医

The "Strange Remedies" section assembles various folk cures and medical marvels. The Tang medical world in Duan's writings is a gray zone: some folk remedies contain kernels of empirical medicine, others are pure sorcery and superstition. Snake gall for eye disease, talisman water for malaria, cinnabar pills for immortality — these records are both precious material for medical history and windows into Tang concepts of the body and disease.

Snake Gall for Sight

Those with eye disease would swallow live snake gall mixed with wine; after three days, sight returned. Some applied snake gall around the eye socket, claiming it drove away cataracts. People south of the mountains used this method frequently, with considerable success.

Talisman Water for Malaria

When someone contracted malaria, a bowl of clear water was taken; a Daoist painted talismans in it with cinnabar, then had the patient drink it. Some said it worked, others said not — success was attributed to the sincerity of one's heart.

Elixirs of Immortality

Many Tang emperors consumed elixirs seeking immortality. Lead, mercury, and sulfur were combined and refined, called the "Golden Elixir." Initially one felt invigorated; prolonged use led to poisoning and death. Emperors Taizong, Xianzong, and Muzong all perished thus.

Sun Simiao, King of Medicine

Sun Simiao, a famous physician of early Tang, was said to have lived over a hundred years and authored "Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold." A tiger once came seeking treatment — he removed a bone from its throat. A dragon too came seeking medicine, and he provided remedies.

What is most thought-provoking in "Strange Remedies" is the ambiguity of "effectiveness." Snake gall for eyes — gall does contain taurine beneficial to vision; but talisman water for malaria — purely placebo. Duan makes no judgment, recording them side by side. This non-judgmental attitude is both a feature of the zhiguai genre (faithful recording, no analysis) and reflects the Tang pragmatic attitude toward knowledge: if it works, who cares about the mechanism? The tragedy of cinnabar elixirs is a cautionary tale — at least five Tang emperors died from elixir poisoning, yet the lesson never stopped others from trying.