叶天士治秋燥伤肺干咳案

某妇，秋分之后，干咳少痰，痰黏难咯，咽干鼻燥，口唇干裂，胸闷微痛，舌红而干，苔薄白欠润，脉浮细数。

A woman, after the autumnal equinox, with dry cough and scant phlegm — sticky and difficult to expectorate — dry throat and parched nostrils, dry cracked lips, mild chest oppression with slight pain, a red dry tongue with a thin white coating lacking moisture, and a floating thin rapid pulse.

温燥外袭，肺津受灼，肺失清润。

Warm dryness assailing from without, scorching Lung fluids, so that the Lung loses its clear moistening quality.

投桑杏汤辛凉甘润，轻宣燥邪，润肺止咳，加芦根以生津。三剂后咳减痰润，咽鼻得滋；五剂而安。

Sang Xing Tang was given as a light acrid-cool, sweet-moistening formula to gently diffuse the dry pathogen, moisten the Lung, and arrest cough, with Lu Gen added to generate fluids. After three doses cough diminished and phlegm became moist, throat and nose regained moisture; after five doses all settled.