05-7 Food Phlegm 食痰 식담
Food phlegm refers to phlegm due to indigestion. When the food is not digested or accompanies blood stasis, they engender swelling of the scrotum. These become hypochondriac mass, impediments or distentions. Use a Chlorite Pill, Yellow Trichosanthes Fruit Pill, or a Genuine Lineage Formula Augmented Syzygii Flos Relieve Stomach Decoction.
- Chlorite Pill 靑礞石丸 청몽석환: It treats dampness-heat phlegm and removes phlegm due to indigestion. 2 nyang of Chalcocitum (靑礞石) (place 2 nyang of Mirabilitum (焰硝) in a jar and cover the opening with pieces of roof tile and tie this with iron wire. Paste salty mud and then dry under the sun. After this, heat with fire and then cool), 2 nyang of Arisaematis Rhizoma (南星) (soaked in water for 2 days with 5 don of grinded Alumen (白礬)), 3 nyang of Pinelliae Tuber (半夏) (one soaked in the water soaked with Gleditsiae Fructus (皂角) for two days), Scutellariae Radix (黃芩) (a thick and friable one soaked in the juice of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑汁) and stir-fry), Poria Sclerotium (赤茯苓), Ponciri Fructus Immaturus (枳實) (stir-fried with bran), 5 don of Mirabilitum (風化硝). (Boil this with radish to melt the Mirabilitum (風化硝) Remove the radish and filter this. Add Bovis Calculus (牛膽) and then dry this in the wind.). Powder these drugs and then mix these with paste made with the juice of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑汁) and Massa Medicata Fermentata (神麯). Make pills to the size of the seed of the royal foxglove tree. Take 30 – 50 pills with boiled water. The most important drug in this formula is Mirabilitum (風化硝).
- Yellow Trichosanthes Fruit Pill 黃瓜蔞丸 황과루환: It treats phlegm due to indigestion. The same amounts of Trichosanthis Semen (瓜蔞仁), Pinelliae Tube Fermentata (半夏麴), Crataegi Fructus (山楂肉), and Massa Medicata Fermentata (神麯) (stir-fried one). Powder these drugs and then mix with the juice of Trichosanthis Radix (瓜蔞汁). Make pills to the size of the seed of the royal foxglove tree. Take 30 – 50 pills with water boiled with ginger and the leaf of Bambusae Caulis in Liquamen (竹瀝).
- Zhengzhuan’s Modified Two Matured Substances Decoction 正傳加味二陳湯 정전가미이진탕: It treats phlegm due to indigestion. It resolves phlegm, tonifies the spleen, promotes digestion of food, and circulates qi. 1.5 don of Crataegi Fructus (山楂肉), 1 don of Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子), and Pinelliae Tuber (半夏), 8 pun of Cnidii Rhizoma (川芎), Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (白朮), and Atractylodis Rhizoma (蒼朮), 7 pun of Citrus Unshius Pericarpium (橘紅), Poria Sclerotium (茯苓), and Massa Medicata Fermentata (神麯) (stir-fried), 5 pun of Amomi Fructus (砂仁) (grinded) and Hordei Vulgaris Fructus (麥芽) (stir-fried) and 3 pun of Glycyrrhizae Radix (甘草) (roasted). Cut these drugs to make 1 package. Boil these with 3 pieces of ginger and 2 dates.
05-8 Alcohol-phlegm 酒痰 주담
Alcohol-phlegm is engendered when alcohol is indigested, or when the person drinks too much tea after drinking alcohol. Whenever the person drinks alcohol, the person vomits, does not know the taste of food, and suffers from acid regurgitation. Use an Ruizhutang’s Dissolve Phlegm Pill, Cyperus, Trichosanthes, and Indigo Pill, Minor Center Regulating Decoction
or Phlegm Elimination Powder. Also, add 1 don of Pinelliae Tuber (半夏) and Puerariae Radix (葛根) to Certain Reward Pill. (The prescription is found in the chapter on Internal Damage).
- Ruizhutang’s Dissolve Phlegm Pill 瑞竹堂化痰丸 서죽당화담환: It treats alcohol-phlegm. It promotes the digestion of food, cools the spleen and circulates qi. Put 1 nyang of Citri Unshius Pericarpium Immaturus (靑皮), Citrus Unshius Pericarpium (陳皮), Puerariae Radix (葛根), Perillae Folium (蘇子), Massa Medicata Fermentata (神麯), Hordei Vulgaris Fructus (麥芽), Crataegi Fructus (山楂肉), Raphani Radix (羅蔔子), Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) and Armeniacae Semen (杏仁) to 4 nyang of Pinelliae Tuber (半夏), Arisaematis Rhizoma (南星), Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑), Alumen (白礬) and Gleditsiae Fructus (皂角) (Put these four herbs together in a bowl and boil until the white spot of Arisaematis Rhizoma (南星) disappears. Remove the Gleditsiae Fructus (皂角)). Powder these drugs and then mix these with rice cake soaked in the juice of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑汁). Make pills to the size of the seed of the royal foxglove tree. Take 50 – 70 pills with tea or alcohol.
- Cyperus, Trichosanthes, and Indigo Pill 香附瓜蔞靑黛丸 향부과루청대환: It treats dry phlegm, stagnation phlegm, and alcohol phlegm. Powder the three herbs in the formula’s name. Mix these with honey and make pills to a size of a Euryales Semen (芡實). Hold 1 pill in the mouth after meals and before going to bed and swallow it. Accumulated phlegm cannot be removed without Polygoni Tinctori Fructus (靑黛) and Trichosanthis Semen (瓜蔞仁).
05-9 Fright Phlegm 驚痰 경담
Fright phlegm is the formation of mass in the chest and abdomen due to the accumulation of phlegm due to frightening. When it activates, the severe pain makes the person jump and sometimes become epileptic. It is often formed in women. Use a Wonderful Response Elixir or Flush Away Roiling Phlegm Pill.
- Wonderful Response Elixir 妙應丹 묘응단: ① Bodily pain moving around is considered a wind toxin, hemiplegia, or an abscess and carbuncle. When all the parts of the body suffer from pulling and moving, many people consider this as hemiplegia or an abscess and carbuncle. However, this is wrong. This is because of the transformation of dormant congested fluids in the diaphragm. It will be cured completely after taking this formula. (The formula is explained later). ② This is also called a Control Saliva Elixir (控涎丹).
06 Diagnosis by Pulse Taking 脈法 맥법
① When the pulses on both sides are string-like, it is cold fluid retention. When the pulse on one side is string-like, it is fluid retention. ② When fluid retention is in the lungs, the pulse will not be string-like. It will cause dyspnea. ③ When the pulse is sunken and string-like, it is suspending fluid. The person will have pain in the inner part of the body. ④ When the pulse is floating, slippery, and fine, it indicates damage from fluid retention. ⑤ When the pulse is string-like on one side, then it indicates the presence of fluid-retention. When the pulse is sunken, string-like, slippery, hidden or bound, it is phlegm invading the joints. ⑥ The Outline on the Principles of the Pulses (脈理提綱) says, “The phlegm pulse is string-like and slippery.” ⑦ The Treatise on and Formulas for the Three Categories of Pathogenic Factors (三因方) says, “Fluid retention pulses are all string-like, faint, sunken and slippery.” ⑧ When the person’s pulse is sunken, string-like, fine, and slippery and uneven in size, it is all caused by phlegm and fluid retention. ⑨ When a rough pulse is observed, the person should take care of oneself. This is caused by congealed phlegm blocking the meridians.
07 External Signs of Phlegm and Fluid Retention 痰飮外證 담음의 외증
① Divine Pivot (靈樞) says, “When the skin around the cubit becomes rough like the scales of a dried fish, it is overflowing fluid induced by Water.” ② If the facial complexion is clear, then the person has persistently excessive fluid. Also, when the person’s pulse is big and the person has persistently excessive fluid, then the person’s back becomes cold as if a block of ice is on it. ③ When water qi is in the heart, the pit of the stomach will become firm with dyspnea and the person will not drink water. ④ When water qi is in the lungs, the person will expectorate foamy saliva and then the person will drink water. ⑤ When water qi is in the spleen, the person will feel a lack of energy and heaviness of the body. ⑥ When water qi is in the liver, the ribcage will be uncomfortable with pain on coughing. ⑦ When water qi is in the kidneys, the pit of the stomach will palpitate. ⑧ When the
person has phlegm, an ash-like black color must appear on the eyelids and under the eyes. ⑨ When the ash-like black color appears on the eyelids or under the eyes, it indicates the color of the phlegm. ⑩ When all drugs are ineffective and the bar pulse is hidden and big, then the person has phlegm. Use a Control Saliva Elixir (控涎丹).(The formula is written in a later part of the book.) ⑪ In all phlegm syndromes, the person’s flesh color remains the same even if the person eats less. In all water syndromes, the person’s ribcage becomes firm and the pit of the stomach palpitates.
08 Various Diseases of the Phlegm-retention Syndrome 痰飮諸病 여러 가지 담음병
① When phlegm is just formed, it is clear, thin, light, white and its qi and taste are bland. When it becomes old and serious, it is yellow, turbid, sticky, and difficult to expectorate. It gradually changes to bad qi and taste. It can become a sour taste, pungent taste, fishy smell, stinking smell, salty taste, bitter taste, or it can also come out with blood. In the early stage of the
phlegm syndrome, the person suffers from headaches and fever, which resembles an exterior syndrome. When it becomes old, the cough becomes worse in the night, resembling yin Fire. When the phlegm moves around, the joints of the four limbs become painful, resembling a wind syndrome. However, the phlegm syndrome is different in that even if the person eats less, the color of flesh remains the same, and the pulse is slippery and uneven.
② When the person suffers from a disease caused by phlegm, the following symptoms are observed: dyspnea, coughing, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, wind epilepsy, obfuscation due to manic psychosis, palpitations, and acid regurgitation. Also, blockage of the diaphragm, edema, chills and fever, and pain may be observed. These diseases are truly caused by phlegm.
③ It has been said that, ‘Most diseases are caused by phlegm’. This is very true.
④ When the person cannot move one’s hands and feet, with pain in all the joints, and feels uncomfortable either in sitting or lying position, it is phlegm within the bones. Also, the person’s eyeballs will turn black and the person will moan while moving or walking with difficulty, which are all caused by phlegm within the bones. The symptoms are pain in the bones and the joints.
⑤ When the person’s eyeballs and face become black, and the limbs become weak with numbness and movement is difficult, it is wind-dampness phlegm.
⑥ When the person’s eyeballs become black with shortened breath, it is fright-wind phlegm.
⑦ When the person’s eyeballs become black, with flushed cheeks and yellow facial complexion, it is from heat phlegm.
⑧ When it is hard to expectorate, it is phlegm accumulation. Also, when the person has ribcage pain with chills and fever, coughing and dyspnea, it is phlegm accumulation.
09 Differentiation of Colors of Phlegm 辨痰色 담색의 구분
Cold phlegm is clear, damp phlegm is white, Fire phlegm (火痰) is black, heat phlegm (熱痰) is yellow and old phlegm is sticky.
10 Symptoms Caused by Circulating Phlegm and Fluid Retention 痰飮流注證 담음이 유주하는 증상
① When the person suffers from unendurable pain in the chest, back, hands, feet, lower-back, and groin, pulling pain in the muscles and bones, and feels uncomfortable in a sitting or lying position with moving pain, ordinary doctors do not understand it well. They wrongly diagnose this as migratory arthralgia and treat this with a wind formula and acupuncture, which will not work well. Also, they prescribe medicine taking it as a wind toxin becoming abscesses and carbuncles. This is also wrong. This disease is caused by dormant congested fluids in the chest and around the diaphragm. When the person cannot raise his or her head due to pain, sleeps much due to obfuscation and fatigue, loses one’s appetite, has sticky phlegm, suffers from sawing sounds in the throat at night, drools, has cold and numb hands and feet, and obstructed circulation of qi and blood, mediocre doctors wrongly diagnose this as hemiplegia. For these diseases, a Control Saliva Elixir (控涎丹) should be prescribed.
② When dampness phlegm moves upward to invade the arms, the person will not be able to lift the arms. In some cases, the symptoms may move between left and right. A Poria Eliminate Phlegm Pill (the prescription is written in the chapter on Hands) is commonly prescribed.
- Control Saliva Elixir 控涎丹 공연단: It is also known as a Wonderful Response Elixir. It treats moving pain due to phlegm and fluid retention. The same amounts of Euphorbiae Kansui Radix (甘遂), Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix (大戟) and Brassicae Junceae Folium (白芥子). Grind these herbs and mix these with paste. Make pills to the size of the seed of the royal foxglove tree. Dry this under the sun. Take 7 – 10 pills of these with water boiled with ginger or warm water before going to bed. To treat fright phlegm, coat the formula with Cinnabaris (朱砂). For severe pain, add Scorpio (全蝎). For alcohol phlegm, add Realgar (雄黃) and for pain in the arms, add Momordicae Semen (木鼈子) and Cinnamomi Cortex (桂心). When fright phlegm forms a mass, add Manitis Squama (穿山甲), Amydae Carapax (鱉甲), Corydalis Tuber (玄胡索), and Curcumae Rhizoma (蓬朮).
