Cough – Exhausted yin (YTS)

Original Case by: Ye Tian-Shi (叶天士)

(Case 5) – from Understanding Case Records Pt. 2

There was exhausted yin existing in conjunction with contraction of a warm pathogen. There was a cough and head distention. It is suitable to use a light formula.

sang ye (Mori Folium)
xing ren (Armeniacae Semen)
chuan bei mu (Fritillariae cirrhosae Bulbus)
bei sha shen (Glehniae Radix)
sheng gan cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix)
tian shui li pi (Pyri Exocarpium) (pear peel)

Qin Bo-Wei’s Commentary:

This and the previous case‘s symptoms and cause of disease are identical. In this case there was constitutional yin exhaustion, and moreover the condition is not occurring in conjunction with wind or damp. Therefore Ye used Sang Ye (Mori Folium), Xing Ren (Armeniacae Semen), and Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus) to clear and transform the upper burner phlegm heat while simultaneously using Bei Sha Shen (Glehniae Radix), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), and Li Pi (Pyri Exocarpium) to clear and moisten. This “light formula” refers to the idea that “when the condition is located in the upper burner treat like a feather; unless one’s touch is light, one will be unable to grasp it.” It does not refer to dosages.

Translated by: Jason Blalack

Original Chinese: 阴亏挟受温邪，咳嗽、头胀，当以轻药。桑叶 杏仁 川贝 白沙参 生甘草 甜水梨皮

Source: Case from the Cough chapter of Case Records as a Guide to Clinical Practice (Lín zhèng zhî nán yï àn) 《临证指南医案》. Commentary from Complete Famous Medical Works of Qin Bo-Wei.

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