一切經音義 47.176

47.176

Black viper (黑蚖: the second character is fanqie 五 + 官. The Baopuzi says: "There are many kinds of snakes, but only when a viper strikes someone is it most urgent: one must cut off the bitten flesh with a knife and cast it onto the ground; the flesh will boil on its own like being roasted over fire, and in a moment it will be entirely charred, whereupon the person survives; if not cut off, death is certain." The Xuanzhong ji says: "The viper is three to four spans long, has four legs, and resembles a house gecko; along its spine are needle-sharp spines, sharper than knives and extremely venomous; if it strikes a person, death ensues in less than half a day." The Shanhaijing says: "Its skin can be used to decorate knives and swords; it resembles sharkskin, differing only in roughness and fineness").