Library

Liuwei Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill), formulated by ancient masters to comprehensively treat various conditions related to Phlegm-Fire, is also said to be suitable for consumption whether one is already ill or not yet ill. This statement likely comes from someone who deeply understands the subtleties of disease.

Why does the onset of Fire begin with the deficiency of Kidney Water, blazing Fire, and injury to Lung Metal, thereby severing the source of generation? Observing that the Sovereign herb in this formula is Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), the Deputy herbs are Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma) and Shan Zhu Yu (Corni Fructus), and the Envoy herbs are Fu Ling (Poria) and Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex), along with Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), the primary intention of benefiting Water (nourishing Kidney Yin), clearing Metal (moistening Lung Dryness), and strengthening Earth (tonifying Spleen) becomes clear.

Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata) alone is the dedicated and premier herb for tonifying the Kidney and benefiting Water; who can surpass it? To benefit Water is precisely to clear Metal. Only when Kidney Water is sufficient will Fire naturally subside and Metal naturally become clear, embodying the principle of "the child causing the mother to be full" (nourishing the source to benefit the branch). To clear Metal is precisely to strengthen Earth. Only when Lung Qi is clear and肃 (descending) will Liver Wood have something to fear, and Spleen Earth will naturally become solid, embodying the principle of "the child receiving protection from the mother."

Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma) is a key herb for tonifying the Spleen. Because when Spleen Qi is solid, it can transform and transport the essence of food and drink, conveying them to the Kidneys to replenish Jing and Qi, thus possessing the efficacy of tonifying Earth to benefit Water. Shan Zhu Yu (Corni Fructus), Fu Ling (Poria), and Mu Dan Pi (Moutan Cortex) are all herbs entering the Kidney Meridian, assisting the efficacy of Di Huang. As for Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma), although it is said to guide other herbs into the Kidney, the true intent of the formula is not merely this. Both Fu Ling (Poria) and Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma) are used to drain pathogenic factors from the Bladder. Ancient practitioners always combined draining herbs with tonics; once pathogens are removed, the tonics can take effect. This interplay of opening and closing is the profound mystery. Later generations, unaware of this principle, focused solely on tonification, leading to harm from excessive accumulation over time. The establishment of Liuwei Wan is truly miraculous! The Classic states, "When things reach an extreme, they cause harm; only when there is control can balance be maintained," which refers exactly to this. I have carefully noted the properties of each herb below their dosages for the reference of students.

Liuwei Wan treats men suffering from Five Exhaustions and Seven Injuries, depletion of Essence and Blood, nocturnal emission, spontaneous sweating during sleep, cough with hemoptysis, bone-steaming tidal fever, emaciation, and weakness. It also treats women suffering from internal injury leading to uterine bleeding, lower blood stasis, and other related syndromes. It treats all conditions related to Phlegm-Fire, whether the disease has manifested or not.

Huai Gan Di Huang (Prepared Dried Rehmannia Root): Eight liang. This refers to dried Sheng Di Huang (Raw Rehmannia Root). The method is: take one jin of Huaiqing Rehmannia, select half a jin of plump roots, wash them clean, sun-dry until slightly wrinkled, and set aside. Its nature and flavor are sweet, cold, and non-toxic. It treats men's Five Exhaustions and Seven Injuries, tonifies deficiencies of the five Zang organs, unites the vessels, benefits ears and eyes, augments Qi and strength, assists Heart and Spleen Qi, strengthens sinews and bones, enhances willpower, calms the soul, treats Heart-Lung damage, hematemesis and epistaxis, cools blood and generates blood, tonifies True Yin of Kidney Water, fills marrow, grows flesh, and generates essence. Li Gao stated: Raw Di Huang is very cold and cools blood; it must be used for blood heat. Prepared Di Huang is slightly warm and tonifies the Kidney; it must be used for blood deficiency. He further stated: Pain below the umbilicus belongs to the Kidney; only prepared Di Huang can eliminate it, as it enters the Kidney Meridian. He also stated: It benefits Kidney Water and cools Heart blood. For a surging and solid pulse, raw Di Huang is appropriate; for a deficient interior pulse, prepared Di Huang is appropriate. Steamed nine times with fire power allows it to tonify Kidney Yuan Qi. Zhang Zhongjing used it as the sovereign herb in Liuwei Wan, representing the source of Heaven One generating Water. Siwu Tang uses it as the sovereign herb for treating the organ storing blood, as Gui (Yin/Water) and Yi (Wood/Blood) return to one treatment. He also stated: Men often have Yin deficiency and should use prepared Di Huang; women often have Blood heat and should use raw Di Huang. Furthermore: Raw Di Huang generates Essence and Blood, guided by Tian Dong (Asparagi Radix) to the place of generation; Prepared Di Huang tonifies Essence and Blood, guided by Mai Dong (Ophiopogonis Radix) to the place of tonification. Yu Bo stated: Raw Di Huang generates blood; those with weak Stomach Qi should avoid it as it may hinder digestion. Prepared Di Huang tonifies blood; those with much Phlegm-Fire should avoid excessive use as it may obstruct the diaphragm. Some say: Stir-frying raw Di Huang with wine prevents stomach injury; stir-frying prepared Di Huang with ginger juice prevents diaphragmatic obstruction. These are subtle applications of Di Huang.

Shan Zhu Yu Rou (Flesh of Cornus Fruit): Four liang, moistened with wine, pitted, using only the flesh. Nature and flavor are salty, neutral, and non-toxic. It tonifies Kidney Qi, strengthens Yuan Qi, secures Essence and Qi, assists the Water Organ, warms waist and knees, promotes Yang function and firmness of the penis, adds essence and marrow, stops frequent urination in the elderly, benefits Essence and calms the five Zang organs, opens the nine orifices, improves vision with long-term use, strengthens force, lightens the body, and prolongs life. Wang Haogu stated: Slipperiness leads to Qi escape; astringency collects it. Shan Zhu Yu stops frequent urination and secures Essence because its sour and astringent flavor gathers slipperiness. Zhang Zhongjing used it as the sovereign herb in Bawei Wan, revealing its nature.

Gan Huai Shan Yao (Dried Huai Yam): Four liang, separately ground into powder. Nature and flavor are sweet, warm/neutral, and non-toxic. It treats internal injury, tonifies emaciation, dispels cold-heat pathogenic factors, tonifies middle Jiao and augments Qi, treats forgetfulness, benefits Kidney Qi, strengthens Spleen and Stomach, stops dysentery, transforms phlegm and saliva, and moistens skin and hair. It is added for anyone who is weak and emaciated. It benefits male Yang power. Cooked well with honey, decocted, or made into powder is good; dried for medicinal use is even better, but it should not be taken with wheat flour products. Li Gao stated: Shan Yao enters the Taiyin Meridian. Zhang Zhongjing used dried Shan Yao in Bawei Wan because it cools blood and tonifies. It also treats dry skin by moisturizing it. Wu Shi stated: Shan Yao enters the Hand Taiyin Meridian, tonifying insufficiency and clearing deficient heat. Lung is the upper source of Kidney; if the source is nourished, how could the flow not be beneficial? This is why Bawei Wan uses it to strengthen Yin. Eating it can also protect against mist and dew.

Xiang Mu Dan Pi (Peony Bark): Use authentic material, remove bone residue completely, three liang, lightly roasted, avoid iron, or sun-dry and cut with a copper knife, steamed with wine from Si hour to Wei hour. It treats blood disorders, tonifies blood, generates blood, cools blood, treats latent Fire in blood eliminating irritability, treats amenorrhea in women, painful lochia with lower back pain, and opens capillaries and vessels. Li Gao stated: Peony is the essence of Heaven and Earth, the head of all flowers. Leaves represent Yang generation; flowers represent Yin fruition. "Dan" means red, which is Fire. Thus, it can drain Fire in the Yin uterus. Added to Siwu Tang, it treats bone-steaming in women. It enters the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin and Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin, treating bone-steaming without sweat. Lack of Shen (Spirit) relates to Hand-Shaoyin; lack of Zhi (Will) relates to Foot-Shaoyin. Hence, it is used in Bawei Wan to treat deficiency of Spirit and Will. It also treats accumulated blood in intestines and stomach, hematemesis, and epistaxis, making it essential for Xijiao Dihuang Tang. Li Gao stated: Mu Dan Pi treats latent Fire in the blood aspect of Hand/Foot Shaoyin and Jueyin meridians. Latent Fire is Yin Fire, which is Ministerial Fire. Ancient formulas used it primarily for Ministerial Fire, hence its use in Shenqi Wan. Later generations specialized in using Huang Bai (Phellodendri Cortex) for Ministerial Fire, rarely realizing the distinction.

Yun Bai Fu Ling (White Poria): Three liang, peeled. Nature and flavor are sweet, neutral, and non-toxic. It regulates Zang Qi, attacks Kidney pathogens, increases Yin power, protects Shen Qi, opens appetite, stops vomiting, harmonizes middle Jiao and augments Qi, drains Bladder and benefits Spleen/bones, treats Kidney accumulation and Ben Tun (rushing Qi sensation). Zhu Zhenheng stated: Those with Yin deficiency should not use it.

Xin Ze Xie (Fresh Alisma Rhizome): One liang five qian (originally three liang, now reduced). Nature and flavor are sweet, cold, and non-toxic. It treats Kidney deficiency with spontaneous leakage of Essence, treats Five Stranguries, promotes circulation. Long-term use brightens ears and eyes, reduces hunger, prolongs life, lightens the body, makes the face radiant, promotes water metabolism, tonifies upper deficiency, resolves fullness in five Zang organs, raises Yin Qi, stops seminal emission, treats Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst), strangury, and drains stagnant water from Bladder and Sanjiao. Li Gao stated: Ze Xie is the holy medicine for dampness-draining. Entering Kidney Meridian, it treats painful strangury and removes sweat from the genital area. Taking it without such ailments causes blindness. Zong Shi stated: Ze Xie excels at promoting urination. Bian Que stated: Excessive use clears water from the eyes. Pill form Ze Xie causes frequent urination; if urine is frequent, how can Kidney Qi recover? Modern people avoid it for stopping emission, but Bawei Wan uses it merely to guide Gui (Cinnamon Twig) and Fu (Aconite) into the Kidney Meridian, with no other intent. The Classic says long-term use brightens eyes. Bian Que says long-term use dims eyes. Why? Yi Lao stated: It removes residual filth from the bladder due to its salty flavor draining latent water. Draining latent water removes filth, thus brightening eyes; however, frequent urination depletes Kidney Meridian, thus dimming eyes. Wang Lv stated: Zong Shi's view was endorsed by Wang Shi. I privately believe Bawei Wan uses Di Huang as sovereign and others as deputies, not just for blood but also Qi. Thus, Yang prosperity generates Yin blood. According to Bencao Zhengwu, Tao Hongjing said immortal texts use it for grain avoidance. It is said to lighten the body and walk on water. Su Song said taking only Ze Xie powder mixed with water, six liang daily for 100 days, makes the body firm and enables walking. Li Gao cited Shennong Ben Cao Jing listing Ze Xie in the Superior Grade, claiming long-term use lightens the body, makes the face radiant, and enables walking on water. Dian Shu claimed it allows walking 500 li daily on water. Tao Hongjing and Su Song agreed, but I doubt it. In Liuwei Wan, it merely attacks Kidney pathogens. If paired with Fu Ling and Mu Dan Pi (three liang each), it might drain too excessively. Therefore, I halved the dose. Let later wise ones judge.

The above six herbs are processed according to their specific methods and ground separately. Mix with four liang of refined white honey. Stir the Shan Yao powder into the honey to form a dry paste. Form pills the size of wutong seeds. Each hundred pills weigh one liang. If Ministerial Fire is blazing with dry throat and mouth, add Huang Bai (Phellodendri Cortex) and Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), each honey-fried two liang.