92 



heart, kidneys and spleen) and to the so-called mansions (gall, 

 small and great intestines, bladder and stomach), as we learn 

 from the list given by De Groot, Uel Syst. Vol. IV, p. 26. ^Em^ 

 this reason probably the use of the dragon^ bones as medicines 

 was ditferent _ac cordip g tQ-ibaM - r.nlmiTn. with Tp.iTard t o th p rol"iir 

 of t he organ to be p.nrpd. 



The preparation of the bones is described as follows by Lei 

 HiAO. "For using dragon's bones first cook odorous plants; bathe 

 the bones twice in hot water, pound them to powder and put 

 this in bags of gaze. Take a couple of young swallows and, after 

 having taken out their intestines and stomach, put the bags in 

 the swallows and hang them over a well. After one uight take 

 the bags out of the swallows, rub the powder and mix it into 

 medicines for strengthening the kidneys. The efficacy of such a 

 medicine is as it were divine !" ^ In Li Shi-chen's ^ time, however, 

 they were only roasted on the fire till they were red and then 

 rubbed to powder, or fresh bones were used. In the same passage 

 "Tie refers to an author of the Sung dynasty ', who says that the 

 bones are to be soaked in spirits for one night, then dried on 

 the fire and rubbed to powder. Further, according to Chen K^uen *, 

 some are a little poisonous, and (in preparing and using them) 

 fishes and iron utensils are to be avoided (dragons dislike iron, 

 cf. above, this chapter, § 3, pp. 67 sqq.). 



A s to tli g_illnesses cured' by means of drago n^s bones, t hdr 

 numbfir-4s-JargeM5ysefl4eKy,-±^ 



of bab Jgs^^Jboils- in "tE e~15owe ls and internal ulcers, para ly:Si3 of_ 

 the legs,_illnesses of prflgn an t."wm ^ fm — rernitteB t-feTe^-aiad J'' bscesse s 

 T^&^j^...Jods^^^^~^^'-i?[nS^^v^Qiiv\ medicine^ Bleeding of the 

 nose or ears isstopped ~Wf 



1 Pen-ts'ao kang-muh, 1.1., p. 2a: ^ ^ „ Hi ffl ^ *^ i^ M ^ 



2Ibidem: ^;^ j^l ^ ^ M m^^% ^ . ^> ^^ ^ M # » 



3 Ch'^en Yuen-tsikg, W -tt* mi , author of the Shi lin kwang ki, '^ Jyfc ^ 

 g£ (cf. De Groot, Rel. Syst., Vol. II, p. 713; Bretsohneider, 1.1., p. 186, nr 719). 



Quoted in the Pen-ts'^ao kang-muh, ibidem. 



4 ^ m 1 author of the Yoh sing pen-ts'^ao, ^ '^ 2JJ ^ , in the first half 

 of the seventh century A. D. (cf. Bretschneideb, 1 1., p. 44, nr 10). Quoted ibidem, 



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