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(Recorded in the Lower Category of *Bie Lu*)

**[Names]** (Pronounced "Yi". From *Erya*); Water Crow (*Bencao Yan Yi*).
Li Shizhen says: According to rhyme books, "Lu" and "Zi" both mean black. This bird is deep black in color, hence the name. " " is an onomatopoeia for its call.

**[Collected Explanations]** Li Shizhen says: The Cormorant is found in water regions everywhere. It resembles a crow but is smaller, with black plumage. Like a crow, it has a long, slightly curved beak and is skilled at diving into water to catch fish. It gathers on sandbars and islets during the day, and nests in forests at night. Over time, its feces are toxic and often cause trees to wither. In southern regions, fishing boats often keep dozens of them to catch fish.
Du Fu's poem says: "Every household keeps the 'Wugui' (Black Ghost), eating yellow fish every meal." Some say this refers to the cormorant. There is another bird resembling the cormorant, with a snake-like head and a long neck; in winter, its feathers fall out completely. It perches by streams, cannot walk when seeing people, and dives into the water. This is what *Erya* calls the Touyu and Yuyu, which is not used in medicine. The pronunciation of Touyu is "Niu".
Meng Shen (Cangqi) says: There is a species with a slender head, long body, and white neck, named Yuyu. It is not used in medicine.

**[Correction of Errors]** Tao Hongjing says: This bird does not lay eggs; it gives birth to young through its mouth, which is also a peculiarity.
Meng Shen (Cangqi) says: This bird is viviparous, giving birth from the mouth like a rabbit producing offspring; therefore, holding it helps women give birth easily.
Su Song (Zong ) says: People say pregnant women should avoid eating cormorants because it spits out its young. I once served as an official in Lizhou. Behind the government office stood a large tree with thirty or forty nests. Observing it morning and evening, I saw that they could mate, and there were green eggshells scattered on the ground. Thus, the statements of Tao Hongjing and Meng Shen were errors based on hearsay.
Li Shizhen says: There is a type of Bai Niao (sometimes written as KT) resembling the cormorant but white in color, which people mistakenly identify as a white cormorant. When male and female gaze at each other, the male calls from upwind and the female from downwind, leading to pregnancy, and they spit out their young. This is what Zhuangzi referred to as the Bai Niao gazing at each other, with unblinking eyes, undergoing natural hatching. Ancients mistakenly attributed spitting out young to the cormorant, likely because the characters for Niao and Yu sound similar. The Niao is good at high flight, riding wind and water, hence its image is painted on the prow of boats. There is another bird resembling the Niao but with a short neck, green back, and purple-white belly, named Qing Niao. Also known as Wu Niao. Tao Hongjing stated that the cuttlefish is transformed from this bird. Some say it is a duck, which is incorrect.

**[Properties and Flavor]** Sour, salty, cold, slightly toxic.

**[Indications]** Abdominal distension (Da Fu Gu Zhang), promoting urination (Li Shizhen).

**[Elucidation]** Li Shizhen says: The Cormorant's medicinal uses are not recorded in *Bie Lu*. Only Lei Xiao's *Pao Zhi Lun* preface states: For those with cold bodies and enlarged abdomens, reliance is placed entirely on the Cormorant. The annotation notes: To treat abdominal enlargement like a drum accompanied by coldness, burn the Cormorant until carbonized, grind into powder, and take with rice water for immediate cure. I speculate that various cases of abdominal distension generally belong to heat syndromes; when Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) merges and circulates within the blood vessels, it causes coldness in the body. As a water bird, its nature is cold and promotes diuresis. Coldness overcomes heat, and diuresis removes dampness, hence its efficacy.
Additionally, *Waitai Mi Yao* states: For anyone with a fish bone stuck in the throat, simply chanting "Cormorant" incessantly will cause the bone to pass. This is likely due to psychological suggestion or apotropaic intent.

**Head**
**[Properties and Flavor]** Slightly cold.
**[Indications]** Fish bone impaction and dysphagia, burnt to ash, ground, and taken with wine (*Bie Lu*).

**Bone**
**[Indications]** Burnt to ash and taken with water to expel impacted fish bones (Tao Hongjing).

**[Attached Prescriptions]** New prescription one.
Sparrow Egg Facial Spots: Burn Cormorant bone to ash, mix with Angelica dahurica (Baizhi) powder and lard. Apply at night and wash off in the morning. (*Zhixuan Fang*)

**Beak**
**[Indications]** Dysphagia; hold it in the mouth when symptoms arise. Relief follows immediately. (*Fan Wang Fang*)

**Crop**
**[Indications]** Fish bone impaction; swallowing it is most effective (Li Shizhen).

**Wings and Feathers**
**[Indications]** Burnt to ash, half a qian taken with water to cure fish bone impaction and dysphagia immediately (Li Shizhen. From *Taiping Yulan*).

**Shu Shui Hua**
*Bie Lu* states: This is Cormorant feces.
Tao Hongjing says: It is abundant in valleys and streams; collect it yourself and select the white parts. Those sold in markets are unreliable.
Su Song says: Feces accumulate on mountain rocks, appearing purple like flowers; scrape them directly from the stones. *Bie Lu* identifies feces as Shu Shui Hua, but Tang dynasty facial cream prescriptions use both substances together, so it is unclear if this is accurate.
Li Shizhen says: We should follow *Bie Lu* as correct. The error in Tang prescriptions arose from copying mistakes.

**[Properties and Flavor]** Cold, slightly toxic.

**[Indications]** Remove black moles on the face (*Bie Lu*). Treat facial scars and blemishes, as well as burns and scald marks. Mix with oil and apply to carbuncles (Kou Zongshi). Southerners treat pediatric malnutrition with roundworms by grinding it dry into powder and dipping roasted pork in it for consumption, claiming miraculous effects (Su Song). Expels parasites (Li Shizhen).

**[Attached Prescriptions]** Two old prescriptions, one new prescription.
Rosacea/Nasal Redness: One he of Cormorant feces ground into powder, mixed with lard from the twelfth lunar month. Apply nightly and wash off in the morning. (*Qianjin Fang*)
Fish Bone Impaction: Grind Cormorant feces, take one fangcun bi with water, and also apply the mixture with water externally to the throat. (*Fan Wang Fang*)
Alcohol Cessation: Burn Cormorant feces to ash, grind, and take one fangcun bi with water, once daily. (*Waitai Mi Yao*)