Sliced Meat and Eel Soup，From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Nourishes the kidneys, strengthens the tendons, fortifies the spleen, and promotes weight gain. Suitable for cases of simple emaciation.
the tonifying-warming action may aggravate internal heat; avoid during feverish or inflammatory episodes
Commentary
At the head stands Lean pork, the sovereign, nature neutral, flavor sweet, salty, channeled into the Spleen, Stomach, Kidney; it nourishes yin, moistens dryness, and tonifies the kidneys, underpinning the principal thrust of the decoction. The ministerial layer, eel strips (with warm nature and sweet flavor, having Liver, Spleen, Kidney tropism, tonifies deficiency, dispels wind-dampness, and strengthens the sinews and bones), and fresh clear broth (of neutral nature and sweet flavor, entering the Spleen, Stomach, nourishes the stomach, generates fluid, and harmonizes), lends support that reinforces the sovereign’s main effect. Completing the formula, cilantro, harmonizing the stomach and supporting dietary nourishment, so that potency is moderated and stomach qi protected. Viewed as a whole, the formula addresses the spleen-stomach weakness presentation, treating both root and branch.