味咸、甘，平，无毒。主伤中，疝瘕，阴痿，益精，生子，疗女子血闭，腰痛，通五淋，
利小便水道。又疗男子虚
损，五脏气微，梦寐失精，遗溺。久服益气，养神。一名蚀疣。生桑枝上，螳螂子也，二月、
三
月采蒸之，当火炙，不尔令人泄。
得龙骨，疗泄精，畏旋复花。俗呼螳螂为 螂，逢树便产，以桑上者为好，是兼得桑皮
之津气。市人恐非真，皆令
合枝断取之尔，伪者亦以胶着桑枝之上也。
味苦、咸，平，无毒。主咳逆上气，喘息烦满，胸痛寒热，疗阴痿。一名魁蛤，生东海。
蜀漆为之使，畏狗胆、甘遂、芫花。此物以细如巨胜、润泽光净者，好；有粗如半杏仁
者，不入药用。
〔谨案〕雁腹
中出者极光润，主十二水满急痛，利膀胱大小肠。粗者亦谓为豚耳蛤，粗恶不堪也。
味咸，平，无毒。主恶疮，蚀五痔。咳逆胸痹，腰痛胁急，鼠 ，大孔出血，崩中漏下。
生
海蛤至滑泽，云从雁屎中得之，二三十过方为良，今人多取相 令磨荡似之尔；文蛤小、大
若别之，则数多，今以为附见，而在副品限也。凡有四物如此。〔
小者圆五六分。若今
妇人以置燕脂者，殊非海蛤之类也。夫天地间物，无非天地间用，岂限其数为正副耶！
味甘，平，无毒。主痿痹，泄痢，便脓血。一名魁陆，一名活东。生东海，正圆两头空，
表
形似纺 ，小狭长，外有纵横文理，云是老蝙蝠化为，用之至少。而《本经》海蛤，一
名魁蛤，与此为异也。
味咸、甘，平，无毒。主伤中，疝瘕，阴痿，益精，生子，疗女子血闭，腰痛，通五淋，利小便水道。又疗男子虚损，五脏气微，梦寐失精，遗溺。久服益气，养神。一名蚀疣。生桑枝上，螳螂子也，二月、三月采蒸之，当火炙，不尔令人泄。得龙骨，疗泄精，畏旋复花。俗呼螳螂为 螂，逢树便产，以桑上者为好，是兼得桑皮之津气。市人恐非真，皆令合枝断取之尔，伪者亦以胶着桑枝之上也。
味苦、咸，平，无毒。主咳逆上气，喘息烦满，胸痛寒热，疗阴痿。一名魁蛤，生东海。蜀漆为之使，畏狗胆、甘遂、芫花。此物以细如巨胜、润泽光净者，好；有粗如半杏仁者，不入药用。〔谨案〕雁腹中出者极光润，主十二水满急痛，利膀胱大小肠。粗者亦谓为豚耳蛤，粗恶不堪也。
味咸，平，无毒。主恶疮，蚀五痔。咳逆胸痹，腰痛胁急，鼠 ，大孔出血，崩中漏下。生海蛤至滑泽，云从雁屎中得之，二三十过方为良，今人多取相 令磨荡似之尔；文蛤小、大若别之，则数多，今以为附见，而在副品限也。凡有四物如此。〔小者圆五六分。若今妇人以置燕脂者，殊非海蛤之类也。夫天地间物，无非天地间用，岂限其数为正副耶！
味甘，平，无毒。主痿痹，泄痢，便脓血。一名魁陆，一名活东。生东海，正圆两头空，表形似纺 ，小狭长，外有纵横文理，云是老蝙蝠化为，用之至少。而《本经》海蛤，一名魁蛤，与此为异也。
Salty and sweet, neutral, non-toxic. It primarily treats damage to the middle jiao (Middle Burner), hernia masses (lump-like sensations in the lower abdomen), impotence, benefits essence, promotes fertility, treats amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) in women, lower back pain, unblocks the five types of strangury (dysuria), and facilitates urination. It also treats deficiency and depletion in men, weak qi of the five zang organs, nocturnal emission during dreams, and urinary incontinence. Long-term consumption tonifies qi and nourishes the spirit. Another name is Shi You (Erosion Wart). It grows on mulberry branches; it is the egg mass of the mantis. It should be harvested in the second and third lunar months, steamed, and then roasted over fire; otherwise, it may cause diarrhea. When combined with Long Gu (Fossilized Bones), it treats seminal emission. It is incompatible with Xuan Fu Hua (Inula Flower). Commonly, the mantis is referred to as "Lang." It lays eggs wherever it finds a tree, but those found on mulberry trees are considered superior because they absorb the fluids and qi of the mulberry bark. Market vendors may not sell genuine products, often cutting them off along with the branch; counterfeiters may also glue them onto mulberry branches.
Bitter and salty, neutral, non-toxic. It primarily treats cough with rebellious qi, wheezing, chest fullness and irritability, chest pain with alternating chills and fever, and impotence. Another name is Kui Ge (Trumpet Shell), which grows in the East China Sea. Xu Qi (Herba Descurainiae) serves as its guiding herb. It is incompatible with Gou Dan (Dog Gallbladder), Gan Sui (Radix Euphorbiae Kansui), and Yuan Hua (Flos Genkwa). The best quality is fine like sesame seeds, moist, lustrous, and clean; those coarse like half an almond kernel are not used medicinally. [Note]: Those extracted from the belly of wild geese are extremely smooth and glossy, primarily treating twelve types of water retention with urgent pain, and promoting urination through the bladder and large and small intestines. Coarse ones are also called Tun Er Ge (Pig Ear Clam), which are rough and unsuitable for use.
Salty, neutral, non-toxic. It primarily treats malignant sores, erodes the five types of hemorrhoids, treats cough with rebellious qi and chest bi-syndrome (obstruction causing pain), lower back pain with tight hypochondrium, rat abscesses, bleeding from the anus, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea. Genuine Hai Ge (Sea Clam) is very smooth and glossy. It is said to be obtained from goose droppings; only after being processed twenty or thirty times does it become effective. Nowadays, people mostly take ordinary clams and grind/polish them to resemble it. Wen Ge (Cockle) is smaller; if distinguished by size, there are many varieties. Now it is included as an appendix and limited to secondary grade. There are four such substances in total. [Small ones are round, five or six fen in diameter. If used by modern women as a base for rouge, they are certainly not of the Hai Ge category. All things in heaven and earth serve the purposes of heaven and earth; why limit their quantity to primary or secondary grades!]
Sweet, neutral, non-toxic. It primarily treats flaccidity and numbness, dysentery, and pus and blood in stool. Another name is Kui Lu, another is Huo Dong. It grows in the East China Sea. It is perfectly round with hollow ends, shaped like a spindle, slightly narrow and long, with longitudinal and transverse textures on the surface. It is said to be transformed from old bats, and is rarely used. However, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* lists Hai Ge with the alias Kui Ge, which differs from this substance.