典藏书目

Tadpoles are the eggs of toads. They treat fire burns and scalds; when mashed and applied, pain is relieved immediately. If the skin is broken but no scars remain, mixing them with mulberry juice to dye beard hair is also excellent, but Borneol must be added.

Baihua She (White-spotted Snake), sweet and salty in flavor, warm in nature, and toxic. Those from Qizhou are superior. It stops wind-pain, such as in leprosy or lepromatous leprosy, even when it reaches the point of hair loss and nasal collapse; in such cases, it must be taken. However, for other conditions like crane-knee deformity, chicken-claw deformity, tendon and claw spasms, and various wind syndromes affecting muscles, tendons, and skin, it must absolutely not be taken. This is because Baihua She has a penetrating nature, moving upward but not downward; it resolves wind in the Upper Jiao but not the Lower Jiao, and resolves toxicity in the Yang aspect but not the Yin aspect.

One might ask: Although Baihua She differs from ordinary snakes, snakes are ultimately venomous creatures. Using toxicity to attack toxicity, are we not afraid of damaging the intestines and stomach? The answer is: Indeed, this statement holds true. For wind syndromes, there are plenty of wind-dispelling herbs; why eat snake to dispel wind? Regardless of whether one has leprosy, people seek out snakes to eat them, believing in heterodox methods rather than orthodox ones; human nature is mostly like this, which is lamentable.

Yubiao (Fish Maw), sweet in flavor and warm in nature, enters the Kidney Meridian. It specifically tonifies essence and nourishes Yin, and can further promote fertility. Recently, many people use it as a formula for conception, but because it is overly lubricating, it is best used together with Qi-tonifying and Yang-warming herbs like Ren Shen (Ginseng).

Yubiao Jiao (Fish Maw Gel) closely resembles human semen; its ability to enter the Kidney and tonify essence goes without saying. Fearing its cloying and stagnating nature, adding Ren Shen allows its Qi to circulate within, making essence generation easier and avoiding the drawback of coagulation.

Guijia (Tortoise Shell), salty and sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and toxic, belongs to "Yang within Yin." It specifically tonifies Yin deficiency, benefits Kidney damage, restores primal Yuan Qi, treats leukorrhea and metrorrhagia, eliminates masses (Zhengjia) and malaria, shows remarkable efficacy in cold damage with relapse due to overexertion or severe alternating chills and fever, and effectively treats soreness and pain in the waist and back, as well as heaviness and weakness in the limbs that makes movement difficult. It treats delayed closure of the fontanelle in children, manages damp-itching and yin sores in women, expels blood stasis and accumulation, reconnects severed bones and sinews, tonifies the Heart, lightens the body, benefits Qi, and enhances wisdom.

Qiansui Linggui (Thousand-Year Spirit Turtle) possesses all five colors on its body, with bone protrusions on the forehead resembling horns. Using the whole body is most effective for longevity. Tortoise is a substance of extreme Yin; live tortoises are used whole, while dead tortoises use only the shell. When using the whole live tortoise, adding it to Ren Shen and Bai Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala) neutralizes its toxicity. Only when preparing paste from dead tortoise shells must they be calcined (burned), known as Baigui (Spoiled Tortoise), so that toxicity is destroyed by fire. If one uses a naturally dead tortoise for paste, it will invariably contain toxicity. Since turtles live exceptionally long, how can they die naturally? They either suffer snake bites or poison. Using them in medicine avoids harm only by luck; one should not expect tonification benefits.

How easily can a Thousand-Year Spirit Turtle be found? Unless one is of high virtue and profound Daoist cultivation, it is impossible to obtain. Having written *Bencao Xinbian*, knowing that the thousand-year turtle can extend life, how could I dare to conceal this knowledge? The Thousand-Year Spirit Turtle knows how to avoid danger; why would it expose itself on sandbars or ponds to attract humans and fall into cauldrons? Yet, amidst the vastness of heaven and earth, such turtles do exist. Let virtuous individuals acquire them unintentionally to aid their longevity elixirs. If one obtains a thousand-year turtle but does not know the preparation method, it remains useless. I received transmission from an extraordinary person and attach the strange preparation method below, named Qiansui Linggao (Thousand-Year Spirit Paste). Take one Thousand-Year Spirit Turtle, wrap it in paper, and roast it to death with fire. Then, boil it in water using mulberry wood for approximately twenty-four hours. Crush the entire body and shell. Add Ren Shen (1 jin), Bai Zhu (2 jin), Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia Glutinos Preparata) (2 jin), Sang Ye (Mulberry Leaf) (2 jin), Shan Zhu Yu (Cornus Officinalis), Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed), Fu Ling (Poria), and Ba Ji Tian (Morinda Officinalis) (each 1 jin), Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra Berry) (4 liang), Bai Zi Ren (Biota Seed) (6 liang), and Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark) (0.5 jin). Grind each into powder, mix with the crushed turtle, add honey, and form pills. Take 5 qian daily with plain boiled water. After taking it, spirit returns to youth, hair turns black again, and one may live beyond a hundred years with a body like a youth's.

One might ask: Turtles are very spiritual; some extend their lives by releasing turtles, but who extends life by eating them? Especially a thousand-year turtle, whose spirituality is even greater; eating it might cause mischief and potentially shorten life instead. The answer is: Where in the world can one find such a thousand-year turtle? If caught by humans, it is Heaven's rejection of it. Turtles live ten thousand years, hiding deep in rivers and lakes, originally not meant to be easily obtained. A thousand-year turtle gathers the most spiritual Qi. Worldly people understand human affairs deeply; surely they understand life and death themselves? Even if fate dictates it should be obtained by humans, it must have ways to avoid danger. If it cannot avoid danger despite having the means, it must have deeply offended Heaven and cannot escape punishment. What crime did the turtle commit by hiding in the abyss? It is unknown that animal nature is lustful. Once lust arises, relying on its spiritual Qi, it bewitches men and women, stealing human Jing (Essence) to benefit its own body. Or, driven to extreme lust, killing intent arises. Long indulging in pleasure without self-reflection, how can Heaven not punish it? However, the Supreme Emperor loves life. Instead of killing a long-lived creature and leaving it useless, it is better to help virtuous cultivators make longevity elixirs. This was transmitted to me by an extraordinary person, and I dare not keep it secret but share it with the world, so those of high virtue may use it for longevity.

It is said: Among the 360 types of shelled creatures, the turtle is the leader, possessing spiritual changes. In medicine, care must be taken to prevent dampness, lest it follow its changing nature and form masses (Jia) in the abdomen. Your formula for processing the turtle involves boiling in water; what if it causes abdominal masses? The answer is: Boiling with rolling water prevents mischief, especially since mulberry wood is used to process it. However, using turtle to tonify Yin precisely utilizes its spiritual nature. The formula contains many Heart-tonifying herbs. The Heart houses the Spirit (Shen), and the turtle possesses spirit. By connecting their Qi, the Heart and Kidney connect, achieving the wondrous balance of Water and Fire (Ji Ji).