硫
成灰。水银不见。乃下伏龙肝末十两。盐末一两搅之。别以盐末铺铛底一分。入药在上。又
以盐末盖面一分。瓦盆覆之。盐土和泥涂缝。炭火 一伏时。先文后武。开盆刷下。凡一转
后。分旧土为四分。以一分和霜。入盐末二两。如前法飞之讫。又以土一分。盐末二两。和
飞如前。凡四转。土尽。更用新土。如此七转。乃成霜。用之。
气味辛温。有毒。畏荞麦秆灰硫黄。主治下痰涎。消积滞。利水。与轻粉同功。（濒湖）
轻粉粉霜。亦能洁净腑。去膀胱中垢腻。既毒而损齿。宜少用之。（洁古） 小儿燥渴。粉
霜一字。大儿半钱。莲化汤调下。冬月用莲肉。风热惊狂。神白丹。治伤寒积热。及风生惊
搐。或如狂病。药不效。粉霜一两。以白面六钱。和作饼子。炙熟同研。轻粉半两。铅白霜
二钱半。为末。滴水丸梧子大。每服十丸至十五丸。米饮下。
〔论〕濒湖所云粉霜。是从汞粉转升成霜者也。其述崔氏造霜法。乃即未成汞粉而造
成粉霜者也。寻绎制法。似与升水银成粉之法。化纯阴为燥烈者。犹有不同。而濒湖谓其与
轻粉同功。殊未细审也。试以方书疗滞下久积。全属五色脓血。或如烂鱼肠。并无大便。肠
中搅痛不可忍者。用粉霜轻粉朱砂 砂白丁香乳香巴豆诸味。是其以行积为功。却与轻粉并
用。即此一证。合之躁渴惊狂两方。便可推求其精义矣。
Mercury powder is converted into frost through sublimation. It is also known as Mercury Frost (Shuiyin Shuang) or White Spirit Cinnabar (Bai Lingsha). The method for preparing the frost by Master Cui is as follows: Take ten taels of Quicksilver (Shuiyin, 水银) and ten taels of Native Sulphur (Shi Liuhuang, 石硫黄), and heat them separately in two crucibles. After a considerable time, when the quicksilver is "cooked" and the sulphur has melted, quickly pour the mixture into another crucible (if delayed, they will not mix). Stir rapidly and continuously until the sulphur turns to ash and the quicksilver disappears. Then add ten taels of Fuli Longan Powder (Fulonggan Mo, 伏龙肝末 - calcined red clay) and one tael of Salt Powder (Yan Mo, 盐末), and stir well. Line the bottom of the crucible with a layer of salt powder one fen thick. Place the medicine on top, and cover the surface with another layer of salt powder one fen thick. Cover with a tile pot, seal the seams with mud made from salt and earth, and roast over charcoal fire for one shichen (approx. two hours), starting with gentle heat and increasing to strong heat. Open the pot and brush down the product. After each cycle, divide the old earth into four parts. Take one part, mix it with the frost, add two taels of salt powder, and process it by "flying" (levigation/sieving) as before. Repeat this with one part earth and two taels of salt powder. Perform this cycle four times until the old earth is exhausted, then use new earth. Repeat this process seven times in total to produce the frost.
It tastes pungent and is warm in nature; it is toxic. It is incompatible with Buckwheat Straw Ash (Qiaomai Gan Hui, 荞麦秆灰) and Sulphur (Liuhuang, 硫黄). Its main indications are to resolve phlegm-fluids in the lower jiao, eliminate stagnation, and promote urination. Its efficacy is similar to that of Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉) [Li Shizhen].
Both Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉) and Mercury Frost (Fenshuang, 粉霜) can cleanse the fu organs and remove turbid deposits in the bladder. However, due to their toxicity and potential to damage teeth, they should be used sparingly [Zhang Yuansu].
For pediatric dryness-thirst, administer one "yi zi" dose of Mercury Frost (Fenshuang, 粉霜) for infants, or half a qian for older children, mixed with Lotus Seed Decoction (Lianhua Tang, 莲化汤). In winter, use Lotus Root/Seed meat (Lianrou, 莲肉). For wind-heat induced mania and convulsions, use Shenbai Dan (Spirit White Pill, 神白丹). This formula treats accumulated heat from Cold Damage (Shanghan, 伤寒) and wind-induced convulsions or manic-like states, particularly when other medicines fail. The prescription consists of: Mercury Frost (Fenshuang, 粉霜) 1 liang, Wheat Flour (Baifan, 白面) 6 qian, mixed and baked into cakes, then ground together. Add Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉) 0.5 liang and Lead White Frost (Qianbaishuang, 铅白霜) 2.5 qian, grind into powder, and make pills using water-drop method to the size of wutong seeds. Take 10-15 pills per dose, washed down with rice drink.
[Discussion] What Li Shizhen refers to as Mercury Frost (Fenshuang, 粉霜) is the frost produced by sublimating mercury powder. His description of Master Cui's method actually describes making the frost directly before it becomes mercury powder. Examining the preparation method, it seems distinct from the method of sublimating quicksilver into mercury powder, which transforms pure yin into a drying and acrid substance. Li Shizhen's claim that it shares the same efficacy as Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉) lacks careful scrutiny. Consider cases in medical texts treating chronic dysentery with severe stagnation, where excrement is entirely five-colored pus and blood, or resembles rotten fish intestines, with no normal stool and unbearable intestinal cramping. The prescribed ingredients include Mercury Frost (Fenshuang, 粉霜), Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉), Cinnabar (Zhusha, 朱砂), Amomum Fruit (Sharen, 砂仁), White Eugenia Flower (Baodingxiang, 白丁香), Frankincense (Ruxiang, 乳香), and Croton Seed (Badou, 巴豆). This demonstrates that its function is to move accumulation. Its concurrent use with Calomel (Qingfen, 轻粉) in this context, combined with the previous formulas for thirst and mania, allows one to deduce its precise therapeutic principles.