Wu ling san
gui zhi 6 bai zhu 9 fu ling 9 zhu ling 9 ze xie 15
If a person is thin and has pulsations below the umbilicus, with spitting of foamy saliva and vertigo, then this is water and wu ling san governs.
When the pulse is floating, and urination is inhibited, there is mild fever and consumptive thirst, it is indicated to disinhibit urination and promote sweating, so wu ling san governs.
When there is thirst with a desire to drink water, and there is vomiting upon ingestion of the water, then this is called water reversal and wu ling san governs.
In wind strike with fever, which after six or seven days does not resolve and is accompanied by vexation, then there is an interior exterior pattern, for there is thirst with desire to drink, but when water enters the mouth, there is vomiting, for this is called water reversal, and wu ling san governs.
Treats inhibited flow of water along the water path, usually including inhibited urination. In the upper jiao this pattern presents with water accumulation. In the central burner this presents as digestive disorders. In the lower jiao this presents as urinary dysfunction.
The yang of tai yang is not strong enough to keep the cold from entering the body but it is strong enough to keep it from entering yang ming. The cold collapses downward to the hollow organ of the bladder.
What we can learn from this formula is the core herbs for restoring the control over water are gui zhi, bai zhu, fu ling, zhu ling and ze xie.
Gui zhi, Cinnamomi cassiae ramulus is pungent sweet and warm dispersing of the imperial and ministerial fire. It warms and tonifies the shao yin and jue yin. In doing so it warms and tonifies the whole body.
Gui zhi is the main herb to restore the water metabolism of the tai yang fu organ. It warms the yang on the bladder channel and promotes the transformation of kidney qi as vapor from the stored fluids of the bladder.
Bai zhu, Atractylodis macrocephalae rhizome is sweet tonifying of the stomach domain and spleen. Bai zhu is bitter draining of excess fluids in the stomach domain, spleen, lungs and bladder.
It tonifies the spleen qi along with the promotion of the spleen’s transforming and transporting actions.
Bai zhu combined with gui zhi it warms and moves the earth to metabolize fluids. Combined with fu ling, zhu ling and ze xie it drains excessive fluids from Earth to dry Earth and restore its Water controlling.
Bai zhu and ze xie form the formula ze xie san for draining the middle burner towards the lower and counters dampness induced dizziness.
Fu ling, Poria is sweet and neutral. It drains fluids but is not bitter. Fu ling is tonifying the stomach domain, spleen, kidney and bladder to move excess fluids. It moves more than it tonifies.
Fu ling drains fluids through the tai yang bladder and restores the water metabolism. Dampness is a form of yin and we move the yin with the fu ling to restore the transformation and transport aspect of tai yin. Tai yin is also the post heaven source of clear qi and yin and blood.
Zhu ling, Polyporus sclerotium is sweet tonifying, moving and cooling of excess warm fluids in the stomach domain, spleen, kidneys and bladder.
Ze xie, Alismatis rhizome is sweet nourishing and tonifying of the small intestine’s water separation functions.
Fu ling and ze xie combined they promote urination and lead stagnant fluids into the tai yang bladder system to be expelled through urination.