[Concept]

Sputum refers to the sputum spit out by cough, that is, the sputum from the lungs and lung system (trachea) is discharged through the throat and mouth due to cough. The word "phlegm" is the same as "dan" in ancient times, which means "water shakes the appearance" ("Shuowen"). Therefore, all signs of water retention in the body (such as stopping in the intestines, chest, ribs, and limbs) are called phlegm or phlegm-fluid retention, which means water and water drinking. The phlegm produced by the lungs and lung system was called "saliva", "foam", "spit", and "turbidity" in ancient times ( Jingui Yaolue ).

In general, the thinner ones can be called saliva or foam, and the thicker ones can be called saliva or turbidity. The saliva and turbid saliva are also caused by the water-dampness not dissolving, causing phlegm to accumulate in the lungs. In later generations, saliva and turbid saliva will be called phlegm or phlegm-fluid retention, clear and thin saliva will be called drink, and thick saliva will be called phlegm (Yizong jinjian). Therefore, phlegm can be divided into a broad sense and a narrow sense. In the broad sense, phlegm refers to water, and phlegm-fluid retention refers to drinking water. In narrow sense, phlegm is a product of the lungs and lung system. The thicker one is called phlegm, and the thinner one is called drinking. This article is limited to the narrow sense of phlegm discharged by cough, or phlegm-fluid retention.

[Syndrome Analysis]

1. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.
2. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.
3. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.
4. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.
5. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.
6. Dampness-heat Yun Lung︰Coughing up pus and bloody sputum or fishy sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, unfavorable turning, even breathing and being unable to lie down, sweating, dry mouth and throat without thirst, dysphoria, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, slippery or rapid pulse And powerful. It can be due to the evil of external contraction dampness-heat or excessive phlegm and heat, or excessive consumption of wine, cheese, and spicy food, causing dampness-heat to accumulate in the lungs and steaming in the lungs; and there are signs of dampness-heat, such as abdominal distension and fullness. anorexia, greasy coating, etc.; red tongue, yellow and greasy coating are its main characteristics; Lonicera and Forsythia Powder can be used plus Skullcap Root, Coptis Rhizome, etc.

The identification of expectoration mainly depends on the characteristics of the phlegm and the differences in symptoms. Such as cold, heat, wind, dampness, dryness, dampness-heat, etc.

[Documentation]

1. Suwen. Ping Rebing Lun: "The emperor said: common cold due to overstrain is a disease? Qibo said: common cold due to overstrain is under the lungs, it is a disease, making people strong to look at the sky and spit. It is common cold due to overstrain. Emperor said: What can be done to treat it? Qibo said: It takes three days for those with severe yang to induce semen, five days for those who are middle-aged and seven days for those with insemination. On the same day, you will cough up green and yellow mucus, which looks like pus and is as big as a bullet. If it comes out of the mouth or nose, it will damage the lungs. If the lungs are damaged, you will die. "
2. Zhengyin Maizhi. "External contraction phlegm syndrome/pattern": "The cause of wind phlegm is external wind evil, which attacks the surface of the human body, restrains the internal stagnation of fire, and prevents it from venting. When the external evil spreads inside and is fumigated internally and externally, the syndrome of wind phlegm occurs." The pulse of phlegm is mostly slippery, floating wind-heat, floating and tight wind-cold. If there is internal knot caused by sinking and sliding wind evil, it is easy to cure if it is heavy and thin. "The cause of dampness and phlegm is either sitting or lying, or dampness." When the wind and rain blow, the moisture will attack the person, and the water in the body will condense into the abdominal mass. According to Lingshu, when wind and rain attack the deficiency of yin, the disease will start from above and form accumulation. When dampness attacks the deficiency of yin, the disease originates from the lower part and accumulates, which is the cause of dampness and phlegm. The pulse is often floating and large, floating and slow with wind, floating and astringent mainly due to dampness, floating and slippery damp phlegm, and sinking and stubborn knots. "The cause of dryness and phlegm may be due to excessive yang activity. During the fire order, dryness-heat qi dries in the lungs, causing wheezing and coughing. Injury to the stomach and intestines results in phlegm and cough. This external contraction is caused by dryness and phlegm." If the pulse is dry and phlegm, the pulse will be heavy and rapid, and the floating pulse will damage the surface, and the heavy pulse will damage the interior. The left pulse will be heavy and dry, and the liver and gallbladder will be dry. The right pulse will be heavy and dry, and the dry pulse will damage the lungs and stomach." I>． "Internal damage phlegm syndrome": "The cause of dry phlegm is the fire of the five emotions, which is constantly moving in the middle, or excessive sexual desire, the true water is exhausted, or the heat is accumulated in the ointment, the stomach is tormented, fumigated in the lungs, and refined into phlegm, then dryness Symptoms of phlegm are present. The pulse is dry and phlegm, the right cun is large, there is heat in the lungs, the right guan is heavy, there is heat in the intestines and stomach, the left guan pulse is heavy, the evil of wood fire is two feet deep, and the kidney water is dry and exhausted. "The cause of dampness and phlegm is insufficient middle qi, inability to digest stomach yang, and inability to compress spleen yang, so the water grains stay and become phlegm and drink, and the disease of dampness and phlegm becomes complete. The pulse of dampness and phlegm is mostly slippery and slippery. Stubborn phlegm, slipperiness, softness and stagnation due to deficiency, spleen dampness forming phlegm, slipperiness and stagnation, caused by dampness-heat."