Polyporus Decoction

Polyporus Decoction

Polyporus (Zhu Ling) 1 liang (10g), Poria (Fu Ling) 1 liang (10g), Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze Xie) 1 liang (10g), Asini Corii Colla (E Jiao) 1 liang (10g), Talcum (Hua Shi) 1 liang (10g)

Prepare it as a decoction. Divide e jiao into 2 slices and melt them into the decoction.

Promotes urination, nourishes yin, and clears heat.

Zhu Ling Tang is indicated for patterns of binding water and heat. The symptoms are dysuria, fever, thirst with a desire to drink, vexation, insomnia, coughing, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. The tongue is red with a white or slightly yellow coating and the pulse is thready and rapid. It is also indicated for blood strangury marked by difficult, painful urination as well as pain and distension of the abdomen.

When external cold invasion reaches the interior, it may transform into heat and damage water. The result is the pattern of binding water and heat, which is associated with consumption of yin fluids. The binding of water and heat leads to the disorder of qi transformation and consumption of yin fluids. In this situation they may not ascend and thereby cause dysuria, fever, and thirst with a desire to drink. Yin deficiency with internal heat disturbs the heart and mind to cause vexation and insomnia. If water rushes up to hamper the lung qi and its ability to disperse and descend, cough will manifest. When water accumulates in the stomach, vomiting and nausea will manifest. When water pours into the large intestine, diarrhea will manifest. The red tongue with a white or slightly yellow coating and a thready and rapid pulse are all signs of yin deficiency with internal heat. The therapeutic methods are to promote urination, clear heat, and nourish yin. For patients with dysuria due to blood strangury, the therapeutic principles are to promote urination and relieve strangury, clear heat, and stanch bleeding.

1. Essential pattern differentiation Zhu Ling Tang is used for the pattern of binding of water and heat with yin deficiency. This clinical pattern is marked by dysuria, thirst, fever, red tongue, thready and rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of binding of water and heat with yin deficiency: urinary infection, nephritis, cystitis, and postpartum urinary retention. 3. Cautions and contraindications This formula is a water-draining and percolating formula. It is not applicable for patients with excessive internal heat, marked by severe sweating with thirst.