Library

The *Qianjin Fang* (Thousand Golden Prescriptions) states: Generally, edema diseases are difficult to treat. After recovery, one must be particularly cautious about dietary tastes, as patients with edema often have insatiable cravings. Therefore, this disease is hard to cure. Some physicians in the world cater to worldly trends for financial gain, disregarding the patients' lives and health. When a patient desires meat, they advise eating sheep head and trotter meat in places of prestige. In such cases, [the condition may relapse or] all taboos regarding mourning, filial piety, postpartum care, listening to music, sexual intercourse, and play are violated. All fish, all meats, cold/raw/sour/smooth foods, garlic, sticky rice/beans, and greasy foods must not be consumed, nor should one exert mental effort. The aforementioned prohibitions are detailed under each specific prescription; regarding sexual intercourse and other matters, caution must be maintained for three years so that the disease does not recur. Otherwise, if it recurs after remission, a second recurrence cannot be treated. An ancient prescription called "Shi Shui Wan" (Ten Waters Pill) has been verified many times to mostly promote bowel movements but fails to promote urination, so it is not recorded here.

For swelling below the waist, one should promote urination; for swelling above the waist, one should induce sweating, and then the patient will recover. (From Volume 21)

Fan Wang's Prescription for Treating Edema.
Coptidis Rhizoma Powder (Huanglian Mo)
Take the above single ingredient, mix with honey, pound ten thousand times, form pills the size of mulberry seeds, take two pills with water, up to three or four pills. Prohibit drinking water and consuming cold items.

Another Prescription
Drink one sheng of vinegar. Another method takes a pinch of salted black soybeans, drink with water. Another method fills the tiger's mouth with leaves of Jiaomu (likely referring to a specific plant, possibly *Sophora* or similar local herb, literal translation: Horn Wood Leaf), crushes them to extract juice, and drinks it. (All from Volume 28)

Cui Shi's Prescription for Treating Edema.
Adzuki Bean (Wudou) (One da sheng, small grains)
Morus Alba Root Bark (Sanggen Baidi) (Five sheng, finely cut)
Take the above two ingredients, add five dou of water, boil together until one dou of liquid remains, filter out the dregs, re-boil in a copper vessel over water until thick like maltose syrup, then form into pills. The patient takes each dose, using the promotion of urination as the limit. When urine returns to its normal color and body swelling subsides, take it when feeling internal heat and restlessness. Prohibit sexual intercourse, dead ox/horse meat, greasy foods, wheat products, and alcohol.

Another Prescription for Treating Edema with Generalized Swelling, Qi Distension, and Indigestion.
Dry Elsholtzia (Gan Xiangru) (Fifty jin)
Take the above single ingredient, finely chop, place in a pot, cover with water several cun above the herb, boil until the aroma is completely exhausted, remove dregs, clarify the liquid, slowly boil over fire until it can form pills. Take five pills the size of mulberry seeds, three times daily, gradually increase the dose, stopping when urination is smooth. No restrictions. (Same as *Jingxin Lu*)

Another Prescription for Treating Edema with Body Swelling.
Carp (Li Yu) (One large carp, remove head, tail, and bones, use only flesh)
Take the above single ingredient, add two dou of water and one sheng of Adzuki Beans (Chixiaodou), boil with the fish flesh until more than two sheng of liquid is obtained, squeeze through raw cloth to remove dregs, take all at once. If unable to take all at once, divide into two doses; warm the second dose before taking. After taking, diarrhea occurs; once the diarrhea ceases, the disease heals. Prohibit beef, white wine, cold/raw items, wheat products, pork, fish, oils, and cheese. Bury the medicinal dregs.

*Gujin Luyan* Prescription for Treating Edema.
Stephania Tetrandra (Mufangji) (Eight fen)
Dahuang (Shu Dahuang) (Eight fen, those with brocade patterns pounded separately)
Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) (Eight fen)
Apricot Seed (Xingren) (Eight fen, stir-fried until purple, pounded separately)
Perilla Seed (Tinglizi) (Ten fen, stir-fried)
Pound and sieve the above five ingredients together, mix with honey to form pills. Take seven pills the size of mulberry seeds before meals initially, twice daily. Increase by one pill daily until twelve pills, then maintain the divided daily dose. [Text fragmentary: If illness... obtain food... external...]

Another Prescription for Treating Edema, Niuhuang Guizhi Wan.
Realgar? No, Calculus Bovis (Niuhuang) (Six zhu, ground)
Cinnamon Twig (Guizhi) (Twelve zhu, another version says Cinnamon six zhu)
Oyster Shell (Muli) (Twelve zhu, stir-fried and ground)
Zanthoxylum Seed (Jiaomu) (Twelve zhu, another version says Kelp/Hai Zao twenty-four zhu, no need for Jiaomu)
Perilla Seed (Tinglizi) (Half sheng, stir-fried, another version says use one sheng)
Pound and sieve the above five ingredients, mix with honey to form pills the size of mulberry seeds. Take seven pills with water, twice daily, stopping when urination is smooth. Avoid raw green onions. (All from Volume 11)