Can It Treat Skin Diseases?

Fairy Li entered the room without making a sound. Su Ziyang sat alone on the futon, his mind in turmoil.

This was the only time since Su Ziyang began practicing that he had sat for a full half hour without getting into a meditative state.

"I'm drunk!"

Su Ziyang did not force himself to sit on the futon, but got up and sat back down at his desk to read his latest book that interested him, "The Record of Syndrome Differentiation".

The next day, when Fairy Li came out of the house rubbing her messy hair, Su Ziyang was still at his desk looking at the book in his hand.

"... You didn't spend the whole night reading, did you?!" Fairy Li asked Su Ziyang in surprise.

"You're awake!"

For Su Ziyang, staying up all night was no big deal, so Su Ziyang was still full of energy as he talked to Fairy Li.

"Get ready, let's go out for some soy milk and fried dough sticks!"

Su Ziyang usually eats breakfast at that snack stall.

"Okay, wait while I wash my hair and brush my teeth."

Okay, go wash up.

Su Ziyang remained seated, still staring at the book in his hands.

At that moment, Su Ziyang happened to come across a rather interesting passage in "The Record of Syndrome Differentiation," titled "The Demon Affliction Section."

This passage describes how people contracted strange illnesses after being harassed by various bizarre monsters, and how to treat them.

The content looks quite interesting, comparable to a mythological novel.

The first illness described in the story of the Demon Affliction Section is quite similar to the illness that Su Ziyang encountered when he first met Mr. Mengfei.

The woman had been married for several years but was plagued by strange dreams, which prevented her from having a normal marital life.

This is recorded in "Record of Syndrome Differentiation: Demon Affliction Section".

"Some people have encountered a fox spirit, who lingers with them for years, unwilling to leave, until they become emaciated and wither away, living on the verge of death."

"Those who steal a man's essence do so by making him unconscious before taking it; they steal it while he is dreaming."

If the account in the book is true, and if spirits and monsters truly exist in the world, then the woman's dream was very likely that of a fox spirit!

Upon reading this, Su Ziyang's interest grew even stronger, and he even carefully studied the two prescriptions for treating this disease in the book. The prescriptions were divided into internal and external applications.

The internal medicine formula is called Allure-Severing Decoction.

Morinda officinalis (1 tael), ginseng (1 tael), prepared rehmannia root (1 tael), cornus officinalis (5 mace), and poria cocos (5 mace) are decocted in water and taken orally.

Its external use name is Allure-Repelling Elixir.

Sichuan pepper (1 mace), raw aconite (3 fen), musk (1 fen), cardamom (3 grains), asarum (3 fen), melon stalk (3 pieces), and galangal (1 mace) are all ground into a fine powder and mixed with honey. Apply externally.

It's not hard to see that the internal medicine is mainly for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the spleen.

Among the external medicines, San Nai, which is sand ginger, has the effect of warming the middle and dispelling evil.

According to the book, whenever the topical medicine was applied, the fox spirit would always curse and leave.

Su Ziyang was chuckling to himself as he read a book when Fairy Li, who had just finished washing her hair, walked over to Su Ziyang while drying it and watched Su Ziyang look at what he was reading.

Fairy Li glanced at them for a while, then grinned, "Huh~ what kind of books are these?! How strange, they're not suitable for children! Not suitable for children!"

After saying that, she quickly walked away and went to dry her hair with a hairdryer.

Su Ziyang ignored Fairy Li's teasing and instead looked at the second illness recorded in the book: snake spirit.

Upon seeing this record, Su Ziyang had a flash of inspiration and suddenly thought of a special skin disease—psoriasis.

The book records. "When a person encounters a snake demon and becomes intimately entangled with it, after several months, their body becomes withered and their skin cracks, resembling snake skin. This is the work of a snake spirit."

Upon seeing this, Su Ziyang's first thought was this skin disease.

The book provides a very detailed description of the treatment methods for this disease.

First, administer an antidote called "Snake-Expelling Decoction".

Angelica dahurica (1 tael), Atractylodes macrocephala (2 taels), Atractylodes lancea (1 tael), Plantago asiatica (1 tael) decocted in water and taken orally.

This formula can detoxify the skin, allowing the toxins to be eliminated through urination.

After taking four doses of the medicine, the dry, hardened nails on the body will soften slightly. At this point, the second stage of treatment, external washing, will begin.

Grind two ounces of realgar and two ounces of angelica root into a fine powder, boil them in boiling water for several minutes, and use the hot powder to fumigate and wash the affected area.

After applying it once a day for three consecutive days, the hardened, dry skin fragments on the body naturally disappeared.

Then take three more doses of the Snake-Expelling Decoction, and the skin disease will be completely eliminated.

But what you think is the end is actually not over yet.

At this point, there is a fourth treatment method.

Then treat it with a modified version of the Four Gentlemen Decoction.

Ginseng (3 qian), Atractylodes macrocephala (1 liang), raw licorice (2 qian), Poria cocos (3 qian), Ophiopogon japonicus (1 liang), Asparagus cochinchinensis (5 qian), lily bulb (1 liang), and Adenophora stricta (5 qian) are decocted in water and taken orally.

Only after taking the Modified Four Gentlemen Decoction for a month can you ensure that the disease is completely eliminated and the body is fully recovered.

Regardless of whether the snake demon story is true or not, this four-pronged treatment method is truly comprehensive, considering everything from the onset of the disease to its prognosis.

Moreover, Su Ziyang felt that these prescriptions were highly feasible and had a very high probability of being effective.

Angelica dahurica, the main ingredient in the Snake-Expelling Decoction, is recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica as having the effects of nourishing and moisturizing the skin, and can also be used as a facial cream.

Facial cream was a skincare product used by people in ancient times.

The other two herbs, Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes lancea, are also used to treat wind-cold-dampness arthralgia and necrotic tissue. Skin that keeps peeling off is definitely a type of necrotic tissue.

The last ingredient, plantain seed, provides a pathway for these eliminated toxins to leave, as plantain seed promotes urination, so the toxins may be eliminated through urine.

Realgar, used in external medicinal washes, is recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica as having a bitter and neutral taste. It is used to treat chills and fever, scrofula, malignant sores, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, and dead tissue. It also kills sperm, evil spirits, malevolent energy, and poisons from all kinds of insects, and is effective against the five weapons.

Realgar can effectively remove necrotic skin from the body surface. The final tonic, the Four Gentlemen Decoction, has the meaning of nourishing the earth to generate metal, because in the human body, the lungs govern the skin and hair, and the lungs belong to the metal element in the Five Elements, and earth can generate metal.

Therefore, when earth is strong, metal is strong, and when metal energy is abundant, the skin naturally looks good.

Just as Su Ziyang was secretly pleased with his new discovery, Fairy Li had already styled her hair into a small bun and was waiting for Su Ziyang.

"Let's go!" Su Ziyang said, seeing that Fairy Li was ready, he closed his book, got up, and was about to leave.

"Brother, don't you ever wash your face or brush your teeth?"

Fairy Li watched Su Ziyang step out the door, looking at Su Ziyang with a hint of helplessness.

"Ah, do I still need to wash? I didn't sleep last night." Su Ziyang looked at Fairy Li with equal surprise.

Fairy Li frowned and gritted her teeth. "Wash! Why won't you wash!"

"Alright!"

Seeing Fairy Li blocking the doorway and pointing to the bathroom, Su Ziyang had no choice but to obediently go into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Boys prioritize speed in washing up. Under Fairy Li's sharp gaze, Su Ziyang washed his face twice before being allowed to leave the house.