通、行水、宁心、益脾。
甘平。益脾宁心。淡渗利窍除湿。色白入肺。泻热而下通膀胱。（能通心气于肾、使热
从小
便出、然必上行入肺、清其化源、而后能下降利水、故洁古谓其上升、东垣谓其下降、各不
相背也。）治忧恚惊悸，心下结痛，寒热烦满，口焦舌干。（口为脾窍、舌为心苗、火下降则
热除。）咳逆呕哕。膈中痰水。水肿淋沥。泄泻遗精。（因湿热、故宜淡渗以清之。）小便结
者能通。多者能止。（素问曰∶肺气盛则便数。）生津止渴。（湿热去则津生。）功专行水伐肾
。小便不禁。虚寒精滑。及阴亏而小便不利者。皆勿妄投。松根灵气结成。产云南。色白而
坚实者佳。去皮。（产浙江者、色虽白而体松、其力甚薄、近今茯苓颇多种者、其力更薄矣
。）
赤茯苓（通、利湿热。）白者入肺、膀胱气分。赤者入心、小肠气分。（时珍曰∶
白入气、赤
入血。）益心脾。白胜。利湿热。赤胜。
茯苓皮（通、行水。） 专能行水。治水肿肤胀。（以皮行皮之义、五皮散用之、
凡肿而烦渴
、便闭溺赤、属阳水、宜五皮散、疏凿饮、不烦渴、大便溏、小便数、属阴水、宜实脾饮、
流气饮、腰以上肿宜汗、腰以下肿宜利小便。）
茯神（通、行水宁心。）
主治与茯苓同。而入心之用居多。开心益智。安魂养神。疗心虚惊悸。多恚善忘。即茯
苓抱
根生者。（以其抱心、故入心之用多。）去皮及中木。茯神心木。（名黄松节。）疗诸筋挛缩。
偏风 斜。心掣健忘。（心木一两、乳香一钱、石器炒研、名松节散、每服二钱、木瓜汤下
、治一切筋挛疼痛、乳香能伸筋、木瓜能舒筋也。）二茯俱恶白蔹。畏地榆、秦艽、鳖甲、
雄黄。忌醋。（面 雀斑、用白茯苓末、蜜和、夜夜敷之、二七日愈。）
茯苓：具有通利水道、渗湿利水、宁心安神、补益脾脏的功效。
味甘、性平。能补益脾脏、宁心安神；味淡而具渗利之性，可通利窍道、祛除湿气。其色白入肺经，能泻热并引导湿热下行通利膀胱。（它能将心气通达于肾，使热邪从小便排出；但必须首先上行入肺，清肃肺的化源，之后才能下降利水。所以张洁古说它“上升”，李东垣说它“下降”，两者并不矛盾。）用于治疗因忧思恼怒引起的惊悸，心下痞结疼痛，寒热往来伴烦闷胀满，口燥舌干。（口是脾之窍，舌是心之苗，火气下降则热邪消除。）以及咳逆、呕吐、呃逆。膈间痰饮停聚，水肿，淋证尿沥不尽，泄泻，遗精。（因湿热所致，故宜用淡渗之法以清利湿热。）小便不通者能通利，小便频多者能止涩。（《素问》说：肺气盛则小便次数增多。）生津止渴。（湿热去除则津液自生。）功效专于行水，伐肾邪。对于小便不禁、虚寒导致的精滑不固，以及阴亏导致的小便不利者，均不可随意使用。茯苓由松树根部的灵气凝结而成，产于云南，以色白且质地坚实者为佳。使用时需去皮。（产于浙江的茯苓，虽然颜色白但质地松泡，药力很薄弱；近年来的茯苓品种更多，药力更加薄弱。）
赤茯苓：具有通利、利湿清热之功。白色茯苓入肺、膀胱的气分；红色茯苓入心、小肠的气分。（李时珍说：白色入气分，红色入血分。）补益心脾，白色茯苓在补气方面更强；利湿清热，红色茯苓在清热方面更强。
茯苓皮：具有通利、行水之功。专门能行水，治疗水肿、皮肤胀满。（取“以皮治皮”之意，《五皮散》中使用。凡是肿胀伴有烦渴、大便闭塞、小便短赤的，属于阳水，适宜用五皮散或疏凿饮子；若不烦渴、大便溏薄、小便频数的，属于阴水，适宜用实脾饮或流气饮；腰部以上肿胀宜用发汗法，腰部以下肿胀宜用利小便法。）
茯神：具有通利、行水、宁心安神之功。主治与茯苓相同，但更侧重于入心的作用。能开心益智，安魂养神，治疗心虚惊悸，易怒健忘。即生长在茯苓抱树根处的那部分。（因为它抱着树根，所以入心的作用较多。）使用时需去皮及中间的木心。茯神的心木（名为黄松节）：治疗各种筋脉挛缩，半身不遂，心脏掣痛健忘。（取心木一两，乳香一钱，在石器中炒后研细，名为松节散，每次服用二钱，用木瓜汤送下，治疗一切筋挛疼痛，因为乳香能舒筋，木瓜能柔筋。）茯苓和茯神都畏忌白蔹，害怕地榆、秦艽、鳖甲、雄黄。忌食醋。（面部雀斑，可用白茯苓粉末，蜂蜜调和，每晚敷面，十四天痊愈。）
Fuling (Poria): Has the functions of promoting water metabolism, leaching out dampness, calming the mind, and benefiting the spleen.
Sweet and neutral in nature. It benefits the spleen and calms the mind; its bland taste allows it to permeate and drain through orifices to remove dampness. Its white color enters the Lung meridian, clearing heat and facilitating downward flow to the Bladder. (It can transmit Heart Qi to the Kidney, allowing heat to exit via urination; however, it must first ascend to enter the Lung, clear the source of transformation, and then descend to promote diuresis. Therefore, Zhang Jiegu's statement that it "ascends" and Li Dongyuan's statement that it "descends" are not contradictory.) It treats palpitations caused by worry and indignation, epigastric knotting and pain, alternating chills and fever with vexation and fullness, dry mouth and tongue. (The mouth is the opening of the Spleen, and the tongue is the sprout of the Heart; when fire descends, heat is eliminated.) It also treats cough with counterflow, vomiting, and hiccups. Phlegm-fluid retention in the chest-diaphragm region, edema, stranguria with dribbling, diarrhea, and spermatorrhea. (Since it is due to damp-heat, bland diuretics should be used to clear it.) It can unblock urinary retention and stop polyuria. (The *Suwen* states: "When Lung Qi is excessive, urination frequency increases.") It generates fluids and relieves thirst. (When damp-heat is removed, fluids are generated.) Its efficacy is specialized in promoting water metabolism and subduing Kidney pathogenic factors. For cases of urinary incontinence, seminal emission due to deficiency-cold, and difficulty urinating due to Yin deficiency, it should not be administered indiscriminately. Fuling forms from the spiritual energy condensing at pine roots, produced in Yunnan. Those that are white and solid are superior. The outer skin should be removed. (Those produced in Zhejiang, although white, are spongy and have weak potency; modern varieties have even weaker potency.)
Chifuling (Red Poria): Promotes free flow and clears damp-heat. White Poria enters the Qi aspect of the Lung and Bladder; Red Poria enters the Qi aspect of the Heart and Small Intestine. (Li Shizhen stated: White enters the Qi level, red enters the Blood level.) It benefits the Heart and Spleen; white Poria is superior for tonifying Qi; red Poria is superior for draining damp-heat.
Fulingpi (Poria Peel): Promotes free flow and moves water. It specializes in moving water and treating edema and abdominal distension. (Following the principle of "using peel to treat peel," it is used in *Wupi San* [Five-Peel Decoction]. For swelling accompanied by vexation and thirst, constipation, and scanty dark urine, which belongs to Yang Edema, *Wupi San* or *Shuzao Yinzi* [Draining and Scouring Decoction] are appropriate. For swelling without vexation/thirst, loose stools, and frequent urination, which belongs to Yin Edema, *Shipi Yin* [Spleen-Strengthening Decoction] or *Liuqi Yin* [Qi-Flowing Decoction] are appropriate. Swelling above the waist should be treated with sweating methods; swelling below the waist should be treated with diuretic methods.)
Fushen (Poria with Hostwood): Promotes free flow, moves water, and calms the mind. Its indications are the same as Fuling, but it focuses more on entering the Heart. It opens the mind and enhances intelligence, calms the soul and nourishes the spirit, treating Heart-deficiency palpitations, irritability, and forgetfulness. It refers to the part of Fuling growing around the host root. (Because it embraces the heart/root, its action on the Heart is predominant.) The outer skin and central wood should be removed. Fushen Xinmu (Central Wood of Poria with Hostwood), also known as Huangsongjie (Yellow Pine Joint): Treats various tendon spasms, hemiplegia, Heart pulling pain, and forgetfulness. (Take one liang of central wood and one qian of Xuruxiang (Frankincense), stir-fry in a stone mortar, and grind into powder, named Songjie San [Pine Joint Powder]. Take two qian each time, washed down with Mugua Tang [Papaya Decoction], to treat all types of tendon spasm and pain, because Xuruxiang can extend tendons and Mugua can relax them.) Both Fuling and Fushen are incompatible with Bailian (Ampelopsis Radix) and are adverse to Diyuyu (Sanguisorbae Radix), Qinjiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix), Biejia (Trionycis Carapax et Plastrum), and Xionghuang (Realgar). Vinegar is contraindicated. (For facial freckles, use powder of Baifuling (White Poria) mixed with honey, apply nightly, and it will heal in fourteen days.)