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Centipede, also known as Langqu. It is born from the qi of Fire and Metal, has a pungent taste and warm nature, is toxic, belongs to the category of earthy poisonous insects, and is a medicine for the Foot Jueyin Meridian.

It is capable of subduing snakes; upon seeing large snakes, it climbs up and eats their brains. *Huainanzi* states: "The Tengshe snake rides the mist but is endangered by the Langqu." Therefore, centipede treats poisoning from various snakes, insects, and fish, and eliminates the Three Parasites (intestinal parasites) and Gu poison. Its nature is adept at penetrating and moving, dispelling evil influences, thus treating Gui Zhu (diseases caused by malevolent spirits), and can also treat epidemics and drive away evil spirits and ancient essences. Pungency disperses nodules, warmth promotes circulation, so it treats accumulations in the heart and intestines due to cold-heat, induces abortion, and expels evil blood. Currently, it is used to treat pediatric convulsions, wind spasms, umbilical tetanus, trismus, scrofula, perianal abscesses, hemorrhoids, and fistulas, utilizing its ability to attack poison with poison and disperse nodules while warming and promoting flow.

Centipede consumes the malicious toxins of snakes, vipers, insects, and fish, kills evil spirits, Gu poison, Zhu essence, and pathogens, removes blood stasis, induces abortion, drives out accumulations and Yin malaria, eliminates the Three Parasites, expels toxins, and treats cold-heat in the heart and abdomen. If poisoned, applying chicken manure or slime from slugs/snails can detoxify.

Indications (referencing *Dou Zhen He Can*): Treats pox eruption attacking the skin, removes abdominal pain within the Five Viscera. Remove head and feet, roast before use.

Toad and Bufo are originally two different entities. The *Classic* states: "One is called Toad," likely because ancients generally referred to Toads as Hama. Although the text names it Hama, the actual medicinal part is the Toad. Hama inherits the refined qi of Earth and Metal, corresponds to the moon's essence, possesses spiritual properties, has a pungent taste and cold nature. Its major toxicity lies in the juice from the skin on the brow ridge, which is Chan Su (toad venom). It treats carbuncles, yin sores, yin erosion ulcers, malignant sores, and dog bite wounds, as various heat toxins harm the muscles; this pungent-cold herb dissipates heat and detoxifies. Its nature is urgent, using poison to attack poison allows toxins to be easily resolved from the muscles, clearing various symptoms. For epidemic pathogens, sweating resolves them; Chan Chu has a strong pungent taste and promotes sweating. Pungency disperses toxins, coldness clears heat, thus allowing pathogens to scatter without lingering, calming Stomach Qi and retreating febrile diseases. Breaking up hard blood stasis is also due to its pungent-cold nature, which disperses blood heat stagnation. Overall, it dissipates all wind-fire郁结 (stagnation) causing severe heat swelling, making it a divine herb for extracting toxin from carbuncles. However, it is toxic and should not be used in large amounts. When included in diaphoretic and detoxifying formulas, the dose is no more than 3 li. Do not use alone; it must be combined with realgar, alum, frankincense, myrrh, etc. Since the dose is small, it causes no harm. External use is highly effective without worry, but if the sore is already ulcerated and in the stage of generating flesh, it causes extreme pain, which must be noted. In the past, someone used Chan Su to strengthen teeth, accidentally swallowed it, and died from swelling of the head and eyes. Dog bites cause swelling everywhere, indicating its toxicity. Do not take alone or in excess. For pediatric malnutrition (Gan syndrome), dried Toad is used, not the brow venom. The head and feet must be removed, and the intestinal contents roasted yellow with sheep fat for use, taking advantage of its ability to enter the Yangming Meridian to eliminate accumulation and stagnation, kill Gu, and clear heat, rather than relying on the venom's power. Toad fat marks stone like wax, hence said to fuse stones. For deep-seated bone abscesses that do not heal, with persistent pus or bone protruding, use one large toad, a chicken-egg-sized amount of tangled hair, and four taels of lard. Boil until charred, strain, and let congeal into ointment. First wash with decoction of mulberry root bark and aconite, dry, sprinkle dragon bone powder around the edges, then apply the ointment. For back carbuncles starting severely, split a live toad, place it belly-up hot on the sore; it will soon become foul-smelling, change 3-4 times to cure. For rabid dog bites, use the hind legs of the toad, mash and take with water. Pull three or four bloody hairs from the vertex; foam will appear in urine. For carbuncle pills, mix with cinnabar, borneol, real orco, alum, white silkworm, musk, and beeswax, form pills size of sesame seeds, swallow with green onion head and white wine to induce sweat; 2-3 small pills suffice to extract the carbuncle core. Toad venom mixed with flour and red lead forms pills size of wheat grains, insert into punctured sore, cover with clarified ointment. For all sores, mix one qian of toad, two qian of flour, and a little cinnabar with well water into wheat-sized pellets. Take one pellet with green onion soup to sweat and cure. For urgent cases, use 3-4 pellets. For early-stage carbuncles, back infections, or unknown swellings, quickly take 3-5 fen of toad, one piece of Guang gelatin, and 1-2 bowls of rice vinegar. Melt over fire, dip brush, and apply hot around the sore continuously until dispersed.

Toads resemble frogs but are fatter and move very slowly. Roasted and powdered, taken with water, they treat infantile diarrhea and dysentery; fresh mashed toads treat adult trauma from falls. Burned to ash mixed with pig fat treats fungal skin infections; juice mixed with well water treats epidemic rashes. Roasted and eaten, it kills Gan-induced masses; made into sashimi, it drives madness from dog bites; it resolves rat-bite sores spontaneously. The white juice between the brows is named Chan Su (Toad Venom); added to ointments and powders, it removes toxins miraculously, treating back carbuncles, five types of Gan wasting, stopping toothache instantly, aiding sexual techniques, and having life-saving effects in surgery, though light use can rot muscle tissue. Another type of frog has a large belly and small body, moves quickly, eats hundreds of insects, treats pathogenic factors, breaks hard blood, resolves knot-heat, applies to carbuncles, and regulates Gan accumulation. Another type, Water Chicken, tastes best, regulates Gan emaciation, tonifies deficiency, especially suitable for postpartum women, knowledge essential for gynecology. Tadpoles, offspring of frogs, mixed with mulberries dye hair black permanently; mashed, they treat burns without scarring.

Indications (referencing *Dou Zhen He Can*): Chan Su treats pox detoxification, erupts toxins, points at carbuncles, and is the holy medicine for extracting toxins.