补肾。
甘咸平。入肝肾命门。益精气而固肾。治虚损阴痿。梦遗白浊。血崩腰痛。伤中疝瘕。
（肝
肾不足。）通五淋。缩小便。（能通故能缩、肾与膀胱相表里、肾得所养、气化则能出、肾气
既固、则水道安常、故又能缩也、寇宗 治便数、有桑螵蛸散、桑螵蛸、茯神、远志、菖蒲
、人参、当归、龙骨、鳖甲等分为末、卧时、人参汤下二钱、能补心安神、亦治健忘。）炙
饲小儿。止夜尿。螳螂卵也。须用桑树上者。（一生九十九子、用一枚、即伤百命、仁人君
子闻之、且当惨然、况忍食乎。房长寸许、有子如蛆、芒种后齐出、故月令、仲夏螳螂生
也、如用他树者、以桑皮佐之、桑皮善行水、能引达肾经。）炙黄。或醋煮。汤泡煨用。或
蒸透再焙。畏旋复花。螳螂能出箭簇。（螳螂一个、巴豆半个、研敷伤处、微痒且忍、极痒
乃撼拔之、以黄连贯众汤洗、锻石敷之、杨氏方用螳螂出簇后、敷生肌散。）又治惊风。（古
方治风、多用螵蛸、螳螂治风、同一理也。）
轻、宣、去风化痰。
咸辛平。僵而不腐。得清化之气。故能治风化痰。散结行经。（蚕病风则僵、故因以治
风、
能散相火逆结之痰。）其气味俱薄。轻浮而升。入肺肝胃三经。治中风失音。头风齿痛。喉
痹咽肿。（炒为末、姜汤调下一钱、当吐出顽痰。）丹毒瘙痒。（皆风热为病。）瘰 结核。痰
疟血病。崩中带下。（风热乘肝。）小儿惊疳。肤如鳞甲。（由气血虚、亦名胎垢、煎汤浴之
。）下乳汁。灭瘢痕。诸证由于血虚。而无风寒客邪者。勿用。以头蚕色白条直者良。糯米
泔浸一日。待桑涎浮出。焙干、去丝及黑口。捣用。恶萆 、桔梗、茯苓、桑螵蛸。（一切
风痰、白直僵蚕七个、细研、姜汤调灌之、酒后咳嗽、蜜调末、服一钱。）
蚕蛹、炒食。治风及劳瘦。为末饮服。治小儿疳瘦。长肌肉。退热除蛔虫。煎汁饮。止
消渴
。研敷 疮恶疮。（吴瑞曰∶缲丝后蛹子、今人食之、呼小蜂儿、孙思邈曰∶ 犬咬者、终
身忌食、发则难免。）蚕茧、甘温。能泻膀胱相火。引清气上朝于口。止消渴。（蚕与马、并
属午、为离主心、作茧退藏之际、故缲丝汤饮之、能抑心火而治消渴。）痈疽无头者。烧灰
酒服。（服一枚、出一头、二枚出二头。）
补肾。
味甘、咸，性平。归肝、肾、命门经。补益精气并固摄肾脏。治疗虚损导致的阳痿、梦中遗精及白浊、血崩和腰痛、中焦受损引起的疝气和癥瘕积聚。
（肝肾不足。）通利五种淋证。缩小便。（因为能通利，所以也能固缩；肾与膀胱互为表里，肾得到滋养，气化功能正常则尿液排出顺畅；肾气既已固摄，水道自然安守常度，所以又能起到缩尿的作用。寇宗奭治疗小便频数，使用桑螵蛸散：由桑螵蛸、茯神、远志、石菖蒲、人参、当归、龙骨、鳖甲等分研为末，睡前用人参汤送服二钱。此方能补心安神，也治疗健忘。）用炙法处理后喂养小儿，可止夜尿。这是螳螂的卵鞘。必须使用生长在桑树上的。（一只螳螂一生产九十九枚卵，若取用一枚，就伤害了百条生命，仁人君子听闻此事尚且感到悲痛，何况忍心食用呢？房长一尺左右，里面有像蛆一样的子，芒种节气后一齐孵化，所以《月令》记载：“仲夏时节螳螂生”。如果要用其他树上的卵鞘，需用桑皮辅助，桑皮善于行水，能引导药力到达肾经。）用火炙至黄色，或用醋煮，或用水泡后煨熟使用，或蒸透后再焙干。畏旋复花。螳螂能拔出箭头。（取一个螳螂和半个巴豆，研磨后敷在受伤处，起初微痒且需忍耐，极痒时才能将箭簇撼动拔出，之后用黄连等组成的复方汤剂清洗伤口，用锻石敷贴。杨氏方用螳螂拔出箭簇后的残留物，敷上生肌散。）又治疗惊风。（古方治疗风病，多用桑螵蛸；螳螂治疗风病，道理是一样的。）
味咸、辛，性平。僵直而不腐烂。得清化之气，所以能治疗风痰。散结通络。（蚕患风病则身体僵硬，因此借以治疗风病，能消散相火逆乱凝结之痰。）其气味都轻薄，轻浮而上行。入肺、肝、胃三经。治疗中风失音、头风齿痛、喉痹咽肿。（炒成末，用姜汤调服一钱，应当吐出顽痰。）丹毒瘙痒。（都是风热致病。）瘰疬结核、痰疟、血病、崩漏带下。（风热乘袭肝脏。）小儿惊疳，皮肤如鳞甲。（由于气血虚弱，也称胎垢，煎汤洗浴。）下乳汁，消除瘢痕。所有证候属于血虚，而没有风寒外邪侵袭的，不要使用。以头部蚕色白条直者为佳。用糯米泔水浸泡一天，待桑涎浮出，焙干，去掉丝和黑口，捣碎使用。恶萆薢、桔梗、茯苓、桑螵蛸。（一切风痰，取白直僵蚕七个，细研，用姜汤调灌服；酒后咳嗽，用蜜调末，服用一钱。）
蚕蛹，炒食。治疗风病及劳瘦。研为末饮服，治疗小儿疳积消瘦，促进肌肉生长，退热除蛔虫。煎汁饮用，止消渴。研末敷贴恶疮。（吴瑞说：缫丝后的蛹子，今人食用，称为小蜂儿。孙思邈说：被狗咬伤者，终身忌食，否则发病难免。）蚕茧，味甘，性温。能泻膀胱相火，引清气上行朝会于口。止消渴。（蚕与马，同属午位，为离卦主心，作茧退藏之际，所以缫丝的汤水饮用，能抑制心火而治疗消渴。）痈疽无头的，烧成灰后用酒送服。（服一枚，出一个头；服两枚，出两个头。）
Tonifies the Kidney.
Sweet, salty, and neutral in nature. Enters the Liver, Kidney, and Mingmen (Gate of Vitality) meridians. Benefits essence and qi while securing the Kidney. Treats deficiency-induced impotence, nocturnal emission with white turbidity, metrorrhagia, lower back pain, middle-jiao damage causing hernia and mass accumulation.
(Liver and Kidney insufficiency.) Unblocks the five types of strangury (lin syndrome). Reduces urinary frequency. (Because it can unblock, it can also astringe; the Kidney and Bladder are exterior-interior related. When the Kidney is nourished, qi transformation functions normally, allowing urine to be excreted smoothly. Once Kidney qi is secured, the water pathways remain stable, thus it can also reduce urination. Kou Zongshi treated frequent urination using Sangpiaoxiao San: equal parts of Mantidis Oötheca (Sangpiaoxiao), Poria Cocos (Fushen), Polygalae Radix (Yuanzhi), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (Shichangpu), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui), Dragonis Os (Longgu), and Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum (Biejia) ground into powder. Taken at bedtime with two qian dissolved in Ginseng decoction. This formula tonifies the Heart and calms the spirit, and also treats forgetfulness.) Roasted for feeding infants to stop bedwetting. It is the egg case of the mantis. Must be sourced from mulberry trees. (A single mantis produces ninety-nine offspring per lifetime; taking one case harms a hundred lives. Benevolent gentlemen would feel sorrow upon hearing this, let alone endure eating them. The ootheca is about one chi long, containing larvae like maggots. They hatch together after Mangzhong (Grain in Ear solar term), hence the *Monthly Ordinances* states: "In mid-summer, mantises are born." If using oothecae from other trees, assist with Mulberry Root Bark (Sangpibai), which promotes water metabolism and guides the medicine to the Kidney meridian.) Roast until yellow, or boil in vinegar, or soak in water and bake, or steam thoroughly then dry-roast. Incompatible with Inulae Flos (Xuanfuhua). Mantis can extract arrowheads. (Take one mantis and half a Crotonis Fructus (Badou), grind and apply to the wound. Initially mild itching requires endurance; when severe, the arrowhead can be shaken out. Wash the wound with a decoction containing Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian) and others, then apply calcined iron ore powder (Duanshi). Yang's prescription uses the residue after the mantis extracts the arrowhead, applying Shengji San.) Also treats convulsions due to wind. (Ancient prescriptions for wind often use Mantidis Oötheca; Mantis treating wind follows the same principle.)
Light, dispersing, expels wind and transforms phlegm.
Salty, pungent, and neutral in nature. Stiff but does not rot. Acquires the qi of clear transformation, thus capable of treating wind-phlegm. Dissolves nodules and unblocks collaterals. (When silkworms contract wind disease, they become stiff; hence used to treat wind, it can dissipate phlegm congealed by rebellious Minister Fire.) Its flavor and aroma are both light, floating and ascending. Enters the Lung, Liver, and Stomach meridians. Treats stroke with aphonia, cephalalgia due to wind, toothache, throat obstruction with swelling. (Roasted to powder, taken with ginger decoction, one qian; should expectorate stubborn phlegm.) Erysipelas with pruritus. (All caused by wind-heat.) Scrofula and tubercles, phlegm-malaria, blood disorders, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea. (Wind-heat invading the Liver.) Infantile convulsions and malnutrition, skin resembling scales. (Due to qi and blood deficiency, also called fetal dandruff; decoct for bathing.) Promotes lactation, eliminates scars. Do not use for conditions due to blood deficiency without external wind-cold pathogens. Select those with white heads and straight bodies as superior. Soak in rice washing water for one day until mulberry saliva floats up, dry-roast, remove silk and black mouthparts, grind for use. Adverse interaction with Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma (Bixie), Platycodonis Radix (Jiegeng), Poria Cocos (Fuling), and Mantidis Oötheca (Sangpiaoxiao). (For all wind-phlegm cases, take seven white, straight, stiff silkworms, finely grind, and administer with ginger decoction; for post-drinking cough, mix powder with honey, take one qian.)
Silkworm pupae, roasted and eaten. Treats wind diseases and wasting-thirst due to labor. Ground into powder and taken with drink, treats infantile malnutrition and emaciation, promotes muscle growth, reduces fever, expels roundworms. Decoct juice and drink to stop thirst. Grind and apply topically to malignant sores. (Wu Rui said: Pupae after reeling silk are eaten by people today, called "little bee children". Sun Simiao said: Those bitten by dogs must avoid eating them for life; if consumed, disease onset is unavoidable.) Silkworm cocoon, sweet and warm. Can drain Minister Fire of the Bladder, guide clear qi upward to the mouth. Stops thirst. (Silkworms and horses belong to Wu (noon), associated with Li trigram ruling the Heart. At the time of spinning cocoons and retreating/hiding, drinking the water from reeling silk can suppress Heart fire and treat thirst.) For carbuncles and ulcers without head, burn to ash and take with wine. (Taking one cocoon causes one head to emerge; taking two causes two heads to emerge.)