Black Divine Pill for Childbirth

Instructions for Use

For subsequent prescriptions requiring a vehicle, if there is no time to procure one in urgent cases, use a child’s urine or plain hot water to dissolve and administer the medicine. For mild conditions, administer 1 pill; for severe conditions, 2–3 pills. The treatment for all post-miscarriage conditions is the same as for normal delivery. For transverse or breech presentations and all types of difficult labor, use rice wine or a child’s urine to dissolve and administer the medicine.When extreme heat in the mother’s internal organs causes the fetus to die in utero and descend below the navel, the symptoms include blue-black fingernails, a red face with a blue tongue, cold and numb limbs, and froth at the corners of the mouth. Immediately take one cup of a child’s urine or yellow wine to dissolve and swallow the pill. It is even more effective to follow this with a decoction of 1 liang of winter mallow seeds and 3 qian of Huai Achyranthes root; if the placenta does not expel after the first dose, repeat the dose one or two more times.If the placenta fails to expel, take one pill ground with rice wine or children’s urine; if it still does not expel, mix a few fen of Bai Cao Shuang with cool boiled water and take another pill—it will then be expelled.If, after childbirth, the patient suddenly experiences spasms in the limbs, a clenched jaw, and head shaking (commonly known as “postpartum convulsions”), use 5 fen each of Uncaria hook vine (decocted separately) and charred Schizonepeta, 1 qian of Moutan bark, and 2 qian of Polygonum multiflorum vine. Decoct these into a decoction, mix with a child’s urine, and take two pills (avoid fishy odors).If, within 7 days postpartum, the patient suddenly becomes cold and pale, loses consciousness, and exhibits uncontrollable laughter, singing, or crying, urgently grind the pills with a child’s urine and take two pills first. Then, decoct 5 fen of genuine amber (ground into powder) separately; add 8 fen each of raw Pu Huang, Wulingzhi, and Guang Yujin, decoct into a broth, mix in one cup of a child’s urine, and take one pill.For all postpartum conditions involving the upward surge of pathogenic blood, immediately place a large basin of rice vinegar beside the mother’s head and heat it over charcoal so that the vinegar fumes enter her mouth and nose; this method is also effective for external pathogenic factors.For postpartum chest distension, pain in the flanks, coughing, shortness of breath, and sweat as oily as grease—indicating that stagnant blood has surged upward to the heart and lungs—immediately use 0.5 fen of Tongcao and 1 qian of mulberry bark (Sangbai Pi). Decoct these into a decoction, mix in 3 spoonfuls of rice vinegar, and take the mixture with the powder (or add 1.5 fen of Xuanfu Hua, wrapped in a cotton cloth and decocted).For postpartum throat swelling and shortness of breath, with a voice as urgent as a cat’s meow, or chills and teeth-chattering—also caused by corrupted blood surging into the heart and lungs—immediately prepare a decoction of 1 qian of mulberry bark and take it with rice vinegar (if concerned that mulberry bark’s potency is insufficient, add 1 qian each of peach kernels and apricot kernels to enhance its efficacy).Postpartum blood-induced fainting, with darkened vision or chills and clenched teeth, results from corrupted blood flowing into the five viscera and accumulating in the liver. Immediately prepare a decoction of 8 fen of safflower, mix in one cup of infant urine, and take the mixture with the decoction. Postpartum black nasal discharge or epistaxis, caused by disordered qi and blood and deficient heat in the meridians, requires an immediate decoction of 1 qian of white mulberry bark, taken with the decoction (or add 2 qian each of lycium bark and reed root).Postpartum inability to speak and paralysis of the limbs, caused by open pores allowing wind and cold to invade, or by corrupted blood surging to the heart, should be treated by taking the remedy with “bean-infused wine” (prepare the wine by roasting 1 he of black soybeans—i.e., black hairy soybeans—until cooked, soaking them in boiling wine for half a moment, then straining out the beans and using the wine).Postpartum lumps appearing all over the body, caused by forcing oneself out of bed within 3–4 days, thereby injuring the postpartum acupoints, or by anger damaging the five viscera—if initially presenting with dry eyes and a clenched jaw—administer with soybean-infused wine.If, 3–4 days postpartum, the patient is unable to get out of bed, experiences blurred vision and a dry mouth, and is disoriented or unconscious, take a small amount of mint, decoct it in water, mix it with a child’s urine, and take the mixture with the powder; or if blood and qi have not yet stabilized and the patient has consumed excessive hot foods, leading to chest tightness, a dry mouth, fever, and a sensation of fullness and restlessness, take 2–3 fen of safflower, decoct it in water, and take the mixture with the powder.For postpartum lower back pain and pain in the limbs—caused by the opening of all meridians, allowing stagnant blood to circulate with the qi and disperse to the limbs—if the initial symptoms include abdominal heat and a cold lower back, take a piece of iron scale, heat it over charcoal until red-hot, quench it in hot wine, mix in the ground medicine, and administer while still hot. For postpartum stroke presenting with an open mouth (or, in some accounts, a closed mouth), shortness of breath, hemiplegia, as well as headache and alternating chills and fever, use children’s urine to grind and administer the medicine.For postpartum menorrhagia accompanied by headache, dry mouth, and mental agitation, take 1 qian of sea squid (stir-fried in vinegar) and 5 fen of purple wisteria flowers; decoct in water, grind into a powder, and take with the decoction. If lochia is clotted and contains excessive stasis, substitute with 5 fen of genuine safflower; decoct in water, grind into a powder, and take with the decoction. If the menorrhagia has subsided but the headache, dry mouth, and mental agitation persist, substitute with the yolk of one raw chicken egg; decoct in clear water, grind into a powder, and take with the decoction.For unbearable postpartum abdominal pain that subsides upon pressure, use equal parts wine and water to decoct 1 qian of white peony root (Bai Shaoyao) stir-fried in wine, then grind into a powder and take with the decoction; if pressing on the area actually intensifies the pain, substitute 1 qian of Corydalis tuber (Yuanhusuo), decocted in equal parts wine and water, then grind into a powder and take with the decoction (reduce the wine if the patient cannot tolerate it; for those with a history of liver qi stagnation, decoct with water only); if the pain is accompanied by a mass, follow the instructions in the next two entries.For postpartum abdominal masses that cause intermittent pain and persist without dissipating—caused by premature sexual intercourse, consumption of hard foods, or sleeping in a cold environment—use 1 qian of Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), decocted in wine and ground into a powder to be taken orally; it is also advisable to take the Gynecological Huisheng Zhibao Pill concurrently. If a mass is present during pain but dissipates once the pain subsides, this pertains to the Qi aspect; instead, use 0.5 fen of Green Orange Peel (Qing Pi) and 1 qian of Sichuan Melia Fruit (Chuan Lian Zi), decocted in water and ground into a powder to be taken orally (do not use wine to decoct Angelica sinensis).For postpartum heart pain caused by excessive consumption of cold foods, use 5 fen each of Fennel and genuine Safflower, decocted and taken as a paste. For severe abdominal pain caused by blood clots within a few days after childbirth—due to retained lochia or scant lochia flow—use 1 qian of charred Hawthorn and 4 qian of roasted brown sugar until blackened; decoct, mix with half a cup of a child’s urine, and take as a paste.For postpartum jaundice, swelling, headache, and heaviness in the limbs—caused by food triggering stagnant blood that spreads to the spleen and stomach, transforming into swelling—where the patient experiences a dry mouth and fatigue: use 3 fen each of Schizonepeta, Sophora japonica pods, Acanthopanax thorn, and genuine safflower; decoct in wine, grind into a powder, and take with the decoction (avoid fishy odors).