Library

(From *Bencao Shiyi* [Supplement to Materia Medica])

**Names**: Jiu (pronounced "duo"), Kouzhi. Chen Zangqi stated: "Sparrows coming from the north indicate that bandits are about to attack. Border residents monitor them, hence the name." Li Shizhen stated: "According to the *Book of Tang*: During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the Turks invaded the borders. Initially, before the Turks rebelled, these birds flew in flocks into the border regions. Border residents exclaimed in alarm: 'This bird is also known as the Turk Sparrow; when it flies south, the Turks will certainly invade.' This later proved true. Verification: This is what is recorded in the *Erya* as 'Jiu, Kouzhi'. Thus, the meaning of 'plundering bandits' originates from this."

**Collected Explanations**: Chen Zangqi stated: "The Turk Sparrow grows in the northern frontier. It resembles a sparrow but has a red body." Li Shizhen stated: "Verifying Guo Pu's words: 'Jiu grows in the desert lands of the north. It is as large as a pigeon, its shape resembles a female pheasant, its feet resemble those of a mouse and lack hind toes, and its tail is forked. As a bird, it is simple-minded and urgent, preferring to fly in groups.' Zhang Hua stated: 'It grows in the Guanxi region. When flying, the female leads and the male follows, moving according to their path.' Zhuangzi stated: 'The Qing Jiu loves its young and forgets its mother.'"

**Meat**
**Flavor and Properties**: Sweet, hot, non-toxic.
**Indications**: Tonifies deficiency and warms the middle jiao (Chen Zangqi).

(From *Mingyi Bielu*, classified as Medium Grade)

**Names**: Waque (Tile Sparrow), Binque (Guest Sparrow). Li Shizhen stated: "Sparrows are small birds with short tails. Hence the character consists of 'small' and 'jia'. 'Jia' (pronounced 'zhui') refers to a short-tailed bird. They roost between eaves and tiles, domesticated and close to the steps, like guests, hence called Waque and Binque, also referred to as Jingbin (Honored Guest). Commonly, the old ones with spots are called Macaques (Maque), and the small yellow-mouthed ones are called Huangque (Yellow Sparrow)."

**Collected Explanations**: Li Shizhen stated: "Sparrows are found everywhere. Their feathers are brownish with patterns, and both the throat and beak are black. The head is round like a garlic clove, eyes like split peppercorns. The tail is about two cun long, claws and spurs are yellowish-white; they jump rather than walk. Their gaze is startled, they are night-blind, their eggs are spotted, and their nature is most lustful. The small ones are named Huangque. In the eighth and ninth months, they fly in flocks in the fields. Their bodies are extremely fat, with back fat resembling spread silk wadding. Their nature and flavor are the same; they can be roasted for food and taste very delicious. Verification: The *Yi Zhoushu* states: 'In late autumn, sparrows enter the great water and transform into clams.' Sparrows do not enter water; if a state has much licentiousness, sparrows do not enter water. Also, the *Linhai Yiwu Zhi* states: 'In the South Sea there is the Huangque Fish. It often transforms into a Huangque in June and enters the sea to become a fish in October. Thus, what is called 'sparrow transforming into clam' likely refers to such cases. If it is the house sparrow, it never transforms.' There are also white sparrows, which the Weishu [Apocryphal texts] consider to be induced by auspicious omens."

**Meat**
**Flavor and Properties**: Sweet, warm, non-toxic. Tao Hongjing stated: "Sparrow meat should not be eaten with plums, nor with sauce. If pregnant women eat sparrow meat and drink alcohol, it causes the child to be prone to lust; eating sparrow meat and soybean paste..."
**Indications**: Eating it during the three winter months stimulates the yang pathway and enables one to have offspring (Chen Zangqi). Strengthens yang and benefits qi, warms the waist and knees, reduces urination, treats blood flooding and leukorrhea (*Rihuazhong Bencao*). Benefits essence and marrow, replenishes insufficient qi of the five zang organs. Should be consumed regularly without interruption (Meng Shen).

**Elucidation**: Su Song stated: "Before the first month and after the tenth month, it is suitable to consume it, taking advantage of the fact that yin and yang are quiet and undischarged. Therefore, the eggs taken are also from the first clutch." Su Song stated: "People now take sparrow meat and *Cnidium monnieri* (Shechuangzi) to make a paste, mix it with medicine to form pills, which are effective for tonifying the lower part, called Yima Wan. This method originated in the Tang dynasty, said to be effective when Emperor Minghuang took it." Li Shizhen stated: "*Shengji Zonglu* treats cold-deficiency conditions with Quefu Wan, using 30-40 fat sparrow meats, simmered with *Aconitum carmichaelii* (Fuzi) to make pills, also following this precedent."

**Attached Prescriptions**: Six new prescriptions.
**Tonifying the Elderly**: Treats visceral deficiency and emaciation in the elderly, with deficient and weak yang qi. Five sparrows (prepared normally), one he of millet, three stalks of green onion white.

**Heart Qi Labor Injury**: Zhuque Tang: Treats heart qi labor injury, leading to various diseases. Use one male sparrow (meat roasted), one he of adzuki beans, one liang each of Ginseng, Red Poria, jujube flesh, Purple Quartz, Wheat, half liang each of Aster root, Polygala root flesh, Salvia miltiorrhiza, two qian half of Licorice (roasted), Fine...

**Kidney Cold and Hernia**: Use three raw sparrows, scald off hair and remove intestines, do not wash. Place three qian of imported Fennel, one qian of Pepper, two qian each of Amomum fruit and Cinnamon bark inside the belly. Wrap in wet paper, bake until cooked. Eat on an empty stomach, washed down with wine. Good. (*Zhizhi Fang*)

**Small Intestine Hernia**: Use one hairy sparrow, remove intestines, insert five qian of Potassium Alum powder, sew up. Bake over mulberry wood fire until charred, grind to powder. Take on an empty stomach with unadulterated wine. For chronic cases, two doses cure. (*Ruizhutang Fang*)

**Red and White Dysentery**: In the twelfth lunar month, take sparrows, remove intestines and belly feathers. Insert one kernel of Castor bean into the belly. Seal tightly in a bottle, preserve nature, grind to powder. Boil Yellow Beeswax in good wine until bubbling. Mix wax with powder, make pills the size of paulownia seeds. Take 10-20 pills per dose. For red dysentery, take with Licorice decoction; for white dysentery, take with Dry Ginger decoction. (*Puji Fang*)

**Internal and External Eye Obstruction**: Treats blurry vision with nebula, seeing black flowers at distance, and internal cataracts preventing sight. Use ten sparrows (remove feathers, wings, feet, beak, grind together with guts, bones, and flesh), Magnetite (crushed, quenched seven times in vinegar, water-washed), Medicated Leaven (fried), Green Salt, *Cynomorium songaricum* (wine-soaked and roasted) each one liang, *Cuscuta chinensis* (wine-soaked for three days, dried) three liang. Grind to powder. Use two sheng of wine, add a little refined honey, grind together with sparrow and salt to form a paste. Make pills the size of paulownia seeds. Take twenty pills with warm wine, twice daily. (*Shenghui Fang*)

**Sparrow Eggs**
**Flavor and Properties**: Sour, warm, non-toxic. Collect in the fifth month.
**Indications**: Directs qi downward, treats impotence in men, promotes erection and heat, increases sperm for procreation (*Mingyi Bielu*). Mix with *Aconitum kusnezoffii* (Tianxiong) and *Cuscuta chinensis* powder to make pills. Take five pills on an empty stomach with wine. Treats male impotence, female leukorrhea, difficult urination, eliminates hernia masses (Meng Shen).

**Elucidation**: Tao Hongjing stated: "Sparrows benefit yin and yang, so the eggs do likewise." *Wu Pu Bencao* states: "Taking sparrow eggs with Tianxiong prevents penile atrophy."
Su Song stated: "According to *Suwen*: Those with chest and hypochondriac fullness have difficulty eating. At onset, they first smell a foul odor, discharge clear fluid, and spit blood. Menstruation becomes scanty or stops for four months. Treat with Cuttlefish bone and *Rubia cordifolia* (Qiancao). Combine these two substances, pill with sparrow egg, size like small beans. Take five pills with rice meal, drink Mullet juice to benefit the intestines and injured liver. Drink medicine before eating. These three herbs in Bencao do not treat Blood Exhaustion, but the Classic methods use them to attack the source of generation."
Li Shizhen stated: "People today know that sparrow eggs can benefit male yang deficiency, but do not know they can treat female blood exhaustion, because sparrow eggs benefit essence and blood."

**Liver**
**Indications**: Kidney deficiency with weak yang (*Shenghui Fang* Si Xiong Wan uses it).

**Head Blood**
**Indications**: Night blindness (*Mingyi Bielu*. Tao Hongjing stated: "Night blindness is when a person cannot see at dusk, like a sparrow's night vision. Twice daily, apply blood to the eyes.")

**Brain**
**Flavor and Properties**: Neutral.
**Indications**: Wrap in cotton and insert into ear to treat deafness. Also apply to frostbite (Meng Shen. Li Shizhen stated: "According to Zhang Zihe's formula: Burn sparrow brain collected in the twelfth month to ash, mix with oil and apply.")

**Beak and Leg Bones**
**Indications**: Pediatric breast lumps (Ru Pi). Boil one set in water and drink. Or burn to ash, mix with rice drink and take (Li Shizhen).

**Male Sparrow Droppings**
Also known as Bai Dingxiang (Common Name), Qingdan (*Bencao Shiyi*), Quesu (*Paozhi Lun*).
**Processing**: *Rihuazhong Bencao* states: "For birds, the right wing covering the left indicates male. Its droppings have a pointed, straight tip." Lei Xiao stated: "When using, do not use sparrow feces. Sparrows with yellow mouths have not yet mated. Those Quesu with the base sitting sharp upwards are male, those round at both ends are female. Yin conditions use male, Yang conditions use female. Collect in December, remove attached sides, grind fine in a mortar, soak in Licorice water overnight, drain water, dry by baking and use."
Li Shizhen stated: "*Mingyi Bielu* only uses male sparrow droppings. Distinguishing male and female usage originates from Lei Shi."

**Flavor and Properties**: Bitter, warm, slightly toxic.
**Indications**: Treats eye pain, resolves abscesses and boils, female leukorrhea, difficult urination, eliminates hernia masses (*Mingyi Bielu*). Treats dental caries (Tao Hongjing). Mix with colostrum of a newborn boy to drop into eyes; pterygium and red vessels crossing the pupil will disappear, divine effect. Mix with honey to make pills, treat chronic cold diseases of hernia masses. Mix with a little Dry Ginger to take, greatly fattens and pleases the person (Su Gong). For painful abscesses that do not suppurate, applying drops causes immediate suppuration. For acute jaundice near death, dissolve in water and take for immediate revival. For abdominal masses, various lumps, and Fuliang, mix with Dry Ginger, Cinnamon Heart, and Mugwort to make pills; can cause dissolution and rotting (Chen Zangqi). Mix with Tianxiong and Dry Ginger to make pills, strengthens yin (Meng Shen). Eliminates accumulation and distension, opens throat obstruction and lockjaw, treats female breast swelling, wound trauma with wind-stroke, wind-insect toothache (Li Shizhen).

**Elucidation**: Li Shizhen stated: "Sparrows eat various grains and digest easily. Therefore, for treating hernia masses, accumulations, distensions, and masses, as well as eye nebulae, pterygia, carbuncles, sores, boils, throat lock, and dental caries, all utilize its meaning of dissolving and rotting."

**Attached Prescriptions**: Six old, eight new.
**Huo Luan with Blockage, Distending Pain Near Death due to Overeating and Cooling**: Use twenty-one grains of male sparrow dung, stir-fry and grind to powder. Mix with half cup of warm wine and take. If ineffective, take again. (*Zonglu*)

**Eye Nebula and Membrane**: Treats eye heat generating red and white membranes. Apply male sparrow dung mixed with human milk to the eyes; it will naturally rot away. (*Zhouhou Fang*)

**Wind-Insect Toothache**: Male sparrow dung, wrap in cotton and insert into hole, change twice daily. Effective. (*Waitai*)

**Throat Lock and Obstruction**: Male sparrow dung powder,灌 (pour/inject) half qian with warm water. (*Waitai*)

**Pediatric Mouth Lock and Wind Stroke**: Use sparrow dung, water-pilled to size of hemp seed. Swallow with water, two pills, immediately cured. (*Qianjin Fang*)

**Pediatric Refusal to Nurse**: Use four sparrow dung pellets, grind to powder, apply to nipple for sucking. (*Zongwei*)

**Pediatric Smallpox**: Bai Dingxiang powder, add a little Musk, take one qian with rice drink. (*Baoyou Daquan*)

**Women's Mastitis**: Dusheng San: Half liang Bai Dingxiang, grind to powder. Take one qian with warm wine. (*Jianyao Jizhong*)

**Traumatic Wind Sores forming White Scabs without Blood**: Most deadly and rapid. Grind male sparrow dung (straight pieces) to powder, take half qian with hot wine. (*Puji*)

**Resolving Abscesses and Boils**: For various abscesses where pus has formed, fearing needle puncture. Apply sparrow dung to the sore head; it will readily resolve. (*Meishi Fang*)

**Burning Sores causing Pain**: Grind sparrow dung and swallow nest earth, apply. (*Zhizhi*)

**Oozing Sores and Tinea**: Cleanse, grind sparrow dung and bean paste together, apply daily. (*Qianjin Yi*)

**Sore Throat and Tonsillitis**: Twenty Bai Dingxiang, mix with rock sugar to make three pills. Wrap one pill in cotton, hold in mouth and swallow. Cured immediately. Severe cases, no more than two pills.

**Facial Acne and Rosacea**: Ten Bai Dingxiang, soak in one liang of honey. Apply morning and night; gradually disappears. (*Puji Fang*)