Source: Chongding Yanshi Jisheng Fang (Revised Edition of Yan’s Prescriptions for Saving Lives).
   
Ingredients:
No. 1 Houpo (Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis) 30 g;
No. 2 Baizhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) 30 g;
No. 3 Mugua (Fructus Chaenomelis) 30 g;
No. 4 Muxiang (Radix Aucklandiae) 30 g;
No. 5 Caoguo (Fructus Tsaoko) 30 g,
No. 6 Binglang (Semen Arecae) 30 g;
No. 7 Paofuzi (Radix Aconiti Praeparatae) 30 g;
No. 8 Baifuling (Poria) 30 g;
No. 9 Ganjiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) 30 g;
No. 10 Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) 15 g.
  
Administration:
Grind the above drugs into fine powder; take 12 g each time and add to it 5 slices of fresh ginger and 1 piece of Chinese date before decocting in water for oral application.
     
Actions:
Warming yang and reinforcing the spleen, promoting the flow of qi and inducing diuresis.
         
Clinical Application:
This recipe is indicated for edema due to yang deficiency, marked by severe swelling of the lower body, cold extremities, non-thirstiness, chest and abdominal fullness, large and pale tongue with greasy whitish fur, deep and slow pulse. It is applicable to edema from chronic glomerulonephritis, cardiac edema, ascites due to cirrhosis and others, which pertain to fluid retention due to yang deficiency. In case of severe edema with dysuria, add Zhuling (Polyporus) and Zexie (Rhizoma Alismatis) to enhance the effect of inducing diuresis and relieving edema. In case of loose stool, replace No. 6 with Dafupi (Pericarpium Arecae) so as to reduce the effect of descending qi. In case of constipation, add Qianniuzi (Semen Pharbitidis) to strengthen the purgative and diuretic action.
  
Elucidation:
The syndrome is caused by yang-deficiency of the spleen and kidney, which fail to transport and transform fluid and dampness, leading to fluid-dampness retaining in the muscles. It should be treated by warming yang and invigorating the spleen, promoting the flow of qi and inducing diuresis. No. 7 is effective in warming kidney-yang and No. 9 in warming the spleen-yang, both helpful in promoting the circulation of qi to induce diuresis and activating yang to inhibit yin and used as monarch drugs.

No. 8 functions as minister drug to reinforce the spleen, induce diuresis and relieve edema. The combined application of the monarch and minister drugs can deal with both the superficial symptoms and the root cause of the syndrome, aimed at warming yang and promoting diuresis. No. 3 can eliminate water-dampness through urination in combination with No. 8. Ingredients No. 1, No. 4, No. 6 and No. 5 have the function of descending qi and inducing diuresis so that dampness is eliminated and fullness relieved.

These five ingredients play the part of adjuvant drugs. As guiding drug, No. 9 can invigorate the spleen and regulate the middle-energizer as well as mediate drug properties. Fresh ginger and Chinese dates are meant to regulate the spleen and stomach so as to strengthen the effect of warming the middle-energizer and reinforcing the spleen.

This recipe and Zhenwu Tang both have the function of warming and invigorating the spleen and kidney yang to promote diuresis and used in treating edema due to yang deficiency. The latter focuses on warming the kidney yang, while the former on warming the spleen yang. The latter, besides the action of warming yang and inducing diuresis, can also relieve spasm and relax tendons, nourish the liver and relieve pain, which is fit for edema due to deficiency of the kidney yang concomitant with abdominal pain or twitching of skeletal muscles. The former, however, possesses a good effect of activating yang and dispelling cold and can promote the flow of qi and remove stagnation. Thus it is suitable for edema due to deficiency of the spleen yang concomitant with chest and abdominal fullness, flatulence and loose stool.