Kanji 薬 medicine, chemical, enamel 無 nothingness, none, ain't 効 merit, efficacy, efficiency Related words 手て の 施ほどこ しようがない A more common, everyday expression meaning 'nothing can be done' or 'beyond help', not limited to medical contexts.
不ふ 治じ Means 'incurable' and is more direct and clinical than 薬石無効 , which has a literary, idiomatic feel.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of 薬 (medicine), 石 (stone, referring to acupuncture needles or mineral remedies), 無 (without), and 効 (effect). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a classical Chinese pattern for describing hopeless medical situations.
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