Library

The Yellow Emperor asked, "Why does the Lung organ cause coughing?" Qibo replied, "All five Zang organs and six Fu organs can cause coughing; it is not exclusive to the Lung." The Emperor said, "I wish to hear about their manifestations." Qibo said, "The skin and hair are the exterior correspondence of the Lung. When the skin and hair are first invaded by pathogenic factors, these pathogens follow the meridians to transmit internally to the Lung. If cold food and drink enter the Stomach, they travel up along the Lung meridian to the Lung, causing Cold in the Lung. When the Lung is Cold, external pathogens and internal Cold combine, allowing pathogens to lodge there, resulting in a Lung Cough. Each of the five Zang organs becomes diseased during its respective ruling season; if it is not that season, transmission occurs from other organs (the 'season' refers to the month when the organ is prosperous). Humans correspond with Heaven and Earth, so each Zang organ governs a specific period. Contracting Cold leads to disease; mild cases manifest as coughing, while severe cases result in diarrhea or pain. In Autumn, the Lung is first affected by pathogens; in Spring, the Liver; in Summer, the Heart; in Late Summer (Extreme Yin), the Spleen; and in Winter, the Kidney." The Emperor asked, "How can they be distinguished?" Qibo said, "In a Lung Cough, symptoms include coughing with wheezing and audible sounds, and in severe cases, expectoration of blood. In a Heart Cough, symptoms include heart pain upon coughing, a sensation of obstruction in the throat like a foreign body, and in severe cases, sore throat and Bi syndrome of the throat. In a Liver Cough, symptoms include pain under both hypochondria upon coughing, inability to turn the body in severe cases, and fullness under both sides when turning. In a Spleen Cough, symptoms include pain under the right hypochondrium, dull pain radiating to the shoulder and back, inability to move in severe cases, and aggravated coughing upon movement. In a Kidney Cough, symptoms include mutual pulling pain between the waist and back upon coughing, and expectoration of saliva in severe cases."

The Emperor asked, "What about coughs of the six Fu organs? From where do they contract the disease?" Qibo said, "Prolonged coughing of the five Zang organs transfers to the six Fu organs. If Spleen Cough persists, it affects the Stomach; Stomach Cough presents with coughing and vomiting, and in severe cases, expulsion of roundworms. If Liver Cough persists, it affects the Gallbladder; Gallbladder Cough presents with coughing and vomiting of bile. If Lung Cough persists, it affects the Large Intestine; Large Intestine Cough presents with coughing and involuntary defecation. If Heart Cough persists, it affects the Small Intestine; Small Intestine Cough presents with coughing and passage of flatus, with gas escaping simultaneously with the cough. If Kidney Cough persists, it affects the Bladder; Bladder Cough presents with coughing and urinary incontinence. If prolonged coughing persists, it affects the Sanjiao (Triple Burner); Sanjiao Cough presents with coughing accompanied by abdominal fullness and loss of appetite for food and drink. All these conditions involve pathogenic accumulation in the Stomach and involvement of the Lung, causing excessive phlegm and saliva, facial edema, and rebellious Qi." The Emperor asked, "How should they be treated?" Qibo said, "To treat Zang disorders, select Shu (Stream) points; to treat Fu disorders, select He (Sea) points; for edema, select Jing (River) points."