石之与金。有服饵得失者。盖以其宜与不宜也。或草或木。或金或石。或单方得力。或群队获功。或金石毒
发而致毙。或草木势助而能全。其验不一者何也。基本实者。得宣通之性。必延其寿。其本虚者。得补益之
情。必长其年。虚而过泻。实乃更增。千死其千。万殁其万。则决然也。又有年少之辈。富贵之人。恃其药力。恣
其酒欲。夸弄其术。暗使精神内损。药力扶持。忽然疾作。何能救疗。如是之者岂知灾从内发。但恐药饵无
微功。实可欢哉。其于久服方药。在审其宜。人药相合。效岂妄邪。假如脏不足则补其脏。腑有余则泻其腑。
外实则理外。内虚则养内。上塞则引上。下塞则通下。中涩（一作结。）则解中。左病则治左。右病则治右。上下左
右。内外虚实。各称其法。安有横夭者也。故药无不效。病无不愈者。切务于谨察矣。
金石草木。单服皆可以不死者。有验无验。在乎有志无志也。虽能久服。而有其药。热壅塞而不散。或上或
下。或痞或涩。各有其候。请速详明。用其此法。免败其志。皆于寿矣。谨论候并方。具在后篇。
上痞者。头眩目昏。面赤心悸。肢节痛。前后不仁。多痰。短气。惧火。喜寒。又状若中风之类者。是也。宜用后
方。
桑白皮（阔一寸。长一尺） 槟榔（一枚） 木通（一尺去皮。一本作一两） 大黄（三分。湿纸煨） 黄芩
（一分） 泽泻（二两）
上锉为粗末。水五升。熬取三升。取清汁。分二（一本作三。）服。食后临卧服。
石头与金属类药物，在服用过程中存在得失之分。这主要取决于是否适宜使用。无论是草药还是木本植物，无论是金石类还是矿物类，有的单方就能见效，有的复方才能立功；有的因金石毒性发作而导致死亡，有的因草木药势相助而得以保全。这些验证结果各不相同，原因何在呢？如果人体根本充实，得到具有宣通性质的药物，必定能延长寿命；如果人体根本虚弱，得到具有补益作用的药物，必定能增长年寿。若是虚证却过度使用泻法，实证反而更加严重，千人死去千人，万人殁命万人，这是必然的结果。又有年轻一代和富贵之人，倚仗药物的力量，放纵饮酒和性欲，夸耀玩弄医术，暗中使精神内里受损，仅靠药力勉强支撑。忽然疾病发作，怎么能救治呢？像这样的人哪里知道灾祸是从内部发生的？只担心药物没有微小的功效，这实在值得庆幸啊。对于长期服用的方药，必须审慎其适宜性。人与药相合，疗效难道会虚假吗？假如脏腑不足就补益该脏腑，腑气有余就泻除该腑气。外实则调理外部，内虚则滋养内部。上焦闭塞则引导向上，下焦闭塞则通利向下，中焦涩滞（一作结滞）则解除中焦阻滞，左边有病则治疗左边，右边有病则治疗右边。上下左右、内外虚实，各自符合相应的治法，怎么会有横死夭折的呢？所以药物没有不生效的，疾病没有不痊愈的。务必谨慎察辨罢了。
金石草木，单独服用都可以达到不死的效果，是否有验，在于服药者是否有志向坚持。虽然能够久服，但如果有药物导致热邪壅塞而不消散，或上行或下行，或痞塞或涩滞，各有其症状表现，请迅速详细明了。使用这种方法，以免败坏志向，都能长寿。谨论症状并附方剂，具体在后篇。
上痞的症状是：头晕目眩，面色红赤，心悸，肢体关节疼痛，前后二阴感觉麻木不仁，痰多，气短，畏惧火热，喜欢寒冷，又类似中风之类的症状。应当使用下方的方剂。
桑白皮（宽一寸，长一尺） 槟榔（一枚） 木通（一尺去皮，另一版本作一两） 大黄（三分，用湿纸包裹煨制） 黄芩（一分） 泽泻（二两）
以上药材切碎成粗末，用水五升，煎煮取三升，滤取清汁，分两次（另一版本作三次）服用。饭后临睡前服用。
Minerals and metals, when ingested, involve gains and losses. This depends on their appropriateness or inappropriateness. Whether herbs or trees, whether metals or stones, some single prescriptions are effective, while some compound formulas achieve success. Some die due to the toxicity of minerals and metals erupting, while others survive due to the supportive power of herbs and trees. Why are these validations inconsistent? If the root is solid, obtaining the nature of diffusion and unblocking will surely prolong life. If the root is deficient, obtaining the sentiment of tonification and benefit will surely lengthen years. Deficiency treated with excessive purgation increases excess; a thousand deaths for a thousand, ten thousand perishes for ten thousand, this is decisive. Furthermore, there are the young and the wealthy who rely on the power of medicine, indulge in wine and desire, boast and play with techniques, secretly damaging their spirit internally, supported only by medicinal power. Suddenly illness strikes, how can it be cured? Those like this do not know that disaster originates from within; they merely fear that the medicine has no subtle efficacy, which is truly a cause for joy. Regarding long-term use of prescriptions, one must examine their appropriateness. When person and medicine match, how could efficacy be false? For example, if viscera are insufficient, tonify the viscera; if fu-organs have excess, purge the fu-organs. External excess regulates the exterior; internal deficiency nourishes the interior. Upper obstruction guides upward; lower obstruction unblocks downward; middle stagnation (or knotting) resolves the middle; left-sided disease treats the left; right-sided disease treats the right. Upper, lower, left, right, interior, exterior, deficiency, and excess each correspond to their respective methods. How could there be premature death? Thus, medicines are invariably effective, and diseases invariably healed. One must diligently observe carefully.
Minerals, metals, herbs, and trees, when taken alone, can prevent death. Whether effective or not depends on whether one has the resolve. Although one may take them for a long time, if the medicine causes heat to stagnate and block without dispersing, moving up or down, causing palpitations or stagnation, each having its own manifestations, please clarify quickly. Use this method to avoid ruining one's resolve, and all will live long. The discussion of manifestations and formulas follows in the subsequent chapters.
Upper palpitations manifest as dizziness and blurred vision, red face, palpitations, pain in limbs and joints, numbness in the anterior and posterior orifices, much phlegm, shortness of breath, fear of fire, preference for cold, and symptoms resembling stroke. This is what is meant. It is suitable to use the following prescription:
* Sangbaipi (Morus Albae Cortex, width one cun, length one chi)
* Binglang (Arecae Semen, one piece)
* Mutong (Akebiae Caulis, one chi, peeled; another version says one liang)
* Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, three fen, baked in wet paper)
* Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix, one fen)
* Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma, two liang)
Crush the above into coarse powder. Add five sheng of water, boil to obtain three sheng, filter for clear juice. Divide into two doses (another version says three). Take after meals and before sleep.