补阴退热。
咸寒属阴。色青入肝。治劳瘦骨蒸。往来寒热。温疟疟母。（疟必暑邪、类多阴虚之人、
日
久不愈、元气虚羸、邪陷中焦、则结为疟母、鳖甲能益阴除热而散结、故为治疟要药。）腰
痛胁坚。血瘕痔核。（咸能软坚。）经阻产难。肠痈疮肿。惊痫斑痘。厥阴血分之病。（时珍
曰∶介虫阴类、故皆补阴。龟色黑、主治皆肾经、鳖色青、主治皆肝经、同属补阴、实有
分别。）肝无热者忌。色绿、九肋、重七两者为上。醋炙。若治劳。童便炙。亦可熬膏。鳖
肉、凉血补阴。亦治疟痢。（煮作羹食、加生姜沙糖、不用盐酱、名鳖糖汤。）冷而难消。
脾虚者大忌。恶矾石。忌苋菜、鸡子。
泻、散血。
咸寒。有小毒。除热解结。散血通经。续筋骨。（骨节脱离者、生捣、热酒调服数碗、
渣涂
半日、骨内谷谷有声、即好、干蟹烧灰酒服、亦好。）涂漆疮。（能败漆。）性寒伤中。败胃
动风。大伤阴血。孕妇食之。令儿横生。（中其毒者、捣藕节、热酒调服。）蟹爪、堕胎。（产
难及子死腹中者、服
汤、
即出。）以上龟鳖类。
涩肠、补水、软坚。
咸以软坚化痰。消瘰 结核。老血瘕疝。涩以收脱。治遗精崩带。止嗽敛汗。（或同麻
黄根
为粉扑身、或加入煎剂。）固大小肠。微寒以清热补水。治虚劳烦热。温疟赤痢。利湿止渴
。为肝肾血分之药。（好古曰∶以柴胡引之、去胁下硬、茶引之、消颈核、大黄引、消股间
肿、以地黄为使、益精收涩、止小便利、以贝母为使、消结积。）虚而热者宜之。有寒者禁
与。海气化成。潜伏不动。（故体用皆阴。）盐水煮一伏时。 粉。亦有生用者。贝母为使。
恶吴萸、细辛、麻黄。得蛇床、远志、牛膝、甘草良。肉名蛎黄。（味美且益人、为海错上
品。）
补益阴液，退除虚热。
味咸性寒，归属于阴。色青入肝经。治疗劳损消瘦、骨蒸潮热、寒热往来、温疟及疟母。（疟疾多因暑邪所致，患者多为阴虚体质，日久不愈导致元气虚弱羸瘦，邪气陷入中焦，结聚形成疟母，鳖甲能补益阴液、清除虚热并消散结块，因此是治疗疟疾的要药。）治疗腰痛、胁肋坚硬、血瘕、痔核。（咸味能软化坚积。）治疗经闭、难产、肠痈、疮肿、惊痫、斑痘等厥阴血分病变。（李时珍说：介壳类动物属阴类，所以都能补阴。龟色黑，主治皆在肾经；鳖色青，主治皆在肝经，虽然同属补阴，但实际有所区别。）肝经无热者忌用。颜色绿、九肋、重达七两的为上品。用醋炙制。若用于治疗劳损，用童便炙制。也可以熬制成膏。鳖肉，能凉血补阴，也治疗疟疾和痢疾。（煮成羹食用，加入生姜和砂糖，不用盐和酱，称为鳖糖汤。）性冷且难以消化，脾虚者大忌。畏忌矾石。忌食苋菜、鸡蛋。
泻下，散瘀血。
味咸性寒，有小毒。清除热邪，解散结滞，散瘀通经，接续筋骨。（对于骨节脱臼者，生捣蟹肉，用热酒调服数碗，药渣敷贴半天，听到骨内发出“谷谷”的声音，即可痊愈；干蟹烧成灰，用酒送服，也很好。）涂抹漆疮。（能化解漆毒。）性寒伤及中气，败坏胃气，引动风邪，严重损伤阴血。孕妇食用，会导致胎儿横位产出。（中毒者，捣碎藕节，用热酒调服解毒。）蟹爪，能堕胎。（用于难产及死胎不下者，服用煎剂，胎儿即出。）以上为龟鳖类药物。
涩肠，补水，软坚散结。
咸味能软化坚积、化痰，消除瘰疬结核，治疗陈旧性血瘕、疝气。涩味能收敛固脱，治疗遗精、崩漏、带下，止咳敛汗。（或与麻黄根一起研粉扑身，或加入煎剂中。）固摄大小肠，微寒以清热补水，治疗虚劳烦热、温疟、赤痢，利湿止渴。是肝肾血分的药物。（李好古说：用柴胡作为引经药，可去除胁下硬块；用茶作为引经药，可消除颈部淋巴结肿大；用大黄作为引经药，可消除大腿间肿胀；用地黄为使药，能益精收涩，止小便频多；用贝母为使药，能消散结积。）阴虚而有热者适宜使用。有寒证者禁止使用。由海气变化而成，潜伏不动。（所以其体性和作用都属阴。）用盐水煮一个时辰，制成粉末。也有生用的。以贝母为使药。畏忌吴茱萸、细辛、麻黄。配合蛇床子、远志、牛膝、甘草效果良好。肉名为蛎黄。（味道鲜美且有益于人，是海味中的上品。）
Nourishes Yin and reduces deficiency heat.
Salty and cold in nature, belonging to Yin. Green color enters the Liver channel. Treats consumptive disease with emaciation and bone-steaming fever, alternating chills and fever, warm malaria, and malarial mass (Malaria is often caused by summer-heat pathogen; patients are mostly those with Yin deficiency. If it persists for a long time without healing, Yuan Qi becomes deficient and emaciated, and the pathogen sinks into the Middle Jiao, knotting to form a malarial mass. *Bie Jia* [Tartar Testudinis] can nourish Yin, remove heat, and dissipate knots, thus being an essential herb for treating malaria). Treats lower back pain, hardness in the hypochondrium, blood masses, and hemorrhoidal nodules (Salty flavor can soften hardness). Treats amenorrhea, difficult labor, intestinal abscesses, sores and swellings, convulsions and epilepsy, macules and pox—diseases of the Jueyin Blood level (Li Shizhen said: Shellfish belong to the Yin category, therefore all can nourish Yin. Turtles are black and their main indications relate to the Kidney channel; turtles are green and their main indications relate to the Liver channel. Although both nourish Yin, there are actual distinctions). Contraindicated for those with no heat in the Liver channel. Those that are green, have nine ribs, and weigh seven taels are considered superior grade. Processed with vinegar. For treating consumptive diseases, process with child's urine. Can also be boiled down into a paste. Turtle meat cools blood and nourishes Yin; it also treats malaria and dysentery (Boiled into a soup, adding ginger and rock sugar, without salt or soy sauce, called "Turtle Sugar Soup"). Cold in nature and difficult to digest; strictly contraindicated for those with Spleen deficiency. Adverse interaction with Alum. Contraindicated with amaranth and eggs.
Purges and disperses blood stasis.
Salty and cold, slightly toxic. Clears heat and resolves knots, disperses blood stasis and unblocks menstruation, reconnects sinews and bones (For dislocated joints, crush fresh crab raw, mix with hot wine and drink several bowls; apply the dregs for half a day; when a "gugu" sound is heard inside the bone, it heals. Dried crab burned to ash and taken with wine is also effective). Apply to lacquer dermatitis (Can neutralize lacquer toxicity). Cold nature damages the Middle Jiao, ruins Stomach Qi, stirs wind, and severely injures Yin blood. Pregnant women consuming it may cause breech presentation (Those poisoned should crush lotus root nodes, mix with hot wine, and take to detoxify). Crab claws induce abortion (For difficult labor or fetal death in utero, taking the decoction causes expulsion). The above are Chelonian and Testudinidae herbs.
Astringes intestines, tonifies water, and softens hardness.
Salty flavor softens hardness and transforms phlegm, eliminates scrofula and tubercles, treats old blood masses and hernias. Astringent flavor consolidates leakage, treats spermatorrhea, metrorrhagia, and leukorrhea, stops coughing and arrests sweating (Can be mixed with *Mahuang Gen* [Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma] powder and dusted on the body, or added to decoctions). Secures the Large and Small Intestines; slightly cold to clear heat and tonify fluids; treats deficiency consumption with vexatious heat, warm malaria, bloody dysentery, promotes diuresis, and relieves thirst. It is a herb for the Liver and Kidney blood levels (Li Haogu said: Guided by *Chai Hu* [Bupleuri Radix], it removes hardness under the hypochondrium; guided by tea, it消scrophulous glands in the neck; guided by *Da Huang* [Rhei Radix et Rhizoma], it reduces swelling between the thighs; used as an assistant with *Di Huang* [Rehmanniae Radix], it benefits essence and astringes, stopping frequent urination; used as an assistant with *Bei Mu* [Fritillariae Bulbus], it dissipates accumulations). Suitable for those who are deficient with heat. Contraindicated for those with cold. Formed from sea air transformation, lying dormant (Thus its substance and function are both Yin). Boil in salt water for one shichen (2 hours), then grind into powder. Also used raw. Used with *Bei Mu* [Fritillariae Bulbus] as an assistant. Adverse interactions with *Wu Zhu Yu* [Evodiae Fructus], *Xi Xin* [Asari Radix et Rhizoma], and *Mahuang* [Ephedrae Herba]. Beneficial combination with *She Chuang Zi* [Cnidii Fructus], *Yuan Zhi* [Polygalae Radix], *Niu Xi* [Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix], and *Gan Cao* [Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma]. The meat is named Li Huang (Oyster meat) (Delicious and beneficial, considered a premium delicacy among seafood).