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[Original Fowl Category] Eliminating parasites and detoxifying

Zhuji (Bamboo Partridge) [Ardisia japonica (Thunb.) Blume, Bamboo Partridge]: The medicinal properties specifically enter the Heart, Spleen, and Liver meridians. Its appearance resembles a small chicken, with no tail. It has a nature of eating ants and also consumes the seedlings of Pinellia ternata (Banxia, 半夏). Therefore, there is a proverb: "If bamboo partridges cry at home, white termites will turn into mud." There is also a record in Tang Dynasty novels: Cui Weigong died suddenly. Imperial Physician Liang Xin diagnosed it as: "Food poisoning." The servant replied: "He liked to eat bamboo partridges." Liang Xin said: "Bamboo partridges eat many Pinellia ternata seedlings, which are toxic." Thus, ginger juice was crushed, teeth pried open, and the juice灌ed into him, so he revived. From this, we know that although Zhuji tastes sweet and its nature is neutral, it also contains toxicity from consuming Pinellia ternata. Examining its main therapeutic effects, it is only stated that boiling and eating can eliminate parasites and treat wild pheasant poisoning, with nothing else worth taking. Thus, knowing that Zhuji treats toxins, perhaps it uses the principle of "using poison to attack poison," consistent with the meaning of "insects fear chickens." Otherwise, how could such a saying exist? The claim that it is non-toxic seems insufficiently credible.

[Forest Fowl Category] Warming and tonifying Kidney and Lung

Bajiou (Turtledove): The medicinal properties specifically enter the Lung and Kidney meridians. Although it belongs to wild game, its taste is sweet and its nature is neutral. Its therapeutic ability can tonify the Kidney and brighten the eyes, tonify the Lung and benefit Qi. It is vaguely similar in flavor, nature, and therapeutic function to domestic pigeons. Therefore, Fan Wang used Bajiou Wan for treating eye diseases, and Zonglu used Jinjiu Wan for treating eye diseases. Weixian stated that Bajiou brightens the eyes, which is essentially tonifying the Kidney; when the Kidney is tonified, the eyes become bright. Li Shizhen further stated that Bajiou brightens the eyes because it benefits Qi, not merely by tonifying the Kidney. It is also said: In ancient times, during the second lunar month, Luo presented turtledoves to nourish the elderly in the state; during the eighth lunar month, elders were given turtledove-staffs. It is said that the turtledove's nature does not cause choking, and eating it aids Qi. Thus, we know that the eye-brightening effect of the turtledove is a verification of the treatment effects of tonifying the Kidney and benefiting Qi. Drinking hot blood of the turtledove can detoxify. Powdering equal parts of turtledove feces and Mingyuesha (Pharbitidis Semen, 牵牛子) or Oculi Mucor (Ye Ming Sha, 夜明沙), blowing it into the ear treats various ear diseases with pus discharge and pain.

[Beast Category] Treating Rat-related and Obscure/Demonic Diseases

Mao (Cat): The medicinal properties specifically enter the Liver and Kidney meridians. It is merely a small beast that catches rats. Why do books record so many therapeutic effects? It is said that cat meat made into soup can treat Shulou (Scrofula/Lymphatic Tuberculosis) and Gudus (Gu Poison). (For Shulou, whether ulcerated or not, administration is effective; for Gu Poison, eating a small amount of cat meat prevents harm.) The skull can treat Daochanye (Inverted Pox/Smallpox lesions failing to rise). (Treating inverted pox involves using skulls of humans, cats, pigs, and dogs.) And chronic Luoli (Scrofula). (If unhealed, use one cat head and one bat, sprinkle black beans on them, burn until carbonized but retaining efficacy, powder, and apply externally; if dry, mix with oil. Internally administer Wuxiang Lianqiao Tang for efficacy.) Zouma Yagan (Rapidly spreading gingivitis/stomatitis), Duikou Dufa (Carbuncle at the nape), and Xiaxia Bieja (Abdominal mass resembling a turtle under the heart). (All use black cat heads burned to ash for internal administration.) Xiao'er Yinchuang (Pediatric genital ulcers), Shu Yao Chuangtong (Pain from rat bites). (All use cat heads burned to ash for external application, leading to recovery.) Brain dried on paper, mixed equally with Mangcao (Dichroae Radix, 秦艽) or related herbs, can treat ulcerated Luoli and Shulou. (Insert into orifices.) Maojing (Cat eyes), Maoshe (Cat tongue), Maoxian (Cat saliva), Maopi yu Mao (Cat skin and fur) can treat Luoli and Shulou. (To treat Luoli/Shulou with cat eyes, burn to ash, mix with Jinghua Water [first rainwater], take one fangcun chi dose. To treat Luoli with saliva, pierce and apply. To treat ulcerated Luoli with fur, take belly fur, heat gently in a pan until carbonized.) Cat fur especially treats boils growing on the temples. (Take one handful of fur from the cat's head and one handful from the pig's neck, plus one rat dropping, burn, powder, and apply with oil.) And Guishi Touchuang (Head sores attributed to demonic licking). (Apply paste made from burned cat fur.) Nasal abrasions, rat-bite wounds, etc. (All use burned cat fur powder, add a little Shexiang (Moschus, 麝香), mix with saliva, and seal/apply.) Mao Gan (Cat liver) can treat Laozhai (Consumption/Tuberculosis). (Use one black cat liver, sun-dry raw, powder, and take with wine at the fifth watch on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.) Mao Baoyi (Cat placenta) can treat Fanwei Tushi (Regurgitation and vomiting). (Burn to ash, add a little Zhusha (Cinnabar, 朱砂) powder, place under the tongue, very effective.) Mao Niao (Cat urine) (induced by rubbing cat's nose with ginger and garlic) can treat various insects entering the ears. Mao Shi (Cat feces) can treat inverted/failing pox without chills or fever, Gui Nu (Ghost Malaria), rat bites, Gu Zhu (Gu Transmission) and malignant sores. (All use feces burned to ash, mixed with water for external application; or for ulcerated Luoli, use cat feces sealed in Yin-Yang tiles with salt mud, calcined, powdered, and applied with oil; rat bite wounds heal when rubbed with cat urine; scorpion stings causing pain heal when coated with cat feces.) Generally, this utilizes the cat's ability to search holes and catch rats. Therefore, for any disease belonging to the "rat" category, located in obscure or demonic places where medicines cannot easily reach, this is borrowed as the main treatment. This is akin to the idea that tiger roars generate wind, and wind-bi painful swelling requires tiger bone for treatment. Zhang Lu stated that cats inherit Yin energy and their mechanism aligns with Earthly Branches, so their eyes see clearly at night and can contract/expand at will. (Their pupils can indicate time: Zi/Wu/Mao/You hours like a line, Yin/Shen/Si/Hai hours like a full moon, Chen/Xu/Chou/Wei hours like a jujube pit. Their nose tip is usually cold, warm only on Summer Solstice. They fear cold but not heat.) They are good at jumping and crave raw fish/meat. (They can mark ground to predict food, gnawing rat heads/tails according to lunar cycles, all matching tigers, consistent with Yin categories.) They digest raw biological matter without cooking, driven by Wind-Fire qi. Hence, books say their nature is warm, and taste is sweet and sour. Using them for Shulou deficiency/exhaustion is acceptable; using them for Shulou excess/internal solidification will aid dampness and generate heat. If the disease originates from dampness, even if called Shulou, caution is needed. One should not blindly follow book claims of efficacy without differentiation. Select cats with long tails, short waists, eyes like gold/silver, and multiple ridges on the crown as superior.