虻，一名虻虫。其用大略与 虫相似，此但味苦胜与咸，性善啮牛马诸血。苦
能泻结，咸能走血，且色青入肝，性热，饮血，用以治一切血结为病。今人以其有毒不
用，然仲景抵当汤，治太阳病，身黄脉沉结，少腹小便利，其人如狂者，此蓄血也。
用水蛭，虻虫。如小便不利者非蓄血也，大黄 虫丸。治虚劳羸瘦，内有干血，肌肤甲
错，两目黯黑者，则 虫、虻虫咸入之，以其能散脏腑宿血结积，有神效耳。凡毒药之
治病，如刑法之治盗贼，不如是则不足以祛邪反正也。
木虻，见啖牛马腹有血者为灵，逐瘀血，血闭，寒热酸 ，两目赤痛， 伤泪
出，破坚痞， 瘕积聚，除贼血在胸腹五脏，通行经络，堕胎甚速。收取阴干，去净翅足，炒用。
禀火金之气以主，故味辛甘气温有毒。属木色青，专入足厥阴经。以辛温走散之
上。故入肝，以去风逐邪，大人真中风。小儿急惊风，皆须用之。全用者谓之全蝎。但
用尾谓之蝎梢，其力尤紧，功专下冶。小儿脐风，宜风散，治小儿初生断脐后伤风唇
青，口撮出白沫不乳，用全蝎二十一个，无灰酒涂炙为末，入麝香少许，每用金银煎
汤，调半字服之。大人风涎，用蝎一个，头尾全者，以薄荷四叶裹定，火上炙焦，同研
为末，作一服，白汤下。小儿惊风，分四服，如前服。得胡桃同 ，共研黄 金银花
汤下，治横 久不收口。
蝎，疗小儿惊痫，手足抽掣，大人中风，口眼 斜，却风痰耳聋，解风毒瘾疹，
善逐肝风，深透筋骨。丹溪云∶破伤风多死，非全蝎不开，用以焙末酒下，则知治风之明验矣。
虻，又名虻虫。其功效大致与水蛭相似，只是它的苦味比水蛭更重且带有咸味，本性善于叮咬吸食牛马等动物的血液。苦味能泻下瘀结，咸味能入血分运行血液，且其色青入肝经，性热，以饮血为生，因此用来治疗一切因血结而导致的疾病。现在的人因为认为它有毒而不使用它，然而张仲景的抵当汤，用于治疗太阳病（太阳经受邪所致的病证），症见身体发黄、脉象沉结、少腹部胀满但小便通畅、患者神志如狂，这是蓄血证。方中用水蛭和虻虫。如果小便不利，则不是蓄血证，应使用大黄䗪虫丸。该方治疗虚劳消瘦，体内有干血停滞，肌肤粗糙如鳞甲交错，两眼暗黑者，其中也包含水蛭和虻虫，因为它们能消散脏腑内宿存的瘀血结积，具有神奇的疗效。凡是毒药治病，就像刑法惩治盗贼一样，不如此不足以祛除邪气、恢复正气。
木虻，凡是被发现叮吸牛马腹中有血的个体被视为灵验之物。它能驱逐瘀血，治疗血闭不通、寒热往来、肢体酸痛、双目红肿疼痛、外伤流泪不止，破除坚硬的痞块，消除瘕聚积聚，清除胸腹五脏内的败血，通行经络，堕胎作用迅速。采收后阴干，去除干净的翅膀和足，炒制后使用。
木虻禀受火和金之气作为主宰，所以味道辛甘，气温，有毒。它属木，色青，专门进入足厥阴肝经。因其辛温走散的特性，故入肝经，用以祛风逐邪，治疗大人真中风和小儿急惊风，都必须使用它。全虫使用称为全蝎。只用尾部称为蝎梢，药力尤为峻猛，功效专于下行攻逐。小儿脐风，宜用祛风散治疗，主治小儿出生断脐后伤风导致嘴唇发青、口唇收缩吐出白沫不能吃奶，用全蝎二十一个，用无灰酒涂抹炙烤后研为细末，加入少许麝香，每次用金银花煎汤，调服半字量。大人风涎证，用一个蝎子，头尾俱全，用四片薄荷叶包裹固定，在火上炙烤至焦黄，共同研为细末，作为一剂服用，用白开水送下。小儿惊风，分为四次服用，如前法服用。若与胡桃同炒，共同研成黄色粉末，用金银花汤送下，可治疗横痃久不收口。
蝎，能治疗小儿惊痫，手足抽搐，大人中风引起的口眼歪斜，驱除风痰导致的耳聋，解除风毒引起的瘾疹，善于驱逐肝风，深入筋骨深处。朱丹溪说：破伤风大多致死，若非全蝎不能开通闭塞，将其焙干研末，用酒送服，就知道它是治疗风证的明效确验了。
The horsefly, also known as the horsefly insect (Machang), has effects roughly similar to those of the leech (Shuizhi). However, its bitter taste is more pronounced and it possesses a salty flavor. Its nature is such that it bites and sucks the blood of cattle, horses, and other animals. Bitterness can purge stagnation, while saltiness enters the blood level to promote circulation. Furthermore, its green color corresponds to the Liver channel, and its nature is hot; since it feeds on blood, it is used to treat all diseases caused by blood stasis (Xuejie). Nowadays, people do not use it because they consider it toxic. However, Zhang Zhongjing's Didang Tang (Thistle Decoction) treats Taiyang disease (diseases resulting from pathogenic invasion of the Taiyang meridian), characterized by yellowing of the body, deep and knotted pulse, fullness in the lower abdomen with free urination, and a manic-like mental state; this is Blood Accumulation (Xuxue). The formula uses leeches and horseflies. If urination is difficult, it is not blood accumulation, and Dahuang Zhechong Wan (Rhubarb and Ground Beetle Pill) should be used instead. This pill treats consumptive disease with emaciation, internal dry blood retention, skin rough like fish scales, and dark circles around the eyes; it contains both leeches and horseflies because they can dissipate old blood stasis accumulated in the zang-fu organs, yielding miraculous effects. Generally speaking, using toxic herbs to treat diseases is like using criminal law to punish thieves; without such measures, it is insufficient to dispel evil pathogens and restore righteous qi.
The female horsefly (Muheng) is considered efficacious when found sucking blood from the bellies of cattle or horses. It expels blood stasis, treats blood obstruction, alternating chills and fever, limb soreness, red and painful eyes, tearing due to trauma, breaks down hard masses, eliminates abdominal accumulations and growths, removes foul blood from the chest, abdomen, and five zang organs, unblocks meridians, and induces abortion rapidly. After collection, it is dried in the shade, wings and legs are removed completely, and it is stir-fried before use.
It inherits the qi of Fire and Metal, hence its taste is pungent and sweet, its temperature is warm, and it is toxic. It belongs to Wood, has a green color, and specifically enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. Due to its pungent and warm dispersing nature, it enters the Liver to eliminate wind and drive out pathogens. It is required for treating true wind-stroke in adults and acute convulsive wind in children. When the whole insect is used, it is called Quanxie (Whole Scorpion). Using only the tail is called Xieshao (Scorpion Tail), which has an even stronger force and specializes in descending and purging downward. For infantile umbilical wind (Qifeng), suitable for Wind-Dispersing Powder treatment: it manages wind strike after umbilical cord cutting in newborns, causing cyanotic lips, mouth puckering with white foam, and inability to nurse. Use 21 whole scorpions, coat with non-ash wine, roast, and grind into powder. Add a small amount of Mosher (Shexiang). Each dose is taken by mixing half a "zi" (a traditional unit of weight) with decoction of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (Jinyinhua, Honeysuckle Flower). For adult wind-phlegm, use one scorpion with head and tail intact, wrap it with four mint leaves, roast over fire until scorched, grind together into powder, take as one dose, washed down with plain water. For pediatric convulsive wind, divide into four doses, administered as above. If roasted together with Juglans regia seed (Hetao, Walnut) and ground into yellow powder, taken with honeysuckle tea, it treats chronic buboes (Hengxuan) that fail to heal.
The scorpion (Xie) treats pediatric convulsions and epilepsy, twitching of hands and feet, adult wind-stroke with deviation of the mouth and eyes, expels wind-phlegm causing deafness, resolves wind-toxicity manifesting as urticaria, excels at driving out Liver wind, and penetrates deeply into bones and sinews. Zhu Danxi stated: "Traumatic wind often leads to death; without the whole scorpion to open blockages, [treatment fails]. Roasting it, grinding it into powder, and taking it with wine demonstrates its clear efficacy in treating wind disorders."