Whooping cough

Also cormorant cough; epidemic cough; hundred day cough; long-bout cough2; hen cough. A children’s disease readily identifiable by the characteristic whoop of the cough. The whooping sound is similar to the sound made by a hen after laying an egg, hence the alternate name hen cough. Whooping cough is attributed to contraction of a seasonal evil, which causes phlegm turbidity to obstruct the airways and inhibit lung qì. If the cough continues, it can damage the network vessels of the lung and give rise to expectoration of blood.

Biomedical correspondence: pertussis.

Medicinal therapy: For initial-stage evil invading the lung, treat by transforming phlegm with warm acrid medicinals and by downbearing qì. Use Belamcanda and Ephedra Decoction (射干麻黄汤 shè gān má huáng tāng). In the middle stage, where the evil is lodged in the lung, treat by clearing heat and diffusing the lung, using variations of Supplemented Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Gypsum, and Licorice Decoction (加味麻杏石甘汤 jiā wèi má xìng shí gān tāng) or White-Draining Powder (泻白散 xiè bái sǎn). Another formula is Cormorant Drool Pill (鸬鹚涎丸 lú cí xián wán), containing cormorant’s drool (Phalacrocoracis Saliva, 鸬鸶涎 lú sī xián), which is noted for its ability to treat cormorant cough and other types of cough. For enduring conditions causing lung-spleen vacuity, attention should be paid to supplementing the lung and spleen.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LU, LI, and back transport points. Main points: LU-7 (Broken Sequence, 列缺 liè quē), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), BL-12 (Wind Gate, 风门 fēng mén), and BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù).

Point selection according to stage of progression: For initial-stage evil invading the lung, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), and TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), needling with drainage. For evil heat lodged in the lung, add GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), GV-12 (Body Pillar, 身柱 shēn zhù), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), and ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge, 丰隆 fēng lóng), needling with drainage. For spleen-lung vacuity in the late stage, add BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), needling with supplementation.

Point selection according to signs: For expectoration of blood, add LU-3 (Celestial Storehouse, 天府 tiān fǔ) and GV-23 (Upper Star, 上星 shàng xīng). For reduced food intake and sloppy stool, add CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), and CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi). For lack of warmth in the extremities, add CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán).