朱砂∶味微甘性凉，为汞五硫一化合而成。性凉体重，故能养精神、安魂魄、镇惊悸、熄肝风；为其色
赤入心，能清心热，使不耗血，故能治心虚怔忡及不眠；能消除毒菌，故能治暴病传染、霍乱吐泻；能入肾导引肾
气上达于心，则阴阳调和，水火既济，目得水火之精气以养其瞳子，故能明目；外用之，又能敷疮疡疥癞诸毒。
邹润安曰∶凡药所以致生气于病中，化病气为生气也。凡用药取其禀赋之偏，以救人阴阳之偏胜也。是
故药物之性，未有不偏者。徐洄溪曰∶药之用，或取其气，或取其味，或取其色，或取其形，或取其质，或取
其性情，或取其所生之时，或取其所成之地。愚谓∶丹砂，则取其质与气与色为用者也。质之刚是阳，内含汞
则阴气之寒是阴，色纯赤则阳，故其义为阳抱阴，阴承阳，禀自先天，不假作为。人之有生以前，两精相搏即
有神，神根据于精乃有气，有气而后有生，有生而后知识具以成其魂，鉴别昭以成其魄，故凡精气失其所养，则
魂魄遂不安，欲养之安之，则舍阴阳紧相抱持，密相承接之丹砂又奚取乎？然谓主身体五脏
百病，养精神，安魂魄，益气明目何也？夫固以气寒，非温煦生生之具，故仅能于身体五脏百病中，养精神安
魂魄益气明目耳。若身体五脏百病中，其不必养精神安魂魄益气明目者，则不必用丹砂也。血脉不通者，水中
之火不继续也，烦满消渴者，火中之水失滋泽也，中恶腹痛阴阳不相保抱，邪得乘间以入，毒瓦斯疥 诸疮，阳
不畜阴而反灼阴，得惟药之阳抱阴，阴涵阳者治之，斯阳不为阴贼，阴不为阳累，诸疾均可已矣。按此为邹氏
释《神农本草经》之文，可谓精细入微矣。
【附案】壬寅秋月，霍乱流行。友人毛××之侄，受此证至垂危，衣冠既毕，舁之床上。毛××见其仍有微息，
遂研朱砂钱许，和童便灌之，其病由此竟愈。
一女子得霍乱至垂危，医者辞不治，时愚充教员于其处，求为延医，亦用药无效。适有摇铃卖药者，言能
治此证，亦单重用朱砂钱许，治之而愈。愚从此知朱砂善化霍乱之毒菌。至己未在奉天拟得急救回生丹、卫生
防疫宝丹两方，皆重用朱砂，治愈斯岁之患霍乱者不胜纪，传之他省亦救人甚伙，可征朱砂之功效神奇矣。然
须用天产朱砂方效，若人工所造朱砂（色紫成大块作锭形者，为人工所造朱砂），止可作颜料用，不堪入药。
朱砂：味道微甘，性质凉，是由汞与硫按五比一的比例化合而成的。因其性质凉且质地沉重，所以能够滋养精神、安定魂魄、镇惊止悸、平息肝风；因为它的颜色赤红入心经，能清除心经的热邪，防止心血耗损，所以能够治疗因心气虚弱引起的心悸怔忡以及失眠；它能消除毒菌，所以能够治疗急性传染病、霍乱引起的呕吐腹泻；它能进入肾经并引导肾气上达于心，从而使阴阳调和，水火既济（心肾相交），眼睛得到水火精气的滋养以养护瞳孔，所以能够明目；外用涂抹时，又能敷治疮疡、疥癣等各种毒症。
邹润安说：凡是药物，都是为了在病患体内激发生气，将病气转化为生气。凡是用药，都是取其禀赋的偏性，来纠正人体阴阳的偏盛偏衰。因此，药物的性质，没有不偏颇的。徐洄溪说：药物的作用，有的取它的“气”，有的取它的“味”，有的取它的“色”，有的取它的“形”，有的取它的“质”，有的取它的“性情”，有的取它生长的时候，有的取它成熟的地方。我认为：丹砂（朱砂），是取它的“质”、“气”和“色”来发挥作用的。“质”之刚硬属于阳，内含汞则阴气之寒属于阴，“色”纯赤属于阳，所以它的义理是阳抱阴、阴承阳，禀受于先天自然，不需要人为造作。人在出生之前，两精相搏即产生神，神依附于精从而产生气，有气而后有生命，有生命而后知识具备以形成魂，鉴别能力显著以形成魄，所以凡是精气失去其所养，那么魂魄就会不安，想要养育它、安定它，除了依靠阴阳紧紧相抱持、密切相承接的丹砂，还能取什么呢？然而为什么说它能主治身体五脏百病，滋养精神，安定魂魄，益气明目呢？这是因为丹砂气寒，不是温煦生生不息的工具，所以仅仅能在身体五脏百病的调理中，起到养精神、安魂魄、益气明目的作用罢了。如果在身体五脏百病中，那些不必养精神、安魂魄、益气明目的病症，就不必使用丹砂了。血脉不通畅的，是水中的火不能继续；烦闷胀满、消渴症的，是火中的水失去滋润；中恶腹痛导致阴阳不能相互保抱，邪气得以乘虚而入，毒瓦斯、疥癣等各种疮疡，是阳不能蓄阴反而灼伤阴，只有用那种阳抱阴、阴涵阳的药物来治疗，这样阳就不会成为阴的贼害，阴就不会成为阳的拖累，各种疾病都可以痊愈了。按此来看，这是邹氏对《神农本草经》中相关文字的阐释，可以说是精细入微了。
【附案】壬寅年秋天，霍乱流行。朋友毛××的侄子，患上此证到了垂危的地步，衣服棺材都已准备妥当，被抬到床上。毛××见他还有一丝微弱的气息，于是研磨约一钱的朱砂，混合童便灌服，他的病由此竟然痊愈了。
有一个女子患霍乱到了垂危的地步，医生推辞说不治，当时我在当地充任教员，请求为她延请医生，也用药无效。恰好有个摇铃卖药的人，说能治疗这个证，也是单用重用约一钱的朱砂，治疗后痊愈了。我从此知道朱砂善于化解霍乱的毒菌。到了己未年在奉天拟定了急救回生丹、卫生防疫宝丹两个方子，都重用了朱砂，治愈当年患霍乱的人数不胜数，流传到其他省份也救了很多人的性命，可以证明朱砂的功效神奇啊。但是必须使用天然出产的朱砂才有效，如果是人工制造的朱砂（颜色紫黑成大块做成锭形状的，是人工制造的朱砂），只可用作颜料，不堪入药。
Cinnabar (Zhusha): It has a slightly sweet taste and a cool nature. It is formed by the combination of mercury and sulfur in a five-to-one ratio. Due to its cool nature and heavy weight, it can nourish the spirit (Shen), stabilize the soul (Hun) and essence (Po), calm palpitations and fright, and extinguish liver wind. Because its red color enters the Heart meridian, it can clear heart heat and prevent blood consumption; thus, it can treat palpitations (Zhen Tong) and insomnia caused by heart deficiency. It can eliminate pathogenic bacteria, so it can treat acute infectious diseases and cholera with vomiting and diarrhea. It can enter the Kidney meridian and guide kidney qi upward to the Heart, thereby harmonizing yin and yang and achieving water-fire intersection (Xin Shen Xiang Jiao); the eyes receive the essence of water and fire to nourish the pupils, so it can improve vision. When applied externally, it can also be used to apply to sores, ulcers, scabies, and other toxic conditions.
Zou Run'an stated: All medicines aim to generate vital energy within the diseased body, transforming pathological qi into vital qi. Medicines are used for their inherent biases to correct the excessive or deficient states of human yin and yang. Therefore, the nature of medicinal substances is invariably biased. Xu Huixi stated: The function of medicines may derive from their "qi," "flavor," "color," "shape," "substance," "temperament," the time of their growth, or the place of their maturation. I believe that Cinnabar utilizes its "substance," "qi," and "color." The hardness of its substance belongs to yang; the coldness of the contained mercury belongs to yin; its pure red color belongs to yang. Thus, its principle is yang embracing yin and yin supporting yang, derived from innate nature without artificial fabrication. Before birth, the interaction of two essences generates spirit (Shen); spirit relies on essence to generate qi; with qi comes life; with life comes knowledge, forming the ethereal soul (Hun); with discernment comes the corporeal soul (Po). Therefore, whenever essence and qi lose their nourishment, hun and po become unsettled. To nourish and settle them, what else could one rely upon but Cinnabar, which tightly embraces and closely connects yin and yang? However, why is it said to treat various diseases of the body and five zang organs, nourish the spirit, settle hun and po, benefit qi, and improve vision? This is because Cinnabar is cold in nature and not a tool for warm, generative vitality; thus, it only serves to nourish the spirit, settle hun and po, benefit qi, and improve vision among various diseases of the body and five zang organs. For those conditions among the body and five zang organs that do not require nourishing the spirit, settling hun and po, benefiting qi, or improving vision, Cinnabar need not be used. Impaired blood circulation indicates that the fire within water fails to continue; irritability, fullness, and wasting-thirst indicate that water within fire loses moistening. Sudden evil attack causing abdominal pain, where yin and yang fail to protect each other, allows pathogens to enter opportunistically; toxic vapors, scabies, and various sores indicate yang failing to contain yin and instead burning it. Only by using medicines characterized by yang embracing yin and yin containing yang can these be treated, such that yang does not harm yin, and yin does not burden yang, allowing all diseases to heal. According to this, Zou's interpretation of the text in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) is indeed meticulous and profound.
[Attached Case] In the autumn of the Renyin year, cholera was prevalent. A nephew of my friend Mao XX contracted this condition and reached a critical state; his clothes and coffin were already prepared, and he was carried onto a bed. Seeing that he still had faint breaths, Mao XX ground approximately one qian of Cinnabar, mixed it with child's urine, and administered it orally. His illness was consequently cured.
A young woman suffered from cholera to a critical degree. Physicians declined treatment. At that time, I served as a teacher there and requested medical assistance for her, but prescribed medications were ineffective. Suddenly, a traveling medicine seller claimed he could cure this condition. He also used a single heavy dose of approximately one qian of Cinnabar, and she recovered. From this, I learned that Cinnabar is effective in neutralizing the toxic bacteria of cholera. In the Jiwei year, while in Fengtian, I formulated two emergency prescriptions: *Ji Hui Sheng Dan* (Emergency Life-Returning Pill) and *Wei Sheng Fang Yi Bao Dan* (Hygiene Epidemic-Prevention Precious Pill), both of which heavily utilized Cinnabar. They cured countless cases of cholera that year, and when transmitted to other provinces, they saved many lives. This demonstrates the miraculous efficacy of Cinnabar. However, natural Cinnabar must be used for effectiveness. Artificially manufactured Cinnabar (which appears purple-black, in large chunks shaped like ingots) can only be used as pigment and is unsuitable for medicinal use.