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(Two treatises, fifty-five prescriptions, fourteen moxibustion methods)

The treatise states: The classics record that disorders of the five zang organs and six fu organs can all cause cough. The lung is located superficially and superiorly, and corresponds to the skin and hair. Since the skin and hair are prone to pathogenic invasion, the lung is particularly susceptible to cough.

When pathogenic factors invade the lung, symptoms such as alternating chills and fever, panting, sweating, cough with pain radiating to the shoulders and back, and barking sounds in the throat may occur; in severe cases, hemoptysis (coughing up blood) may ensue.

If a lung cough persists for a long time without healing, the pathology transmits to the large intestine. The manifestation is defecation during coughing.

In kidney cough, the symptoms include lower back pain radiating to the back, and in severe cases, coughing up saliva/phlegm.

If a kidney cough persists for a long time without healing, the pathology transmits to the bladder. The manifestation is urinary incontinence during coughing.

In liver cough, the symptoms include pain in the left hypochondrium; in severe cases, the body cannot turn or pivot.

If a liver cough persists for a long time without healing, the pathology transmits to the gallbladder. The manifestation is coughing up bitter bile fluid.

In heart cough, the symptoms include heart pain and a sensation of obstruction in the throat like a foreign body stuck; in severe cases, sore throat and swelling/obstruction occur.

If a heart cough persists for a long time without healing, the pathology transmits to the small intestine. The manifestation is passing gas during coughing.

In spleen cough, the symptoms include dull pain in the right hypochondrium radiating to the shoulders and back; in severe cases, movement is restricted, and any movement exacerbates the cough.

If a spleen cough persists for a long time without healing, the pathology transmits to the stomach. The manifestation is cough accompanied by vomiting; in severe cases, roundworms are expelled.

If chronic cough persists, the pathology involves the Sanjiao (Triple Burner). The manifestations of Sanjiao cough include cough with abdominal fullness and inability to eat or drink. These pathogens gather in the stomach and relate to the lung, causing excessive phlegm/saliva, facial edema, and rebellious qi.

This occurs when wind-cold follows the seasons, invades the body, damages the skin and hair, and then enters the fu organs and zang organs to cause cough and rebellious qi.

Alternatively, sudden exposure to extreme cold out of season damages the skin and combines with the lung, causing cough and rebellious qi, or distending pain in the chest and hypochondrium, and hemoptysis. This happens because heat pathogens encounter out-of-season cold, binding violently and failing to dissipate gradually, leading to deep stagnation and knotting, which predisposes to Lung Abscess (Fei Yong).

Taking warm medicinal herbs for cough may worsen the cough significantly, accompanied by high fever, expectoration of pus and blood, sweating, and aversion to cold. This indicates Lung Abscess. When encountering out-of-season cold, one should urgently consult seasonal formularies.

Question: There are ten types of cough diseases. What are they?

Master says: There are Wind Cough, Cold Cough, Zhi Cough, Liver Cough, Heart Cough, Spleen Cough, Lung Cough, Kidney Cough, Gallbladder Cough, and Jueyin Cough.

Question: How are the syndromes of these ten coughs distinguished?

Master says: If one wishes to speak but cannot finish due to coughing, it is called Wind Cough.

If drinking cold water or eating cold food triggers coughing, it is called Cold Cough.

If there is hardness and fullness below the heart, and coughing causes radiating pain, while the pulse is paradoxically slow, it is called Zhi Cough.

If coughing radiates pain to the hypochondrium, it is called Liver Cough.

If coughing produces bloody sputum and radiates along the Hand-Shaoyin meridian, it is called Heart Cough.

If coughing produces continuous saliva/phlegm and radiates to the lower abdomen, it is called Spleen Cough.

If coughing radiates to the neck and produces saliva/phlegm, it is called Lung Cough.

If coughing causes deafness and radiates to the waist and umbilicus, it is called Kidney Cough.

If coughing radiates to the head and causes bitter taste in the mouth, it is called Gallbladder Cough.

If coughing radiates to the root of the tongue, it is called Jueyin Cough.

For Wind Cough, purgative methods should not be used.

For Cold Cough, Zhi Cough, and Liver Cough, needle Taichong (LR3, Foot-Taiyang).

For Heart Cough, needle Shenmen (HT7, Hand-Shaoyin).

For Spleen Cough, needle Taibai (SP3, Foot-Taiyin).

For Lung Cough, needle Taiyuan (LU9, Hand-Taiyin).

For Kidney Cough, needle Taixi (KI3, Foot-Shaoyin).

For Gallbladder Cough, needle Yanglingquan (GB34, Foot-Shaoyang).

For Jueyin Cough, needle Daling (PC7, Hand-Jueyin).

[Text fragment] It is deficiency. This is caused by cold excess in the chest and should be treated with emesis.

Only then can emesis be applied.

For patients with cough, if the pulse is wiry, it indicates water retention; Shizao Tang (Ten Date Pill Decoction) may be given to purge (see Prescription 12 below).

Those who cannot lie down and breathe easily do so because the yin aspect does not receive pathogenic factors [Note: This explanation is idiosyncratic to the text].

For cough due to retained fluid, the patient cannot lie down due to coughing, experiences neck pain, and the cough resembles the jerking movements of an infant.

For drinkers suffering from cough, hematemesis (vomiting blood) will inevitably result, caused by long-term excessive alcohol consumption.

If the pulse is deep, diaphoresis (sweating method) is contraindicated.

For chronic cough lasting years, a weak pulse indicates a treatable condition; a forceful, large, and rapid pulse indicates a fatal prognosis.

A deficient pulse indicates frequent dizziness, as the patient originally had Zhi-Yin (branch fluid) retained in the chest. Treatment belongs to the category of treating fluid retention disorders.

Rebellious qi, sweating, and cough belong to fluid retention disorders.

Cough with free urination, or urinary incontinence, contraindicates diaphoresis; inducing sweat will lead to cold limbs (Jue-Ni).

For diseases involving hematemesis, panting, cough, and rebellious qi, if the pulse is rapid, there is heat, and the patient cannot lie down, the prognosis is fatal.

For patients with cold conditions suffering from cough and rebellious qi, if the pulse is rapid, the prognosis is fatal, due to the depletion of the patient's physical form.

A pulse that is large and scattered indicates qi excess and blood deficiency, named "Exterior without Interior."

Rebellious qi, facial edema, and shoulder-respiration (accessory muscle breathing), with a floating and large pulse, are difficult to cure; if aggravated...