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Immediately lift the drowning victim out of the water. Use a cow, lay it horizontally on its side, place the victim's abdomen on the cow's back, and lead the cow to walk slowly so that the water in the abdomen is vomited out. Rubging old ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) on the teeth can restore consciousness. If the jaw is clenched (trismus), pry it open and insert a chopstick horizontally between the teeth to allow water to drain. If no cow is available, invert a pot on the ground, place the victim prone with their umbilicus aligned with the center of the pot base, elevate the heels slightly, support the head with hands, and they will revive once water flows out. Alternatively, roll powder from Fructus Gleditsiae Sinensis (Zaojiao, 皂角) into a strip using cotton paper, insert it into the anus (Gu Dao, 谷道), and the water will discharge naturally. Generally, when lifting someone from water, if the body is stiff, rescue is possible; if the body has become flaccid, it indicates that water has returned internally, and rescue is impossible. Blow Snuff to Unblock the Orifices (Chubi Tongtian San, 搐鼻通天散) into the nasal cavity; sneezing will restore consciousness. (Formula for Chubi Tongtian San: Pericarpium Zanthoxyli Schinifolii (Zhuya Zaojiao, 猪牙皂角) without skin and fibers, 1 liang; Asari Radix (Beixixin, 北细辛) without leaves, 5 qian; Pinelliae Rhizoma Preparatum (Banxia, 半夏), 5 qian. Grind all into fine powder. Use 1-2 fen per application blown into the nose.) For drowning or ingestion of gold particles/poison, administer duck blood intragastrically.

Qian Qinglun stated: In cases of drowning death, one must strictly avoid lifting the body upside down to control water drainage; heating with fire offers no salvation. One should place a pot inverted on the ground, quickly align the deceased's umbilicus with the center of the pot base, have assistants hold it steady, and slowly push the pot while walking. Insert a chopstick into the mouth to drain abdominal water, which will revive the person.

Gu Shicheng stated: For drowning victims, rescue is feasible in summer but difficult in winter. Upon retrieval, absolutely do not invert the body. Immediately pry open the mouth, insert a chopstick horizontally to facilitate drainage. Blow air into both ears using a bamboo tube. Blow powdered raw Pinelliae Rhizoma (Sheng Banxia, 生半夏) into the nostrils. Place powder of Fructus Gleditsiae Sinensis (Zaojiao, 皂角) inside a tube and blow it into the anus. If it is summer, use a cow, place the victim's abdomen transversely over the cow's back, have assistants hold the sides, and lead the cow to walk slowly. The water in the abdomen will naturally flow out through the mouth, urethra, and anus. Then, dissolve Suhe Wan (Styrax Pill, 苏合丸) and administer it orally, or administer juice of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens (Shengjiangzhi, 生姜汁). If no cow is available, have a healthy person lie supine, place the victim's abdomen transversely over the healthy person's body as described above, and have the healthy person gently sway their body to help expel the water. If no cow is available and the healthy person refuses to assist, place the victim on a large round bamboo basket (Kaokao, 栲栳).

Furthermore, if it is winter, immediately remove wet clothing. While applying heat to the umbilicus with salt wrapped in cloth fried in a pan, simultaneously pile thick bedding. Spread abundant warm ash from the stove hearth onto the bedding. Have the victim lie prone on this, placing a cotton pillow under the abdomen. Cover the entire body with the ash, add thick quilts on top of the ash, ensuring ash does not enter the eyes. Proceed with prying the mouth, inserting a chopstick, administering Suhe Wan (Styrax Pill, 苏合丸) with ginger soup, and blowing into ears, nose, and anus; these methods are identical for winter and summer. After revival, consume a small amount of warm wine. In summer, only provide clear rice gruel. This is because ash is warm in nature and capable of absorbing water. A clear verification is that flies drowned in water revived shortly after being buried in ash.

Furthermore, for those who died from drowning, administering duck blood results in immediate revival.