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Transforming phlegm
化痰 〔化痰〕huà tán
Any method of treatment used to eliminate phlegm gently. The method of transforming phlegm takes different forms depending on the location and cause of the phlegm pattern.
Lung: Phlegm in the lung causing cough is treated by transforming phlegm and relieving cough. Specific patterns are treated by specific methods. Externally contracted wind-cold causing nondiffusion of lung qì with nasal congestion, itchy throat, cough with copious phlegm, and thin white tongue fur is treated by diffusing the lung and transforming phlegm. Heat evil congesting the lung, reducing humor to phlegm, and characterized by cough, expectoration of thick yellow phlegm, red face, heat vexation, and a red tongue with yellow fur is treated by clearing heat and transforming phlegm. Warm dryness or insufficiency of lung yīn causing dry cough and difficult expectoration of phlegm, and a red tongue with dry yellow fur is treated by moistening the lung and transforming phlegm. Lung-kidney yīn vacuity with exuberant internal damp phlegm, characterized by cough and nausea, counterflow panting and copious phlegm, and cough especially pronounced at night, is treated by supplementing the lung and kidney and transforming phlegm.
Specific Methods of Transforming Phlegm
- Transforming phlegm and relieving cough
- Diffusing the lung and transforming phlegm
- Clearing heat and transforming phlegm
- Moistening the lung and transforming phlegm
- Supplementing the lung and kidney and transforming phlegm
- Drying dampness and transforming phlegm
- Dispelling cold and transforming phlegm
- Fortifying the spleen, warming the kidney, and transforming phlegm
- Harmonizing the stomach and transforming phlegm
- Dispersing food and transforming phlegm
- Transforming phlegm and opening the orifices
- Dispelling wind and transforming phlegm
- Dispersing phlegm and softening hardness
Spleen-stomach: Damp phlegm due to devitalization of spleen yáng impairing normal movement and transformation, characterized by white easily expectorated phlegm, oppression in the chest and nausea, slimy glossy white tongue fur, and possibly dizziness and heart palpitation is treated by drying dampness and transforming phlegm. Cold phlegm arising from spleen-stomach yáng vacuity and collection of cold rheum in the inner body characterized by ejection of thin clear phlegm, aversion to cold, lack of warmth in the extremities, and a slimy tongue fur is treated by dispelling cold and transforming phlegm. Spleen-kidney yáng vacuity with lung cold and phlegm obstruction characterized by physical cold and cold limbs, cold aching back and lumbus, cough with copious phlegm, enuresis accompanying acute cough, white tongue fur, and a slow sunken pulse is treated by fortifying the spleen, warming the kidney, and transforming phlegm. Phlegm lodging in the stomach, characterized by signs such as vomiting and nausea, is treated by harmonizing the stomach and transforming phlegm. Replete qì and exuberant phlegm causing cough and qì counterflow, oppression in the chest and copious phlegm, indigestion, distension and oppression in the stomach duct and abdomen, a slimy tongue, and a slippery pulse is treated by dispersing food and transforming phlegm.
Heart: Phlegm confounding the orifices of the heart is treated by transforming phlegm and opening the orifices.
Channels: Phlegm scurrying through the channels, characterized by deviated eyes and mouth, stiff tongue, and impeded speech, is treated by dispelling wind and transforming phlegm. Phlegm binding in masses, such as phlegm nodes, scrofula, and goiter, is treated by dispersing phlegm and softening hardness.
See the entries listed below.
Phlegm-Transforming, cough-relieving, Panting-Calming Medicinals
Phlegm-Transforming Medicinals (化痰)
半夏 (bàn xià) pinellia (Pinelliae Rhizoma)姜半夏 (jiāng bàn xià) ginger pinellia (Pinelliae Tuber cum Zingibere Praeparatum)天南星 (tiān nán xīng) arisaema (Arisaematis Rhizoma)胆星 (dǎn xīng) bile arisaema (Arisaema cum Bile)禹白附 (yǔ bái fù) giant typhonium tuber (Typhonii Gigantei Tuber)关白附 (guān bái fù) Korean aconite (Aconiti Coreani Tuber)白附子 (bái fù zǐ) typhonium (Typhonii Rhizoma)白芥子 (bái jiè zǐ) white mustard (Sinapis Alba Semen)芥子 (jiè zǐ) mustard seed (Sinapis Semen)皂荚 (zào jiá) gleditsia (Gleditsiae Fructus)皂角刺 (zào jiǎo cì) gleditsia thorn (Gleditsiae Spina)桔梗 (jié gěng) platycodon (Platycodonis Radix)金沸草 (jīn fèi cǎo) inula (Inulae Herba)旋覆花 (xuán fù huā) inula flower (Inulae Flos)白前 (bái qián) willowleaf swallowwort (Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma)前胡 (qián hú) peucedanum (Peucedani Radix)栝楼 (guā lóu) trichosanthes (Trichosanthis Fructus)栝楼子 (guā lóu zǐ) trichosanthes seed (Trichosanthis Semen)栝楼皮 (guā lóu pí) trichosanthes rind (Trichosanthis Pericarpium)川贝母 (chuān bèi mǔ) Sichuan fritillaria (Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus)浙贝母 (zhè bèi mǔ) Zhejiang fritillaria (Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus)- (zhú rú) bamboo shavings (Bambusae Caulis in Taenia)
天竹黄 (tiān zhú huáng) bamboo sugar (Bambusae Concretio Silicea)竹沥 (zhú lì) bamboo sap (Bambusae Succus)海浮石 (hǎi fú shí) costazia bone/pumice (Costaziae Os/Pumex)海蛤壳 (hǎi gé ké) clamshell (Meretricis seu Cyclinae Concha)礞石 (méng shí) chlorite/mica (Chloriti seu Micae Lapis)海藻 (hǎi zǎo) sargassum (Sargassum)昆布 (kūn bù) kelp (Laminariae seu Eckloniae Thallus)海带 (hǎi dài) eelgrass (Zosterae Marinae Herba)黄药子 (huáng yào zǐ) air potato (Dioscoreae Bulbiferae Rhizoma)胖大海 (pàng dà hài) sterculia (Sterculiae Lychnophorae Semen)猪胆 (zhū dǎn) pig’s gallbladder (Suis Vesica Fellea)猪胆汁 (zhū dǎn zhī) pig’s bile (Suis Bilis)蔊菜 (hān cài) rorippa (Rorippae Herba seu Flos)明党参 (míng dǎng shēn) changium root (Changii Radix)罗汉果 (luó hàn guǒ) momordica (Momordicae Fructus)荸荠 (bí qí) water chestnut (Heleocharitis Cormus)凤凰衣 (fèng huáng yī) chicken’s egg membrane (Galli Membrana Ovi)
Cough-Relieving Panting-Calming Medicinals
杏仁 (xìng rén) apricot kernel (Armeniacae Semen)甜杏仁 (tián xìng rén) sweet apricot kernel (Armeniacae Semen Dulce)巴旦杏仁 (bā dàn xìng rén) almond (Pruni Amygdali Semen)百部 (bǎi bù) stemona (Stemonae Radix)紫菀 (zǐ wǎn) aster (Asteris Radix)款冬花 (kuǎn dōng huā) coltsfoot (Farfarae Flos)紫苏子 (zǐ sū zǐ) perilla seed (Perillae Fructus)桑白皮 (sāng bái pí) mulberry root bark (Mori Cortex)葶苈子 (tíng lì zǐ) lepidium/descurainiae (Lepidii/Descurainiae Semen)枇杷叶 (pí pá yè) loquat leaf (Eriobotryae Folium)马兜铃 (mǎ dōu líng) aristolochia fruit (Aristolochiae Fructus)紫金牛 (zǐ jīn niú) Japanese ardisia (Ardisiae Japonicae Herba)白果 (bái guǒ) ginkgo (Ginkgo Semen)洋金花 (yáng jīn huā) datura flower (Daturae Flos)华山参 (huá shān shēn) physochlaina (Physochlainae Radix)钟乳石 (zhōng rǔ shí) stalactite (Stalactitum)钟乳粉 (zhōng rǔ fěn) powdered stalactite (Stalactitum Pulveratum)满山红 (mǎn shān hóng) Daurian rhododendron (Rhododendri Daurici Folium)鹅管石 (é guǎn shí) goose throat stone (Balanophyllia seu Stalactitum)