"Alum, when dissolved in turbid water, can clarify it, and is often praised in the medical field. It benefits both internal and external ailments, and though it may seem ordinary, its efficacy is extraordinary." Legend has it that in ancient times, an old man surnamed Bai had a son in his later years, whom he named Bai Fan and cherished dearly. However, the son suffered from body sores and epilepsy, and despite seeking many doctors, none could cure him. Later, a traveling physician who specialized in apoplexy involving meridians passed by. The old man earnestly sought treatment, and the physician said, "Your son's illness can be cured by his name; there's no need to seek others." The old man was puzzled, but the physician explained, "Your son is named Bai Fan, and Alum is a good medicine. Do you not recognize Alum when you have Bai Fan?" He then instructed the old man to prepare a mixture of Alum, Curcuma Root, Mentha, and green tea, ground into powder and mixed with honey to form pills for internal use. Additionally, he prescribed a mixture of Alum and Realgar, ground into fine powder and mixed with strong tea leaves for external application. The son followed the prescription and soon recovered.

Alum, also known as alum, has a sour taste and cold nature. The Benjing records that it "treats cold and heat, diarrhea, leukorrhea, turbid yin, malignant sores, eye pain, and strengthens bones and teeth." The Bencao Gangmu summarizes the uses of Alum in four ways: "It expels wind-heat phlegm and saliva, utilizing its sour and bitter properties to induce vomiting and purging; it treats various blood pains, prolapse of the rectum, prolapse of the uterus, sores, and ulcers, utilizing its astringent and sour properties to contract; it treats phlegm-fluid retention, diarrhea, flooding and spotting, and wind-eye, utilizing its astringent and drying dampness properties; it treats pharyngitis, obstruction, and injuries from venomous snakes and insects, utilizing its detoxifying properties."

The prescription used by the physician in the above story to treat epilepsy is the famous "Alum and Curcuma Pill," and the prescription for treating sores is the traditional "Two-Ingredient Toxin-Removing Powder."

• For wind phlegm that does not descend, with a throat sound like sawing, one can take Alum with Pinellia, Liquorice Root, and ginger juice for oral administration;
• for phlegm cough and asthma, boil seven Chinese dates in water and mix with 3 grams of Alum powder for internal use;
• for lung heat hemoptysis, mix Alum with Black Catechu into powder, take 3 grams each time with warm water;
• for stomachache, take a bean-sized piece of Alum and take it with Cyperus decoction;
• for chronic diarrhea with bloody stool, use calcined Alum (Alum calcined to preserve its properties) with Chebula Fruit and Schisandra Fruit for decoction;
• for hypertension with dizziness, use 3500 grams of Alum, finely ground and wrapped in double-layered cloth as a pillow.
• For Yongju swelling and venomous snake or insect bites, make pills with 2 grams of Alum and 4 grams of yellow wax, and take with warm wine.

Treatment of influenza, enterovirus, and various viral colds, Chinese medicine is more refined, non-toxic, and effective than Western medicine

• for women with amenorrhea and leukorrhea, mix Alum with Bitter Apricot Seed into honeyed pills and insert into the vagina;
• for trichomonal vaginitis with itching, mix calcined Alum, sulfur, Bitter Apricot Seed, and common bletilla tuber into powder, mix with water, coat with Realgar, wrap in silk with a thread, and insert into the vagina, leaving it overnight and removing in the morning.
• For otitis media with pus, blow Alum and red lead powder into the ear;
• for nosebleeds, use a dropper to apply Alum solution to the nose; for cervical neurodermatitis and psoriasis, mix Alum, Realgar, black nitre, and yellow ox hoof charcoal into powder and apply with vinegar;
• for pustular sores, sprinkle with a mixture of calcined Alum, myrrh, and borneol powder;
• for scalp ringworm, mix Alum and rosin powder with lard, twist into a strip, light it, and apply the cooled oil.
• For infantile anal prolapse, boil Alum, tea seed shells, Purslane Herb, and onion heads in water for washing, then manually reduce the prolapse and sprinkle with calcined Alum powder.
• For penile skin edema and swelling, boil Alum and Cicada Slough in water for fumigation and washing;
• for scrotal eczema with severe itching, boil Alum and pine needles in water for washing;
• for prostatic hypertrophy and urinary retention, mix Alum, salt, and Fistular Onion Stalk and apply to the navel;
• for infectious soft warts, mix calcined Alum, Chinese Gall, and Rhubarb Rhizoma into powder and apply with vinegar;
• for condyloma acuminatum, boil Alum, Purslane Herb, and borneol in water for washing.