The Metal Section: Gold
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Gold flakes.
Taste and Properties Pungent, neutral, toxic.
Indications Calms the spirit, strengthens the bone marrow, clears the five organs of evil qi, and is taken by immortals. Treats children’s fright, injuries to the five organs, wind-induced epilepsy, calms the heart and soul. For epilepsy due to wind-heat, cough from lung damage due to cold, and thirst from bone steaming and exhaustion, it can be taken in pills or powders. Breaks cold qi and expels wind.
The Metal Section: Silver
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as white gold or silver.
Taste and Properties Silver flakes, pungent, neutral, toxic; raw silver, pungent, cold, non-toxic.
Indications For pregnant women with lower back pain. Use one tael of silver and three liters of water, decoct to two liters and take. For threatened miscarriage, use five taels of silver, two taels of root, one bowl of clear wine, and one large bowl of water, decoct to one bowl and take warm. For toothache due to wind, use one tael of refined silver, heat it red and soak it in a bowl of hot wine, then gargle. For mouth and nose sores, use one tael of silver flakes in three liters of water, decoct in a copper vessel to one liter, and wash three to four times a day. For red spots on the body, regularly rub with silver pieces until they gradually disappear.
The Metal Section: Natural Copper
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as lead ore.
Taste and Properties Pungent, neutral, non-toxic.
Indications For heart pain. Use natural copper, first calcine (i.e., heat until red), then quench in vinegar (i.e., dip in vinegar to reduce heat), and repeat this process nine times, finally grinding it into a fine powder. Take a small pinch mixed with vinegar. For goiter under the neck (a pouch under the skin filled with qi), place natural copper in a water tank and use this water for daily consumption. Over time, the goiter will dissolve. Alternatively, burn natural copper to produce smoke and inhale. For paralysis due to summer dampness, heat natural copper red, soak overnight in wine, add one tael each of processed Chuan Wu (Aconitum carmichaelii), five-spice resin, and Cang Zhu (Atractylodes lancea), and two qian of Angelica sinensis, all soaked in wine. After soaking, form into pills the size of a walnut. Take seven pills with wine. If the limbs become numb, it indicates recovery from paralysis, and medication can be stopped. For fractures, take natural copper with wine or copper shavings with wine, both effective, but do not take continuously after the bones have healed.
Note Natural copper refers to chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), but currently, pyrite (FeS2) is often used in traditional medicine as natural copper. This may be one reason why some traditional medicines are ineffective, which should be considered.
The Metal Section: Copper Green
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as verdigris, which forms on copper vessels.
Taste and Properties Sour, neutral, slightly toxic.
Indications For sudden fainting or paralysis caused by phlegm. Use two taels of copper green, grind finely, wash with water to remove dregs, and slowly dry over low heat. Then add one fen of musk, and form into pills the size of a bullet. Each pill is taken in two doses with mint wine. If phlegm is not fully resolved, it can be taken with vermilion wine. The goal is to expel greenish phlegm and eliminate harmful substances for recovery. This formula is called “Bi Lin Dan”. For children with this condition, it is advisable to use “Green Cloud Dan”. The formula is: grind copper green into powder, mix with vinegar to form pills the size of a lotus seed, and take one pill dissolved in mint wine. If phlegm is expelled, it is effective. For sore eyes, mix copper green with water, apply to the bottom of a bowl, dry with moxa, then scrape off and apply to the sore area. For hair loss, use oil to grind copper coin powder and apply. For black moles on the face, scratch the mole and apply copper green powder, leaving it for three days without washing off, and the mole will fall off. For thick moles, apply again. For bone socket wind (a condition causing swelling and pain in the gums), use equal parts of copper green, talc, and apricot kernel, grind and apply. For mouth and nose sores, use equal parts of copper green and alum, grind finely and apply to the sores. Another formula: use one qian of human middle white, and three fen of copper green, grind finely and apply.
The Metal Section: Lead
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as blue gold, black tin, golden public, or water gold.
Taste and Properties Sweet, cold, non-toxic.
Indications Brightens the eyes, strengthens teeth, and darkens hair. Use half a jin of lead, melt into juice, and while hot, add ash from mulberry branches, stirring with willow wood to form a fine sand-like powder. Sift and use the fine powder to rub teeth, then rinse the mouth with the same water to wash the eyes, effective for brightening eyes, strengthening teeth, and darkening hair. For kidney qi attacking the heart, causing rapid breathing and a dark face, use two taels of lead, two taels of Shiting fat, one tael of wood fragrance, and one qian of musk. First, melt the lead, add Shiting fat, and stir-fry quickly. When flames rise, spray with vinegar. After frying, pour into a prepared pit in the ground, cover, and wait for it to cool before grinding finely, then mix with rice to form pills the size of a lotus seed. Take two pills with hot wine. If sweating or gas problems occur, the condition will improve. If bowel movements are still not smooth, take another pill with five fen of Xuanming powder. For women’s blood qi cold pain attacking the heart, the same method can be used. For wind (foaming at the mouth, rolling eyes, convulsions), use one tael of black lead, one and a half taels of mercury, five qian of sand, and one tael of southern star (processed), grind into powder, and mix with glutinous rice to form pills the size of green beans. One pill is taken for each year of age, with warm water. For nausea and hiccups, use one and a half taels of black lead, one and a half taels of mercury, five qian of sand, and one tael of cinnamon, grind finely, and mix with half rice soup and half ginger sweat to take. For chronic nausea, use two taels of lead, two taels of Shiting fat, and five taels of brine. First, burn the lead, quench it in brine, then stir-fry with Shiting fat until flames rise, then sprinkle on water, and grind evenly. Add steamed cake to form pills the size of a lotus seed. Take twenty-nine pills with dried persimmon soup. For excessive thirst and restlessness, use equal parts of black lead and mercury, mix until it forms a paste, and keep a yellow bean-sized ball in the mouth to swallow the saliva. For edema, use five taels of lead, one jujube pod, and two dou of wine, boil six times, and drink until urination is smooth, then the swelling will disappear. For inability to urinate, use one tael of copper filings, half a tael of ginger, and a handful of lamp wick, decoct in well water. Before taking the medicine, apply fried scallions to the navel. For sudden cough, use equal parts of copper filings, cinnamon heart, and soap pod, grind finely, and mix with honey to form pills the size of a walnut. Take fifteen pills. Avoid sudden food. For scrofula and tuberculosis, use two taels of lead, fry in an iron pot, take the black ash, mix with vinegar and apply, covering with a cloth. Change the medicine frequently to let the bad juices flow out. After half a month, if it does not hurt or break, it will dissolve into water and the illness will be cured. For back abscesses, use one jin of lead and three taels of licorice (slightly moxibustion). First, soak the licorice in one dou of wine, then melt the lead into the wine. After the lead cools and solidifies, take it out and melt it again, repeating this nine times. Drink the wine after straining, and if intoxicated, it will cure. For arsenic poisoning (agitation, abdominal pain, cold limbs), use four taels of black lead, grind with one bowl of water and take. For sulfur poisoning, use black copper decoction. For light powder poisoning, use five jin of copper to make a pot, add fifteen jin of wine, half a jin of earth poria, and three qian of frankincense, seal tightly, and boil for a day and night, burying it in the ground to remove the fire poison. Drink several cups every morning and evening, and collect urine in a clay basin to see powdery substances in the urine. Continue until the muscles and bones no longer hurt.
The Metal Section: Lead Frost
Author: Li Shizhen
Lead Frost is also known as lead white frost. It is made by mixing lead with mercury in a ratio of fifteen to one, sealing it in a vinegar jar, and allowing it to sit for a long time to form frost. Li Mingzhen introduced the method of making lead frost: pound lead into coins, string them together. Place raw vinegar in a clay pot, and hang another pot above it, three inches away from the vinegar, then cover with another pot and place in a dark place to allow frost to form. After brushing off the frost that forms, cover the pot again to collect new frost.
Taste and Properties Sweet, sour, cold, non-toxic.
Indications For children’s fright due to heat (accumulated heat in the heart and lungs, causing frequent fright at night). Use equal parts of lead frost and cow bile, and one part of iron powder, grind together. Each dose is one-fourth of a qian, taken with bamboo juice. For fright wind disease (throat closure, tight teeth), use one-fourth of a qian of lead frost, add a small amount of toad, grind into powder, and apply to the gums with black plum meat; at the same time, blow the medicine into the mouth. After a while, the throat and teeth will loosen. For excessive thirst and heat, use equal parts of lead frost and white alum, grind finely, mix with honey to form pills the size of a lotus seed. Each time, wrap one pill in cotton and place it in the mouth, allowing the juice to be swallowed. Another formula: one tael of lead frost, one tael each of root yellow and saltpeter, grind into powder, and take one qian with cold water. For throat obstruction and swelling (difficulty breathing), use equal parts of lead frost and licorice, and one tael of indigo, grind finely, mix with vinegar to form pills the size of a lotus seed. Each time, dissolve one pill in the mouth for effectiveness. For swelling and pain of the uvula (swelling of the tongue), use one fen of lead frost and one fen of licorice (half raw, half moxibustion), grind finely, wrap in cotton to form a small ball, and place in the mouth, swallowing the juice. For mouth sores and swollen gums, use two qian of lead frost and copper green, and a small piece of white alum, grind into powder, and apply with a chicken feather. For nosebleeds, grind lead frost finely and take two and a half fen with fresh spring water. For swollen and painful hemorrhoids, use one fen of lead frost and one fen of white brain powder, mix with wine and apply, effective upon contact. For young girls with menstrual irregularities, use half a tael of lead frost and one cup of fresh Rehmannia juice, mix and take. Take three times a day.
The Metal Section: Mercury
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as mercury, spiritual liquid, or the goddess.
Taste and Properties Pungent, cold, toxic.
Indications For acute fright wind. Use half a tael of mercury, one tael of raw southern star, and half a fen of musk, grind finely, add camphor oil, and form into pills the size of green beans. Each pill is taken with mint soup. For nausea and vomiting, use one and a half taels of black lead, one and a half taels of mercury, five qian of sand, and one tael of cinnamon, grind finely, and take in two doses. One half with rice soup and one half with ginger sweat, mixed in a bowl. For heat in the gallbladder causing nosebleeds, use equal parts of mercury, vermilion, and musk, grind finely, and take half a fen with fresh spring water. For blood sweat that does not stop, use the same formula. For fetal movement (the mother feels faint, but the child is still alive), use two taels of mercury, have the mother swallow it, and the fetus will be expelled. For accidentally swallowing gold or silver ornaments, take one tael of mercury, and it will be expelled immediately. Another formula: one tael of mercury, taken in two doses. After the second dose, it will be expelled. For lice on the head, use mercury mixed with candle oil to rub the head, and the lice will die overnight. For mouth sores, use one fen of mercury, six fen of coptis, and two liters of water, making five cups, and rinse the mouth ten times a day for effectiveness. For vitiligo, use mercury to rub several times for recovery. For anal worms and itching, use two taels of mercury and jujube paste, grind together, form small balls with cotton, and insert into the anus, and the worms will come out the next day.
Note Mercury is highly toxic, and its use in medicine must be approached with extreme caution. In ancient times, alchemists boasted that mercury could grant immortality with prolonged use. Li Mingzhen strongly criticized this fallacy, pointing out that many people, in their desire for longevity, consumed large amounts of mercury, leading to disability or even death. Those who seek to attract attention may exaggerate, but those studying materia medica must treat the medicinal use of mercury with seriousness to avoid misleading others.
The Metal Section: Tin Powder
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as lead powder, it has various names such as lead powder, lead flower, fixed powder, tile powder, light powder, water powder, white powder, official powder, and Hu powder. In ancient times, women used it for face powder.
Taste and Properties Pungent, cold, non-toxic.
Indications For labor recovery and food recovery (i.e., after a major illness, if one engages in sexual activity before fully recovering, it can cause fever, red stools, swollen or retracted testicles, known as “labor recovery”. If one overeats and old illnesses recur, it is called “food recovery”). Use a small amount of tin powder, taken with water. For children with persistent diarrhea, use twenty red dates, remove the pits, fill with tin powder, dry in a clay pot, remove the dates and grind finely. Each dose is three fen, taken with rice soup. For red and white dysentery, use one tael of tin powder, mix with egg white, and fry until charred, then grind finely. Each time, take one qian with cold water. For children’s dysentery (caused by malnutrition, alternating between diarrhea and constipation), steam and then fry the tin powder until it changes color, and take half a qian with rice soup. For abdominal distension in children, use salt to fry the tin powder until it changes color, then rub it on the abdomen. For children with blue skin, this method can be effective. For children who cry at night, use a quantity of tin powder the size of three beans, taken with water three times a day. For fever and excessive sweating, use half a jin of tin powder and four taels of thunder ball, grind finely and use as powder to apply to the body. For tapeworms and roundworms, use a small amount of tin powder, fry it, and take it in meat soup for effectiveness. For nosebleeds that do not stop, fry tin powder with vinegar, and take one qian for immediate effect. For bleeding between teeth, use half a tael of tin powder and half a fen of musk, apply while lying down. For bruises and blood stasis, use one qian of tin powder, taken with water. It is effective even for severe bruising and shortness of breath. For fractures, use equal parts of tin powder and borax, grind finely, and take one qian with Su Mu soup. It is advisable to drink more Su Mu soup. For skin abrasions, use sesame oil to mix with tin powder and apply to the affected area. For injuries that swell and become sore, use one tael of tin powder, one fen of red stone fat, and one fen of mercury, mix with sesame oil to form a paste, apply to oil paper and cover the area. For yellow pus sores, use three fen of tin powder, add three fen of rosin, one fen of yellow lead, and two fen of fine alum, grind into powder, and mix with two taels of sesame oil to form a paste for application. For sores at the corners of the mouth, use one fen of fried tin powder and half a tael of coptis, grind into powder and apply to the affected area. For flower-like sores (sores with small grains inside that bleed when broken), use one tael of tin powder and one tael of rouge, grind into powder, wash the affected area with salt water, and apply the medicine five times a day. For honeycomb sores, use equal parts of tin powder and vermilion, grind finely, and mix with honey for application. For burns and scalds, use bone marrow from sheep mixed with tin powder for application. For insect bites, use tin powder mixed with garlic to form a paste and apply to the wound. For eye floaters, use tin powder to apply to the floaters for effectiveness. For dry mouth and lack of saliva, use five pig gallbladders, boil in wine until the gallbladder breaks, then add one tael of tin powder, mix well, and form pills the size of lotus seeds. Each time, dissolve one pill and swallow the juice. For abdominal masses (a condition where there are hard lumps in the abdomen), use millet juice to mix with tin powder for effective treatment. For back sores and back pain, use two taels of tin powder and three taels of sesame oil, slow-cook while stirring with willow branches. When it drips sweat, add a little white glue powder, soak in water for two days, then apply to the affected area. This formula is called “Shen Ying Gao”.
Note The main function of tin powder, known in ancient times as “able to subdue the five corpses”, is related to symptoms similar to what is now referred to as cancer. Additionally, the ancient term “zheng jia” also resembles cancer, and tin powder is one of the key medicines for treating it. Therefore, whether tin powder is related to cancer treatment is worth exploring. In the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Xueming in his “Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica” believed this substance to be toxic.
The Metal Section: Steel
Author: Li Shizhen
Taste and Properties Sweet, neutral, non-toxic.
Indications For metal wounds, fullness and heat in the middle, chest obstruction, and indigestion.
The Metal Section: Mituo Sang
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as Mo Duo Sang or furnace bottom. Taste and properties are salty, pungent, neutral, with slight toxicity.
Indications For phlegm accumulation in the chest that does not disperse. Use one tael of Mituo Sang, add vinegar and water each one bowl, decoct until dry, and grind into powder. Each dose is two qian, mixed with wine and water in a small bowl, decoct to one bowl, and take warm. It is best to expel phlegm. For excessive thirst and drinking, use two taels of Mituo Sang, grind into powder, soak in boiling water, remove, and mix with a little steamed cake to form pills the size of a walnut. Take with strong silkworm salt soup, eggplant root soup, or wine. On the first day, take five pills, then increase by nine pills each day until reaching thirty pills at once. Do not take more than this; if nausea occurs after five or six doses, stop the medication. If nausea occurs, eat some dry food to suppress it. For red and white dysentery, use three taels of Mituo Sang, burn until yellow, grind finely, and take one qian with vinegar tea three times a day. For hemorrhoids, use one qian each of copper green and Mituo Sang, with a little musk, grind finely, mix with saliva, and apply to the affected area. For infant eczema (a condition resembling fish blisters, with clear fluid that reappears after breaking), use Mituo Sang powder for sprinkling, and take Su He Xiang pills internally. For fright and loss of voice, use one teaspoon of Mituo Sang, mixed with tea, for recovery. For armpit odor, wash the armpit clean, then apply Mituo Sang powder mixed with oil. Also, place one qian of Mituo Sang powder in hot steamed cake and place it under the armpit. For bad breath, use one qian of Mituo Sang powder mixed with vinegar for gargling. For mouth sores, use calcined Mituo Sang, grind into powder, and apply to the sores. For sores inside the nose, use equal parts of Mituo Sang and fragrant white zhi, grind into powder, and apply with candle oil. For all black scars, use two taels of Mituo Sang, grind finely, and mix with human milk for application. Apply the medicine at night and wash off during the day. For summer sweat spots resembling rashes, use eight qian of Mituo Sang and four qian of realgar, grind finely. First, rub the skin with ginger slices to induce heat, then use the ginger slices to apply the powder to the sweat spots. The next day, the spots will dry up. For bone abscesses (also known as “multi-bone sores”, where fine bones occasionally protrude), mix Mituo Sang powder with tung oil for application. For ulcers, mix Mituo Sang powder with sesame oil to form a paste, apply to oil paper, and repeatedly apply to the affected area.
Note Mituo Sang and lead dan have similar functions: they expel phlegm, calm the spirit, and detoxify, which are their main uses. Mituo Sang is often used in plasters instead of lead dan.
The Metal Section: Tin
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as white tin or He.
Taste and Properties Sweet, cold, slightly toxic.
Indications For toxic wind sores.
Note Use tin vessels to grind water on rough stones, and take the water to counteract arsenic poisoning. Use two and a half qian each of lead and tin, add sand and centipede, grind into powder, roll into paper, and soak in oil overnight. Light the lamp to treat cherry sores, twice daily, for seven days to see results.
The Metal Section: Iron Filings
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as iron liquid, iron shavings, or iron moth. When iron is forged, sparks fly, fine as shavings, moving like moths.
Taste and Properties Pungent, neutral, non-toxic.
Indications For children’s scarlet fever. Use iron filings, grind finely, and apply with pig oil. For anger, mania, and fright, use iron filings decocted in water.
Note The “Shennong Bencao Jing” also records that iron filings can treat sores and scabies, but the method is not detailed.
The Metal Section: Iron
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as black gold or wujin.
Taste and Properties Cooked iron: pungent, neutral, toxic. Raw iron: pungent, slightly cold, slightly toxic.
Indications Cooked iron: when heated red and thrown into wine, it can treat wind. Raw iron: for prolapse. Use two jin of raw iron and one dou of water, boil until reduced to five liters, and wash the anus twice a day. It is effective for long-term prolapse. For deafness caused by high fever, burn iron and quench it in wine, then drink this water while using a stone to block the ears, but remove it at night. For children’s scarlet fever, heat iron until red, quench it in water, and drink this water.
The Metal Section: Iron Powder
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Made from refined steel.
Taste and Properties Salty, neutral, non-toxic.
Indications For fright and fever. Use a small amount of iron powder, taken with water. For typhoid fever and mania, use two taels of iron powder and one tael of gentian, grind finely, and take with water. Each dose for adults is one qian, for children five fen. For boils, use one tael of iron powder and three taels of wild green root, mash into a paste and apply to the sores. Change twice a day. For wind-heat prolapse, mix iron powder with white rattan powder and apply to the affected area.
The Metal Section: Iron Rust
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as iron flower.
Taste and Properties Neutral, slightly damp.
Indications For diarrhea and prolapse. Use iron rust powder for application. For women’s prolapse, mix iron rust with sheep fat and wrap in cloth.
The Metal Section: Iron Essence
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Also known as iron flower. Comes from the iron furnace, fine as dust, with the best being light purple in color.
Taste and Properties Neutral, slightly damp.
Indications For diarrhea and prolapse. Use iron essence powder for application. For women’s prolapse, mix iron essence with sheep fat and wrap in cloth.
The Metal Section: Golden Paste
Author: Li Shizhen
Indications For longevity and immortality. Long-term use will turn the intestines golden.
Note For wind eye and rotten strings; heat golden rings until red, and apply to the upper and lower eyelids several times a day for excellent results. For toothache; heat a gold hairpin until red, and it will stop immediately. For mercury in the ear; it can corrode the brain. Use a golden pillow by the ear to expel it. For mercury in the flesh; it causes muscle spasms. Use a golden object to press it. Mercury can corrode gold; when the gold turns white, it is effective. For light powder breaking the mouth; for edema and sore diseases, take light powder after which mouth sores and gums will rot. Frequently rinse with juice boiled from gold utensils to kill powder toxins for recovery.
The Metal Section: Various Copper Utensils
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation Copper cobalt mother, also known as cobalt mother, is an iron tool.
Indications Copper cobalt mother treats fractures and bone healing. Grind into powder and mix with a little wine to take, not exceeding two fingers in length. Also, for heating ashes, it can relieve cold pain in the abdomen. Copper spoon handles treat wind eye redness and heat, and for red eyes with membranes, heat and cauterize, effective when used frequently. The “Great Ming Materia Medica” states that copper scales treat difficult childbirth and transverse births; heat red and quench in wine to take.
The Metal Section: Various Iron Utensils
Author: Li Shizhen
Explanation The “Supplement to the Materia Medica” lists five types of iron tools: iron pestle, iron knife, old saw, cloth needle, and iron nail; the “Great Ming Materia Medica” includes keys, iron plow tips, and horse bits; the “Kaibao Materia Medica” includes iron scales and cart shafts. The “Compendium of Materia Medica” adds nine new items including iron guns, iron axes, large knife rings, scissors, iron arrows, iron armor, iron locks, iron plows, and iron stirrups.
Taste and Properties Pungent, neutral, toxic.
Indications Strengthens muscles and resists pain. Labor iron treats wind; heat red and drink in wine.
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