一名轻粉。言其质也。一名腻粉。言其性也。即水银升炼者。故名汞粉。又名峭粉
。言其状也。升炼轻粉。分红白两种。白者用水银一两。白矾焰硝各二两。皂矾海盐各一两
。同研不见星。贮罐内。先以滑石九两。研细水飞。晒干再研。更以黑铅四两。分作数块。
打成薄片。一层滑石。一层铅片。铺置药上。筑极实。上余空数寸。使药气易转。以盏盖罐
口。先于灰火中徐煨罐底。听罐内无声。乃扎定之。用盐泥封固罐口。先用底火一炷香。次
用二寸火。渐至三寸火二炷香。用火时。以凉水常擦盏内。火足。（即一炷二炷香之谓）去
火冷定。药升盏上及空处矣。红者只用水银一两。焰硝白矾各二两。同研极细。升炼法悉与
白同。即釜碗之内亦可升取。并不必水擦釜顶也。前法用滑石黑铅为匮。则盐矾咸涩之味。
俱从铅石拔尽。功力转更神异。但火候以缓为贵。取药以少为良。此为丹家不传之秘。（子
由）水银粉合二矾盐硝而升者。嫩色黄。老色白。取用贵黄不贵白也。仅合白矾硝石而升者。
嫩色赤。老色紫。取用贵嫩不贵老也。其质本有能升之 。（汞同）而所显之色。与味之醇
烈。即缘盐矾硝石合化以成紫白赤黄。但味醇则气清而色黄赤。味烈则气浊而色紫白。黄赤
点饵咸宜。近世以味醇黄嫩者点疮毒顽肉。赤嫩者弥诸疮毒肤皮。捷如影响。（又） 诸矾
不与水银相合。而绿矾和盐能制水银成粉。何也。盖水银者金之魂魄。绿矾者铁之精华。二
气同根。是以暂制成粉。无盐则色不白。（海客论）
气味辛冷。有燥毒。升也。浮也。黄连土茯苓陈酱黑铅铁浆可制其毒。畏磁石石黄。忌
一切血。外敷。杀疮疥癣虫风痒瘰 下疳阴疮一切毒疮。去风杀虫。内治下膈涎。通大肠。
转消痰积。（如治疠风遇仙散。用以驱诸药入阳明经。开其风热拂郁。逐出恶风臭毒。杀所
生之虫。循经上行至牙齿 薄之分而出之。此可类推。）止血痢。疗水肿鼓胀。及小儿螈
疳瘅。用水银粉洁净淫疮。取效固速。第骨髓与形脏之至毒。从经气会归于胃。循胃上口而
出。多致口舌烂龈。（人卧气归于脏而会于胃。胃气上熏。毒不得泄。故并发于口舌。）惟卧
时衔管。则毒瓦斯从外泄。斯无糜烂之患矣。（子由） 轻粉利大肠。东垣又云抑肺而敛肛门。
何也。盖轻粉经火本燥。原自水银。性冷。用之于润药则利。用之于涩药则止。所以又能消
水肿。止血痢。吐风涎。要之虚病禁用。实者亦量用之。（文清） 小儿涎喘。服药不退者。
用无雄鸡子一个。取清。入轻粉抄十钱。拌和。银器盛。置汤瓶上蒸熟。三岁儿尽食。当吐
痰或泄而愈。气实者乃可用。大小便闭。胀满欲死。二三日则杀人。腻粉一钱。生麻油一合。
相和空心服。大便壅结。腻粉二钱。黄丹一钱。为末。每米饮服一钱。消中嗜食。不生肌肉。
多因外伤脾热。内积忧思。啖食咸物及面。致脾胃干燥。饮食倍常。大便反坚。小便无度。
用轻粉一钱为末。姜汁拌匀。长流水下。齿浮是效。后服猪 丸补之。一切虚风。不二散。
用腻粉一两。汤煎二度。如麻脚。慢火焙干。麝香半两细研。每服一字。温水调下。水气肿
满。汞粉一钱。乌鸡子去黄盛粉。蒸饼包。蒸熟取出。苦葶苈炒一钱。同蒸饼杵丸。绿豆大。
每车前
〔论〕 水银在丹砂中。伏火则溜汞于下。同他药炼之。则结粉于上。历稽升汞粉者。
多不能离矾硝二味。盖其收痰涎摄水。缘与焰消得火性之升举者。故转润下而成炎上。以结
于极顶。此频湖所谓化纯阴为燥烈。其性走而不守者也。然小儿急惊。又取其能下膈涎。因
痰涎为水液所结。汞固砂中金精。为水母。与铅交感。最能下坠。假矾石火消 炼。使阴滞
之质化于阳浮之气。能直就膈上而下其痰涎者此耳。寇氏谓惊为心气不足。切宜禁此。不知
惟慢惊属火。土虚者忌之。若急惊则因于热盛生痰。痰盛生惊。先哲谓治惊先豁痰。焉得禁
此。但其燥烈。未可独任。惟多同辛凉用之。乃为适宜。（如比金丸。轻粉滑石南星青黛。
又利金丸。轻粉青黛牵牛末天竺黄） 又按水银为阴毒之物。入肉令百节挛缩。倒阴绝阳。
而矾石又最能燥水伤骨。是皆损人之真阴者也。矾石本铁之精。铁禀太阳之气。与阴气不交。
其
夫物性随所感而移。纯阴化燥。理固不谬。加以入骨挛筋之性。贻害可胜言哉。方书乃止以
烈火 炼为言。或又止以汞毒为言。彼灵砂非烈火 炼者耶。独无汞毒耶。守一说而失之目
睫。可笑也。
水银乃至阴毒物。加以盐矾。炼为轻粉。加以硫黄。升为银朱。轻飞灵变。化纯阴为燥
烈。其性走而不守。善劫痰涎。消积滞。故水肿风痰湿热毒疮被劫。涎从齿龈而出。邪郁暂
开。疾亦因愈。若服之或误或过。则毒瓦斯窜入经络筋骨。莫之能出。痰涎既去。血液耗亡。
筋失所养。变为挛痛。发为痈疳。或手足皲裂。虫癣顽痹。经年累月。遂成废痼。其害无穷。
（濒湖）凡闭结由于血虚。小儿疳病。脾胃两虚。慢惊痰涎上壅。杨梅结毒。发于气虚久病
者。咸忌。（仲淳）腻粉善下小儿膈涎螈 。但多用有损。若惊风属心气不足者。下之则里
虚。惊气入心必死。（文清）
〔辨治〕真水银粉。体轻色白。如雪片可爱。撮些须放铜铁器内。置火上化无痕。假者
多搀石膏。焚之有滓。亦有搀朴硝者。须细辨之。大都如法自制乃可用。市肆中物。不可凭
也。
附取轻粉毒方 出山黑铅五斤。打壶一把。盛烧酒十五斤。纳土茯苓半斤。乳香三钱。
封固。重汤煮一日夜。埋土中。出火毒。每日早晚任性饮数杯后。用瓦盆接小便。自有粉出
为验。服至筋骨不痛乃止。
轻粉。这是描述它的质地。又名腻粉，这是描述它的性质。它是由水银经过升炼而成的，所以名叫汞粉。又叫做峭粉，这是描述它的形状。
升炼轻粉分为红、白两种。白色的制法：用水银一两，白矾、焰硝各二两，皂矾、海盐各一两。将它们一同研磨直到看不见星点（即颗粒极细）。装入罐中。先用滑石九两，研磨极细后用水飞法处理，晒干后再研。再用黑铅四两，分成几块，打成薄片。一层滑石粉，一层铅片，交替铺在药物上面，夯实得非常结实。上方留出几寸空余，使药气容易流转。用盏盖住罐口。先在灰火中慢慢煨烤罐底，等到罐内没有声音时，就固定好。用盐泥封固罐口。先用底火燃烧一炷香的时间，接着用二寸高的火，逐渐增至三寸高的火，再烧两炷香。用火的时候，要用凉水经常擦拭盏的内部。火候到了（指一炷香、两炷香的时间），撤去火源，待冷却定形后，药物便升华到盏上和空余处了。红色的制法：只用水银一两，焰硝、白矾各二两，一同研磨至极细。升炼的方法完全与白色相同。即使在釜碗之内也可以升取，不必用水擦拭釜顶。前面的方法使用滑石和黑铅作为容器，那么盐、矾咸涩的味道，都能从铅和石中被拔除干净，药效反而更加神奇。但是火候以缓慢为贵，取药以少量为佳。这是炼丹家不传的秘诀。（子由）水银粉配合二矾、盐、硝而升炼的，嫩的时候颜色黄，老的时候颜色白，取用时以黄色为贵，不以白色为贵。仅配合白矾、硝石而升炼的，嫩的时候颜色赤，老的时候颜色紫，取用时以嫩色为贵，不以老色为贵。其本质本来具有能升华的特性（汞同义），而所显现的颜色，以及味道的醇厚或猛烈，是因为盐、矾、硝石化合形成了紫、白、赤、黄不同的色泽。味道醇厚则气体清轻而颜色呈黄赤；味道猛烈则气体浑浊而颜色呈紫白。黄赤色的适合少量服用。近代人用味道醇厚、颜色黄嫩的轻粉点涂疮毒和顽固的肉芽，用赤色嫩者弥散各种疮毒在皮肤上，见效快得像影子跟随形体一样。（又论）各种矾类不与水银相合，但绿矾和盐却能制约水银使其成粉，为什么呢？大概水银是金的魂魄，绿矾是铁的精华，这两种气同源，所以暂时制成粉末。如果没有盐，颜色就不白。（海客论）
气味辛、冷，有燥性和毒性，性升浮。黄连、土茯苓、陈酱、黑铅、铁浆可以制约它的毒性。畏磁石、石黄。忌食一切血类食物。外用，可杀灭疮疥癣虫引起的风痒、瘰疬、下疳、阴疮及一切毒疮，祛风杀虫。内服可治疗下膈部的痰涎，通利大肠，消除痰积。（例如治疗麻风病的遇仙散，用它来引导其他药物进入阳明经，开通风热拂郁之气，驱逐恶风臭毒，杀灭所生的虫子，循经上行至牙齿牙龈薄处排出，此理可类推。）止血痢，治疗水肿鼓胀，以及小儿抽搐、疳疾、黄疸。用水银粉洁净淫秽疮疡，取效确实迅速。只是骨髓和脏腑中的剧毒，随着经气汇聚于胃，顺着胃上口而出，多导致口舌溃烂、牙龈腐烂。（人睡觉时气归于脏并汇聚于胃，胃气上熏，毒素无法泄出，所以并发于口舌。）只有在睡觉时衔着管子，那么毒气就从外部泄出，这才没有糜烂的祸患。（子由）轻粉能利大肠，李东垣又说它能抑制肺气而收敛肛门，为什么呢？大概轻粉经过火炼本性干燥，原本来自水银，性冷。用在润肠药中则通便，用在涩肠药中则止泻。所以又能消除水肿，止血痢，吐出风痰。总之，虚证禁用，实证也要酌情使用。（文清）小儿痰喘，服药不退的，用无雄鸡的一个鸡蛋，取蛋清，加入轻粉十钱，拌和均匀，用银器盛装，放在汤瓶上蒸熟。三岁儿童全部吃完，应当吐出痰液或腹泻而痊愈。只有气实的人才能使用。大小便闭塞，胀满欲死，二三天就会杀人。用腻粉一钱，生麻油一合，混合空腹服用。大便壅结不通，用腻粉二钱，黄丹一钱，研为末，每次用米汤送服一钱。消渴症嗜食，不长肌肉，多因外伤脾热，内积忧思，食用咸物及面食，导致脾胃干燥，饮食加倍，大便反而坚硬，小便无度。用轻粉一钱研末，姜汁拌匀，长流水送服。牙齿浮动是有效的标志。之后服用猪肾丸补益。一切虚风，不二散，用腻粉一两，煎汤两次，如麻脚状，慢火焙干，麝香半两细研，每次服一字，温水调下。水气肿满，用汞粉一钱，乌鸡子去黄盛放粉末，用蒸饼包裹，蒸熟取出，苦葶苈炒一钱，同蒸饼捣丸，绿豆大小，每次用车前草……
〔论〕 水银在丹砂中，伏火则流汞向下，与其他药一起炼制，则结粉向上。考察升炼汞粉的方法，大多不能离开矾、硝两味药。大概因为它能收痰涎、摄水，是因为与焰消得火性之升举作用，所以将润下的性质转化为炎上的性质，从而结聚在极顶。这就是李时珍所说的化纯阴为燥烈，其性走而不守的特点。然而小儿急惊风，又利用它能下膈痰涎的作用。因为痰涎是水液凝结而成，汞本是砂中金精，为水之母，与铅交感，最能下坠。借助矾石、火消炼制，使阴滞的体质化为阳浮之气，能直接作用于膈上而下行痰涎，就是这个道理。寇宗奭认为惊风是心气不足，切宜禁止使用此药。不知道只有慢惊属于火证，土虚者忌用。若急惊则是由于热盛生痰，痰盛生惊，先哲说治惊要先豁痰，怎么能禁止使用此药呢？只是它燥烈，不可单独使用，只有多配合辛凉药使用，才为适宜。（例如比金丸，含轻粉、滑石、南星、青黛；又利金丸，含轻粉、青黛、牵牛末、天竺黄）另外按语：水银是阴毒之物，入肉会使百节挛缩，导致倒阴绝阳，而矾石又最能燥水伤骨，这些都是损伤人的真阴的。矾石本是铁的精华，铁禀受太阳之气，与阴气不交。
事物的性质随感受而变化，纯阴化为燥烈，道理固然不错，加上入骨挛筋的性质，造成的危害能说尽吗？方书仅仅以烈火炼制来说明，或者又仅仅以汞毒来说明。那灵砂不是烈火炼制的吗？难道没有汞毒吗？坚守一种说法而失之于眼前，可笑啊。
水银是至阴毒物，加上盐、矾，炼为轻粉；加上硫黄，升为银朱。轻飞灵变，化纯阴为燥烈，其性走而不守，善于劫夺痰涎，消除积滞。所以水肿、风痰、湿热、毒疮被劫夺，痰涎从齿龈而出，邪气郁结暂开，疾病也因此痊愈。如果服用错误或过量，那么毒气窜入经络筋骨，无法排出。痰涎既去，血液耗亡，筋脉失去滋养，变为挛痛，发为痈疳，或者手足皲裂，虫癣顽痹，经年累月，遂成废疾。其害无穷。（濒湖）凡是闭结由于血虚，小儿疳病，脾胃两虚，慢惊痰涎上壅，杨梅结毒，发于气虚久病者，都忌用。（仲淳）腻粉善于下行小儿膈痰和抽搐。但多用会有损害，如果惊风属于心气不足的，下之则里虚，惊气入心必死。（文清）
〔辨治〕真正的水银粉，体轻色白，像雪片一样可爱。撮少许放在铜铁器内，放在火上熔化没有痕迹。假的往往搀杂石膏，焚烧后有残渣。也有搀杂朴硝的，必须仔细辨别。大抵按照方法自制才可以服用，市肆中的物品，不可信赖。
附：取轻粉毒方 出自山黑铅五斤，打成壶一把，盛烧酒十五斤，放入土茯苓半斤，乳香三钱，密封牢固，隔水重煮一日一夜，埋入土中，去除火毒。每日早晚随意饮用数杯，后用瓦盆接小便，自有粉末析出作为验证。服用至筋骨不痛为止。
Qingfen (Calomel). This term describes its texture. Also known as Nifen (Greasy Powder), this term describes its nature. It is produced by sublimating Mercury (Hydrargyrum, Shuiyin), hence the name Gongfen (Mercury Powder). It is also called Qiaofen (Cliff Powder), describing its appearance.
The sublimation of Qingfen yields two types: red and white. For the white type: use one qian of Mercury, two liang each of Alum (Alumen, Baifan) and Saltpeter (Niter, Yanxiao), and one liang each of Green Vitriol (Sideritum, Zaofan) and Sea Salt (Halitum, Haiyan). Grind them together until no distinct particles are visible ("stars"). Store in a jar. First, take nine liang of Talcum (Talcum, Huashi), grind it finely, process by water flotation (shuifei), dry it, and grind again. Then take four liang of Black Lead (Lithargyrum, Heiqian), divide into several pieces, and beat into thin sheets. Alternate layers of Talcum powder and Lead sheets, placing them on top of the medicinal ingredients. Pack extremely firmly. Leave a few cun of empty space above to allow medicinal vapors to circulate easily. Cover the jar mouth with a lid. Slowly warm the bottom of the jar over ash fire. When no sound is heard from inside the jar, secure it. Seal the jar mouth with salt mud. First, apply base fire for one incense stick's duration. Then use a two-cun high fire, gradually increasing to a three-cun high fire for another two incense sticks' duration. While heating, frequently wipe the inside of the lid with cool water. Once the heat is sufficient (referring to the duration of one or two incense sticks), remove the fire source. After cooling and solidifying, the medicine will have sublimated onto the lid and the empty space. For the red type: use only one qian of Mercury, and two liang each of Saltpeter and Alum. Grind them extremely fine. The sublimation method is exactly the same as for the white type. It can be collected even within a cauldron bowl, without needing to wipe the top of the cauldron with water. The previous method uses Talcum and Black Lead as containers, so the salty and astringent flavors of Salt and Alum are completely extracted by the lead and stone, making the efficacy even more miraculous. However, the fire control should prioritize slowness, and obtaining less medicine is considered better. This is a secret not passed down among alchemists. (Ziyou) Mercury powder sublimated with two Alums, Salt, and Niter appears yellow when fresh and white when aged; yellow is preferred over white. Mercury powder sublimated with only Alum and Niter appears red when fresh and purple when aged; fresh color is preferred over aged. Its substance inherently possesses the ability to sublimate (same as Mercury). The colors displayed, and the purity or intensity of its taste, result from the combination of Salt, Alum, and Niter forming purple, white, red, and yellow hues. A pure taste implies clear qi and yellow-red color; an intense taste implies turbid qi and purple-white color. Yellow-red varieties are suitable for small doses. In recent times, people use the pure-tasted, yellow-fresh variety to dab on sore toxins and stubborn flesh, and the red-fresh variety to spread on skin with various sore toxins, acting as swiftly as a shadow follows a form. (Another discussion) Various Alums do not combine with Mercury, but Green Vitriol and Salt can restrain Mercury to form powder. Why? Mercury is the soul and spirit of Metal; Green Vitriol is the essence of Iron. These two energies share the same root, thus temporarily forming powder. Without Salt, the color will not be white. (Haike Lun)
The flavor is pungent and cold; it has dryness and toxicity. It ascends and floats. Coptis Rhizome (Coptidis Rhizoma, Huanglian), Smilax Glabra Rhizome (Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma, Tufuling), Aged Soybean Paste (Chenjiang), Black Lead (Lithargyrum, Heiqian), and Iron Slag (Tiexiang) can restrain its toxicity. It is incompatible with Magnetite (Magnetitum, Cishi) and Realgar (Realgar, Shihuang). Avoid all blood products. External application kills parasites causing sores, scabies, tinea, wind-itch, scrofula, chancres, yin sores, and all toxic sores; expels wind and kills insects. Internally, it treats phlegm-fluid below the diaphragm, unblocks the large intestine, and resolves phlegm accumulation. (For example, in Yuxian San used for treating Leprosy, it guides other herbs into the Yangming meridian, opens wind-heat stagnation, drives out foul wind and toxic pathogens, kills generated parasites, and moves upward along the meridian to exit at the teeth and gums. This logic can be extrapolated.) Stops bloody dysentery, treats edema and distension, and addresses pediatric convulsions, malnutrition, and jaundice. Using clean Qingfen for purulent sores yields rapid results. However, the extreme toxicity in bone marrow and visceral organs converges with channel qi into the Stomach, exits via the upper Stomach opening, often causing oral and tongue ulcers and gum rot. (When sleeping, qi returns to the zang organs and converges in the Stomach; Stomach qi steams upward, preventing toxin excretion, hence complications in the mouth and tongue.) Only by inserting a tube while sleeping can the toxic vapor escape externally, avoiding erosion. (Ziyou) Qingfen benefits the Large Intestine. Li Dongyuan also stated it suppresses Lung qi and astringes the anus. Why? Qingfen becomes dry after fire processing, originally derived from Mercury which is cold. Used with moistening herbs, it promotes bowel movement; used with astringent herbs, it stops diarrhea. Thus, it can also reduce edema, stop bloody dysentery, and induce vomiting of wind-phlegm. Generally, it is contraindicated in deficiency syndromes and should be used cautiously in excess syndromes. (Wenqing) For pediatric phlegm-wheezing unresponsive to medication: take one egg white from a rooster-less hen, add ten qian of Qingfen, mix well, store in a silver vessel, steam over boiling water until cooked. A three-year-old child consumes it entirely, likely vomiting phlegm or having diarrhea, then recovering. Only usable for those with excess qi. For constipation and urinary retention causing severe distension, fatal within two to three days: take one qian of Nifen mixed with one he of raw Sesame Oil, taken on an empty stomach. For fecal impaction: take two qian of Nifen and one qian of Minium (Hongdan), grind to powder, take one qian with rice water per dose. Polyphagia with muscle wasting often stems from external injury to Spleen heat, internal accumulation of worry and thought, consumption of salty foods and wheat, leading to Spleen-Stomach dryness, doubled food intake, hard stools, and frequent urination. Take one qian of Qingfen as powder, mixed with Ginger Juice, taken with long-flowing water. Floating teeth indicate efficacy. Subsequently, treat with Pig Kidney Pill for tonification. For all deficiency winds, Erbu San: take one liang of Nifen, boil twice until resembling hemp roots, dry over slow fire, mix with half a liang of finely ground Musk, take one zi per dose with warm water. For water-type edema and fullness: take one qian of Gongfen, place in a black hen egg yolk removed shell, wrap in steamed dough, steam until cooked, remove. Mix with one qian of fried Semen Lepidii (Kutingli), pound into pills the size of mung beans. Take with...
[Discussion] Mercury within Cinnabar flows downward when subjected to hidden fire; when refined with other drugs, powder forms upward. Examining methods of sublimating mercury powder, they rarely omit Alum and Niter. This is because their ability to collect phlegm-fluids relates to the ascending nature gained from Niter under fire, transforming descending moisture into ascending heat, condensing at the very top. This is what Li Shizhen referred to as transforming pure yin into dryness and intensity, possessing a nature that moves but does not stay. However, for pediatric acute convulsive disorders, it is used for its ability to descend phlegm from the diaphragm. Since phlegm is congealed fluid, and Mercury is the essence of metal in Cinnabar, the mother of water, interacting with Lead, it has a strong descending quality. Assisted by Alum and fire processing, it transforms stagnant yin qualities into floating yang qi, allowing it to directly act on the diaphragm to descend phlegm. Kou Zongshi believed convulsions stem from Heart qi deficiency and strictly prohibited this herb. He did not realize that only chronic convulsions belong to fire patterns, where Earth deficiency is a contraindication. Acute convulsions arise from excessive heat generating phlegm, and excessive phlegm generating convulsions. Ancients stated that treating convulsions requires resolving phlegm first; how can this herb be banned? However, due to its dryness and intensity, it should not be used alone. It is appropriate only when combined extensively with acrid-cool herbs. (e.g., Bijin Wan contains Qingfen, Talcum, Arisaema, Indigo Naturalis; Youjin Wan contains Qingfen, Indigo Naturalis, Morning Glory Seed, Bamboo Residue). Furthermore, Mercury is a yin-toxic substance; entering flesh causes joint contraction, leading to inverted yin and severed yang. Alum is most capable of drying fluids and damaging bones; both damage true yin. Alum is essentially the essence of Iron; Iron receives Taiyang qi and does not interact with yin qi.
The nature of substances shifts according to interaction; transforming pure yin into dryness is theoretically sound. Adding the property of entering bones and contracting tendons, the harm caused is incalculable. Medical texts merely mention fierce fire refining, or again, merely mention mercury toxicity. Is Lingsha not refined with fierce fire? Does it lack mercury toxicity? Clinging to one view while missing what is right before one's eyes is laughable.
Mercury is a supreme yin toxic substance. Added with Salt and Alum, it refines into Qingfen; added with Sulfur, it sublimates into Yin Zhu (Red Mercury). Light, flying, spiritual, and changeable, it transforms pure yin into dryness and intensity. Its nature moves but does not stay, good at seizing phlegm-fluids and eliminating stagnation. Thus, for edema, wind-phlegm, damp-heat, and toxic sores, the seizure causes phlegm to exit via gums, temporarily opening pathogenic stagnation, and the disease may heal. If taken erroneously or in excess, toxic vapors invade channels and sinews/bones, unable to exit. Once phlegm is gone, blood is depleted, sinews lose nourishment, becoming contracted and painful, developing into carbuncles and sores, or hand-foot fissures, parasitic tinea, and stubborn numbness. Over years, it becomes a chronic disability. The harm is endless. (Binhu) All cases of constipation due to blood deficiency, pediatric malnutrition, Spleen-Stomach dual deficiency, chronic convulsions with phlegm obstruction, Syphilis chancres, and conditions arising from qi deficiency and chronic illness are all contraindicated. (Zhongchun) Nifen is good at descending pediatric diaphragmatic phlegm and convulsions. But excessive use causes damage. If convulsions belong to Heart qi deficiency, descending it causes interior deficiency; convulsive qi entering the Heart leads to death. (Wenqing)
[Differentiation and Treatment] True Mercury Powder is light in weight, white in color, lovely like snowflakes. Place a tiny amount in a copper or iron vessel, melt over fire without leaving traces. Fake ones often contain Gypsum; burning leaves residue. Some contain Mirabilite; careful distinction is required. Generally, self-made according to method is usable; market goods cannot be trusted.
Appendix: Formula to Extract Qingfen Toxin. From Shan: Five jin of Black Lead, beaten into a pot shape. Hold fifteen jin of Rice Wine. Add half a jin of Smilax Glabra Rhizome and three qian of Frankincense. Seal tightly. Boil over double boiler for one day and night. Bury in earth to remove fire toxicity. Drink several cups freely morning and evening. Catch urine in a clay basin afterward; the emergence of powder confirms efficacy. Continue taking until bone and tendon pain ceases.