刘基苦斋记∶匡山在处州龙泉县，剑溪之水出焉，注入大谷，其中多斑文小鱼，状如吹
沙，
味苦而微辛可食，故名。
解酒毒，可以醒酒。
药性考∶苦鱼微辛，形细色斑，烹食腴美，消酒除 。
此鱼自宋南渡始有，一名朱砂鱼，乃人家蓄玩于盆盎中者，有三尾、四尾、品尾、金管、
银
管之分。有蛋鱼，名龙蛋、文蛋、虎头及鳞诸品；纯红纯白，或红白相间，体具五色。极大
者三、四寸，小者寸许。纲目金鱼条云∶主治痢，而所用乃金丝鲤鱼。按∶金鱼虽有鲤、鲫
、鲦诸种，殊不知鲤鱼中一种红鲤，名金鲤，鲫鱼中一种红鲫，名金鲫，皆有金鱼之名，与
此全别，而东璧合为一则误矣。
味苦微咸，有小毒，食之令人吐。纲目本条气味下云∶甘平无毒。此指红鲫而言，并非
今之
解服卤毒，用金鱼一二枚捣之，灌下，吐出涎水，自苏。
治疯癫、石臌、水臌、黄胆。慈航活人书∶俱用红色金鱼一个，取三尾者，甘蔗大者一
二枚
，同捣烂，纹汁服，立刻即吐出痰涎，愈。
舆地志∶ 县 陂出鱼，味美，可入药。
治痔。
Liu Ji's "Record of the Bitter Study" states: Kuang Mountain is located in Longquan County, Chuzhou. The water of Jianxi flows out from here and pours into the Great Valley. There are many small fish with spotted patterns in it, resembling *Chuishayu* (blow-sand fish). They taste bitter and slightly pungent and are edible, hence the name "Bitter Fish".
It can resolve alcohol toxicity and can be used to sober up.
*Pharmacological Properties Examination* records: Bitter fish is slightly pungent, has a slender body with mottled colors, and its flesh is rich and delicious when cooked. It eliminates alcohol fumes and removes internal stagnation.
This type of fish appeared only after the Southern Song Dynasty moved south. It is also known as Cinnabar Fish. It is kept by households in basins or jars for viewing, and is divided into varieties such as Three-tail, Four-tail, Pin-tail, Gold Tube, and Silver Tube. There are also Egg Fish, named Longdan (Dragon Egg), Wendan (Literati Egg), Huitou (Tiger Head), and Lin (Scale) varieties; they may be purely red, purely white, or interlaced red and white, with five colors on their bodies. The largest are three or four cun long, and the smallest are about one cun. The entry on Goldfish in *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: It treats dysentery, but the species used is the Golden Thread Carp. In the commentary: Although goldfish include various types such as carp, crucian carp, and minnow, it is unknown that among carps there is a red carp named Jinli (Gold Carp), and among crucian carps there is a red crucian carp named Jinji (Gold Crucian). Both bear the name "goldfish," which is completely different from the Cinnabar Fish described here. Li Shizhen (Dongbi) erred by combining them into one category.
The taste is bitter and slightly salty, with slight toxicity. Eating it causes vomiting. Under the section of flavor and nature in *Compendium of Materia Medica*, it states: Sweet, neutral, and non-toxic. This refers to the red crucian carp, not the fish currently discussed.
For poisoning from halogen compounds (lu du), take one or two goldfish, crush them, administer orally, and allow the patient to vomit saliva/phlegm, after which they will naturally recover.
It treats madness, stone distension (shi gu), water distension (shui gu), and jaundice. *Cihang Huoren Shu* records: Use one red goldfish, preferably the three-tailed variety, along with one or two large sugarcane stalks. Crush them together, extract the juice, and ingest it. Phlegm and saliva will be vomited immediately, leading to recovery.
One species consists of ten bodies connected together, making a sound like a barking dog, and can also be used to ward off fire. (From *Zhenyi Yaopin*)
It treats carbuncles and sores.
*Yudi Zhi* records: Fish produced in the ponds of [missing county name] have a delicious taste and can be used in medicine.
It treats hemorrhoids.
*Wuli Xiaoshi* records: You Zi Liu said: In the sources of high mountains in Fujian, there are black fish, about the size of a finger. Their scales are essentially skin, they have four feet, and can be added to porridge for medicinal use.
It treats pediatric gan accumulation (infantile malnutrition).