宣，去风湿
功用同白花蛇，而性善无毒。不吃物。眼光至死不枯。以尾细能穿百钱者佳。重七钱至
一两者为上，十两至一镒者中，大者力减。去头与皮、骨，酒煮或酥炙用。
轻，宣，去风毒
甘咸无毒（甄权∶有毒）。性灵而能辟恶，故治鬼魅蛊毒；性窜而善去风，故治惊痫风
疟，重舌（《圣惠方》∶烧末敷）喉风；性毒而能杀虫，故治疥癣恶疮，疔肿痔漏；属皮而性
善蜕，故治皮肤疮疡，产难目翳。用白色如银者，皂荚水洗净。或酒、或醋、或蜜浸，炙
黄用，或烧存性，或盐泥固 ，各随本方。
一名腽肭脐
补肾，助阳
甘咸大热。补肾助阳，治虚损劳伤，阴痿精冷，功近苁蓉、锁阳。出西番，今东海亦有
之。似狗而鱼尾。置器中长年湿润，腊月浸水不冻。置睡犬旁，犬惊跳者为真（或曰∶连脐
取下故名脐，或曰∶乃腽肭兽之脐也。昂按∶两名不类，恐一是海鱼之肾。一是山兽之脐也
。《纲目》以此条入兽部）。
一名鲛鲤
宣，通经络
咸寒善窜（喜穿山），专能行散，通经络，达病所（某处病，用某处之甲，更良），入厥
阴、阳明（肝、胃）。治风湿冷痹。通经下乳，消肿溃痈，止痛排脓，和伤发痘（元气虚者
慎用）。风、疟、疮科为要药（以其穴山寓水，故能出入阴阳，贯穿经络，达于营分，以破
邪结，故用为使），以其食蚁，又治蚁 （漏也，音闾，亦音漏。有妇人项下忽肿一块，渐
延至颈，偶刺破，出水一碗，疮久不合。有道人曰∶此蚁漏也，缘饭中偶食蚁得之。用穿山
甲烧，存性为末，敷之立愈。刘伯温《多能鄙事》云∶油笼渗漏，刮甲里肉 投入，自至漏
处补住。《永州记》云∶不可于堤岸杀之。恐血入土，则岸堤渗漏。观此二说，其性之善窜
可知矣）。痈疡已溃者忌服。如鳖而短，似鲤有足。尾甲力更胜。或生或烧，酥炙，醋炙。
童便，油煎，土炒，随方用。
宣散，祛除风湿。
功效与白花蛇相同，但药性温和且无毒。它不进食（指死后眼球不枯）。以尾部细小能穿过一百枚铜钱的为佳。重量在七钱到一两之间的为上乘，十两到一镒（二十两）之间的为中等，体型过大的药效反而减弱。去除头部、皮和骨，用酒煮或酥炙后使用。
轻扬宣散，祛除风毒。
味甘咸，无毒（甄权认为有毒）。药性灵动能驱除邪祟，所以治疗鬼魅蛊毒；药性走窜善于祛风，所以治疗惊痫、风疟、重舌（《圣惠方》记载：烧成粉末外敷）、喉风；药性虽毒但能杀虫，所以治疗疥癣恶疮、疔肿痔漏；属皮部而药性善于蜕换，所以治疗皮肤疮疡、难产、目翳。选用白色如银的，用皂荚水洗净。或用酒、醋、蜜浸泡，炙黄后使用，或者煅烧存性，或者用盐泥封固煅烧，各依本方要求。
又名腽肭脐。
补肾，助阳。
味甘咸，大热。补肾助阳，治疗虚损劳伤、阳痿精冷，功效接近肉苁蓉、锁阳。产于西番，现在东海也有出产。形状像狗但有鱼尾。放在容器中长年保持湿润，腊月浸在水中也不结冰。放在熟睡的狗旁边，狗受惊跳起的为真品（有人说：因为连着脐取下所以叫脐；也有人说：这是腽肭兽的脐。汪昂按语：两个名字不像一类，恐怕一个是海鱼的肾，一个是山兽的脐。《本草纲目》将此条归入兽部）。
又名鲛鲤。
宣通，疏通经络。
味咸寒，药性善走窜（喜欢穿山），专门能够行气散结，疏通经络，直达病所（某处有病，使用该处的甲，效果更好），入厥阴经、阳明经（肝、胃）。治疗风湿冷痹。通经下乳，消肿溃痈，止痛排脓，促进创伤愈合及痘疹透发（元气虚弱者慎用）。是治疗风病、疟疾、疮科疾病的要药（因为它穴居山中却寓于水中，所以能出入阴阳，贯穿经络，到达营分，以破除邪气结聚，所以常用作引经使药），因为它吃蚂蚁，又治疗蚁瘘（瘘管，音lǘ，也读作lòu。有个妇人脖子下突然肿起一块，逐渐蔓延到颈部，偶然刺破后流出一碗水，伤口久久不愈合。有位道士说：这是蚁瘘，是因为吃饭时偶然吃了蚂蚁导致的。用穿山甲煅烧存性研末，外敷立刻痊愈。刘伯温《多能鄙事》记载：油笼渗漏，刮下甲里的肉投入，会自动跑到漏处补住。《永州记》记载：不要在堤岸上杀它。恐怕血渗入土中，会导致岸堤渗漏。看这两种说法，可知其药性善于走窜）。痈疡已经溃破者忌服。外形像鳖但较短，像鲤鱼有脚。尾巴上的甲药效更强。可以生用或烧用，酥炙，醋炙。童便煎，油炸，土炒，随方使用。
Dispersing, removing wind-dampness.
Its efficacy is the same as that of Baihua She (Bungarus multicinctus), but its nature is gentle and non-toxic. It does not consume food. Its eyesight remains clear until death. The best quality is one whose tail is thin enough to thread through a hundred copper coins. Those weighing between seven qian and one liang are superior; those weighing ten liang to one yi (twenty liang) are medium grade; larger ones have reduced potency. Remove the head, skin, and bones, then decoct in wine or roast with su (rendered animal fat).
Light and dispersing, eliminating wind-toxin.
Sweet and salty, non-toxic (Zhen Quan considered it toxic). Its nature is agile and can repel evil spirits, thus treating demonic and gu poison; its nature is penetrating and good at expelling wind, thus treating convulsions, epilepsy, wind-malaria, double tongue (Shenghui Fang: burn to ash and apply externally), throat wind; its nature is toxic yet capable of killing parasites, thus treating scabies, tinea, malignant sores, carbuncles, hemorrhoids, and fistulas; belonging to the skin layer and having a nature good at shedding, thus treating skin ulcers, difficult labor, and corneal opacity. Select the white ones resembling silver, wash clean with soap pod water. Soak in wine, vinegar, or honey, then roast until yellow; or calcine to preserve properties, or seal with salt mud and calcine, according to the specific prescription.
Also known as Tan'na Qi.
Tonifying kidney, assisting yang.
Sweet, salty, and very hot. Tonifies the kidney and assists yang, treating deficiency damage and overstrain, impotence, and cold semen; its efficacy is similar to Rongzhuo Tang (Cistanche) and Suoyang (Cynomorium). Produced in Xifan (Western Regions), now also found in the East Sea. It resembles a dog but has a fish tail. Placed in a vessel, it remains moist for years; soaked in water in December, it does not freeze. Placed next to a sleeping dog, if the dog jumps up in fright, it is genuine (Some say: named Qi because it is taken connected to the navel; others say: it is the navel of the Tan'na beast. Wang Ang notes: The two names do not seem to belong to the same category; perhaps one is the kidney of a sea fish and the other is the navel of a land beast. Bencao Gangmu places this entry in the Beast section).
Also known as Jiaoli.
Dispersing and unblocking, dredging collaterals.
Salty and cold, good at penetrating (likes to burrow through mountains), specifically capable of moving qi and dissipating stagnation, unblocking collaterals, and reaching the disease site (for a disease in a specific location, using the scales from that location is more effective); enters the Jueyin and Yangming channels (Liver, Stomach). Treats wind-damp cold bi syndrome. Unblocks menstruation and promotes lactation, reduces swelling and suppurates carbuncles, relieves pain and drains pus, harmonizes injuries and promotes eruption of smallpox/varicella (use with caution in cases of deficient yuan qi). It is an essential herb for treating wind diseases, malaria, and dermatological conditions (because it lives in holes in mountains but dwells in water, it can enter and exit yin and yang, penetrate collaterals, reach the Ying level, and break pathogenic knots, thus often used as a guiding herb); because it eats ants, it also treats ant-fistulas (fistula, pronounced lü, also pronounced lou. A woman suddenly had a lump under her neck that gradually extended to her neck; when accidentally punctured, a bowl of fluid drained out, and the sore did not heal for a long time. A Daoist priest said: This is an ant-fistula, caused by accidentally eating ants in rice. Burn Pangolin scales to preserve their properties, grind into powder, and apply externally for immediate cure. Liu Bowen's Duoneng Bishi records: If an oil container leaks, scrape the meat inside the scales and insert it, and it will naturally go to the leak to plug it. Yongzhou Ji records: Do not kill them on the dike. Fear that blood entering the soil will cause the dike to leak. Observing these two accounts, one can understand its nature of being good at penetration). Contraindicated for carbuncles that have already ulcerated. Resembles a turtle but is shorter, like a carp with feet. The scales on the tail have even greater potency. Can be used raw or calcined, roasted with su, roasted with vinegar, decocted in children's urine, fried in oil, or stir-fried with earth, according to the prescription.