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Crucian carp (Cyprinus carpio) is born from the Qi of Earth, with a sweet and neutral taste and warm nature, non-toxic. Because it belongs to Earth and has a warm nature, it can treat both internal diseases of the stomach and intestines and external diseases of muscles and flesh, making it essential for tonifying the Middle Jiao and benefiting Qi. Most fish belong to Fire, but only crucian carp belongs to Earth. To treat intestinal wind bleeding (hematochezia), take one large live crucian carp, remove the entrails but keep the scales, fill it with powder of Galla Chinensis (Wubeizi), seal tightly with mud, calcine until the original properties are retained (Cun Xing), grind into powder, and take 1 qian with wine. Another method adds 2 qian of Alum (Baifan) powder inside, wraps it externally with Si (a plant material), then wraps it in paper, roasts until Cun Xing, grinds into powder, takes 2 qian each time with rice water. To treat diaphragm qi and vomiting food, take a large crucian carp, remove entrails keep scales, cut into large pieces and store tightly, take 30 pills each time with rice water.

Liyu, commonly known as snakehead fish (Channa argus), also called Seven-Star Fish, has seven spots on its head and faces the Big Dipper at night. Daoists call it "Shui Yan Yan" (Water Repelling Goose); Heavenly Goose corresponds to Heaven, Dog corresponds to Earth. The *Health Song* states: "Goose flocks have pavilions, dogs have righteousness, black fish bows north, knowing the etiquette of subjects." If one lacks ritual and righteousness, and eats it instead, Heaven, Earth, and spirits will not approve. Liyu inherits the essence of Northern Dark Water and obtains the Yin Earth Qi of the Center, so it is black in color, sweet in taste, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It is a key herb for benefiting the spleen and removing dampness/water. It mainly treats damp bi syndrome, facial and ocular edema, severe water retention disease, five types of hemorrhoids, Hong Kong foot (podagra/foot swelling), wind pathogens, obstruction of urination and defecation, and pregnancy-related water qi, utilizing its functions of draining dampness, promoting urination, and strengthening the spleen. Generally, when Spleen Earth is deficient, water overflows; when Spleen Earth is firm, water follows normal pathways. Medications treating edema either focus solely on draining water or solely on tonifying the spleen, each having distinct properties. Only Liyu, being black like water, follows its kind to guide the overflowing water flow; its sweet taste transforms into Earth, replenishing deficiencies. By expelling the excessive nature of water and combining tonification and purgation, it effectively treats water-dampness, bi syndrome, and swelling. Five types of hemorrhoids are also generated by damp-heat; when water is removed, damp-heat is eliminated, and hemorrhoids heal. Boiling with Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu), Poria (Fuling), Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Jupi), and Zingiberis Recensis Peridermis (Jiangpi) is effective for reducing edema. Eating it with garlic helps drain dampness and promote urination, treating ten types of water qi diseases. For the "Dying Method": boil a one-jin Liyu, mix with winter melon and scallion white to make soup. For impending death from throat obstruction (Hou Bi), drip a small amount of Liyu gallbladder juice; if severe, dilute with water and administer. All fish gallbladders are bitter, but this one is sweet and edible, which is unique.

Shanyu obtains Yang Qi from Earth, so it is sweet and very warm. With both sweet and warm properties, it tonifies the Middle and benefits blood. Sweet and warm can unblock and tonify; thus, it is unsuitable for deficiency-heat conditions. Consuming it after an epidemic disease may cause recurrence; excessive consumption aids wind pathogens, leading to cholera-like symptoms. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) inherits extreme Yin Qi, hence it has 36 scales. Extreme Yin leads to Yang recovery, so the *Su Wen* states that fish causes heat in the middle. Although its taste is sweet and neutral, since Six Yins are exhausted and Yang is just beginning to grow, excessive consumption can stir wind and cause fever. Sweetness can moderate, so it treats cough and rebellious Qi, stops thirst. Containing Yang within Yin, it follows its kind to guide, thus promoting urination and resolving jaundice, edema, and Hong Kong foot. He Jian said: Carp treats water disorders through resonance of Qi. Thus, the *Waitai Miyao* treats edema using one large carp, one sheng of Adzuki beans (Xiaodoudou), two dou of water, boiled down to three sheng, filtered, taken all at once. This induces diarrhea; once finished, the patient recovers. It is also effective for pregnancy edema. Patients with wind-heat, post-epidemic conditions, or dysentery with retained food should avoid eating it. Do not consume with Asparagi Radix (Tianmendong), Cinnabar (Zhusha), dog meat, or Malva verticillata (Kuicai). When roasting carp, avoid smoke entering the eyes, as it damages vision. Fish scales obtain Yang Qi from water, while carp scales specifically inherit the number of generating Yang from extreme Yin. Their function enters the blood to disperse stagnation. Entering blood is the use of Yin; dispersing stagnation is the use of Yang. Therefore, they treat postpartum abdominal pain, Qi and blood disharmony, such as blood confusion/fainting, continuous lochia, umbilical and abdominal pain, and metrorrhagia with excessive bleeding. Burn carp scales to ash (Cun Xing) and add to decoctions. Treatment follows this principle. Gallbladders rely on bitter-cold properties for eye applications to remove obstructions.

Cuttlefish bone (Hai Piaoxiao), also known as Sepiae Endoconcha, obtains Yang Qi from water. Salty, slightly warm, non-toxic, enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian and Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Jueyin stores blood, so entering the Liver treats metrorrhagia/metrostaxis, red/white leukorrhea, blood obstruction with chills/fever, masses (Jia/Ji), blood dryness without pregnancy, fright Qi entering the abdomen, and periumbilical pain. Shaoyin stores essence, the hidden place. Salty-warm enters the Kidney, treating cold swelling of the vagina, erosion/swelling, essence depletion without offspring, ulcers with pus, and chronic non-healing wounds. It is a key medicine for Liver-Kidney essence and blood. The *Nei Jing* also uses it as a primary agent for blood dryness. For red/white corneal opacities, use 1 liang of Hai Piaoxiao, peel, grind, add a little Borneol (Pian Nao), apply to eyes. For ear canal suppuration, use 0.5 qian Hai Piaoxiao, 1 zi Moschus (Shexiang), grind, squeeze cold liquid with cotton stick, blow into ears. For infant umbilical ulcers with bleeding/pus, use dried Hai Piaoxiao and Chinese Rosin (Yanzhi) ground, apply with oil. For swollen tongue with bleeding, equal parts fried Hai Piaoxiao and Polygoni Multiflori Caulis (Puhuang), grind and apply. These are external treatments.

Eel (Manluyu) obtains Yin Qi from Earth, sweet and cold, snake-like, often sharing burrows with water snakes, thus slightly toxic. Sweet-cold and likes insects, treats bone-steaming consumptive disease, reverses five hemorrhoids/fistulas, vulvar erosive sores, damp-bi, wind pruritus. Frequent consumption causes great heat. Burning smoke repels mosquitoes/midges; smoking bamboo/wood prevents woodworms; placing bones in chests prevents silverfish. Proves insecticidal efficacy. Those swimming with heads up, weighing 3-4 jin, with black spots on belly and white spots on back are toxic and inedible. Pregnant women should avoid it to prevent fetal illness; those with weak spleen/stomach prone to diarrhea should avoid it due to cold/slippery nature. Green fish (Qingyu) gallbladder is green like Wood, Wood Qi connects to Liver, Liver opens to eyes, so it treats dim vision. Bitter-cold cools blood heat, treats malignant sores, blows for throat obstruction. For red eyes/opacities, boil Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian) into paste, mix with green fish gallbladder, add Borneol, seal with honey, apply daily. Pill for all opacities: Green fish gall, common carp gall, sheep gall, ox gall (each 0.5 liang), bear gall (2 qian), Borneol (small amount), Halitum (Shijueming, 1 liang), grind, honey pills, 10 pills empty stomach with tea. For tonsillitis/throat obstruction, dry Qingyu gall with Vitriolum Cupri (Danfan), blow small amount into throat to induce vomiting, cures.

Stone-head fish (Shishouyu) obtains Qi of sea water and earth, sweet, neutral, non-toxic. Stomach belongs to Earth, sweet transforms to Earth, so it opens appetite, increases food intake, nourishes five Zang organs, benefiting Qi. Dried as "Xiang", its nature is dispersing/unblocking, enters stomach/intestines, broadens middle, digests food, stops pain. Stone in head is heavy and descending, treats stone strangury, or grind stone to eat/burn to ash. For dysentery/abdominal pain and gastrointestinal diseases, oily/fishy foods are taboo, except white Xiang. Xiang drinks salt water, neutral/non-hot, no fishy/greasy odor, avoids heat-in-middle, promotes digestion, strengthens spleen, solidifies intestines. Sea bass (Luyu) is best in autumn, obtaining clear Qi from water. Sweet/light, neutral, suitable for spleen/stomach. Tonifies five Zang, benefits sinews/bones, harmonizes stomach/intestines, treats water qi. Kidney governs bones, Liver governs sinews. Taste is Yin, returns to Zang, combines Yin Qi of Liver/Kidney, benefits sinews/bones/spleen/stomach. Illness nourishes five Zang, improves weakness. Weak spleen causes water overflow; strengthening spleen/stomach removes symptoms. Mandarinfish (Guiyu) gall causes dampness release, but treats fishbone/choking, bamboo/wood splinters swallowed in throat/abdomen causing dull pain. Looks like sea bass.

Crucian carp, sweet/warm, Earth element, over half jin is good. Taboo with Tianmendong, mustard greens, sugar, pheasant, chicken, deer meat, pig liver. Avoid head in Feb/Mar. Fry with lard. Effective for large intestine abscess. Burned with sauce, removes bad sores. Made into soup, treats weak stomach/inability to eat, harmonizes middle, tonifies deficiency. Mixed with yeast, treats intestinal dysentery/digestive imbalance, stops diarrhea/appetite. Salt-burned powder stuffed in teeth treats toothache. Alum-filled burned ash astringes intestinal wind/blood dysentery. Head powder treats cough/rebellious Qi. Paste/ash applies to sores. Eggs benefit Liver/harmonize middle. Taboo with pork. Overall Earth/warm, treats emaciation/nourishes five Zang, warms middle/descends Qi, benefits spleen/stomach. Carp reduces edema/Hong Kong foot/descends Qi, good for abdominal distension, treats pregnancy edema/calms fetus, excellent for jaundice/thirst. Drives cold qi/masses, horizontal/Fuliang masses, stops dysentery/blood. Cough/wheezing, taboo after epidemics, taboo if food retention in abdomen. Gall is cold/bitter, treats eye diseases, reduces redness/blindness, drops for deafness, applies to sores. Eel taboo: head-up swimmers are highly toxic. Treats killing insects, suppressing herbal/mineral poison, harmonizing five Zang. Removes five hemorrhoids/fistulas/sores, skin wind-rash/itching like bug crawling, drives lumbar/back wind-dampness like water washing, male bone-steaming TB, chronic Hong Kong foot, female genital insect sores, continuous metrorrhagia. Most effective in excess. Bones smoked kill woodworms/mosquitoes/silverfish. Pufferfish meat is delicacy, liver/eggs extremely toxic, must be properly cooked, otherwise poisoning. Treats waist/legs, removes childhood malnutrition, kills insects, tonifies emaciation, drains dampness/reduces swelling. Porpoise fat lights lamps bright for gambling, dim for reading/spinning, folklore says suppressed by women. Eel very warm, catch on Dragon Boat Festival, treats pre-natal diseases, tonifies middle/benefits Qi, disperses warm Qi, removes fox odor. Poison treated by crab. Mackerel treats Hong Kong foot verified, removes damp-bi effective, gall drops cure eye pain, dried/swallowed cures throat obstruction. Occipital bone treats heart/abdominal pain, collected for eyes, enables night vision. Sea bass harmonizes stomach/intestines, benefits Kidney bones/Liver sinews. Shad tonifies deficiency/labor, triggers childhood malnutrition/chronic disease. Sturgeon triggers drug poison, not beneficial. Adults eating causes sudden abdominal pain, children eating triggers masses/cough. Alchemical pill users eating causes blood heat/sores, cooking with bamboo shoots causes paralysis/wind. Cuttlefish meat benefits Qi/strengthens will, unblocks amenorrhea, treats blood dryness. Bone named Hai Piaoxiao, treats hematemesis/hematochezia, chronic deficiency/dysentery, female leukorrhea, red/white discharge. Blood obstruction/vulvar swelling, treats female chills/fever/masses, fright Qi in navel, periumbilical pain, blood dryness/no pregnancy, eye floaters/opacities, surgical wound pus absorption, scrotal dampness dusting, deafness blowing cure. Black substance in abdomen, strong vinegar rub, worm heart pain, instant cure. Writing contract briefly discussed, passing year completely gone.