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Chen Suo'an records in the present: Recently, there has emerged a kind of unscrupulous and deceitful rogue who, near places where coffins are gathered for temporary interment, colludes with and bribes the "depositors" (the "depositors" refer to those who rent space from others to store coffins; people in Hangzhou call this "opening a deposit yard"). Whenever a coffin scheduled for temporary interment within seven days arrives at the site, it is pried open by them in the dark night, and "human aphids" (Renya) are stolen from inside. These are sold to quacks and itinerant doctors to be used as ingredients for "clubbing medicine" (Jia Gun Yao), for treating bruises and fractures, and for expelling evil malaria, among other uses.

At first, I did not understand what "human aphid" was. Later, I asked Dr. Tang for clarification. An old servant of Dr. Tang's named Lai Sheng had seen such an insect. He said: When a person dies and more than seven days have passed, the muscles of the whole body rot into a pulp-like state, the heart qi scatters, and through steaming/fermentation, "human aphids" are generated. These insects resemble the Nine-Dragon Worm (Jiulong Chong) but are smaller in size, red in color like blood, and exceptionally smooth. They occur in both male and female corpses. For medicinal use, those obtained from male coffins are considered superior. The method of extraction is as follows: Use a large drill to bore a big hole at the head end of the coffin. Smear fragrant fermented rice lees (Xiang Zao) on the outside of the hole. The insects inside, smelling the odor of the lees, will crawl out from the hole. Although these insects have shells, they cannot fly. Pick them up by hand and put them into small bottles, soak them in distilled liquor (Shao Jiu), and bake them dry on Yin-Yang tiles (Yin Yang Wa) for use.

Note: After death, human flesh and blood rot into insects; some become maggots, while others become aphids. Their shapes vary. Some claim that both types coexist, while others argue that they are the same insect transforming sequentially.

*Wuli Xiaoshi* (Small Knowledge of Physical Principles) records: "Rainbows" (Hong) are manifestations of lewd qi. Alchemists dug into the ground where rainbows appeared in the East Sea and found a red insect. Obtained and processed through alchemical methods, it serves as an aphrodisiac. It enhances sexual potency within the bedroom curtains and, when used together with *Zixiao Hua* (Flower of Purple Caulis), its efficacy is even greater.

*Bencao Gangmu Shiyi* (Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica), consisting of ten volumes, is one of the "Twelve Works of Liji" authored by Mr. Zhao Shuxuan of Hangzhou during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The "Twelve Works" include *Yilin Jiye*, *Yangsu Yuan Chuang Xin Fang*, *Zhuyou Luyan*, *Nanglu Ji*, *Bencao Hua*, *Chuan Ya*, *Huayao Xiaoming Lu*, *Shengjiang Mi Yao*, *Shesheng Jianlan*, *Yaoxing Yuanjie*, *Qiyao Beikao*, and this book itself. The complete table of contents and general preface are recorded in detail at the beginning of this volume. The bibliography compiled by the Bao family also lists the titles of these twelve works. However, only manuscript copies existed at that time, none were printed. By the late Jiaqing reign, only this book and *Chuan Ya* remained in manuscript form; the other ten works had been lost. Moreover, the entries under each drug in this book were disordered and confusing. I subsequently learned that Doctor Lian Chu of Hangzhou treasured the original manuscript draft. I borrowed it for reading and discovered it was a rough draft edited by the author himself but not yet transcribed into a clean copy. Because the initial paper was short, supplementary notes were pasted above. The pasted strips were nearly full, but no sequence numbers were noted, leading to confusion in subsequent manuscript copies. I therefore followed its structural principles, used the draft to correct and arrange the errors in the manuscript copies, so that each entry became clear and distinct, restoring its original order. The original manuscript was returned to Master Lian. During the turmoil of the Gengshen year (likely referring to the Taiping Rebellion or similar conflict), Master Lian's family lost their original manuscript, and *Chuan Ya* was also lost. Fortunately, my compiled and transcribed version survived because I carried it with me, preserving one of the author's posthumous works, which is worthy of great value. I also heard that during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, a Hangzhou native named Wang Huaihuai wrote a book titled *Caoyao Gangmu* (Compendium of Herbal Materia Medica). It was voluminous and comparable to Li Shizhen's *Gangmu*. However, its manuscript was never copied or circulated. Inquiries among his clan members yielded no results, suggesting it had already vanished and been forgotten. It is regrettable that I could not obtain this book to stand alongside the works of Li and Zhao as a comprehensive encyclopedia of materia medica. What a pity! Written by Zhang Yingchang (courtesy name Zhongfu) of Qiantang in the autumn of the Jiazi year of the Tongzhi reign.