Written By Jun Heo(許浚, 1539~1615), Translated by Namil Kim, Wung Seok Cha et al., Published by Ministry of Health & Welfare (Korea)
12 Signs of Exhaustion of Heart Qi 心絶候 심기가 끊어지려는 징후
① When qi of the hand lesser yin is exhausted, vessels get disconnected from one another. This means the blood cannot flow. If so, the facial complexion loses vitality, becoming dark as if varnished with lacquer, meaning the death of blood. It is aggravated on Yim day and the person dies on Gye day (癸日).
② The looks of the patient blackens as if by smoke, and the eyes will be widely opened with a shaking of the head. This means the exhaustion of heart qi.
③ When heart qi is exhausted, the person will die within a day. How do we know? If the patient’s shoulders heave while breathing and one’s eyes spin around, the patient will die soon. Sometimes the patient will die within two days.
13 Cultivation and Nurturing of the Heart 心臟修養法 심장의 수양법
Sit up straight facing south and click the upper and lower teeth nine times and brush the teeth with saliva three times in the early clear mornings of the first days and the full moon days of April, May and June. Concentrate the thoughts calmly. Inhale red qi of the south three times and hold the breath for the time of 30 breaths.
14 Guiding-pulling Exercises for the Heart 心臟導引法 심장의 도인법
Sit up straight and tighten both fists tightly and bump the two together 6 times. Sit up straight and position your hands as such so that one hand has its palm facing downward while the other hand presses its wrist. Press the air as if there is a heavy rock. Also, fold the hands and press the hands with the feet for 5~6 times. It will remove a wind pathogen and various diseases in the chest. Hold the breath for a long time and with the eyes closed, swallow saliva for three times, and swallow again after clicking the upper and lower teeth three times.
15 Simple Prescriptions 單方 단방
There are 22 kinds in total.
- Cinnabaris 朱砂: Since it emulates Fire, its color is red, and it enters the heart. It calms the heart spirit and nurtures it. The heart heat cannot be removed without this. Levigate before adding to prescriptions.
- Halloysitum Rubrum 赤石脂: It nurtures heart qi. Heat with fire and levigate before use. Add to prescriptions or use in ground form.
- Aurum Foil, Argentum Foil 金箔銀箔: Both calm the heart. Add to presciptions to take.
- Minium 黃丹: It tranquilizes the heart and comforts the spirit. Levigate before adding to other prescriptions.
- Acori Gramineri Rhizoma 石菖蒲: It opens the heart orifice, adds wisdom, and makes the person smart. Ground or decocted forms are both effective.
- Liriopis Tuber 麥門冬: It brings heart heat down and tonifies deficiencies of heart qi. It is best to remove the core before decocting.
- Polygalae Radix 遠志: It comforts heart qi. Remove the core before use. Ground or decocted forms are both effective.
- Rehmanniae Radix Crudus 生地黃: It tonifies heart blood and treats heart heat. Use in juiced or decocted forms.
- Coptidis Rhizoma 黃連: It purges heart heat and removes bad blood in the chest. Use in decoted form. It can be put into the eyes in a ground form.
- Poria Sclerotium 茯神: It clears the heart. Ground or decocted forms are both beneficial.
- Testudinis Carapax 龜甲: It tonifies the heart. Since the turtle is a sacred animal, it has the ability to tonify the heart. Take a small amount in ground form.
- Nelumbinis Semen 蓮子: It helps heart qi to comfort the mind and connects heart qi. Ground or decocted forms are both effective. Mix 1 geun of Nelumbinis Semen (completely stir-fried with the black cover and ground and removed of unground wastes) and 1 nyang of Glycyrrhizae Radix (甘草) (slightly stir-fried and ground). Take 2 don of this with salt water. It will greatly tonify a heart deficiency and enhance qi.
- Armeniacae Semen 杏: Take whenever the heart is diseased.
- Tritici Semen 小麥: It nurtures heart qi. Take this when the heart is diseased.
- Rhinocertis Cornu 犀角: It tranquilizes heart spirit. Add to prescriptions in ground form or grind in water to make into a juice form.
- Galli Ovum 雞子: It tranquilizes the heart. The white yolk of egg removes hidden heat in the pit of the stomach. Swallow one raw egg.
- Ixeris dentata (Thumb.) Nakai 苦菜: It comforts heart spirit. It is good to take this all the time.
- Phaseoli Semen 赤小豆: It opens the heart orifice. Gruel or decocted forms are all good.
- Phyllostachys Folium 竹葉: It cools the heart to remove heart vexation. Boil this with water and drink.
- Juice of Menthae Herba 薄荷汁: It removes heart heat. Drink this as it is.
- Forsythiae Fructus 連翹: It removes invaded heat in the person with a heart disease. Boil this with water and drink.
- Gardeniae Fructus 梔子: It removes heat in the chest. It also removes heat vexation and chest discomfort. Boil this with water and drink.
