Lung wilting

1. A chronic condition characterized by a dull-sounding cough, ejection of thick turbid foamy drool, panting at the slightest exertion, dry mouth and pharynx, emaciation, red dry tongue, and a vacuous rapid pulse. In some cases, there may be tidal heat, and, in severe cases, the skin and hair may become dry. It is attributed to dryness-heat and enduring cough damaging the lung, or damage to fluid due to other illness depriving the lung of moisturization.

Medicinal therapy: Treat by enriching yīn, clearing heat, and moistening the lung, using Ophiopogon Decoction (麦门冬汤 mài mén dōng tāng) or Dryness-Clearing Lung-Rescuing Decoction (清燥救肺汤 qīng zào jiù fèi tāng). With ejection of copious clear white foamy drool without cough or thirst and with dizziness, shortness of breath, lassitude of spirit, fear of cold, pale tongue, and a weak vacuous pulse, the condition is one of damage to qì through enduring illness or vacuity cold in the lung, which is treated by warming the lung and boosting qì with variations of Licorice and Dried Ginger Decoction (甘草干姜汤 gān cǎo gān jiāng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LU and KI. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo); needle with supplementation. For enduring illness damaging qì, add LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān), SP-3 (Supreme White, 太白 tài bái), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), For vacuity cold, add moxa at GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), and CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán),

2. A form of consumption.

3. Skin and body hair wilting. Indispensable Medical Reading (医宗必读 yī zōng bì dú) states, Lung wilting is skin and body hair wilting.

Etymology

Chinese: 痿 wěi is composed of the illness signifier 疒 with 委 wěi, understood here to be a simplification of 萎 wěi, wilt, wither. The Classic of the Golden Cabinet and Jade Sheath (金匮玉函经 jīn guì yù hán jīng) states, 痿 means 萎, as grasses and trees that have become dry and lifeless.