Wu Ling San as a Ht-Kd Harmonizing Formula

June 17, 2003

All,

Here I go again with tying some thought strands together and positing a theory.

First strand: As I said previously, Nan Lu teaches that yin comes only from yin organs and yang only from yang organs. He also said that to him, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is more of a kd qi formula than a kd yin formula, because he pays attention to the channels/organs individual herbs are said to go to, and both Ze Xie and Fu Ling go to the bladder, which he says means they strengthen the bladder, or the yang of the "kidneys." Well now, the Gui Zhi in the formula is definitely there to mildly return fire to its source, i.e., the mingmen, which its "big brother," Rou Gui, does so well. This also would definitely strengthen the bladder yang, or at least its qi transforming aspect. As I understand it, Gui Zhi also can supplement the heart yang, and so can Fu Ling.

Now yin and yang in right relationship is yang below yin, or at least yang within yin below yin within yang. In this scenario fluids have rather taken over the system, including perhaps the heart. Wu Ling San is often prescribed for congestive heart failure. So here the heart is not overheated but underheated, or perhaps overcooled. So to me this is a variation on a theme--a harmonizing of heart and kidneys via warming the heart and supplementing the qi transforming (hua) aspect of the bladder while draining and regulating excess fluids from the system. At least this is one set of the aspects of Wu Ling San.

To me, all the symptom pictures described in Bensky for Wu Ling San can perhaps be described as an up-down discombobulation which can possibly be explained as a type of "heart-kidney" disharmony: kidney/bladder not commanding lower burner and heart not commanding the upper, therefore up and down go into convulsions, resulting in turmoil, sudden or otherwise: a separation of yin and yang. The Bai Zhu is there to strengthen and regulate the middle burner as well as dry dampness. And the spleen also is the pathway to strengthen the heart as well as the post-heaven qi of the kidneys/mingmen.

Joseph Garner