轻，散风热
蝉乃土木余气所化，饮风露而不食。其气清虚而味甘寒，故除风热；其体轻浮，故发痘
疹；其性善蜕，故退目翳，催生下胞；其蜕为壳，故治皮肤疮疡瘾疹（与薄荷等分，为末，
酒调服）；其声清响，故治中风失音；又昼鸣夜息，故止小儿夜啼，蝉类甚多，惟大而色黑
者入药，洗去泥土、翅、足，浆水煮，晒干用（攻毒生用）。
蚱蝉，治小儿惊痫夜啼，杀疳去热，出胎下胞（时珍曰∶治皮肤疮疡风热，当用蝉蜕；
治脏腑经络，当用蝉身。各从其类也）。
涩，敛肺
咸酸。其性涩，能敛肺；其气寒，能降火。生津化痰，止嗽止血，敛汗（郑赞寰曰∶焙
研极细，以自己漱口水调敷脐上，治盗汗如神）解酒，疗消渴泄痢，疮癣五痔，下血脱肛，
脓水湿烂，子肠坠下，散热毒，消目肿（煎水洗之），敛疮口（热散，疮口自敛）其色黑，
能染须（丹溪曰∶倍子属金与水，噙之善收顽痰，解热毒。黄昏咳嗽，乃火浮肺中，不宜用
凉药，宜五倍、五味，敛而降之。《医学纲目》云∶王元圭虚而滑精，屡与加味四物汤，吞
河间秘真丸及珍珠粉丸，不止。后用五倍子一两，茯苓二两，丸服遂愈。此则倍子敛涩之功，
敏于龙骨、蛤粉也。昂按∶凡用秘涩药，能通而后能秘。此方用茯苓倍于五倍，一泻一收，
是以能尽其妙也）。嗽由外感，泻非虚脱者禁用。生盐肤木上，乃小虫食汁，遗种结球于叶
间（故主治之证，与盐肤子叶同功）。
五倍子壳，轻脆而中虚，可以染皂，或生或炒用。
【性味与功效】轻清，能疏散风热。
蝉蜕是土木余气所化生的昆虫，饮用风露而不进食谷物。它的性质清虚，味道甘寒，所以能清除风热；它的形体轻浮，所以能透发痘疹；它的本性善于蜕皮，所以能消退目翳（角膜云翳），促进胎盘排出；它的外壳像壳一样，所以能治疗皮肤疮疡和瘾疹（可与薄荷等量研磨成末，用酒调服）；它的声音清脆响亮，所以能治疗中风导致的失音；又因为它白天鸣叫、夜晚休息，所以能止住小儿夜间啼哭。蝉的种类很多，只有体型大且颜色黑的入药，需洗去泥土、翅膀和脚，用浆水煮过，晒干后使用（若用于攻毒则生用）。
蚱蝉（蝉的幼虫或全虫），用于治疗小儿惊痫和夜间啼哭，杀灭疳积之热，帮助胎儿娩出及胎盘排出（李时珍说：治疗皮肤疮疡风热，应当用蝉蜕；治疗脏腑经络疾病，应当用蝉身。这是各取同类之性的缘故）。
【性味与功效】涩味，能收敛肺气。
味道咸酸。它的性质涩，能收敛肺气；它的气寒，能降火。能生津液、化痰浊，止咳止血，止汗（郑赞寰说：焙干研成极细粉末，用自己的漱口水调和敷在肚脐上，治疗盗汗效果神奇），解酒毒，治疗消渴病、泄泻痢疾，疮癣、五种痔疮，便血脱肛，脓水淋漓湿烂，子宫下垂，散发热毒，消除目肿（煎汤外洗），收敛疮口（热散后，疮口自然愈合）。它的颜色黑，能染黑头发（朱丹溪说：五倍子属于金与水，含在口中善于收敛顽固痰浊，解除热毒。黄昏时的咳嗽，是因为火气浮游于肺中，不宜用凉药，宜用五倍子和五味子，收敛并降逆。《医学纲目》记载：王元圭体虚且滑精，多次服用加味四物汤，吞服河间秘真丸及珍珠粉丸，病情不止。后来只用五倍子一两，茯苓二两，制成丸药服用，于是痊愈。这是我汪昂按语：凡是使用固涩的药物，必须先通利然后才能固涩。此方中茯苓用量是五倍子的两倍，一泻一收，因此能发挥其奇妙疗效）。因外感引起的咳嗽，以及非虚脱性质的泄泻，禁用此药。五倍子生长在盐肤木上，是小虫子吸食树汁，遗留种子在叶片间结成的球状物（所以它的主治证候，与盐肤子叶的功效相同）。
五倍子的外壳，质地轻脆且中空，可以用来染皂，或者生用，或者炒用。
[Properties and Actions] Light in nature, it disperses wind-heat.
The cicada shell (Chantui) is transformed from the residual qi of earth and wood; the cicada drinks wind and dew without eating solid food. Its nature is clear and empty, its taste is sweet and cold, thus it eliminates wind-heat; its body is light and floating, thus it promotes the eruption of smallpox and chickenpox rashes; its nature is good at shedding skin, thus it reduces corneal opacity (nebula), facilitates the delivery of the placenta; its exuviae forms a shell, thus it treats skin sores and urticaria (mix equal parts with Bohe/Menthae Haplocalycis Herba, grind into powder, take with wine); its voice is clear and resonant, thus it treats aphonia due to wind-stroke; furthermore, it cries during the day and rests at night, thus it stops nocturnal crying in infants. There are many species of cicadas, but only those that are large and black are used in medicine. They must be washed to remove soil, wings, and legs, boiled in starch water, dried, and then used (use raw for expelling toxins).
The grasshopper cicada (Zha Chan) treats infantile convulsions and nocturnal crying, kills intestinal parasites and clears heat, and assists in fetal delivery and expulsion of the placenta (Shizhen said: For treating skin sores and wind-heat, use Chantui/Cicada Slough; for treating zang-fu organs and meridians, use Zhachan/Cicada Body. This follows the principle of using each according to its kind).
[Properties and Actions] Astringent, it consolidates the Lung.
Taste is salty and sour. Its nature is astringent, capable of consolidating the Lung Qi; its energy is cold, capable of descending fire. It generates fluids, transforms phlegm, stops coughing and bleeding, arrests sweating (Zheng Zanhuan said: Calcine and grind to an extremely fine powder, mix with one's own mouthwash, apply to the umbilicus; this cures night sweats miraculously), resolves alcohol toxicity, treats Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst syndrome), diarrhea and dysentery, tinea, five types of hemorrhoids, hematochezia with rectal prolapse, purulent discharge and moist rotting, procidentia (prolapse of the intestine), dissipates heat toxins, and reduces eye swelling (decoct for washing), closes wound openings (once heat dissipates, wounds close naturally). Its color is black, capable of dyeing hair (Danxi said: Beizi/Five-Gallnut belongs to Metal and Water; holding it in the mouth effectively gathers stubborn phlegm and resolves heat toxins. Evening cough arises from floating fire in the Lung; cooling herbs are inappropriate here. Instead, use Beizi/Five-Gallnut and Wuweizi/Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus to astringe and descend. The *Medical Outline* records: Wang Yuangui was deficient and suffered from seminal emission; repeated treatments with Jiawei Siwu Tang, Hejian Mizhen Wan, and Zhenzhu Fen Wan failed to stop the symptoms. Later, he took pills made of 1 liang of Beizi/Five-Gallnut and 2 liang of Fuling/Poria, which cured him. My note: Any astringent herb requires prior unblocking to achieve effective retention. In this prescription, Poria is used twice the amount of Five-Gallnut; one drains while the other astringes, thus achieving its efficacy.) Contraindicated for coughs caused by external pathogens and diarrhea not due to deficiency collapse. It grows on Rhus chinensis (Yanshumu), formed when small insects feed on sap and deposit eggs between leaves, forming galls (therefore, its therapeutic indications share the same function as the leaves of Yanshizi/Rhus chinensis).
The shell of the Five-Gallnut is light, brittle, and hollow inside; it can be used to dye soap, either raw or stir-fried.