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Jinya (Gold Tooth Stone)

Salty in flavor, non-toxic. It primarily treats Guizhu (a contagious chronic wasting disease with symptoms similar to malaria), toxic gu (poisoning caused by venomous insects or evil qi), and various types of Zhu diseases. It is produced in Shu Commandery, and the specimens resembling gold in color are considered superior.

Tao Hongjing stated: Currently, it is produced in the Shu-Han region, resembling coarse gold, large as a chess piece and square in shape. There is also Tongya (Copper Tooth Stone) which resembles it, but its exterior color is black and the interior color is slightly lighter; it is not used in medicine. Jinya is only suitable for preparing wine preparations, powders, and Wu Zhu Wan (Five Zhu Pills); it is not much needed in other formulas. The annotation in *Tang Bencao* states: When Jinya stone leaves its original location and enters soil or water, it turns black after a long time and cannot be called Tongya. This medicinal material comes from Hanzhong, growing in the cracks of stones on both banks of the turbulent streams in Hanzhong. Those extracted have a golden interior immediately upon extraction; if the bank collapses into the water, those that have been there for a long time all turn black. It is also found in nearby Nanshan valleys, Maozhou, and Yongzhou, surpassing those from Hanzhong in quality. Ministers Yuxi et al., according to *Yaoxing Lun*, recorded: Jinya stone is a Sovereign herb. It treats all wind-induced conditions, such as tendon and bone spasms and contractures, and numbness or paralysis of the waist and legs. It is effective when calcined, soaked in water, and taken orally. Rihua Zi stated: Jinya stone has a sweet flavor and is neutral in nature. It treats all cold wind pathogens, warms the waist and knees, tonifies the Kidney (Water Zang), and treats palpitations and pediatric convulsions. When used in medicine, it must be calcined until red, quenched in water, and the coarse impurities removed before use.

*Tujing Bencao* stated: Jinya is produced in Shu Commandery, and is now also found in Yongzhou. *Shennong Benjing* considers those resembling gold to be superior. This substance is found in stream valleys; those extracted from the cracks of stones on the banks of rivers in Shu-Han have a golden interior immediately upon extraction. If the bank collapses into the water, those that have remained there for years mostly turn black. Ge Hong treated wind-toxin jue syndrome with Da Jinya Jiu (Large Jinya Wine) and Xiao Jinya Jiu (Small Jinya Wine), simply soaking them to extract the juice for drinking. Ancient formulas also included methods of calcining and quenching to remove toxicity before incorporating into medicines. Sun Simiao treated wind-toxin, Guizhu, southern miasma, and Chuanshen (chronic wasting infectious diseases like tuberculosis) using formulas such as Da Jinya San (Large Jinya Powder) and Xiao Jinya San. There is also Tongya, which resembles it but has a black exterior; it is rarely used in medical texts. Xiao Jinya Jiu primarily treats Fengzhu (wind-zhu) and hundred diseases, deficiency-wasting, and numbness or inability to walk due to damp-cold flaccidity. Modern people find it highly effective, so its method is recorded as follows: Jinya, Xixin (Asarum Root), Difuzi (Kochia Fruit), Mangcao (Dichroa Root), Ganhuangqi (Dried Rehmannia Root), Shuobi Gen (Polygonatum Rhizome), Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia Root), Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root), Yinyu (Skimmia Bark), Xuduan (Dipsacus Root), and Shujiao (Sichuan Pepper) each 4 liang, and Duhuo (Angelica Pubescens Root) 1 jin. These twelve ingredients: crush Jinya into powder, store separately in a silk bag. Slice the remaining herbs thinly, place them together with the Jinya bag into a large linen bag. Soak in 4 dou of clear wine, seal the vessel mouth tightly with mud. After four days, the wine is ready. Take 2 he of warm wine three times a day, gradually increasing the dose.

*Yanyi* stated: Jinya is absolutely not used by contemporary physicians. For this reason, merchants do not traffic in it due to lack of profit, and doctors consequently discard it. Furthermore, it is only produced in Shu Commandery and is not widely available. The rest remains as described in *Benjing*.