（《本经》下品）
【释名】夜光（《本经》）、熠耀（音煜跃）、
挟火（并《吴普》）、
宗 曰∶萤常在大暑前后飞出，是得大火之气而化，故明照如此。
时珍曰∶萤从荧省，荧，小火也，会意。《豳风》∶熠耀宵行。宵行乃虫名，熠耀其光
也。《诗》注及本草，皆误以熠耀为萤名矣。
【集解】《别录》曰∶萤火生阶地池泽。七月七日取，阴干。
弘景曰∶此是腐草及烂竹根所化，初时如蛹，腹下已有光，数日变而能飞。方术家捕置
酒中令死，乃干之。俗用亦稀。
时珍曰∶萤有三种∶一种小而宵飞，腹下光明，乃茅根所化也，吕氏《月令》所谓“腐
草
蛆，《明堂月令》所谓“腐草化为蠲”者是也，其名宵行，茅竹
之气，遂变化成形尔。一种水萤，居水中，唐·李子卿《水萤赋
何为而居泉”是也。入药用飞萤。
【气味】辛，微温，无毒。
【主治】明目（《本经》）。疗青盲（甄权）。
小儿火疮伤，热气蛊毒鬼疰，通神精（《本经》）。
【发明】时珍曰∶萤火能辟邪明目，盖取其照幽夜明之义耳。《神仙
火丸事迹甚详；而庞安常《总病论》，亦极言其效验。云∶曾试用之，一家
病，惟四人带此者不病也。许叔微《伤寒歌》亦称之。予亦恒欲试之，因循未暇耳
苏、黄器重友，想不虚言。《神仙感应篇》云∶务成子萤火丸，主辟疾病，恶气百鬼，
蛇虺，蜂虿诸毒，五兵白刃，盗贼凶害。昔汉冠军将军武威太守刘子南，从道士尹公受得此
方。永平十二年，于北界与虏战败绩，士卒略尽。子南被围，矢下如雨，未至子南马数尺，
矢辄坠地。虏以为神，乃解去。子南以方教子弟，为将皆未尝被伤也。汉末青牛道士得之，
以传安定皇甫隆，隆以传魏武帝，乃稍有人得之。故一名冠军丸，又名武威丸。用萤火、鬼
箭（削去皮羽）、蒺藜各一两，雄黄、雌黄各二两， 羊角
二
两，铁锤柄（入铁处烧焦）一两半，俱为末。以鸡子黄、
作三角绛囊盛五丸，带于左臂上（从军系腰中，居家
【附方】新二。
黑发∶七月七日夜，取萤火虫二七枚，捻发自黑也。（《便民图纂》方）
明目∶劳伤肝气目暗方∶用萤
极妙。一方用白犬胆。（《圣惠方
（收录于《神农本草经》下品）
【释名】夜光（出自《本经》）、熠耀（读音为“煜跃”）、挟火（均出自《吴普本草》）。
兆曰：萤火虫常在大暑节气前后飞出，这是得大火星之气而化生，所以光亮如此。
时珍曰：“萤”字从“荧”省减而来，“荧”意为小火，属于会意字。《诗经·豳风》中说：“熠耀宵行。”“宵行”是虫名，“熠耀”形容其发光的样子。《诗经》注疏及本草书中，都错误地将“熠耀”当作萤的名字了。
【集解】《名医别录》说：萤火虫生长在台阶下的地面、池塘和沼泽地带。七月七日采集，阴干。
弘景曰：这是腐草和烂竹根所化生的，起初像蛹，腹部下面已经有光，几天后变化就能飞行了。方术之士捕捉后放入酒中使其死亡，然后干燥处理。民间使用也很少。
时珍曰：萤有三种：一种体型小且在夜间飞行，腹部下方明亮，是由茅草根化生的，即吕氏《月令》所说的“腐草化为蛆”，以及《明堂月令》所说的“腐草化为蠲”的种类，它的名字叫宵行，是茅竹之气，于是变化成形罢了。一种叫水萤，居住在水中，唐代李子卿的《水萤赋》中有“何为而居泉”的诗句描述的就是它。入药使用的是能飞的萤。
【气味】辛味，微温，无毒。
【主治】明目（出自《本经》）。治疗青盲（甄权）。小儿火疮烧伤，热气蛊毒鬼疰，通神精（出自《本经》）。
【发明】时珍曰：萤火虫能辟邪明目，大概是取其照亮幽暗、夜晚发光的含义罢了。《神仙……》记载火丸的事迹非常详细；而庞安常的《总病论》，也极力称赞其疗效。他说：曾经试用过，一家有人生病，只有佩戴此药的四人没有生病。许叔微的《伤寒歌》也称颂它。我也常常想试用，只是因循拖延没来得及罢了。苏东坡和黄庭坚器重朋友的情谊，想必不会说空话。《神仙感应篇》说：务成子的萤火丸，主要用来辟除疾病、恶气百鬼、蛇虺、蜂虿等各种毒物，以及兵器白刃、盗贼凶害等。从前汉朝冠军将军武威太守刘子南，从道士尹公那里得到这个方子。永平十二年，在北界与敌寇作战失败，士兵几乎耗尽。刘子南被包围，箭如雨下，但箭未到刘子南马前几尺处就掉落在地。敌人认为他神奇，于是撤退离去。刘子南将此方教导子弟，做将领的都未曾受伤。汉末青牛道士得到此方，传给安定人皇甫隆，皇甫隆又传给魏武帝，于是稍有人能得到。所以又名冠军丸，又名武威丸。用萤火、鬼箭（削去皮羽）、蒺藜各一两，雄黄、雌黄各二两，羊角二两，铁锤柄（插入铁的部分烧焦）一两半，全部研为末。用鸡蛋黄调和，做成三角色绛囊盛装五丸，佩戴在左臂上（从军时系在腰间，居家时……
【附方】新收二则。
黑发：七月七日夜，取萤火虫十四枚，捻碎涂抹头发可使头发变黑。（出自《便民图纂》方）
明目：劳伤肝气导致目暗方：用萤……极妙。一方用白犬胆。（出自《圣惠方》）
(Recorded in the Lower Grade of *Shennong Bencao Jing*)
[Names] Yeguang (Night Light, from *Benjing*), Yi Yao (pronounced "Yu Yue"), Xie Huo (both from *Wu Pu's Materia Medica*).
Zhao stated: Fireflies often emerge around the Great Heat solar term. This is because they transform by obtaining the Qi of the Great Fire star, hence their brightness.
Shizhen stated: The character "Ying" (Firefly) is derived from the abbreviated form of "Ying" (Glimmer), which means small fire; it is a phono-semantic compound indicating meaning. In the *Book of Songs*, "Bin Feng": "Yi Yao Xiao Xing." "Xiao Xing" is the name of an insect, and "Yi Yao" describes its glowing appearance. Both the annotations to the *Book of Songs* and various materia medica texts erroneously took "Yi Yao" as the name for the firefly.
[Collection and Explanation] *Bielu* states: Fireflies are found on the ground near steps, in ponds, and marshes. They should be collected on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and dried in the shade.
Hongjing stated: These are transformed from rotting grass and decaying bamboo roots. Initially, they resemble pupae with light already present under their abdomens; after several days, they change and become capable of flight. Practitioners of arts capture them, place them in wine to kill them, and then dry them. Their use in common practice is rare.
Shizhen stated: There are three types of fireflies: One type is small, flies at night, and has a bright abdomen. These are transformed from thatch grass roots, corresponding to what Lüshi's *Yueling* calls "rotting grass turning into maggots," and what *Mingtang Yueling* calls "rotting grass transforming into juan." Their name is Xiao Xing; it is the Qi of thatch and bamboo that transforms into this form. Another type is the water firefly, which lives in water, as described in Li Ziqing's Tang dynasty poem *Ode to Water Fireflies*: "Why dwell in the spring?" For medicinal use, the flying firefly is employed.
[Flavor and Properties] Pungent, slightly warm, non-toxic.
[Therapeutic Actions] Improves vision (*Benjing*). Treats Qingmang (blindness with clear cornea, Zhen Quan). For children's fire burns, heat-related Gu poison and Gui Zhu (wandering pestilence), it enhances spiritual clarity (*Benjing*).
[Innovation and Clarification] Shizhen stated: Fireflies can ward off evil spirits and improve vision, likely deriving from the meaning of illuminating darkness and shining at night. The records regarding the Firefly Pill in *Shenxian...* are very detailed; Pang Anchang's *Zongbing Lun* also highly praises its efficacy. He said: I have tested it personally; when a family suffered from illness, only the four individuals who carried this medicine remained healthy. Xu Shumi's *Shanghan Ge* also extols it. I have often wished to test it myself but have been delayed by procrastination. Su Shi and Huang Tingjian valued friendship, so their words are surely not empty. The *Shenxian Yinggan Pian* states: Wuchengzi's Firefly Pill mainly serves to ward off diseases, evil Qi, hundred ghosts, venomous snakes like shehu, wasps and scorpions, weapons and white blades, and dangers from thieves. In ancient times, Liu Zinan, General of the Champion and Governor of Wuwei of the Han Dynasty, received this prescription from the Daoist Yin Gong. In the 12th year of Yongping, he fought rebels at the northern border and was defeated, with his soldiers almost entirely wiped out. Surrounded by enemies, arrows fell like rain, yet none reached within a few feet of Liu Zinan's horse; the arrows would fall to the ground before reaching him. The enemy considered him divine and retreated. Liu Zinan taught this formula to his descendants, and generals using it were never injured. At the end of the Han Dynasty, the Green Ox Daoist obtained it and passed it to Huanfu Long of Anding, who passed it to Emperor Wu of Wei, allowing some people to obtain it thereafter. Thus, it is also named Champion Pill or Wuwei Pill. It uses one tael each of firefly, Gui Jian (arrow wood, peeled of skin and feathers), Jili (Tribulus terrestris); two taels each of Xionghuang (Realgar) and Cihuang (Orpiment); two taels of Yang Jiao (sheep horn); and one and a half taels of Tie Chui Bing (the iron-insert part of a hammer handle, burnt until charred). All are ground into powder. Mixed with egg yolk, formed into five pills, placed in a triangular crimson silk pouch, and worn on the left arm (tied to the waist when going to war, kept indoors...).
[Attached Prescriptions] Two new prescriptions.
Blackening Hair: On the night of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, take fourteen fireflies, crush them, and apply to hair to turn it black. (Prescription from *Bianmin Tuzuan*)
Improving Vision: Prescription for Dim Vision due to Liver Qi Injury from Overwork: Use firefly... extremely effective. Another prescription uses the gallbladder of a white dog. (From *Shenghui Fang*)