عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ بَشِيرٍ النَّبَّالِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) لِأَبِي يَا بَشِيرُ بِأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تُدَاوُونَ مَرْضَاكُمْ فَقَالَ بِهَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الْمِرَارِ فَقَالَ لَهُ لَا إِذَا مَرِضَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَخُذِ السُّكَّرَ الْأَبْيَضَ فَدُقَّهُ وَ صُبَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَاءَ الْبَارِدَ وَ اسْقِهِ إِيَّاهُ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشِّفَاءَ فِي الْمَرَارَةِ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يَجْعَلَهُ فِي الْحَلَاوَةِ .
9. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from a number of his people from Ali ibn Asbat from Yahya ibn Bashir al-Nabbal who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , once said to my father, ‘O Bashir, with what do you treat your people for illnesses?’ he replied, ‘It is those bitter medicines.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘When any of you becomes ill take white sugar, make it into powder, pour cold water on it and make him drink it. The One who has made cure in bitter things has the power to make it in the sweet things also.’” 