（音后。宋《嘉 》）
【释名】时珍曰∶按∶罗愿《尔雅翼》云∶鲎者，候也。鲎善候风，
【集解】藏器曰∶鲎生南海。大小皆牝牡相随。牝无目，得牡始行。牡去则牝死。
时珍曰∶鲎状如惠文冠及熨斗之形，广尺余。其甲莹滑青黑色。鏊背骨眼，
口在腹下，头如蜣螂。十二足，似蟹，在腹两旁
茎。背上有骨如角，高七、八寸，如石珊瑚状。每过海，相负于背
亦曰鲎 。其血碧色。腹有子如黍米，可为醯酱。尾有珠
雄即不动。渔人取之，必得其双。雄小雌大，置之水中，
伏沙上，亦自飞跃。皮壳甚坚，可为冠，亦屈为杓，入香
之可集鼠。其性畏蚊，螫之即死。又畏隙光，射之亦死，
其肉作 酱。小者名鬼鲎，食之害人。
肉
【气味】辛、咸，平，微毒。藏器曰∶无毒。
诜曰∶多食发嗽及疮癣。
【主治】治痔杀虫（孟诜）。
尾
【主治】烧焦，治肠风泻血，崩中带下，及产后痢（《日华》）。
【发明】藏器曰∶骨及尾烧灰，米饮服，大主产后痢。但须先服生地黄、蜜煎等讫，然
后服此，无不断。
胆
【主治】大风癞疾，杀虫（时珍）。
【附方】新一。
鲎胆散∶治大风癞疾。用鲎鱼胆、生白矾、生绿矾、腻粉、水银、麝香各半两，研不见
星。每服一钱，井华水下。取下五色涎为妙。（《圣济总录》）
壳
【主治】积年呷嗽（时珍）。
【附方】新一。
积年咳嗽，呀呷作声∶用鲎鱼壳半两，贝母（煨）一两，桔梗一分，牙皂一分（去皮酥
炙），为末，炼蜜丸弹子大。每含一丸，咽汁。服三丸，即吐出恶涎而瘥。（《圣惠》）
（读音为“后”。出自宋代《嘉祐本草》）
【释名】李时珍说：据罗愿在《尔雅翼》中记载：“鲎”字意为“候”。鲎善于观察风向。
【集解】陈藏器说：鲎生活在南海。无论大小，雌雄总是相随而行。雌性没有眼睛，必须依靠雄性才能行动。如果雄性离开，雌性就会死亡。
李时珍说：鲎的形状像惠文冠（古代一种帽子）以及熨斗的样子，宽度有一尺多。它的外壳光滑，呈青黑色。背部有骨刺如眼状排列，口位于腹部下方，头部形状像屎壳郎（蜣螂）。它有十二只脚，类似螃蟹，长在身体两侧。尾部有一根茎。背上有角状的骨头，高七八寸，形状像石珊瑚。每次经过海面，它们互相背负着在背上移动，所以也被称为“鲎輿”。它的血液是碧绿色的。腹中有像黍米大小的卵，可以用来制作醋酱。尾巴末端有珠状物，可以聚集老鼠。这种生物害怕蚊子，被蚊子叮咬就会死亡。又害怕缝隙中的光线，用光照射也会死亡。其肉可以制成酱。小的称为“鬼鲎”，食用对人有害。
【气味】味辛、咸，性平，微毒。陈藏器说：无毒。孟诜说：多吃会引发咳嗽以及疮癣。
【尾的主治】烧成焦炭后使用，可治疗肠风便血、崩漏带下，以及产后痢疾（《日华子本草》）。
【发明】陈藏器说：将鲎的骨和尾烧成灰，用米汤送服，对治疗产后痢疾效果显著。但必须先服用生地黄、蜜煎等药物之后，再服用此药，没有不痊愈的。
【附方】新增一方。
鲎胆散：治疗大风癞疾。取鲎鱼胆、生白矾、生绿矾、轻粉、水银、麝香各半两，研磨至不见星点（极细粉末）。每次服用一钱，用井华水（清晨第一次打的井水）送服。若能排出五色涎液为佳。（出自《圣济总录》）
【壳的主治】治疗多年的呷嗽（伴有哮鸣音的慢性咳嗽）（李时珍）。
【附方】新增一方。
多年咳嗽，发出呀呷声：取鲎鱼壳半两，贝母（煨制）一两，桔梗一分，牙皂一分（去皮，用酥油炙烤），研为细末，用炼蜜制成梧桐子大小的丸剂。每次含服一丸，让药汁慢慢咽下。服用三丸后，吐出恶涎即可痊愈。（出自《太平圣惠方》）
(Pronounced "hou". From the Song Dynasty *Jiayou Bencao* [Compendium of Materia Medica, Jiayou Era])
【Names】Li Shizhen states: According to Luo Yuan's *Erya Yi*, the character "hou" (horseshoe crab) means "to observe" or "wait for." The horseshoe crab is adept at observing wind directions.
【Collected Explanations】Chen Cangqi states: Horseshoe crabs inhabit the South Sea. Regardless of size, males and females always accompany each other. The female lacks eyes and can only move when with the male. If the male departs, the female dies.
Li Shizhen states: The horseshoe crab resembles a Huiben crown (an ancient type of hat) or an ironing board in shape, with a width of over one chi. Its shell is smooth and glossy, appearing dark greenish-black. The dorsal surface features bone-like structures arranged like eyes. The mouth is located on the ventral side, and the head resembles that of a dung beetle (*Scarabaeus*). It possesses twelve legs, similar to a crab, situated on both sides of the abdomen. There is a stalk-like tail. On its back, there are horn-like bony projections, seven to eight cun high, resembling stone coral. When crossing the sea, they carry each other on their backs, hence it is also called "Hou Yu" (Carrying Crab). Its blood is azure-green. Inside the abdomen are eggs the size of millet grains, which can be used to make vinegar sauce. The tip of the tail has a bead-like structure capable of attracting mice. This creature fears mosquitoes; if bitten by a mosquito, it dies. It also fears light penetrating through cracks; exposure to light causes death. Its meat can be made into paste. Small specimens are called "Gui Hou" (Ghost Horseshoe Crab), and consuming them is harmful to humans.
【Flavor and Properties】Acrid, salty, neutral in nature, slightly toxic. Chen Cangqi states: Non-toxic. Meng Shen states: Excessive consumption induces coughing and triggers sores and tinea.
【Therapeutic Actions】Treats hemorrhoids and eliminates parasites (Meng Shen).
【Tail Therapeutic Actions】Charred and administered, it treats intestinal wind with bloody stool, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, and postpartum dysentery (*Ri Hua Ben Cao*).
【Innovations】Chen Cangqi states: Ashes from the burned bones and tail, taken with rice water, are highly effective for postpartum dysentery. However, one must first administer Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di Huang) and honey-decocted preparations before taking this remedy, ensuring complete cure.
【Gallbladder Therapeutic Actions】Treats severe leprosy (Feng Dan Li Ji) and eliminates parasites (Li Shizhen).
【Attached Prescriptions】One new prescription.
Hou Dan San (Horseshoe Crab Gallbladder Powder): Treats severe leprosy. Use half liang each of horseshoe crab gallbladder, raw alum (Bai Fan), raw green vitriol (Lv Fan), calomel (Ni Fen), mercury (Shui Yin), and musk (She Xiang). Grind until no starry particles remain (extremely fine powder). Take one qian per dose, washed down with Jing Hua Shui (first-drawn well water at dawn). Expelling five-colored phlegm is considered ideal (*Shengji Zonglu*).
【Shell Therapeutic Actions】Treats chronic wheezing cough (Xia Sou) (Li Shizhen).
【Attached Prescriptions】One new prescription.
Chronic cough with wheezing sounds: Use half liang of horseshoe crab shell, one liang of Fritillariae Bulbus (Bei Mu, roasted), one fen of Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng), and one fen of Gleditsiae Sinensis Fructus (Ya Zao, skin removed, roasted with butter). Grind into powder, mix with refined honey to form pills the size of a large bean. Hold one pill in the mouth and swallow the juice slowly. After taking three pills, expelling foul phlegm leads to recovery (*Taiping Shenghui Fang*).