Eucommia and Pork Stomach Soup，From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Nourishes the kidneys and enriches the blood. Suitable for threatened miscarriage due to kidney deficiency, characterized by restless fetal movements, spotting or vaginal bleeding, soreness and weakness in the lower back and legs, emaciation, dizziness, tinnitus, a pale and thin tongue coating, and a deep and weak pulse.
with a distinctly warm cast, the formula may aggravate dryness-heat; those prone to oral ulcers or constipation should be cautious; in the absence of frank deficiency, or where an excess or heat pattern prevails, indiscriminate warming tonic use is inadvisable; the tonifying-warming action may aggravate internal heat; avoid during feverish or inflammatory episodes; caution is especially warranted in early pregnancy; it is advisable to take it on a physician’s instruction
Commentary
The sovereign is eucommia bark, warm in nature and sweet in flavor, with Liver, Kidney tropism; it tonifies the liver and kidneys, strengthens the sinews and bones, and calms the fetus, anchoring the central strategy of the formula. These are joined ministerially by pork stomach (with warm nature and sweet flavor, having Spleen, Stomach tropism, tonifies the spleen and harmonizes the stomach), and ginger (nature warm, flavor pungent, channeled into the Lung, Spleen, Stomach, disperses cold, relieves cough and harmonizes the stomach), reinforcing the sovereign’s main effect. Finished with scallions, acting as the envoy to harmonize the various ingredients, the formula attains a regulated, neither-excess nor-deficient balance. Together the herbs converge on this action, in accord with the kidney deficiency pattern.