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The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) states: Disorders of the five zang organs and six fu organs can all cause cough, not merely the lung. The skin and hair are the exterior correspondence of the lung; when pathogenic factors first invade the skin and hair, they enter the interior through this correspondence. Cough originating from the five zang organs, if prolonged, will transmit to the six fu organs.

The specific manifestations of cough in the fu and zang organs are detailed below under the section on decoctions and formulas.

Commentary: The *Ke Lun* (Treatise on Cough) discusses coughs of the five zang and six fu organs. The *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) further cites "pericardium cough," indicating that cough syndromes exist in all twelve meridians.

The *Qianjin Fang* states: According to discussions, there are ten distinct types of cough: wind cough, cold cough, liver cough, heart cough, spleen cough, lung cough, kidney cough, gallbladder cough, jueyin cough, and limb cough. It is difficult to exhaustively describe the various manifestations caused by cough in words. Cough induced by drinking cold water or eating cold food is called cold cough. Hardness and fullness in the epigastrium with pain radiating to the flanks upon coughing, accompanied by a slow pulse, is called limb cough. Cough with pain radiating to the hypochondrium is called liver cough. Cough with expectoration of blood and radiation to the hand shaoyin meridian is called heart cough. Cough with continuous flow of saliva/phlegm and radiation to the lower abdomen is called spleen cough. Cough with radiation to the neck and throat, accompanied by expectoration of saliva/phlegm, is called lung cough. Cough with deafness, radiation to the waist and umbilicus, is called kidney cough. Cough with headache and bitter taste in the mouth is called gallbladder cough. Cough with radiation to the root of the tongue is called jueyin cough. Wind cough is treated without purgation. Cold cough, limb cough, and liver cough are treated by needling Taichong (LR3). Heart cough is treated by needling Shenmen (HT7). Spleen cough is treated by needling Taibai (SP3). Lung cough is treated by needling Taiyuan (LU9). Kidney cough is treated by needling Taixi (KI3). Gallbladder cough is treated by needling Yanglingquan (GB34). Jueyin cough is treated by needling Daling (PC7).

Commentary: This treatise discusses ten types of cough involving the five zang organs, as well as wind, cold, limb, gallbladder, and jueyin meridians. The clinical manifestations cited differ slightly from the standard meridian and organ cough theories. A detailed examination of limb cough reveals it corresponds to qi-fluid retention and branch-fluid retention syndromes.

The *Neijing* mentions sanjiao cough but not pericardium cough, whereas this text mentions pericardium cough but not sanjiao cough. Although the mysteries have been revealed, the coughs of the stomach, large intestine, small intestine, and bladder, along with their corresponding acupuncture treatments, are briefly omitted.

The *Maijing* (Pulse Classic) states: A faint pulse at the guan position indicates cough. A slight and urgent pulse in the lung position indicates cough with hemoptysis. A wiry and choppy pulse during cough indicates deficiency of yin-blood. A tight pulse indicates lung cold. A double-wiry pulse indicates cold. A floating and tight pulse indicates deficient cold. A floating and moderate pulse indicates wind injury. A fine pulse indicates dampness injury. A rapid pulse indicates heat. A deep and rapid pulse indicates excess heat. A wiry pulse indicates water retention. A unilateral wiry pulse indicates fluid retention. A deep pulse indicates retained fluid. A surging and slippery pulse indicates abundant phlegm. In cough, a floating and straight pulse indicates survival (favorable prognosis); a floating and soft pulse indicates survival (favorable prognosis).