典藏书目

Jinyinhua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos), Honghua (Carthami Flos), Shengdi Huang (Rehmanniae Radix), Taoren (Persicae Semen) [note: do not use double kernels, remove skin and tips], Jiesui (Schizonepetae Herba), Chishao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), each 1 qian; Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) 0.5 qian.

The above herbs.

If taken after eighteen days, it will no longer be effective.

This prescription was obtained by Hu Shamao Shaoquan from the South Road through transmission by an extraordinary person. At that time, his grandson had just reached twelve days of age, so he administered it according to the method. The next day, the variolous eruptions appeared, covering the head, face, hands, and feet completely. Their color was red and vibrant, indistinguishable from normal smallpox eruptions. They subsided after one day, followed by the appearance of rashes, which were also sufficiently thorough. People at the time marveled at its miraculous efficacy, using this prescription for infants born in childbirth, with no instance of ineffectiveness. According to the ingredients, the medicinal properties are extremely mild, consisting merely of common herbs for clearing heat, dispersing stagnation, and invigorating blood. The reason for such rapid efficacy lies in the fact that newborns possess harmonious qi and blood, and their interstices (cou li) are open and unobstructed. Assisted by the power of the dried umbilical cord, the fetal toxins are expelled. This exemplifies the principle of administering medicine before disease onset, hence the miraculous response. This prescription has been printed and widely circulated, yielding miraculous results everywhere. However, a child of the Wang family, after the eruption points appeared, mistakenly ingested Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian) and other cold-natured medicines, causing residual toxins to become internally blocked. White membranes, thick and coin-sized, formed on the lips and tongue, preventing breastfeeding. An urgent administration of a formula for dispersing stagnation and detoxifying gradually stabilized the condition. The white membranes turned into black scabs, shedding only after more than ten days, fortunately without harm. Thus, while the miraculous nature of this prescription is repeatedly verified, one must strictly avoid administering cold-natured medicines within three days after taking this prescription; this requires utmost caution.

Select thirty plump castor seeds (Bimazi, Ricini Semen), removing shells and skins; select one qian of clear and transparent Cinnabar (Zhusha, Cinnabaris); and 5 li of Musk (Shexiang, Moschus). First, grind Zhusha and Shexiang into an extremely fine powder. Then add Bimazi and grind together into a paste. Apply this paste to thirteen specific locations on the infant's body at noon on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month: the center of the top of the head, the anterior chest, the back, both palms, both soles, both antecubital fossae, both popliteal fossae, and both hypochondriac regions. All thirteen areas must be covered thoroughly without omission. Apply an amount the size of a coin. If any medicine remains unused, discard it. Do not wash off the applied medicine; allow it to fall off naturally. After applying once, if smallpox occurs in the following year, it will be very mild. Applying again on the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) of the next year will result in only a few pustules. Applying again on the Duanwu Festival of the third year will prevent smallpox entirely. For infants under one year old, applying according to this method on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month or the ninth day of the ninth lunar month is even more effective. It applies to both males and females. The family transmitting this prescription has been free from smallpox for thirteen generations.