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Tingli (Stir-fried until yellow, pounded into pills, size of a pellet) Figs (Jujubae Fructus), 12 pieces

Take the above two ingredients. First, boil the figs in three sheng of water, reduce to two sheng, remove the figs, add Tingli, and boil to obtain one sheng of decoction. Take all at once.

[Collected Explanations]
Zhao Liang said: This is a crucial formula for treating Lung Abscess (Fei Yong). When an abscess forms in the lungs, why wait without purging it? However, if the disease has persisted for a long time and the pus has already formed, purging will be of no benefit. If lung qi has been depleted over time, purging will further injure it. One should act urgently to purge the pathogen while blood is congealed but pus has not yet formed. Moreover, if the patient suffers from severe asthma so bad that they cannot lie down, is this not extremely critical?

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In cases of Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) with chest fullness and distension, edema of the whole body and face, nasal congestion with clear discharge, loss of smell for fragrant, foul, sour, or pungent odors, cough with rebellious Qi, wheezing with roaring sounds, and airway obstruction,
Tingli Dazao Xiefei Tang (Thladianthi Fructus and Jujube Decoction to Drain the Lungs) is the primary treatment.

[Annotation]
This section elaborates on the symptoms in conjunction with the previous clause to unify the treatment. Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) causing chest fullness and distension, cough with rebellious Qi, wheezing with roaring sounds, and airway obstruction, along with edema of the whole body and face, nasal congestion with clear discharge, and loss of smell, indicates that pathogenic factors are externally blocking the skin and hair follicles and internally obstructing Lung Qi. Compared to simple asthma preventing lying down, this condition is likely even more severe. The use of Tingli Dazao Xiefei Tang (Thladianthi Fructus and Jujube Decoction to Drain the Lungs) is appropriate because the pus has not yet formed. (Formula seen above)

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When there is cough with chest fullness, chills, rapid pulse, dry throat without thirst, occasional expectoration of turbid and foul-smelling saliva, and eventually expectoration of pus resembling rice porridge after a long duration, this is Lung Abscess (Fei Yong), treated primarily with Jiegeng Tang (Platycodon Decoction).

[Annotation]
Cough with chest fullness, chills, rapid pulse, dry throat without thirst, occasional expectoration of turbid and foul-smelling saliva, and eventual expectoration of pus resembling rice porridge constitute the syndrome of Lung Abscess (Fei Yong). When Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) has not yet formed pus, it is an excess syndrome; thus, formulas containing Tingli are used to drain it. Now that it has ulcerated, it becomes a deficiency syndrome; therefore, the bitter nature of Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix) and the sweet nature of Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) are used to resolve Lung toxicity and expel the abscess pus. This is the method for treating established Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) where the condition is mild and not fatal.

[Collected Annotations]
Gao Shishi said: Expectorating material resembling rice porridge is also pus. Why did the previous text say "once pus forms, death ensues"? If one argues that material resembling rice porridge is not pus, yet the previous text stated "accumulated and knotted abscess pus, expectorating like rice porridge," and here it says "expectorating pus like rice porridge," since pus is already being expectorated, what distinction remains between early stage and formed pus? I say: The previous text first described cough with rebellious Qi and difficult breathing, followed by stagnation where blood vessels transform into pus, injuring both Yin and Yang and Qi and Blood; hence, "once pus forms, death ensues." If the previous section discussed Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) causing dysfunction of Qi mechanism, and this section discusses Lung Abscess (Fei Yong) causing disharmony of meridians and collaterals, where pathology in Yang Qi does not injure Yin, and pathology in Blood Vessels does not injure Yang, then it is treatable. To summarize everything merely with the phrases "early stage can be saved, once pus forms death ensues" is to let words harm the intent, which is unacceptable.