Toxin

1. Any substance that that is harmful to the body when eaten or entering the body through a wound or through the skin, such as lacquer toxin or pitch toxin. The toxin of animals is called venom. See also toxicity.

2. Any virulent evil qì, e.g., toxic qì, which denotes scourge epidemic qì; occasionally, a disease caused by such, e.g., seasonal toxin.

3. Evil qì that causes painful reddening and swelling, suppuration, or weeping discharge. See heat toxin; damp toxin.

4. A label for certain conditions of external medicine, e.g., cinnabar toxin; innominate toxin swelling; Bend-Center toxin [sore]; biàn toxin [sore]); fetal toxin.