"Wu Jin Dan" in Journey to the West: Folk Remedies and Literary Metaphors in the Chechi Kingdom Episode

Brief Introduction

In the classic masterpiece Journey to the West, Sun Wukong (the Pilgrim) once used a pill made from unusual ingredients such as horse urine, soot, and human hair to successfully cure the serious illness of the Queen of the Chechi Kingdom. Although the original text does not directly name it "Wu Jin Dan" (Black Gold Pill), due to the pill's black color resembling black gold, folk traditions and later readers often refer to this key prop by this name. This detail not only showcases Sun Wukong's wit but also contains deep satirical meaning and folk medicine coloration.

Core Knowledge Points

Chapter Reference: This plot mainly appears in Chapters 45 to 46 of Journey to the West*, related to the "Contest of Magic in Chechi Kingdom." At that time, the Queen of Chechi Kingdom suffered from an acute illness, and the imperial physicians were helpless.
* Ingredient Composition: Sun Wukong claimed that treating the illness required "human hair, horse urine, and soot." He mixed these seemingly filthy substances, shaped them into pills, and had the Queen swallow them.
* Mechanism of Action: In the novel, this pill played the role of "opening orifices and detoxifying." After taking the medicine, the Queen excreted a large amount of waste, and her illness was cured immediately. This is actually an exaggerated artistic description of the folk "treating filth with filth" or "purgation method."
* Name Etymology: In the original work, Sun Wukong did not explicitly call it "Wu Jin Dan." This name is mostly a popular term derived by later generations based on the pill's color (black) and efficacy (precious as gold), belonging to a derivative concept in folk literature dissemination.

Connection to Book Content

This plot is a highlight moment of satirizing religious superstition in Journey to the West.

1. Background of the Magic Contest: At that time, the Chechi Kingdom worshipped three Great Immortals: Tiger, Deer, and Sheep. They claimed to be able to summon wind and rain and cure diseases. Sun Wukong proposed treating the illness with "horse urine and soot," actually aiming to expose the false supernatural powers of the three Immortals.
2. Embodiment of Wisdom: Sun Wukong utilized the King's superstitious psychology, packaging seemingly absurd folk remedies as "immortal pills." When the three Immortals could not explain why "filthy substances" could cure diseases, their hypocritical masks were torn off, highlighting Sun Wukong's wisdom in "breaking superstition."
3. Cultural Metaphor: Horse urine and soot do indeed have medicinal records in traditional folklore (such as soot treating diarrhea, and horse urine used for activating blood in certain folk remedies). Wu Cheng'en wrote them into the book, which not only increased the realism of the story but also satirized the uneven quality of quack doctors in society at that time through exaggeration.

Summary

Although "Wu Jin Dan" is not an official drug name in the original Journey to the West, the Chechi Kingdom treatment plot it represents is a classic of the whole book. It is not only an auxiliary means for Sun Wukong to subdue demons and eliminate evil, but also an important carrier for the author Wu Cheng'en to satirize reality and promote scientific rationality (relative to superstition) through mythological stories. Understanding this detail helps readers understand the social implications behind the "gods and monsters" in Journey to the West more deeply.