Teacher Zeng said that the kidney soup we are talking about today cannot be praised for its wonderful effect even with beautiful idioms. It is the most miraculous prescription in the world for treating cold and dampness. Shen Zhuo Tang, also known as Gan Jiang Ling Zhu Tang, comes from the "Golden Chamber Essentials" and is composed of four herbs: licorice, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, and dried ginger.

Upon hearing the composition of this recipe, one would feel familiar with it. It is similar to the Four Gentlemen's Soup, except that ginseng is replaced with dried ginger. According to the master, the Four Gentlemen's Soup evolved from it in later generations. The "Synopsis of the Golden Chamber" provides a detailed description of the symptoms of kidney disease and the treatment of kidney disease decoction. People who are often close to water dampness tend to have a heavy body water dampness, be trapped by dampness, and walk heavily. However, kidney disease decoction can dissolve dampness, making legs and feet light and agile. For people who even drink water and have a weak spleen and kidney yang, it is still a unique weight loss formula.
In terms of dosage ratio, Poria cocos and Atractylodes macrocephala can be 2:1 with dried ginger and licorice, or Poria cocos and dried ginger with Atractylodes macrocephala and licorice can be 2:1 with dried ginger and licorice. Medication should be adjusted according to the differentiation of dampness and coldness.
The teacher elaborated on new principles for treating dampness.
Poria cocos: When there is water accumulation on mountain roads, drainage ditches need to be dug. The human body's drainage ditch is the bladder and the three jiao, and Poria cocos can simultaneously facilitate the drainage of both. It is known as the "Minister of Human Water Resources" by the teacher. Water dampness causes different diseases in different parts of the human body's three jiao, such as causing eye haziness at the top, which can be relieved with Poria cocos; If the water stops in the epigastric cavity and there is a sound of water in the abdomen, Poria cocos can be used to transform it; Chaotic bowel movements can cause loose and watery stools, which can be relieved by using Poria cocos to penetrate the bladder. Poria cocos not only benefits the body by promoting diuresis, but also strengthens the spleen, unlike many diuretic drugs such as Phyllostachys and Euphorbia that are commonly used to harm the body.
Atractylodes macrocephala: After clearing the waterway, the potholes on the mountain road need to be filled, and the human body needs to strengthen the spleen and generate muscles. Atractylodes macrocephala is a sacred medicine for strengthening the spleen and is known as the "captain of the human engineering team" by the teacher. Acnes and pits on the face can be cured by soaking in water with stir fried Atractylodes macrocephala; Irregular bowel movements can be treated with powder from Atractylodes macrocephala. A white-collar worker in Guangzhou had loose stools due to eating cold food. He used stir fried Atractylodes macrocephala to make powder and soak it in water, and two doses healed.
Dried ginger: After digging ditches and filling potholes, if the road surface is still wet and not dry, sunlight needs to evaporate. The type of ginger that can bring sunlight to the human body and promote yang and dampness is dried ginger, which represents the warm yang family. When the yang energy is insufficient, cinnamon and aconite can be used for support. Poria cocos represents the diuretic family, with motherwort, polyporus, and Alisma as its supporters.
Licorice: If the three "big shots" lack strength and are not united, Licorice, the "peacemaker", is like a military strategist and a grain and forage officer. It can replenish energy, boost morale, and help them fight against water evil together.
The whole kidney is filled with soup, like the three armies of sea, land, and air coming together with sufficient food and supplies. Wet heavy use Poria cocos, cold heavy use Ginger, fatigue heavy use Atractylodes macrocephala, licorice. This soup is smooth and steady, with Atractylodes macrocephala nourishing the soil, Poria cocos promoting diuresis, dried ginger warming yang, and licorice nourishing the middle. It can provide a way out for dampness in the waist, warm kidney water, strong muscle strain, and nourish physical and mental exhaustion.
Shen Zhuo Tang is widely used in clinical practice, with significant effects in treating lumbar muscle strain, intervertebral disc herniation, and lower back pain and leg sinking. Many patients with cervical spondylosis and shoulder periarthritis have also recovered with a few doses. This is because different diseases can be treated together, and as long as it is caused by cold and dampness disorders, Kidney Zhuo Tang can be used to treat it.
The teacher continued to explain the Kidney Nourishing Soup with the Four Qi and Five Flavors.
Sweetly flavored with licorice: Sweet and beneficial for muscle growth, Kidney Nourishing Soup can strengthen strength due to licorice. For those with lumbar muscle strain, Kidney Nourishing Soup combined with the internal strengthening five treasures (Astragalus membranaceus, licorice, Niu Dali, goji berries, and longan meat) can strengthen qi. The teacher once treated a middle-aged driver in Jieyang for his lumbar muscle strain.
Bitter warmth and dampness can be treated with Atractylodes macrocephala: Atractylodes macrocephala can invigorate the spleen and dry dampness, and can be used when the body has accumulated fluid and water. Combined with Alisma orientalis, it is a wonderful method for treating water. The teacher treated a patient with chronic prostatitis with kidney soup and winter melon seeds.
Spicy taste with dried ginger: the pungent aroma can relieve pain and dispel cold and dampness, elderly people may experience joint pain due to wind blowing, and women may have more and clearer vaginal discharge. The use of dried ginger in kidney nourishing soup can dispel cold and dampness. The teacher used the Four Gentlemen and Kidney Decoction to treat a young man from Jieyang's cold abdominal pain.
Light taste with Poria cocos: Light can penetrate dampness and promote orifices. The mnemonic is "Light taste enters the abdomen and clears muscles and bones". Mild medicine can be used for high blood lipids, thick blood, etc., such as Euryx seed and Coix seed.
An uncle in Shenzhen reported having a heavy waist and difficulty turning his side due to lower back pain. The teacher diagnosed him with kidney stagnation syndrome and after cutting his pulse, he found that he had hypertension. He prescribed five doses: 8g of Chaihu, 10g of White Peony, 10g of Fructus Aurantii, 5g of roasted licorice, 5g of dried ginger, 10g of Poria cocos, 10g of stir fried Atractylodes macrocephala, 25g of Astragalus membranaceus, 10g of Eucommia ulmoides, 15g of Goji berries, 25g of Pueraria lobata, 20g of Danshen, and 5g of Chuanxiong. The teacher instructed him to exercise more and sweat more, and emphasized the importance of choosing an environment for sweating.
Comment: Prescriptions are like pearls, and the medical principles of the four qi and five flavors are the string of beads. The therapeutic category can be inferred from the composition and taste of the medicinal soup. For example, using sweet and sour combined with spicy to make people excited, and using bitter medicine to reduce fire. Mastering the changes in the five flavors can often lead to effective treatment strategies.