《圖經衍義本草》Vol. 34

Expanded Meaning of the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica, juan 34

Compiled by Kou Zongshi, a Tongzhilang and official responsible for identifying medicinal materials in the Song dynasty; revised by Xu Hong, an assistant instructor at the Imperial Medical Academy and official responsible for identifying medicinal materials in the Song dynasty.

Inferior-grade creatures: Field snail

The cold nature of the fluid from field snails that live in rice paddies can treat heat in the eyes, redness, swelling, and pain, and can also relieve thirst.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals says: Field snail fluid may also be used on its own to treat red, swollen, painful eyes caused by Liver heat. Take seven large field snails, wash them, and keep them in freshly drawn clean water until they have expelled the mud from their bodies; then change the water. Rinse the snails in one sheng of water, place them one by one in a clean container, and put a little salt on each opening. Collect the fluid that seeps out on its own and apply it to the eyes. Treat each snail in this way, returning it to the water after use.

Tao Yinju says: Field snails live in rice paddies, lakes, and along the banks of ditches. They are large and rounded, like pears or oranges, and people also cook and eat them. The liquid from cooked field snails can relieve heat symptoms, sober a person, and quench thirst. For eye pain, place pearls and Coptis root inside the snail shell. After a while, when fluid seeps out, collect it and apply it to the eyes; this often brings relief.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: The Supplementary Records states that field snail shells can treat “corpse-related affliction” (a condition that people in antiquity believed was caused by corpse qi), pain in the chest and abdomen, and seminal emission. Soaking them in water and drinking the liquid can also relieve thirst.

Chen Cangqi’s Materia Medica says: Eating cooked field snails promotes urination and bowel movements, clears stagnant pathogenic heat in the abdomen, and can treat yellowing beneath the eyes, beriberi with upward surging, tension and hardness in the lower abdomen, dark yellow and difficult urination, and swelling of the hands and feet. Soaking raw snails and drinking the extracted fluid can relieve wasting thirst; pounding the snail flesh and applying it to hot sores can treat ulceration. Shells burned to ash, ground into powder, and taken internally can treat food regurgitation.

Chen Cangqi also says: The large, rounded snail that lives in rice paddies is the field snail. A smaller, ridged kind that hides in mud is called the “horned snail.” It too can relieve thirst, but does not sink to the bottom of the water. Before eating it, soak it in rice-washing water to remove the mud and grit. This animal is hard to kill: some have been accidentally sealed inside the earth of a wall and remained alive for thirty years. It can hold its breath and drink dew; once it crawls out by itself, it dies. Rotten snail shells, burned to ash, ground into powder, and taken internally, can treat food regurgitation, cold in the stomach, and sudden heart pain.

The Rihuazi Materia Medica says: Field snails are cold in nature and non-toxic. They can treat swelling of the hands and feet and hot sores. Pound raw field snails to extract their fluid and apply it to the affected area.

Yuxi says: According to the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica from Shu, field snails live in rice paddies. They are about the size of peaches or plums, shaped like snails, pointed and elongated, and bluish yellow. They are gathered in summer.

The Dietary Therapy says: Field snails are extremely cold in nature. Drinking their fluid can relieve heat symptoms, sober a person, and counteract the effects of mineral medicines. They should not be eaten often.

The Sheng Hui Fang records that long-term drinking can cause ulcers in the throat and sores on the tongue. To treat this, cook river snails and mussel meat with scallions, fermented soybeans, Sichuan pepper, and fresh ginger to make a soup. Drink two or three large bowls, and the condition will improve.

The Shi Yi Xin Jing records that for severe thirst, with water being drunk constantly day and night and frequent urination, soak five sheng of river snails in one dou of water overnight. Drink the soaking water when thirsty, changing it once a day; live snails work better. Another method is to boil the snails in three sheng of water, let the broth cool, and drink it. The snail meat may also be eaten.

Beizi (a small shellfish, also called “shell teeth”)

Beizi tastes salty, is neutral in nature, and is toxic. It is used to treat eye obstructions that impair vision, “ghost zhu” (a category of infectious or uncanny illnesses described by the ancients), gu poison, abdominal pain, bloody stools, and urinary retention. It promotes the flow of urine, disperses cold and heat, and may be used to release the exterior and dispel accumulated pathogenic heat within the body. It is more effective as medicine after being fired. Also called “shell teeth,” it grows in the pools and marshes of the Eastern Sea.

The Tu Jing says: Beizi comes from pools and marshes in the Eastern Sea, and is now also found in the South Sea. It is a small kind of shellfish, shaped like a snail shell. The Jiao Zhou Ji says that the large shells from Rinan are like wine cups, while the small ones resemble shell teeth and are good for treating poison; both kinds are purplish in color. Their shells are as white as fish teeth, which is why they are also called “shell teeth.” In ancient times, people used them to decorate military clothing and objects. They are now rarely used in daily life, though people sometimes string them together as toys for children, or use them as decoration for headdresses and mirror straps. Painters occasionally grind them for use. There is no fixed season for gathering them. Ke shells are similar but larger; they are yellowish-black, with a white inner shell, and can be used to decorate horses.

The Yao Xing Lun says: As an auxiliary medicine, beizi can disperse the five types of lin syndrome (conditions involving painful or obstructed urination) and promote urination. It can also be used to treat high fever and mental derangement caused by cold damage.

Tao Hongjing says: This is the small beizi commonly seen today, once used to decorate military clothing and objects. Burn beizi, grind it into a fine powder, and blow it into the eyes to treat eye obstructions. Genuine make shells can also be pounded into powder to treat blurred vision and eye obstructions.

The Ri Hua Zi says: Shell teeth are suitable for treating eye obstructions and cataracts. They may also be used for ghost poison, gu qi, and bloody stools. They are also called “white shells.”

Yuxi says: According to the Shu Ben Tu Jing, beizi belongs to the snail family. It is shaped like a fish tooth, and the whiter specimens are considered best.

The Hai Yao says: Beizi is plentiful in the Yunnan region and was once used as currency. It may be used for edema caused by water qi, as well as childhood malnutrition with sores and vomiting milk. It should be fired before being used as medicine.

The Sheng Hui Fang records: For poisoning caused by arrow poison mixed into meat, or by eating loufu (meat contaminated with poisonous substances), take half a qian of beizi powder mixed with water; it is effective. The same remedy may be used after accidentally eating poisoned flour-based food or meat soup.

A prescription recorded by Sun Zhenren says: In cases of food poisoning, place one piece of beizi in the mouth and hold it there until…

Under the entry “Tu” (spitting), the Qianjin Fang records that when a child develops dark spots or a film over the eye, with grittiness and pain, one may take one liang of cowrie shell, burn it to ash, grind it to a fine powder, add a little borneol, and apply it to the eye. Another prescription says to burn ten cowrie shells to ash and sift them finely. Take a dose of powder about the size of a broad bean, apply it to the film, and lie down and wait. After about the time it takes to cook one shi of rice, the film will have disappeared. For a fleshy growth, add an equal amount of pearl.

The Yanyi says that what is now called beichi (“cowrie shell”) resembles the purple cowrie, but is a little over one cun long, which is why it is called beizi (“little cowrie”). It is faintly white, though some are deep purplish black. To treat a film over the eye, it should be burned before use. People in the north decorate felt hats with it or stitch it onto clothing, sometimes making it into a hanging ornament as well.

Stone Silkworm

The stone silkworm tastes salty, is cold in nature, and is toxic. It is used to treat the five kinds of urinary obstruction, break up urinary stones (grit or stones in the urine accompanied by painful urination), and is also recorded as having an abortifacient effect. Its flesh can relieve accumulations of Qi, promote the flow of urine, and clear pathogenic heat. It is also called “sand flea” and grows in ponds and marshes around the Yangtze and Han Rivers.

The Tujing says that the stone silkworm grows in ponds and marshes around the Yangtze and Han Rivers. Older annotations disagree about what it is: some say it is a root growing on stones, shaped like a silkworm; others say it is a living creature, like oysters and clams in the sea. The Bencao Jing also calls it “sand flea,” but sand fleas are tiny aquatic insects, so there has never been agreement among the commentators.

An annotation in the Shuben Bencao says that the stone silkworm is an insect that lives among stones in water. People catch it for use as bait on fishhooks. Many are found among the stones around Mahu, where local people also enjoy eating them, saying they taste salty with a slightly pungent flavor. Similar creatures are now commonly found in Sichuan and Guangdong. There is also a root resembling a silkworm that is called stone silkworm. It grows on mountain rocks in Fuzhou and Xinzhou and is available in all four seasons. Its shoots are green and jointed. The root is gathered in the third month and dried over heat; it can treat migrating wind disorders, disperse stagnant blood, and relieve pain. Its joints can also be used on their own: pound them, sift the fine powder, and take it with warm wine.

The Tang Ben Zhu says that the stone silkworm is shaped like a small, slender silkworm, with horns and joints, and is blue-black. It lives in hollows among rocks along the banks of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, and can also be found on hillsides. People in the north rarely use it, and few gather it, so it later became difficult to find. It is now collected in Longzhou and sent as tribute.

The Yanyi argues that it is wrong to identify the stone silkworm as a plant. The Bencao Jing says that its “flesh relieves accumulated Qi,” yet the commentators still disagree about what it is. Stone silkworms may be found in many places. They attach themselves to stones in the water and weave silk into a cocoon about as thick as a hairpin and one cun long, hiding inside it. Its color resembles mud. This insect is what the name “stone silkworm” refers to. The original text is incomplete here.

It is rarely used in prescriptions. It is also a creature that lives in water and is commonly found in mountains, streams, and rivers.

Sparrow Cocoon (the cocoon spun by the larva of the sparrow-cocoon moth)

Sparrow Cocoon tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat childhood convulsions, alternating chills and fever, Qi congestion, gu poison, and ghost-inflicted illness (a category of disease that people in antiquity attributed to evil spirits). It is also called “Restless Nest.” It grows on tree branches in Hanzhong and is steamed after being collected. The cocoon is the nest of the zhanshi caterpillar, which is found among the branches. It is collected in the eighth month.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: Sparrow Cocoon is the nest of the zhanshi caterpillar. It grows on the branches of trees in Hanzhong, though it is now found in many places. The zhanshi is a kind of leech-like insect, also called the stinging-hair caterpillar. It favors pomegranate trees. It resembles a silkworm, but its body is shorter and bears five-colored markings along its back. Its stinging hairs can injure people and are poisonous. Just before it pupates, it spits white fluid from its mouth. The fluid congeals and gradually hardens into a shape like a sparrow’s egg, which gives the cocoon its name. It is also called “Sparrow Boil”; “boil” and “cocoon” are simply homophones. The larva pupates inside the cocoon, as a silkworm does inside its own cocoon. After a while it becomes a moth and flies out from among the branches, lays eggs on leaves, and produces flattened larvae. Earlier commentaries were wrong to explain “cocoon” as meaning an insect egg.

Tao Hongjing says: The zhanshi is the haochong insect. It is often found on pomegranate trees and is commonly called the haochong. The hairs on its back can also sting people. Its eggs resemble sparrow eggs and are about the size of a croton seed. It is no longer used in prescriptions. “Hao” is also written with the character “ci,” pronounced “qiliqie.”

Yuxi says: According to the Shu Materia Medica, sparrows like to eat this insect, which is why people call it the “sparrow’s rice jar.”

The Daily Materia Medica says: The nest of the stinging-hair caterpillar is poisonous.

The Extension of Materia Medica says: Sparrow Cocoon is often found on sour jujube branches, so it is also called “Thorny Stiff One.” Grind the insect inside the cocoon and administer its juice to children to treat convulsions.

White-Flowered Snake

White-Flowered Snake tastes sweet and salty, is warm in nature, and is poisonous. It is used to treat stroke, painful obstruction due to wind-dampness, numbness in the limbs, tightening of the sinews and vessels, deviation of the mouth and eyes, paralysis of one side of the body, joint pain, severe skin disease (a term used in antiquity for serious skin conditions), scabies, ringworm, and sudden itching caused by wind pathogens. It is also used for weakness in the feet and inability to stand for long. It is also called “Upturned-Nose Snake.” Specimens with white patterns on the body are considered best. It lives in the mountains of the south and Shu Commandery. It is caught in the ninth and tenth months and dried over a fire.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: White-Flowered Snake lives in the mountains of the south and Shu Commandery. It is now found in Qianzhong, Qizhou, and Dengzhou. Its markings are white and shaped like the fangsheng, an ancient diamond-shaped pattern. The White-Flowered Snake likes to bite people’s feet. In Qian, someone who was bitten would immediately have the bitten part cut off. After the wound healed, some people had a wooden foot attached; this did not prevent them from walking. In the ninth and tenth months…

After they are caught, dry them over a fire. They can treat wind disorders, and work more quickly than other kinds of snake. But they are highly venomous, especially the first and last foot of the body, which must not be used as medicine. Use only the dried middle section: soak it in wine, remove the skin and bones, then roast it. Once stored, it is not easily damaged by worms.

Lei Gong says: This snake is called “the source for treating wind” because snakes are adept at moving through things and can guide a medicine’s effects to the parts of the body afflicted by wind disorders. For this reason, it is called a “guide”—a medicine that helps other medicines take effect. For every kind of snake, determine whether it is male or female, and identify where it comes from. The black snake produced in Qizhou is best when it weighs between three fen and one liang. When selecting one, check whether its head and tail are intact and whether its eyes are closed. If it looks as it did when alive, with a lock of hair growing against the grain on its head, about two cun long and as fine as half a fen, with the head and tail facing each other, its medicinal effect is especially strong. If you find one like this, keep it as a valuable medicinal substance. A snake weighing two liang and three fen does not come from any other region.

Yuxi says: The “Treatise on the Properties of Medicines” records that the white-spotted snake is a principal medicine. It can treat lung wind, nasal congestion, white patches on the skin, wind sores, spots, and hives caused by floating wind—that is, welts that suddenly appear on the skin.

The “Extensive Records of the Taiping Era” records Zhao Yanxi as saying: After a venomous snakebite, place the snake’s skin over the wound and apply moxibustion to it. This draws out the venom, and the injury will stop worsening.

The “Yan Yi” says: The white-spotted snake differs from other snakes in that its nose points upward. It is named for the lozenge-shaped markings on its back. For medicinal use, remove the head and tail, soak the snake in wine for three days, then discard the wine. Roast the snake over a fire and thoroughly remove its skin and bones. This snake is highly venomous, so handle it with great care.

Black Snake

The black snake is nonvenomous. It treats various wind disorders, itching, hives, scabies, ringworm, numbness of the skin, and stubborn impediments. To treat wind disorders, roast it and make it into pills or powder; it can also be soaked in wine or made into a medicinal plaster. It has three ridges along its back and is black as lacquer. It is gentle in nature and does not bite other animals. In the Jiangdong region, there is a kind of black-tipped snake that coils around animals and squeezes them to death; it belongs to this same group. The black snake grows in the Shangluo Mountains.

The “Illustrated Classic” says: The black snake grows in the Shangluo Mountains, and is also found in the mountains around Qizhou and Huangzhou. It has three ridges along its back and is black as lacquer. Gentle in nature, it does not bite other animals and often hides among reeds. It likes the fragrance of reed flowers and also comes riding on the south wind, so it is difficult to catch. It can often be found on the branches of reeds. Even when dried out after death, its eyes do not sink in. The best specimens weigh between three fen and one liang. Larger, heavier snakes often have weaker medicinal effects. A lock of hair also grows against the grain on its head, about two cun long…

For medicinal use, the best black snakes are over half a cun long, coiled with their heads and tails facing each other, but they are extremely difficult to obtain.

Some people pass off other snakes as black snakes. They smoke the snakes until they turn black, making them hard to distinguish from the real thing. Their eyes, however, are not bright; this is one way to tell them apart.

Liu Yuxi says that the Treatise on the Nature of Medicinals records: “The black snake is a principal medicine. It tastes sweet, has a balanced nature, and is slightly toxic. It can treat toxic heat, pathogenic wind, skin sores, loss of eyebrows and facial hair, scabies, ringworm, and itching.”

The Records of Events at Court and in the Provinces recounts that a man in Shangzhou suffered from a severe wind disorder. His family shunned him and built him a thatched hut in the mountains. A black snake fell into a jar of wine, though the man did not know it. He drank the wine, and his condition gradually improved. Only when the jar held nothing but the snake’s bones did he discover what had brought about the change in his illness.

The Sagely Beneficent Prescriptions records a method for treating sores, rashes, and spots on the face, and improving one’s appearance: take two liang of black snake, burn it to ash, and grind it into a fine powder. Mix the powder with pork fat rendered in the twelfth lunar month, then apply it to the skin.

The Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions records a treatment for deafness: wrap snake oil in cotton and insert it into the ear. It is said to work very well.

The Explanations of the Materia Medica says: “The black snake has a slender, elongated tail that can pass through the hole in a string of one hundred small copper coins. Some black snakes are over one zhang long. Of the snake medicines, black snake is the one most commonly used. I once saw a black snake over one zhang long on the Tangled-Reed Embankment in Shun’an Army. A yellow weasel bit its head and dragged it away, showing that the two creatures also fear one another. Some people in the marketplace often smoke other snakes black and pass them off as black snakes, so buyers must be careful. The black snake has a high, prominent ridge along its back, which is why it is commonly called ‘sword-backed black snake.’”

Dung Beetle

The dung beetle, commonly called the “dung ball beetle,” tastes salty, has a cold nature, and is toxic. It is used to treat childhood fright epilepsy, convulsions, abdominal distention, and alternating chills and fever. It is also used for epilepsy in adults, disturbed consciousness, coldness in the extremities, swelling and fullness of the limbs, and running-piglet disorder—a condition in which Qi surges upward from the lower abdomen. It is also called the “qiuqiang beetle.” Its medicinal properties are better after roasting. It grows in the wetlands and ponds around Changsha. Collect it on the fifth day of the fifth month, steam it, and store it. Roast it again before use; do not put it in water, or it will make people vomit. This medicine is incompatible with ram’s horn and gypsum.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: “The dung beetle grows in the wetlands and ponds around Changsha, though it is now found in many places. There are many kinds of dung beetle, and the larger ones should be selected. The kind with a raised nose and deep-set eyes is called the ‘Hu dung beetle’ and has the best medicinal effect. Collect it on the fifth day of the fifth month, steam it, and store it; roast it before use, and do not put it in water, or it will make people vomit. Prescriptions for childhood malnutrition and parasitic worms often use dung beetles. The heart of the dung beetle can treat ding sores (furuncles), though this is not recorded in the Classic of the Materia Medica. Liu Yuxi’s Three Life-Saving Remedies from Liuzhou records that in the eleventh year of the Yuanhe era, he encountered a case of a ding sore…”

On the fourteenth day of the illness, the condition grew steadily worse. Many good medicines were applied, but no one could explain the cause. Prefect Le Jia taught someone to apply the heart of a dung beetle overnight, and all the pain and suffering disappeared.

In the first month of the following year, the patient ate mutton and the illness flared up again. The same method was used, and it worked just as well as before.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Substances says that dung beetles can treat ailments in children caused by intestinal parasites.

Tao Hongjing says that the Zhuangzi mentions the dung beetle’s skill at rolling balls of dung. It likes to burrow into human excrement and gather dung, then shape it into a ball and push it backward. For this reason, it is commonly called the “ball-pusher.” Large specimens should be selected. There are three or four kinds of dung beetle, and the kind with a flat nose is the one truly suited for use.

The Tang Commentary says that the Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians states: Pound dung beetles into pills and insert them into the anus to draw out the worms from hemorrhoids. Once they have all been expelled, the condition will be cured.

The Daily Use Materia Medica says that dung beetles can cause a fetus to be expelled. Mixed with dried ginger and applied to a malignant ulcer, they can draw out an arrowhead. Dung beetle feces inserted into a hemorrhoidal fistula can draw out worms. Before using them as medicine, remove their legs and roast them.

The Emergency Prescriptions at the Elbow by Ge Hong records: When an arrowhead has entered the bone and cannot be pulled out, lightly roast croton seeds and dung beetles, grind them together until evenly mixed, and apply the paste to the wound. Before long the pain will stop, and the wound may itch slightly; endure it. When the itching becomes unbearable, move the arrowhead and pull it out. It will come out at once.

The Sagely Beneficence Formulary records that dung beetles can treat all kinds of malignant ulcers, as well as injuries caused by sand fleas and bows and crossbows, and severe malignant sores. Take ten dung beetles, preferably collected on the Dragon Boat Festival and dried in the sun. Pound them into powder, mix with oil, and apply.

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library records: To treat leprous skin disease, in which patches appear on the skin, pound a dead dung beetle found by the roadside and rub it on the affected area until it feels warm. Then cover it overnight, and the condition will be cured.

The Secret Records for Mothers and Children records: When a child develops malignant sores around the anus accompanied by swelling, pain, and fever, extract the juice from a dung beetle and apply it to the affected area. Another prescription says that to treat a child’s “double tongue,” a swelling beneath the tongue that makes it look doubled, burn a dung beetle to ash, mix it with saliva, and apply it to the tongue.

The Prescriptions of Liu Juanzi records: To treat scrofulous fistulas, burn a dead dung beetle to ash, grind it into powder, mix it with bitter wine (vinegar), and apply it. Repeated applications will cure the condition. Before applying the medicine, wash the affected area with salt water.

The Extended Meaning says that dung beetles come in two sizes. The larger kind is called the “Hu dung beetle.” Its body is glossy black, and small yellow insects cling beneath its belly and wings, often flying along with the mother beetle. It does not come out by day, but flies at night. When it flies near people’s courtyards and houses, it is drawn to lamplight. The smaller kind is dull black, comes out and flies by day, and stays in at night. The Hu dung beetle should be used now. As for the small dung beetles, grind up thirty of them and administer them with water…

It works very well for treating bloating or stagnation in the abdomen of oxen and horses. When a fox comes across it, it will eat it all.

Wulingzhi

Wulingzhi is sweet in flavor, warm in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat cold Qi in the heart and abdomen, the five forms of childhood malnutrition, epidemics, and intestinal bleeding. It also helps Qi and the vessels flow freely and is used for absent menstruation in women. It is produced in the north. It is the droppings of the cold-hate insect, also called the cold-hate bird.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Wulingzhi is produced in the north, and nowadays is found only in the prefectures of the Hedong region. People say it is the droppings of the cold-hate insect. It is as black as iron and can be collected at any time, though it often contains sand and stones that are difficult to remove. Before use, grind it with wine, then wash and let it settle to remove the sand and stones. It is used in many prescriptions for accumulations caused by exposure to cold, as well as illnesses in children and women.

Nowadays, physicians treat women who lose consciousness after childbirth from blood fainting, with Qi and blood surging upward, chest oppression, breathlessness, and unconsciousness by using two liang of Wulingzhi, half stir-fried and half raw, pounded into a fine powder. Take one qian at a time and mix it with warm, boiled water. If the patient’s jaws are clenched, pry open the mouth with an instrument and pour it in. Once the medicine reaches the throat, the condition will improve. This prescription is called “Powder of Singular Efficacy.”

Another prescription treats unstoppable uterine bleeding. Pound ten liang of Wulingzhi into a fine powder, add five large bowls of water, and boil it down to three bowls. Strain out the dregs, let the liquid settle until clear, then boil it down to a paste. Add two liang of powdered Shenqu (used to aid digestion and harmonize the middle), mix, and form pills the size of Chinese parasol tree seeds. Take twenty pills at a time on an empty stomach with warm wine; it is said to stop the bleeding. Wulingzhi is also commonly used in various other prescriptions.

Yuxi says: On examining the cold-hate insect, I find that it has four legs and fleshy wings. It cannot fly far, so it has not been classified among birds.

The Experiential Prescriptions records: When a man or woman has been vomiting continuously for days and cannot swallow porridge or medicinal decoctions, this prescription may be used. Take any quantity of high-quality Wulingzhi free of earth, sand, and stones, and pound it into a fine powder. Mix it with dog’s bile and form pills the size of chicken heads. Take one pill at a time, grinding it in heated ginger wine until it is finely dissolved. Then dissolve a small amount of the medicinal powder in ginger wine and swallow it with very hot medicinal decoction. Have porridge of a suitable temperature ready beforehand. Give the medicine with the left hand, and do not let the patient rinse their mouth. Immediately use the right hand to feed the patient some porridge, but not too much.

The Effective Prescriptions records: To treat heart pain in women, when stabbing pain from Blood and Qi is unbearable, use “Powder That Makes One Laugh.” Take equal parts of clean, high-quality Wulingzhi and Puhuang, grind them into powder, and take two…

Take one spoonful of good vinegar and simmer it until thick and paste-like. Add a cup of water and boil them together. When the liquid has reduced to about seven-tenths of its original amount, drink it while hot. It works quickly.

Another prescription is used to treat women’s persistent menstrual bleeding. Take powdered Fulingzhi and dry-fry it until thoroughly heated and all the smoke has dispersed. Take about two qian at a time, together with two slices of Danggui and one medium cup of wine. Boil until the liquid has reduced to about six-tenths, strain out the herbs, and drink it while hot. After three to five doses, it should take effect.

The Yanyi says: Fulingzhi (the dried droppings of the complex-toothed flying squirrel, used in traditional Chinese medicine) is effective at regulating menstrual blood, but cannot generate blood. Some people develop a cloudy membrane in the eye that appears and disappears; this kind of condition is caused by a problem with the blood. The heart governs the generation of blood, while the liver stores it. When the liver is nourished by blood, the eyes can see. Treating an eye disease without addressing the blood is contrary to the underlying pathology. Fulingzhi enters the liver quickly.

One prescription calls for two liang of Fulingzhi, one liang of myrrh, half a liang of frankincense, and one and a half liang of prepared Sichuan aconite with the skin removed. Grind them into powder, add water drop by drop to form pills the size of a pellet. Take one pill at a time, grinding it into a liquid with fresh ginger and warm wine before swallowing. It can treat pain, chills, and numbness in the hands, feet, and body caused by wind and cold blocking the flow of Qi and blood.

There was also a person bitten by a venomous snake who, some time later, became unconscious and unresponsive. An elderly monk mixed two qian of medicinal powder with wine and poured it down the person’s throat, reviving them. He then applied the remaining powder to the bite. After a while, he gave the person another two qian, and the venom was completely dispelled. When asked, he explained that the medicine consisted only of one liang of Fulingzhi and half a liang of realgar, ground into powder. The prescription later proved highly effective in other poisoning cases. This medicine is not expensive, though many counterfeits are sold.

Scorpion

Scorpion is sweet and acrid in flavor, and poisonous. It can treat various wind disorders and wind rashes, as well as hemiplegia after stroke, distortion of the mouth and eyes, difficulty speaking, twitching of the hands and feet, and stiffness of the body. Small scorpions with firm bodies are best; those from Qingzhou are also considered good.

The Tujing says: A review of the old editions shows that scorpions were not attributed to any particular prefecture or region; they only say that those from Qingzhou are considered good. Scorpions are now found throughout eastern and western Jingdong, as well as around Hezhou and Shanzhou. They can be collected throughout the year. For medicinal use, small specimens with firm bodies are preferred. Today, people usually dry captured scorpions over a fire. Medical formularies call the scorpion “yixi.”

Tao Yinju’s Jiyan Fang says that scorpions are male or female. A sting from a male scorpion causes pain concentrated in one spot, while a sting from a female causes pain that spreads to several parts of the body. For a sting from a male, apply well mud to the wound; for a sting from a female, apply mud taken from beneath the gutter of a tiled roof. Scorpion can also be used to treat convulsions caused by wind-stroke.

Scorpion is commonly used in remedies for spasms of the hands and feet and convulsions in children. Here is a prescription for childhood wind epilepsy, meaning spasms and convulsions caused by pathogenic wind and related factors. Take five scorpions. Cut the top off a large pomegranate, remove the seeds, and hollow it out to make a jar. Put the scorpions inside and cover the opening with the piece of pomegranate top. Seal it tightly with paper fibers and yellow clay. First dry it over a low flame, then gradually increase the heat until it glows red. After a long while, remove it from the fire and let it cool. Take off the clay, remove the scorpions, now charred black, and grind them finely into powder. Mix the powder with milk and administer half a qian spoonful (about half a qian of powder). The convulsions will subside. For a somewhat older child, mix it with Fangfeng Decoction before giving it.

Yuxi says: According to the Shu Materia Medica, a small, compact scorpion is called yixi. Duan Chengshi’s Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang says that among woodlice, the larger ones often turn into scorpions, and scorpions commonly carry their young on their backs. He once saw a scorpion carrying more than ten young; they were still whitish in color and no larger than grains of rice. In the old granaries of Chenzhou there is a kind of scorpion shaped like a coin; anyone it stings is certain to die. In the past, there were no scorpions south of the Yangtze. Early in the Kaiyuan era, a registrar carried scorpions across the river in a bamboo tube, and from then on they gradually appeared throughout the region. People called them “registrar insects.” Snails often prey on scorpions: a snail first surrounds one with its crawling trail, leaving it unable to escape. The scorpion’s front pincers are called its “sting,” and its poisonous tail is called its “sting-tail.”

The Proven Remedies says that for childhood fright wind, a condition involving sudden convulsions, take one scorpion with its head and tail intact. Wrap it in four thin mint leaves and roast it over a fire until the mint turns yellow and scorched. Grind them together into powder, divide it into four doses, and take each dose with a decoction. For an adult with wind-phlegm, one dose is enough.

Du Ren’s prescription treats deafness caused by kidney deficiency and is said to cure those who have had the condition for less than ten years with a single dose. Take forty-nine very small scorpions and forty-nine slices of ginger, each slice about the size of a scorpion. Stir-fry them together in a bronze vessel until the ginger is dry, then grind everything into powder and take it all at once. At the beginning of the night, swallow it with warm wine, finishing the medicine by the third watch. Drink as much wine as you like; even becoming drunk is no problem. The effect will be evident the next day.

The Extended Materia Medica says: Scorpion can be used for both adults and children, and is especially indispensable for treating childhood fright wind. Some prescriptions use the whole scorpion, while others use only its tail; the tail has particularly strong medicinal effects. Nowadays, in the mountains of Qingzhou, people catch scorpions from beneath stones and heat them over a low flame or in the blazing sun. When thirst and heat make the scorpions agitated, they feed them green clay. Once the scorpions have eaten their fill, they drive them to death with fire. This is why the scorpions are often red. The practice is intended to increase their weight and make them easier to sell. Physicians always clean the dirt from a scorpion’s abdomen before using it.

Mole cricket (a burrowing insect; the text now turns to the entry on this medicinal substance).

The mole cricket (lóu gū, commonly called “earth dog”) has a salty taste, a cold nature, and no toxicity. It is used to treat difficult childbirth and splinters lodged in the flesh. It can also be used for ulcerated sores and swellings, obstruction in the throat, detoxification, and malignant sores. It is also called huigu, tianlou, and ao. Mole crickets live on the plains and in the marshes around Dongcheng; today they are found throughout the country. They burrow into loose soil and live underground, coming out at night to forage. They are caught after the summer solstice and dried for later use; those that emerge at night are considered best.

The Illustrated Classic says: Mole crickets emerge from their burrows at night, and people traveling after dark often encounter and kill them. The part in front of the waist is more astringent; the ancients believed it could reduce urination and bowel movements. The part behind the waist is more promoting, and was thought to ease urination and bowel movements. Some also say that the front half chiefly stops urination, while the back half chiefly promotes both urination and bowel movements. To draw a splinter from the flesh, most often use the insect’s brain.

The Erya calls it “tianlou.” The Xia Xiaozheng records that in the third month the ao insect calls; this refers to the mole cricket. The Guangya also calls it “great rat.” Kong Yingda explains that this insect has five abilities but masters none of them. Cai Yong’s Essay on Encouraging Learning likewise says that it can fly, but not above a roof; climb, but not to the top of a tree; swim, but not across a valley; burrow, but not hide its body; and run, but not escape from people. The “five skills and yet brought to ruin” of the “wug” mentioned by Xunzi refers to this insect as well.

Physicians today use mole crickets to treat stone strangury, in which sand or stones are passed during urination and the flow of urine is obstructed. The method is to take one mole cricket and two liang of salt, spread them on a new roof tile and cover them, then dry-roast and grind them to a fine powder. Take one qian at a time, mixed with warm wine. The account says that seven doses bring a cure.

Tao Hongjing says: The mole cricket’s front and rear halves have opposite medicinal properties, one astringent and the other promoting; they are therefore used respectively to stop diarrhea and urination, or to promote the passage of urine and stool. To draw a splinter from the flesh, its brain is commonly used. This insect seems to be associated with tales of spirits and ghosts: the ancients once obtained its “huigi power” in prison (the original text uses this phrase, whose meaning is unclear). Today, people who see it at night often beat it to death, saying that it is driven by ghosts.

Yuxi says: According to the commentary in the Shu Materia Medica, the “ao” mentioned in the Erya is tianlou. The Illustrated Classic records that it is collected at the summer solstice; today it is found throughout the country.

Rihua says: The mole cricket is cold in nature and toxic. It can treat malignant sores, edema, and swelling of the head and face. It should be stir-fried before being used as medicine.

Lei Gong says: The mole cricket has a salty taste and is non-toxic.

The Shenghui Fang records: To treat ten kinds of edema, when the patient’s abdomen is swollen, breathing is difficult, and they cannot lie flat, take five mole crickets, dry them in the sun, and grind them into powder. Before meals, mix half a qian to one qian with hot water and take it. It should take effect once urination becomes free.

The Waitai Miyao Fang records: If a fish bone is stuck in the throat, swallow the brain of one mole cricket. If a thorn has pierced the body and cannot be removed, apply a mole cricket to the affected area, and the thorn will come out.

The Sun Zhenren Fang records: If an arrowhead is lodged in the throat or chest, or a needle has pierced the body and cannot be removed, crush a mole cricket and extract its juice. Drip it onto the affected area three to five times, and the arrowhead will come out on its own.

The Yanyi says: Mole crickets begin calling at night after the start of summer. The “mole crickets chirp” mentioned in the Yueling refers to this insect. Its call sounds like an earthworm. The ancients believed it had five abilities, but was not especially skilled at any one of them.

Pangolin scales

Pangolin scales are slightly cold in nature and treat the Five Evils, startled crying, and grief. Burn them to ash and mix with wine or water, then take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient measure for powdered medicine, about one spoonful). This can treat ant fistula, a sore resembling an anthill that may have a fistulous tract.

The Tujing says: Earlier records do not say which prefectures produced pangolin scales. Today, pangolins are found in the deep mountains and valleys around Hu and Ling, as well as in Jin, Shang, Jun, and Fang. The animal resembles a small, short alligator and is blackish in color. It also resembles a carp, has four legs, and can move on land and in water. During the day it climbs onto the bank, spreads its scales, and lies still as if dead, allowing ants to crawl beneath them. When its scales are full of ants, it closes them and dives into the water. The ants then float out, and it eats them. For this reason, pangolin scales are considered especially suitable for treating ant fistula. They are also used for malignant sores and scabies: burn the scales to powder and apply it to the affected area.

Yang Yan’s Nanxing Fang records the use of a decoction of pangolin scales to treat miasma malaria in the mountains. Today, some people burn pangolin scales to ash, add a little powdered nutmeg, mix it with water, and take it to treat intestinal hemorrhoids. Another prescription for breast pain calls for one liang each of pangolin scales, roasted until yellow, and mu tong, and half a liang of native copper. Pound the three ingredients into a fine powder. Take three qian at a time, mixed with warm wine, at any time.

The Yaoxing Lun says: Pangolin scales serve as an assistant ingredient and are highly toxic in nature. They can be used to treat miasma malaria in the mountains and malignant sores; burn them to ash and apply externally.

Tao Hongjing says: The pangolin resembles a small, short alligator and also a carp. It has four legs and can move on land and in water. After climbing onto the bank, it spreads its scales and lies motionless, as if dead, letting ants crawl beneath them. Then it suddenly closes its scales and dives into the water. When it opens its scales again, the ants float out, and it eats them. There are few prescriptions using pangolin scales; they are mainly used to treat sores, scabies, and various zhu diseases—illnesses that the ancients attributed to malign influences or contagion.

Yu Xi, a Tang dynasty scholar of materia medica, says: According to the Illustrated Classic of Shu, the pangolin lives in the deep mountains and great valleys. It is found in places such as Jin Fang and Junzhou.

Rihua Zi says: Pangolin scales are cool in nature and poisonous. They may be used to treat fright caused by spirits in children; weeping and grief in women attributed to ghosts; and conditions such as hemorrhoids with fistulas, malignant sores, and scabies.

The Supplement to the Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold treats fistulas known as “ant fistulas” as follows: Take fourteen pangolin scales, grind them into powder, mix with lard, and apply.

The Concise Formula for Helping the People treats a postpartum rush of blood and Qi to the heart, causing blood fainting, as follows: Take one liang of pangolin, soak it overnight in a child’s urine, then remove it and roast over a low flame until yellow. Grind it into powder. Take one qian at a time, add a little dog gall, and mix with hot wine. It may be taken at any time.

The Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library, quoting the Handbook of Prescriptions from the Elbow, treats ants entering the ear as follows: Burn pangolin scales and grind them into powder. Mix with water and pour into the ear; the ants will come out.

The Elucidation of Materia Medica says: Pangolins live in mountain caves and can also enter the water. Take one liang of pangolin scales and burn them while retaining their medicinal properties. Grind them together with the kernels of three nutmegs, then mix two qian of the powder with rice broth and take it. This treats Qi hemorrhoids with copious pus and blood. In severe cases, add one liang of hedgehog skin, burn it, and mix it into the medicine. Once the illness is cured, there is no need to finish the full amount.

Blister beetle

The blister beetle tastes pungent, is slightly warm in nature, and is poisonous. It treats Gu poison, wind-related infestation (illness caused by the invasion of wind pathogens), and ghost-related infestation (illness that people in antiquity attributed to disturbances by ghosts), and it can also induce abortion. Gather it in the third month and dry it in the sun.

The Illustrated Materia Medica says: The blister beetle is not recorded in the Classic of Materia Medica, but it is now found in many places. It resembles the cantharides beetle, but its entire body is a pure blue-green, with a yellow stripe down its back and a pointed mouth. The blister beetle appears when the blossoms of the lilac Daphne open, in the third or fourth month. It is often found on the flowers, and should be dried in the sun after gathering.

When using insect medicines such as cantharides beetles, blister beetles, and tingzhang beetles, stir-fry them with glutinous rice. When the rice turns yellowish black, the insects are cooked and should be removed immediately. Remove the insects’ heads, legs, and wings, then wrap them in tangled hair and hang the bundle beneath the east side of the eaves overnight before use. This is said to remove their toxicity.

Tao Yinjü, also known as Tao Hongjing, says: Gather blister beetles when the lilac Daphne is in bloom. Their bodies are blue-black, and they may also be used to treat mouse fistulas, an ancient term for a kind of fistulous sore.

Yu Xi says: According to the Illustrated Classic of Shu, blister beetles are about the same size and shape as cantharides beetles. They are blue-green all over and are now produced in Ningzhou.

Lei Gong says: The four insects known as blister beetles, cantharides beetles, tingzhang beetles, and red-headed beetles all differ in appearance, habitat, food, and medicinal effects. The blister beetle has a pointed mouth and a yellow mark down its back. The cantharides beetle has a yellow stripe and a black stripe on its back, with a small red spot near its pointed mouth. It lives on bean leaves and feeds on their juice. The original text breaks off here.

The tingle, a medicinal insect in ancient times, has a body that is black and yellow. It lives on the leaves of vines and feeds by sucking their sap. Its head and forehead bear red spots, while its body is black. Different parts are prepared in different ways for use.

To process yuanqing, banmao, tingzhang, and chitou, mix them with glutinous rice and small hemp seeds and stir-fry until the rice turns yellowish black, then remove them from the pan. Next, remove the insects’ wings, legs, and heads. Wrap the bodies in ash made from burned hair, hang them in the corner of an east-facing wall overnight, and take them down the following day for use.

The frog (wa, pronounced like “wa”) tastes sweet, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat children’s red qi, skin sores, injuries and pain around the navel, and Qi deficiency. It is also called “long thigh.” It lives in water and can be caught at any time of year.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says: Early materia medica texts do not record where the frog comes from, stating only that it lives in water. Today it is found everywhere. It looks like a toad, has a blue-green back, and is commonly called the green frog. Some have yellow markings on their backs and are called “golden-line frogs.”

Tao Hongjing says: There are many kinds of bees, ants, frogs, and cicadas. Those with large bellies and blue-green backs are commonly called “earth ducks.” They croak loudly and are the water-dwelling frogs described in the Erya. A black variety is called “gezi” by people in the south. Its meat is delicious; it is also known as the clam, or water chicken. People in Fujian, Shu, and eastern Zhejiang prize it as food. Locals believe that eating it replenishes deficiency and debility, and that it is especially suitable for women who have given birth.

Tao Hongjing also says that another kind, smaller in size and given to calling, is called “wazi.”

Yuxi says: According to the commentary in the Shu Materia Medica, the frog belongs to the toad family. It lives on land, has a blue-green back, and calls frequently, making a sound like “wa.”

The Rihuazi says: The green frog is cold in nature and can be used to treat fever in children. The kind with yellow markings on its back is called the golden-line frog. It can be used to treat corpse-injection disease—a category of illness that people in ancient times believed was caused by corpse qi or demonic influence—and parasitic diseases. It can also dispel consumptive debility, reduce fever, and counter heat toxins. The frog with a blue-green body is the green frog.

The Qianjin Fang records that the frog can be used to treat children’s red qi.

The Yan Yi says: The frog has a blue body, a slender belly, a pointed snout, and long hind legs, so it is good at leaping. Those with loud calls are called “wa,” while those with soft calls are called “ge.” This is what the “Monthly Ordinances” means by saying, “Sparrows enter the great waters and transform into clams.” Han Yu’s Tang-dynasty poem, “All night the green frogs croak until dawn,” refers to this kind of frog as well. When eaten, it is neutral in nature and can ease consumptive debility with fever.

The dragonfly (qīng líng) is slightly cold in nature. It is said to strengthen Kidney Yin and stop seminal emission.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says that earlier herbals did not record which prefectures produced dragonflies, but today they are common beside waterways throughout the country. There are several kinds. For medicinal use, the blue-green kind with large eyes is preferred; red and black kinds are generally not used. People commonly call it “dragonfly,” but it is not often used medicinally, whereas Daoists use it frequently.

Tao Hongjing says there are five or six kinds of dragonfly. The kind used today is blue-green and large-eyed; it is also called “Zhucheng” and is popularly known as “Huli.” Daoists use it to stop seminal emission, and say its eyes can transform into blue-green pearls. Yellow, small, and black kinds are not used as medicine. There is another kind also called “dragonfly.”

Yuxi, quoting the Shu Materia Medica, says that dragonflies have six legs and four wings, and like to fly beside streams and irrigation channels.

The Daily Materia Medica says the dragonfly is cool in nature and non-toxic. It strengthens yang and warms the “water organs,” the organs associated with the kidneys in Chinese medicine. For medicinal use, its wings and legs should be removed, and it is best used after being stir-fried.

The Extended Meaning says that among dragonflies there is one especially large kind, called “Horse Bighead” in the capital. Its body is green, and the female has a blue-green band around her waist. The male should be used medicinally. The blue-green, large-eyed dragonfly described by Tao Hongjing was probably this kind. Its eyes are all large, though they are not actually blue-green. Dragonflies develop in water, so they often fly over its surface. The Tang poet Du Fu wrote, “The dragonflies skim the water, flying gently.”

The woodlouse, also called the sowbug or pill bug, tastes sour and is warm in nature with a slight cooling tendency. It is non-toxic. It treats obstruction of Qi movement, difficulty urinating, cessation of menstruation, blood masses in the abdomen, epilepsy and convulsions, and alternating chills and fever. It also promotes the flow of urine. It is also called “Fufan,” “Yiwei,” and “Weiyi.” It is found around Weijun and Pinggu, and commonly on the ground in people’s homes. It is collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica says woodlice are found everywhere, most often in damp, low-lying places, such as beneath earthenware jars and in pits in the ground. They often cling to the backs of mice, which is why they were originally called “Mouse Carrier.” The later written form, “Mouse Woman,” is a mistake. The Erya calls it “Pan Mouse Carrier,” which Guo Pu explains as a small insect that lives beneath earthenware vessels. The Book of Songs, in “East of the Mountain,” mentions “Yiwei in the room.” Zheng Xuan explains that these insects appear when a house is left unoccupied. The Basic Classic records these names as well; this is the small insect now commonly found in damp places. It is collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month because some ancient prescriptions used it.

Zhang Zhongjing used woodlice in the “Great Turtle Shell Pill” to treat chronic malaria, because woodlice can treat alternating chills and fever.

Tao Hongjing said that woodlice are also called “mouse-bearers.” He explained that mice spend much of their time in burrows and seem to carry something on their backs, which is how the name arose. The later written form using the character fu (“woman”) seems not to fit the original meaning very well. Woodlice are also known as “mouse-mushrooms.”

Rihua Zi said that woodlice are poisonous. They can promote urination and may also cause miscarriage.

The Qianjin Fang records a remedy for difficulty urinating after childbirth: take seven woodlice, fry them dry by themselves, grind them to a powder, and take one dose mixed with wine.

The Yanyi says that woodlice are insects that live in damp places. They have many legs, are earthworm-colored, and have raised transverse ridges along their backs. They grow to about three or four fen in length and can be found everywhere, especially in cracks between bricks and in low, damp places. They have few uses.

Silverfish

Silverfish taste salty, are warm in nature, and are non-toxic. They treat abdominal masses of the kind called shan jia in women and difficulty urinating. They may also be used for childhood wind-stroke, stiffness of the neck, and an arched back. They can further treat painful urinary dribbling and induce miscarriage; applied to sores, they can remove scars. Silverfish are also called “white fish” or yin (pronounced “tan”), and are found in the flat, marshy lands of Xianyang.

The Tujing says that silverfish come from the marshlands of Xianyang, but are now found everywhere. They are rarely seen in clothing, but are common in books and scrolls. The Erya calls them yin or “white fish.” Guo Pu said they are insects that eat books, also called bing fish.

Duan Chengshi said that Zhang Zhou, an official who served as a buque, once saw melon seeds on a wall turn into white fish. This led him to think that the statement in the Liezi that “rotting melons turn into fish” was no idle tale.

An old remedy for painful, dribbling urination in children uses silverfish: rub them over the navel and lower abdomen, and urination will become free. Another prescription combines silverfish, eagle droppings, and stiff silkworms, applying them to a scar from a sore; it is said to remove the scar. Today, people call them “wall fish.”

A folk tale says that when wall fish crawl into a box of Daoist scriptures and eat the immortals’ writing, their bodies develop five colors. Anyone who catches and swallows one can become an immortal. Zhang Tang’s younger son of the Tang dynasty believed this story. He copied many characters used in texts about immortals, cut them into pieces, put them in a bottle, and added wall fish, hoping they would eat the writing. It did not work, and he became ill with worry. Bing is pronounced “bing.”

Yu Xi said that according to the Yaoxing Lun, silverfish are the white fish found in clothing. They are poisonous and can promote urination.

The Qianjin Fang records that when sand, grass, or other debris falls into the eye and cannot be removed, white fish can be mixed with breast milk and drops placed in the eye.

The Waitai Miyao Fang records a remedy for an eye film: grind white fish into a fine powder and apply a small amount to the affected spot.

Sun Zhenren’s prescription says: For sudden hemiplegia, a wind illness that comes on abruptly and causes the mouth to twist and speech to become difficult, take a silverfish and rub it beneath the ear. If the mouth twists to the left, rub the right side; if it twists to the right, rub the left. Stop once the mouth returns to normal.

A prescription in the Zimu Milu says: To treat a woman’s unexplained bleeding, when blood flows onto her clothes, place thirty silverfish in the vagina.

The Yanyi says: Silverfish often hide in old books. They sometimes also appear in silk that has been left undisturbed for a long time, though they are more commonly found in old paper. Their bodies are coated with thick powder, which comes off when they are handled. They also damage woollen clothes. They have few medicinal uses, are somewhat fish-shaped, and have a forked tail. In folk practice, they are used to remove scars.

Jiaxiang

Jiaxiang is salty in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to treat distension and pain in the chest and abdomen, and shortness of breath. It can also stop dysentery and ease difficult, painful urination. It is produced in the South Sea.

The Tujing says: Jiaxiang comes from the South Sea. It is now also found along the coasts of Lingnan, Fujian, and other prefectures, as well as in Mingzhou. It is the lid of a sea snail. The Nanzhou Yiwu Zhi says: A large jiaxiang is about as wide as the mouth of a bowl, with one end extending several inches and spines around the shell. When burned together with other aromatics, it makes their fragrance stronger; burned alone, it smells foul. It is also called “liuluo” and has the thickest lid and best-tasting flesh of all snails. The snail is about the size of a small fist, blue-yellow in color, and four or five inches long. People also eat its flesh. It is now rarely used in medical prescriptions. “Li” is pronounced “luo.”

The Tang Ben Zhu says: This snail is about the size of a small fist, blue-yellow in color, and four or five inches long. Its shell lid is burned to ash for use. People in the south also cook and eat its flesh, which has no clear benefit or harm.

The Haiyao says: Jiaxiang can harmonize the breath and clear the mind. It is used to treat abdominal wind, fistulas, and hemorrhoids. Chen says it is also used for nail-root infections, fistulous sores, stings from snakes, scorpions, and bees, scabies, sores on the head, and mouth ulcers. It is also used to make jiajian and kouzhi, ancient aromatic ointments and lip salves. The Guangzhou Ji says: People in the south often eat it, considering it similar to turtle and softshell turtle. There is also a small variety of jiaxiang, shaped like a little snail, which is prepared from its stalk.

The Yanyi says: Jiaxiang is very effective at gathering and regulating fragrant smoke. It works well when used with agarwood, sandalwood, borneol, and musk.

Golden Snake

The golden snake is non-toxic and can counteract poisoning from gold-based medicines. If someone is poisoned by such a medicine, take a snake four inches long, roast it until yellow, then boil it and drink the liquid. Repeat the dose until the person recovers. The golden snake is as thick as a middle finger and about one foot long. It often climbs trees to drink dew. Its body is golden and shines in sunlight. There is also a silver snake, which can counteract poisoning from silver-based medicines. To identify these snakes, close your eyes…

Hold a piece of silver in the mouth until daybreak. If it turns golden, it is genuine. After it is taken, the muscles crack open like the claws of a chicken. It comes from Shengbin and Chengzhou.

The Illustrated Classic says: Golden snakes are found in Binzhou. Their bodies are as thick as a middle finger and about one foot long. They often climb trees to drink dew. Their entire bodies are golden and gleam in sunlight. They can neutralize gold toxicity. There are also silver snakes that can neutralize silver toxicity, but no one has been seen catching one in recent times. In Lingshan Township, Shangrao County, Xinzhou, there is a snake that looks much like a golden snake. Local people call it “Golden Star Earth Eel.” Caught in winter, it too can neutralize various poisons, stop diarrhea, and treat pathogenic heat.

The millipede tastes acrid, is warm in nature, and is poisonous. It treats hard lumps and accumulations in the abdomen, polyps, malignant sores, and white ringworm. It can also treat alternating chills and fever, focal distention, and swelling below the ribs. It is also called “hundred feet” and “horse axle,” and grows in the mountain valleys of Xuantu.

Tao Yinjü said: Li’s account says this insect is five or six inches long and resembles a large cricket. In summer it climbs trees and chirps; in winter it hibernates. People today call it the flying centipede, though it may not actually be the millipede. There is now a slender yellow insect, much longer than a centipede though similar in appearance, commonly called the “earth insect.” Chickens that eat it become dazed and may even die. A text says, “The hundred-footed creature does not go limp even at death.” This insect has many legs, and when its body is cut into sections, each section can still crawl. Perhaps it is the same creature. Daoist practitioners and physicians no longer use it, and no one buys it at the market, so it is impossible to determine which species is truly the millipede.

The Tang Materia Medica Commentary says: This insect is about as thick as a fine writing brush and three or four inches long, with markings on its body. It resembles a centipede. People in Xiangyang call it the horse centipede, or horse axle; it is also called the knife-ring insect because, when dead, it lies on its side in the shape of a knife ring. Someone who had taken poison ate one of these insects and died.

The Expanded Materia Medica says: The millipede is what people today call the hundred-jointed insect. Its body resembles a series of wooden segments, each marked with fine, dense wrinkles. It is glossy purplish black, and when dead it lies on its side in the shape of a knife ring. It is two or three inches long; the largest are as thick as a little finger. Many are found in the brick walls of Shangyang Palace and the inner city of the Western Capital, but they are rarely used as medicine.

The ground beetle tastes acrid, is cold in nature, and is poisonous. It treats gui zhu—illnesses caused by the invasion of malign influences—alternating chills and fever, rat fistulas, malignant sores, and dead flesh. It can break up abdominal masses, induce miscarriage, eat away dead tissue in sores, treat nasal polyps, disperse accumulated Qi, and treat stone strangury caused by urinary stones. A single dao gui dose, a small measure, will cause purging. It is also called Ruanqing.

The frog, pronounced like “Wa,” grows in the valleys around Wenshan. It is gathered in the eighth month and should not be used together with licorice.

The Treatise on the Nature of Medicines says that di dan can cause the root of scrofula to be expelled in the urine. It can also be used to induce vomiting and treat nasal congestion.

Tao Yinjü says that genuine di dan comes from Liangzhou. It resembles a large ant and has wings. The imitation is transformed from ban mao and is about the size of a bean. Their medicinal effects are broadly similar. Since genuine di dan is usually hard to obtain, the imitation may also be used. It is therefore also called “yuan qing.” The characters for “yuan” and “qing” are different, so perhaps they became confused through successive copying.

The Tang Materia Medica commentary says that the kind resembling a large ant can now be found in Binzhou, but that it has never seen the kind the size of a bean.

Yuxi says that, according to the Illustrated Classic of Shu, di dan is gathered in the second, third, eighth, and ninth months by searching among plants. It is larger than ordinary insects and black in color, and is transformed from yuan qing.

Ke is salty in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It treats films over the eyes, stops bleeding, and promotes the growth of flesh. It is a shellfish, about the size of an abalone, with a yellow-black shell and a white, hard inner part. It can be used as an ornament for horses. It comes from the South Sea and may be gathered at any time.

The Sea Medicines says that, according to the Supplement to the Records of Famous Physicians, ke comes from the South Sea and is as white as a clam shell. It treats eye films and membranes, as well as tightness in the muscles and sores in the flesh. It can be scraped off and applied to the affected area. It has no other important uses.

Lei Gong says to select ke gathered in winter, white and smooth in color, with white, swirling water patterns on its surface. After gathering it, do not expose it to fire, or it will become entirely unusable. To prepare it, scrape it into fine powder with a copper knife, grind it carefully, and sift it through thick silk. Then continue grinding it more than a thousand times. This substance is not used in medicines for women.

Firefly, or the luminous insect, is pungent in flavor, slightly warm in nature, and non-toxic. It is used to improve eyesight and treat children’s fire sores, pathogenic heat, gu poison, and ghost possession, a condition that the ancients believed could be caused by contagion or malign spirits. It is also said to make the spirit clear and receptive. Other names include “Night Light,” “Shining Light,” “Glittering Glow,” and “Instant Illumination.” It lives near steps, ponds, and marshes. It is gathered on the seventh day of the seventh month and dried in the shade.

Tao Yinjü says that fireflies are transformations of decaying grass and rotten bamboo roots. When they first transform, they do not yet resemble insects, but light is already visible beneath their abdomens. After a few days, they become insects and can fly. Practitioners of occult arts catch fireflies, put them in wine until they die, and then dry them in the sun. They are rarely used in folk medicine as well.

The Hundred and One Remedies of the Sea Snail says that for eye pain lasting many years, even thirty or forty, take a live snail, wash it clean and wipe it dry, pry open its shell, and put in one piece of huang lian…

Put the juice of Chinese goldthread into a snail shell and let the snail drink it. Then soak a little cotton in the juice and apply it to the corner of the eye.

Sun the Perfected One says that eating sea moon with vegetables can treat heart pain.

Sea moon is pungent in taste, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. It chiefly treats wasting thirst and rebellious Qi. It can also increase appetite, help people eat more, and benefit the Five Viscera.

The one-legged bee: Its medicinal use is the same as described above. It resembles a small bee and is black all over. It has only one leg, which is attached to a tree root and cannot be pulled free; the root, too, cannot be shaken. It is gathered in the fifth month and is found in Lingnan. There is also a one-legged ant with the same effects as the one-legged bee. It is likewise attached to a tree root that cannot be shaken, and is also found in Lingnan.

The flying birth insect: It is non-toxic and can make childbirth easier. When labor is imminent, simply hold its horn; alternatively, burn it to ash and take a small amount. This insect resembles a severed lock of hair and has a horn growing from its head.

The two-headed snake: Seeing one is considered an ill omen. It is about as thick as a finger. One end has neither eyes nor a mouth, yet it can move in either direction. It is found in Kuaiji. Local people say it was formed from the bowstring of the King of Yue. Sun Shu’ao buried one because he feared that anyone who saw it later might die as a result. People also say that seeing a snake with legs is unlucky. In fact, if you burn a snake as firewood using mulberry wood, its legs will appear; there is no need to be surprised at seeing such a snake’s feet.