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[Part on Warm Stone and Fired Brick]
Indications: After ingestion, the warming sensation penetrates to the waist and abdomen. It is indicated for chronic coldness in the lower body, chronic dysentery with white pus discharged from the intestines and abdomen. Heating fired bricks and warm stones (Wenshi) and applying them as hot compresses or sitting on them can cure these conditions. One need only select hard stones, heat them, and use them; there is no specific stone called "Warm Stone."

Non-toxic. Indicated to induce sterility in women (prevent conception). Burn the marked part of the stone to ash, take one qianbi (a spoonful measure) with water; the effect is miraculous.

Pungent in flavor, warm in nature, toxic. Indicated for scrofula (Luoli), five types of hemorrhoids (Wuzhi), goiter (Yingliu), and malignant swelling at the root of sores. Take Shihuang (Realgar-like mineral), Kongqing (Azurite), Guixin (Cinnamon Twig), each 4 liang, and Ganjiang (Dried Ginger) 1 liang, grind into fine powder. Heat an iron plate 5 cun wide until red-hot, place the medicine on it, cover with a porcelain bowl whose bottom has been coated with lard. The medicinal vapor will rise and adhere to the bowl bottom. Wait for it to cool, then open. Repeat this process five times. According to the size of the sore's opening, insert the medicine (size of a mouse pellet) into the hole, seal the face/skin around it, and after three applications, the root of the disease will be expelled. If there is no opening, puncture it with a needle before inserting the medicine.

Pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature, slightly toxic. Used when flying metallic minerals (Feijinshi), also required for alchemy. Produced in Western Regions. Resembles Shizhi (Mineral Grease) or Lifen (Oyster Shell Powder); it can penetrate metals and stones without obstruction and pass through downwards.

Slightly toxic. Indicated for carbuncles and malignant sores, extracting roots, cauterizing polyps and skin tags. People in Qi region mix Baishijiangshi (White Claystone), dog feces, crimson silk, and thorn hooks to form an ink-like paste, shaped into pills with hard soil. Another remedy by Apo Zhaorong has similar efficacy. It is said that Duanshi (Fired Brick Dust) is mixed with various insects, crimson silk, and thorns. These materials are produced in Linzi and Qizhou.

Indicated for stubborn bi-syndrome caused by wind-dampness leading to numbness, tendon contraction, cold pain in feet triggered by wind, paralysis and flaccidity, and interruption of blood vessels. Take dry sand, expose to sun until extremely hot, sit upon it with legs folded. Replace when cool, continuing until heat penetrates and induces sweating. Then administer internal medicine according to the condition, and observe dietary taboos regarding wind-cold and overexertion.

Added during the Youyou year from *Yanyi* (Expanded Meaning):

[Part on Realgar/Xionghuang]
Bitter and sweet in flavor, neutral, cold, or very warm in nature, toxic. Indicated for alternating chills and fever, scrofula (Shulou), malignant sores, carbuncles and hemorrhoids, necrotic tissue, scabies mites, ulcers, eye pain, nasal polyps, severed tendons and broken bones, severe wind pathogens in joints, accumulations and masses, fixed gas poisoning, abdominal pain, ghost infection (Guizhu), killing evil spirits and demons, dispelling evil qi, hundred insect poisons, resisting weapons, killing snake venom, resolving Licorice toxicity (Lilu), and beautifying the complexion. Refined and ingested, it lightens the body and aids immortality. Ingested, its qi flies into the brain, surpassing ghosts and gods, extending life, preserving the middle jiao from hunger. With copper, it can be transmuted into gold. Also known as Huangshishi (Yellow Food Stone). Grows in valleys of Wudu and on the south side of Dunhuang Mountain. Collected at any time.

Tao Hongjing states: Methods of refining and ingesting are found in the *Immortal Classics*. Transmuting copper into gold is found in the *Yellow and White Art*. Since the late Jin dynasty, turmoil among Di and Qiang tribes has stopped the circulation of this material. Occasionally, three or five liang appear in the world, priced like gold. Pills are made using high-quality Shihuang from Shimen and Shixing. Initially, during the early Qi dynasty, trade at Liangzhou yielded small amounts brought to the capital. I first saw it at the residence of Envoy Chen Dianqian, finding over ten pieces. Others did not recognize it; seeing yellow ochre mixed in, they thought it was Cinnabar. I identified it and asked others to find more. Gradually, good quality pieces arrived, colored like a rooster's comb, odorless and solid. Dark black or soft/poor quality pieces are inferior. Wudu and Di/Qiang regions refer to Qiuchi. Dangchang also produces it, identical to Qiuchi but slightly inferior. Dunhuang is thousands of li west of Liangzhou; its produce never reached Jiangdong, so its qualities are unknown. This drug is crucial and enters all channels. Tang Ben Zhu notes: Shihuang from Shimen is also Realgar, commonly called Huangshishi. Shimen origin is inferior; Dangchang and Wudu origins are superior. Pieces are inches square, clear like a rooster's comb; some use them as pillows to ward off evil. Green-black hard pieces are not used medicinally. Fire-refined Realgar is acceptable for treating sores. Inferior Realgar is called Xunhuang, used for fumigating sores/scabies. In Zhenguan era, large pieces were found in Dangzhou but were brittle and hard to transport intact. Minister Yuxi and others cite Wu Shi: Realgar, Shennong records: Bitter. Dan Xionghuang grows on sunny slopes, hence "Xiong" (Male/Yang), being the male aspect of Cinnabar. *Shui Jing Zhu* states: Huang River flows from Lingyang County northwest via Lianshan Stream, producing Realgar with spiritual properties. Collection occurs in winter, digging deep for sacrifices, hence the stream's name. *Baopuzi* states: Realgar should come from Wudu mountains, pure without impurities, red like a rooster's comb, bright and shining. Pure yellow like female Realgar (Cinnabar) without luster cannot be used for elixirs, only for treating diseases. *Yaoxing Lun* states: Realgar is the sprout of Gold. Kills hundred poisons. Also named Huangshi. Pungent, highly toxic. Treats corpse-guest (Shizhu), wards off evil spirits, kills gu poison. Carrying it keeps ghosts away; in forests, tigers and wolves hide; crossing rivers, poisonous creatures do not attack. Xiao Bing states: Realgar is the Sovereign herb. Chen Cangqi states: Shihuang, when struck, the bright center is Realgar, the black exterior is Xunhuang. Treats malignant sores, kills insects, heavy scabies/lice, and is used in fumigation. Wudu Realgar does not smell when burned; Xunhuang smells. Su Song argues against common naming confusion. Ri Huazi states: Realgar, slightly toxic. Treats scabies/tinea, wind-pathogens, epilepsy, mountain miasma, snake/insect bites. Long-term use prevents hunger. Bright red and translucent is superior. Authenticity test: kills insects; low odor; non-pungent when chewed with water.

*Tujing* states: Realgar grows in Wudu valleys and south of Dunhuang Mountain, now found in Jiezhou. Shape like Cinnabar, clear without stone impurities, rooster-comb red is authentic. Green-black hard type is Xunhuang; color-like-authentic but smelly type is Chouhuang. Neither is for internal use, only for sores/scabies. Smell can be removed with vinegar to deceive users; careful distinction is needed. Near Jiezhou border with Western Regions, a water-cave Realgar exists where springs flow in rocks. Stones are named Qingyan Shi and Baixian Shi. Realgar comes from them, sizes from walnut to millet, porous, deep red with slight purple, extremely light/voluminous, more potent than ordinary Realgar, valued by alchemists. Some say Realgar is gold's sprout, found near gold mines in the south, but western origin is better. Realgar for sores is ancient. *Rites of Zhou* Surgeon section: Treat sores with five toxins. Zheng Kangcheng notes: Five-toxin medicine combines Yellow Lead (Huangdan), Litharge (Shidan), Cinnabar (Dansha), Realgar (Xionghuang), Nao Shi (Ammonium Chloride), and Magnetite (Cishi). Burn for three days/nights. Smoke adheres to surface, swept with chicken feather, applied to wounds to expel bad flesh and bone. Hanlin Scholar Yang Yi recorded: Official Yang had a facial ulcer spreading to jaw, oozing pus/blood, painful, untreated for a year. Following Zheng's method, applied the smoke-residue medicine. Soon, rotten bone and teeth erupted, cured. Proves speed of ancient formulas. Huanglu resembles modern roof tiles; modern alchemy uses yellow tile partitions, also called Huanglu, originating from antiquity.

Lei Gong states: Do not use Heijihuang (Black Chicken Yellow), Zisihuang (Self-dead Yellow), or Jianin Huang (Layered Greasy Yellow). Chouhuang looks like Realgar but smells bad; washing with vinegar removes smell, but do not mistake it. Jianin Huang has layers of yellow and stone, unusable. Heijihuang resembles Realgar, like a black chicken's comb. Best is partridge-liver color. Processing: Chop Licorice, Zi Bei Tiankui, Ditan, Bilenghua (5 liang each), add 3 liang Realgar, boil in flowing east-water in a crucible for three Fu periods. Drain, grind to powder, water-triturate, remove black sediment, dry, grind again. Contains Tiejie Shi (Iron-robbing stone/Fushi Huang) which attacks iron, not for use. *Shenghui Fang*: Treats typhoid/hu-huo toxin eroding anus/genitals. Half liang Realgar, burn in a bottle with ash, fumigate affected area. Heat charcoal for three meal-times, pour Realgar juice on stone. Place thin blanket on hot stone, patient sits naked, covered with clothes to retain vapor. Cure after 3-5 sessions. Another formula for arrow poison: powder applied, boils out fluid, cures. Also treats snake bites. *Qianjin Fang*: For pregnant women to nourish fetus, change gender. Carry 1 liang in pouch. Another for deafness: Equal parts Realgar and Sulfur, powder wrapped in cotton, inserted in ear. Another for ghost-strike/cut wounds with retained blood causing distension/dying feeling: Realgar powder, wine dose (Dao Gui), 3x daily, transforms blood to water. Another for masses/growths, removing Three Corpses, boosting qi/longevity: 2 liang Realgar, water-triturated 9 times, stored in bamboo tube sealed with steamed dough, steamed 7 times, mixed with lard into mung-bean sized pills. 3x daily with wine. After 3 years, Dao achieved, strength increased, no hunger, Jade Maidens serve. *Zhouhou Fang*: For internal bleeding: Realgar powder (soybean size) in wound, 5 qianbi orally, transforms blood to water, taken with urine. *Jingyan Fang*: For horse sweat entering flesh: Equal parts Realgar and Alum, 3 dried plums (crushed), 1 Croton seed, grind fine. Half qianbi, oil paste applied. *Doumen Fang*: Ward off demons, wear a piece on head. *Boji Fang*: Zhi Ling San for migraine: Equal parts Realgar and Asarum, fine powder. Sniff left nostril for right pain, right for left, immediate effect. *Xu Shiquan Fang*: Chan Hou Feng (Strangling Throat Wind): Realgar ground in fresh water, forced down, induces vomiting/diarrhea, cures. *Jiyan Fang*: Sudden fainting/oppression: Realgar powder blown into nose via tube. *Shanghan Leiyao*: Lower abdominal fullness, urinary retention, epidemic disease: Realgar honey pills (date pit size) inserted in urethra. Another for dental parasites: Powder stuffed in teeth. *Baopuzi*: Elixir methods: Steam, wine infusion, dissolve Nitre into water then solidify, wrap in lard and steam under red earth, mix with Pine Resin, or refine with three substances, stretch like cloth, white as ice. Causes longevity, cures hundred diseases, removes Three Corpses, fades scars, turns white hair black, regrows teeth, Jade Maidens serve after 1000 days, controls spirits. Jade Maidens have a yellow jade mark on nose; without it, ghosts test humans. Carrying Realgar in forests repels snakes. If bitten, apply powder, immediate cure. Viper, Green Snake, Golden Snake bites are most urgent, fatal in one day if untreated. Method: Cut flesh, throw on ground, flesh boils/burns, person survives. Snakes in July/August bite but don't release venom, biting bamboo/wood causes them to wither. *Taiping Guangji*: Liu Wuming, Chengdu native, sought longevity, rejected herbal medicines burning to ash. Entered Foggy Mountain, taught to take Realgar for 30+ years. Two messengers in red headbands/clothes appeared, claiming to be Taishan officials collecting his soul due to delayed death. Liu explained his secluded practice. Messengers saw yellow light above his head from Realgar. His Three Corpses were gone, but merit insufficient to avoid death limit. Sent him to Qingcheng Mountain to find masters for Lead/Mercury elixir. Liu met Immortal Liu of Qingcheng, prayed for guidance. Immortal showed him Yin-Yang furnaces, methods of refining Mercury/Lead into Vermilion Marrow. Fox Gangzi and Yin Changsheng knew this path, named *Golden Night Nine Elixirs*. Elixirs graded: Lead Sovereign, Mercury Minister, Eight Minerals Envoys, Yellow Sprout Field. Fire process: 7 days -> Light Water; 14 days -> Purple Edge; 21 days -> Five Colors. Further fire for 2 years (600 days), seasons cycle. After 10 months, leave womb, become First Grade. Can turn Mercury to Silver pills, dispel plague. After 2 years, extend life, blacken hair. After 3 years, half dose allows wandering as Earth Immortal, full dose grants flight/ascension. Sixteen stages reach Middle Grade for longevity. Final product: Hundred Day Work completes Top Grade Returning Elixir. Keep secret. Liu returned, cultivated for 3 years. Kaiyuan 2nd year, still in Shu, passed knowledge, entered Qingcheng, disappeared. *Taishang Badi Xu Bian Jing*: Small Elixir: Realgar, Biota seeds. Soul-binding formula: Sieve Biota, mix with 10 jin Pine Resin and 2 jin each Biota/Realgar, pound like steaming food for 1 day. Take 5 pills facing North at dawn. After 100 days, meet spirits. *Minghuang Zalü*: Eunuch envoy returned from Jiaozhi/Guangzhou, Zhou Gu noted dragon in abdomen. Emperor asked if ill. Eunuch said: Galloped over Dayu Ridge in heat/thirst, drank water, felt stone-hard lump. Zhou boiled Nitre and Realgar, administered. Patient vomited object, inch-long, finger-thick, scaled, grew in water to several feet, became dragon with vinegar. Emperor amazed. *Book of Tang*: Zhen Liyan, Grand Musician Director. Taoist had abdominal fullness/annoyance for 2 years. Zhen diagnosed gu poison from eating hair. Gave Realgar dose, patient vomited snake (thumb-sized, eyeless), burnt hair smell, cured. *Baozang Lun*: Realgar treated with herbs becomes liquid, color unchanged; if mixed with other drugs, can transmute Copper to Gold, Silver to Gold. *Danfang Jingyuan*: Realgar turns to Gold in 1000 years.

*Yanyi* states: Realgar is not gold's sprout. No Realgar found in gold caves. *Jintiao* claims gold's birthplaces always have Realgar, which is false. Other method: Burn Realgar to fumigate snakes away. Wudu Realgar carved into shapes still smells. Tang Zhen Liyan treated Taoist with abdominal fullness for 2 years, diagnosed gu from hair, gave Realgar, vomited snake, cured. Proof of killing toxic worms.