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Source: Zhǒu Hòu Bèi Jí Fāng 肘后备急方

Ingredients

• Shāng lù (商陆 Phytolaccae Radix, phytolacca [root]) 5–10g
• Jīng mǐ (粳米 Oryzae Semen, non-glutinous rice) 30–60g

Actions: Frees both urine and stool; disinhibits water and disperses welling.

Indications: Water swelling, and distension and fullness, or drum distension, including edema associated with acute or chronic nephritis, or ascites associated with cirrhosis of the liver.

Method: Cook the rice in a strained decoction of the phytolacca.

Rationale: Shāng lù is warm, acrid, and bitter. It enters the kidney and spleen channels. Its functions are those of warming the kidney and assisting yáng, dispelling wind, drying dampness, and dispelling worms. It discharges excess fluid through both the urine and stool. Shāng lù has a mild toxicity, and hence should be used in small quantities to begin with. It is contraindicated in pregnancy.

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