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Bitter, salty, cold, with slight toxicity. It is formed from the residual qi of bamboo; those with black skin and white flesh are of good quality. For medicinal use, it must be soaked; those that are red-black are poisonous and can cause death.

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) states that it kills three types of parasites (roundworms, pinworms, and tapeworms), expels toxic heat in the stomach, benefits men but does not benefit women.

[Invention] Leiwuan (Omphalia lapidescens) specializes in killing parasites. Yang De suffered from a strange illness; whenever he spoke during an attack, there was a faint sound in his abdomen that gradually grew louder. A Daoist priest said, "This is the Echoing Worm." He advised reading through the *Bencao* (Materia Medica) to find a herb name that elicited no response from the worm, and using that for treatment. When reading "Leiwuan," the worm did not respond, so he immediately took several pills and was cured. This is evidence of its ability to drive out worms and eliminate accumulation. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* claims it "benefits men," while the *Bielu* (Additional Records by Masters of Medicine) states that long-term use causes impotence. These seem contradictory, but they are not. "Benefit" here refers to draining and purging. If draining and purging are excessive, the function of closure and storage fails, leading to impotence. In *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), used for pediatric typhoid fever where children cannot take medicine, it is frequently included in formulas to leverage its ability to expel toxic heat.

Sweet, neutral, non-toxic.

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats lower back pain, stiffness in the back of children, carbuncles and swellings, plumps the skin, strengthens hair and teeth, promotes the growth of beard and eyebrows, and calms the fetus.

[Invention] Sangjisheng (Taxillus chinensis) grows by absorbing the residual qi of the mulberry tree. Its nature specializes in dispelling wind, driving out dampness, and regulating blood vessels. Therefore, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* uses it to treat women's lower back pain and children's back stiffness. Once the blood vessels are regulated, the skin, eyebrows, and hair all benefit from its influence; even if carbuncles and swellings exist, they will dissipate. Ancient sages used analogical reasoning based on observed phenomena. Because it resides on trees like banyan or mulberry, similar to how a fetus receives qi from the mother, it is considered a sacred herb for calming the fetus. The *Bielu* mentions it removes metrorrhagia and postpartum residual diseases in women, which is also a verification of its effects in dispelling wind, removing dampness, benefiting blood, and nourishing yin. It is only found in regions like Xishu and Nanyue where silkworms are not raised, so genuine specimens are extremely rare. Nowadays, banyan branches are often used as fakes. Do not misuse them; genuine Sangjisheng is very difficult to obtain. Thus, ancient formulas state: "If Sangjisheng is unavailable, substitute with Xu Duan (Dipsacus)." From this, one can infer its functions.

Bitter, sweet, neutral, non-toxic.

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states it treats evil qi arising from liver anger, stops spontaneous sweating and cephalalgia due to wind, and addresses cold swelling and pain in the female genitals.

[Invention] Songluo (Usnea diffracta) is a lichen growing on pine trees, also known as Tusi. It can pacify liver anger and remove cold-heat evil qi. Its ability to remove cephalalgia due to wind and stop spontaneous sweating stems from its nature being light and clear, connecting with heaven ("Those originating from heaven are close to above"). The *Bielu* records it treating phlegm-heat warm malaria. It can serve as an emetic decoction to promote urination. Therefore, in *Zhouhou Beiji Fang* (Emergency Prescriptions Kept Up One's Sleeve), it is macerated in wine overnight together with Gualou (Trichosanthes fruit) and Du Heng (Asarum), and one he (a unit of volume) is drunk to induce vomiting, thereby extracting phlegm-heat and cephalalgia from the chest. In *Qianjin Fang*, it is decocted with water and wine together with Gualou, Hengshan (Halloysia), and Gancao (Licorice) to extract phlegm-stagnation from the chest and diaphragm. Because its nature is light, clear, and directs upward to induce vomiting, it is used in emetic prescriptions.