（李时珍曰。兽者。毛虫之总称也。山原者为之兽。豢养者为之畜。周制庖人供六畜以
奉祭
亦云详矣。况物之性理万殊。人之用舍宜慎。盖不但多识其名而已也。）
\r麝香\pq135a1.bmp\r
辛温香苦。能开窍以搜邪。惊痫风痰。治卒中之内闭。瓜果尽消酒毒解。肿疡涣散蛊
邪除。（麝其形似獐。小而色黑。麝香即其脐也。其所居之处。远近草木皆香。然其地草木
枝叶不茂。瓜果不实。辛温香窜之性。通关开窍。辟恶除邪。无所不到。凡一切诸中无论脏
腑经络属邪闭者。皆可用之。外证消肿毒。用之者亦取其能开毛窍。有辛香走散之功耳。）
\r牛黄\pq136.bmp\r
甘苦微凉。芳香无毒。清心肝之烦热。达窍搜邪。假灵气以生成。疏风解毒。惊痫痰
迷须取用。喉瘅痘后最相宜。（牛黄有广黄西黄两种。以所出处之地而命名。然考此物大抵
皆因牛病而成黄。每每结于肝胆之间。因杀病牛而得之胆中者亦多。无论诸兽病黄者。内皆
有黄。人亦如是。故所治之病。一切风痫寒热。安魂定惊。诸治皆属肝胆之病。所谓即以其
人之道。还治其人之身。正如人之淋石。复能治淋之意也。若必谓牛食仙草所生。恐亦未必
。用者再审之。）
\r阿胶\pq135a.bmp\r
用济水以煎成。涤垢行瘀。功专治嗽。藉驴皮之功用。补阴益血。力主祛风。且能润
燥化痰。味甘咸而平性。并可入肝及肺。治痿弱与虚劳。（阿胶。用黑驴皮以阿井水煎成。
阿井出山东。为济水所伏流之处。其水清而且重。无论尘滓。皆可澄下。即以少许用搅浊水
。亦能立清。黑驴皮皮可入肺。黑能入肾。血肉有情之品。使之金水相生。补养血液。肝为
藏血之地。血足则肝木受荣。风邪自息。和合煎胶。为治虚劳咳嗽一切血证之要药。味甘
咸平。以清脆明亮。不腥秽。不柔软者为佳。）
（李时珍说：兽类，是长毛动物的总称。生活在山野原野的称为兽，被人饲养的称为畜。周代礼制中，庖人供应六种家畜来供奉祭祀，规定也很详细了。况且万物的性质和理法千差万别，人类的使用取舍应当谨慎。这不仅仅是为了多认识它们的名字罢了。）
麝香
味辛、温，气香、苦。能够开通窍道以搜剔邪气。治疗因惊风、癫痫、风痰引起的中风内闭证。能化解瓜果积滞，解除酒毒。消散肿疡，祛除蛊毒。（麝的外形类似獐子，体型较小且毛色黑。麝香就是它脐部的分泌物。麝居住的地方，远近的草木都带有香气，然而麝居住处的草木枝叶生长不茂盛，瓜果也不结实。麝香具有辛散、温通、香窜的性质，能通达关窍、开启闭塞、驱除恶气、消灭邪气，作用无所不到。凡是各种“中”证，无论病位在脏腑还是经络，属于邪气闭阻的，都可以使用。对于外证的消肿解毒，使用麝香也是取其能开通皮毛腠理，具有辛香走散的功效。）
牛黄
味甘、苦，性微凉，气味芳香，无毒。清泄心肝二脏的烦热，通达窍道搜剔邪气。凭借天地灵气而生成，具有疏风解毒的作用。惊痫、痰迷心窍者必须取用。咽喉肿痛（喉瘅）及痘疹后期最为适宜。（牛黄有广黄、西黄两种，根据出产地的不同而得名。然而考证此物，大抵都是因为牛生病才形成的黄色结块，常常凝结在肝胆之间，因为宰杀病牛而从其胆中获得的也很多。无论什么野兽患病生黄，体内都有黄，人也一样。所以牛黄治疗的疾病，一切风痫、寒热等症，安魂定惊，这些治疗都属于肝胆方面的病症，这就是所谓的“以其人之道，还治其人之身”，正如人的尿路结石，反过来又能治疗淋证的意思一样。如果一定要说是牛吃了仙草而生成的，恐怕也未必如此。使用者请再仔细考察。）
阿胶
用济水煎煮而成，能涤除污垢、运行瘀血，功效专门用于治疗咳嗽。借助驴皮的功效，滋补阴液、益养血液，力量主要在于祛风。并且还能润燥化痰。味道甘、咸，性平，还可以入肝经和肺经。治疗痿证虚弱与虚劳。（阿胶，是用黑驴皮和阿井水煎煮而成的。阿井位于山东，是济水伏流的地带。那里的水质清澈而且沉重，无论有什么尘渣杂质，都能沉淀下去。即使只用少许阿井水搅拌浊水，也能立刻澄清。黑驴皮的皮可以入肺经，黑色可以入肾经，属于血肉有情之品，能使金（肺）水（肾）相生，补养血液。肝是藏血的脏器，血液充足则肝木得到荣养，风邪自然平息。调和煎制成胶，是治疗虚劳咳嗽以及一切血证的要药。味道甘、咸、平，以质地清脆明亮、没有腥秽气味、不柔软者为佳。）
(Li Shizhen said: "Beasts" is the general term for animals with hair. Those living in mountains and plains are called beasts, while those kept by humans are called livestock. In the rites of the Zhou Dynasty, the kitchen officials supplied six types of livestock for sacrificial offerings, which was quite detailed. Moreover, the nature and principles of all things are vastly different, and human use and rejection should be cautious. It is not merely about knowing their names.)
Musk (Moschi Moschiferi)
Pungent, warm, aromatic, and bitter. It can open orifices to search out and expel pathogenic factors. It treats internal closure caused by stroke due to wind-phlegm, convulsions, and epilepsy. It resolves accumulation from fruits and melons and detoxifies alcohol. It dissipates swelling and ulcers and removes gu poison. (The musk deer resembles a muntjac, is small in size, and has black fur. Musk is its secretion from the umbilical region. The area where it lives causes grass and trees nearby to become fragrant; however, the vegetation at its dwelling site does not grow lushly, and fruits do not set. Due to its pungent, warm, and aromatic-penetrating nature, it unblocks orifices, opens closures, dispels evil, and eliminates pathogens, reaching everywhere. For all types of "stroke-like" conditions, regardless of whether the pathology is in the zang-fu organs or meridians, if it belongs to pathogenic closure, it can be used. For external conditions involving swelling and toxins, it is used for its ability to open skin pores and its pungent-aromatic dispersing power.)
Calculus Bovis (Niu Huang)
Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cool, aromatic, and non-toxic. It clears irritant heat from the Heart and Liver, reaches orifices, and searches out pathogens. It is formed through spiritual energy. It disperses wind and detoxifies. It must be used for convulsions, epilepsy, and phlegm misting the mind. It is most suitable for throat inflammation (hou dan) and after chickenpox/smallpox eruptions. (There are two types of Niu Huang: Guang Huang and Xi Huang, named after their places of origin. However, research shows that this substance generally forms yellow concretions when cattle are ill, often accumulating between the liver and gallbladder. It is frequently obtained from the gallbladders of slaughtered sick cattle. Regardless of the beast, if it suffers from such yellow formations, they exist internally; humans are similar. Therefore, the diseases treated by Niu Huang—such as wind-epilepsy and cold-heat disorders—and its functions of calming the soul and settling fright all belong to liver and gallbladder pathologies. This is akin to "using the method of the person to treat the person," just as bladder stones can treat strangury. If one insists it is generated from cattle eating immortal herbs, this may not be accurate. Users should re-examine this carefully.)
Donkey-Hide Gelatin (Ejiao)
Prepared by decocting with Ji River water. It cleanses filth and promotes blood circulation, with efficacy specialized in treating coughs. Relying on the function of donkey hide, it tonifies yin and benefits blood, with strength primarily in dispelling wind. It also moistens dryness and transforms phlegm. Its taste is sweet and salty, and its nature is neutral. It enters the Liver and Lung meridians. It treats flaccidity syndromes (wei ruo) and consumptive diseases (xu lao). (Ejiao is made by decocting black donkey hide with water from A Well. A Well is located in Shandong, where the Ji River flows underground. The water there is clear and heavy; any dust or impurities settle down. Even adding a small amount to turbid water clarifies it immediately. Black donkey hide enters the Lung meridian; black color enters the Kidney meridian. As a product of flesh and blood with emotional affinity, it facilitates the mutual generation of Metal (Lung) and Water (Kidney), nourishing blood. The Liver stores blood; when blood is sufficient, Liver Wood receives prosperity, and wind pathogens subside. When blended and decocted into gelatin, it becomes an essential medicine for treating consumptive cough and all blood-related syndromes. It tastes sweet, salty, and neutral. The best quality is crisp, bright, without fishy or foul odors, and not soft.)