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This is the clam (Huage). They all have patterns on their shells, having received the qi of yin water. Their taste is salty, nature is neutral, and they are non-toxic. Salty flavor can dissipate stagnant qi, treating cough with reverse flow of qi, chest bi syndrome, lower back pain, hypochondriac tension, ulcerating sores, hemorrhoids, and metrorrhagia or leukorrhea. These conditions are all caused by blood heat; since salty and neutral substances enter the blood level to clear heat, this herb is indicated for them. Furthermore, it stops irritability and thirst, transforms phlegm, and promotes urination, which are all results of its ability to soften hardness, dissipate nodules, and moisten the intestines to promote downward movement.

Wenge refers to fresh clam shells that have not yet decayed, which can be collected along the east coast of the sea. It promotes diuresis, descends phlegm, drives away hypochondriac tension and lower back pain, eliminates throat cough and rib bi syndrome, astringes to treat metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, reduces scrofula (lymphatic tuberculosis) and hemorrhoids, treats gan gangrene (a severe necrotic disease of the mouth and jaw), and addresses critical cases of erosion of the mouth and nose. When mixed with lard from the twelfth lunar month and made into an ointment for application, it treats hernia pulling pain in the small intestine; when mixed with Cyperi Rhizoma powder and ginger juice and swallowed, it is also effective.

Haige consists of decayed shells mixed with sand and mud. It should be calcined and ground into powder. It benefits the bladder and both large and small intestines, reduces edema and distension, descends rebellious and obstructive pathogenic qi in the chest and hypochondrium, calms wheezing and cough with phlegm, strengthens flaccidity of the penis, and relieves throat thirst.

Hah receives the yang qi of water. Its taste is sweet, nature is warm, and it is non-toxic. Sweet and warm properties tonify qi and supplement the middle jiao, thereby calming the five zang organs. If stomach qi is deficient, wind-cold in the heart, abdomen, lower back, and spine will all heal. It calms the stomach and strengthens the liver, promoting digestion; when the viscera are warm, yang qi arises naturally; when qi is abundant, blood becomes lustrous. The shell tastes salty, enters the blood level, and softens hardness, thus treating abdominal masses formed by cold qi and blood stasis. Zhu Danxi used it to eliminate blood clots and transform phlegm accumulations, referring to this property. Nowadays, people often pickle its meat as an accompaniment to wine.

Walongzi is the shell of Hah. It eliminates blood masses and abdominal masses in women, and expels phlegm stasis and accumulations in men. Its meat awakens the spirit and resolves alcohol intoxication. It primarily treats cold pain in the heart and abdomen, cures wind-cold in the lower back and spine, benefits the five zang organs, promotes appetite, supplements middle qi, warms the viscera and raises yang, tonifies qi to preserve youthfulness, strengthens the stomach, and aids digestion.

Beizi releases the muscle layer, dissipates nodular heat, promotes diuresis to reduce edema, and removes red eyes and unceasing formation of corneal opacities in men and women; applying it to the eye brings immediate cure. Applying it to children with malnutrition causing erosion and incessant vomiting of milk, or administering it internally, brings immediate peace. It effectively expels guizhu (contagious consumption/tuberculosis) and resolves gu poison.

Produced in rice paddies, it inherits the clear qi of earth and water, so its juice is very cold, sweet in taste, and non-toxic. By placing Polaria Concha powder and Coptidis Rhizoma powder inside for a long time and extracting the juice to apply to the eyes, it has miraculous effects for eye pain, because cold nature clears heat. It resolves all excess heat, thus stopping thirst, resolving alcohol intoxication, and treating jin kou li ji (dysentery with inability to eat). Using two live large field snails, crushing them, adding 3 fen of Moschus, forming them into cakes, heating them, and applying them to the umbilicus for half a day allows the hot qi to descend, and the patient will desire food. It also treats urinary retention and abdominal distension like a drum: take two field snails, half tael of salt, crush them raw, and apply to one inch and three fen below the umbilicus, and urination will immediately flow.

Field snail meat. It promotes urination and defecation, rapidly eliminates edema, removes heat from the viscera, and excellently counteracts the side effects of mineral drugs. It still treats ascending jiaoxie (beriberi), acute hardness of the lower abdomen, drives upward congestion of liver heat causing red and painful eyes. It has remarkable efficacy in resolving alcohol intoxication and immediate effect in stopping thirst. Crushed shells treat regurgitation and stomach cold, astringe to stop seminal emission and spermatorrhea, and sudden violent heart pain; taking them as powder boiled in water eliminates these conditions.

Additionally, the juice of the large sea snail also brightens the eyes.