肺最居上,气最清肃,苟无因以迫,何有咳嗽不宁之患乎?迫之者,不外乎外因风
寒,内因痰火,气而已然。初感风寒者,自作风寒正治,倘稍郁久成热,则娇脏易伤,
发散寒凉,俱宜禁用,盖每多肾水向已有亏,肺金久失滋养,借此传染之伤风新咳,
顿成紧急痨瘵之沉 ,倘识认不早,从标清理,后救无及。(张)常遇此症,其候壮热
憎寒,咳嗽频甚,痰唾稠粘,精神困倦,肌肤日瘦,六脉弦洪而数,久按无神。当此之
际,若欲消痰,适足助其燥槁之势,此痰乃水泛所生,非痰药所能消之者也。若欲清
火,适足以伤胃气,此火乃无形之火,非寒凉所能折之者也。若欲理气,适足以耗散真
元,此气乃丹田至宝之元气,曰无阴相济,不得已而上浮,非桑皮、桔红所能理者也。
津滋日耗,销烁日增,阴已亏而火愈盛,荣行脉中,故脉洪数无伦,亦迫于势也。水中
之真火上炎,彻骨之大热乃壮,火乘金候,焚灼难堪,苟非重用火中补水之方,奚堪涸
辙。燎原之势?每用或八味或去附子,倍加熟地,更入牛脉、麦冬、五味子作汤,大
剂,日二剂,食前温服,裨真火藏源,尤雷自熄。夏阴一得,焦烁稍回,渐见无汗之骨
蒸,为有汗而热解。然虚火一退,若真元虚
极者,倦怠必来,补气之功,便宜接续,真阴衰极者,真阳一复,燥涸难除,补水之功
又须倍加,当此热病而热药,势可骇人。然本病而本治,实切至理,每臻神效,敢具后方。
The Lung resides at the highest position in the body, and its Qi is the clearest and most purifying. If there were no external forces forcing it, how could there be the affliction of restless coughing? The factors forcing it are none other than external Wind-Cold (Wind-Cold), internal Phlegm-Fire (Phlegm-Fire), which ultimately boil down to Qi. For those initially contracting Wind-Cold, one should naturally adopt the orthodox treatment for Wind-Cold; however, if the cold stagnates for a long time and transforms into heat, the delicate Zang-organ (Lung) is easily injured. At this point, both dispersing methods for cold and cooling herbs should be strictly prohibited. This is because the Kidney Water (Kidney Yin) is often already deficient, and the Lung Metal (Lung Qi/Yin) has long lost nourishment. Borrowing this contagious common cold or new cough, it suddenly becomes an urgent and severe consumptive disease (Tuberculosis/Chronic Consumptive Disease). If recognition is not early, and treatment focuses only on superficial symptoms, later rescue will be futile. (Zhang Jingyue) Often encounters such cases, where the presentation includes high fever with aversion to cold, frequent and severe coughing, thick and sticky sputum, mental fatigue, daily emaciation of the skin and muscles, and six pulses that are wiry, surging, and rapid, lacking spirit upon prolonged pressing. At this moment, if one attempts to eliminate phlegm, it merely aids the trend of dryness and withering; this phlegm is generated from overflowing water and cannot be eliminated by ordinary phlegm-resolving drugs. If one attempts to clear fire, it merely damages Stomach Qi; this fire is formless deficiency fire, which cannot be subdued by cold and bitter herbs. If one attempts to regulate Qi, it merely dissipates true Yuan Qi; this Qi is the precious Yuan Qi of the Dantian, floating upward due to the lack of Yin to support it, and cannot be regulated by Cortex Morus Radicis (Sang Bai Pi) or Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Ju Hong). Body fluids are consumed day by day, and consumption increases day by day; Yin is deficient while Fire flourishes. Ying (Nutritive) blood circulates within the vessels, hence the pulse is surging, rapid, and chaotic without limit, also forced by the momentum of Fire. The True Fire within Water flares upward, causing the bone-deep great heat to become vigorous. Fire attacks Metal (Lung), making the burning and scorching unbearable. Unless one heavily employs formulas that "supplement Water within Fire" (nourish Yin to anchor Yang), how can one endure the crisis of a fish in a dried rut or a prairie fire? I often use Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) or remove Fu Zi (Aconite Root), double the dosage of Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia Root), and add Niu Xi (Achyranthes Root), Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber), and Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra Fruit) to decoct. Administer large doses, two doses per day, taken warm before meals, so that the True Fire returns to its source, extinguishing itself like thunder and lightning. Once Summer Yin is obtained, the scorched and dried state slightly recovers, gradually transitioning from bone-steaming fever without sweat to sweating with heat resolution. However, once deficiency Fire retreats, if the True Yuan Qi is extremely deficient, fatigue will inevitably appear; the merit of tonifying Qi should then be continued. If True Yin is extremely depleted, once True Yang recovers, dryness and aridity remain difficult to remove; the merit of supplementing Water must be doubled. Under these circumstances, using hot herbs to treat heat diseases seems shocking. Yet, treating the root cause of the original disease truly aligns with profound principles, often achieving miraculous effects. I dare to present the following formula.