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Introduction:

“痿者萎也，如草木之萎而不荣。”

That’s from some classic, I don’t remember now. In any case, when describing the lungs, just think of a set of lungs lacking nourishment, drying up, without much vitality, like a dying leaf.

Think late-stage pulmonary disease where the patient is too weak to even cough. His sputum is bubbly and not thick. His lungs and other parts are not nurtured by fluids so he is thirsty. He also may have kidney problems e.g. incontinence and pass alot of urine. The same cause for his pulmonary disease may also cause blood supply problem, hence dizziness.

What types there are?

Divide it into deficient-heat type and deficient-cold type:

1. Deficient-heat: You need to cool down the heat by tonifying lung yin. 麦门冬汤 is the base prescription you need. Similar decoctions are 益胃汤 and 沙参麦冬汤. 清燥救肺汤 would along similar principles.
2. Deficient-cold: 甘草干姜汤 (2:1 ratio)is recommended here. 生姜甘草汤 can also be considered.