Library

Salty, cold, non-toxic. Mainly treats brightening the eyes and eye pain, tonifying qi, strengthening muscles and bones, removing toxic parasites (du gu), treating heart and abdominal pain, hematuria, hematemesis, and bleeding from teeth and tongue. Also known as Hu salt. Produced at Huyan Mountain and the southeast corner of Fu Lu City in Jiuquan, Beidi of Xiqiang. Those from the North Sea are green; those from the South Sea are red. Harvested in the tenth month.

Tao Hongjing said: Nowadays, natural crystallized salt (luxian) is no longer seen in common practice. Only the prisoner's salt (luyan) presented by the Wei state, which is the large salt from Hedong, resembles frozen ice in being round and hard, with a salty and bitter taste, becoming slightly moist and fluid in summer. There are nine types of salt in the barbarian regions: white salt and edible salt, which are commonly consumed; black salt, mainly used for abdominal distension and fullness of qi; Hu salt, mainly used for deafness and eye pain; soft salt, mainly used for equine spinal sores; and four others—red salt, mottled salt, smelly salt, and horse-tooth salt—which are not used for food. Horse-tooth salt is large salt; black salt congealed is luxian; soft salt is suspected to be Rong salt. This Rong salt is also called Hu salt, both treating eye pain, leading to confusion between the second and third descriptions. Currently, Rong salt is quite available in the barbarian lands, coming from Liangzhou, and obtained by envoys from the southern river of Ruirui and northern barbarian guests from Dunhuang, though it has become scarce. Its shape is block-like or sheet-like, sometimes resembling chicken or duck eggs, or water caltrop seeds, with a purple-white color and not very salty taste. It smells foul when tasted; the true kind smells exactly like rotten eggs. Additionally, in the mud of the Henan salt pool, there naturally forms salt congealed like stone sheets, which break into squares, are blue-black, and effectively treat equine spinal sores. Although there are many types of salt, Rong salt and luxian are the most important and commonly used. Furthermore, in Baidong County, north bank, there are abundant salt wells where brine naturally congeals to produce porridge-shaped salt, one or two inches square, protruding in the center like an umbrella, or square like gypsum or Go stones. Li Yun stated: Rong salt is bitter and foul-smelling. It is formed when seawater washes over mountain rocks, and after a long time, salt condenses on the stones for collection. Those from the North Sea are green; those from the South Sea are purple-red. It was also said that luxian is the hardened salt residue condensed at the bottom of pots when people boil salt. These two explanations are not detailed. The Tang Ben Zhu noted: Tao referred to luxian, suspecting it to be black salt, which is alkali soil. Discussing as per the previous statement, this Rong salt is Hu salt. In Shazhou, it is called Toudeng salt; in Kuozhou, Yin earth salt. It grows in the shaded rocky soil between riverbanks and mountains. The blocks vary in size, are hard and white like stone, and do not crackle when burned. Minister Yuxi and others carefully noted according to Chen Cangqi: Salt medicine is salty and non-toxic. It treats red and rotting eyes due to wind-heat, finely ground and mixed with water for eye application. Internally, it clears heat and irritability, resolves phlegm-fullness, relieves headache, brightens eyes, and calms the heart, taken as a water suspension. It also treats venomous snake and insect bites, scabies, tinea, carbuncles, and scrofula. For internal use, dissolve in water and drink; for external sores, apply directly. It grows in the valleys of Leizhou and Luozhou southwest of the sea. It resembles fine mirabilite powder, feels extremely cold in the mouth. Southerners mostly use it to apply to sores and swellings, rarely taking it internally, fearing its extreme coldness may harm the interior, so caution is advised. Ri Huazi stated: Rong salt is neutral. It assists the Water Zang (Kidney), benefits essence and qi, removes five-zang accumulations, heart and abdominal masses, painful sores, scabies, etc. It originates from Xifan (Western Tibet); consumers call it Rong salt, also known as Qiang salt.

The Tu Jing details are under the Edible Salt entry.

Chen Cangqi stated: Rong salt is piled like eggs. Danfang Jingyuan stated: Rong salt comes in red and black colors. Piled like eggs, dried mercury, processed cinnabar.

Yanyi stated: Rong salt forms piles, cut like pillows, fine and white, sweet and salty taste. Its efficacy also lies in dispelling blood stasis. Enters the Kidney meridian, treating stasis-redness, dryness, and blurred vision in the eyes.