哮者,似喘而非,呼吸有声,呀呷不己,是痰结喉间,与气相系,故口之开闭,
尽有音声,此由痰火郁于内,风寒束其外,食味酸咸太过,因积成热得之,必须避风
寒,节浓味,若味不节,则其胸中未尽之痰,复与新味相结,哮必更作矣。治法宜苏
子、枳壳、桔梗、防风、半夏、栝蒌、款冬、桑皮、杏仁、茯苓、甘草、白果之类,
禁用凉剂,恐外寒难解,禁用热剂,恐痰火易升。如冬月加麻黄;夏月加石膏;挟寒
者,多加生姜,以兼表散为主。至有一种真气虚极,无根脱气上冲,似哮似喘,张口环
目,其气逆奔而上,出多入少者,法宜峻补,纳气归源,切勿从标,致成不救。
肾哮而火急甚者,不可骤用苦寒,宜温劫之,用椒目五六钱,研为细末,作二三
次,生姜汤调服。喘止之后,因痰治痰,因火治火,盖火太盛,则寒药一时难制,病大
敢与药亢,徒增其害,如贼势锋锐太盛,还当暂避其锋,以意取之自胜,《经》所谓方
其盛时必毁,因其衰也,事必大昌。
(张)常治病后,及小儿痘后,忽喉声拽锯,不能睡卧,寸脉强而尺无力者,悉用
八味加牛膝、五味,早晚各一剂而安。
戴氏曰∶痰者,凡动便有痰声,火炎者,乍进乍退,得食则减,食已则喘,大概
胃中有实火,膈上有稠痰,得食则坠下,其痰喘则暂止,稍久食已入胃,反助其火,痰
再升上,喘反大作,俗不知此,作胃虚治,以燥热之药,以火济火也。昔人病此,众作
胃虚治不减,后以导水丸行五六次而安。
娄全善治一妇,年五十余,素有痰火,忽一日大喘痰出如泉,身汗如油,脉浮而
洪,似命绝之状,速用麦冬二钱,人参三钱,五味子一钱五分,煎服,喘定,汗止而愈。
《纲目》载一男子五十余岁,病伤寒咳嗽,喉中声如 ,与独参汤一服而鼾声除,
至二三剂咳嗽亦渐退,服二三斤,病始全愈。本草治虚喘,用人参一味为末,鸡子清
投新汲水调下一钱。昔有二人同行,一人含人参,一人不含,俱走三五里,其不含者,
大喘,含者,气息如故。可以验人参定喘之功矣。
哮喘者,因膈有胶固之痰,外有非时之感,则寒束于表,阳气并于膈中,不得泄
越,壅热气逆,故声粗为哮,外感之有余也。气促为喘,肺虚而不足也。然哮症遇冷
则发有二,有属内外皆寒者,治宜温肺以劫寒痰。若属寒包热者,治宜趁八九月未寒之
时,先用大承气汤下其痰热,至冬寒无热可包,哮自不发。
上气喘息,脉滑手足温者,生。脉涩四肢寒者,死。喘而上逆,脉数有热,不得卧
难治。身汗如油,汗出发润,喘不休者,死。直视谵语而喘者,死。凡作于大病之后
者,多危。上喘咳而下泄泻者,死。
Xiao (Asthma with wheezing) presents as resembling panting but is not panting; breathing produces sounds, and the throat makes a "ya-xia" noise incessantly. This is due to phlegm knotting in the throat, linked with Qi, so that every opening and closing of the mouth generates sound. This condition arises from phlegm-fire郁结 (stagnating) internally, wind-cold binding externally, and excessive consumption of sour and salty flavors, leading to heat accumulation. One must avoid wind and cold, and regulate rich and strong-flavored foods. If dietary habits are not regulated, the residual phlegm in the chest will combine with new food intake, causing Xiao to recur. The treatment method should utilize herbs such as Su Zi (Perilla Seed), Zhi Ke (Bitter Orange), Jie Geng (Platycodon Root), Fang Feng (Siler Root), Ban Xia (Pinellia Tuber), Gua Lou (Trichosanthes Fruit), Kuan Dong Hua (Coltsfoot Flower), Sang Bai Pi (Mulberry Root Bark), Xing Ren (Apricot Seed), Fu Ling (Poria), Gan Cao (Licorice Root), and Bai Guo (Ginkgo Seed). Cold-natured formulas are contraindicated for fear that external wind-cold cannot be resolved; hot-natured formulas are contraindicated for fear that phlegm-fire will easily ascend. In winter, add Ma Huang (Ephedra Herb); in summer, add Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum); if accompanied by cold, add more Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger), focusing on releasing the exterior and dispersing cold.
There is another type where True Qi is extremely deficient, and rootless Qi rushes upward, resembling both Xiao and Chuan (Panting). The patient opens their mouth and widens their eyes, with Qi rushing upward, exhaling much more than inhaling. The treatment method requires vigorous tonification and guiding Qi back to its source. Do not treat only the superficial symptoms, lest the condition become incurable.
For Kidney Xiao with severe and urgent fire, bitter-cold medicines should not be used abruptly. Instead, use warm, astringent methods. Use Jiao Mu (Black Pepper Seed) 5-6 qian, ground into fine powder, taken in 2-3 doses, mixed with Fresh Ginger decoction. After the panting stops, treat the phlegm according to the phlegm, and treat the fire according to the fire. Because if fire is too intense, cold medicines may struggle to control it initially. When the disease is severe, one should not directly clash with the pathology, as this only increases harm. It is like when a thief's momentum is too sharp, one should temporarily avoid the锋芒 (sharp edge) and rely on strategy to overcome it. As stated in the *Classic* (Huangdi Neijing): "When the pathogen is at its peak, it will inevitably be destroyed; because it declines, matters will prosper greatly."
Zhang often treated cases after major illnesses or after smallpox in children, where there was suddenly a sawing sound in the throat, inability to sleep or lie down, with a strong Cun (inch) pulse and weak Chi (cubit) pulse. All such cases were cured using Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill) added with Niu Xi (Achyranthes Root) and Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra Berry), administered morning and evening, one dose each time.
Dai said: For Tan (Phlegm) syndrome, movement always produces phlegm sounds; for Fire flaming syndrome, symptoms come and go intermittently, improving after eating but worsening after digestion. Generally, this is due to excess fire in the Stomach and thick phlegm above the Diaphragm. Eating causes the phlegm to sink temporarily, stopping the panting; but after a while, food enters the Stomach, further assisting the fire, causing the phlegm to rise again, making the panting worse. Laypeople do not understand this and treat it as Stomach deficiency, using drying and heating medicines, which is adding fire to fire. In the past, someone suffered from this, and treatments for Stomach deficiency failed. Later, they were cured using Dao Shui Wan (Water-Guiding Pill) to promote bowel movements five or six times.
Lou Quanshan treated a woman over fifty years old who had chronic phlegm-fire. Suddenly, she experienced severe panting with phlegm spurting like a spring, sweating like oil, and a floating, surging pulse, appearing as if life was ending. Quickly administer Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber) 2 qian, Ren Shen (Ginseng Root) 3 qian, and Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra Berry) 1.5 qian, decocted and taken orally. The panting settled, sweating stopped, and she recovered.
*Bencao Gangmu* records a man over fifty suffering from Shanghan (Cold Damage) cough, with a sawing sound in his throat. One dose of Du Shen Tang (Single Ginseng Decoction) removed the snoring/wheezing sound. After two or three doses, the cough gradually subsided. After consuming two or three jin of Ginseng, the illness completely healed. Materia Medica states that for treating deficiency-type panting, use Ren Shen alone, ground into powder, mixed with egg white and fresh water, taken as one qian. Two people once walked together, one holding Ren Shen in their mouth, the other not. Both walked three to five li. The one without Ren Shen panted severely, while the one with Ren Shen maintained normal breath. This verifies the ability of Ren Shen to stabilize panting.
Xiao (Asthma with wheezing) occurs because of tenacious phlegm in the Diaphragm and exogenous pathogens out of season. Cold binds the exterior, Yang Qi merges into the Diaphragm, unable to vent, causing stagnant heat and rebellious Qi, resulting in coarse sounds known as Xiao, which is an excess of exogenous pathogens. Cu (Rapid/Shallow breathing) is Chuan (Panting), which is a deficiency of Lung Qi. However, Xiao triggered by cold has two types: those belonging to internal and external cold, treated by warming the Lung to seize cold-phlegm. If belonging to "cold wrapping heat," the treatment should take advantage of August and September before the cold sets in, first using Da Cheng Qi Tang (Major Order the Qi Decoction) to purge phlegm-heat. By winter, when there is no heat to wrap, Xiao will naturally not occur.
Upper Qi panting with a slippery pulse and warm hands and feet indicates survival (Sheng). A choppy pulse and cold limbs indicate death (Si). Panting with rebellion, rapid pulse, heat, and inability to lie down is difficult to treat. Sweating like oil, moist hair upon sweating, and ceaseless panting indicate death. Fixed gaze, delirium, and panting indicate death. Cases arising after major illnesses are mostly critical. Upper panting/cough with lower diarrhea indicates death.