10/01/2020
Wow, there is that very painful moment when you have worked on a piece of translation for 3 weeks and realize that no matter how you try to pull the pieces together, there is just no way to pull together 119 modifications of one formula through 1600 years of history together into a succinct monograph.... and then 30 pages of that piece have to hit the cutting room floor.... Realizing that in order to make it truly come together that you would have to write another hundred pages with full single herb monographs for each herb in the variations ... well, it is a little mind blowing and a bit overwhelming... I suppose this monograph on Mai Men D**g Tang will survive in another form....
So, with that said, enjoy this nice little piece of research from Zhū Bìng Yuán Hòu Lùn 《諸病源候論》 (The Origin and Indicators of Disease) by Cháo Yuánfāng 巢元方:
卷之十五 五臟六腑病諸候（凡十三論）
四、肺病候
Discussion 4: Indications for Lung Disease.
肺象金，旺於秋。其脈如毛而浮，其候鼻，其聲哭，其臭腥，其味辛，其液涕，其養皮毛，其藏氣，其色白，其神魄。手太陰其經。與大腸合，大腸為腑，主表，肺為臟，主裏。
The lungs manifest as metal, it flourishes in the fall. The pulse is hairlike and floating. It is indicated by the nose, its sound is crying, its smell is fishy, its flavor is acrid, its fluid is nasal mucous, it nourishes the skin and [body] hair, it stores the qì, its color is white, and its spirit is the pò. Its channel is hand tàiyīn, and it connects with the large intestine, as the large intestine is the bowel. [The large intestine,] governs the exterior and the lungs as the viscera, govern the interior.
肺氣盛，為氣有餘，則病喘咳上氣，肩背痛，汗出，尻、陰、股、膝、踹、脛、足皆痛，是為肺氣之實也，則宜瀉之。肺氣不足，則少氣不能報息，耳聾，嗌乾，是為肺氣之虛也，則宜補之。
[When] lung qì is abundant, there is surplus qì, then the disease [is one of] wheezing, cough, and qì ascent with shoulder and back pain, sweating, and the sacrum and coccyx, ge***al, thigh, knee, calf, lower leg, and foot all have pain. This is because [there] is an excess of lung qì, then it is appropriate to drain this. [When] lung qì is insufficient, then [there is] shortage of qì and inability to catch one's breath, deafness, and dry throat. This is because [there is] a deficiency of lung qì, then it is appropriate to supplement this.
於四時︰病在肺，癒在冬。冬不癒，甚於夏。夏不死，持於長夏。起於秋。於日︰癒在壬癸。壬癸不癒，加於丙丁。丙丁不死，持於戊己。起於庚辛。
In the four seasons: [When] disease is located in the lungs, recovery is in winter. [If the disease does] not recover in winter, [then disease will be] severe in summer. [If one does] not die in summer, [one will] maintain in long summer, [and disease will be] removed in fall. In days: [If] there is no recovery on rén or guǐ, [then disease will] be exacerbated [on] a bǐng (yáng fire) or dīng (yīn fire) [day. If one does] not die on a bǐng or dīng [day, the disease will] maintain on a wù (yáng earth) or jǐ (yīn earth) [day], [and will be] removed on a gēng (yáng metal) or xīn (yīn metal) [day].
於時︰下晡慧，夜半靜，日中盛。肺欲收，急食酸以收之，用酸補之，辛瀉之。禁寒飲食、寒衣。
In hours: In later afternoon (3 – 5 p.m.) [one is] bright, at] midnight (11 p.m. – 1 a.m.) [disease is] tranquil, and at midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) [disease is] abundant. [The lungs] desire to contract, [so] quickly eat sour in order to contract this. Use sour to supplement this, and acrid to drain this. [It’s] prohibitions are cold food and drinks, as well as cold clothes.
肺部，在右手關前寸口是也。平肺脈來，厭厭聶聶，如落榆莢，曰肺平。秋以胃氣為本。秋，肺金王，其脈浮濇而短，是曰平脈也。反得浮大而洪者，是心之乘肺，火之剋金，為大逆，十死不治也。反得沉濡而滑者，是腎之乘肺，子之扶母，病不治自癒。反得緩大而長阿阿者，是脾之乘肺，母之歸子，雖病當癒。反得弦而長者，是肝之乘肺，木之陵金，為微邪，雖病當癒。肺脈來泛泛而輕，如微風吹鳥背上毛。再至曰平，三至曰離經，四至曰奪精，五至曰死，六至曰命盡。
The lungs section is located in the right hand distal to the guān of the cùn kǒu. [When] the balanced pulse of the lungs arrives, tranquil and whispering like the falling of an elm [seed] pod. [This is] called the balanced [pulse of] the lungs. Fall uses the stomach qì as the source. In fall, [because] the lungs rule metal, its pulse is floating, rough, and short, this is called the balanced pulse [of the lungs. If] contrary [to expectation, one] obtains a floating, large, and surging [pulse,] this is heart taking advantage of the lungs, as fire [is that which] controls metal, and this is great counterflow, ten [out of ten will] die, [and it] cannot be treated. [If] contrary [to expectation, one] obtains a deep, soggy, and slippery [pulse] this is kidney taking advantage of the lungs, as the son is that which supports the mother, do not treat the disease, and [it will] naturally recover. [If] contrary [to expectation, one] obtains a relaxed, large, long, and moundlike [pulse,] this is spleen taking advantage of the lungs, as the mother [is that which] returns to the son, although [there is] disease, [it] should recover. [If] contrary [to expectation, one] obtains a wiry and long [pulse,] this is liver taking advantage of the lungs, as wood is mounded by metal. Because the evil is mild, although [there is] disease, [it] should recover. The lung pulse arrives floating and light, like a light wind blowing the feathers on the top of a birds back. [When there are] two [beats of the pulse] to the arrival [of one breath], this is called balanced. [When there are] three [beats of the pulse] to the arrival [of one breath], this is called separation [from] the channels. [When there are] four [beats of the pulse] to the arrival [of one breath], this is called loss of essence. [When there are] five [beats of the pulse] to the arrival [of one breath], this is called dying. [When there are] six [beats of the pulse] to the arrival [of one breath], this is called end of life.
病肺脈來，上下如循雞羽，曰肺病。肺病，其色白，身體但寒無熱，時時欲咳，其脈微遲，為可治。死肺脈來，如物之浮，如風吹毛，曰肺死。
[When] the diseased pulse of the lungs arrives, neither above or below, like following a chickens feathers, [it is] called the disease [pulse of] the lungs. In lung disease, the color is white, and the body only has cold, without heat. [If] there is frequent desire to cough, and its pulse is slightly slow, [then] this can be treated. [When] the death pulse of the lungs arrives, it is like the floating of a substance, or like wind blowing the [soft] downy [hair of the body, then this is] called the death [pulse of] the lungs.
秋胃微毛曰平，胃氣少毛多曰肺病，但如毛無胃氣曰死。毛有弦曰春病，弦甚曰今病。真肺脈至，大而虛，如毛羽中人膚。其色赤白不澤，毛折乃死。
In fall, [if] the stomach [qì] is slightly hairlike, this is called balanced. [If] the stomach qì is a little hairlike, often this is called lung disease, but if [the pulse] is hairlike without stomach qì, this is called death.[If the pulse] is hairlike and wiry, this is called spring disease, [and if] the wiry is severe, this is called the current disease. [When] the true lung pulse arrives, [it is] large and deficient like the fine downy hairs in a person's skin. [If] the color is reddish-white and without moisture, and the [body] hair is brittle, then [this is] death.
