其脊高。世称剑脊。乌梢头圆。尾尖细。（能穿小钱百文者佳）眼有赤光。至枯不陷
活者。蛇类中惟此性善不噬物。入药最多。秤之重七钱至一两者为上。十两至一镒者为中
粗大者力弥减也。伪者用他蛇熏黑。亦能乱真。但眼不光耳。其长大无剑脊。而尾稍粗者
名风梢蛇。亦可治风。力殊不及。
肉气味甘平。治诸风顽痹。皮肤不仁。热毒风。皮肤生癞。眉髭脱落。 疥等疮。功同
白花
以喂乌鸡。待尽。杀鸡烹熟取
〔论〕 乌蛇与白花蛇味皆甘。皆入血。而白花蛇独兼有咸。则入血而祛风者。乌梢似
难与
〔修治〕 去头及皮鳞。锉断。酒浸一宿。漉出炙干用。或以酒煮干。亦可。
其蜕无时。但着不净即蜕。或大饱亦蜕。（颂）从口退出。眼睛亦退。（宗 ）
味咸甘。气平。火熬之良。治喉风。退目翳。消木舌。诸 恶疮似癞癜风白驳。（煎汁
涂之）
取其退
为用者。
当归。等
小儿口噤不
石痈无脓。坚
个。头发一握
〔论〕 蛇治风证。如狂痫等疾。惟属阳实者。至阳虚则断非所宜。若患于湿以为风者。
是
分
皆其病于阴血之风而患在表分者。用之为最切耳。
凡小儿惊痫癫疾。非外邪客忤而由于肝心虚者。不效。（仲淳）孕妇忌用。
〔修治〕 凡使勿用青黄苍色者。只用白色如银者。（雷公）先以皂荚水洗净。缠竹上。
或酒
它的脊背高耸，世人称为“剑脊”。乌梢蛇的头呈圆形，尾部尖细。（能穿过一百枚铜钱的小孔者为上品）眼睛有红光，即使干枯也不凹陷。活体时，在蛇类中只有它性情温顺，不咬人。入药用量最多。称重七钱至一两的为上等，十两至一镒（二十两）的为中等。粗大的蛇药效反而减弱。伪品用其他蛇熏黑，也能以假乱真，只是眼睛没有光泽罢了。那些体型长大但没有剑脊、尾巴稍粗的，名叫风梢蛇，也可以治疗风证，但药效远不如乌梢蛇。
肉的气味甘平。主治各种风邪引起的顽固性痹症、皮肤麻木不仁、热毒风、皮肤生癞、眉毛和胡须脱落、疥疮等皮肤病。功效与白花蛇相同。
[用法] 用乌梢蛇喂乌鸡，待蛇吃完后，杀鸡煮熟取肉使用。
[论述] 乌梢蛇与白花蛇味道都甘，都入血分，而白花蛇独兼咸味，所以在入血祛风方面，乌梢蛇似乎难以与之相比。
[炮制] 去掉头部及皮鳞，锉断，用酒浸泡一夜，捞出焙干使用。或者用酒煮干也可以。
蛇蜕没有固定的时间，只要附着在不干净的地方就会蜕下，或者在大饱之后也会蜕下。（苏颂说）从口中退出，连眼睛也一起退出来。（陈承说）
味道咸甘，气平。用火烤制效果良好。主治喉风，消退目翳，消除木舌，各种恶疮类似癞病、白癜风。（煎汁涂抹患处）
[用法] 取其蜕下的皮……作为药用者，需配伍当归等药。用于小儿口噤不开……石痈无脓且坚硬……用一枚，加头发一握……
[论述] 蛇类药物治疗风证，如狂痫等疾病，只适用于阳实证。到了阳气虚衰的时候，就绝对不适合使用了。如果是因湿邪转化为风证的，……都属于阴血受风邪侵害且病位在表分的，使用蛇蜕最为恰当。
凡是小儿惊痫癫疾，如果不是外邪客忤所致，而是由于肝心虚弱引起的，使用无效。（陈实功/仲淳说）孕妇忌用。
[炮制] 凡是用时不要用青、黄、苍色的，只用白色如银的。（雷敩说）先用皂荚水洗净，缠绕在竹子上，或用酒……
Its dorsal ridge is high, known in the world as "Sword Spine" (Jianji). The head of the Zamenis schrenckii (Wushaoshe, Black-striped Snake) is round, and the tail tip is slender. (Those that can pass through a hole pierced in one hundred copper coins are considered superior.) The eyes have a red luster, and even when dried, they do not collapse. When alive, among snakes, only this species has a gentle nature and does not bite objects. It is used most frequently in medicine. Weighing seven qian to one liang is considered first grade; ten liang to one yi (twenty liang) is medium grade. Those that are thick and large have diminished efficacy. Counterfeits are made by smoking other snakes black, which can also deceive the eye, but their eyes lack luster. Those that are long and large without a sword spine, and with a slightly thicker tail, are named Fengshao She (Wind-tip Snake), which can also treat wind disorders, but its efficacy is far inferior.
The flesh has a sweet and neutral taste. It treats various stubborn bi syndromes caused by wind, skin insensibility, heat-toxic wind, skin leprosy-like eruptions, loss of eyebrows and beard, and sores such as scabies. Its efficacy is similar to that of Deinagkistrodon acutus (Baihuashe, Hundred-pace Snake).
[Usage] Feed the snake to a black-bone chicken. After it is consumed, slaughter the chicken, cook it thoroughly, and take the meat.
[Dissertation] Both Wushaoshe and Baihuashe have a sweet taste and enter the Blood level. However, Baihuashe uniquely possesses a salty taste, making it more effective in entering the blood to dispel wind; thus, Wushaoshe seems difficult to compare with it in this regard.
[Processing] Remove the head, skin, and scales. Chop into segments. Soak in wine for one night, drain, and dry by roasting. Alternatively, boiling in wine until dry is also acceptable.
Snake slough (Shetui) sheds at any time, but specifically when adhering to unclean places or after a full meal. (Su Song states) It exits from the mouth, and the eyes are shed along with it. (Chen Cheng states)
It has a salty and sweet taste and a neutral qi. Roasting over fire is beneficial. It treats throat wind, reduces corneal opacity (mucous membrane covering the eye), eliminates wooden tongue, and various malignant sores resembling leprosy or vitiligo. (Boil the juice and apply externally.)
[Usage] Take the shed skin... For medicinal use, it is often combined with herbs such as Angelica sinensis (Danggui, Chinese Angelica Root). Used for pediatric trismus... For stone abscesses without pus and hardness... Use one piece, plus a handful of hair...
[Dissertation] Snakes and their derivatives treat wind syndromes, such as mania and epilepsy, only when they belong to excess patterns of Yang. In cases of extreme Yang deficiency, they are absolutely contraindicated. If the condition arises from dampness transforming into wind... these all belong to wind affecting Yin-Blood with pathology in the exterior layers; using snake slough is most appropriate.
For pediatric convulsions, epilepsy, and manic disorders, if not caused by external pathogenic invasion but due to Liver and Heart deficiency, it is ineffective. (Zhongchun states) Pregnant women should avoid using it.
[Processing] Do not use those that are green, yellow, or grayish-blue. Only use those that are white like silver. (Lei Gong states) First, wash clean with soap pod water, wrap around bamboo, or use wine...