干咳者，乏痰而咳逆也。此因秋分之后，先伤乎燥，燥气内侵乎肺，当时未发，交闭藏之令乃发，斯为
金寒水冷之咳也。前论秋燥条中，是为燥之新邪；此论干咳，是为燥之伏气。其证咳逆乏痰，即有痰亦清
稀而少，喉间干痒，咳甚则胸胁引疼，脉沉而劲，舌苔白薄而少津，当用温润辛金法治之。如胸胁痛
者，可加旋复、橘络；咳逆艰难者，再加松子、款冬。咳剧震动血络，喉痛吐红，脉转沉滑，或沉数，此
燥气已化为火也，当用清金宁络法治之。如咳逆气短，甚则有汗，咽喉干燥者，当用金水相生法治之。蹉跎失
治，最易延为痨损，可不谨欤！
或问曰∶曾见《内经》有“五脏六腑，皆令人咳”之训。今先生只列痰嗽、干咳为二门，不及脏腑等咳，
毋乃遗漏乎？曰∶是书专论四时之咳，如春令风温之咳，夏令暑热之咳，秋令秋燥之咳，冬令冬温之咳。
其实五脏六腑之咳，不过就其见证而分。如胸疼喉痛为心咳，两胁下痛为肝咳，右 痛引肩背为脾
咳，喘急咳血为肺咳，腰背相引而痛为肾咳。又有小肠咳者，咳而失气也；胆咳者，咳呕苦水也；胃咳者，
咳而欲呕也；大肠咳者，咳而遗屎也；膀胱咳者，咳而遗溺也；三焦咳者，腹满而
不食也；此皆《内经》分脏腑之咳也。念莪先生已分条治之，兹不复赘。
Dry cough refers to coughing with air reflux without the presence of phlegm. This occurs because after the Autumn Equinox, the body is first injured by dryness pathogenic factor; dryness qi invades internally affecting the Lung (Zang organ). It does not manifest at that time but erupts when entering the season of storage and concealment; this is known as "Metal Cold and Water Cold" cough. In the previous discussion on Autumn Dryness, it referred to newly contracted dryness pathogen; whereas here, discussing dry cough, it refers to latent dryness qi. The symptoms include coughing with air reflux and lack of phlegm; even if phlegm is present, it is clear, thin, and scanty, with a dry and itchy throat. Severe coughing causes pulling pain in the chest and hypochondrium. The pulse is deep and forceful, and the tongue coating is white, thin, and scanty in fluids. Treatment should employ the method of warming and moistening to benefit Metal (Lung). If accompanied by chest and hypochondriac pain, add *Inulae Flos* (Xuan Fu Hua) and *Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride Retinervum* (Ju Luo); if coughing and air reflux are difficult, additionally add *Pini Semen* (Song Zi) and *Adenophorae Radix* (Kuan Dong Hua). If severe coughing disrupts blood collaterals, causing sore throat and hemoptysis, and the pulse becomes deep and slippery or deep and rapid, this indicates that dryness qi has transformed into fire. Treatment should employ the method of clearing Metal and calming collaterals. If there is coughing with shortness of breath, sweating even when severe, and dry throat, the method of generating Metal from Water (Lung-Kidney mutual nourishment) should be used. Neglecting treatment over time easily leads to consumption disease (Lao Sun); how can one not be cautious?
A question was raised: "I have seen in the *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon) the teaching that 'the five zang organs and six fu organs all cause cough.' Now, Sir, you only list Phlegm Cough and Dry Cough as two categories, omitting coughs related to specific zang-fu organs. Is this an omission?" The answer is: "This book specifically discusses coughs according to the four seasons, such as wind-warmth cough in Spring, summer-heat-hotness cough in Summer, autumn-dryness cough in Autumn, and winter-warmth cough in Winter. Actually, coughs of the five zang and six fu organs are merely classified based on their presenting signs. For example, chest pain and sore throat belong to Heart Cough; pain under both hypochondria belongs to Liver Cough; right-sided pain radiating to the shoulder and back belongs to Spleen Cough; panting, coughing, and hemoptysis belong to Lung Cough; waist and back pulling pain belongs to Kidney Cough. There is also Small Intestine Cough, characterized by coughing with passing flatus; Gallbladder Cough, characterized by coughing and vomiting bitter fluid; Stomach Cough, characterized by coughing with nausea; Large Intestine Cough, characterized by coughing with fecal incontinence; Bladder Cough, characterized by coughing with urinary incontinence; Sanjiao (Triple Burner) Cough, characterized by abdominal fullness and loss of appetite. These are all classifications of zang-fu coughes in the *Nei Jing*. Mr. Nian'e [Lei Feng's pseudonym] has already treated them item by item, so I will not repeat them here."