治胆玄水先从头面至脚肿，头眩痛，身虚热，名曰玄水。体肿大小便涩
第十八卷大肠腑门）。
治小肠水，小腹满，暴肿，口苦干燥方∶
用巴豆三十枚和皮碎，以水五升，煮取三升，绵纳汁中，拭肿上，随手可减，日五六拭
，莫近目及阴（《集验》治身暴肿如吹）。
治大肠水乍虚乍实，上下来去方∶赤小豆（五升） 桑白皮（切二升） 鲤鱼（四斤） 白
术（八两）
上四味 咀，以水三斗，煮取鱼烂，勿用盐，去鱼尽食，并取汁四升许，细细饮下。
又方 羊肉（一斤） 商陆（切，一升）
上二味以水二斗，先煮商陆令烂，去滓后纳羊肉及葱、豉、醋如 法。（《肘后》云∶
治卒肿满身面洪大）。
治膀胱石水，四肢瘦，腹肿方∶
桑白皮 白皮 泽漆叶（各三升） 大豆（五升） 防己 射干 白术（各四两）
上七味 咀，以水一斗五升，煮取六升，去滓，纳好酒三升，更煮取五升，日二夜一
。余者，次日更服。（《集验方》无泽漆、防己、射干、只四味。）
又方 桑白皮（六两） 射干 黄芩 茯苓 白术（各四两） 泽泻（三两） 防己（二
升）
大豆
上九味 咀，以水五斗煮大豆，取三斗，去豆澄清，取一斗下药，煮取三升，空腹分
三服。
治胃水四肢肿，腹满方∶
猪肾（一具） 茯苓（四两） 防己 橘皮 元参 黄芩 杏仁 泽泻（一作泽漆） 桑
白皮
（各一两） 猪苓 白术（各三两） 大豆（三升）
上十二味 咀，以水一斗八升煮猪肾，大豆、泽泻、桑白皮取一斗共煮，澄清去滓，纳
余药，煮取三升，分三服。若咳加五味子三两。凡服三剂，间五日，服一剂，常用有效。
有人患气急积久不瘥，遂成水肿，如此者众，诸皮中浮水攻面目，身体从腰以上肿，以
此发汗方∶
麻黄（四两） 甘草（二两）
上二味 咀，以水五升煮麻黄，再沸去沫，纳甘草，煮取三升，分三服。重覆取汗，愈。
慎风冷等。
治面目手足有微肿，常不能消者方∶
以楮叶切二升，水四升，煮取三升，去滓纳米，煮作粥食，如常食勿绝。冬则预取叶干
之，准法作粥，周年永瘥，慎生冷一切食物。
治面肿小便涩，心腹胀满方∶
茯苓 杏仁（各八分） 橘皮 防己 葶苈（各五分） 苏子（三合）
上六味为末，蜜丸如小豆，服十丸，以桑白皮汤送下。日二服，加至三十丸。
治大腹水肿，气息不通，命在旦夕者方∶
牛黄（二分） 椒目（三分） 昆布 海藻 牵牛子 桂心（各八分） 葶苈（六分）
上七味为末，另捣葶苈如膏，蜜和丸如梧子，饮服十丸，日二，稍加。小便利为度，大
良。贞观九年汉阳王患水，医所不治，余处此方，日夜尿一二斗，五六日即瘥。
有人患水肿腹大，其坚如石，四肢细小，劳苦足胫肿，小饮食便气急，此终身之疾。服
利下药不瘥者，宜服此药，微除风湿，利小便，消水谷，岁久服之乃可得力，瘥后可常服方
鬼箭羽 丹参 白术 独活（各五两） 秦艽 猪苓（各三两） 知母 海藻 茯苓 桂
心
（各
上十味 咀，以酒三斗，浸五日，服五合，日三。任性量力渐加之。
治水肿利小便，酒客，虚热当风，饮冷水，腹肿，阴胀满方∶
当归（四两） 甘遂（一两） 芒硝 芫花（各二两） 吴茱萸（三两）
上五味为末，蜜丸如梧子大，饮服三丸，日三。
（一方有大黄荛花各二两，无茱萸，加猪苓、麝香各一两。
To treat Danxuan Shui (Mysterious Water of the Gallbladder), where edema starts from the head and face and spreads to the feet, accompanied by dizziness and headache, and a sensation of deficiency-heat in the body. This condition is named "Xuan Shui". The body is swollen with difficult urination and defecation (see Volume 18, Section on Large Intestine Fu Organ).
For Xiao Chang Shui (Water of the Small Intestine), characterized by fullness in the lower abdomen, sudden onset of swelling, bitter taste in the mouth, and dryness:
Use thirty seeds of Baiduo (Crotonis Fructus, 巴豆) with the skin intact, crushed. Boil in five sheng of water until three sheng remain. Filter the decoction through silk cotton, and apply the liquid to the swollen areas. Swelling will subside immediately. Apply five to six times daily. Avoid contact with eyes and genitalia. (Ji Yan Fang records treating sudden whole-body swelling like inflation).
For Da Chang Shui (Water of the Large Intestine), characterized by fluctuating symptoms moving up and down:
Chixiaodou (Adzuki Bean, 赤小豆) five sheng; Sangbaipi (Morus Alba Root Bark, 桑白皮) two sheng, sliced; Liyu (Carp, 鲤鱼) four jin; Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术) eight liang.
Crush these four ingredients. Boil in three dou of water until the fish is tender. Do not use salt. Consume all the fish meat. Drink approximately four sheng of the decoction slowly.
Another prescription:
Rouyang (Mutton, 羊肉) one jin; Shanglu (Phytolaccae Radix, 商陆) one sheng, sliced.
Boil these two ingredients in two dou of water. First boil Shanglu until tender, remove dregs, then add mutton, scallions, fermented soybeans (Chi), and vinegar. Cook according to standard methods. (Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang records treating sudden whole-body swelling with large face and head).
For Bangguang Shishui (Stone Water of the Bladder), characterized by emaciated limbs and abdominal swelling:
Sangbaipi (Morus Alba Root Bark, 桑白皮); Bopi (Broussonetiae Papyrifera Stem Bark, 白皮); Zeqiye (Euphorbia Peplus Leaf, 泽漆叶) each three sheng; Dadou (Soybean, 大豆) five sheng; Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, 防己); Shegan (Belamcandae Rhizoma, 射干); Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术) each four liang.
Crush these seven ingredients. Boil in one dou and five sheng of water until six sheng remain. Remove dregs, add three sheng of good wine, and boil again until five sheng remain. Take twice during the day and once at night. Store the remainder for the next day. (Ji Yan Fang omits Zeqi, Fangji, and Shegan, using only four ingredients).
Another prescription:
Sangbaipi (Morus Alba Root Bark, 桑白皮) six liang; Shegan (Belamcandae Rhizoma, 射干); Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix, 黄芩); Fuling (Poria, 茯苓); Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术) each four liang; Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma, 泽泻) three liang; Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, 防己) two sheng; Dadou (Soybean, 大豆).
Crush these nine ingredients. Boil the soybeans in five dou of water until three dou remain. Remove beans and clarify the liquid. Take one dou of this liquid, add the remaining herbs, and boil until three sheng remain. Divide into three doses and take on an empty stomach.
For Wei Shui (Water of the Stomach), characterized by swollen limbs and abdominal fullness:
Zhushen (Porcinus Kidney, 猪肾) one piece; Fuling (Poria, 茯苓) four liang; Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, 防己); Juapi (Citrus Reticulata Pericarpium, 橘皮); Yuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix, 元参); Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix, 黄芩); Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum, 杏仁); Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma, 泽泻) [alternative: Zeqi]; Sangbaipi (Morus Alba Root Bark, 桑白皮) each one liang; Zhuling (Polyporus, 猪苓); Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术) each three liang; Dadou (Soybean, 大豆) three sheng.
Crush these twelve ingredients. Boil the pig kidney, soybeans, Zexie, and Sangbaipi in one dou and eight sheng of water until one dou remains. Clarify and remove dregs. Add the remaining herbs and boil until three sheng remain. Divide into three doses. If coughing occurs, add Sanweizi (Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, 五味子) three liang. Generally, after taking three doses, take one dose every five days. This is often effective.
For someone suffering from chronic asthma leading to edema, where floating water attacks the face and eyes causing swelling above the waist, use this sweating prescription:
Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba, 麻黄) four liang; Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, 甘草) two liang.
Crush these two ingredients. Boil Mahuang in five sheng of water. After boiling twice, skim off the foam. Add Gancao and boil until three sheng remain. Divide into three doses. Cover thickly to induce sweating for cure. Avoid wind and cold.
For mild swelling of the face, eyes, hands, and feet that does not easily resolve:
Cut Eruye (Broussonetiae Folium, 楮叶) two sheng. Boil in four sheng of water until three sheng remain. Remove dregs, add rice, and cook into porridge. Eat regularly without interruption. In winter, prepare dried leaves in advance and make porridge as directed. Persistent use for one year can lead to permanent cure. Avoid all raw and cold foods.
For facial swelling with difficult urination and abdominal distension:
Fuling (Poria, 茯苓); Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum, 杏仁) each eight fen; Juapi (Citrus Reticulata Pericarpium, 橘皮); Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, 防己); Tingli (Descurainiae Semen seu Lepidii Semen, 葶苈) each five fen; Suzi (Perillae Fructus, 苏子) three he.
Grind these six ingredients into powder. Make honey pills the size of small adzuki beans. Take ten pills, washed down with Sangbaipi decoction. Take twice daily, increasing to thirty pills if necessary.
For severe abdominal edema with blocked qi, life-threatening:
Niuhuang (Bovaris Calculus, 牛黄) two fen; Jiaomu (Capsici Fructus Seed, 椒目) three fen; Kunbu (Laminariae Thallus, 昆布); Haizao (Sargassum Thallus, 海藻); Qianniu Zi (Pharbitidis Semen, 牵牛子); Guixin (Cinnamomi Ramulus, 桂心) each eight fen; Tingli (Descurainiae Semen seu Lepidii Semen, 葶苈) six fen.
Grind the first seven ingredients into powder. Separately grind Tingli into a paste. Mix with honey to make pills the size of wu zi (wisteria seeds). Take ten pills with warm water, twice daily, gradually increasing the dose. Stop when urination becomes smooth. This is highly effective. In the 9th year of Zhenguan, the Prince of Hanyang suffered from water disease which physicians could not treat. I prescribed this formula. He urinated one or two dou day and night, and recovered in five to six days.
For someone with massive abdominal edema, hard as stone, thin limbs, swollen calves upon exertion, and shortness of breath after slight eating or defecation, a lifelong condition. If purgatives and diuretics fail, use this medicine to mildly dispel wind-damp, promote urination, and resolve food/water accumulation. Long-term use yields results; it can be taken continuously after recovery:
Guijianyu (Strychni Nux-vomica Branchlet? Note: Gui Jian Yu usually refers to Euonymi Ramulus, 鬼箭羽); Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, 丹参); Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术); Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix, 独活) each five liang; Qinjiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix, 秦艽); Zhuling (Polyporus, 猪苓) each three liang; Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, 知母); Haizao (Sargassum Thallus, 海藻); Fuling (Poria, 茯苓); Guixin (Cinnamomi Ramulus, 桂心) [dosage missing in source].
Crush these ten ingredients. Soak in three dou of wine for five days. Take five he per dose, three times daily. Increase dosage gradually according to tolerance.
For edema requiring diuresis, in alcoholics, with deficiency-heat exposed to wind, drinking cold water, abdominal swelling, and genital fullness:
Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix, 当归) four liang; Gansui (Kansui Radix, 甘遂) one liang; Mangxiao (Natrii Sulfas, 芒硝); Yuanhua (Genkwa Flos, 芫花) each two liang; Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus, 吴茱萸) three liang.
Grind these five ingredients into powder. Make honey pills the size of wu zi. Take three pills with warm water, three times daily.
(Another version includes Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 大黄) and Raohua (Genkwa Flos, 荛花) each two liang, no Wuzhuyu, plus Zhuling (Polyporus, 猪苓) and Shexiang (Moschus, 麝香) each one liang.)