燥湿，去风
蚕食而不饮，属火性燥，燥能去风胜湿（经曰∶燥胜风，燥属金，风属木也）其沙辛甘
而温。炒黄浸酒，治风湿为病，支节不随，皮肤顽痹，腰脚冷痛，冷血瘀血（史国公药酒中
用之）。炒热，熨患处亦良（寇宗 曰∶醇酒三升，拌蚕沙五升，蒸热铺暖室席上，令患冷
风气痹人以患处就卧，浓复取汗。不愈，间日再作，须防昏闷）。麻油调敷，治烂弦风眼（目
上下胞属脾。脾有风湿，则虫生弦烂。又新瓦炙，为末，少加雄黄，麻油调敷，治蛇串疮。
有人食乌梢蛇，浑身变黑，渐生鳞甲，见者惊缩。郑奠一令日服晚蚕沙五钱，尽一二斗，久
之乃退）。晚蚕矢也，淘净晒干。
补肾
甘咸。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，
故能通；肾气既固，则水道安常，故又能止也。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、鳖甲醋炙，各一两，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。桑树产者为好（房长寸许，有子如蛆，
芒种后齐出，故仲夏螳螂生也。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。畏旋复花（螳螂能出箭镞，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》∶用蜣螂，镞出后，敷生肌
散。螳螂、蜣螂，皆治惊风，今人罕用。蜣螂兼治腹痛、便秘、下痢、脱肛、疮疽、虫痔）
。
燥湿，祛风。
蚕只进食不饮水，属性为火，性质燥烈，燥性能祛风胜湿（《内经》说：燥能胜风，燥属金，风属木）。其药性辛、甘，温。炒黄后浸酒，治疗风湿引起的疾病，肢体关节活动不利，皮肤麻木僵硬，腰脚冷痛，寒凝血瘀（史国公药酒中使用此药）。炒热后熨烫患处也很好（寇宗奭说：用三升醇酒，拌五升蚕沙，蒸热后铺在温暖的房间席子上，让患有冷风气痹症的病人躺在患处上面，盖上厚被子取汗。如果未愈，隔日再进行一次，须防止昏闷）。用麻油调敷，治疗烂弦风眼（眼睑上下属于脾。脾有风湿，则生虫导致眼睑边缘溃烂。另外将新瓦烧炙，研成粉末，少加雄黄，用麻油调敷，治疗蛇串疮。有人食用乌梢蛇后，全身变黑，逐渐长出鳞甲，见到的人惊恐退缩。郑奠一让他每天服用晚蚕沙五钱，总共服用一两斗，久而久之症状消退）。这是晚蚕的粪便，淘洗干净晒干。
补肾。
味甘、咸。入肝、肾、命门经，补益精气并固摄肾脏。治疗虚损导致的阳痿、梦遗、白浊、血崩、腰痛，以及伤中疝瘕（肝肾不足），通利五种淋证，缩小便（因为能通所以能缩。肾与膀胱相表里，肾得到滋养，气化功能正常则尿液排出，所以能通；肾气既已固摄，则水道运行正常，所以又能止住。寇宗奭治疗尿频，有桑螵蛸散，由桑螵蛸、茯神、远志、石菖蒲、人参、当归、龙骨、鳖甲醋炙而成，各一两，研成粉末。睡前用人参汤送服二钱，能补心安神，也治疗健忘）。炙烤后喂给小儿，可止夜尿。这是螳螂的卵鞘。产于桑树上的为好（房长一寸左右，里面有像蛆一样的子，芒种节后一齐出来，所以仲夏时节螳螂出生。如果使用其他树木产的，以桑皮辅助，桑皮善于行水，能引导药力到达肾经）。炙黄，或用醋煮汤浸泡，煨熟使用。畏旋复花（螳螂能射出箭镞状的物体，取一个螳螂，半个巴豆，研碎敷于伤口处。微痒且忍耐，极痒时摇晃拔出。用黄连等众药汤清洗，锻石敷之。《杨氏方》：用屎壳郎，箭镞取出后，敷生肌散。螳螂、蜣螂，都治疗惊风，现在人很少使用。蜣螂兼治腹痛、便秘、下痢、脱肛、疮疽、虫痔）。
Dry dampness, dispel wind.
Silkworms feed but do not drink; they belong to the Fire nature and are dry. Dryness can dispel wind and overcome dampness (The Classic states: Dryness overcomes Wind; Dryness belongs to Metal, while Wind belongs to Wood). Its properties are Acrid, Sweet, and Warm. When stir-fried until yellow and soaked in wine, it treats diseases caused by Wind-Dampness, such as immobility of joints and limbs, skin numbness and stiffness, cold pain in the lower back and legs, and cold blood stasis (used in Shiguo Gong Medicinal Wine). When stir-fried hot and applied as a compress to the affected area, it is also effective (Kou Zongshi stated: Mix three sheng of pure wine with five sheng of silkworm feces, steam until hot, spread on mats in a warm room, and have patients suffering from Cold-Wind Bi syndrome lie on the affected area. Cover thickly to induce sweating. If not cured, repeat every other day, but beware of fainting). Mixed with sesame oil for topical application, it treats rotting margin wind-eye (The upper and lower eyelids belong to the Spleen. When the Spleen has Wind-Dampness, insects may grow causing the margins to rot. Additionally, bake a new tile until red-hot, grind into powder, add a small amount of Realgar, mix with sesame oil for topical application to treat snake-ring herpes zoster. A person who ate *Zaocys dhumnades* turned black all over and gradually grew scales, frightening those who saw him. Zheng Dianyi instructed him to take five qian of late silkworm feces daily, consuming one or two dou in total, after which the symptoms gradually subsided). This is the feces of the late-season silkworm, washed clean and sun-dried.
Tonify Kidney.
Taste is Sweet and Salty. Enters the Liver, Kidney, and Mingmen channels. It benefits essence and qi and secures the Kidney. It treats deficiency damage leading to impotence, nocturnal emission, leukorrhea, metrorrhagia, lower back pain, and abdominal masses due to injury to the middle jiao (deficiency of Liver and Kidney), unblocks the five types of strangury, and reduces urinary frequency (It can unblock, therefore it can restrain. The Kidney and Bladder are interior-exteriorly related. When nourished, the Kidney's Qi transformation allows urination, hence it unblocks; once Kidney Qi is secured, the water passages function normally, hence it also stops. Kou Zongshi treated frequent urination with Sangpiaoxiao San, composed of Sangpiaoxiao, Fushen, Yuanzhi, Changpu, Renshen, Danggui, Longgu, and Cu Zhi Biejia, each one liang, ground into powder. Take two qian with Ginseng decoction before sleep to tonify the Heart and calm the Spirit; it also treats forgetfulness). Stir-fried and fed to children, it stops bedwetting. These are mantis egg cases. Those produced on mulberry trees are preferred (The case is about one cun long, containing eggs like maggots that emerge together after Mangzhong solar term, thus mantises are born in mid-summer. If using cases from other trees, assist with Mulberry Bark, which promotes water movement and guides medicinal action to the Kidney channel). Stir-fry until yellow, or soak in vinegar-boiled decoction and roast before use. It is incompatible with Inula Flower (Mantises can shoot arrowheads-like structures. Take one mantis and half a Croton seed, grind and apply to the wound. Endure slight itching; when extremely itchy, shake and pull out. Wash with decoctions of Coptis and others, then apply calcined gypsum. *Yang Shi Fang*: Use dung beetle; after the arrowhead is removed, apply flesh-regenerating powder. Both Mantis and Dung Beetle treat convulsions, though rarely used today. Dung Beetle additionally treats abdominal pain, constipation, dysentery, rectal prolapse, carbuncles, and hemorrhoids).