Nature: sour, slightly warm
Enters: Liver, Heart, Kidney
Actions: Tonifies kidney and liver Yin; astringes the lower Jiao; astringes sweat; slightly tonifies kidney Yang; stabilizes the kidneys, controls Jing; stops excessive sweating, supports what has collapsed; stabilizes the menses; stops bleeding (weak); may mildly nourish Jing.
Indications:
• Kidney and liver deficiency: dizziness, vertigo, weakness of the lumbar region and knees, impotence.
• Yang collapse or Qi collapse: shock, excessive sweating.
• Kidney Qi deficiency: seminal emission, urinary incontinence, profuse sweating.
• Deficiency: excessive uterine bleeding, prolonged menstruation.
• Difficult to digest.
Dr. Wei Li calls Shan zhu yu the “Ginseng for the Kidneys,” and claims this herb is more of a tonic than an astringent.
Pearls from the Golden Cabinet (Subhuti Dharmananda): For alternating hot and cold (not Shaoyang) due to internal injury to the Jueyin liver system – e.g. extreme liver deficiency causing sudden sensation of heat and cold, and dangerous loss of sweat.
Oriental Materia Medica (Hong-Yen Hsu): Diuretic, antibacterial, antihistamine actions.
Weng Weiliang, et. al.: This herb is indicated in the treatment of diabetes, lumbago, impotence, enuresis, infertility, vertigo, spermatorrhea, functional uterine bleeding.
Chronic pharyngitis:
Yang Yin Jiang Huo Tang (experiential formula): shu di 30g; shan zhu yu, wu wei zi, dan pi, bai jiang can, chuan niu xi, 10g each. Modify the formula according to TCM differentiation, 1 dose every day. Other treating methods were also applied. 15 days as a course of treatment, 32 patients were treated, and 31 were effective.
Diabetes:
shan yu rou, wu wei zi, dan shen, 30g each; huang qi, 40g. Modify the formula according to TCM differentiation, 1 dose every day, 1 month as a course of treatment. 300 cases were treated, and the effective rate was 85%.
Albuminuria due to nephropathy:
Yi Shen Li Shui Huo Xue Fang: shan yu rou, ze xie, dan pi, sang bai pi, 10g each; shan yao, sheng di, huai niu xi, chi shao, 15g each; che qian zi 10g; dan shen 30g; da huang 3~6g. Modify the formula according to TCM differentiation. 1 dose every day. 153 cases were treated, after 6~30 doses, 148 cases’ albuminuria turned negative.
Leucopenia:
Zi Yin Bu Shen Tang (experiential formula): shan yu rou 30g, shan yao, gou qi, huai niu xi, shu di, 15g each; gui ban, e jiao, 6g each; tu si zi 20g, bai zhu, sha ren and chen pi etc. were also added. 1 dose every day, water decoction. After 2~7 days’ treatment, 25 were effective, 1 ineffective. This formula was fit for leucopenia caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy in the treatment of tumor.
Prostatic hyperplasia:
Tong Qian Tang (experiential formula): shu di, shan zhu yu, 12g each; rou gui, bai zhu, chuan shan jia, dang gui, niu xi, hai zao, kun bu, wang bu liu xing, 10g each; fu ling 20g; ze xie 15g. Modify the formula according to TCM differentiation. 1 dose every day, water decoction. After 30~60 days’ treatment, 48 out of 52 cases were effective.
Stroke in the convalescent stage:
sheng di, nu zhen zi, shan zhu yu, niu xi, chuan xiong, hong hua, dang gui, di long, 10g each; shan zha, 15g; sang ji sheng, ji xue teng, 20g each. Modify the formula according to TCM differentiation. 161 cases were treated, except for 8 ineffective cases, certain effects were obtained.
Dose: 3-12g (30-200g in shock)