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Lei Gong said: When using the carapace of a soft-shelled turtle (Biejia, 鳖甲), select those that are green, have nine ribs, possess abundant skirt-like edges, and weigh seven taels as the highest grade.
When used in formulas for regulating Qi, breaking up masses, eliminating accumulations (Zhengjia, 症瘕), and calming the mind, each piece of Biejia should be sealed at the bottom of a bottle with Liuyi mud (a mixture of six parts clay and one part other materials). After drying, place it over a strong fire with an object underneath, add first-grade vinegar, and decoct until three sheng (approximately 600ml) of vinegar is consumed. Then remove the skirt and ribs, roast until dry, and then incorporate into medicinal preparations.
Additionally, when used in formulas treating consumptive diseases (Laobing, 劳病) or clearing heat, follow the previous method using mud sealing, but decoct with urine from a healthy young boy (Tongzi Xiaoshui, 童子小便) continuously day and night until one dou two sheng (approximately 2.4 liters) of urine is consumed. Afterwards, remove the skirt, retain the bone, pound it on stone, grind it in a stone mortar into powder, wrap it in chicken skin, take three to two dou (3-20 liters) of running water from the east, place it in a basin, suspend the wrapped powder over the basin overnight. By morning, it is ready for use; its efficacy will be ten thousand times greater.

Lei Gong said: When using the dried larva of a silkworm infected by a fungus (Baijiangcan, 白僵蚕), select those with complete white patterns.
After harvesting, hang them under the eaves in the eastern corner to dry naturally. After removing soil impurities, decoct them in fermented rice water (Jiangshui, 浆水) for one day. At night, bake them dry, grind them into fine powder, and use.

Lei Gong said: When using cuttlefish bone (Haipiaoxiao, 海螵蛸), those sourced from mulberry or cypress trees are superior.
After harvesting, dry them in the shade. Once dry, stir-fry them together with glutinous rice until the rice turns charred black. Then remove the rice, clean the cuttlefish bone by removing the beak area, body hairs, and black dust, cut into three or four pieces, grind into powder, and use.

Lei Gong said: When using Haipiaoxiao, do not use shark cartilage/bone because it resembles the true material but has transverse grain patterns and is unsuitable for medicinal use. Select those with smooth, rounded longitudinal grain patterns. Soak and decoct them in saline brine (Xuelu, 血卤) for one shichen (two hours). Strain out, dig a pit under the eaves large enough to hold the specified amount of cuttlefish bone. First burn the pit, remove the charcoal embers, place the medicine inside, leave overnight until morning, then retrieve and use; its efficacy will be doubled.

Lei Gong said: When using Baijiangcan, first soak it in rice washing water for one day. Wait until the serous fluid from the silkworm emerges, resembling snail slime floating on the surface of the water. Then strain it out, bake it dry over a mild fire, wipe off the yellow fleshy hairs and black mouthparts/claws with a clean cloth, crush it alone, sieve it into powder, and use.