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Treats labor fever (fever due to deficiency heat) caused by Yin deficiency, or panting, or coughing, or loose diarrhea, difficult urination, and all syndromes of emaciation and deficiency.

Raw Huai Shan Yao (Dioscorea opposita Rhizoma), 1 jin (approx. 500g), crushed and sifted finely.

Take the single herb above, 7-8 qian (approx. 26-30g) or up to 1 liang (approx. 37.5g) per dose. Mix with cold water into a pot, place on the stove, and stir constantly with chopsticks. Boil two or three times until it becomes porridge, then serve. If given to children, a small amount of white sugar may be added for taste.

Occasionally, prolonged consumption of this porridge may cause chest stuffiness. Adding one wa (approx. 3g) of Western medicine Buphestin (Bismuth Subcarbonate) to the same dose eliminates this drawback and further promotes appetite.

Student Wu XX, aged 21. Emaciated, weak, febrile, with a deficient and rapid pulse, unable to eat. Instructed to consume Shan Yao Porridge with Buphestin in the morning and evening, and take Xuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix), 3 qian (approx. 11g), decocted in water, at noon. After several days of this regimen, food intake increased, fever subsided, and he became robust from then on.

A woman, over thirty years old. Diarrhea had persisted for months without cessation, and the condition was critical. She sent a messenger to her parents; her father intended to visit and asked me for a prescription. He stated that previous medical treatments with various medicines had been ineffective. I therefore prescribed Shan Yao Porridge, to be taken three times daily. The patient recovered completely within two days. After taking it for a few more days, her health was fully restored.

A pregnant woman suffered from daily seizures of epilepsy (Xian Feng). Her pulse lacked the typical slippery quality associated with pregnancy; it was slightly wiry and rapid. This indicated deficiency of the Yin aspect and scantiness of blood. She was also instructed to consume Shan Yao Porridge, which cured her immediately. After a few more doses, the seizures never recurred.

A young wife of the Guan family in Fengtian had a chronic consumptive disease (Lao Ji). Following childbirth, she experienced sudden severe deficiency, leading to intense panting and coughing. Treated with this porridge, taken twice daily. After four to five days, both panting and coughing ceased. After a few more days of consumption, the consumptive disease was eradicated permanently.

The daughter of Zheng XX in Fengtian, aged five. In autumn, she was constrained by wind-cold, resulting in internal heat. The physician failed to use acrid-cool exterior-releasing methods and instead administered purely bitter-cold medicines. After more than ten doses, the Spleen and Stomach were injured, causing loose diarrhea that persisted for over a month, while the heat in the Upper Jiao intensified. Other physicians declined treatment, so she sought my consultation. Her appearance was extremely emaciated; her pulse was fine, minute, floating, and rapid. There was heat in both the interior and exterior. She frequently felt nauseous, could not eat, and still had more than ten diarrheal episodes day and night. Treated with this porridge, allowed to drink freely, four to five times a day, only a few spoonfuls each time. She recovered completely within ten days.

Children in rural areas often suffer from loose diarrhea during the transition between summer and autumn. This is likely because farming families drink large amounts of cold water at this time, and children especially enjoy it. Farming families also consume many melons and fruits, which children particularly like. Raw and cold substances damage the Spleen and Stomach; once damaged, loose diarrhea follows. This is a natural principle. However, loose diarrhea is the most difficult syndrome to treat in children. Children possess the constitution of Shaoyang (Lesser Yang), meaning their Yin aspect is insufficient. Persistent loose diarrhea easily damages the Yin further. Often, patients with this syndrome develop whole-body fever within a few days, accompanied by shortness of body fluids, dry thirst, difficult urination, dry retching, anorexia, and a craving for cool substances. At such times, attempting to nourish Yin causes further stagnation in the Spleen and Stomach; attempting to strengthen the Spleen depletes the True Yin even more. Neither cooling-moistening nor warming-tonifying methods are appropriate. Moreover, children often resist taking medicine, and parents tend to indulge them, accommodating their preferences, which leads to prolonged illness and often untreatable conditions. Only Shan Yao tonifies both the Spleen and Kidney; it clears heat in the Upper Jiao and secures the Lower Jiao, promotes diuresis while stopping diarrhea. It is truly a good medicine. Furthermore, it is a common food item. Made into porridge and mixed with a little sugar, children will certainly enjoy eating it. Cooked and consumed twice daily, recovery occurs within a few days. For nursing infants who cannot eat porridge or can only eat very little, thickly boiled juice of raw Shan Yao can be drunk instead. I have used this formula to treat many children. Those dedicated to saving lives should not disregard it merely because it is an ordinary food item.