Polyporus Sclerotium … Classic Formulas
Zhu Ling · Polyporus umbellatus
Primary Actions
- Promotes urination and drains dampness, especially for edema, scanty urine, urinary difficulty, and damp retention that has begun to impair fluid movement.
- Clears damp-heat from the lower burner without strongly injuring Yin, which is why Zhu Ling is central in urinary patterns with burning, fever, thirst, or dark painful urination.
- Leaches out retained water from the intestines when fluid obstruction contributes to diarrhea rather than simple food stagnation or Spleen deficiency.
Classic Formulas
- Zhu Ling Tang, where Zhu Ling is a chief herb for damp-heat urinary difficulty with thirst and irritability.
- Wu Ling San, where Zhu Ling helps unblock water pathways and resolve edema, urinary inhibition, and fluid retention.
Classical Text References
- Traditional materia medica consistently describe Zhu Ling as sweet, bland, and neutral, entering the Kidney and Bladder to induce urination and drain dampness.
- Its classic use is strongest when water accumulation and urinary obstruction are prominent.