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By melting lead and inducing a chemical change, it transforms from black to white. The ancients referred to lead as "Black Tin" (Hei Xi), hence this powder is named "Powdered Tin" (Fen Xi). It is also known by various names such as Hu Fen (Vermilion Powder/Lead Carbonate), Guan Fen (Official Powder), Guang Fen (Luminous Powder), Shui Fen (Water Powder), Ding Fen (Fixed Powder), Wa Fen (Tile Powder), and Bai Fen (White Powder). It is produced in Jinling, Hangzhou, Shaozhou, and Chenzhou. Its color carries a slight bluish tint.

Preparation method: For every 100 jin of lead, melt it, shave it into thin slices, roll them into tubes, and place them inside a wooden steamer (Zeng). Place one bottle of vinegar at the bottom and one in the middle of the steamer. Seal the exterior with salt mud for reinforcement, and seal the seams of the steamer with paper. Ignite fires around the wind furnace and let it simmer for seven days. Then, sweep the contents into a water vat, reseal, and continue the process. Repeat this cycle until all the lead is consumed. The unreacted residue is roasted to produce Huang Dan (Minium/Red Lead). For every jin of the resulting powder, add 2 liang of Dou Fen (Bean Powder) and 4 liang of Ge Fen (Clam Shell Powder), stir evenly in water, allow to settle, and discard the clear water. Form a trench with fine ash, layer several sheets of paper over it, and place the powder on top. When half-dry, cut into tile-shaped fixed blocks, dry, and store. (From Li Shizhen's *Bencao Gangmu*)

The lead powder produced in Guilin is most famous, called "Gui Fen." It is made by placing black lead in a jar of wine lees and covering it for fermentation. (From *Yu Heng Zhi*) In Songyang, where lead is produced, residents mostly manufacture Hu Fen. The method involves suspending lead blocks inside a wine jar, sealing it tightly for forty-one days; upon opening, the lead has transformed into powder. The parts that did not turn white are roasted into Huang Dan (Minium); the residue of Huang Dan is Mi Tuo Seng (Litharge). These three items yield substantial profit. (From *Yu Dong Lu*)

Hu Fen tastes sweet and pungent, has a cold and cool nature, and enters the Qi aspect. It primarily treats accumulation and stagnation that does not dissipate, cures Zheng Jia (abdominal masses), removes Bie Jia (hard abdominal masses resembling a turtle shell), treats chronic dysentery, descends phlegm and reduces distension, kills parasites, treats malignant sores and carbuncles with ulceration, discharging fluid from sores, scalds, burns, dry and wet tinea corporis/cruris, and dampness, itching, and odor in the groin and genital areas, as well as various cases of bromhidrosis (fox odor). (It can be applied dry or mixed with lard or beef tallow for topical application.) It also treats pediatric malnutrition (Gan syndrome), Wugu Gan Dysentery (dysentery accompanied by abdominal distension is called Wugu Gan), Gan sores, and post-auricular eczema (moon erosion). Both internal use and external application are suitable. Although its physical properties are similar to those of lead and Huang Dan, it lacks the caustic nature induced by roasting with saltpeter and salt. Furthermore, due to the admixture of bean powder and clam shell powder, it only enters the Qi aspect and cannot enter the Blood aspect, which is a slight difference from lead and Huang Dan. After ingestion, if the stool turns black, it indicates the restoration of the lead's original essence, described as "when the color is destroyed, it returns to lead." It can also be used in plasters to replace Huang Dan. (From Li Shizhen's *Bencao Gangmu*)

For chronic dysentery leading to Gan syndrome, mix Hu Fen with water and egg white for oral administration, stopping when the stool turns black, as it kills parasites and stops dysentery. (From Chen Cangqi's *Bencao Shiyi*)

For Wugu Gan presenting with bloody and purulent diarrhea, steam Hu Fen thoroughly, roast until it turns black, and take half a qian with rice water. If a child has abdominal distension or a bluish-green abdominal skin, failure to treat promptly will result in death. Roast Hu Fen with salt until the color changes, then rub it onto the abdomen. For pediatric erysipelas (Dan Du), mix Hu Fen with saliva and apply externally from the outside inward for good effect. For chronic bloody and purulent dysentery with cramping pain in the umbilical and abdominal region, use Sheng Bing Zi: Mix 3 qian each of Ding Fen, Mi Tuo Seng, and Liu Huang, 2 qian of Huang Dan, and a small amount of Qing Fen. Grind into powder, add 4 qian-bi of white flour, make pills with water the size of a finger, shape into cakes, and air-dry. Before meals, grind with warm fermented grain water and ingest; efficacy is indicated by black stools. For rest dysentery causing emaciation, remove the roots of Huang Lian and grind into powder, grind Ding Fen finely, take half a liang of each. Take 20 jujubes, remove pits, and pound into a paste. Spread on paper, wrap the two powders inside, and burn until completely red. Remove and let cool, then grind finely. For each dose, take half a jin of lean mutton, slice it, sprinkle 3 qian of the powder on top, wrap in wet paper, roast until cooked, let cool, and eat for efficacy. For abdominal Bie syndrome, mix Hu Fen with juice extracted from millet rinsing water, take warm, and it is highly effective. For acute heart pain in women, grind Guan Fen into powder, mix with green onion juice to form pills the size of soybeans, take 7 pills per dose with yellow wine to stop pain immediately. For burns, mix Hu Fen with sheep marrow, apply, and cover the wound. For dry/wet tinea and bromhidrosis, if the groin/genital area is constantly damp, odorous, or developing sores, applying Ding Fen alone as a dusting powder will cure it. For bleeding gums, mix half a liang of Hu Fen with half a qian of She Xiang (Musk), grind into powder, and brush teeth before bed. For trauma from falls, where blood stasis attacks the heart, causing cyanosis, shortness of breath, and near-death state, take 1 qian of Hu Fen mixed with water to stabilize the condition. For setting bones and knitting sinews, relieving pain and invigorating blood, mix 1 qian each of Ding Fen and Dang Gui, and 1.5 qian of Peng Sha (Borax). Grind into powder, take 1 qian per dose,調 with Su Mu decoction, and frequently drink the soup.

[Discussion] Lead naturally possesses Yin-cold and heavy-sinking properties. Through steaming and covering to become powder, transforming from black to white, the change is miraculous. However, whether vinegar bottles are placed inside, it is buried in wine lees, or suspended in a wine jar, all methods rely on borrowing the qi of these substances to facilitate the transformation, making the heavy substance light and harmonizing the Yin-cold qi. Moreover, the color changing from black to white represents the Metal element appearing within Water, manifesting the image of Metal, serving the function of the Qi aspect. Therefore, it can eliminate accumulations and treat Zheng Jia. Accumulation is caused by the condensation of Yin qi, while Zheng Jia is the formation of tangible masses after accumulation persists for a long time. This substance originates from extreme Yin but possesses transformative power to reach and resolve Yin qi, thus achieving such effects. Pediatric Gan diseases often arise from severe injury to Spleen Yin. Injury to Yin qi leads to accumulation; if stagnation cannot transform, it mixes with foul matter and is discharged as Gan dysentery. Over time, it transforms into parasites. Thus, the ability to treat accumulation and Zheng Jia explains its efficacy in treating pediatric Gan qi, and when roasted, its ability to stop Gan dysentery and kill three types of parasites. Cases of chronic bloody/purulent dysentery, cramping abdominal pain, and rest dysentery with emaciation are due to long-standing accumulations that have not dissipated. Without the transformative qi derived from extreme Yin, like this powder, one cannot achieve the effect of seeking resonance with similar energies. However, since diseases caused by Yin qi inherently involve the Blood aspect, Li Shizhen's statement that it only enters the Qi aspect should refer to the Qi within the Blood. Generally, any tangible accumulation is a disease of the Blood. If one speaks of Qi apart from Blood, how can human Qi and Blood be separated? Although it can reduce Gan syndrome, expel accumulation, kill parasites, and stop dysentery, its nature is cold and mobile without staying put. It is unsuitable for those with weak Spleen and Stomach, and contraindicated for pregnant women. (From Miao Xiyong's *Bencao Jing Shu*)