典藏书目

Tianlinggai (Calvaria Humana, Human Skull Cap) is indicated for Chuan Shi (Leprosy/Consumption), Shizhu (Ghost Disease), Guiqi (Evil Qi Fulian (Persistent Fever), Jiu Zhang (Chronic Malaria), Laonue (Laborious Malaria), and fevers with chills occurring at irregular intervals. Take the skull cap of a deceased person, separate it in a cross shape, burn until black, grind into fine powder, and mix with plain water for oral administration; it may also be combined with other herbs to form a powder. Physicians use this euphemistic name (Recorded by Famous Physicians). [Flavor] Salty. [Nature] Flat and soft. [Qi] The qi is thin, belonging to Yin within Yang. [Therapeutic Actions] [Chen Cangqi stated] It treats various rotting and ulcerating conditions. For medicinal use, select a piece as wide as three fingers. This bone is naturally bestowed armor covering the body; before birth, when the bones have not yet fused, only the fontanelle exists, so it can only be obtained from the fontanelle. Subsequently, cover it with hot ashes for one night until the fishy and foul odor dissipates. Then boil it in a porcelain pot using urine from an intact boy for one double-hour (two hours). Remove it, dig a pit one chi deep under the eaves, bury the Tianlinggai in it for one double-hour, believing this allows the medicine's spirit to return, yielding miraculous efficacy. "Yang persons utilize Yin, Yin persons utilize Yang." [Ri Huazi stated] It treats Fei Wei (Lung Atrophy/Withering), fatigue, emaciation, bone-steaming consumptive fever, and spontaneous/night sweats. For medicinal use, roast with butter. [Benlu stated] It treats dog bites where conventional treatments fail, toxic invasion causing restlessness and confusion, and vocalizations resembling dog barks. Burn the bone to ash, grind into powder, and administer with water, one Fangcun Bi (a measure approx. 2-3 grams). For dog bite wounds that do not heal and produce white foam, considered toxic invasion into the Heart causing barking-like sounds, burn the human skull to ash, grind, and mix with flowing water from the east, administering one Fangcun Bi. Note: In the Human section of the Shennong Bencao Jing, only Hair (Fawei) is listed; all others originate from later physicians or esoteric practitioners' strange theories, which are far from the intent of benevolent people. Sun Simiao is praised for his great merit to the world; yet treating life by taking life still incurs karmic retribution, let alone using such cruel substances. Recently, I have seen physicians use it to treat Chuan Shi disease without a single success. Trusting that the Bencao Jing's omission of it is not harmful. Cruelty harms the spirit and is not urgent for efficacy. Those with benevolence should consider this carefully. If one does not accept this view, they will surely be confused by mediocre practitioners. If one claims it is indispensable, it is a last resort; then, aged materials stained by dust and mud, which are rotten, are preferred because they have lost their corpse qi.

Renzi (Human Beard) Li Ji of the Tang Dynasty once suffered from an illness. The physician diagnosed it and said that consuming beard ash would stop the condition. Emperor Taizong therefore personally cut off his own beard, burned it to ash, and gifted it to him for consumption. He also ordered it to be applied to abscesses, resulting in immediate healing. Thus, Bai Juyi wrote: "Cutting beard, burning medicine, bestowing upon meritorious officials." Emperor Renzong of Song once gifted beard to Lü Yijian. Ancients said beards could cure diseases; now I cut my beard to mix with medicine to express my intentions.