螳螂深秋乳子作房。粘着桑枝上。即螵蛸也。长寸许。大如拇指。其内重重有隔。
每房有子如蛆卵。至芒种后齐出。（濒湖）二三月方可收采。（贞白）
味咸甘。气平。气薄味浓。阴也。入足少阴太阳经。肝肾命门药也。（濒湖）本经治伤
中疝瘕
精。或
权）古方
恍惚
甲
之。
劳盗汗
桑螵蛸
辅之味
螵蛸十
更可
五丸
〔论〕 桑螵蛸深秋乳子。固蛰于房。交芒种乃奋出。其生在大火成功之后。其出当大
火秉
辛相
辛以
命门
又
用
能行能固。适如乎精专之气而已。但行止补泻。必酌于他味以主之耳。其气味虽咸平。走肾
而利水道。然得秋时收敛之气。凡失精遗溺火气太盛者。宜少少用之。（仲淳）
〔辨治〕 必以结桑枝上者为良。桑乃水星之精。是物禀金气。由母趋子气。故精专也。
寇
亦
凡蚕类入药。俱用食桑者。此虫属阳。喜燥恶湿。食而不饮。三眠三起。二十七日
自卵出为 。 蜕为蚕。蚕而茧。茧而蛹。蛹而蛾。蛾而卵。卵而复 。亦有胎生者
蚕也。（濒湖）僵蚕乃蚕病风死。其色自白而不朽。有合箔皆僵者。即时曝燥不坏。蚕
同气。隐居云。僵蚕末涂马齿。即不能食草。以桑叶拭去。乃还食。此见蚕为马类。亦
僵蚕与蚕之功用迥殊。
味辛微咸。气微温。气味俱薄。轻浮而升。阳中阳也。入足厥阴手太阴少阳经。主小儿
惊痫夜
以散
之气。
取
者。
又兼金
气而制木
则卫道已
勾麝香金箔
半烧。等分为
白梅肉和丸。
匕。重舌木舌
中白鱼。等分
〔论〕蚕得火土之气。而火中有金。所谓燥金也。入药必取食桑者。因桑禀水土之精。
而气
于阴
似
从
以
木
木从
坏决
即肺
主于散
攻头风（八
肝丸之镇火。）
乌药顺气散。行痹
豆蔻丸）头痛（麻黄附子汤）
治风乎哉。以木从金化之物。
属者。虽各司其职。然温凉寒
寒热而胥宜。所谓全其风化之
治有余之邪。却非专治外邪。
之郁。轻则以木香香附调之。
山栀龙胆草之类抑而收之。是
之化。从风木之本而治之也。
〔修治〕 不拘早晚蚕。但用白色而条直者。（颂）去嘴足。微炒。或去丝嘴。炒过用。
肆中
螳螂在深秋产卵并筑巢，粘附在桑树枝上，这就是桑螵蛸。长约一寸左右，粗细如拇指。其内部层层有隔膜。每个巢内都有像蛆卵一样的卵。到芒种节气后全部孵化出来。（李时珍）二三月才可以采收。（陈藏器）
味咸、甘。气平。气薄味浓。属阴。入足少阴肾经和足太阳膀胱经。是肝肾及命门（肾间动气，生命之本）的药物。（李时珍）《神农本草经》主治伤中疝瘕积聚、精液亏损。古方中用于恍惚失志、劳热盗汗等症。桑螵蛸可辅助治疗，取其味咸能入肾，十枚桑螵蛸制成五丸服用，更为有效。
〔论述〕 桑螵蛸在深秋产子，固守于房中，直到芒种时节才奋然而出。它生长在大火星当令、万物成熟的季节之后，出现时正值大火星主事之时。其性既能通行又能固涩，恰好符合精气专一的特性。但关于其行散或止涩、补益或泻实的作用，必须根据其他药物的配伍来主导。其气味虽为咸平，走肾经而通利水道，但得秋季收敛之气。凡是因火气太盛导致的遗精、尿失禁者，宜少量使用。（陈继儒）
〔辨治〕 必须以结在桑枝上的为佳。桑树乃水星之精华，此物禀受金气，由母体趋向子代的气机，故精气专一。寇宗奭认为，凡蚕类入药，都用吃桑叶的蚕。这种虫属阳，喜燥恶湿，只吃不喝，经历三次休眠三次苏醒，二十七天从卵孵化为蚁蚕，蜕皮变为蚕，结茧，化蛹，羽化为蛾，蛾产卵，卵又复化为蚁蚕。也有胎生的蚕。（李时珍）僵蚕是蚕患风病而死，颜色自白而不腐烂。有时整箔的蚕都僵死，即时晒干也不坏。僵蚕与蚕同气。陶隐居说，将僵蚕研末涂在马齿上，马就不能吃草；用桑叶擦去，马就恢复吃草。这说明蚕与马同类。但僵蚕与活蚕的功效截然不同。
味辛、微咸。气微温。气味俱薄。轻浮上升。属阳中之阳。入足厥阴肝经、手太阴肺经和手少阳三焦经。主治小儿惊痫夜啼。可用僵蚕粉末配合其他药物散风。取僵蚕半两，烧存性，等分为末，用白梅肉和丸，每服一匕。重舌、木舌可用僵蚕配人中白、白鱼，等分研末外用。
〔论述〕 蚕得火土之气，而火中有金，所谓燥金。入药必须选用吃桑叶的蚕，因为桑树禀受水土之精华。其气似从阴出阳，以木从金化。所以主要功效在于疏散，攻头风（如用天麻川芎丸镇火）。乌药顺气散行痹痛，豆蔻丸治头痛（麻黄附子细辛汤）。这是治风吗？是以木从金化的事物。虽然各司其职，但温凉寒热皆适宜。所谓保全其风化之性，治疗有余之邪，却非专门治疗外邪。对于郁滞，轻则用木香、香附调理，重则用山栀、龙胆草之类抑制收敛。这是从风木之本而治之。
〔修治〕 不拘早晚蚕，只要用白色且条直者。（苏颂）去掉嘴和足，微炒，或去掉丝嘴，炒过后使用。药店中常见。
Mantises produce offspring and build nests in late autumn, adhering them to mulberry branches; this is Sangpiaoxiao (Mantis Egg-case). It is about one cun long and as thick as a thumb. Internally, it has multiple layers of septa. Each nest contains eggs resembling maggot larvae. They all hatch after the Mangzhong solar term. (Li Shizhen) They can be harvested in the second or third lunar month. (Chen Cangqi)
The taste is salty and sweet. The nature is neutral. The qi is thin while the flavor is strong. It belongs to Yin. It enters the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian and the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. It is a herb for the Liver, Kidney, and Mingmen (Gate of Vitality). (Li Shizhen) The *Shennong Bencao Jing* treats internal injury, hernia, and mass accumulation, and essence loss. Ancient formulas use it for mental confusion and absent-mindedness, as well as night sweats due to deficiency heat. Sangpiaoxiao can assist in treatment; taking ten egg-cases made into five pills is more effective.
[Discussion] Sangpiaoxiao produces offspring in late autumn and remains sealed within the case until it emerges vigorously after the Mangzhong solar term. It develops after the period when the Fire Star governs and things mature, and emerges when the Fire Star holds sway. Its nature allows both movement and consolidation, fitting perfectly with the concentrated energy of essence. However, whether it moves or stops, tonifies or drains, must be governed by the combination with other herbs. Although its taste and nature are salty and neutral, and it travels to the Kidney to promote water passages, it possesses the converging qi of autumn. For cases of seminal emission and urinary incontinence caused by excessive fire, it should be used in small amounts. (Chen Jiru)
[Differentiation and Treatment] Those attached to mulberry branches are considered superior. Mulberry trees are the essence of the Water Star; this organism inherits Metal qi, moving from mother to offspring, thus possessing concentrated essence. Kou Zongshi stated that all silkworms used as medicine are those that eat mulberry leaves. This insect belongs to Yang, prefers dryness and dislikes dampness, eats but does not drink, undergoes three sleeps and three awakenings, and hatches from the egg as an ant-silkworm after twenty-seven days, molts into a silkworm, spins a cocoon, pupates, emerges as a moth, lays eggs, and the eggs hatch back into ant-silkworms. There are also viviparous silkworms. (Li Shizhen) Jiangcan (Stiff Silkworm) is a silkworm that died of wind disease; its color becomes white naturally and does not rot. Sometimes all silkworms in a tray stiffen; if dried immediately, they do not spoil. Jiangcan shares the same qi as silkworms. Tao Hongjing said that applying Jiangcan powder to horse teeth prevents them from eating grass; wiping it off with mulberry leaves restores their ability to eat. This shows that silkworms are similar to horses. However, the functions of Jiangcan and live silkworms are vastly different.
The taste is pungent and slightly salty. The nature is slightly warm. Both qi and flavor are thin. It is light, floating, and ascending. It belongs to Yang within Yang. It enters the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, and Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian. It primarily treats infantile convulsions and night crying. Jiangcan powder can be used to disperse wind. Take half liang of Jiangcan, calcined to retain efficacy, ground equally into powder, and mixed with white plum flesh to form pills. Take one bi per dose. For double tongue or wooden tongue, mix Jiangcan with Renzhongbai (Urine Scum) and Baiyu (White Fish), grind equally, and apply externally.
[Discussion] Silkworms obtain the qi of Fire and Earth, with Metal within Fire, known as Dry Metal. When used as medicine, only those eating mulberry leaves are selected because mulberry trees inherit the essence of Water and Earth. Its qi seems to emerge from Yin to Yang, transforming Wood following Metal. Therefore, its main function is dispersion, treating head wind (e.g., using Tianma Chuanxiong Wan to calm fire). Wuyaoshunqi San promotes circulation for bi syndrome; Doukou Wan treats headache (Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang). Is this treating wind? It is a substance where Wood transforms following Metal. Although each has its own function, warm, cool, cold, and hot properties are all suitable. This preserves its wind-dispersing nature, treating excess pathogens, but is not specifically for external pathogens. For stagnation, mild cases are regulated with Muxiang and Xiangfu; severe cases are suppressed and consolidated with Zhizi and Longdancao. This is treating according to the root of Wind-Wood transformation.
[Processing] Do not distinguish between early or late silkworms; only use those that are white and straight. (Su Song) Remove the mouthparts and feet, stir-fry lightly, or remove the silk-spinning organ and stir-fry before use. Commonly seen in pharmacies.