金液丹硫黄炼成乃纯阳之物夏至人多服之反为大患有痼冷则宜服(泊宅编)
川人好服丹盖西北方土浓人禀气盛可胜丹不为所反南方鱼盐阴湿之地非宜服之大概脾恶
湿肾恶燥久服损肾其害尤大(琐碎录)
服秋石久而成渴疾盖咸能走血血走令人渴不能制水妄行(同上)
太学博士李干以进士为鄂岳从事遇方士柳贵从受药法服之往往下血比四年病益急乃死其
法以
铅满一鼎以物按中为空实以水银盖封四际烧为丹砂云余不知服食说自何世起杀人不可计而世
慕向之益至此其惑也在文书所记及耳相闻传者不说今直取自见亲与之游而以药败者六七公以
为世戒工部尚书归登殿中御史李虚中刑部尚书李逊逊弟刑部侍郎建襄阳节度使工部尚书孟简
东川节度御史大夫卢坦金吾将军李道古此其人皆有名位世所共识工部既食水银得病自说若有
烧铁杖自颠贯其下者摧而为火射窍即以出狂痛号呼乞绝其茵席尝得水银发且止唾血十数年以
毙殿中疽发其背死刑部且死谓余曰我为药误其季建一旦无病死襄阳黜为吉州司马余自袁州还
京师襄阳乘舸邀我于潇洲屏人曰我得秘药不可独不死今遗子一器可用枣肉为丸服之别一年而
病其家人至讯之曰前所服之药误方且下之下则平矣病二岁竟卒卢大夫死时溺出血肉痛不可忍
乞
死及金吾以柳贲得罪食贲药五十死海上此可以为诫者也蕲不死乃速得死谓之智可不可也五谷
三牲盐醯果蔬人所常御人相浓勉必曰强食今惑者皆曰五谷令人夭不能无食当务减节盐醯以济
百味豚鱼鸡三者古以养老反曰是皆杀人不可食一筵之馔禁忌十常不食二三不信常道而务鬼怪
临死乃悔后之好者又曰彼死者皆不得其道也我则不然始动曰药动故病病去药行乃不死矣及且
死又悔呜呼可哀也已(昌黎文 韩退之既知其害而晚年服硫黄而死详见渔隐从话)
金液丹是由硫黄炼制而成的，属于纯阳之物。夏至时节人们如果多服此药，反而会造成大祸害；只有患有顽固性寒症的人适宜服用。（出自《泊宅编》）
四川人喜好服用丹药，大概是因为西北方土地厚重，人的禀赋之气旺盛，能够承受丹药而不被其反噬；而南方是鱼盐产地，气候阴湿，不适宜服用。大抵上，脾脏厌恶湿气，肾脏厌恶燥气，长期服用会损伤肾脏，其危害尤其巨大。（出自《琐碎录》）
服用秋石时间久了会导致口渴之疾，因为咸味能引导血液运行，血液妄行导致人体口渴且无法制约水分，致使水液妄行。（同上）
太学博士李干以进士身份担任鄂岳从事，跟随方士柳贵学习服药方法，服用后往往出现便血症状，经过四年病情日益危急，最终死亡。他的方法是：用铅装满一个鼎，在中间按压出空腔，填入水银，然后覆盖密封四周边缘，烧炼成丹砂。我不知道服食养生之说从哪个时代兴起，杀人不可胜数，但世人仰慕向往之情却达到这种地步，真是迷惑啊！这在文书记载以及耳闻流传中都有体现，现在直接选取亲眼所见、亲自交往而因服药败坏身体的六七位公卿作为世人的警戒：工部尚书归登、殿中御史李虚中、刑部尚书李逊、李逊的弟弟刑部侍郎李建、襄阳节度使兼工部尚书孟简、东川节度使兼御史大夫卢坦、金吾将军李道古。这些人都有名望地位，为世人所共知。工部尚书归登食用水银致病，自己说好像有烧红的铁杖从头顶贯穿而下，摧折化为火，射入七窍排出，狂乱痛苦，号叫呼痛，乞求速死，他睡觉的垫席常常沾有水银，发作时吐血，十几年后死去。殿中御史李虚中背部生疽而死，临死前对我说：“我被药物所误。”他的弟弟李建突然无病而死。襄阳节度使卢坦被贬为吉州司马，我从袁州返回京师时，卢坦乘船在潇洲邀请我，屏退旁人说道：“我得到秘药，不能独自不死，现在送给你一器，可以用枣肉做成丸药服用。”过了一年，他的家人到来询问，说之前服用的药物有误，方子本来应该让大便通畅下行，那样病就好了。卢坦患病两年后最终去世。卢大夫死时，小便出血肉，疼痛难忍，乞求速死。金吾将军李道古因柳贲获罪，吃了柳贲的药，五十岁时死在海外。这些都可以作为警戒。追求不死反而加速死亡，这能称为智慧吗？五谷、三牲（猪牛羊鸡等）、盐、醋、水果、蔬菜，是人们日常经常食用的，人们互相劝勉一定要说“多吃点”。如今迷惑的人都说是五谷让人短命，但不能不吃，应当致力于减少节制；盐和醋用来调和百味，猪肉、鱼、鸡肉古人用来养老，反而说这些都是杀人的食物，不可食用。一顿饭的禁忌，十次中有七八次不吃的情况，不相信正常的饮食之道，却追求鬼怪迷信，临死时才后悔。后来喜欢服食的人又说：“那些死者都是没有掌握正确的方法，我则不然。”刚开始活动时说“药在动”，所以生病；病去药行就能不死了。等到快要死了又后悔。唉，真是可悲啊！（出自昌黎先生韩愈的文章。韩退之既然知道其危害，但晚年仍服用硫黄而死，详见《渔隐丛话》）
Jinye Dan (Golden Liquid Pill) is refined from Sulfur (Liu Huang, 硫黄), which is a purely Yang substance. If people take it in large doses during the Summer Solstice, it will instead cause great harm; it is suitable only for those suffering from chronic cold conditions (Chen Leng, 痼冷). (From *Bo Zhai Bian*)
People in Sichuan are fond of taking elixirs, largely because the land in the northwest is dense and heavy, and people there possess robust constitutions that can withstand the elixirs without being harmed by them. In contrast, the south is a region of fish, salt, yin, and dampness, making it unsuitable for such consumption. Generally speaking, the Spleen (Pi, 脾) dislikes dampness, and the Kidney (Shen, 肾) dislikes dryness. Long-term use damages the Kidneys, causing particularly severe harm. (From *Suo Cui Lu*)
Long-term consumption of Qiushi (Autumn Stone) leads to thirst disorders. This is because the salty flavor guides blood movement; when blood moves recklessly, it causes thirst and an inability to control water, leading to the reckless flow of fluids. (Ibid.)
Li Gan, Doctor of the Imperial Academy, who held the position of Official in E-Yue as a Jinshi degree holder, learned the method of taking medicines from the alchemist Liu Gui. After taking them, he often suffered from bloody stools. Four years later, his illness became critical, and he died. His method involved filling a cauldron with Lead (Qian, 铅), pressing a hollow space in the center, filling it with Mercury (Shui Yin, 水银), covering and sealing the edges, and firing it to produce Cinnabar (Dan Sha, 丹砂). I do not know since which era the practice of taking elixirs for longevity began. It has killed countless people, yet the world's admiration for it has reached such extremes; this is truly bewildering. Such beliefs are recorded in texts and passed down through hearsay. Here, I directly cite six or seven high officials whom I personally knew and who were ruined by drug-taking, to serve as a warning to the world: Gui Deng, Minister of Works (Gongbu Shangshu, 工部尚书); Li Xuzhong, Censor-in-Chief (Dianzhong Yushi, 殿中御史); Li Xun, Minister of Justice (Xingbu Shangshu, 刑部尚书); Li Jian, Vice Minister of Justice (Xingbu Shilang, 刑部侍郎) and brother of Li Xun; Meng Jian, Military Governor of Xiangyang and Minister of Works; Lu Tan, Military Governor of Dongchuan and Grand Censor; and Li Daogu, General of the Jinyu Guards. All these men held prominent positions and were well-known to the public. Minister of Works Gui Deng fell ill after consuming mercury; he described feeling as if a red-hot iron rod had pierced him from head to toe, turning into fire and shooting out through his orifices. He was mad with pain, screaming and begging for death. His bedding was often stained with mercury, and he vomited blood during attacks, dying after more than ten years. Censor-in-Chief Li Xuzhong died of a carbuncle on his back. Before dying, he told me, "I was misled by medicine." His younger brother, Li Jian, died suddenly without prior illness. Lu Tan, Military Governor of Xiangyang, was demoted to Sima (Assistant Administrator) of Jizhou. When I returned to the capital from Yuanzhou, Lu Tan invited me aboard his boat at Xiaozhou. Dismissing attendants, he said, "I have obtained a secret elixir and cannot keep it to myself alone. I give you this vessel; make pills using jujube flesh and take them." A year later, his family arrived to inquire, stating that the previous medicine was incorrect; the prescription should have induced bowel movements to relieve the condition. Lu Tan died two years after falling ill. When Dr. Lu died, he urinated blood and flesh, suffering unbearable pain, and begged for death. General Li Daogu died at sea at the age of fifty after eating medicine given to him by Liu Ben, who had been implicated in a crime. These cases serve as warnings. Seeking immortality but hastening death—can this be called wisdom? Grains, meats (San Sheng, 三牲), salt, vinegar, fruits, and vegetables are commonly consumed by people. People encourage each other to eat heartily. Yet, the deluded claim that grains shorten life. While one cannot avoid eating, one should strive to reduce and moderate intake. Salt and vinegar balance flavors; pork, fish, chicken, and duck were used by ancients for nourishing the elderly, yet now they are claimed to be lethal and inedible. At a banquet, dietary taboos prevent eating two or three out of every ten dishes. They reject normal dietary principles and pursue superstitions, regretting only at the moment of death. Later enthusiasts argue, "Those who died did so because they lacked the correct method; I am different." Initially, they say, "The medicine activates," causing illness; then, "When the illness leaves, the medicine works, and I will not die." Finally, nearing death, they regret it. Alas, how tragic! (From the writings of Han Yu of Changli. Although Han Tui-zhi knew of the harms, he took sulfur in his later years and died; see *Yu Yin Cong Hua*.)