《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 31

Illustrated and Expanded Materia Medica, juan 31.

Compiled by Kou Zongshi, a Court Gentleman for General Service and official responsible for identifying medicinal materials during the Song dynasty; collated by Xu Hong, Assistant Instructor at the Imperial Medical Office and official responsible for identifying medicinal materials during the Song dynasty.

Worms and Fish Section, Upper Grade

Stone Honey

Stone honey tastes sweet and is neutral, slightly warm in nature, and nontoxic. It treats pathogenic influences in the heart and abdomen, convulsions and epilepsy, and relieves spasms. It calms the five viscera, replenishes what is deficient, boosts Qi and nourishes the center, relieves pain and counteracts toxins, and treats many kinds of illness. It harmonizes various medicines, nourishes the spleen, dispels agitation and difficulty swallowing food, treats intestinal diarrhea, muscle pain, and mouth sores, and brightens the eyes and ears. Taken over a long period, it can strengthen the will and make the body feel light; it is said to ward off hunger and aging and to prolong life. It is also called “stone malt syrup.” It comes from the valleys of Wudu and Heyuan, and from mountains in various regions. The best is found between stones and is white as fat.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: “The Original Materia Medica calls it ‘honey.’ Su Gong considered the word ‘stone’ should be deleted.”

Stone honey comes from the valleys of Wudu and Heyuan and from mountains in various regions. Today it is found in Shu, Jiangnan, and Lingnan. White wax also comes from the valleys of Wudu. It is beeswax, produced in honeycombs and found on trees or among stones. Today it is found throughout the country, especially in Xuanzhou, Shezhou, Tangzhou, Dengzhou, and the Yiluo region.

Stone honey is cliff honey. The bees are black and resemble horseflies. They build their nests on steep cliffs or in stone caves, where people cannot easily reach them. People pierce the nests with long poles, let the honey flow out, and collect it in vessels. A large yield can amount to three or four shi. Cliff honey tastes slightly sour and astringent and is greenish in color; it is better for medicinal use than other kinds of honey.

The Treatise on Medicinal Properties says: “White honey can serve as a principal medicine for sudden attacks of heart pain and red-and-white dysentery. Mix it with water to make a honey drink and take a bowlful at once to stop the dysentery. Alternatively, combine one he of fresh ginger juice with one he of honey, dilute with water, and take it all at once. Taken regularly, it makes the complexion rosy as a flower. The methods of the immortals place great importance on honey. To treat mouth sores, soak honey in leaves of the great blue plant and hold it in the mouth.”

Tao Hongjing says: “Stone honey is cliff honey, found among the rocks of high mountains. It is blue-green and red in color and slightly sour and astringent in taste. Eating it can make one feel agitated. The bees are black and resemble horseflies. There is also a kind of tree honey, called ‘eating honey’; its combs hang from tree branches, and its honey is blue-green and white. Honey from tree hollows and from bees kept by people is also white, plentiful, thick, and sweet. Whenever bees make honey, they need a little human urine to ferment the juices of various flowers, so that the honey becomes harmonized and mature. The process resembles making malt syrup, which requires malt—sprouted grain.”

Chen Cangqi says: “Honey treats dental decay, sores on the lips and mouth, redness or film in the eyes, and can also kill worms.”

Lei Gong says: One jin of honey yields only about twelve and a half or thirteen liang after refining. If the heat is too low or too high, the refined honey cannot be used.

The Treatise on Food Therapy says: Honey is slightly warm in nature. It can treat pathogenic influences affecting the heart and abdomen, as well as convulsions; strengthen deficiencies in the Five Viscera; replenish the Qi of the center; relieve pain; counteract toxins; and harmonize all medicines. It can regulate the Spleen’s Qi and relieve restlessness, oppression in the chest, and inability to eat. It also treats pain in the heart and abdomen, stabbing abdominal pain, and red or white dysentery. For dysentery, pound fresh Rehmannia root to extract its juice, mix it with a large spoonful of honey, and take it; this will promote bowel movements. Taken over a long period, honey gives the complexion a rosy glow like a flower. Immortals’ prescriptions prize honey highly. If the body feels hot and the limbs are out of balance, drinking a bowl of honey water is very effective. Honey can also stop intestinal flux, heal mouth sores, and sharpen hearing and sight. Taken over a long period, it helps one endure hunger. It may also be applied to the eyes to treat a hot film inside them. The best honey is white honey from domesticated bees, followed by honey from tree nests, then honey from cliff nests.

Sun the Perfected’s Food Taboos says: Do not eat raw honey in the seventh month, or you may suddenly develop diarrhea and a severe illness like cholera.

The Treatise on Childbirth says: To treat thirst after childbirth, take an appropriate amount of honey, cook it until refined, and dissolve it in warm water. This will relieve the thirst.

The Essential Prescriptions from the Outer Terrace says: In recent years, an epidemic has appeared that causes spotted sores to spread over the head, face, and body, quickly covering the whole body. They look like burn sores, each covered with white pus. When the pus breaks, new sores grow in its place. Without prompt treatment, the patient will surely die within days. After recovery, the scars remain dark and take a year to fade. This is caused by a malignant toxin. People say it first appeared during the Jianwu era, when troops from Nanyang set out to attack the enemy, and so it is called “barbarian sores.” After discussion, physicians adopted this prescription: take fine honey and spread it over all the sores; then boil Cimicifuga in honey, repeatedly dipping it in and wiping the sores.

The Classified Essentials for Cold Damage says: In a patient with Yangming disease, if sweating occurs spontaneously and urination is unobstructed, the body’s fluids have already been depleted. Even so, do not use purgation. Wait until the patient feels the urge to defecate, then use the honey enema method: shape honey into a rod and insert it into the anus to relieve constipation. Place seven he of honey in a copper vessel and simmer over low heat until it can be pinched into a rod about as thick as a finger. Let it cool, then insert it into the anus. A short while later, the bowels will move.

The Ge Family Prescriptions says: If a fish bone or other object gets stuck while eating fish, take seven chao of fine honey in small amounts, one after another, to help expel the object.

The Mei Family Prescriptions says: To treat premature graying in young people, pluck out the white hairs and apply white honey to the follicles; black hair will grow in their place. If no hair grows, pound the seeds of the parasol tree, apply their juice, and black hair will surely grow. Another prescription says: The anus corresponds to the lungs. When the lungs are hot, …

For an anus that is blocked, swollen, contracted, and ulcerated, combine one sheng of white honey with one pig’s gallbladder. Simmer over low heat until the mixture can be rolled into pills. Roll it into a strip about three cun long, coat it with oil, insert it into the anus, and lie down. When you feel a downward pressure in the abdomen, wait a little while; the bowels will then move.

The Zhouhou Fang says: For ulcers that are highly toxic and whose color changes unpredictably, mix honey with powdered dried ginger and apply it to the affected area.

The Yanyi says: “Stone honey” (an ancient term for a kind of honey product) is listed among insects and fish in the Jiayou Bencao, but another new work places it among fruits. Following Su Gong’s account, that work writes only “honey,” omitting the word “stone.” Stone honey originally had its own entry and a distinctive method of preparation. People today call it milk sugar, so classifying it as the “stone honey” listed among insects is plainly wrong; it should no longer be called stone honey.

The Bencao Jing says, “The white, ointment-like kind is best.” This suggests that “stone honey” may be a mistaken transcription of “white honey.” Over time, errors crept into the text as it was copied. Some people today also call white honey “white sand honey”: honey turns white when stored for a long time, while newly gathered honey is thin and yellowish. The next entry describes beeswax, so it needs a separate entry because beeswax is processed from the honeycomb by a different method. White wax, however, is also appended to the beeswax entry, which is a problematic arrangement. It should have followed the preceding text, continuing the account of beeswax’s uses and place of origin, rather than being divided into two entries. The original entry on white wax says nothing about its properties or flavor, only that it is white. Since wax comes in yellow and white varieties, the reference to white wax here must mean the purer kind. Yellow wax is not specifically identified by color, perhaps because wax turns white when kept for a long time, while fresh wax is yellow. In other words, use aged honey and fresh wax.

Bee Larvae

Bee larvae taste sweet, have a neutral nature that tends slightly toward cold, and are non-toxic. They treat head disorders caused by pathogenic wind, dispel Gu poison (a harmful condition traditionally attributed to poisonous worms or sorcery), and strengthen the weak. They are also used for injuries and pain in the heart and abdomen. They can treat the “five worms” (an ancient collective term for intestinal parasites) when adults or children vomit them through the mouth. Long-term use is said to give the complexion a healthy glow, slow aging, lighten the body, and increase strength.

Larvae of the giant hornet treat abdominal and heart distension and pain, as well as dry retching. They are also said to lighten the body and increase strength.

Larvae of the ground-dwelling wasp treat abscesses and sore throats. The ground-dwelling wasp is also called “Feiling.” These larvae are incompatible with huangqin, shaoyao, and oyster shell.

Tao Yinjing says: The earlier entry gives only the name “bee larvae,” which should refer to the larvae of honeybees. Take larvae that have not yet grown heads and legs, fry them, and eat them. They may also be soaked in wine and applied to the face.

What makes the complexion fair and lustrous is the yellow wasp, the kind that lives on people’s rooftops, as well as the houhou wasp.

The Bencao of Chen Cangqi says that bee larvae can be used for erysipelas, hives, internal heat in the abdomen, difficulty urinating or defecating, edema with bleeding, and vaginal discharge in women. They can also promote lactation. The “bee larvae” mentioned here are the white, pupa-shaped larvae found in the honeycomb. Wasps that nest underground are called earth wasps. They are the largest kind, and their sting can be fatal. Their larvae are also large and white, and have the same effects as honeybee larvae.

The Rihuazi says that tree wasps, earth wasps, and honeybees are cooling in nature and poisonous. They can promote urination and defecation and treat conditions such as vaginal discharge in women. Some people also eat these kinds of bees and wasps; to counter their poison, they should be eaten with winter melon, bitter lettuce, ginger, and perilla.

Yuxi says that, according to the Bencao of Chen Cangqi, earth wasps are reddish-black. Burn them to ash, mix the ash with oil, and apply it to a spider bite. Earth wasps prey on spiders, so this treatment draws on the idea that they counteract one another.

Honey wax (beeswax) tastes sweet, is slightly warm in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats dysentery with pus and blood, replenishes the body’s central Qi, and repairs wounds caused by swords and other weapons. It is said to boost Qi, ward off hunger, and slow aging. White wax treats long-lasting diarrhea and dysentery, as well as a sinking sensation during bowel movements and the passage of white pus. It can also repair injuries. Some say it benefits children and that taking it over a long period makes the body light and wards off hunger. White wax comes from the valleys of the Wudu Mountains, where it forms in honeycombs and among wood and stones. It is incompatible with yuanhua and qige when used in combination.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says that the relevant information is described in detail under “stone honey.”

Tao Hongjing says: This is honey wax. Because it forms in honey, it is called honey wax. Bees use it to build their combs, and it can also be obtained when honey is boiled down. Freshly collected honey wax is very fragrant and soft. People boil it further, sometimes adding a little vinegar or wine, until it turns yellowish red; this color is considered best for making candles. These days, pharmacists generally use white wax. In summer, honey wax is shaved into small pieces and left in the sun for about a hundred days, after which it naturally turns white. If it is needed quickly, it can also be melted and washed in water more than ten times until white. Folk remedies use it only to make pills for treating dysentery. It is especially important in the fasting methods described in the Immortals’ Scriptures—Daoist texts on cultivation. Some people now chew a piece of honey wax about an inch square, and it is said to keep them from feeling hungry all day.

Yuxi says that, according to the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals, white wax tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It can be used when a pregnant woman has fetal agitation and persistent bleeding and is in mortal danger: take a piece of wax the size of an egg, boil it three to five times, then pour in half a jin of fine wine and drink it; recovery will follow. It is also said that white wax can be used for white hair: pluck out the white hairs and drip melted wax into the follicles, and black hair will grow in their place. And—

Mix equal parts of pine resin, almonds, jujube flesh, and Poria, then make them into pills. Take fifty pills after meals to keep hunger at bay. They have many other uses; another account says they can also treat dysentery and stools containing pus and blood.

The Yan Yi says: For related information, see the entry on “Stone Honey.”

Oyster

Oyster tastes salty and has a neutral nature, leaning slightly cold; it is non-toxic. It primarily treats alternating chills and fever caused by cold damage, warm malaria (malaria with periodic attacks), fright, anger, and obstructed Qi flow. It can relieve tension or weakness in the sinews and vessels, as well as scrofula (a condition resembling tuberculous swelling of the neck’s lymph nodes). It may also be used for vaginal discharge in women, including red or white discharge; clear stagnant pathogenic heat in the joints; and regulate deficiency heat in the nutritive and defensive Qi, alternating chills and fever, distress in the chest, and spontaneous sweating. It can also treat heart pain, Qi stagnation, thirst, and blood stasis; astringe the large and small intestines; regulate urination and bowel movements; and treat seminal emission, throat impediment, cough, and oppression or smoldering heat in the heart, chest, and below the ribs. Taken over a long period, it can strengthen the joints, drive away harmful influences, and prolong life.

Oyster is also called “Li Ge” or “Mu Ge.” It grows in coastal lagoons and marshes of the Eastern Sea and can be gathered at any time. Fritillaria may serve as its guiding herb. It combines well with licorice, achyranthes, polygala, and cnidium seed, but is incompatible with ephedra, evodia, and magnolia flower.

The Illustrated Classic says: Oyster grows in coastal lagoons and marshes of the Eastern Sea. Today it is found along coastlines in many places, especially in the South Sea, Fujian, and around Tongzhou and Taizhou. Oysters grow attached to rocks, linked together in layers like houses, which is why they are called “Li Fang” (“oyster houses”); the character fang is pronounced as in “Epang Palace.” They are also called “oyster mountains,” and people in Jin’an call them “oyster clusters.”

When oysters first grow along the shore, they are only the size of a fist, but gradually grow larger. Some reach one or two zhang in length, layered like steep mountain cliffs. Each shell contains a piece of oyster meat, whose size varies with the shell: the large ones are like a horse’s hoof, the small ones like the pad of a human finger. At high tide, the shells all open. When a small creature enters, the shell closes and traps it as food. Coastal people gather oysters by breaking open the outer shell, then using intense heat to make it gape and remove the meat inside. An oyster whose opening faces left is called male; one whose opening faces right is called female.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Oyster is a principal medicinal. It can treat uterine bleeding in women, stop night sweats, clear wind-heat, relieve pain, and treat warm malaria. Taken with eucommia bark, it can stop night sweats. Grind it into powder, mix it with honey, and make pills; a dose of thirty pills is said to give the complexion a lustrous whiteness and ward off seasonal epidemics. For people who are physically weak and have pronounced internal heat, oyster may be added as appropriate, or combined with rehmannia and small-leaved linden.

Tao Hongjing says: Oyster is transformed from a hundred-year-old carved bird. The eleventh month is the best time to gather it. After removing the meat, leave it for two hundred days before using it. Today it is produced in the Eastern Sea, Yongjia, Jin’an, and other places.

Daoists classified oysters based on which way they appeared to look: those facing left were considered male and called “male oysters,” while those facing right were considered female and called “female oysters.” Oysters grow attached to rocks, with their openings facing upward and their undersides facing south. If you lift one to examine it and its opening slants toward the east, it is facing left. Some say that an oyster counts as facing left only when its pointed end faces right. It is not clear which view is correct. In general, larger oysters are preferred.

Meng Shen says: Place an oyster over a fire and roast it until its shell opens and the flesh is cooked. Remove it from the shell and eat it; it tastes very good and can also smooth the skin and improve one’s complexion. In recent times, when medicinal practitioners use oysters for food, they no longer distinguish between those facing left and right, and they can be eaten over a long period. Of all seafood, oysters are the most prized. People in the north do not know them, so they cannot speak to their fine flavor.

Duan Chengshi’s Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang says: “Male” in “male oyster” does not refer to the animal’s sex.

The Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies says: If someone suffers a nosebleed from slight exertion after recovering from a serious illness, take ten parts oyster and five parts gypsum, grind them to a fine powder, and swallow one square-inch spoonful with wine three or four times a day. Alternatively, add honey and form pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds.

The Experiential Formulary says: To treat various kinds of thirst, take several large oysters on either the La Day or the Dragon Boat Festival. Wrap them in yellow clay and fire them until red-hot. Once cool, remove them and grind them to a powder. Mix one coin-sized spoonful with broth made from fresh crucian carp and take it; children should take half a spoonful. Two doses should be enough to cure the condition.

The Materia Medica of the Sea says: According to the Record of Guangzhou, oysters are found in the waters of the South Sea. They treat seminal emission in men, debility and depletion; strengthen the kidneys and boost Qi, stop night sweats, and relieve vexation and heat. They are also used to treat heat-related illnesses, and nourish the body, calm the Shen (spirit), and treat convulsions in children. Long-term use can make the body feel light and nimble. Before use, roast them until slightly yellow; once cooked, grind them very finely and add them to pills or powders.

The Winning Gold Formulary says: To treat nail-root sores—in which flesh around the nail becomes inflamed and decays, grows beneath the nail and covers it, and causes pain and discharge of pus and blood that persists despite prolonged treatment—take the thicker part of an oyster and grind it raw into a powder. Take two coin-sized spoonfuls each time, mixed with indigo-flower wine. If the affected area is severely swollen with pus and has ruptured, apply the powder to it while continuing to take the medicine three times a day.

A prescription by Chu Yushi says: This is highly effective for treating scrofula—lumps like tuberculous lymph-node swellings in the neck—whether the sores have ruptured or not. Grind four liang of oyster and two liang of licorice root into a fine powder. Take one large coin-sized spoonful after meals, mixed with aged tea, three times a day.

The Collected Proven Prescriptions says: To treat various abscesses that have not yet formed pus, grind white oyster into a fine powder, mix it with water, and apply it to the affected area. Reapply when the medicine dries.

The Extended Discourses on the Materia Medica says: Oysters should be roasted and ground into powder before use, and combined with medicines such as ephedra root…

Oyster shell (mu li) is ground into an extremely fine powder and pounded together with the other medicinals. It may be dusted on to treat night sweats and sweating of the genitals. If raw oyster shell is used, follow the method given in this formula. Regarding the phrase "zuo gu" (looking to the left), the original classic gives no explanation; the commentary simply follows the interpretation of Tao Yinju (Tao Hongjing). The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (Youyang Zazu, a notebook-style work by Duan Chengshi of the Tang dynasty) already mentions oyster shell and points out that "mu" (male) does not mean male, just as "mu dan" (tree peony) does not imply the existence of a "pin dan" (female peony). If we match it to direction: when a person faces south, the top of the oyster shell faces north, and the one whose opening lies on the left is called "zuo gu." But the oyster has no eyes, so how could it be said to look about?

Turtle shell (gui jia) tastes salty and sweet, is neutral in nature, and is mildly toxic. It is used to treat leakage below (uterine bleeding in women outside the menstrual period), red and white discharge (red and white leukorrhea, that is, white discharge or discharge tinged with blood), breaking up masses and lumps (dispersing accumulations in the abdomen), long-standing malaria that resists cure, the five kinds of hemorrhoids, yin erosion (ulceration of the genitals), damp bi (painful obstruction), weakness of the four limbs, failure of the infant fontanelle to close, sores on the head that are hard to dry and heal, sores on the genitals in women, qi counterflow caused by fright and anger, heart and abdominal pain that makes standing for long impossible, cold and heat in the bones, and relapse after cold damage fever, or alternating chills and fever in those near death. It is effective when decocted into a soup. Taken over a long period, it is said to lighten the body, reduce hunger, benefit qi, increase wisdom, and also stimulate appetite. Its other name is Shen Wu (divine house). It grows in ponds, marshes and lakes of the South Sea. It may be collected at any season, but it must be kept from damp, for once damp it becomes toxic. It conflicts with sha shen (glehnia root) and fei lian (cockroach), and should not be used together with them.

The Illustrated Classic (Tu Jing) explains that this has already been treated in detail under the entry for "qin gui" (Qin tortoise).

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals (Yao Xing Lun) says: turtle shell fears dog gall, and is itself non-toxic. Burned to ash, it can treat infants' head sores that do not dry. Carrying a turtle bone into the mountains and forests makes one not lose one's way. Turtle blood can treat prolapse of the rectum, and turtle shell ash can treat "tuo hong" (a condition of bleeding from the lower body).

Tao Yinju says: a divine tortoise more than one foot two inches long, taken from the water, is best. Turtle shell may be used for divination, the carapace may be used as medicine, and it is also included in immortal formulas. It should be roasted when used. Fresh turtle urine is very effective for long-standing cough, and it also stops malaria. Turtle meat cooked into a soup is strongly tonifying, and since the turtle has a spirit nature, it should not be killed lightly. Ancient books contain many related records, which are not detailed here.

Xiao Bing says: turtle shell treats wind evil and weak legs; after roasting, grind it to powder and take it with wine.

Ri Hua Zi says: a tortoise used for divination whose plastron can be drilled with ten holes, drilled through everywhere, is called "bai gui" (defeated tortoise). It can treat poor blood circulation and numbness. When used medicinally it is roasted with ghee, and it is also called "bai jiang" (defeated general).

The Dietetic Therapy (Shi Liao) says: turtle is warm in nature and sour in taste; it treats warm miasma, wind bi, edema of the body, bruises and sprains, and bone fractures. Carrying turtle bone into the mountains also keeps one from losing the way. The way to eat turtle is the same as for soft-shelled turtle. Among them, black turtles, which often eat snakes, should not be eaten, and their shells should not be used as medicine.

A traditional remedy for dysentery before or after childbirth: Take a dead tortoise, roast it with rice vinegar, and pound it into a fine powder. Mix the powder with rice water and drink it.

The Baopuzi says: A thousand-year-old numinous tortoise has five colors on its body. A male tortoise has two bones protruding from its forehead, shaped like horns. Soak the tortoise in sheep’s blood, then remove its shell, roast it, and pound it to pieces. Take three cunbi (an ancient measure and scoop for powdered medicines) each time, three times a day, until the shell of one tortoise has been consumed.

The Yanyi says: For related material, see the entry on the Qin tortoise.

Qin Tortoise

The Qin tortoise tastes bitter and is non-toxic. It is used chiefly to dispel the Qi of damp impediment, as well as symptoms such as heaviness of the body and joints in the limbs that cannot move. It lives in the soil on the shady side of mountains and is collected in the second and eighth months.

The Tujing says: The Qin tortoise is a tortoise that lives in the mountains and does not enter the water. It lives in the soil on the shady side of mountains. Some also say that “Qin tortoise” is named for its place of origin: to say it lives on the shady side of mountains means the shady side of mountains in Qin. Today it is found in many regions.

The numinous tortoise of the water lives in ponds, marshes, and lakes in the South Sea, and today it is also found in rivers and lakes. Mountain tortoises vary in size; the largest are as big as the base of a stone stele. They eat grass roots and bamboo shoots, hide in the earth during winter, and emerge in spring to roam among the valleys. Today, people at markets sometimes keep them as curiosities, burying them in holes in the ground for the winter. Mountain tortoises, however, are rarely used in medicinal prescriptions. Diviners sometimes use them to make predictions concerning mountains and marshes; their shells can also be used to decorate objects. The “mountain tortoise” mentioned in the Erya is probably this kind.

The bones of water tortoises are white and thick, and the patterns on their shells are distinct, making them suitable for divination and medicinal use. A tortoise shell measuring one chi and two cun in length is best.

Tao Yinju says: The Qin tortoise is a mountain tortoise that does not enter the water. They vary in size and are unsuitable for medicinal prescriptions. Although there are many kinds of tortoise, only two are used as medicine. There is also a kind called the gui tortoise, which is small and narrow in shape, with a long tail. Some say it can treat snake venom because it eats snakes. When used for divination, its judgments of good and bad fortune are exactly the reverse of the usual ones. Carrying the Qin tortoise’s front limb bone (the upper bone of the forelimb, pronounced “nai dao qie”) is said to prevent a person from losing their way in the mountains. In Guangzhou there is a kind called the zui-xi. Its blood is said to be very effective in treating wounds from poisoned arrows suffered by the Li people, an ancient name for some ethnic groups in Lingnan.

Chen Shiliang says: Beneath the plastron of the gui tortoise are transverse cracks. People in Qin call it the zui-xi; it is also known as the mountain tortoise. Its flesh is cold in nature and toxic, and it is used chiefly to treat disorders of the sinews and vessels. For injuries from falls or blows, tortoise blood can be mixed with wine and taken, or the flesh can be pounded raw and applied thickly to the affected area. It is said to act quickly.

The Rihuazi says: The zui-xi is neutral in nature and slightly toxic. It can treat the dazed, unconscious state caused by a wound from a knife or arrow…

Those suffering from bleeding disorders improve after taking it. The shell is called “□ shell”. If fresh blood is unavailable, a decoction can be used instead. The shell can also be made into precious ornaments.

The Haiyao says: According to the Zhengjing, it grows in the mountain valleys of Guangzhou. Its shell tastes slightly bitter and treats women’s red and white vaginal discharge, accumulated masses, chronic wind disorders, cold impediment, and obstruction of Qi in the chest and diaphragm. It is more effective for the condition called “jing bu zhe” in the original, though the meaning is unclear. Before using it, roast it until yellow, then add it to other medicines.

The Baopuzi says: The ying turtle can eat snakes. People in the south often wear its tail to ward off snakes. If bitten by a snake, scrape off some of this substance and apply it to the wound; it will heal quickly.

The Yanyi says: Qin turtle means a turtle from the Qin region. The mountains there have many old turtles, which are very large and long-lived. But turtle shell is not found only in Qin; it occurs everywhere. The large shells produced in Qin are simply better. Today there are also many turtles around Duliu and Diaotai in Hebei. People take their shells to treat illness and add them to various medicines. Only these two kinds of turtle shell are discussed here, each under its own entry. Daoist practitioners believe turtles possess spiritual power, so they use them to nourish the heart, with very good results.

Pearls

Pearls are cold in nature and non-toxic. They treat dryness and roughness of the hands, feet, and skin. Wrapped in cotton and placed in the ear, they treat deafness. Applied to the face, they moisturize the skin and improve the complexion. Ground into powder and placed in the eyes, they treat corneal opacities.

The Tujing says: The Bencao Jing does not record where pearls come from. Today pearls are produced in Lianzhou, and also in the North Sea. Pearls grow inside pearl-bearing oysters, commonly called “mother-of-pearl oysters.” The Lingbiao Lu Yi records that there is an island off the coast of Lianzhou with a large pool known as the “Pearl Pool.” Each year the prefect personally oversees divers who enter the pool to gather old oysters, extract their pearls, and present them as tribute. Though the pool lies in the sea, people suspect that its floor connects with the sea. Yet its water is actually fresh, a fact that is difficult to explain. Local people gather small oysters, dry their flesh, and sometimes find tiny pearls as large as grains of rice. This shows that oysters in the pool, large or small, may contain pearls. The oysters now called mother-of-pearl, however, are said to be gathered along the coast and do not necessarily come from the Pearl Pool.

Yuxi says: According to the Yaoxing Lun, pearls are a principal medicine. They treat eye obstructions and white film. The “Seven Treasures Powder” uses ground pearl to treat corneal opacities and can also help bring down phlegm.

The Rihuazi says: Pearls calm the spirit, brighten the eyes, and lend the complexion a healthy glow.

The Haiyao records that, according to the standard texts, abalone shell comes from the South Sea. It can also brighten the eyes, remove facial blemishes, and stop diarrhea. Combined with Anemarrhena, it can treat vexing heat and thirst. The root that winds to the left can be used to treat children whose eyes have been affected by wheat-pox sores, a skin disease resembling smallpox. Pearls are also produced in the western route of Shu.

Pearls also come from mussels and clams. They are glossy and snow-white, and of very good quality, though they do not match the vivid colors of pearls brought by merchant ships. A diamond drill is needed to pierce a pearl. For medicinal use, pearls must be ground for a long time until as fine as flour; only then are they suitable for taking. If they are not ground finely enough, they may harm the internal organs.

The Waitai miyao fang records a prescription for a fetus that has died in the womb: grind two liang of pearl into powder and mix it with wine to drink. After taking it, the fetus will be expelled.

The Baopuzi says that pearls more than one cun in diameter can be taken to prolong life. Soaking a pearl in fermented milk turns it into a liquid like mercury. Pearls may also be combined with water made from pumice, honeycomb, a substance made from horseshoe crabs (marine arthropods), Baotong, Snake Yellow, and other ingredients, then formed into pills three or four chi long. Taking them can eliminate the need for grain and bring long life.

The Yanyi says that pearl is often used in prescriptions for childhood fright disorders and fever. Pearls a full cun in diameter are also found in the ponds and lakes of Hebei, and are often slightly reddish. The mother-of-pearl there differs from that of Lianzhou: pearls are glossy and snow-white only where the water is clear and fast-flowing; where it is muddy or still, they are dull. The other details are as described in the classic texts.

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell is cold in nature and non-toxic. It is used to treat various kinds of medicinal poison in Lingnan. Local people pierce the shell and drink its blood to counteract such poisons. Tortoiseshell is about the size of a hat and resembles a tortoise shell, with patterns on its surface. It grows among the mountains and waters along the coast of Lingnan.

The Illustrated Classic says that tortoiseshell grows among the mountains and waters of Lingnan and is now also produced in Guangnan. It belongs to the turtle family. Only the shells on its belly and back bear reddish spots and patterns, and large ones can be as big as a platter. For medicinal use, it is believed to have spiritual efficacy only when taken from a live animal. Wearing it can ward off gu poison, an illness believed to be caused by sorcery or toxins. If food or drink is poisoned, a live tortoiseshell will move on its own; a dead one has no such power.

Yuxi says that, according to Chen Shiliang, the tortoiseshell animal has the body of a turtle and the head and beak of a parrot. Its flesh is neutral in nature and treats various wind toxins, promotes the circulation of Qi and blood, and treats wind-phlegm in the chest and diaphragm. It also calms the heart and spleen, dispels pathogenic heat, promotes the flow of urine and stool, and regulates women’s menstrual cycle. The shell has effects similar to those of the flesh and can treat pathogenic influences affecting the heart and relieve vexing heat.

The Rihuazi says that tortoiseshell can break up abdominal masses, disperse abscesses and toxins, and stop fright disorders and convulsions, among other conditions.

Chen Cangqi says that tortoiseshell is as large as a fan and resembles a patterned turtle shell. The other descriptions are the same as those given above.

The Yang Family Formulas for Pregnancy and Birth records: To treat Gu poisoning, take raw tortoiseshell (from a sea turtle), mix it with water until it has the consistency of a thick drink, and swallow one cup. The poison can be neutralized that same day.

The Yanyi says: Tortoiseshell can be used to treat wind-heat in the Heart Channel. It is used raw because its medicinal nature and flavor remain intact; once boiled in a decoction or burned, it is no longer suitable for medicinal use. For the same reason, tortoiseshell made into an object cannot be used as medicine. The same is said of raw and prepared rhinoceros horn.

Mantis Egg Cases

Mantis egg cases from mulberry trees taste salty and sweet, are neutral in nature, and are nontoxic. They treat internal injuries, hernial masses or pain in the abdomen, and impotence; they can also benefit essence and aid conception. They are used for women’s obstructed menstruation and lower back pain, and can promote urination and relieve the Five Lin disorders (various conditions involving painful or difficult urination). They can also treat men’s debility, weakness of Qi in the five organs, nocturnal emission, and bed-wetting. Long-term use is said to benefit Qi and nourish the spirit. Mantis egg cases are also called “Erosion of Warts.” They are the egg cases laid by mantises on mulberry branches. Harvest them in the second or third month, then steam and roast them over a fire; otherwise, they may cause diarrhea. Combined with dragon bone, they treat nocturnal emission. They are incompatible with Inula flower.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Mantis egg cases are the egg cases of mantises. The Classic of the Materia Medica does not record which prefectures or counties produce them; today they are found everywhere. Mantises lay their eggs when they encounter trees. Each egg case holds several hundred eggs and is commonly found among saplings and thorn bushes. Those laid on mulberry trees are the best, as they are believed to absorb the vital essence of the mulberry bark. The goods sold in markets are often counterfeit. Check whether they are attached to mulberry branches, though fakes may also be glued onto branches, so take care when using them medicinally. Harvest them in the third or fourth month, steam them, and then use them; they may also be roasted over a fire. Otherwise, they may cause diarrhea. Another method is to soak them in hot rice-washing water for a full day after harvesting, then dry them over heat and roast them in willow-wood ash until yellow before use.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: In prescriptions, mantis egg cases are incompatible with “Dai Shen” (the text’s term is unclear). They treat kidney deficiency in men and involuntary seminal discharge, and can also treat deficiency-cold. They stop frequent urination; roast them over a fire until hot and take them on an empty stomach. They may be added in suitable amounts for people who are weak and urinate frequently.

Tao Hongjing says: In common speech, the mantis is called “the jealous mantis.” It lays eggs when it encounters a tree. Those laid on mulberry trees are preferred because they are believed to absorb the moist vital energy of the mulberry bark. To avoid buying counterfeits, gather them by breaking off the branch with the egg case attached. Still, be aware that some people glue fakes onto mulberry branches.

Lei Gong says: Do not use mantis egg cases found on other kinds of trees, and do not mistake “luoluo” (the text’s term; its referent is unclear) for a medicinal ingredient. When gathering them, choose the egg cases on branches on the east side of a mulberry tree…

After collecting sang piao xiao (mantis egg cases laid on mulberry trees), remove the eggs inside. Soak and rinse the cases seven times in boiling fermented rice water, bringing the water to a boil each time. Then put them in a porcelain pot and simmer until dry. Prepare the medicine in this way; do not change the method at will, or it will lose its effectiveness.

The Experiential Formulas records a prescription for sores inside the ear: take one sang piao xiao, roast it gently until it is about four-fifths cooked, preserving its medicinal properties, then grind it into a fine powder. Add one zi (an ancient measure, roughly a small amount) of musk and mix. For each dose, take half a shu-zi (an ancient measure of medicine) and sprinkle it into the ear. It works well. If there is pus in the ear, first use a small stick wrapped in cotton to gently wipe it away, then sprinkle in the powder.

The Book of Childbirth says that to treat frequent, uncontrollable urination during pregnancy, take twelve sang piao xiao, grind them into powder, and divide the dose into two portions, each taken with rice water. The Yang Family’s Childbirth and Nursing gives the same prescription. Another formula treats inability to urinate and bao zhuan (a twisting of the bladder or its supporting structures that makes urination difficult): grind sang piao xiao into powder, take one fang-cun bi (an ancient dose measured with a small square spoon) with rice water, three times a day.

The Yan Yi says that sang piao xiao collected by oneself is the genuine kind; what is sold in the market may not all come from mulberry trees. The soaking method described in the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica from Shu is inferior to steaming the cases briefly before use. A man living next door urinated dozens of times a day, and his urine was white like thick rice water. He was confused in spirit, thin, and eating less; this was caused by excessive sexual activity. He was given Sang Piao Xiao Powder and recovered before finishing one dose.

Sang Piao Xiao Powder calms the spirit and will, treats forgetfulness and frequent urination, and nourishes Heart Qi. The formula contains one liang each of sang piao xiao, yuan zhi, chang pu, long gu, ren shen, fu shen, dang gui, and vinegar-prepared gui jia, all ground into a fine powder. At night before bed, take two qian mixed with ren shen decoction. If sang piao xiao from a mulberry tree is unavailable, use sang piao xiao from another source, together with an appropriate amount of roasted sang bai pi. Sang bai pi promotes the flow of urine and guides the action of sang piao xiao. These are its main uses. It is also indispensable for treating deficiency and debility in men and women; nourishing Jing and Qi; impotence; nocturnal emissions or seminal discharge; urinary incontinence; shan jia (hernias and abdominal masses); cloudy white urine; and kidney deficiency and weakness.

Shi Jue Ming

Shi jue ming is salty in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats blurred vision, eye films, eye pain, and qing mang (blindness without any obvious abnormality in the appearance of the eyes). Taken over a long period, it nourishes Jing and Qi and makes the body light and agile. It grows in the South Sea.

The Illustrated Classic says that shi jue ming grows in the South Sea and is now also found in the prefectures and districts of Lingnan, as well as in Laizhou. Earlier accounts identified it as purple cowrie or abalone shell. On investigation, purple cowrie is what is now called ya luo, which the ancients used as currency.

The kind mentioned earlier is not of this kind. The abalone eaten by Wang Mang was attached to a rock on only one side, and its color was bright and attractive. It is originally a kind of creature related to jueming.

Its shell is as large as a palm, while even the smaller ones are two or three fingers wide. People living by the sea eat its flesh and also collect its shell, washing their eyes with clean water. Shells with seven or nine holes are considered best; those with ten holes are not. There is no fixed season for collecting them.

Tao Yinjü said: The creature commonly called purple shellfish is somewhat different from this one, and purple shellfish are also hard to find. Another account says that stone jue-ming is the shell of an abalone that grows attached to rocks. The larger shells are as big as a palm, brightly colored and iridescent, and contain pearls inside. Nowadays people often soak purple shellfish in water and then use them to warm the eyes; they do indeed have some effect in improving vision. This creature was originally also recorded under the entry for jueming. Since it belongs to a different category from jueming, it is now listed as an auxiliary medicinal substance.

The Rihuazi says: Stone jue-ming is cool in nature and can improve vision. Its shell, ground into powder, can be used for eye opacities that obstruct sight. It is also called “nine-hole snail.”

The Haiyao says: Stone jue-ming can be used for night blindness, internal eye disorders, wind-heat in the Liver and Lungs, and steaming-bone fever with extreme exhaustion from chronic illness. To prepare it, first wrap it in flour and roast it. Then grind away the black outer layer and rough skin, pound it, and sift it finely. Continue grinding it in a mortar until it is as fine as flour; only then is it ready for use.

The Shengjin Fang records: To treat the five kinds of strangury affecting the small intestine, remove the rough skin and outer shell from stone jue-ming and grind it into a fine powder. If the urine is accompanied by soft or hard matter, add finely ground rotten wood, and take two qian mixed with warm water.

The Yanyi says: The statement in the classic that stone jue-ming “tastes salty” refers to its flesh. People gather and eat the flesh, sometimes drying it and sending it to the capital, where northerners regard it as a delicacy. Both the flesh and the shell can be used medicinally, and physicians should distinguish their uses. Both, however, are used to treat eye disorders: the shell is ground into powder and processed by water levigation, then applied as eye drops or used to abrade eye opacities. Stone jue-ming is plentiful around Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Sea Clam

Sea clam tastes bitter and salty, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It treats coughing with rebellious Qi, panting, vexation and fullness in the chest, back pain, alternating chills and fever, and impotence. It is also called kui clam. Shuqi may serve as its assistant herb, helping its effects in a formula. It is incompatible with dog gall, kansui, and yuanhua; according to traditional rules of combination, it should not be used together with these substances.

The Tujing says: Sea clams and wen clams both grow in the Eastern Sea region. Today they are found in Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Cangzhou. Tao Yinjü considered small, sesame-seed-sized shells with smooth, glossy surfaces to be sea clams. He said that sea geese swallow shellfish and expel their shells in their droppings; only after being worn down repeatedly do the shells become glossy. Larger shells with purple markings are called wen clams. Chen Cangqi held that sea clams are shells from the sea that have rotted and, after many years of wind and waves…

Regarding the medicinal substances sea clams (a type of marine shellfish) and hard clams, Chen Cangqi's account contains inaccuracies. Nowadays, wild geese are never found at sea—how could there possibly be claims about geese consuming clams and excreting their shells? If clam shells still contained flesh, one might reluctantly accept they could be eaten, but without any flesh present, how could large quantities of clam shells exist in excrement? The assertion that these shells lack ridges is also incorrect—this smoothness actually results from prolonged polishing by ocean waves.

Medicinal applications:

For treating inhibited sweating during febrile diseases with limb convulsions: Take equal parts (2 liang each) of sea clam and Sichuan aconite root, plus 2 liang of pangolin scales ground to powder. Blend with wine to form 1-cun diameter pills. Flatten and place on the Yongquan (涌泉) acupoint on the sole, covering with scallion whites secured by cloth strips. Soak feet in knee-deep hot water within a warm room, replenishing with more hot water as it cools until full-body sweating occurs. Repeat every two days until effective, then discontinue.

Hard clams are salty-neutral and non-toxic, treating malignant sores, hemorrhoids, coughs with rebellious qi, chest/back pain, flank distension, scrofula, bloody stool, and uterine bleeding. Sourced from the East Sea with patterned shells, they may be gathered year-round.

Tao Hongjing noted: Premium sea clams exhibit extreme smoothness, traditionally said to require 20-30 washings in goose droppings. Modern practitioners often polish shells through mutual friction instead.

(Note: Ancient beliefs about goose-dropped sea clams being superior actually reflect natural wave polishing. Sea clams excel at promoting urination and reducing swelling, while hard clams emphasize astringency and止血. Both should feature finely polished shells—coarse "pig-ear clams" are unsuitable for medicinal use.)

The hard clam has a shape and size similar to this fish, but its shell bears purple markings. Although the two are different species, they are listed under the same entry; recording them separately would make the entries too numerous. So the hard clam is mentioned here as an addendum, among the secondary varieties. Four kinds are grouped together in this way.

Chen Cangqi says: Sea clam can be used to treat the retention of fluids. Take two liang of sea clam and grind it for two days. Then take two liang each of Han fangji, jujube flesh, and apricot kernels, along with six liang of tinglizi. Dry-fry the ingredients and grind them into a fine powder. Mix the powder into a paste and form pills. Take ten pills at a time to help expel the retained fluids.

The Qianjin Yifang says: To treat acute sores caused by gan disease, which erode the mouth and nose and may become life-threatening within days, burn hard clam shells to ash, mix the ash with animal fat prepared in the twelfth lunar month, and apply it to the affected area.

The Yanyi says: For details on the hard clam, see the entry “Sea Clam.”

Li Fish

The li fish (li is pronounced “li”; it is also called the snakehead or blackfish) tastes sweet, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat damp impediment, swelling of the face and eyelids, and severe edema; it can also be used to treat hemorrhoids. People with sores on their bodies should not eat it, as doing so may leave white scars at the affected sites. The li fish is also called the tong fish. It lives in ponds and lakes around the Jiujiang region and can be caught throughout the year.

The Tujing says: “Li” is also written with a different character. This fish lives in ponds and lakes around Jiujiang and is now found in many regions. Tao Hongjing says it is transformed from a male oyster snake, which is why it is difficult to kill and retains the habits of a snake. In the Erya, the name is also written with a different character. Guo Pu’s commentary says that the li is the tong fish. Another commentator says that the li is the huan fish. The Book of Songs, in “Minor Odes of the Kingdom,” says, “Fish are caught in the basket: bream and li.” Mao’s commentary explains that li means huan. The Zhengyi says that some editions write the name with two different characters. Lu Ji believes that the huan is the abalone: it resembles the li fish, but its body is narrower and thicker. Today, in the eastern capital region, it is called the li fish, though these are actually two different fish.

Tao Hongjing says: Today the name is generally written with a different character. An old account says it is transformed from a male oyster snake; others say that snakes and fish really do transform into one another. The li fish is difficult to kill and still has the habits of a snake. Boiled in plain water with small red beans, it is very effective for treating swelling and abdominal distension.

The Tang Ben Zhu says: The Bielu records that the intestines and liver of the li fish can be used to treat long-standing sores and the worms in them. Ashes made by burning any kind of fish can be used to treat choking caused by something lodged in the throat.

The Rihua Zi says: Roast carp intestines with seasonings and apply them to hemorrhoidal fistulas or snakebites. After a while, the worms will come out; once they do, remove the dressing. Of all fish, only this one has a gallbladder that tastes sweet and can be eaten.

The Waitai Miyao Fang records: People with intestinal hemorrhoids who pass blood each time they defecate may eat raw carp slices with ginger and seasoning. They may eat as much as they like, until their condition improves, but must avoid raw, cold, and poisonous foods.

The Shiyi Xinjing records: To treat various kinds of edema that have resisted treatment for a long time and become severe, take one li fish weighing more than a jin. Boil it and collect the fish broth, then combine it with winter melon, scallions…

From Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica (Tujing Yanyi Bencao) on medicinal uses of certain fish species:

The black carp (liyu): Effective for treating hemorrhoidal bleeding and intestinal pain. The standard preparation method involves slicing the fish as in ordinary cooking and serving with garlic paste. Another emergency remedy for throat obstruction: collect the fish's gallbladder during the twelfth lunar month, dry it in shade, grind into powder—applying a small amount topically brings immediate relief; for severe cases, take orally with water. However, Daoist tradition considers the star-like markings on its head inauspicious, and folk belief holds it may aggravate chronic ailments. Thus, it should only be consumed medicinally, not as regular food.

The sheatfish (niányú, also called yiyu): Sweet-tasting and non-toxic, it treats various disorders. Primarily found in Jiangsu-Zhejiang regions, identifiable by its broad head, square mouth, bluish-black back, scaleless skin, and abundant mucus. Two similar species exist: the larger huyu and the more flavorful yellow-hued weiyu. Important contraindications: never consume sheatfish with venison. Specimens with red eyes, red whiskers, or lacking gills are poisonous and potentially lethal. The text also describes the "human-fish" (Chinese giant salamander)—resembling sheatfish but four-legged, emitting childlike cries—used to treat tumors. Its oil served as eternal lamps, reportedly employed in the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum.

Special caution: While nutritious, scaleless sheatfish and huyu contain inherent toxins and should not be eaten excessively. For injuries from their venomous spines, apply ash from burnt fish eyes to neutralize the poison. Another rare variety, the otter-like yiyu containing small crabs, stones, and fish in its abdomen, has largely fallen out of medicinal use.

(Note: "Huo" refers to meat broth; "jiaji" denotes tumor-like diseases; "Lishan Tomb" indicates the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang.)

Eel is sweet in flavor, very warm in nature, and non-toxic. It mainly nourishes the middle burner and the blood, and treats “sunken lips” (the original text gives the pronunciation as “shen,” but the precise meaning is unclear).

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, take an eel’s skull and burn it to ash; it is said to stop dysentery.

Tao Yinjun said that eels transform from the roots of water caltrop plants. He also said that they transform from human hair. However, eels today naturally have eggs inside them, so they may not all come into being through transformation.

Eel is hot in nature, and eating it in a soup is also nourishing. But if eaten when an epidemic is just beginning, it often worsens the illness; eating too much can also readily cause cholera. Among aquatic fish and shrimp, some are edible but greatly harmful to people, so they are not used as medicines. Others can cause illness when eaten. Some of the dietary prohibitions are listed below:

• Fish with white spots on the head, arranged like a string of beads extending to the back; fish with no gallbladder; and fish with no gills in the head may all be fatal.
• Fish broth must not be eaten with cormorant meat.
• Crucian carp must not be eaten with monkey meat or pheasant meat.
• Loaches and eels must not be eaten with white dog’s blood.
• Carp roe must not be eaten with pig liver; the same prohibition applies to crucian carp.
• Fermented black carp must not be eaten with raw cilantro, raw mallow, or wheat paste.

Chen Cangqi said that eel treats damp impediment—when Dampness obstructs the joints and sinews—and replenishes deficiency and debility. It can also be used for women’s persistent postpartum discharge, disordered Blood and Qi, and emaciation. It stops bleeding, dispels cold in the abdomen, and relieves intestinal rumbling.

Yuxi records that, according to the Illustrated Classic of Shu, the eel resembles the moray eel but has a more slender, elongated body. It also resembles a snake and has no scales. It comes in blue and yellow varieties and lives in muddy holes beside the water.

Meng Shen said that eel nourishes the five organs and dispels twelve kinds of Wind affliction. People with Qi disorders may regularly cook eel into a soup and eat their fill on an empty stomach. They should then cover themselves with clothes and bedding and lie down for a while, until they sweat. The sweat will emerge from the waist and legs, looking like white glue. Once the sweating stops, take a warm bath in Five-Wood Decoction, made by boiling five kinds of wood or wood-based medicines, and avoid exposure to wind for the rest of the day. Take this treatment once every three to five days; it can also be used to treat Damp-Wind.

The Formula from the Sage’s Aid records that, to treat lumps in a woman’s breast that are hard and painful, eel skin may be burned to ash, ground into powder, and taken on an empty stomach mixed with warm wine, in a dose of two qian-spoons, an ancient unit of measure.

The Comprehensive Discussion says that eels with yellow bellies are commonly called yellow eels. These are especially prone to stirring up Wind, and eating too many can cause cholera. The author witnessed this more than once: formerly, in the capital, an official who lived nearby ate yellow eel and then came down with cholera, vomiting and having diarrhea, and nearly…

For those who are physically weak and low in spirits, there is another kind of white eel, somewhat larger and pale in color. Neither kind has scales. The larger white eel is more than a foot long and resembles a snake, though it cannot travel on land. Both kinds, however, can bring on wind disorders.

West of Jiangling Prefecture is a lake called West Lake. Each year, around summer and autumn, the Ju River and the He River rise, causing the lake to overflow. In winter, the lake dries up. Local people dig for white eels beneath the dry soil. At a depth of two or three feet, they often find the passages the eels use to move about. The passages contain muddy water. When the mud dries, the eels burrow farther down; once they reach water, they appear again.

Crucian Carp

Crucian carp can treat various sores. Burn the fish to ash, mix the ash with soy sauce, and apply it to the affected area; it can also be fried in pork fat and used in the same way. It is also used for intestinal abscesses. Ash made from the head can treat scalp sores and mouth sores in children, swollen and thickened tongues, and eye films that obstruct vision. (According to the Yao Dui, as quoted by Yuxi and others, the head of the crucian carp is warm in nature.) The crucian carp is also called fu (pronounced “fu”). Cooked in a soup with water shield, it can help when the stomach is weak and unable to take food. Prepared as raw fish slices, it can treat chronic dysentery with blood or mucus in the stool.

The Illustrated Classic says: The Classic of the Materia Medica does not record where crucian carp come from. Today they are found in ponds and lakes throughout the country. Crucian carp resemble carp, but are black in color, short and thick in body, with a large belly and a raised back. Some grow larger and weigh two or three jin. They are warm in nature and nontoxic; among fish scales, those of the crucian carp are the most suitable for eating. Some say crucian carp arise from millet, which is why a millet-colored mark remains in the fish’s belly. Another kind of fish, with a high back and narrow belly, is also called crucian carp. It has the same uses, though its medicinal effect is somewhat weaker. Qianzhou also has a “thick-lipped stone crucian carp,” which belongs to this group.

The Rihuazi says: Crucian carp are neutral in nature and nontoxic. They warm the spleen and stomach, regulate the flow of Qi, and replenish deficiencies. Prepared as raw fish slices, they can treat intestinal disorders, impaired digestion of food and drink, and dysentery with blood or mucus in the stool. Ash from the fish is effective when applied to malignant sores. If the fish is soaked in alum before being burned to ash, it can treat intestinal wind and bloody dysentery. Ash made from the head can treat coughs. Fish roe should not be eaten with pork.

Yuxi and others quote the Shu Materia Medica: Crucian carp taste sweet and are warm in nature. They can stop dysentery, but should not be eaten in large quantities. The text also says that crucian carp resemble carp: they are black, short and thick, with a large belly and raised back, and are found in ponds and lakes throughout the country.

Meng Shen says: Crucian carp regulate stomach Qi, harmonize the middle burner, and replenish the Five Zang organs. They are best eaten cooked in a soup with water shield. He also distinguishes two fish with similar names: one is said to arise from changes in the seasonal cycle, while the other is said to arise from millet, with a millet-colored mark remaining in its belly. The broad-bodied fish is the former; the one with a high back and narrow belly is the latter. Their effects…

Crucian carp roe (fish eggs) can harmonize the Spleen and Stomach and replenish Liver Qi.

The Dietary Therapy says: Eating crucian carp can regulate Stomach Qi, harmonize the Spleen and Stomach, and nourish the Five Viscera. Cook crucian carp with water shield into a soup, or prepare it as fish sashimi by slicing it thinly and eating it raw, to stop sudden-onset diarrhea. Eating it with garlic gives it a slightly warming nature; eating it with ginger sauce gives it a slightly cooling nature. It can be eaten in quantity with benefit in summer, when suffering from heat dysentery, but eating it in winter will not cure the condition. Burn crucian carp bones to ash and apply the ash to sores caused by insect bites; after three to five applications, the remedy takes effect. Careful examination shows that crucian carp roe can harmonize the Spleen and Stomach and replenish Liver Qi.

The Shenghui Formula says: To treat children’s brain malnutrition, a wasting disorder often marked by brittle, dull hair and emaciation, when the child has an itchy nose, hair standing up like ears of grain, a yellow complexion, and a thin, weak body, put crucian carp bile into the nose. Continue for three to five days; the results are very good.

The Waitai Secret Essentials Formula says: To treat intestinal hemorrhoids, a condition of the anus and rectum, with frequent bleeding during bowel movements, eat crucian carp soup. It may also be cooked to taste and eaten until full. Sun the Perfected gives the same advice.

Sun the Perfected’s formula says: To treat beriberi, an old term for ailments involving pain and swelling in the feet, as well as upward-rushing Qi with shortness of breath, prepare a one-foot-long crucian carp as sashimi. One or two meals should bring results.

The Food Medicine Mirror Formula says: To treat deficiency and cold of the Spleen and Stomach, loss of appetite, and bodily weakness, make crucian carp soup. Take half a jin of crucian carp, chop it into sashimi, and pour boiling fermented soybean broth over it. Add finely ground pepper, dried ginger, dill, and tangerine peel, and eat on an empty stomach.

The Yan Yi says: Open the belly of a crucian carp, place medicine inside, and roast it to treat dental ailments.

Carp

Carp bile is bitter in flavor, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It treats hot, red, painful eyes and blue blindness, in which the eyes look normal but cannot see, and can brighten the eyes. Taken for a long time, it can make a person strong and courageous and increase resolve. Carp meat is sweet in flavor and treats coughing, rebellious Qi, panting, jaundice, and thirst. Raw carp meat can be used for edema and swelling of the feet, and also directs Qi downward. Carp bones treat vaginal discharge, whether red or white; carp teeth treat stone strangury, a condition involving sand or stones in the urine. Carp are found in the ponds and lakes of Jiujiang and can be caught throughout the year.

The Illustrated Classic says: Carp are found in the ponds and marshes of Jiujiang, but today they occur everywhere. They are the red carp. A row of scales runs down the middle of the back, and each scale has a small black spot. From head to tail, there are exactly thirty-six scales, regardless of the fish’s size. An old saying goes, “A five-foot carp and a one-inch carp differ in size, but have the same number of scales.” This refers to the same phenomenon.

Cui Bao’s Notes on Ancient and Modern Times says that there are three kinds of carp: the people of Yanzhou call the red carp “Dark Colt,” the white carp “White Steed,” and the yellow carp “Yellow Pheasant.” Among fish, carp are considered the finest. They are also believed to possess the power of miraculous transformation, and are therefore especially prized. Today they are ranked among the finest foods. Their bile and flesh…

Both fish bones and fish teeth can be used medicinally, and their use is recorded in medical formulas from both ancient and modern times.

Tao Hongjing said: The carp is the most representative of fish. Its appearance is pleasing, and it is said to undergo marvelous transformations. Legend even says it can leap over mountains and lakes and ascend into the sky. Thus, according to tradition, Qin Gao rode a carp up into the mountains. Carp that live in mountain pools should not be eaten. When carp is prepared as fish zha (salted fish), it should not be eaten with small beans or water spinach. Eating carp roe together with pig liver may also be harmful.

A commentary in the Tang Materia Medica says: Carp bones can be used for ulcerating sores in the genital area, fish bones stuck in the throat, and coughing up blood that cannot be expelled. They are also used for childhood erysipelas with swelling and for sores. Fish skin can be used to treat wind-related hives and raised rashes; fish brains, for various kinds of epilepsy; and fish intestines, for sores on children’s skin.

The Ri Hua Zi says: Carp is cool in nature and poisonous. Its flesh can treat coughs and beriberi, as well as conditions described as “dispersing cold Qi” and “abdominal masses.” It can also be eaten during pregnancy to address restlessness of the fetus. Wrap the fish scales in silk, cook them with the fish in a thick soup, and remove the scales before eating; this is said to be effective. Fish fat can be used for childhood epilepsy and convulsions; fish bile, for films or obstructions in the eyes; and fish brains, for sudden deafness, preferably cooked and taken in porridge. Carp from streams and mountain brooks are considered poisonous in the head, regardless of their size. A carp has thirty-six scales.

Yu Xi said: The General Remedies for Abdominal Dropsy records that carp is cold in nature, while the Paired Materia Medica says it is neutral. Chen Shiliang says carp is nonpoisonous. The Treatise on Medicinal Properties says: Carp bile can also be used on its own. It tastes extremely bitter; drops placed in the eyes can treat redness, swelling, films, and pain. It can also be applied externally to children’s heat-related swellings. Shuqi serves as its messenger herb. Carp burned to ash and ground into powder can be used for coughs; it may also be taken in porridge made with glutinous rice.

Meng Shen said: Carp boiled plainly and eaten can be used for edema, swollen feet, and counterflow of Qi. People with longstanding accumulations or masses in the abdomen should not eat it. When preparing carp, the two tendons along its back and the dark blood can be removed; these are said to be poisonous. Carp should not be eaten just after recovering from an epidemic illness, since the illness may return and could even be fatal. Carp that live among sand and stones are especially poisonous, with most of the poison thought to be in the brain; therefore, the head should not be eaten.

The Dietary Therapy says: Carp bile can be used for red eyes that are painful from heat toxin; it is best applied in drops. Carp flesh, boiled plainly and eaten, can be used for edema, swollen feet, and counterflow of Qi. But people with longstanding accumulations or masses in the abdomen should avoid eating it, lest they be harmed. Those who have been taking asparagus tuber for a long time should also not eat carp. If a fish bone pierces the flesh and causes wind-related swelling and pain, the carp’s eyes can be burned to ash and placed in the wound; this is said to make fluid drain out. Fish blood can be applied to childhood erysipelas, which is said to subside after application. Burn fish scales until the smoke is gone, grind them into powder, and take them with wine, using about one square-inch spoonful, an ancient small measure for medicine. This can be used for retained stagnant blood after childbirth. Fish fat can be used for various kinds of epilepsy, and eating it is said to be effective.

The Shenghui Fang records: To treat edema and difficulty urinating, take one carp weighing about a jin, prepare it as you normally would for cooking, and eat it.

The Waitai Miyao Fang records: If a fish bone is lodged crosswise in the throat and has not come out after six or seven days, take carp scales and skin, burn them together to make a powder, and swallow it with water. If the bone still has not come out, take another dose.

Another prescription treats edema. Take the largest carp you can find, remove its head, tail, and bones, and keep only the flesh. Add two dou of water and one large sheng of red beans, then boil them together. Collect more than two sheng of the broth and strain out the solids through unbleached cloth. Drink it all at once. If you cannot finish it in one sitting, divide it into three doses and drink the later doses warm. Diarrhea should follow. Once the bowels have emptied, the illness will be cured.

Another prescription: Whether the swollen area has burst open or not, burn a carp to ash, mix the ash with vinegar, and apply it to the swelling until it heals.

The Qianjin Fang records: To treat sudden diarrhea, burn two small carp to make a powder and swallow it with rice water. Both adults and children may take it.

The Shiyi Xinjing records: To treat coughing caused by lung illness and rapid, labored breathing, take a carp weighing four liang, remove its scales, wrap it in paper, and roast it over a fire. Remove the bones and grind the fish, then cook it into porridge and eat it on an empty stomach.

The Bencao Yanyi explains: Carp belongs to the “utmost Yin.” It is said to have thirty-six scales; when Yin reaches its extreme, Yang arises. Thus the Suwen says that fish are hot in nature, and Wang Shuhe likewise says that heat gives rise to wind. Eating carp can readily trigger wind-heat. In explaining this, the various authorities do not mention the Rihuazi claim that carp is cool in nature. This book does not accept that claim and follows the Suwen. If someone with a wind disorder is made to eat fish, it may cause harm that cannot be undone.

Kui clam: Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It primarily treats weakness and wasting of the limbs, numbness and loss of sensation, as well as diarrhea and stools containing pus and blood. It is also called Kuilu or Huodong, and grows in the Eastern Sea. It is round, hollow at both ends, and marked with ridges. It can be gathered throughout the year.

Tao Hongjing says: The Kui clam is spindle-shaped, somewhat narrow and elongated, with crisscrossing ridges on its surface. Some say it is transformed from an old bat, but it is rarely used. The “sea clam” in the Bencao Jing also has Kui clam as an alternate name, but it is not the same creature as the Kui clam described here.

Su Jing of the Tang dynasty says: According to the Illustrated Classic of Shu Materia Medica, the Kui clam is round and elongated, like a large, swollen betel nut, with an opening at the top. It is now found in Laizhou.

Abalone: Pungent in flavor, with a foul odor; warm in nature and non-toxic. It primarily treats injuries from falls, as well as sprains and fractures of the legs and feet.

Blood stasis and blood impediment—obstruction and stagnation in the blood vessels—remain in the limbs and cannot disperse. In women, flooding from the womb—heavy uterine bleeding—may continue without stopping.

Do not let it absorb too much salt.

Tao Hongjing said: “‘A shop selling bào fish’ is an expression used to describe a foul smell. Among the people it is called yì fish, a name written with a character resembling bào. Some say it is fish preserved in salt. For medicinal use, one should use fish that has been lightly salted and has a foul smell, but it is unclear which kind of fish this means. The text also says to thread the fish on a cord; this kind of fish is included in prescriptions, though physicians rarely use it. The bào fish spoken of today is the bighead carp, about one chi long. The whole fish is strung on a cord and lightly dried; it has no foul smell at all. Whether it can treat bleeding, and which kind is truly effective, are both unknown.

Yuxi said: According to the Illustrated Classic of Shu, after the tenth lunar month, take the fish, remove its entrails, thread it on a cord, and preserve it by drying it lightly. Any kind of fish may be used; no particular species is specified. Tao Hongjing’s commentary says that fish for medicinal use should be lightly salted, but it still does not identify the species. The Bencao Jing also says, ‘Do not let it become too salty,’ which shows that only a small amount of salt should be used in preparing it for medicine. With more salt, the fish becomes too salty and does not smell foul; with less salt, it tastes pungent and develops a foul smell. The ancients said, ‘Keeping company with bad people is like entering a shop selling bào fish.’ This means that the conduct of bad people is like the stench of bào fish. In practice, lightly dried fish from the Jing and Chu regions today has a strong foul smell and a slightly pungent taste, but physicians rarely use it. Older accounts say that this fish is prepared in Mianzhou and Fuzhou and is not produced elsewhere. Comparing Tao Hongjing’s commentary with the Illustrated Classic and the Bencao Jing, however, none specifies a place of origin, so it seems that it can be prepared anywhere. Another account says that among yí fish there is a kind with a small mouth, a yellow back, and a white belly, called bào fish. Its medicinal effects are the same as those of yí fish: it nourishes the body and treats various illnesses. Since the Illustrated Classic does not specify a particular species, and says only that the fish should be lightly dried for preservation, it probably refers to this kind.

Shi fish: Neutral in nature. It nourishes deficiency and debility, but may slightly aggravate chronic conditions such as infantile malnutrition.

Yellow croaker: Neutral in nature and poisonous. It can provoke various disorders of Qi and should not be eaten in large quantities. It can also bring on sores and scabies, and stir up Wind. Do not eat it with buckwheat, or you may lose your voice.

Fang fish: It harmonizes the Stomach Qi and benefits the Five Viscera. Eaten with mustard-seed sauce, it supports Lung Qi. Prepared as raw fish slices, it dispels Wind in the Stomach, helps digest food stagnation, and nourishes Spleen Qi, thereby increasing appetite. Those with infantile malnutrition and dysentery should not eat it. Eaten in a stew or meat broth, it benefits the body and has the same effects as crucian carp.

Sturgeon: Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It replenishes strength and nourishes weakness, making the body strong and robust. Raw…

The river dolphin has a raised back like a dragon and is one or two zhang long. A piece of flesh on its nose can be dried and made into jerky called “deer head.” It is also known by the name “deer flesh.” River dolphin meat can replenish deficiency and direct Qi downward. Its roe resembles small beans and tastes delicious; it can also kill small worms in the abdomen.

The Dietary Therapy says that river dolphins are poisonous and are used to treat bloody strangury. They can be boiled into a soup and drunk. Though delicious, they can cause the toxicity of other medicines to take effect. People prize river dolphin made into fish zha—fish pickled or fermented with grain—but eating it brings no benefit. Those taking elixirs or mineral medicines must not eat it, or their strength may decline and various sores and scabies may break out. Eating it with dried bamboo shoots can cause paralysis and sluggish movement. In children, it may lead to abdominal masses and coughing; in adults, prolonged consumption may bring on sudden heart pain or sudden lower back pain.

The sea dolphin is salty in flavor and non-toxic. Its meat treats feishi, gu poison, and miasmic malaria. When made into jerky, it tastes much like water buffalo, with only a slight fishy odor. The fat inside its skin can be applied to malignant sores, scabies, ringworm, hemorrhoids, and fistulas. It can also treat scabies in dogs and horses and kill parasites.

Sea dolphins live in the ocean and appear and disappear with the wind and tides. They look like pigs. They make sounds through their noses, and a hole on the top of the head sends water more than a hundred chi into the air. They usually move in groups. If people catch one of their young and tie it in the water, the mother dolphin will come on its own, allowing it to be caught. Their roe resembles that of the mullet, with tens of thousands of eggs in a single cluster; the young often follow their mother. River dolphins also live in rivers. They look like pigs, make sounds through their noses, and surface intermittently. Sailors at sea watch them to predict strong winds and rain.

Sea dolphins have a curved mass of fat inside their bodies that can be used as a medicinal ointment. When used for lighting, it shines during quiet activities such as reading, but its light dims if used for playing chubu, an ancient game. Folk tradition says that a lazy woman was transformed into this fish.

The liver of the sturgeon is non-toxic and treats malignant sores and scabies. It should not be roasted with salt and eaten. Guo Pu’s commentary on the Erya says that sturgeons grow two or three zhang long; Yan Zhitui’s Family Instructions of the Yan Clan says that they are gray all over, without markings. Some ancient books write the name of the sturgeon as “eel,” but eels cannot grow to two or three zhang, so the two fish are clearly different. The Bencao Jing also identifies the eel as a crocodile, which is a serious error. The sturgeon described today has three rows of armor-like scales. Tradition says that when it swims past the Dragon Gate, it transforms into a dragon.

The softshell turtle is non-toxic and treats difficult childbirth. A woman in labor can wear one; alternatively, when labor begins, it can be burned to ash and the powder taken with wine. Softshell turtles come from the South Sea. They resemble turtles, are two or three chi long, and have eyes on either side of the head.