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Sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians. Primarily warms the stomach and strengthens the spleen to promote appetite, tonifies deficiency and emaciation, treats intestinal dysfunction with improper digestion of food and water, wind-stool with blood stasis; when calcined to ash, it can be applied externally to various sores. Its roe regulates the middle jiao and benefits liver qi; contraindicated with pork, pheasant, and rock sugar.

Commentary: Carp is a sweet-warm substance and is formed from earth energy, thus it is suitable for entering the Spleen and Stomach meridians. *Jiyao Zalu* states: Most fish belong to Fire, but carp belongs to Earth, possessing the function of harmonizing the stomach and benefiting the intestines; however, excessive consumption can also stir up internal heat.

Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, non-toxic, enters the Spleen, Lung, and Liver meridians. Primarily treats cough with rebellious qi, asthma, edema and lower limb fullness, jaundice with irritability and thirst, calms the fetus, treats pregnancy-related body swelling, cold qi accumulation forming masses (Pi), qi knots across the Guan point, and Fuliang disease. The gallbladder is used to drop into eyes to remove nebula, drip into ears to remove deafness, and apply to pediatric heat swelling. Blood is applied to pediatric erysipelas and sores. Fat primarily treats pediatric epilepsy and palpitations. Scales, when calcined and taken with wine, break down postpartum blood stasis. Intestines primarily treat pediatric skin sores and scrofula, and extract parasites. Bones treat genital erosion, red and white leukorrhea. Teeth treat strangury and stone strangury. Skin treats urticaria and malignant sores; contraindicated with Pig Liver, Tian Dong (Asparagi Radix), and Mai Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix).

Commentary: The sweetness of carp originally enters the Spleen home; Earth generates Metal, and Metal controls Wood, therefore it also enters the Lung and Liver meridians. *Yanyi* states: Carp is a substance of extreme Yin. It has thirty-six scales; when Yin reaches its limit, Yang returns, hence the tendency to cause "fish heat" (stirring wind-heat). Shuhe said: Heat generates wind, thus consuming it often induces wind-heat syndromes. Most authors do not discuss this, only Rihua Zi stated: Claiming carp is cool is unreasonable; if one consumes fish while suffering from wind syndromes, it will cause endless disaster! Smoked carp damages the eyes; consuming it after an epidemic illness, if symptoms recur, death is certain.

Salty in taste, slightly warm in nature, slightly toxic, enters the Kidney meridian. Primarily treats metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, red and white leukorrhea, amenorrhea, genital erosion with swelling and pain, removes eye nebula and stops tearing, manages traumatic injuries to stop bleeding, treats fright qi entering the abdomen causing periumbilical pain, penile swelling due to cold, excessive pus in sores, and alternating chills and fever with mass accumulations (Zhengjia). Long-term consumption promotes fertility; contraindicated with Bai Lian (Ampelopsis Radix), Bai Ji (Bletillae Rhizoma), and Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata).

Commentary: The salinity of cuttlefish is suitable for returning to the Water organ (Kidney), having special efficacy in treating diseases. Nowadays, few people use it, perhaps because they do not understand its merits.

Leigong said: When using, do not use shark bone, as it resembles the true product, but its grain runs horizontally and is not used in medicine. When selecting, choose those with vertical grain. Moisten with blood, soak in water, and boil for one shichen (two hours). Remove and place in a pit dug under the eaves, large enough to hold the prepared cuttlebone. First burn the pit to remove charcoal ash, place the medicine inside overnight, and retrieve it the next morning. This processing method doubles its efficacy.