《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 30

Male red chicken: Its flavor is sweet, and its nature is mildly warm or mildly cold. It is non-toxic. It treats uterine bleeding, spotting, and red or white vaginal discharge in women. It can replenish deficiency, warm the middle burner, and stop bleeding. It is also used for lingering injuries, weakness, and sores, and is said to open communication with spirits, resolve toxins, and ward off ill fortune. A chicken’s head can be used to drive away ghosts; one taken from a chicken above the eastern gate is especially effective.

White male chicken: Its meat is sour in flavor and mildly warm in nature. It treats rebellious Qi and may also be used for disorders attributed to demonic possession. It harmonizes the Five Zang organs and treats internal injury and wasting thirst.

Black male chicken: Its meat is mildly warm in nature and can replenish the Qi of the middle burner and relieve pain. Chicken bile is mildly cold in nature and treats blurred vision and skin sores. Chicken heart treats the Five Evils, a general term for harmful influences that afflict the body. Chicken blood is used for injuries from falls and blows, sprains, bone pain, and atrophy with numbness or weakness of the limbs. Chicken fat is used for deafness. Chicken intestines treat bedwetting, frequent urination, and incontinence. Chicken liver and feathers from the left wing are used to help restore yang Qi. Blood from the comb treats failure of milk to flow.

The yellow lining inside the gizzard is mildly cold in nature. It treats diarrhea, frequent urination, and bedwetting, and can also clear heat and relieve thirst. Chicken droppings, when white, are mildly cold in nature. They treat wasting thirst, alternating chills and fever in cold damage, stone strangury—urination with gravel-like particles or pain—and muscle cramping. They also promote urination, stop bedwetting, and remove scars.

Black hen: It treats impediment caused by Wind, Cold, and Dampness, as well as the “Five Relaxations and Six Tensions,” conditions involving slack or constricted sinews and channels. It can also calm the fetus. It is non-toxic and is used for sudden illness attributed to an invasion by malign influences, abdominal pain, injuries from falls and blows, bone pain, and failure of milk to flow. Feathers from the chicken’s wing quills treat cessation of menstruation.

Yellow hen: Its flavor is sour and sweet, and its nature is balanced. It treats internal injury, wasting thirst, frequent urination or incontinence, and intestinal diarrhea. It can replenish the Five Zang organs, repair injuries, treat deficiency taxation, and restore strength. Chicken ribs are used to treat children who are thin and fail to develop muscle even when they eat.

Chicken eggs treat heat disorders, burns, and epileptic convulsions. They can also be made into a medicine called “Amber Spirit Substance.” Egg white is mildly cold in nature. It treats hot, red, painful eyes; clears accumulated pathogenic heat below the heart; and relieves vexation, distention, and cough with rebellious Qi. It is also used for diarrhea in children and for difficult childbirth or failure to expel the placenta. Soaking a chicken egg in vinegar overnight makes it useful for jaundice and can dispel severe vexing heat.

The thin membrane inside the eggshell treats chronic cough and Qi bind. Taken with ephedra and aster root, it is said to act quickly. Chicken white-fungus fat grows in the marshlands of Korea.

Liu Yuxi says: According to the Rihuazi, blood from the comb of an uncastrated rooster treats vitiligo. Chicken droppings treat white tiger wind and can be applied externally for wind-related pain. White male chicken harmonizes the Qi of the middle burner.

Black roosters—the males of black-feathered chickens—are warm in nature and non-toxic. They can relieve abdominal pain, dispel Wind and Dampness, ease numbness, and strengthen the weak. They may also be used to calm the fetus, treat injuries from falls and blows, and address carbuncles and deep sores with pus. When a splinter of bamboo or wood has entered the flesh and cannot be removed, the chicken may be applied to the site as a poultice.

The gizzards of chickens of any kind are neutral in nature and non-toxic. They may be used to treat seminal emission, blood in the urine, uterine bleeding outside the menstrual period, abnormal vaginal discharge, intestinal bleeding, and diarrhea or dysentery. The “yellow membrane of the gizzard” mentioned here is the thin yellow lining inside it.

Black hens—the females of black-feathered chickens—are warm in nature and non-toxic. They can calm the mind and spirit, strengthen the will, and drive away evil influences and harmful energies. Ancient writers believed they could treat “Blood Evil” and disperse blood that had accumulated in the heart. For carbuncles and deep sores, they could help draw out pus and nourish new blood; they were also used for postpartum weakness, poor complexion, and lack of strength.

Chicken bile can treat warts and sores of the ear when applied three times a day. Chicken intestines may be used for bedwetting, excessive urination, blood in the stool, and diarrhea. Chicken droppings may be used for loss of voice after stroke, rebellious Qi, wasting thirst marked by excessive drinking and urination, and painful urination caused by urinary stones. They may also be applied to sores and injuries to help fade scars. Roasted and taken by mouth, they were used for childhood fright reactions and what was called “Gu poison.” Chicken wings were said to stop children from crying at night: place them under the sleeping mat without the mother’s knowledge. Grass from a chicken coop may be used for sores of the head and patchy baldness. Burn it to ash with white-haired oldenlandia, then mix it with lard and apply.

Yellow hens can relieve exhaustion and weakness, nourish the bone marrow and vital essence, support Yang energy, warm the small intestine, and treat seminal emission and water illness, in which fluids accumulate in the body.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals records that black hens taste sweet and can calm the fetus.

Meng Shen records: To stop persistent bleeding after childbirth, take three eggs, half a sheng of vinegar, and two sheng of good wine. Boil them together until one sheng remains, then divide into four doses. Take a dose after walking about two or three li, drinking the liquid while it is slightly warm. A woman who has just given birth may also prepare one chicken in the usual way, season it with the five flavors, and fry it until fragrant. Pour two sheng of wine over it, seal it, and leave it overnight before drinking. This is said to make the woman fuller in figure and give her a rosy complexion. Another method is to toast two sheng of black sesame seeds, grind them to a powder, and take the powder with wine; it is said to work by the time the wine has been finished.

Yellow hens may also be used for fluid accumulation in the abdomen and edema. Prepare one chicken in the usual way and cook it with one sheng of red beans. When the beans are soft, remove and eat the chicken. Drink the broth twice during the day and once at night, taking four he each time. Chicken meat can strengthen a man’s Yang energy and is also used for cold Qi and severe wasting that leaves a person bedridden. Eggs, too, were considered suitable for people with this kind of weakness. However, those with heat in the bones should avoid chicken meat. Eggs can aggravate Wind and should not be eaten in excess.

Fine powder and various mineral medicines may be ground together, mixed into rice, and fed to chickens; eating the chicken meat afterward is said to be highly nourishing. Eggs boiled in vinegar and eaten on an empty stomach can treat long-lasting red-and-white dysentery, with mucus or pus and blood in the stool. The final sentence of the original is incomplete, and the following content is missing.

When toxic heat flares up, take the whites of three eggs, mix them with one he (a traditional measure) of honey, and swallow.

Lei Gong says: If an egg is needed urgently, do not crack it open at once, lest an embryo that has already formed inside be damaged by mistake. After an egg has been brooded for twenty-one days, an embryo may have taken shape within it; if it is cracked then, it can no longer be used. To check an egg before using it, first place it in warm water. If it moves in the water, this means an embryo has formed inside. If it does not move, it may be cracked open and the white used, while the yolk should be discarded. An egg that has spoiled on its own must not be used either.

The Essential Secrets from Beyond the [Capital] (Waitai miyao) says: To treat vomiting and reflux caused by an epidemic illness, when the patient cannot eat, take one egg and boil it until the water has come to a boil three to five times. Remove the egg and cool it in water. When the shell has cooled but the inside is still hot, swallow it; this is effective.

The Handbook of Formulas for Emergencies (Zhouhou fang) says: If someone has hanged themselves, keep them still and calmly loosen the rope. Do not cut the rope, and do not hurry to lift them. If their chest still feels warm, prick a rooster’s comb and drip the blood into their mouth; this can save them. Use a hen for a man and a rooster for a woman. Another method is to take a chicken dropping the size of a date—specifically, the white part of the feces—mix it with half a cup of wine, and pour it down the throat. Then pour some into the nostrils; this is said to be especially effective.

The Tested Formulas (Jingyan fang) says: To treat children’s gan dysentery, or diarrhea caused by gan accumulation and related conditions, take one egg and make an opening the size of a bean in the shell. Put in one peeled croton seed and one qian of calomel. Wrap the egg in fifty layers of paper and steam it three times in a rice steamer. Once it has cooled, break the egg and grind its contents together with the croton and calomel into a fine powder. Add a little musk and form the mixture into paste pills the size of grains of rice. After meals, at bedtime, give two or three pills with warm water.

Another formula: For a woman whose mouth is dry after childbirth and whose tongue keeps drawing back, crack an egg, cook it in a cup of water, and take it as a drink. Stir it lightly, cover it for a short while, then drink it.

The Extensive Aid Formula (Guangji fang) says: To treat a blocked throat, sores inside the nose, dry retching, headache, and inability to eat, take one raw egg, crack one end, remove the yolk, and keep only the white. Mix it with rice vinegar. Heat it over a low flame, removing it as soon as it boils up. When the boiling subsides, heat it again; repeat this process three times. Drink the vinegar mixture while hot. It is said to take effect after one or two doses.

The Secret Record of the Child and the Mother (Zimu milu) says: To treat various sores on a child’s head or body, burn eggshells to ash, grind them finely, mix them with lard, and apply the mixture to the affected area.

The Tan Family Formula: To treat acute childhood erysipelas—a condition in which the skin suddenly becomes red and swollen—that does not subside, mix egg white with red bean powder and apply it to the affected area.

The Extended Meaning (Yanyi) says: The “red-feathered rooster,” called today the “red chicken,” is named for the color of its feathers. The Changes associates the Xun trigram with the chicken, and also with wind. A chicken crows at the fifth watch, just before dawn, because the sun is about to reach the Xun position; its Qi responds to this movement and is stirred, so the chicken crows. The chicken’s body contains the nature of “wind,” and therefore…

The Ke Shi Jing records that eggs have many uses. If a woman after childbirth develops blood fainting and bodily stiffness, twitching at the corners of her eyes and mouth, eyes rolling upward with discharge stretching from them, or even loss of consciousness, take one chicken egg, remove the shell and use the white, then mix it with two qian of powdered jingjie and have her swallow it. Her condition will settle. Afterward, treat her according to the appropriate method; if no other symptoms are present, no further treatment is needed. This remedy works quickly. Black chicken eggs are especially good. The commentaries on the classics do not say that chickens can cause wind disorders, but observation today shows that people with internal wind often suffer an attack after eating chicken. The chicken corresponds to Xun, one of the Eight Trigrams and a symbol of wind; this can indeed be confirmed. Chicken should therefore be eaten with care.

White goose fat can treat sudden deafness: pour it into the ear. Goose feathers can be used against shegong water poison, a harm said to be caused by poisonous creatures in water. Goose meat is mild in nature and can regulate and nourish the Five Viscera.

Tao Hongjing says: Poisonous creatures are common in the streams of eastern Sichuan, so local people raise geese as a safeguard; goose feathers and down are useful too. Someone affected by shegong poison can drink goose blood or smear it over the body. Geese may not actually eat the shegong creatures; perhaps their imposing presence keeps them in check. A book also says that geese do not eat live insects, yet chicks inside eggs will swallow earthworms and the like.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: Goose feathers can treat convulsions in children. They can also be burned to ash to treat a blockage of Qi or Qi surging upward.

The Ri Hua Zi says: Gray geese are cold in nature and poisonous, and can cause sores to suppurate. Goose droppings can be applied to snake and insect bites to counteract the poison. Keeping geese in a house wards off snakes and insects. White geese are cool in nature and nonpoisonous; they can clear heat from the Five Viscera and relieve thirst. Goose fat moisturizes the skin. The pouch at the goose’s tail can treat pus draining from the ear and deafness; medicines can be placed in it and used in the ear. It can also treat cracked hands and feet. Goose eggs replenish the Qi of the middle burner, but should not be eaten in quantity. Burn the goose’s tail to ash and take it with wine to treat eye disorders.

Meng Shen says: Goose fat can be used to prepare facial ointment. Goose meat is cold in nature and should not be eaten in quantity, as it can easily bring on cholera. Goose meat is suitable for people taking mineral-based elixirs, but it may also cause old ailments to recur.

The Zhou Hou Fang says: If someone accidentally swallows a ring or finger ring, burn several goose feathers, grind them to powder, and take the powder with water.

The Zi Mu Mi Lu says: If a child has thrush and cannot nurse, pour the juice of white goose droppings into the child’s mouth.

Duck fat is sweet in flavor and nonpoisonous; it treats wind deficiency and alternating chills and fever. White duck droppings, also called “tong,” can counteract the toxicity of mineral medicines and disperse stagnation, accumulation, and pent-up pathogenic heat. Duck meat can strengthen the body when deficient, clear heat, regulate the viscera, and promote urination.

Tao Hongjing says: “Wu” means duck, of which there are domestic and wild varieties. The Ben Jing also says that “goose fat” is called “wu fat,” but their effects differ somewhat; here, the reference should be specifically to domestic duck. Yellow female ducks are the most nourishing. Duck eggs should not be eaten together with soft-shelled turtle meat.

Birds that die naturally without closing their beaks must not be eaten; eating them can cause death.

The Commentary to the Tang Materia Medica, citing the Supplementary Records, says that duck fat treats edema; duck blood neutralizes various poisons; duck meat treats convulsions and epilepsy in children; and a duck’s head treats edema and promotes urination. An ancient prescription used a pill made from duck heads, called “Duck Head Pills,” to treat disorders caused by fluid retention.

Meng Shen says that white duck meat replenishes deficiency, clears heat and toxins, promotes urination, and treats convulsions and epilepsy in children caused by heat. A duck’s head treats sores and swelling. Boiling duck meat with scallions and fermented soybeans to make a broth and drinking it can relieve sudden attacks of vexing heat. Duck droppings treat dysentery caused by heat toxins. They can also be mixed with egg white and applied to heat toxin swellings to reduce them. Black ducks treat wasting-thirst, but can cause cold dysentery and beriberi, so they should not be eaten in large quantities. Duck eggs are slightly cold in nature and should be eaten sparingly. Eating too many can also impede Qi and cause a feeling of oppression in the back and shoulders.

The Food Therapy Essentials records a treatment for various water disorders that have resisted treatment for a long time and become severe: take one green-headed duck, prepare it in the usual way, chop it up, and cook it with rice and seasonings into a porridge. Eat it on an empty stomach. The book also says that white duck treats distension and fullness caused by water, edema, and scant, difficult urination. Take one white duck, remove its feathers and entrails, and rinse it with hot broth. Mix half a sheng of steamed rice with ginger and pepper, stuff it into the duck, sew it closed, and steam it until cooked before eating.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that, concerning duck fat, Tao Hongjing considered “wu” to mean duck, but ducks include both domestic and wild varieties. Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica, citing the Master of the Corpse, says that the wild duck is called “fu” and the domestic duck “wu.” The Shu Materia Medica Commentary, citing the Erya, says that the wild fu is also called “wu,” and its gloss identifies it as a duck. By these accounts, both fu and wu refer to ducks. Yet the wu fat mentioned in the Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica is also understood to be domestic duck fat. The sources differ, and the meaning is uncertain. However, the Tang scholar Wang Bo’s Record of the Tengwang Pavilion contains the line “the rosy clouds fly alongside a solitary wu,” showing that wu means a wild duck. Wang Bo was a renowned scholar of the Tang dynasty and must have had grounds for his usage; it can therefore be established that wu means a wild duck.

Partridge

Partridge is sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It treats poisoning from wild kudzu, poisonous fungi, and metals in the Lingnan region, as well as warm miasma (damp-heat miasma). In cases of prolonged illness that has become fatal and cannot be cured, roast a partridge with its feathers on, soak it in wine, and take it; pounding it raw and drinking the juice is most effective. Partridges are found south of the Yangtze. They resemble hens, and their call sounds like “gouzhou gezhe.”

The Illustrated Guide says that partridges are found south of the Yangtze, and today occur in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and around Kuizhou in Shu. They resemble hens, have white round spots on the breast, and on the back…

A bird with purple plumage is also called the “Yue pheasant” or the “sun-following bird.” The Records of Nanyue says that although the partridge circles as it flies east and west, when it first spreads its wings it always flies south. The Notes on Ancient and Modern Matters says that its call sounds as though it is saying its own name, but this is incorrect. The partridge’s call should sound like “gouzhou gezhe.” Another bird closely resembles the partridge but does not make this call; it must not be eaten.

The Rihuazi Materia Medica says that the partridge is mildly toxic and can treat the effects of Gu toxins and miasma. For someone gravely ill and close to death, it may be taken with wine.

Yuxi says that, according to Meng Shen, partridge nourishes the five organs, strengthens the heart, and sharpens the mind. Partridges come from the south and should not be eaten with bamboo shoots, or they will cause pain and bloating in the lower abdomen. A partridge that has died on its own must not be eaten. Another account says that the partridge is an earthly spirit, and that one must be offered to the Supreme Being each month; therefore, one that dies naturally should not be eaten.

The Extended Meaning says that the partridge is the bird described in Zheng Gu’s poem in the line, “Calling to one another across the broad Xiang River.” People in the south often eat it, and it is highly effective against miasma and fungal toxins. The other accounts agree with the classical text.

Middle-grade birds: Sparrow

Sparrow eggs taste sour, are warm in nature, and are non-toxic. They can help Qi descend. It is said that they treat impotence in men, warm and strengthen the penis, increase seminal fluid, and aid fertility. Sparrow brains can treat deafness; blood from a sparrow’s head can treat “sparrow blindness,” or difficulty seeing at dusk. Droppings from a male sparrow can treat eye pain and abscesses, as well as vaginal discharge, difficulty urinating, and hernia-like abdominal masses in women. Those collected in the fifth lunar month are considered best.

The Illustrated Guide says that the old materia medica texts did not record which prefectures or districts produced sparrows; today they are found everywhere. Sparrow meat is strongly warming in nature and, when eaten, nourishes Yang Qi. Winter sparrow meat is better. Sparrow eggs, brains, and head blood can also be used as medicine. Male sparrow droppings are collected in winter and are commonly called “Green Elixir.” Droppings pointed at both ends are from a male sparrow.

Tao Hongjing says that sparrows help harmonize Yin and Yang, and that sparrow eggs have the same effect. Practitioners of the arts say that taking pills made from sparrow eggs and Tianxiong can enlarge the penis and keep it strong. Difficulty seeing at dusk is called “sparrow blindness” and can be treated with blood from a sparrow’s head. Male sparrow droppings are identified by their pointed ends and can also treat tooth decay. Sparrow meat must never be eaten with plums; this is a serious taboo. It should also not be eaten with fermented soybean paste, and pregnant women in particular should avoid it.

Chen Cangqi says that sparrow meat enhances male sexual function and aids fertility; winter meat is better. Sparrow droppings collected in the twelfth lunar month are commonly called “Green Elixir” and can treat abdominal accumulations known as xuanpi.

This passage discusses the medicinal uses of the sparrow’s various body parts, then turns to the entry on the bat.

It begins by saying that various abdominal masses, including Fu Liang (a mass in the area between the heart and the navel in traditional Chinese medicine), can be treated with pills made from dried ginger, cinnamon bark, mugwort, and other ingredients. Taken by mouth, they dissolve the masses in the abdomen. For Xianpi (a buildup associated with tension in the abdominal sinews), or for a swollen abscess that has long failed to break open, apply one sparrow egg to the affected area; it takes effect at once.

Rihua Zi says: Sparrow meat is warm in nature and non-toxic. It strengthens Yang and boosts Qi, warms the lower back and knees, reduces urination, and treats uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge. Sparrow droppings that are pointed at one end and formed into straight, firm pellets come from a male sparrow.

Yuxi’s commentary says: A general prescription for deafness describes sparrow brains as neutral in nature; a general prescription for toothache describes the droppings of a male sparrow as warm in nature.

Meng Shen says: Eating sparrow meat after the seventh month and before the first month nourishes deficiencies in the Five Viscera, supports sexual function, and replenishes Jing and marrow. It should be eaten continuously. Sparrow droppings combined with Tianxiong, an Aconite-type medicinal, and dried ginger can be made into pills to strengthen sexual potency. Sparrow brains can be applied to chilblains.

The Shiliao Bencao says: Make pills from sparrow egg white, Tianxiong powder, and dodder seed powder. Take five pills on an empty stomach with wine. They treat male impotence, vaginal discharge and difficulty urinating in women; they also remove hernias and abdominal masses, reduce abscesses, and replenish the Qi of the Five Viscera.

The Waitai Miyao says: For toothache caused by worms, wrap male sparrow droppings in cotton and place them in the cavity of the tooth. Replace them once or twice a day; this works well.

The Zhouhou Fang says: For red or white films over the eyes, accompanied by heat and blurred vision, take fine, straight sparrow droppings, mix them with human milk, and apply the mixture to the eye. The film will disappear completely.

The Meishi prescription says: For any abscess or swelling that will not subside, has formed pus, and is too frightening to lance with a needle, apply sparrow droppings to the head of the abscess to make it break open quickly. Replace them when dry. Male sparrow droppings are best; the hard ones come from males.

The Jianyao Jizhong Fang says: For a woman with a lump in the breast, known as “milk swelling,” use “Powder of Sole Efficacy”: take half a tael of Bai Dingxiang (sparrow droppings), pound it, and sift it into a fine powder. Take half a spoonful mixed with warm wine at any time.

The Guangli Fang says: If a pregnant woman eats sparrow meat and drinks wine, her child will have a disorderly and lustful temperament. It also says that if she eats sparrow meat with fermented soybean paste, the child will have many dark spots on the face.

The Yanyi says: Sparrow meat should be eaten after the tenth month and before the first month, when Yin and Yang are still settled and have not yet become distinct. Sparrow eggs, too, should be taken from the first clutch.

The next entry concerns the bat. It tastes salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats dim vision and itchy, painful eyes; relieves strangury and promotes urination; and brightens the eyes, giving them a keen gleam for seeing at night. Taken for a long time, it brings joy and happiness, makes one’s appearance charming, and dispels sorrow. Also called “bianfu,” it lives in the valleys of Mount Tai and beneath the eaves of houses. It is gathered after the Beginning of Summer and dried in the shade. Amaranth seeds and Yunshi seeds can serve as its messenger herbs, supporting its effects when used in a prescription.

The Illustrated Classic says that fuyi (bats) live in mountain valleys and also shelter beneath the eaves and rafters of people’s homes. They are collected after the Beginning of Summer and dried in the shade for later use. Tianshu shi, or “heavenly mouse droppings,” is the excrement of fuyi; it is also found in the valleys of Hepu and is collected in the tenth and twelfth months.

A prescription cited by Su Gong says that fuyi are also called “immortal mice,” showing that the immortal mouse and fuyi are the same animal. Another account says that immortal mice live in caves and feed on the essence of various kinds of stalactites, and can live for a thousand years. They have a crest on their heads, are pure white all over, and are shaped like quail. It is said that eating one strengthens the body and prolongs life. Bats shaped like quail that have not yet turned white are also said to have lived for a hundred years; they hang upside down in caves containing stalactites. These are the “flesh lingzhi” described in the Immortals’ Scripture, strange beings believed to grant immortality. Their droppings resemble those of large rats, and this is the kind that should be used in medicine.

Tao Hongjing says that fuyi eyes and gall are used by practitioners of the “cave-seeing method,” a reputed art that enables people to see at night. Bats should not be taken unless they are pure white and hang upside down.

Chen Cangqi says that fuyi repel mosquitoes. On the fifth day of the fifth month, take a bat hanging upside down and dry it in the sun. Grind it into powder with cinnamon and xunlu incense (frankincense), then burn the powder; the mosquitoes will leave. It is said that putting bat blood into the eyes keeps a person from sleeping and enables them to see at night.

Lei Gong says to select a bat weighing one jin. To prepare it, first rub off the fur, cut off the claws, and remove the intestines, keeping the wings, flesh, feet, and mouth. Soak it in wine overnight, then strain it. Coat it with the fresh juice of huangjing and roast it until dry before use. For each bat weighing one jin, use five liang of fresh huangjing juice.

The Li family’s Bencao says that fuyi are the same as the heavenly mouse. Another kind of heavenly mouse is found in the mountains of Xiping County and is collected in the eleventh and twelfth months. It is said to treat illnesses women retain after childbirth, leukorrhea (abnormal vaginal discharge), and infertility. Popular accounts say that immortal mice live in caves, feed on the essence of stalactites, and can live for a thousand years. They have crests on their heads, are pure white, and are shaped like quail. Eating one is said to strengthen the body and prolong life. Those shaped like quail that have not yet turned white are also said to have lived for a hundred years and to hang upside down in caves containing stalactites. Their droppings resemble those of large rats; the “heavenly mouse droppings” mentioned below must refer to this excrement. Burn the droppings to ash and take one square-inch spoonful with wine; this is said to treat a fetus that has died in the womb. The animal’s brain is said to treat facial blemishes in women and, when taken, to improve memory.

The Shenghui Formula records a treatment for a child who, more than ten months after birth, becomes listless and thin because the mother has become pregnant again. This condition is called “ba illness.” The prescription begins, “Use fuyi…”; the original text breaks off at this point.

Burn it to ash, grind it carefully into a fine powder, and mix half a qian with rice water to take by mouth four or five times a day.

It can also be roasted until fragrant and cooked through, then chewed and fed to an infant; this is effective as well.

The Baiyi Fang records: To treat a persistent cough and Qi counterflow with wheezing, including illnesses lasting ten or twenty years that have not improved despite taking various medicines, use this prescription: remove the bat’s wings and feet, scorch it, grind it into powder, and swallow it with water.

The Guiyi Fang records: To treat bleeding from metal wounds and flesh fistulas, take two bats, burn them until the smoke is gone, grind them into powder, and mix it with water. Take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient medicine measure, about a small teaspoon). Take the whole dose within a day; afterward, blood like water will be discharged, and the symptoms will subside.

The Baopuzi says: Bats that have lived for a thousand years are white as snow and gather hanging upside down, supposedly because their heads are heavy. Catch one, dry it in a cool place, grind it into powder, and take it; this can enable a person to live for a thousand years.

The Yanyi says: Bat droppings can be included in prescriptions for treating childhood malnutrition. Bats can see during the day, but fear birds of prey and dare not come out. These creatures are skilled at “nourishing the breath” (a Daoist practice of regulating the breath and drawing in Qi), which is why they can live long; their fasting through winter is further evidence of this.

Pheasant Meat

Pheasant meat tastes sour and is slightly cold in nature. It is non-toxic. It is chiefly able to replenish the Qi of the middle, strengthen the body, stop diarrhea and dysentery, and treat ant fistulas.

The Tujing says: The Bencao Jing does not record where pheasants come from, but today they are found throughout both the north and south. Pheasants are often caught for food. Among the six kinds of poultry supplied by the butler in the Rites of Zhou, pheasant is one, and it is also considered a relatively prized food. However, pheasant meat is slightly toxic and should not be eaten often. Eating it after the ninth month and before the eleventh month may be somewhat nourishing; eating it in other months may bring on the five hemorrhoids and various sores and scabs.

Tao Hongjing says: Although the pheasant is not one of the animals associated with the twelve earthly branches, it is a “Li bird,” corresponding to the day of Wu. Wu belongs to Fire, so pheasant should not be eaten on Wu days.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: Pheasant meat is warm in nature and treats various fistulas and sores.

Yu Xi quotes Meng Shen as saying: Mountain chicken meat can treat stagnation of the Qi of the five viscera and wheezing that will not settle. Eating pheasant with buckwheat flour produces fat worm eggs; it should not be eaten with scallions, or it will produce tapeworms. Eating wild pheasant meat for a long time causes people to grow thin. Eating it from the ninth through the eleventh month may be somewhat nourishing; eating it in other months may bring on the five hemorrhoids and various sores and scabs. Pheasant meat must not be eaten with walnuts, mushrooms, or wood-ear fungus, or it may bring on the five hemorrhoids and even cause immediate bloody stools.

The Rihua Zi says: Pheasant is neutral in nature and slightly toxic. People with chronic illnesses should not eat it. It is beneficial in autumn and winter, but poisonous in spring and summer.

The Shiliao says: Pheasant meat must not be eaten with walnuts, or it may bring on head wind, causing dizziness like that experienced on a boat or in a cart, and may also cause heart pain. It must not be eaten with fermented black beans either. A pheasant that has died of its own accord…

Eating it by mistake can cause fatal poisoning.

The Shiyi Xinjing records that soup made by chopping up one pheasant, then cooking it with salt and fermented soybeans, can relieve wasting-thirst, excessive drinking, frequent urination, dry mouth, and related symptoms.

Another account says that pheasant can be used when the Spleen and Stomach Qi are deficient, with diarrhea continuing day and night, loose bowels, and inability to eat. Prepare one pheasant as for an ordinary meal, mince it finely, and season it with tangerine peel, Sichuan pepper, scallion, salt, and soy sauce. Wrap the mixture in wonton skins, boil until cooked, and eat on an empty stomach.

Other records say pheasant can be used for wasting-thirst, a parched and dry tongue, dry mouth, and frequent urination. Cook one pheasant thoroughly with the five flavorings, take about two and a half sheng of the broth, remove the meat, and drink the broth; the meat may also be eaten. For postpartum diarrhea with pain in the lower back and abdomen, pheasant may also be prepared as wontons and eaten.

The Yanyi says that a pheasant flies like an arrow, shooting straight forward before dropping down. For this reason, people placed its tail feathers on boats and carts to signify speed. Empress Lü of the Han dynasty was named “Zhi,” and Emperor Gaozu gave her the courtesy name “Yeji” (“Pheasant”). The pheasant is, in fact, a kind of chicken. Eating it does more harm than good.

Birds: Lower-Grade Substances

Peacock droppings are slightly cold in nature and can be used for women’s vaginal discharge and difficulty urinating.

Yuxi says that Chen Cangqi considered peacock salty in flavor and non-toxic. The Rihuazi says that peacock is cool in nature and slightly toxic, and can counter poisoning from medicines, Gu poison, and blood poison; drinking it raw is said to have some effect. Peacock droppings can be used for uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge, and applied externally to malignant sores.

The Yanyi says that peacock should not be used as medicine for people with blurred vision or corneal opacities.

The white crane is salty in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. Its blood is said to strengthen the body, replenish deficiency and debility, dispel Wind, and benefit the Lungs. Grinding the small stones from its crop and taking them is said to treat Gu poison and malign influences. Cranes seen today are black, yellow, white, and gray; the white crane is considered best, with the others ranked below it. The Record of the Mu Tianzi says that when the Son of Heaven reached Jusou, the two clans presented him with white crane blood to drink. The commentary says that crane blood can strengthen a person.

Crow

The crow is neutral in nature and non-toxic. It can be used for emaciation, cough, and steaming-bone fever caused by deficiency and debility. Take a crow from the twelfth lunar month, place it in an earthenware jar sealed with mud, and roast it to ash; mix the ash into a drink and take it. This is said to treat bodily pain in children and conditions attributed to ghosts or spirits, as well as fixed, unresponsive staring. The text also says it can be used broadly for eye disorders.

The Tujing says that people commonly use crows as medicine today, though they are not mentioned in the Bencao Jing. Ancient prescriptions used crow wings and feathers. Ge Hong’s Zhouhou Fang records their use to treat blood stasis caused by falling from a height …

For blood stasis and fullness in the chest, a bluish complexion, and shortness of breath, take seven crow wings, preferably the left wings. Burn them to ash, grind them to powder, and mix with wine to take. The patient should vomit blood afterward, and then the illness will be cured. In recent times, physicians have often used whole crows to treat sudden-onset wind illness: catch a crow in the twelfth lunar month, take its wings, feathers, beak, and feet, place them intact in a clay jar and seal it, then refine them over a strong fire. Remove the contents and use them as medicine, preparing them into Black Rhinoceros Pills to take.

The Shenghui Formula says that to treat a wasp fistula, burn a crow’s head to ash, grind it finely, and apply it to the affected area.

Male Magpie

Male magpie meat tastes sweet, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It can treat stone strangury (urinary stones or difficulty urinating) and disperse stagnant pathogenic heat in the body. Burn it to ash and throw the ash onto a stone: if the stone breaks apart, the magpie is said to be male.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that earlier records did not identify the prefectures where male magpies were found, but they are now seen everywhere. Male magpie meat can be used to treat wind disorders, impaired bowel movements, vexing heat in the limbs, and phlegm lodged between the chest and diaphragm. Women should not eat it. An old book says to burn a magpie to ash and throw it onto a stone; if the stone breaks apart, the magpie is male.

Tao Yinjü says that on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, magpie brains are gathered as an ingredient used by practitioners of esoteric arts. The magpie is also called the “flying mottled bird.” It is difficult to tell male crows from females. According to an old account, the bird is male if its left wing lies over its right, and female if its right wing lies over its left. Some also say to burn its feathers to powder and put them in water: those that sink indicate a male, and those that float a female. The method of identifying the male by throwing the bird onto a stone probably applies only to magpies, and may not work for other birds.

Chen Cangqi says that the male magpie can treat stone strangury. Burn it to ash, leach the ash with water, and drink the strained liquid; the stones will then be expelled.

Yuxi says that according to the Rihuazi, the male magpie is cool in nature and can treat wasting-thirst illness. An old nest that has been used for many years can treat madness, spirit hauntings, and gu poison. When burning it for use, one must also call out the name of the afflicting spirit. The male magpie can also be applied to fistulous sores.

Cormorant

Cormorant droppings, commonly called “Shushui flowers,” can remove dark spots and moles from the face. They are slightly cold in nature and can treat fish bones and other foreign objects lodged in the throat, as well as obstruction when swallowing; burn them before taking.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that the Bencao Jing does not record where cormorant droppings come from, but the birds are now found throughout the waterside regions. Cormorants are viviparous and expel their young from the mouth; the young resemble rabbits. Thus Du Taiqing writes in the Rhapsody on the Huai River: “In the eighth or ninth month, this bird expels its young; cormorants, egrets, and magpies carry them, wings beating, up and down through the air.” If a woman holds a cormorant while in labor, it is said to make delivery easier. Cormorant droppings often fall on small stones and are purple, like flowers; they should be scraped from the stone’s surface. People in the south use them to treat childhood malnutrition and wasting, including digestive weakness and emaciation: grind the dried droppings to powder, sprinkle them on roasted pork, and feed it to the child. This is said to be very effective.

Tao Hongjing says: Cormorants are often seen around streams and valleys, and their droppings should be gathered by hand. Use those that are pale in color; the kind sold in markets cannot be trusted. Cormorant bones can also treat fish bones lodged in the throat. This bird does not lay eggs but spits its young out of its mouth—this is what makes it especially remarkable.

Ri Huazi says: Cormorants are cold in nature and slightly toxic. They can treat facial scars and marks left by scalds or burns. Mix them with pig fat and apply the mixture to boils.

Du Taiqing’s “Rhapsody on the Huai” says: “The cormorant spits out its young at eight or nine; the turtledove carries its wing, bobbing up and down.” The verses evoke a cormorant spitting out its young and a bird flying up and down with its wings held close.

The Shenghui Formula gives this treatment for red rashes and blisters caused by drinking alcohol on the nose and face: Grind two he of cormorant droppings into a fine powder, mix with pig fat from the twelfth lunar month, and apply each night.

Sun the Perfected’s formula treats blockage in the throat: just before symptoms begin, hold a cormorant’s beak in the mouth, and food will then go down. The Wai Tai Mi Yao records the same method.

The Yan Yi says: Tao Hongjing claimed that cormorants do not lay eggs but spit out their young. People today call them “water crows.” They build nests in large trees and roost in flocks; where they gather for a long time, the trees die, because their droppings are poisonous. Pregnant women dare not eat cormorant meat, fearing that the tale of its spitting out young from its mouth will bring them harm. Chen Cangqi, however, also says that cormorants make childbirth easier, and that a woman in labor should hold one. This contradicts Tao Hongjing’s account.

I once served in Lizhou. Behind the government office stood a large tree with thirty or forty cormorant nests in it. I watched them day and night and found that cormorants mate and lay eggs; blue eggshells were scattered on the ground. Since this is so, how could they spit out their young from their mouths? Clearly, this claim was made without proper investigation, based only on a mistaken story then in circulation.

Woodpecker: neutral in nature and non-toxic. It chiefly treats hemorrhoidal fistulas, as well as teeth eaten away by dental decay and infested with worms. Burn it to ash, grind it into powder, and pack the powder into the cavity in the tooth. Usually two or three applications are enough. Woodpeckers are large or small, and come in brown and speckled varieties: the brown ones are female, while the speckled ones are male. They peck at wood to feed on grubs.

The Erya says: “The lie pecks wood”—meaning that the woodpecker strikes at trees with its beak. The Jingchu Records of Seasonal Customs says that people in the countryside catch woodpeckers on the fifth day of the fifth month to treat toothache. The Tales of Strange Events, Ancient and Modern says that the woodpecker was originally the Thunder God’s herb-gathering official, who later transformed into this bird. The Huainanzi says that it can peck wood to treat toothache; this is indeed true.

There is also a blue-black woodpecker, black in color with red feathers on its head, that lives in the mountains. Local people call it the “mountain woodpecker.” It is about the size of a magpie.

Physician Yao’s treatment for hemorrhoidal fistulas: If pus and fluid flow from the affected area and do not stop for a long time, burn a woodpecker to ash and take two qian and seven fen with wine. This will bring a cure.

The Shenshi Formula treats tooth decay: for a tooth with a cavity, use the tip of a woodpecker’s tongue…

Wrap it in cotton cloth and have the patient bite down on it at the site of the pain.

The jackdaw (also called the cold crow) tastes sour and salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can replenish deficiency and debility, treat emaciation, strengthen the body, and stop coughing.

People who are weak or suffer from steaming-bone disorder—a sensation of heat deep within the bones, often seen in cases of debility—may marinate a jackdaw with seasonings, then roast and eat it. This is considered effective. The jackdaw resembles a crow but is smaller. It often flies in flocks and calls out with a sound like “ya-ya.” It is common in the north, and its meat has no strong, gamey odor. It is now called the “cold magpie.”

The Dietary Therapy says: Those who are emaciated, cough, or suffer from steaming-bone disorder may marinate a jackdaw with seasonings, then roast and eat it; this is considered effective. The large crow is unsuitable for eating: its meat is coarse and astringent. It should be used only as medicine and not eaten regularly. If the fluid from a jackdaw’s eyes is dropped into the eyes, it is said that one can see ghosts and spirits at night. Daoist arts for acquiring extraordinary sight also use this bird, and the Northern Emperor’s Register for Capturing Ghosts—a Daoist talismanic register for expelling and capturing ghosts and evil spirits associated with northern deities—also uses jackdaw eggs.

Goose fat tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats wind-induced spasms of the sinews and vessels, stiffness of the limbs, hemiplegia, and impeded circulation of Qi and blood. Taken over a long period, it can thicken the hair, beard, and eyebrows, strengthen the body, prevent emaciation, make the body light and agile, and help preserve youth. Goose fat is also called “duck fat.” It comes from the ponds and lakes of Jiangnan and can be collected throughout the year.

A note in the Tang Materia Medica says: The white down beneath a goose’s throat is effective for treating epilepsy in children. Geese are birds associated with Yang: they fly south in winter and migrate north in summer. They breed in the north during spring and summer, so surely people in the north eat geese as well? Geese, however, migrate in the opposite direction from swallows: when swallows arrive, geese depart; when swallows leave, geese return. Thus the Book of Rites says, “In autumn the wild geese arrive; in spring the swallows come.”

The Extended Discussions says: One explanation for why people do not eat geese is that geese understand the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, as well as the proper order between young and old. Folk tradition sometimes says that Heaven rejects geese for this reason. These are several ideas passed down in Daoist circles. In fact, eating goose can treat many illnesses. The Tang Materia Medica calls the goose a bird associated with Yang, but this explanation is incomplete. The goose probably receives the balanced Qi of Yin and Yang: when the weather is warm, it goes north; when it is cold, it goes south, seeking a suitable climate. Thus, geese are offered in sacrifices both because they are faithful to their seasonal patterns and because they are harmonious and yielding.

Swallow droppings taste pungent, are neutral in nature, and are toxic. They treat Gu poison and ghost affliction—illnesses that people in antiquity attributed to disturbances by ghosts and spirits. They can dispel ill omens and evil influences, treat the five forms of urinary retention, and promote urination. Swallow droppings are found in high mountains, plains, and valleys.

Tao Hongjing says: There are two kinds of swallows, the Hu swallow and the Yue swallow. The Yue swallow, with a purplish breast and a small, light body, is not used as medicine. The Hu swallow has black markings on its breast and a louder call; people call it the “summer herald.” Hu swallows like to nest near people’s homes. It is said that having a swallow’s nest large enough to hold a bolt of silk will bring prosperity to the household. The nest of the Hu swallow can also be used as medicine, in the same way as swallow droppings. Usually…

Bathing a child in a medicinal decoction—that is, liquid made by boiling Chinese herbs—can treat “startling affliction,” a category of fright and abnormal conditions described by the ancients.

A commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says: The Supplementary Records state that the eggs of the Hu swallow can treat edema, and its flesh can be used for hemorrhoids and parasitic diseases. The droppings of the Yue swallow can also treat hemorrhoids, kill parasites, and remove eye films that obstruct vision.

Bat droppings, called Tian Shu Shi, taste pungent, are cold in nature, and are non-toxic. They mainly treat facial abscesses and swellings, as well as itchy skin that is sometimes painful. They can also be used for disharmony of Qi and blood in the abdomen, alternating chills and fever, accumulations, and palpitations, and can remove dark spots on the face. They are also called Shu Fa and Shi Gan, and are collected from mountain valleys in Hepu between the tenth and twelfth months. Do not use them together with Bai Lian or Bai Wei.

A commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says: Li’s Materia Medica identifies Tian Shu Shi as the droppings of Fu Yi, the bat. The entry for Fu Yi does not mention any use for its droppings; this note expressly makes clear that the two names refer to the same thing. In local speech it is called the “immortal mouse”; the entry for Fu Yi has already discussed it. On examination, it is also called Ye Ming Sha.

The white droppings of the eagle treat injuries from falls and blows, and can remove scars left by wounds.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Eagle droppings are a ministerial ingredient, slightly cold in nature, and mildly toxic. They mainly treat sudden illness caused by an attack of malign influences. Burn an eagle’s head to ash and take it with rice broth.

The Extended Meaning says: Eagle droppings can also be combined with other medicines in formulas for treating stagnation and deficiency. They are used for childhood jaundice caused by the accumulation of breast milk and food.

The head of the chi, commonly called the old chi, tastes salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It mainly treats wind-induced dizziness, involuntary shaking and falling, and epilepsy.

Tao Hongjing says: The chi is what people call the old chi; it is also called the yuan. There are also the diao and the xiao, which look similar but are larger. Although no distinction is made between male and female, the male bird is probably more effective as medicine. Before soaking a chi’s head in wine, lightly roast it, and do not use one that has been worm-eaten.

The xi chi, a kind of waterbird mentioned in ancient books, tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can treat startling affliction. Eating it can protect against the duan hu, a poisonous water creature of legend; it can also be kept locally as a precaution. These birds are usually found where the duan hu appears. They have five-colored plumage and tail feathers like the oar of a boat’s rudder, and are smaller than ducks. The Record of Strange Creatures of Linhai says that the xi chi is a waterbird that catches the duan hu; where it lives in the mountains and marshes, poisonous vapors disappear. The Rhapsody on the Huai River by Du Taiqing also says that the xi chi pursues harmful forces—this refers to the same thing. This passage was added later.

The spotted jiao, meaning the spotted turtledove, tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It mainly treats impaired vision. Eating plenty of its meat can boost Qi and harmonize Yin-Yang. It is also called the spotted turtledove. The Formula of Fan includes a remedy called “Spotted Turtledove Pills,” and this bird is found everywhere. At the spring equinox it changes to a yellow-brown color; at the autumn equinox it becomes spotted again. There is also the blue jiao, which is neutral in nature and non-toxic. It can nourish the Five Viscera, replenish deficient Qi, discharge pus, and treat blood conditions, as well as various sores, abscesses, swellings, and fistulas. It is also called the Yellow-Brown Marquis. This passage, too, was added later.

The Extended Meaning says: The spotted jiao is the spotted turtledove. I once kept one for several years and never saw…

At the turn of spring and autumn, this bird occurs both with and without markings, as well as in gray. Some are small and others large. Eating it can replenish Qi in people weakened by chronic illness or bodily deficiency. Despite these differences in color and size, all varieties have the same medicinal effects.

Lianque: Sweet in flavor, warm and mild in nature, and non-toxic. It can boost Qi and treat wind disorders. Catch it between winter and spring, chop it up, and stir-fry it until fragrant. Put it in a bag and steep it in wine. Each morning, warm the wine and drink it. This bird is about the size of a starling and is dark brown; those that feed on the seeds of the pagoda tree are considered better.

Starling: Its meat is sweet in flavor, mild in nature, and non-toxic. It is used chiefly to treat the five types of hemorrhoids and to stop bleeding. It may be roasted and eaten, or ground into powder and taken with water or wine.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: This bird resembles a falcon, with crest feathers on its head like a headscarf. That is the bird in question.

Su Song says: According to the Ri Hua Zi, the starling treats coughing and hiccups and helps Qi descend. It can simply be roasted and eaten. The text also says that it can confer spiritual insight and improve eyesight. Mix its eyeball with milk and apply the mixture to the eyes to brighten vision.

Crane bone: Sweet in flavor and non-toxic. It treats ghost-related Gu disorders, various corpse-transmission toxins, the five corpse disorders, and diseases of the heart and abdomen. “Corpse-transmission” and “five corpse disorders” are terms used in ancient medical texts for certain difficult-to-diagnose illnesses.

Tao Hongjing says: There are two kinds of crane. One resembles a magpie and nests in trees; it is called the white crane. The other is black, with a crooked neck, and is called the black crane. The white crane is now considered the better kind to use medicinally.

The Yanyi says: The white crane has no red on its head or black band around its neck, and its body resembles a red-crowned crane. It does not call much, but makes sounds by tapping its beak against another’s. Cranes catch fish and snakes in ponds to feed their young. How could such claims have been passed down to later generations? These birds often build mud nests on towers and palace halls, where people can see them morning and evening; this shows that the earlier account was inaccurate. The Panshi section also mentions the bird.

White pigeon: Salty in flavor, mild in nature, and non-toxic. Its meat counteracts the effects of various poisons and is also used for chronic mange in people and horses. Pigeon droppings treat equine mange, though another account says canine mange. Pigeons belong to the dove family and often fly down to roost near houses. It is said that people with mange recover quickly after eating pigeon meat. If a horse has mange with lesions spreading among the mane and tail, fry pigeon droppings until yellow, grind them into powder, and mix them into the horse’s fodder.

Another account says: The pigeon is warm in nature and non-toxic. It nourishes Jing and Qi, treats malignant sores, mange, and wind-related itching of the skin, and counteracts various poisons. Although pigeon meat benefits the sick, there is concern that eating too much may weaken the effect of medicines. For vitiligo and liuyifeng—an ancient term for certain skin conditions marked by white patches—stir-fry pigeon meat and take it with wine. It may also be applied externally to sores and mange in donkeys and horses.

The Yanyi says: Among birds, white pigeons have the greatest variety of feather colors. Lightly stir-fry one liang of wild pigeon droppings until charred. Grind musk separately into a fine powder. Use one fen each of Wu Baizhu; half a liang each of red peony root and green costus root; three fen of bupleurum...

Suo, one liang, is fried until reddish, then its thin skin is removed. Grind all seven ingredients together into a powder. Warm wine made without ash, and take one qian of the powder mixed into it on an empty stomach.

The laoping is poisonous. Its feathers can be used to treat “transmitted illness” in children. This refers to a condition in which a nursing infant falls ill while the mother is pregnant, with symptoms resembling malaria or dysentery. The child may suffer the same illness again later, with abdominal swelling and symptoms that come and go. Others who approach may also catch it. People in the north are unfamiliar with this illness. A pregnant woman may carry laoping feathers on her person; alternatively, one may use a branch the bird has stepped on to strike the child. It is said this will help the child begin speaking sooner.

Zheng Li’s commentary says: The ju is the bolao bird. The Chu Ci says, “On the left I see it cry out, the eagle,” meaning its call is inauspicious. The Baize Tu says that bolao birds fighting in the spaces between houses are an ill omen.

Quail can nourish the Five Zang organs, regulate the central Qi, replenish primordial vitality, strengthen the sinews and bones, increase resistance to cold, warm the middle, and disperse accumulated heat. Cooked with adzuki beans and ginger, it can stop diarrhea and dysentery; fried in butter, it is especially likely to cause diarrhea. Quail meat is rich and delicious, but eaten with pork it causes small black spots to appear on the body. It should not be eaten with mushrooms either, as this may bring on hemorrhoids. Quail meat should not be eaten before the fourth lunar month. An old account says that quail transform from toads. (The material above is newly added.)

The Yanyi says: Quail have males and females and hatch from eggs, so how could anyone claim they transform from something else? This is a careless assertion. I have often found quail eggs in the fields. Newly hatched quail are called luo quail; in early autumn they are called early-autumn quail; and after mid-autumn they are called white tang. All four names should be recorded. It is said to be effective for children with infantile malnutrition or dysentery to eat quail meat every morning.

The guchao tastes salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can strengthen vitality and regulate the spleen and stomach, and is used to treat wind-related headaches and blurred, dizzy vision. Boil or roast one bird and eat it all at once; this works well. Nowadays, people in the Jiangdong region call wind-related headaches “swollen head.” The illness begins in the tendons on either side of the neck and travels straight up into the head, causing blurred vision and a heavy, stuffy feeling in the head. It is most common among rural people. Guchao are found in both the north and south. They resemble magpies, have shorter tails, and yellowish feathers. They often fly among dense woods and do not travel far. People in the north call them “qu□.” The Erya says that the mingjiu resembles a magpie, and that the guchao also resembles a magpie, with a short tail and a frequent call. The Dongjing Fu says, “The guchao calls in spring.” It is sometimes also called gudiao.

The pelican tastes salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat long-standing red-and-white dysentery that has progressed to infantile malnutrition. Burn it to a black powder and take one square-inch spoonful at a time, using an ancient small medicinal spoon as the measure. This bird resembles a gray goose and has a pouch beneath its lower jaw that can hold one or two sheng. The pouch can expand and contract, and can hold water and fish. It also has another name…

The Tuohe bird has a body like water foam, with only two pieces of flesh the size of fists on its chest. Legend says that long ago someone stole the flesh, then jumped into a river and transformed into this bird. Its chest still has flesh today, which is why it is called “Tuohe.” The Book of Songs says, “The pelican stands on the fish weir, yet its beak has not been wet.” Zheng Xuan explained that the pelican is a bird with a very large beak; the line means that it is careful to protect its beak. (Newly added)

Mandarin duck: Its flavor is salty, its nature balanced, and it is slightly toxic. Its meat can be used to treat various fistulas, scabies, and ringworm. Soak the meat in wine, roast it until hot, and apply it to the affected area; replace it when it cools. Eating its meat can cause “great wind,” an ancient term for severe skin diseases and similar conditions. The Dietary Therapy says that mandarin duck meat can treat fistulas: roast it in clear wine and eat it. It can also make a person beautiful. The text also says that if it is made into soup and secretly given to one spouse, it will make the couple cherish one another.

Yangwu and stork: Tao Hongjing’s commentary says that the Yangwu is the stork. According to the account here, however, these two birds are quite unlike each other: the Yangwu is entirely black, with a long neck, and much smaller than the stork. A stork’s beak is poisonous. If someone is bitten by one and develops a sore, burn the stork to ash, grind it to powder, and take it with wine. The stork is also called the Yangya and is found in Jianzhou.

Fish dog: Its flavor is salty, its nature balanced, and it is non-toxic. It can be used when a fishbone is caught in the throat or has pierced the flesh and cannot be removed, causing severe pain. Burn the fish dog until charred, grind it to powder, and take a dose; drinking a decoction of it is also acceptable. The bird now called the kingfisher is the fish dog. The smaller kind is called fish dog and the larger kind cui. People also use its tail feathers as ornaments. There is also a white variety. They all catch fish at the water’s surface, which is why they are called “fish dogs.” The Erya calls it “jie,” and also “heavenly dog.” Its commentary says it is a small blue bird resembling a kingfisher that feeds on fish. People in Jiangdong call it fish dog, and it nests in the earth.

Pale-throated warbler: It can be used to treat insect bites; roast it and eat it. It can also be used when a child is a long time learning to speak. Applying its nest and droppings to an insect bite is also effective. Today it is called the oriole, and is also known as the “returning-tongue bird.”

Cuckoo: It is said that the bones of its feet and head can make a married couple love each other. Collect them on the fifth day of the fifth month and wear them on your person, one piece for each partner: the man wears his on the left and the woman on the right. Legend says that if the two bones are placed in water, they will move toward each other on their own. (Unverified) People in Jiangdong call it the “Guogong,” while people in the north call it the “Bogu,” or “Huogu.” It resembles a hawk and has a long tail. The Erya calls it the “singing dove”; its commentary says this is the bird now called the cuckoo. When male and female birds fly and call to one another, they beat their wings together. The Book of Rites says, “The singing dove brushes its wings.” Zheng Xuan’s commentary explains that as they fly, the wings on either side strike against each other.

Cuckoo: It is said that the first person to hear a cuckoo call will suffer a separation. Imitating its call is said to make a person cough up blood. Hearing it call beside a latrine is considered inauspicious. This can be countered with an apotropaic rite—a ritual to ward off misfortune—in which one should answer by imitating a dog’s bark.

People commonly call this bird the cuckoo. According to the Record of Seasonal Observances in Jingchu, a saying circulated at the time that the cuckoo appeared whenever past and present met. It is smaller than a hawk and cries without stopping.

The Basic Annals of the Kings of Shu says that Du Yu was the King Wang of Shu. He had an affair with the wife of his minister Bie Ling, then later left Shu. For this reason, the people of Shu called him King Wang. The Garden of Strange Tales says that when the cuckoo begins to call, people dare not imitate its cry. One person walking in the mountains saw a flock of cuckoos and tried to imitate them; as a result, he coughed up blood and died.

The Songs of Chu says, “When the tiju cries, the plants and trees lose their fragrance.” People believed that the cuckoo coughed up blood when it called, and this gave rise to the tale that anyone who imitated its cry would cough up blood.

Illustrated and Expanded Materia Medica, juan 30