Turtle and Corn Silk Soup,From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Nourishes yin, clears heat, moistens dryness, and relieves restlessness. Suitable for the recovery phase of urinary tract infections.
prolonged use of the diuretic action can deplete yin and fluids; those with inadequate yin should be cautious; the formula is somewhat cloying; avoid overuse in those with spleen deficiency and dampness, poor appetite, or abdominal distension
Commentary
The sovereign is turtle, neutral in nature and sweet, salty in flavor, with Liver, Kidney tropism; it nourishes yin, anchors yang, and tonifies the kidneys and bones, anchoring the central strategy of the formula. The ministerial support — corn silk (with neutral nature and sweet, bland flavor, having Bladder, Liver, Gallbladder tropism, promotes urination, drains damp-heat and calms the liver), and lean pork (of neutral nature and sweet, salty flavor, entering the Spleen, Stomach, Kidney, nourishes yin, moistens dryness, and tonifies the kidneys) — reinforces the sovereign’s main effect and coordinates the drug strength. The combined effect is tailored to the damp-heat in the lower jiao pattern.