鸦胆子∶俗名鸭蛋子，即苦参所结之子。味极苦，性凉。为凉血解毒之要药，善治热性赤痢（赤痢间有凉者），
二便因热下血，最能清血分之热及肠中之热，防腐生肌，诚有奇效。愚生平用此药治愈至险之赤痢不胜纪，用
时去皮，每服二十五粒，极多至五十粒，白糖水送下。
鸭蛋子味甚苦，服时若嚼破，即不能下咽。若去皮时破者，亦不宜服。恐服后若下行不速，或作恶心呕吐。
故方书用此药，
恒以龙眼肉包之，一颗龙眼肉包七数，以七七之数为剂。然病重身强者，犹可多服，常以八八之粒为剂。然亦
不必甚拘。
鸭蛋子连皮捣细，醋调，敷疔毒甚效，立能止疼。其仁捣如泥，可以点痣。拙拟毒淋汤又尝重用之，以治
花柳毒淋。其化瘀解毒之力如此，治痢所以有奇效也。
龙骨∶味淡，微辛，性平。质最粘涩，具有翕收之力（以舌舐之即吸舌不脱，有翕收之力可知），故能收
敛元气、镇安精神、固涩滑脱。凡心中怔忡、多汗淋漓、吐血衄血、二便下血、遗精白浊、大便滑泻、小便不
禁、女子崩带，皆能治之。其性又善利痰，治肺中痰饮咳嗽，咳逆上气，其味微辛，收敛之中仍有开通之力，
故《神农本草经》谓其主泻利脓血，女子漏下，而又主 瘕坚结也。龙齿与龙骨性相近，而又饶镇降之力，故
《神农本草经》谓主小儿大人惊痫，癫疾狂走，心下结气，不能喘息也。
愚于忽然中风肢体不遂之证，其脉甚弦硬者，知系肝火肝风内动，恒用龙骨同牡蛎加于所服药中以敛戢
之，至脉象柔和其病自愈，拙拟镇肝熄风汤、建瓴汤，皆重用龙骨，方后皆有验案可参观。
龙骨若生用之，凡心中怔忡、虚汗淋漓、经脉滑脱、神魂浮荡诸疾，皆因元阳不能固摄，重用龙骨，借其
所含之元阴以翕收此欲涣之元阳，则功效立见。若 用之，其元阴之气因 伤损，纵其质本粘涩， 后其粘涩
增加，而其翕收之力则顿失矣。用龙骨者用其粘涩，诚不如用其吸收也。明乎此理，则龙骨之不宜 益明矣。
王洪绪《外科证治全生集》谓∶“用龙骨者宜悬之井中经宿而后用之”，是可谓深知龙骨之性，而善于用之者
矣。愚用龙骨约皆生用，惟治女子血崩，或将流产，至极危时恒用 者，取其涩力稍胜以收一时之功也。
陈修园曰∶痰，水也，随火而上升，龙骨能引逆上之火泛滥之水下归其宅，若与牡蛎同用，为治痰之神品，
今人止知其性涩以收脱，何其浅也。
鸦胆子：俗称鸭蛋子，是苦参所结的种子。味道极苦，性质凉。它是凉血解毒的重要药物，善于治疗热性赤痢（赤痢中也有属寒凉的），以及因热邪导致的大小便下血。它最能清除血分和肠道中的热邪，具有防腐和促进肌肉生长的功效，确实有奇效。我生平用此药治愈了无数极其危险的赤痢病例，不胜枚举。使用时需去皮，每次服用二十五粒，最多不超过五十粒，用白糖水送服。
鸭蛋子味道非常苦，服用时如果嚼破，就无法咽下。如果在去皮过程中破裂的，也不宜服用。恐怕服用后若下行速度不快，可能会引起恶心呕吐。因此，医方书中使用此药时，常用龙眼肉包裹，一颗龙眼肉包裹七粒或数粒，以“七七四十九”粒为剂量。然而，病情重且体质强壮者，还可以多服，常以“八八六十四”粒为剂量。但也不必过于拘泥。
鸭蛋子连皮捣碎成细末，用醋调匀，外敷疔毒非常有效，能立即止痛。其仁捣烂如泥，可以用来点痣。我在自拟的“毒淋汤”中曾重用此药，用于治疗花柳病引起的毒淋。它的化瘀解毒力量如此强大，这也是它治疗痢疾有奇效的原因。
龙骨：味道淡，微辛，性质平。质地最粘涩，具有收敛吸附的力量（用舌头舔它，舌头会被吸住不脱落，由此可知它具有收敛吸附之力），因此能够收敛元气、安定精神、固涩滑脱之症。凡是心中悸动不安、大汗淋漓、吐血鼻出血、大小便下血、遗精白浊、大便滑泻、小便失禁、女子崩漏带下，都能治疗。它的性质又善于利痰，治疗肺中痰饮咳嗽、气逆上冲，其味微辛，在收敛之中仍有开通的力量，所以《神农本草经》说它能主治泻痢脓血、女子漏下，同时又主治癥瘕坚结。龙齿与龙骨性质相近，但更具镇降之力，所以《神农本草经》说它能主治小儿和大人惊痫、癫狂奔走、心下结气、不能喘息等症。
我对于突然中风导致肢体不遂的病症，若脉象非常弦硬，知道这是肝火肝风内动所致，常常在所用的药方中加入龙骨和牡蛎来收敛抑制它，直到脉象变得柔和，病自然痊愈。我自拟的“镇肝熄风汤”、“建瓴汤”，都重用了龙骨，方剂后面都有验证的案例可以参考。
龙骨如果生用，凡是心中悸动、虚汗淋漓、经脉滑脱、神魂浮荡等疾病，都是因为元阳不能固摄，重用龙骨，借助其所含的元阴来收敛这些欲涣散的元阳，则功效立刻显现。如果经过煅烧使用，其元阴之气因煅烧而受损，纵然其质地本来粘涩，煅烧后粘涩性增加，但其收敛吸附的力量就完全丧失了。使用龙骨，利用的是它的粘涩特性，其实不如利用它的吸收（收敛）特性更好。明白这个道理，就更明确龙骨不宜煅烧使用了。
王洪绪在《外科证治全生集》中说：“使用龙骨应当悬挂在井中过夜之后才使用”，这可以说是深知龙骨的性质，并且善于使用它的人了。我使用龙骨大多为生用，只有治疗女子血崩，或者即将流产，到了极其危险的时候，才恒常使用煅龙骨，取其涩力稍强，以收一时之功。
陈修园说：“痰是水液，随着火气上升，龙骨能引导逆上的火气和泛滥的水液回归本位，如果与牡蛎同用，是治疗痰证的极品，现在的人只知道它性涩以收敛滑脱，见识何其浅薄啊。”
Yadanzi (Brucea javanica): Commonly known as "duck egg seed," it is the fruit of *Sophora flavescens* (Ku Shen). It has an extremely bitter taste and a cool nature. It is a crucial herb for cooling blood and resolving toxicity, skilled in treating heat-type dysentery with blood (though some cases of bloody dysentery are cold in nature), and hematochezia or hematuria caused by heat. It excels at clearing heat from the blood level and intestines, preventing putrefaction, and promoting tissue regeneration, truly possessing miraculous effects. Throughout my life, I have cured countless perilous cases of bloody dysentery with this herb, too numerous to recount. When used, the shell should be removed; each dose consists of 25 seeds, up to a maximum of 50 seeds, taken with sugar water.
The duck egg seed tastes very bitter; if chewed during ingestion, it becomes difficult to swallow. Seeds that break during shelling are also unsuitable for use, as they may cause nausea or vomiting if not expelled quickly. Therefore, in medical formulas, this herb is often wrapped in longan aril (Long Yan Rou). One piece of longan aril wraps seven or several seeds, using the number "seven times seven" (49 seeds) as a standard dose. However, for patients with severe illness but strong constitution, a higher dose is permissible, commonly using "eight times eight" (64 seeds). Nevertheless, one need not be overly rigid about these numbers.
Crushed Yadanzi with its shell, mixed with vinegar, applied externally to carbuncles (Ding Du), is very effective and provides immediate pain relief. The kernel, ground into a paste, can be used to remove moles. In my self-formulated formula "Du Lin Tang" (Poisonous Strangury Decoction), I heavily utilized this herb to treat gonorrheal toxic strangury. Its power to resolve stasis and detoxify is so profound that this explains its miraculous efficacy in treating dysentery.
Longgu (Fossilized Bone): It has a bland taste, slight pungency, and a neutral nature. Its texture is highly adhesive and astringent, possessing a contracting and absorbing force (if licked with the tongue, the tongue adheres to it, demonstrating this contracting force). Thus, it can consolidate primordial Qi, calm the spirit, and secure against slipping and discharge. It treats palpitations, profuse sweating, hematemesis, epistaxis, hematochezia, hematuria, seminal emission, leukorrhea, loose stools, urinary incontinence, and uterine bleeding or leukorrhea in women. Its nature also benefits in resolving phlegm; it treats cough due to phlegm-fluid retention in the lungs and rebellious Qi rising. Due to its slight pungency, within its astringent properties lies an opening and unblocking force. Hence, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats dysentery with pus and blood, uterine leakage, and also addresses masses and hard accumulations (Zhen Jia Jian Jie). Longchi (Dragon Teeth) shares similar properties with Longgu but possesses stronger sedative and descending powers. Therefore, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats convulsions and epilepsy in children and adults, manic wandering, chest qi stagnation, and inability to breathe smoothly.
In cases of sudden stroke resulting in limb paralysis where the pulse is wiry and stiff, indicating internal stirring of Liver Fire and Liver Wind, I frequently add Longgu and Muli (Oyster Shell) to the prescribed decoction to restrain and subdue them. Once the pulse becomes soft and harmonious, the disease resolves spontaneously. My self-formulated formulas "Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang" (Decoction to Settle the Liver and Extinguish Wind) and "Jian Ling Tang" (Decoction from the High Spout) both heavily utilize Longgu, with verified case records provided after the formulas for reference.
When used raw, Longgu treats conditions such as palpitations, deficiency sweating, slipping of meridians, and floating/dissipated soul-spirit, all caused by the failure of Primordial Yang to consolidate. Heavy use of Longgu leverages its contained Primordial Yin to contract and absorb this dissipating Primordial Yang, yielding immediate efficacy. If calcined (Duan Yong), its Primordial Yin energy is damaged by the process. Although its texture remains adhesive and astringent, and this adhesiveness increases after calcination, its contracting and absorbing power is completely lost. Using Longgu relies on its adhesiveness, but it is indeed better to utilize its absorbing/contracting nature. Understanding this principle makes it even clearer why Longgu should not be calcined.
Wang Hongxu, in *Waike Zhengzhi Quansheng Ji* (Complete Collection of External Medicine Treatments), stated: "Longgu intended for use should be suspended in a well overnight before usage." This demonstrates a deep understanding of Longgu's nature and skillful application. I generally use Longgu raw; only in critical cases of uterine bleeding (Beng Lou) or impending miscarriage do I consistently use calcined Longgu, taking advantage of its slightly stronger astringent power for immediate effect.
Chen Xiuyuan said: "Phlegm is water fluid that rises with fire. Longgu can guide the rebellious fire and overflowing fluids back to their origin. When used together with Muli, it is a divine herb for treating phlegm. Modern people only know its astringent nature for securing against leakage; how shallow their understanding is!"