邻村霍氏妇，年二十余，因阴虚得水肿证。
病因 因阴分虚损，常作灼热，浸至小便不利，积成水肿。
证候 头面周身皆肿，以手按其肿处成凹，移时始能撤消。日晡潮热，心中亦恒觉发热。小便赤涩，一
日夜间不过通下一次。其脉左部弦细，右部弦而微硬，其数六至。
诊断 此证因阴分虚损，肾脏为虚热所伤而生炎，是以不能漉水以利小便。且其左脉弦细，则肝之
疏泄力减。可致小便不利，右脉弦硬，胃之蕴热下溜，亦可使小便不利，是以积成水肿也。宜治以大
滋真阴之品，俾其阴足自能退热，则肾炎可愈，胃热可清。肝木得肾水之涵濡，而其疏泄之力亦自充
足，再辅以利小便之品作向导，其小便必然通利，所积之水肿亦不难徐消矣。
处方 生怀山药（一两） 生怀地黄（六钱） 生杭芍（六钱） 玄参（五钱）
大甘枸杞（五钱） 沙参（四钱） 滑石（三钱）
共煎汤一大盅，温服。
复诊 将药连服四剂，小便已利，头面周身之肿已消弱半，日晡之热已无，心中仍有发热之时，
惟其脉仍数逾五至，知其阴分犹未充足也。仍宜注重补其真阴而少辅以利水之品。
处方 熟怀地黄（一两） 生杭芍（六钱） 生怀山药（五钱） 大甘枸杞（五钱）
柏子仁（四钱） 玄参（四钱） 沙参（三钱） 生车前子（三钱装袋）
大云苓片（二钱） 鲜白茅根（五钱）
药共十味，先将前九味水煎十余沸，再入鲜白茅根，煎四五沸取汤一大盅，温服。若无鲜白
茅根，可代以鲜芦根。至两方皆重用芍药者，因芍药性善滋阴，而又善利小便，原为阴
虚小便不利者之主药也。
效果 将药连服六剂，肿遂尽消，脉已复常，遂停服汤药，俾日用生怀山药细末两许，熬
作粥，少兑以鲜梨自然汁，当点心服之以善其后。
The wife of the Huo family in the neighboring village, in her early twenties, suffered from edema due to Yin deficiency.
Etiology Due to damage to the Yin aspect, she frequently experienced a burning sensation. This heat infiltrated and impaired urination, leading to the accumulation of edema.
Symptoms Swelling was present on the head, face, and entire body. Pressing the swollen areas with fingers left an indentation that took time to recover. There was tidal fever in the late afternoon (Shen hour), and she constantly felt heat in the heart region. Urine was red and scanty with difficult, painful passage, occurring only once during the day and night. The pulse was wiry and thin on the left side, wiry and slightly hard on the right side, with a rapid rate of six beats per respiratory cycle.
Diagnosis This condition arises from Yin deficiency, where the Kidney is injured by deficient heat, causing inflammation and impairing its ability to filter water and promote urination. Furthermore, the wiry and thin left pulse indicates reduced Liver dispersing and draining function, which can lead to difficult urination; the wiry and hard right pulse suggests stomach heat sinking downward, also contributing to urinary difficulty, thereby accumulating into edema. Treatment should employ substances that greatly nourish the True Yin. Once Yin is sufficient, it will naturally subdue the heat, curing the nephritis and clearing stomach heat. When Liver Wood is nourished by Kidney Water, its dispersing and draining power becomes sufficient. Assisted by diuretic herbs as guides, urination will surely become smooth, and the accumulated edema will gradually dissipate.
Prescription Raw Huai Yam (1 liang), Raw Huai Di Huang (6 qian), Raw Hang Shao Yao (6 qian), Xuan Shen (5 qian), Large Sweet Gou Qi Zi (5 qian), Sha Shen (4 qian), Hua Shi (3 qian).
Decoct together in a large bowl of water, take warm.
Second Visit After taking four doses continuously, urination became smooth, swelling on the head, face, and body decreased by half, and the afternoon tidal fever ceased. However, there were still episodes of heat in the heart region, and the pulse remained rapid at over five beats per respiratory cycle, indicating that Yin is still insufficient. Treatment should continue to focus on tonifying True Yin, with a small amount of water-draining herbs added.
Prescription Cooked Huai Di Huang (1 liang), Raw Hang Shao Yao (6 qian), Raw Huai Shan Yao (5 qian), Large Sweet Gou Qi Zi (5 qian), Bai Zi Ren (4 qian), Xuan Shen (4 qian), Sha Shen (3 qian), Raw Che Qian Zi (3 qian, decocted in a bag), Da Fu Ling slices (2 qian), Fresh Bai Mao Gen (5 qian).
There are ten ingredients in total. First, decoct the first nine ingredients in water for more than ten boils. Then add the fresh Bai Mao Gen, boil for four or five more boils, and collect one large bowl of decoction. Take warm. If fresh Bai Mao Gen is unavailable, fresh Lu Gen may be used as a substitute. The reason both prescriptions heavily use Shao Yao is that Shao Yao has properties good at nourishing Yin and promoting urination; it is originally the principal herb for treating difficult urination due to Yin deficiency.
Outcome After taking six doses continuously, the swelling completely disappeared, and the pulse returned to normal. Decocted medicine was then stopped. Instead, the patient was instructed to consume approximately one liang of fine powder of raw Huai Shan Yao daily, cooked into porridge, mixed with a little natural juice of fresh Li, and taken as a snack for convalescence.