Five-Color Elixir，From *The Golden Mirror*, Volume 62.，For abscesses, boils, and other sores that have already ruptured, where residual necrotic tissue remains and new tissue has not yet formed.
Five-Color Elixir
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Formulas Name : Five-Color Elixir
Chinese Name : 五色灵药
Drug Formulation
Table salt 5 qian, black lead 6 qian, dried white alum 2 liang, dried soapstone alum 2 liang, mercury 2 liang, calcined potash 2 liang.
Source
From *The Golden Mirror*, Volume 62.
Processing
First, melt the salt and lead; add mercury to form granules. Then add the two types of alum and potash, stir-fry until dry, and grind to a fine powder. Add the lead and mercury and grind again until no granules are visible, then transfer to a jar. Seal the jar with clay, close the lid, and burn three sticks of incense—do not overdo it or fall short. After one night, remove it and inspect it; if it is as white as snow and weighs about 2 liang, it is a miraculous elixir with perfectly balanced heat treatment.If a purple color is desired, add 5 qian of sulfur; for yellow, add 5 qian of bright realgar; for red, use 9 qian of black lead, 1 liang of mercury, 2 liang of calcined white alum, 3 liang of fire-extinguishing powder, 4 qian of cinnabar, and 3 qian of bright realgar. The heating process for refinement follows the method described above.When refining potent medicines, the calcium carbonate must be stir-fried until dry, and the white alum must be calcined until charred. One method involves boiling the mixture with rice wine until dry; only after stir-frying until dry should it be ground and placed in a jar. Another method involves, after refining the potent medicine, adding double the amount of gypsum and mixing thoroughly, then transferring it to a new jar. Pound it for the duration of one incense stick; when used, it will not cause pain.
Benefits
For abscesses, boils, and other sores that have already ruptured, where residual necrotic tissue remains and new tissue has not yet formed.
Copyright: Excerpt from From *The Golden Mirror*, Volume 62., Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on August 31, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 31, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 31, 2026
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Five-Color Elixir,For abscesses, boils, and other sores that have already ruptured, where residual necrotic tissue remains and new tissue has not yet formed.