Qi Bo’s Pill for Ten Thousand Illnesses

Instructions for Use

Take 3 pills per dose, taken on an empty stomach at daybreak with wine. It is considered effective when it induces the expulsion of 3 sheng of foul fluid.If the illness strikes suddenly, do not wait until dawn; take the dose immediately, regardless of the time of day, until vomiting and diarrhea occur. If vomiting and diarrhea do not occur, add one pill at a time until 3–5 pills are taken—continue until vomiting and diarrhea occur; do not limit the dose to a specific number of pills. If the illness is severe but the dose is too small, vomiting and diarrhea will not occur; this is the sole reason. If the onset is delayed, administer the decoction with hot water. If vomiting and diarrhea persist, stop them by eating 2–3 mouthfuls of vinegar-flavored rice.Take the remedy on the first day, and replenish the body on the second. Eat fresh rice, and consume soups, porridges, or stews made with leek-bone broth; after 3–4 such meals, the patient will be fully recovered, though one must not eat to full satiety. After vomiting and diarrhea, the patient must keep the mouth closed and speak as little as possible, resting in a draft-free, warm bed and room. If a sudden illness occurs while traveling and no drink is available, it is best to take the remedy with one’s own urine;For infants under one year of age suffering from illness, have the wet nurse take two pills the size of mung beans; the treatment should also be adjusted based on the degree of vomiting and diarrhea. This formula is suitable for both recent and sudden-onset illnesses; for chronic or long-standing conditions, reduce the dosage, always aiming for a slightly loose stool. In cases of sudden illness with imminent death, take three pills the size of mung beans; once vomiting and diarrhea occur, recovery will follow. For sudden onset of “zhong’e” (a type of sudden illness) with a clenched jaw, take two pills the size of mung beans, then pour one he of warm water into the mouth; once mild diarrhea occurs, recovery will follow;For the “Five Evils,” “Ghost Assassins,” or “Internal Conflict,” take 2 pills the size of mung beans; if not cured, take 3 more pills the next day; for men and women suffering from evil diseases—characterized by uncontrollable singing or crying at all hours and an abdomen swollen as if pregnant—take 2 pills the size of mung beans, 2 during the day and 1 at night, taking them between meals; for “Cat Ghost” disease, take 3 pills the size of mung beans; if not cured, take more;For gu poison, hemoptysis, or abdominal pain as if pierced by a needle, take two pills the size of mung beans; if not cured, take more; for malaria before an attack begins, take one pill the size of a mung bean; if not cured, take another the following day; for all conditions involving phlegm and fluid retention, take three pills the size of mung beans; for cold-induced abdominal masses, take three pills the size of mung beans three times daily, always between meals, to maintain a mild, loose stool;For undigested food, take 2 pills the size of small beans to induce a bowel movement; for masses and accumulations, take 2 pills the size of small beans three times daily, taken between meals, until the condition resolves; for stiffness, distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, or chest pain, take 3 pills the size of small beans; if not cured, take another dose;For shortness of breath and chest fullness preventing sleep, take 2 pills the size of mung beans; if not cured, take another dose; for severe diarrhea, take 1 pill the size of a mung bean three times daily; for damp-heat malnutrition, mix 1 pill the size of an apricot kernel with 2 he of vinegar and administer as an enema, and also take 2 pills the size of mung beans orally; for edema, take 3 pills the size of mung beans twice daily, taking them between meals; stop once cured; for the frail, take every other day;For headache and aversion to cold, take 2 pills the size of a small bean and cover the body to induce sweating; for typhoid fever or epidemic fever, take 2 pills the size of a small bean three times daily, taking them between meals; for difficulty urinating, take 2 pills the size of a small bean; if not cured, take another dose the next day; for constipation, take 3 pills the size of a small bean and insert 1 pill into the rectum, which will immediately relieve the condition;For deafness or otitis externa, wrap one pill the size of a small jujube seed in cotton and insert it into the ear until cured; for nosebleeds, take two pills the size of mung beans, and the condition will resolve immediately; for boils, carbuncles, or abscesses, apply one pill the size of a sesame seed once daily; the root of the abscess will naturally emerge, and the condition will resolve; for carbuncles with bleeding, apply a mixture of lard and the medicine to the area around and inside the ulcer, and the bleeding will stop;For swelling in the chest, back, waist, or flanks, apply a paste mixed with vinegar to the swollen area, changing it once daily, and also take two pills the size of small beans; for leprosy, wash the affected area with vinegar-mixed rice water, then apply a paste of the medicine mixed with lard; for fistulas with an opening, insert one pill the size of a small bean into the opening and apply a paste mixed with lard; for hemorrhoids, apply the medicine to a cotton-wrapped chopstick, insert it into the opening, and change it daily until the bleeding stops;For scrofula, mix with vinegar and apply to the affected area until healed; for chronic cold sores that have persisted for years, mix with vinegar and apply to the affected area, or apply as a poultice, until healed; for ringworm, rub with a cloth to draw out the fluid, then mix with vinegar and apply to the affected area, changing the application daily, for immediate healing; for a thorn embedded in the skin, insert one pill into the wound, and it will heal immediately;For viper bites, apply a small amount to the bite site; if the venom has entered the abdomen, causing chest tightness and near-fainting, take 3 pills the size of mung beans; for scorpion stings, apply a small amount to the sting site; for bee stings, apply a small amount to the sting site; for various women’s ailments: if the placenta fails to expel, take 2 pills the size of mung beans; this will induce vomiting and diarrhea, causing the placenta to expel;For colic in infants, administer two pills the size of grains of rice; mix with breast milk and apply to the nipple, allowing the infant to suckle; for infantile convulsions, administer two pills the size of grains of rice; apply to the nipple and allow the infant to suckle, adjusting the dosage according to the child’s age; for infants with undigested milk causing distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, administer two pills the size of grains of rice; apply to the nipple and allow the infant to suckle; if not cured, administer another dose.