伏翼,即蝙幅也,白者第一,红者次之,灰色者不可用。逐五淋,利水道,明双目,拨
翳膜
。久服延年无忧,令人喜乐媚好。用血点眼,夜视有光。
夜明砂,即蝙蝠粪,炒酒服下,可下死胎。蝙蝠得白者,入之补气血之药,可延年至百
岁之
外,无如不可得也。我识之于书者,实闻之岐天师之秘传也。
白蝙蝠不可得,粤西有红蝙蝠,古人取之以作媚药。盖白者延龄,而红者反助火也,助
火必
至动火,火动必至精泄。然则红蝙蝠,终非益人之物也。
或问蝙蝠安得白者用之,即红蝙蝠亦难得,不识灰色者,可权用以修合药饵乎?夫蝙蝠
岁久
,则得至阴之气。彼灰色者,不过数十年之物耳,何
可合药。倘腹下色红,则有百岁之久矣,亦可用之,然终不如红者更奇,而白者更神也。(
〔批〕白蝙蝠稀世之珍,如何能得之。得之,乃天赐也,岐公之传,必非无意。)
或疑伏翼非长生之物,即色白是千岁之品,无益于补剂,何足取重?远公注《本草》,
故将
举世所绝无者,特神奇其说,恐不可信也,曰∶白蝙蝠之可以延年,乃吾师传铎自服之方,
余泄之以示世也。夫伏翼得至阴之气,活数百年而不死,其常也。凡物长年者,皆服之延龄
,如鹿龟之类非耶,何独于伏翼疑之。况伏翼至羽毛皆白,自是千岁之物,配以药物,自可
难老,此理之所必然也。夫色白者不可得,而色红者粤西实有之,古人曾取为媚药,是补阳
之明验也。红者既可以补阳,岂白者独不可以补阴乎。余注《本草》,何品不可出奇,而必
取伏翼以神其说哉。虽然白蝙蝠之方,吾师传铎自服,余自信之,正不必人之尽信也。
Fuyi (Bat), which is the bat, white ones are the best, red ones are secondary, and gray ones should not be used. It treats the five types of Lin syndrome (a condition characterized by frequent, urgent, and painful urination with incomplete emptying), promotes the flow of water passages, brightens the eyes, and removes corneal opacities. Long-term use extends life without worry, making one joyful and charming. Applying its blood to the eyes allows for vision in the dark.
Yeming Sha (Bat Guano), which is bat feces, when stir-fried and taken with wine, can expel a dead fetus. If white bats are obtained, adding them to Qi- and Blood-tonifying formulas can extend life beyond a hundred years, though they are hard to come by. I learned this from books, but it was actually received as a secret transmission from Master Qizheng (Qizi).
White bats are difficult to obtain; in Western Guangdong, there are red bats, which ancient people collected to make aphrodisiacs. This is because white bats prolong life, whereas red bats may instead assist Fire. Assisting Fire inevitably stirs up Fire, and stirring up Fire inevitably leads to seminal emission. Therefore, red bats are ultimately not beneficial to humans.
One might ask: How can there be white bats for use? Even red bats are rare; can gray bats be used temporarily for compounding medicines? Bats that live for many years acquire the most Yin Qi. Those gray bats are merely decades old, so how can they be used in medicine? If the underside is red, it indicates an age of a hundred years, and they can also be used, yet they are not as extraordinary as red bats nor as miraculous as white ones. ([Commentary] White bats are rare treasures of the world; how can one obtain them? To obtain them is a gift from Heaven; Master Qizi's transmission must not be without purpose.)
Some doubt that Fuyi is a substance for longevity. Even if white ones are thousand-year specimens, they offer no benefit to tonics, so why value them? Yuan Gong, in his commentary on Bencao, deliberately made the description of these unique items seem miraculous, which is likely unbelievable. I say: The ability of white bats to prolong life is a formula personally used by my teacher, Chen Shiduo, which I have revealed to the world. Fuyi acquires the most Yin Qi and lives for hundreds of years without dying; this is normal. All long-lived substances can be taken to extend life, such as deer and turtles, do they not? Why single out Fuyi for doubt? Moreover, since Fuyi has white feathers from head to tail, it is naturally a thousand-year specimen. Paired with medicinal herbs, it naturally prevents aging; this is logically inevitable. Since white ones cannot be obtained, but red ones exist in Western Guangdong, and ancient people once used them as aphrodisiacs, this is clear evidence of Yang-tonifying properties. If red ones can tonify Yang, why can't white ones exclusively tonify Yin? When I comment on Bencao, which herb cannot be presented uniquely, why must I rely on Fuyi to make the theory seem miraculous? Nevertheless, the formula for white bats was personally used by my teacher, Chen Shiduo; I believe in it firmly, and it is unnecessary to demand that everyone else believes it.