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(Ben Cao Jing, Middle Category)
[Flavor and Nature] Salty, neutral in nature, non-toxic.
[Indications] Primarily treats zheng jia (abdominal masses), hard accumulations in the heart and abdomen, alternating cold and heat, removes pi ji (obstruction diseases of the chest and abdomen), polyps, yin shi (ulceration of the external genitalia), hemorrhoidal nodules, and e rou (necrotic flesh).
[Citation] Lu Zhiyi states: The softshell turtle is a shellfish-type creature. It lives in water but can also survive on land, with a convex spine connected to its ribs, similar to the tortoise. Its four limbs have fleshy edges like a skirt; hence it is said that "the tortoise shell wraps meat, while the softshell turtle shell wraps bone." It has no ears and hears through its eyes, belonging to the same category as snakes and yuan (large turtles). In summer, it conceives and incubates eggs through shadowing. Lu Tan says: "When there are three thousand six hundred fish, dragons will guide them to fly, and if the turtle guards them, they will be spared from disaster. Therefore, the turtle is also named 'Shou Shen' (Guardian Spirit) or 'He Bo Cong Shi' (Assistant to the River Deity)." Processing method: Select green-shelled ones with nine ribs weighing seven liang as the best quality. Use Liu Yi Ni (a mixture of kaolin and cinnabar) to reinforce the bottom of a bottle. Once dry, place the turtle shell inside. To treat abdominal masses and cold stagnation in the heart, add three sheng of Tou Cu (first-press vinegar) into the bottle, boil over high fire until the vinegar is exhausted, remove the skirt (fleshy edges), keep the bone, roast until dry, and use. To treat lao re (deficiency heat), boil one dou two sheng of Tong Bian (child's urine) until exhausted, remove the skirt, keep the bone, bake until dry, pound into powder in a stone mortar, wrap in chicken skin, take three dou of running water from the east, place the wrapped medicine over a basin of water, leave overnight, then use. The efficacy increases ten thousandfold. Avoid using with Fan Shi (alum) and Li Shi (magnetite/iron ore).

(Ben Cao Jing, Middle Category)
[Flavor and Nature] Salty and pungent, neutral in nature, non-toxic.
[Indications] Primarily treats xiao er jing xian (pediatric convulsions and epilepsy), night crying, eliminates three types of parasites, removes dark spots and dullness from the face, improves complexion, and treats male genital itching.
[Citation] Lu Zhiyi states: Bai Jiang Can (White Stiff Silkworm) is a silkworm that dies from wind-pathogen disease, turning naturally white and remaining un-decayed after death. Currently, markets often use silkworms killed at medium temperatures, soaked and mixed with Duan Shi (calcined iron oxide) to make them white. Consuming these fake stiff silkworms causes severe harm. If used for smallpox/rash, it inevitably leads to dry cracking, blackening, and sinking; if used for sores and toxins, it inevitably leads to black rot and internal attack on organs. One must be extremely cautious. Processing method: Soak in Mi Nong Tan (rice washing water) for one day. Wait for the silkworm to spit out mulberry residue saliva. Those floating on the water surface should be skimmed off, washed clean, drained, and baked over low fire. Wipe off yellow flesh, hairs, and black mouthparts/claws with a clean cloth. Pound and sieve into powder.
[Citation] Lu Zhiyi states: The silkworm is an insect. It eats when it sees light, consumes food without drinking water, and transforms after thirty days. The duration varies due to differences in cold/warmth and hunger/fullness. It sleeps and wakes three times; waking resembles Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) moving through the Yang meridians, while sleeping resembles Wei Qi moving through the Yin meridians. After thirty days of deep sleep, the Wei Dao (path of Wei Qi) has circulated completely. Circulation complete leads to transformation and hatching, spinning silk to form meridians. Those that do not transform become stiff and white due to wind, thus using its morphology to treat pathology. For internal rebellion causing jing xian and night crying, latent hiding causing san chong (three parasites) and gui zhu (ghostly infections), external manifestation of dark spots and dullness, and itching during molting, these are all failures to follow evaporation and transformation. One should follow their tendency to expel them and assist transformation. Huai Nan Zi states: "Cicadas drink but do not eat; silkworms eat but do not drink." Drinking nourishes Jing Qi (Essence Qi); eating benefits Jing Sui (Meridian Channels). Both originate from Ren and Du meridians, spread to the four limbs, undergo similar changes, and share the same function.