（石）
而小与坚
不同。功
专利窍除湿解热。故凡目翳不开。热淋不利。妇人难产等症。治当用此。无有不效。（必审
诸病。果因湿热而成。方用。）但书所云难产令妇两手各执一枚。其胎即下。合之于理。似
属诳妄。未可尽信。磨汁服。（书言因雷雨自石穴中出。随雨飞堕者非。）
（兽）祛肠胃湿热血瘀
刺 皮（专入肠胃）。其皮如刺。因以刺名。其兽属胃而入胃。因以 号。（宗 曰。
皮治
胃逆。开胃气有功。）何书载治五痔阴蚀。以其湿热下注。得此味辛入肠。金属大肠。故能
以破其血耳！何书又载能治噎膈反胃。（普济治反胃。用 皮烧灰酒服。或煮汁。或五味淹
炙食。）以 属兽。兼味辛苦。故能散邪泄热。使其胃气调和而不上逆故耳。但食肉切宜除
骨。若误食则令人瘦劣。节节渐小也。似鼠而圆。火褐色。攒毛。外刺如栗房。 黑存性用
。
泻水者。因其水势急迫。有非甘淡所可渗。苦寒所可泻。正如洪水横逆。迅利莫御。必
得极
辛极苦极咸极寒极阴之品。以为决渎。则水始平。此泻水之说所由起也。然水在人脏腑。本
自有分。即人用药以治水势之急。亦自有别。如大戟芫花甘遂同为治水之药矣！然大戟则泻
脏腑水湿。芫花则通里外水道。荛花则泻里外水湿。甘遂则泻经隧水湿也。葶苈白前同为入
肺治水剂矣。然葶苈则合肺中水气以为治。白前则搜肺中风水以为治也。商陆入脾行水。功
用不减大戟。故仲景牡蛎泽泻汤用之。海藻海带昆布气味相同。力专泄热散结软坚。故瘰
瘕疝隧道闭塞。其必用之。蝼蛄性急而奇。故能消水拔毒。田螺性禀至阴。故能利水以消胀
。续随子有下气之速。凡积聚胀满诸滞。服之立皆有效。紫贝有利水道通瘀之能。故于水肿
蛊毒目翳。用之自属有功。至于瞿麦泻心。石苇清肺。虽非利水最峻。然体虚气弱。用亦增
害。未可视为利水浅剂。而不审实以为用也。
（石类）
其质地有大小、坚脆之分，功效不同。主要功效是通利窍道、祛除湿邪、解除热毒。因此，凡是目生翳膜不开、热淋小便不利、妇女难产等症状，治疗时应当使用此药，没有不有效的。（但必须审慎判断这些病症确实是由湿热引起，方可使用。）只是书中记载让难产的孕妇双手各握一枚石头，胎儿就能立即生下，这合乎道理吗？似乎属于荒诞妄言，不可完全相信。应磨成汁服用。（书中说这种石头是因雷雨从石穴中飞出坠落而得的，并非如此。）
（兽类）
祛除肠胃中的湿热血瘀。
刺皮（专门进入肠胃经络）。它的皮像刺一样，因此得名“刺”。这种兽属胃经而入胃，因此以“刺”命名。（李时珍说：刺皮能治疗胃气上逆，对开通胃气有功。）为什么有些书记载它能治疗五种痔疮和阴部蚀烂？因为湿热下注，得到它辛味入肠的特性，且它在五行中属金对应大肠，所以能够破除瘀血！为什么又有书记载它能治疗噎膈反胃？（《普济方》治疗反胃，用刺皮烧成灰后酒服，或者煮汁，或者用五味料腌制炙烤食用。）因为刺皮属兽类，兼有辛苦味道，所以能疏散邪气、泄除热毒，使胃气调和而不向上逆冲。但是食用肉类时务必去除骨头，如果误食骨头，会使人消瘦衰弱，身体节节变小。这种兽似鼠而圆，火褐色，毛发攒聚，外表有刺如栗房。将其黑存性后使用。
泻水类药物，是因为水势急迫，不是甘淡渗湿或苦寒泻下所能解决的。正如洪水横流，迅猛难以抵御，必须得到极辛、极苦、极咸、极寒、极阴性质的药物，作为决堤疏导的手段，水势才能平息。这就是“泻水”说法的由来。然而，水在人体脏腑中本就有分布的区别，即使用药治疗急迫的水势，也各有不同。例如大戟、芫花、甘遂都是治水之药，但大戟泻脏腑之水湿，芫花通利里外水道，荛花泻里外之水湿，甘遂泻经隧之水湿。葶苈子和白前都是入肺治水的药剂，但葶苈子是配合肺中水气来治疗，白前则是搜剔肺中风邪与水气来治疗。商陆入脾经行水，功用不亚于大戟，所以张仲景的牡蛎泽泻散中使用它。海藻、海带、昆布气味相同，力量专于泄热、散结、软坚，所以对于瘰疬、瘿瘤、疝气及隧道闭塞等症，必须使用它们。蝼蛄性急奇特，所以能消水肿、拔毒邪；田螺禀性至阴，所以能利水以消除胀满。续随子有迅速下气的功效，凡是积聚胀满等各种停滞之症，服用后立即见效。紫贝有利水道、通瘀血的能力，所以对于水肿、蛊毒、目生翳膜等症，使用它自然有功。至于瞿麦泻心火，石苇清肺热，虽然它们不是最峻猛的利水药，但对于体质虚弱、正气不足的人，使用也会增加危害，不可视为普通的利水轻剂，而不审察实证就随意使用。
(Stone Category)
There are differences in size and hardness, leading to different efficacies. Its primary functions are to open orifices, expel dampness, and resolve heat. Therefore, for conditions such as corneal opacity (nebula) not clearing, painful urinary dysfunction due to heat (hot strangury), and difficult labor in women, this drug should be used in treatment, with no failure of efficacy. (However, one must carefully verify that the diseases are indeed caused by damp-heat before use.) The text claims that having a woman in difficult labor hold one piece in each hand will cause immediate delivery; this seems absurd and unscientific, and should not be fully trusted. It should be ground into juice and taken orally. (The text states that these stones fall from rock caves during thunderstorms carried by rain, which is incorrect.)
(Beast Category)
Expels damp-hot blood stasis from the intestines and stomach.
Ci Pi (Thorns Skin) (Specifically enters the Intestine and Stomach meridians). Its skin resembles thorns, hence the name "Ci" (Thorn). This beast corresponds to the Stomach meridian and enters the Stomach, thus named after the thorn. (Li Shizhen stated: Ci Pi treats rebellious Stomach Qi and is effective in opening Stomach Qi.) Why do some texts record its ability to treat five types of hemorrhoids and genital erosion? Because damp-heat sinks downward, and given its pungent flavor entering the Intestines, and its correspondence to Metal and the Large Intestine in Five Elements theory, it can break up blood stasis. Why do other texts record its ability to treat dysphagia (yige) and regurgitation (fanwei)? (Pu Ji Fang treats regurgitation by burning Ci Pi to ash and taking it with wine, or boiling it in water, or marinating and roasting it with five flavors.) Since Ci Pi belongs to the beast category and possesses both pungent and bitter flavors, it can disperse pathogenic factors and drain heat, harmonizing Stomach Qi so it does not rebel upward. However, when consuming the meat, bones must be removed. Ingestion of bones causes emaciation and progressive wasting of the body segments. This beast resembles a mouse but is round, reddish-brown in color, with clustered fur and external spines like a chestnut burr. Use it after carbonizing it while retaining its original properties (Hei Cun Xing).
Drugs for draining water are indicated because the water retention is urgent and severe, not resolvable by sweet and bland diuretics or bitter-cold purgatives. Just as a raging flood cannot be controlled easily, one must employ drugs that are extremely pungent, bitter, salty, cold, and yin-natured to act as dredging agents, so that the water level may subside. This is the origin of the concept of "draining water." However, water within the human organs has specific distributions, and even when using drugs to treat urgent water retention, there are distinctions. For example, Da Ji (Knoxia Root), Yuan Hua (Genkwa Flower), and Gan Sui (Euphorbia Lathyris Root) are all drugs for treating water retention. Yet, Da Ji drains water-dampness from the Zang-Fu organs; Yuan Hua unblocks the water pathways inside and outside; Rao Hua (often confused with Yuan Hua in ancient texts, here distinguished as draining internal/external water-dampness); and Gan Sui drains water-dampness from the collaterals and channels. Ting Li Zi (Semen Lepidii) and Bai Qian (Radix Cynanchi Stauntoniae) both enter the Lung to treat water issues. However, Ting Li Zi treats water qi accumulated in the Lung, whereas Bai Qian searches out wind-water in the Lung. Shang Lu (Radix Phytolaccae) enters the Spleen to promote water metabolism, with efficacy comparable to Da Ji; therefore, Zhang Zhongjing uses it in Mu Li Ze Xie San (Oyster and Alisma Powder). Hai Zao (Sargassum), Hai Dai (Laminaria), and Kun Bu (Ecklonia) have similar flavors and actions, specializing in draining heat, dissipating nodules, and softening hardness. Thus, they are essential for treating scrofula (luojia), goiter (ying), hernia, and obstruction of the collaterals. Lou Gu (Mole Cricket) has an urgent and unique nature, enabling it to reduce edema and extract toxins. Tian Luo (Apple Snail) possesses extreme yin nature, enabling it to promote urination to reduce distension. Xu Sui Zi (Radix Euphorbiae Lathyridis) has rapid descending Qi effects; for various stagnations such as accumulations and distension, it is effective immediately upon ingestion. Zi Bei (Concha Arcae) has the ability to benefit water passages and resolve blood stasis; thus, it is beneficial for edema, gu poison, and corneal opacity. As for Qu Mai (Herba Dianthi) draining Heart fire, and Shi Wei (Folium Pyrrosiae) clearing Lung heat, although they are not the most potent diuretics, their use in patients with deficient constitution and weak Qi may cause harm. They should not be regarded as mild diuretics to be used without assessing excess patterns.