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[Shennong Ben Cao Jing - Upper Grade]
When form is obliterated, it returns to stillness; when spirit reaches the utmost, it becomes alert. This speaks of the ability of vital energy (Sheng Qi) to connect with Heavenly Qi. The twenty-four solar terms constitute its rhythmic nodes. The seventy-two pentads correspond to its climatic phases.

[Flavor and Nature] Salty, cold, non-toxic.

[Indications] Primarily treats brightening the eyes, replenishing Qi, raising Yin (elevating Yang energy), eliminating stagnant blood flowing downward, warding off gu poison, evil spirits, and inauspicious signs, and preventing nightmares during sleep.

[Commentary] Says: It originates from Shicheng and the valleys of Huayin. Currently, it is produced in Jianping, Yidu, various barbarian mountain regions, and the Western Regions. Its shape resembles that of a sheep, with coarse blue-green hair. At night, it roosts alone, hanging its horns on trees to avoid harm. Those with two horns are common; those with one horn are superior. Its horns have segments, tightly coiled in circular patterns. Authentic specimens are identified by deep, sharp, tight, and small horn curves with visible hang marks. For processing, do not use goat horns. Goat horns have segments on only one side, and the segments are sparse. Antelope horns possess twenty-four segments; those with a naturally formed wooden core within are considered to possess spiritual efficacy. When used, they must not be used singly but should be kept as intact paired horns, bound with rope, ground into fine powder using an iron file, wrapped densely layer by layer to avoid wind exposure, taken out as needed, pounded and sifted into extremely fine powder, then ground ten thousand times more. This prevents irritation to the human intestines when administered medicinally.

[Commentary] Says: The antelope hangs its horns to conceal its form, making it the most spiritually agile of beasts. Its nature is benevolent and it does not enjoy fighting; even when provoked falsely, it goes to resolve the conflict, which leads to its capture. Because it sacrifices itself to benefit others, its horns are highly efficacious, capable of warding off inauspiciousness and treating restlessness in sleep, embodying the principle of "stillness yielding alertness." The horn segments align with the twenty-four Qi phases, and those with a wooden core resemble the transition from Jia Wood to Yi Wood, raising Yin Qi to transform and generate Yang Qi, thus replenishing Qi. In this way, stagnant blood is naturally eliminated, downward flow resolves from above, reaching the liver orifice, thereby clearing eye disorders. Warding off gu poison and evil spirits is essentially transforming and generating Yang Qi to dispel inauspiciousness.

[Shennong Ben Cao Jing - Middle Grade]
[Flavor and Nature] Salty, sweet, cold, non-toxic.

[Indications] Primarily treats pediatric convulsions and epilepsy, nocturnal crying, manic psychosis, and alternating chills and fever.

[Commentary] Says: It begins to grow in summer, undergoing transformation from the abdomen of the cockchafer larva (Qicao). It emerges from the soil at dusk or night, splitting open its back shell. Some are generated through the transformation of dung beetles rolling balls. They are large and black, with square heads and broad foreheads, two wings, six legs, and produce sound via their thorax. They absorb wind and drink dew, excrete urine but no feces, and die after thirty days. Ancient people often consumed them, catching them at night with fire, calling them "Yao Chan" (shining cicadas). Ancients used the whole insect body, while moderns use the exuviae (shed skin). Generally, for internal organ and meridian conditions, the body is used; for skin conditions, the exuviae are used.

Mr. Miu Zhongchun stated: The grasshopper cicada inherits the essence of earth and water, and the qi of wind and dew, forming its shape. Its clear and resonant cry allows it to produce sound; its light and floating body enables it to erupt sores and rashes; its sweet and cold flavor clears wind-heat; its nature of molting allows it to remove ocular nebulae and treat difficult childbirth in women.

[Commentary] Says: The grasshopper cicada is the "Tiao" that begins to cry at the Summer Solstice. *Lunheng* states: The cockchafer larva moves backward and transforms into the fu chu (a type of caterpillar); the fu chu develops in the abdomen; when the fu chu's back splits, it transforms into the dark cicada, then into Li Ying, abandoning filth for purity. *Huainanzi* states: It has no mouth yet cries, using its thorax to make sound, drinking but not eating, subsisting on breath. It completes transformation in thirty days, symbolizing the movement from back to belly, from crawling to splitting, representing the circulation from the Du Meridian to the Ren Meridian, following the Ren to meet the Du. The thirty-day cycle mirrors the Wei Qi descending one segment daily, completing the Du Meridian in twenty-one days and ascending to complete the Ren Meridian in nine days. This monthly cycle of transformation is like the lunar evaporation and change; evaporation leads to change, and change leads to transformation. Having no mouth and not eating also reflects the pathway of circulating the Du and Ren meridians. Therefore, it treats pediatric conditions where the child cannot undergo normal evaporation and transformation, leading to internal rebellion manifesting as convulsions, epilepsy, and alternating chills and fever, as well as nocturnal crying instead of daytime crying, all of which are syndromes of inverted Yin in the Zang organs. The process of rolling balls, back splitting, transforming into the dark cicada, circulating the Ren and Du meridians, and undergoing evaporation and change makes this meaning even clearer. The exuviae treat difficult childbirth, taking advantage of the ease of shedding the shell and changing form.

(Through a tiny creature, profound principles are embodied. To judge based on size or nobility is to be limited by narrow knowledge. Observing the Buddhist interpretation that the dung beetle is equivalent to the Buddha in six stages, because its nature is identical to the Three Times Buddhas without any increase or decrease, the analogy of its form to the Ren and Du meridians, and the Wei Qi traversing the Du Meridian twenty-one times and the Ren Meridian nine times, completing a monthly cycle, accumulating numbers to trigger evaporation and transformation, closely mirroring the human body, is not strange. From this, we can deduce the reasons why, upon completing the full cycle of evaporation and transformation, females at age fourteen (two sevens) and males at age sixteen (two eights) experience overflow of essence and semen, and menstruation occurs regularly. Thus, ancient naming and discourse, even for minute creatures, contain profound truths. For instance, the cockchafer larva moves backward, first following the Du Meridian; the fu chu develops in the abdomen, relying specifically on the Ren Meridian; when the fu chu's back splits and transforms into the dark cicada, it again follows the Ren to meet the Du, presenting an image of a circle without beginning or end. Through continuous transformation and nurturing, the entire pattern of evaporation and change is completed.)