Loading...
Chapter 29 of 33
神农本草经
This chapter covers the "Insects and Fish" (lower grade) category from the Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica), comprising eighteen medicinal substances in total. The so-called lower grade was regarded by the ancients as substances predominantly possessing the property of attacking pathogenic factors and breaking up accumulations, with potent and fierce medicinal power. 🔬 "Chiefly treating diseases in correspondence with Earth" — they were not to be taken over prolonged periods or tried lightly. Most of these medicinal substances are derived from insects and shelled creatures, their natures being either acrid and dispersing, salty and softening, or cold and descending, reflecting the ancient therapeutic principle of "using insects to attack pathogenic influences."
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, cold.
Original Indications: Governs pathogenic qi; breaks abdominal masses and hardness; blood-abscesses and swellings; yin sores. Taking it prevents febrile diseases. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: The ancients held that the toad can expel pathogenic qi (a general reference to disease-causing factors), break up abdominal masses (masses and accumulations within the abdomen), disperse blood-abscesses and swellings (abscesses formed by impaired blood circulation), and heal yin sores (ulcerations of the genital region). It was also said that taking it makes one less susceptible to febrile diseases (external-contraction heat diseases). It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Chánchú, one is Qùfǔ, one is Kǔlóng. Harvested on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, dried in the shade; those moving eastward (specimens oriented toward the east) are considered superior.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, slightly cold.
Original Indications: Governs vaginal discharge with redness and whiteness, alternating chills and fever, breaks urinary stones, and kills birds, beasts, thieves, and rats. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: Mǎdāo treats vaginal discharge with reddish or whitish coloration (or referencing non-menstrual bleeding) in women, alternating chills and fever, and can break urinary stones (conditions such as urinary tract calculi). The ancients also believed it could kill birds, beasts, and pestilent vermin. It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Qíhá, one is Mǎhá. Those growing in rivers, lakes, and the Eastern Sea are considered superior.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, neutral.
Original Indications: Governs the hundred and twenty kinds of infantile fright convulsions, spasms and twitching, manic disorders, chills and fever, intestinal hemorrhoids, insect toxins, and snake convulsions. Prepared by fire-calcining is superior. Grows in mountain stream valleys and open fields.
Paraphrase: Snake slough treats the various fright convulsions (infantile convulsions and epilepsy-type disorders), spasms and twitching (contraction and cramping of sinews and vessels), manic disorders (conditions marked by mental abnormality), as well as chills and fever, intestinal hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids), insect toxins (parasitic infestations or insect-bite toxins), and snake convulsions (convulsive disorders associated with snake bites or snake venom). 🔥Fire-calcining the substance enhances its efficacy. It grows in mountain valleys and open fields.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Lóngzǐ Yī, one is Shé Fú, one is Lóngzǐ Dānyī, one is Gōng Pí, one is Lóngzǐ Pí. Those harvested on the fifth or fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month are considered superior.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, cold.
Original Indications: Governs snake masses, eliminates the three worms, latent corpse, ghost affliction, gu toxins, and kills long worms; it transforms itself into water. Grows on level ground.
Paraphrase: The earthworm treats snake masses (abdominal masses believed by the ancients to arise from snake venom or snake parasites), expels the three worms (a general term for internal parasites), treats latent corpse (an ancient disease name referring to deeply lurking pathogenic influences that manifest intermittently), ghost affliction (an ancient term for consumptive infectious conditions), resolves gu toxins, and kills long worms (elongated parasites such as roundworms). It grows in level, open terrain.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Báijǐng Tángjué, one is Fùyǐn, one is Tǔlóng. Harvested in the second month, dried in the shade.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, neutral.
Original Indications: Governs chronic deafness, cough with reversed qi, toxic qi, assists in expelling thorns and promoting sweating. Grows in mountain stream valleys.
Paraphrase: The mud dauber wasp treats deafness of long-standing duration, cough with reversed qi (coughing with qi counterflow), resolves toxic qi, and assists in expelling thorns (drawing out embedded splinters) and promoting sweating (inducing perspiration to disperse pathogenic influences). It grows in mountain valleys or among human dwellings.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Tǔfēng. Ancient names include Luóluǒ and Púlú. It grows in Xióng'ěr Mountain and Zāngkē, or in human dwellings.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, warm.
Original Indications: Governs ghost affliction, gu toxins, neutralizes the toxins of various snakes, insects, and fish ingested, kills ghostly things and aged essences, warm malaria, and eliminates the three worms. Grows in mountain stream valleys.
Paraphrase: The centipede treats ghost affliction and gu toxins. The ancients believed it could subdue the toxic properties of snake, insect, and fish venoms, expel ghostly things and aged essences (persistent pathogenic influences conceptualized through the lens of spiritual beliefs), treat warm malaria (one category of malarial disease), and eliminate the three worms. It grows in mountain stream valleys.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Jíqū. Those at Great Wu south of the Yangtze, with red head and feet, are considered superior.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, neutral.
Original Indications: Governs expelling vicious blood and stagnant blood, menstrual closure; breaks blood masses and accumulations, infertility, and benefits the water passages. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: The leach governs the expulsion of vicious blood and stagnant blood (spoiled blood that has ceased to circulate properly), treats menstrual closure (amenorrhea) in women, breaks blood masses and accumulations (abdominal masses formed by blood stasis), treats infertility (inability to conceive; the ancients held that blood stasis obstructing the uterus could cause infertility), and opens the water passages (the pathway of urination). It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Zhì, one is Zhìzhǎng. Grows in Léi Marsh. Harvested in the fifth and sixth months, dried in the sun.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, cold.
Original Indications: Governs chills and fever, ghost affliction, gu toxins, rat fistulas, vicious sores, deep abscesses with erosion, dead flesh, and breaks urinary retention due to stones. One name is Lóngwěi. Grows in mountain stream valleys.
Paraphrase: The blister beetle governs chills and fever, ghost affliction (an ancient disease name denoting deeply concealed, stubborn pathogenic factors or contagious consumptive conditions), gu toxins, rat fistulas (tuberculous lymphadenitis of the neck and axillae breaking down into fistulas), vicious sores (recalcitrant and difficult-to-heal ulcerations), deep abscesses with erosion (deep-seated abscesses eroding tissue), and dead flesh (muscle tissue that has lost vitality); it can also break urinary retention due to stones (difficult urination caused by urinary tract calculi). Also named Lóngwěi. Grows in mountain valleys.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Bānháo, one is Lóngháo, one is Yànqīng, one is Shèngfā, one is Pánqióng. Collected in the eighth month, dried in the shade.
⚠️ Special Caution: The blister beetle is highly toxic and has been used with extreme caution in both ancient and modern times. In the records of the "Famed Physicians" below, Biǎn Què states it is "sweet but highly toxic," and Tóng Jūn states it is "toxic." This is a potent and drastic toxin-attacking substance — for academic study only.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, neutral.
Original Indications: Governs eye opacities, ghost affliction, insect toxins, abdominal pain, lower hemorrhage, the five urinary disorders, benefits the water passages; calcined use is superior. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: The cowrie shell governs eye opacities (membranes or opacities impairing vision), ghost affliction, insect toxins, abdominal pain, lower hemorrhage (blood per rectum or from the lower orifices), and the five urinary disorders (five types of urinary impairment); it can open the water passages. 🔥Calcination enhances its efficacy. It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Bèichǐ. Grows in the Eastern Sea.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, cold.
Original Indications: Governs the five urinary disorders, breaks urinary stones, induces abortion, resolves internal bound qi internally, benefits the water passages, and clears heat. One name is Shāshī. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: Shícán governs the five urinary disorders (five types of urinary obstruction), breaks urinary stones (urinary tract calculi), can induce abortion (the ancients believed its slippery, moving nature could cause miscarriage; modern usage strictly prohibits use in pregnant women), dissipates internal bound qi (stagnation of qi movement within the body), benefits the water passages, and clears heat pathogens. Also named Shāshī. It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Shāshī. Grows in the Jiang and Han river regions. It attaches to stones and grows, resembling an old silkworm in form.
Nature and Flavor: Sweet, neutral.
Original Indications: Governs infantile fright convulsions, chills and fever, bound qi, gu toxins, and ghost affliction. One name is Zàoshè. Grows in the branches of trees.
Paraphrase: Quèwèng governs infantile fright convulsions, chills and fever, bound qi (stagnation and obstruction of qi movement), gu toxins, and ghost affliction. Also named Zàoshè. It is the casing of the slug caterpillar moth (the pupal cocoon of the limacodid moth family) found among tree branches. Harvested in the eighth month, used after steaming.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, cold.
Original Indications: Governs infantile fright convulsions, spasms and twitching, abdominal distension, chills and fever, and manic disorders and frenzy in adults. One name is Jiéqiāng. Fire-calcined use is superior. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: The dung beetle governs infantile fright convulsions, spasms and twitching (contraction and cramping of sinews and vessels), abdominal distension, chills and fever, as well as manic disorders (conditions marked by mental derangement) and frenzied reversal (manic agitation and abnormal behavior) in adults. Also named Jiéqiāng. 🔥Prepared by fire-calcination, its efficacy is superior. It grows in ponds and marshes.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Tiāndù, one is Hēijiǎchóng. Collected on the fifth day of the fifth month, steamed for storage.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, cold.
Original Indications: Governs difficult labor, expels thorns embedded in flesh, bursts abscesses and swellings, dislodges choking and obstruction, resolves toxins, and eliminates vicious sores. Those emerging at night are superior. Grows in level marshland.
Paraphrase: The mole cricket governs difficult labor (complicated childbirth; the ancients believed its nature excels at boring through and opening passages), assists in expelling thorns from the flesh (forcing out embedded splinters), causes abscesses and swellings (superficial suppurations) to rupture, dislodges choking and obstruction (difficulty swallowing), resolves toxins, and eliminates vicious sores (recalcitrant ulcerative conditions). Specimens active at night possess superior medicinal properties. It grows in level marshland.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Huìgū, one is Tiānlóu, one is Zhìshǔ. Harvested at the summer solstice, dried in the sun.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, warm.
Original Indications: Governs large hard masses in the abdomen, breaks accumulations and conglomerations, polyps, vicious sores, and white scalp ringworm. One name is Bǎizú. Grows in mountain stream valleys.
Paraphrase: The millipede governs large hard masses (hard nodules and indurations) in the abdomen and accumulations and conglomerations (abdominal masses), can break up polyps, vicious sores (recalcitrant ulcerative conditions), and white scalp ringworm (tinea capitis with white scaling and hair loss). Also named Bǎizú. It grows in mountain valleys.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Mǎzhóu, one is Mǎxián. Grows in Yuántù. The ancients observed that when broken into two segments, it continues walking (“severed into two pieces, each segment moves onward”).
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, cold.
Original Indications: Governs ghost affliction, chills and fever, rat fistulas, vicious sores, dead flesh, breaks masses and conglomerations, and induces abortion. One name is Yuánqīng. Grows in mountain stream valleys.
Paraphrase: Dìdǎn governs ghost affliction, chills and fever, rat fistulas (tuberculous lymphadenitis breaking down into fistulas), vicious sores, and dead flesh (necrotic muscle tissue that has lost vitality); it breaks masses and conglomerations (abdominal masses) and can induce abortion (the ancients believed its drastic nature could cause miscarriage; modern usage strictly prohibits use in pregnant women). Also named Yuánqīng. It grows in mountain valleys.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Yuánqīng, one is Dùlóng, one is Qīnghóng. Grows in Wénshān. Harvested in the eighth month.
⚠️ Special Caution: Dìdǎn is highly toxic. The ancients held that "counterfeit specimens are transformed from blister beetles," belonging to the same drastic category as Mylabris. For academic study only; strictly prohibited for unsupervised use.
Nature and Flavor: Sour, warm.
Original Indications: Governs qi urinary obstruction, inability to urinate, menstrual closure in women, blood disorders, convulsions with spasms, chills and fever, and benefits the water passages. One name is Fùpán, one is Yíwēi. Grows in level valleys.
Paraphrase: The woodlouse governs qi urinary obstruction (difficulty urinating due to impaired qi movement), inability to urinate, menstrual closure (amenorrhea) in women, blood disorders (conditions of abnormal blood movement), convulsions with spasms (fright convulsions and twitching), and chills and fever; it opens the water passages. Also named Fùpán, one name Yíwēi. It grows in level valley terrain.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Wěishǔ, one is Yīwēi. It commonly inhabits the bases of earthen jars and beneath wall foundations. Collected on the fifth day of the fifth month.
Nature and Flavor: Acrid, slightly warm.
Original Indications: Governs brightening the eyes, infantile fire injuries and scalds, heat, qi, gu toxins, ghost affliction, and communicates with the spirit. One name is Yèguāng. Grows in ponds and marshes.
Paraphrase: The firefly governs brightening the eyes (improving visual acuity), infantile fire injuries and scalds (burns and scalds), heat and qi (heat conditions and disorders of qi movement), gu toxins, and ghost affliction; the ancients also believed it could communicate with the spirit (facilitate spiritual connection or lucidity). Also named Yèguāng. It grows in ponds, marshes, and terrace margins.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Yìyào, one is Jízhào, one is Fàngguāng, one is Yèzhào. Collected on the seventh day of the seventh month, dried in the shade. The ancients observed that "it flies at night with fire beneath its abdomen," referring to the bioluminescence of the firefly.
Nature and Flavor: Salty, warm, non-toxic.
Original Indications: Governs hernia masses in women, difficult urination, pediatric wind stroke, neck stiffness; rub it on the back to treat raised back. One name is Báiyú. Grows in level plains.
Paraphrase: The silverfish governs hernia masses in women (abdominal masses with pain and related conditions), difficult urination, pediatric wind stroke (external contraction of wind pathogen or fright-type convulsive conditions), and neck stiffness (rigidity and discomfort of the neck). Also named Báiyú. It thrives in level plains.
Variant Names Investigated: One name is Yín, one is Bǐngyú. It commonly inhabits clothing and books. Grows in Xiányáng.
I. "Lower Grade Is Mostly Toxic, Correcting Deviation with Partiality " — The Medicinal Use Philosophy
The Shennong Bencao Jing classifies medicinals into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. This chapter on lower-grade insects and fish epitomizes the ancients' understanding of the "lower grade": natures and flavors are predominantly biased (acrid-dispersing, salty-softening, cold-descending), medicinal power is potent and fierce, and most possess pathogen-attacking functions. The ancients held that such substances "chiefly treat diseases in correspondence with Earth," meaning they correspond to the "Earth" layer — that is, tangible pathogens (masses, stagnant blood, insect toxins, ulcerations, etc.) — and therefore excel at assaulting hard masses and breaking accumulations, driving blood stasis and opening menses, resolving toxins and killing parasites.
This "correcting deviation with partiality" philosophy is one of the theoretical origins of the modern Chinese medical attack-dispelling method (gōngxié fǎ). The later-developed insect-medicinal collateral-dredging method (chónglèi yào tōngluò fǎ) — using such substances as scorpion, centipede, and earthworm to treat recalcitrant bi pain and post-stroke sequelae — can trace its origins directly to this chapter.
II. "Supplementing Form with Form, Inferring Function from Nature" — The Mode of Thinking
The ancients observed the forms and habits of insects and mapped their characteristics onto medicinal effects:
Though such thinking derives from intuitive analogy, it reflects the down-to-earth empirical spirit of the ancients in distilling medicinal principles from natural phenomena.
III. The Pathogen-Attacking Logic of "Insect Toxins Attacking Insect Toxins, Using Toxicity to Subdue Toxicity"
The text extensively uses toxic insect and animal drugs (cantharides, meloidae, centipedes, leeches, etc.) to treat conditions that the ancients categorized as "gu毒" (poison-induced ailments), "鬼注" (ghost afflictions), and "虫毒" (worm toxins). This embodies a core logic: using potent substances to attack stubborn pathogens. The ancients believed that certain obstinate pathogenic factors (such as abdominal masses and gu poison) could not be eliminated by ordinary drugs, and thus required "toxic drugs" to "combat poison with poison."
IV. The drug-property pattern of "salty softening and pungent dispersing" in insect drugs
Among the eighteen drugs, those with a salty flavor are the most numerous (snake slough, earthworm, leech, cowrie shell, stone moth larva, dung beetle, mole cricket, millipede, silverfish, etc.). This highly aligns with the TCM theory that salty flavors can soften hardness and disperse nodules. Through empirical experience, the ancients discovered that most insect drugs can soften and dissipate internal hard masses (abdominal masses, accumulations, urinary stones), thereby summarizing the pattern that "salt enters the Kidney and softens hard accumulations."
Aspects that can be substantiated:
The blood-activating and stasis-dispelling effect of leeches: Modern pharmacological research has found that leeches contain hirudin, which has an anticoagulant effect that can inhibit thrombus formation and improve microcirculation. This substantiates, to some extent, the ancient understanding of "expelling stagnant and putrid blood." Modern extracts of leeches have been used in research on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but the methods and dosages are entirely different from ancient practice—these are modern preparations that are purified and strictly controlled, and absolutely not the direct use of live leeches.
The thrombolytic effect of earthworms (Di Long): Modern research has found that earthworms contain lumbrokinase, which has a thrombolytic effect. Although this does not exactly correspond to the ancient functions of "killing long worms" and "promoting diuresis," it suggests that insect drugs do indeed contain unique bioactive substances.
The mineral composition of cowrie shells: Shellfish shells contain calcium carbonate and trace elements. Their use after calcination for "cloudy vision" and "promoting diuresis" may be related to the effect of their alkaline components on the local environment, but the specific mechanisms lack modern research confirmation.
The active component of cantharides: Modern research has found that cantharides contain cantharidin, which has an inhibitory effect on certain tumor cells. However, cantharidin is extremely toxic (causing severe damage to the kidneys, digestive tract, etc.), and ancient collection and processing methods could not precisely control dosages—fatal cases were not uncommon. Even modern preparations containing this substance undergo strict extraction and dosage control, which is a completely different concept from the ancient direct use of cantharides.
Aspects that cannot be substantiated or should be viewed rationally:
Concepts such as "鬼注," "蛊毒," "通神" (communicating with spirits), and "杀鬼物老精" (killing ghosts and ancient spirits): These belong to the realm of the ancient concept of spirit-induced illness and lack modern scientific basis. They should be understood as the ancients' primitive descriptions of disease states that were "stubborn, difficult to treat, and of unknown cause," rather than literal references to ghosts and monsters.
Claims such as "taking it prevents febrile illness" and "kills beasts, birds, and rats": These lack scientific evidence and represent unreliable inferences from the ancients' empirical summaries.
The thinking of "treating like with like" (based on physical resemblance): For example, the mole cricket excels at burrowing in earth and can therefore "expel needles," or the millipede can still move after being broken and can therefore "mend fractures." This kind of intuitive analogy has some historical value for inspiration, but lacks direct support from modern pharmacology.
Many insect drugs have not undergone adequate modern research: The pharmacological activities of the razor clam, praying mantis egg case, firefly, silverfish, and sow bug have been studied very little to date, and their safety data is essentially non-existent.
Respect nature, but do not blindly believe in "combating poison with poison": The ancients' experience with insect drugs tells us that organisms in nature contain diverse bioactive substances, but the stronger the activity, the higher the risk. In daily life, one should not imitate the ancients by using such insects for self-care.
The awareness of preventing parasites through "illness enters through the mouth": The text frequently mentions "three worms," "long worms," and "worm toxins," reflecting the ancients' emphasis on parasitic diseases. In modern life, paying attention to food hygiene, not drinking untreated water, and thoroughly cleaning raw foods are universal health lessons derived from the "harm of worms."
The modern transformation of the "unblocking and promoting flow" philosophy: Most insect drugs are categorized as promoting "diuresis and water passage" or "breaking stasis and expelling blood." The health philosophy behind this is: maintaining a state of "flow" within the body—moderate exercise, avoiding prolonged sitting, and adequate fluid intake—is the modern person's reasonable inheritance of the concept of "keeping the waterways unblocked."
Observe nature and respect life: The ancients inferred drug properties through meticulous observation of insect habits. This attitude of staying close to nature and seeking knowledge through investigation is worthy of inheritance. However, modern people should use more scientific methods and tools rather than reverting to ancient usage practices.
| Concept | Brief Explanation |
|---|---|
| Lower Grade (下品) | One of the three-grade classifications of drugs in the Shennong Bencao Jing, mostly with pathogen-attacking effects and intense natures; the ancients believed these should not be taken long-term |
| Zheng Jia accumulation (癥瘕积聚) | A general term for abdominal masses; Zheng refers to fixed, tangible masses, Jia refers to masses that gather and disperse, while accumulation generally refers to lumps formed by qi and blood stasis |
| Five Types of Urinary Difficulty (五癃) | A collective term for five types of difficult urination disorders; specific details vary but are mostly related to strangury syndromes |
| Stony Strangury (石淋) | A condition involving urinary tract stones, manifested as difficult, painful urination or sand-like stones in the urine |
| Amenorrhea (月闭) | Absence of menstruation; the ancients believed blood stasis, cold congelation, and qi stagnation could all cause it |
| Ghost Affliction (鬼注) | An ancient disease name referring to a stubborn pathogen that lies deep in the body, recurs intermittently, and migrates unpredictably; some scholars associate it with chronic wasting infectious diseases such as tuberculosis |
| Gu Poison (蛊毒) | An ancient disease name referring to conditions caused by "Gu" (a legendary poison or parasite); ancients explained it either as insect/worm toxicity or through mystical factors—fundamentally, it is a primitive understanding of certain stubborn poisoning or infectious diseases |
| Three Worms / Long Worms (三虫/长虫) | General terms for internal parasites; "long worms" specifically refers to elongated parasites such as roundworms |
| Rat Fistula (鼠瘘) | A fistula formed after tuberculous lymph node suppuration in the neck or armpits, named for its resemblance to rat burrows |
| Chi Zong (瘛疭) | A convulsive state alternating between muscular contraction and relaxation; refers to fright-induced convulsions |
| Salt Softens Hardness (咸能软坚) | One of the drug-property theories in Chinese medicine, holding that salty-flavored drugs can soften and dissipate hard internal masses |
This content is based on classic ancient Chinese medical texts and is provided solely for the study of traditional culture. It does not constitute any form of medical diagnosis, medication advice, or treatment recommendation. If you feel unwell, please seek medical attention promptly.