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The *Ben Shi Fang* (Handy Prescriptions) records: The lung parasite resembles a silkworm; it can kill its host by eroding the interior of the pulmonary lobes and the lung system (respiratory passages), thereby causing consumption disease (tuberculosis). Consequently, symptoms such as coughing, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), and hoarseness occur. Because medicinal substances cannot reach the lesion, treatment is difficult.

The *Daozang Jing* (Canon of the Daoist Canon) states that the heads of various parasites generally point downward. However, from the first to the fifth day of the lunar month, the heads of these worms point upward. Therefore, administering medication during this period often yields effective results, which is the reason for this efficacy. Additionally, Yao Kuan in his *Xi Xi Cong Hua* (Conversations from West Creek) stated that parasites within the five zang organs mostly move upward, but the lung parasite moves downward and is the most difficult to treat. Using dried otter claws ground into powder mixed with medicine for treatment on the fourth and sixth days of the lunar month is effective because, on these days, the lung parasite moves upward. These two theories differ slightly; both are preserved here for reference.

In the north, there is a worm called the house centipede (*Youyan*), which resembles a centipede but is much finer. It likes to enter human ears and often feeds on brain marrow; if the marrow is exhausted, the person dies. One individual was sleeping in his study when a house centipede suddenly entered his ear. Initially, he felt no discomfort, but after a long time, he experienced severe headache, suspecting the worm was eating his brain. He suffered greatly but could do nothing about it. One day at noon, while napping over his desk with a plate of chicken nearby, he suddenly sneezed in his dream and felt something exit through his nose. Upon inspection, he found the house centipede on the chicken plate. Since then, his headache ceased completely. (From *Shu Yuan Za Ji*)

To expel a house centipede from the ear, pour cat feces into the ear, and it will immediately come out. To obtain cat feces, rub a cat's teeth with fresh ginger root. (From Zhang Zihe's *Shi Xing San Liao Fang*)

Worms capable of entering the ear are not limited to house centipedes; all insects behave similarly. A patient suffered from headache due to being eaten by worms. Someone advised him to use peach leaves as a pillow. Overnight, a worm emerged from his nose, shaped like an eagle's beak, but people did not know its name. (From Chen Zhengmin's *Dun Zhai Xian Lan*)

Wood and Fire correspond to Spring and Summer; damp Earth corresponds to the late summer season. Water transforms from Earth, thus many worms arise. It is also said that pinworms are extremely minute, resembling vegetable worms, residing in the intestines and stomach. An abundance leads to hemorrhoids, and in extreme cases, leprosy-like conditions. (From *Ru Men Shi Qin*)

During the Tang Dynasty, a physician named Wu Yuanzhen in the capital treated a woman who had returned south with her husband. She had accidentally ingested a worm and harbored constant suspicion regarding this incident, which caused her illness. Frequent treatments failed to reduce her condition, so she requested Wu Yuanzhen's medical care. Wu Yuanzhen deduced her ailment and instructed one of the master's aunts, known for being cautious and discreet, beforehand: "I will now use medication to induce vomiting. Please hold a basin or bowl to catch the vomit. When she vomits, simply state that you saw a small toad run away. However, under no circumstances should the patient know this is a deception." The aunt followed the agreement, and the illness was instantly cured. (From *Bei Meng Suo Yan*)