治暑毒入心,发热大渴,烦躁便秘,邪在上焦而治在下焦者,使浊阴出下窍而清阳
之上焦者,自能宣化矣。心邪不从心泻,盖脏无泻法,脏实而泻其腑也。通治诸湿,腹
满水饮水肿,呕逆泄泻,水寒射肺,或喘或咳,中暑烦褐,身热头痛,膀胱积热,便秘
而渴,霍乱吐泻,痰饮湿疟,身痛身重,此皆伤湿之见症也。湿胜则脾不运土不能治
水,溢于皮肤则肿胀,并于大肠则泄泻,水停心下则呕逆,水寒射肺则喘咳,暑先入心
故烦渴,肺病则金不能生水,膀胱热则阳不化阴,故便秘而渴,阴阳不利则霍乱吐泻,
湿胜则身痛身重,总之,下不通利则阴阳不能升降而变症多矣。且功专荡热滋燥,导饮
生津,故亦为消痞良方。
猪苓 白茯苓 白术(炒) 泽泻 桂 为末,每服三钱,服后多饮热水,汗出
而愈。
此足太阳药也。太阳之热,传入膀胱,故口渴而便不通。《经》曰∶淡味渗泄为阳,
故用二苓甘淡入肺,而通膀胱为君。水无当于五味,故淡能利水,茯苓走气分,猪苓走
血分,然必上行入肺而后能下降入膀胱也。咸味涌泄为阴,泽泻甘咸入肾,同利水道为
臣。益土所以制水,故以白术苦温,健脾去湿为佐。然膀胱虽藏津液,必由气化而始能
出,故用肉桂辛热为使。热因热用,引入膀胱,以化其气,使湿热之气,皆从小便而出
也。若汗下之后,内亡津液而便不利者,不可用之,恐重亡津液而益亏其阴也。然治秘
之道有三∶一曰肺燥不能化气,故用二苓泽泻之甘淡,以泻肺而降气。一曰脾湿不能升
精渗浊,故用白术之苦温以燥脾而升精。一曰膀胱无阳不能化气,故用肉桂之辛热,以
温膀胱而化阴,使水道通利,则上可以止渴,中可以去湿,下可以泻邪热也。然五苓
利水,何以复能止渴生津?盖湿热壅于中焦则气不得施化,故津竭而小便不通也。用五
苓以利去湿热则浊降清升,而脾能为胃行其津液、故津回而渴止矣。
Treats summerheat-toxin invading the Heart, presenting with fever, extreme thirst, restlessness, and constipation. This is a case where the pathogenic factor is in the Upper Jiao (Upper Burner), yet treatment is directed at the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner). By allowing turbid Yin to exit through the lower orifices, the clear Yang in the Upper Jiao can naturally be disseminated and transformed. Pathogens in the Heart do not drain directly from the Heart organ itself, as there is no direct draining method for Zang organs; instead, one drains its paired Fu organ (the Small Intestine) when the Zang is full.
This formula broadly treats various dampness disorders: abdominal distension, edema after drinking water, vomiting and regurgitation, diarrhea, cold-water attacking the Lung causing wheezing or coughing, summerheat causing irritability and brownish sweat, body heat and headache, bladder accumulation of heat causing constipation and thirst, cholera with vomiting and diarrhea, phlegm-fluid retention, damp-malaria, body pain and heaviness. These are all manifestations of injury by dampness. When dampness prevails, the Spleen fails to transport, Earth fails to control Water, leading to overflow into the skin causing swelling, or entering the Large Intestine causing diarrhea. Water stagnating below the Heart causes vomiting and regurgitation; cold-water attacking the Lung causes wheezing and coughing. Summerheat enters the Heart first, hence irritability and thirst. Lung disease means Metal cannot generate Water; bladder heat means Yang cannot transform Yin, hence constipation and thirst. Disharmony of Yin and Yang leads to cholera with vomiting and diarrhea; prevailing dampness leads to body pain and heaviness. In summary, if the lower pathways are not unobstructed, the ascending and descending of Yin and Yang Qi will fail, resulting in many complicated symptoms. Furthermore, its function specializes in sweeping away heat, moistening dryness, guiding out fluid retention, and generating fluids, making it an excellent formula for eliminating痞 (fullness/lump).
Zhu Ling (Polypori Umbellati Sclerotium), Bai Fu Ling (Poria), Chao Bai Zhu (Stir-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus). Grind into powder. Take 3 qian per dose. After taking the medicine, drink plenty of hot water. Recovery occurs upon sweating.
This belongs to the Foot-Taiyang (Bladder Meridian) category. Heat from Taiyang transmits into the Bladder, causing thirst and urinary/fecal obstruction. The Classic states: "Bland flavors promote seepage and discharge, belonging to Yang." Therefore, Zhu Ling and Fu Ling, being bland and sweet, enter the Lung and communicate with the Bladder, serving as the Sovereign (Jun) herbs. Water has no specific correspondence among the five flavors, but blandness promotes diuresis. Fu Ling moves in the Qi level, while Zhu Ling moves in the Blood level; however, they must ascend to the Lung before they can descend to the Bladder. "Salty flavors induce vomiting and discharge, belonging to Yin." Ze Xie, being sweet and salty, enters the Kidney and jointly promotes water passage, serving as the Minister (Chen) herb. Strengthening Earth controls Water; thus, Bai Zhu, bitter and warm, strengthens the Spleen and removes dampness, serving as the Assistant (Zuo) herb. Although the Bladder stores Jin-Ye (body fluids), it requires Qi transformation to excrete them. Therefore, Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex) is used as the Envoy (Shi) herb due to its acrid and hot nature. Using heat to treat heat (reversal therapy), it guides the action into the Bladder to transform Qi, ensuring that damp-heat exits via urination. If after sweating or purging, internal loss of Jin-Ye leads to difficult urination, this formula should not be used, lest it further deplete Jin-Ye and exacerbate Yin deficiency.
There are three approaches to treating constipation/obstruction:
1. Lung dryness failing to transform Qi: Use the bland sweetness of Zhu Ling, Fu Ling, and Ze Xie to drain the Lung and descend Qi.
2. Spleen dampness failing to raise the clear and separate the turbid: Use the bitter warmth of Bai Zhu to dry the Spleen and raise the clear essence.
3. Bladder lacking Yang to transform Qi: Use the acrid heat of Rou Gui to warm the Bladder and transform Yin, unblocking the water passages. Thus, upward it stops thirst, centrally it removes dampness, and downward it drains pathogenic heat.
However, why does Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria), which promotes urination, also stop thirst and generate fluids? Because damp-heat congestion in the Middle Jiao prevents Qi from functioning normally, leading to exhaustion of Jin-Ye and urinary obstruction. Using Wu Ling San to drain damp-heat allows turbidity to descend and clarity to ascend. The Spleen can then transport Jin-Ye for the Stomach, restoring Jin-Ye and stopping thirst.