即蚶壳
泻,消症,散痰
甘咸。消血块,散痰积( 红、醋淬三次,为末,醋膏丸,治一切气血症瘕)。
泻热
味甘大寒。利湿清热,止渴(消渴)醒酒,利大、小便(能引热下行。熊彦诚病前后不
通,腹胀如鼓,众医莫措。遇一异人曰∶此易耳,奉施一药。即脱靴入水,探得一大螺,曰∶
事济矣。以盐和壳捣碎,帛系脐下一寸三分,曾未安席,砉然暴下。归访异人,无所见矣。
董守约以香港脚攻注,或教捶数螺系两股,便觉冷气趋下至足,即而亦安)。治香港脚黄胆,噤
口毒痢(用螺少加麝,捣饼烘热,贴脐下,引热下行,自然思食),目热赤痛(入盐花,取
汁点之),搽痔疮狐臭。
泻风热,明目
咸平。除肺、肝风热,青盲内障,水飞点目外障。亦治骨蒸劳热。通五淋(能清肺、肝
故也,古方多用治疡疽),解酒酸(为末,投热酒中,即解)。如蚌而扁,唯一片无对,七孔
、九孔者良。盐水煮一伏时,或面裹煨熟,研粉极细,水飞用。恶旋复花。
泻热,定惊
甘咸性寒。感月而胎(语云∶上巳有风梨有蠹,中秋无月蚌无胎),水精所孕。水能制
火,入心、肝二经。镇心安魂(肝藏魂。昂按∶虽云泻热,亦借其宝气也。大抵宝物多能镇
心安魂,如金箔、琥珀、真珠之类。龙齿安魂,亦假其神气也),坠痰拔毒,收口生肌。治
惊热痘疗,下死胎胞衣(珠末一两,苦酒服),涂面好颜色,点目去翳膜,绵裹塞耳治聋。
取新洁未经钻缀者,乳浸三日,研粉极细用(不细伤人脏腑。陆佃曰∶蛤蚌无阴阳牝牡,须
雀化成,故能生珠,专一于阴阳也)。
瓦楞子(即蚶壳)
具有泻下、消除癥积、消散痰结的功效。
味甘、咸。能消除血块,消散痰积。(用法:取红瓦楞子或醋淬三次的瓦楞子,研为细末,用醋和成丸剂,用于治疗各种气血瘀滞形成的癥瘕痞块。)
真珠(珍珠)
具有泻热功效。
味甘,性大寒。能利湿清热,止渴(治疗消渴症),解酒醒神,通利大、小便。(原理:能引导热邪下行。案例:熊彦诚患大小便不通,腹胀如鼓,众医无计可施。遇一异人说:“这很容易。”于是脱鞋入水,捞得一个大螺,说:“事情解决了。”将螺肉与盐捣碎,用布包裹系在脐下一寸三分处。尚未坐定,突然大便通畅。回去寻找异人,已不见踪影。董守约患香港脚(足部肿痛),有人教他用几个螺捶碎绑在大腿两侧,便感觉冷气下行至足,症状随即缓解。)用于治疗香港脚、黄疸、噤口毒痢(用法:用少量螺加麝香,捣成饼状烘热,贴于脐下,引导热邪下行,自然能进食)、目热赤痛(用法:加入盐花,取汁点眼)、痔疮、狐臭。
蛤蜊(蛤壳)
具有泻风热、明目的功效。
味咸,性平。能清除肺、肝的风热,治疗青盲内障,经水飞处理后点眼可治外障。也能治疗骨蒸劳热。通利五淋(原理:因其能清肺、肝之热,古方多用于治疗疮疡疽肿)。解酒酸(用法:研为细末,投入热酒中,即可解酒毒)。外形像蚌但较扁,只有一片无对合,有七孔、九孔的质地优良。用法:用盐水煮一个时辰,或用面裹煨熟,研成极细粉,用水飞法处理使用。忌与旋复花同用。
真珠(珍珠)
具有泻热、定惊的功效。
味甘、咸,性寒。随月相变化而孕育胎儿(俗语说:“上巳节有风梨就有蛀虫,中秋无月蚌就不怀孕”),是水中精气所孕育。水能制火,归心、肝二经。能镇心安魂(肝藏魂。汪昂按语:虽然说是泻热,也是借助其宝气。大致宝物多能镇心安魂,如金箔、琥珀、珍珠等。龙齿安魂,也是借用其神气)。能坠痰拔毒,收敛伤口,促进生肌。治疗惊热痘疮,下死胎胞衣(用法:珍珠末一两,用醋送服)。涂面可使面色红润,点眼可去除翳膜,绵裹塞耳可治疗耳聋。选用新鲜洁净未经钻孔的珍珠,用乳汁浸泡三天,研成极细粉使用(粉末不细会损伤脏腑。陆佃说:蛤蚌没有阴阳雌雄之分,必须依靠雀鸟化成,所以能生珠,专一于阴阳之道)。
Walengzi (Hairy Clam Shell)
Has the effects of purging, resolving masses, and dissipating phlegm.
Sweet and salty. Resolves blood stasis and dissipates phlegm accumulation. (Usage: Red Walengzi or Walengzi quenched in vinegar three times is ground into powder, formed into pills with vinegar paste, to treat all types of qi-blood stagnation forming masses.)
Zhenzhu (Pearl)
Has the effect of clearing heat.
Sweet and very cold in nature. Promotes diuresis, clears heat, relieves thirst (treating Xiao Ke / Wasting and Thirsting syndrome), resolves alcohol intoxication, and promotes urination (both large and small). (Mechanism: It guides heat downward. Case: Xiong Yancheng suffered from urinary and fecal retention, with abdominal distension like a drum; physicians were at a loss. A strange man said, "This is easy." He took off his shoes, entered the water, retrieved a large snail, and said, "The matter is settled." The snail meat was crushed with salt, wrapped in cloth, and tied 1.3 cun below the umbilicus. Before he could even sit down, there was a sudden profuse bowel movement. Upon returning to find the stranger, he was gone. Dong Shouyue suffered from Hong Kong Foot (swollen and painful feet); someone advised him to crush several snails and tie them to his thighs, after which he felt cold air descending to his feet, and relief followed.) Used for treating Hong Kong Foot, jaundice, Jin Kou Du Li (closed-mouth toxic dysentery) (Usage: Mix a small amount of snail with musk, form into a cake, warm it, and apply to the lower abdomen to guide heat downward, naturally restoring appetite), eye redness and pain due to heat (Usage: Add salt crystals, extract juice, and instill into eyes), hemorrhoids, and body odor.
Geli (Clam Shell)
Has the effects of clearing wind-heat and brightening the eyes.
Salty and neutral. Clears wind-heat from the Lung and Liver, treats Qing Mang Internal Obstruction (blindness), and external obstructions when applied to the eyes after aqueous levigation. Also treats bone-steaming tidal fever. Promotes urination for Wu Lin (Five Types of Dysuria) (Mechanism: Because it clears Lung and Liver heat, ancient formulas often used it for sores and carbuncles). Resolves alcohol-induced acidity (Usage: Ground into powder and added to hot wine, it resolves intoxication). Shape resembles a clam but is flatter, consisting of a single valve without a pair; those with seven or nine holes are of good quality. Usage: Boil in salt water for one shichen (two hours), or bake in dough until cooked, grind into extremely fine powder, and use after aqueous levigation. Incompatible with Xuan Fuhua (Inula Flower).
Zhenzhu (Pearl)
Has the effects of clearing heat and calming fright.
Sweet, salty, and cold in nature. Gestates according to the moon phases (As the saying goes, "If there is wind on Shangsi Festival, pears have worms; if there is no moon on Mid-Autumn, clams do not gestate"), pregnant with the essence of water. Water controls fire; enters the Heart and Liver meridians. Calms the mind and anchors the soul (The Liver stores the Hun [ethereal soul]. Wang Ang's note: Although it clears heat, it also relies on its precious energy. Generally, precious substances can calm the mind and anchor the soul, such as gold foil, amber, and pearl. Longchi [Dragon Tooth] calms the soul by borrowing its spiritual energy). Descends phlegm and extracts toxins, contracts wounds and generates flesh. Treats fright-heat and pustular diseases, expels dead fetus and placenta (Usage: One liang of Pearl powder taken with vinegar). Applied to the face to improve complexion, instilled in eyes to remove nebula, wrapped in cotton and inserted into the ear to treat deafness. Select fresh, clean pearls that have not been drilled, soak in milk for three days, grind into extremely fine powder for use (Coarse powder damages viscera. Lu Tian said: Clams and mussels lack yin-yang male-female distinction; they require transformation by sparrows to generate pearls, thus being dedicated to yin-yang principles).