ChinaMed Clear The Phlegm Formula 78 Capsules

This formula appears in the 'Golden Mirror of Medicine' (yi zong jin jian), 1742. It is the main formula for resolving Phlegm, which may affect various bodily systems.
Phlegm is an internally generated pathogen that arises due to a disruption in the metabolism of fluids, and involves impaired function of the Lung, Spleen and/or Kidney. The essential clinical signs of a Phlegm disorder are:

• Tongue has a slippery or greasy coat
  
• Pulse is slippery
  

There are two broad categories of Phlegm disorders: those due to external ('visible' or 'substantial') Phlegm and those due to internal ('invisible' or 'insubstantial') Phlegm. External Phlegm is always associated with sputum in the respiratory tract, or other signs of excessive mucus production, e.g. vomiting of mucus or watery fluid. Internal Phlegm, on the other hand, may occur in a variety of forms and in various locations:

• Under the skin giving rise to lumps and swellings (e.g. goitre, lipoma, lymph node swelling, rheumatoid nodules).
  
• In the Channels causing numbness or paralysis, as is seen in Wind-stroke (i.e. apoplexy).
  
• Obstructing the mind and senses causing mental disorders (such as severe depression, psychosis, mental retardation) or epilepsy.
  
• In the Gall Bladder or Kidney where, under the influence of Heat, the Phlegm congeals 

over time to form stones.
In the joints causing stiffness, deformity and bone growths (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis).
Thus, CLEAR THE PHLEGM (wen dan tang) may be used as the basis for treating a very broad selection of clinical problems. The scope of clinical actions for this formula includes the following:
Psychological problems
Respiratory system disorders
Stomach disorders
Paraslysis or numbness
Nodules and tumors
Disorders due to various kinds of blockage (e.g. arterial narrowing, nasal or bronchial obstruction)

• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to drain heat in the gall bladder
  
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to regulate Qi
  
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to harmonise the stomach
  
• Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to resolve Phlegm