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Asthma



Asthma manifests with wheezing or difficulty breathing and shortness of Breath.

There are 2 conditions which commonly fall under "Asthma":
  1. Bronchial Asthma–chronic inflammation of the airways
  2. Asthmatic Bronchitis–Asthma with or leading to acute Bronchitis

In Traditional Medicine, the primary differential diagnosis is Hot, Cold, Dry or Moist.
  1. Hot-type Asthma: wheezing, flaring nostrils, red face, red tongue, fast pulse
  2. Cold-type Asthma: wheezing, pale face, feels the cold, pale or wet tongue, slow pulse
  3. Dry-type Asthma: wheezing, dry mouth and throat, unproductive cough, dry skin
  4. Wet-type Asthma: wheezing, excess mucus, phlegm rattling, wet tongue coat
Both Heat and Cold types may come with excess Phlegm, so, for example, we can have a Phlegm-Heat or Phlegm-Cold types Asthma.

It is also important to ascertain if it is an excess or deficient condition. If the person is strong with strong symptoms, it is a condition of excess, and stronger medicines including purgatives can be useful. If the condition is chronic, or the person is old or weak, invariably there is deficiency and Lung tonics are required.


From a Humoral perspective, we may differentiate it thus:
  1. Bile: wheezing, flaring nostrils, red face, red tongue, fast pulse; most associated with inflammation or allergy
  2. Phlegm: wheezing, excess mucus, mucus rattling in the throat, wet or white tongue coating; most associated with  congestive Asthma
  3. Wind: wheezing, dry mouth, worse when stressed or nervous; most associated with Nervous asthma.

Chinese Medicine has some other useful differentiations. Firstly, acute or chronic. Acute Asthma may be associated with an acute attack of Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold. This occurs during or just after a Cold or Flu, and may become chronic if not treated properly. .
Another useful observation in chronic Wheezing and Breathlessness is Yang deficiency. In this case, usually seen in the elderly, there is l;ower Back pain and weakness, difficult, frequent or nocturnal urination, feeling of coldness, low and slow pulse.


See also:
Treatment of Asthma from Wirtzung

Western Tradition

Simples
Hyssop
Maidenhair
Frankincense
Almond
Licorice
Turbith
Birthwort
Colocynth
Fox Lungs
Coltsfoot
Rue
Saffron
Walnut
Fig
Agaric
Squill
Sarcocolla
Earthworm


Primary Medicines for Asthma

Syrup of Hyssop (Mesue)
Pills of Agaric (Avicenna)
Lohoch of Pine Nuts (Mesue)
Powder of Musk Sweet (Diamoschu Dulce) (Mesue)
Fox Lungs Powder (1–2 dram doses)
Clove 11 Powder (Li si bcu gcig) (Tibetan)


Asthma in General

Pectoral Decoction (Augustana)
Decoction for Asthma (Zacharia)
Decoction for Cough and Asthma (Galen)
Decoction for Asthma from Crass Humors
Syrup for Asthma (Wirtzung)
Syrup of Coltsfoot
Syrup of Hyssop (Mesue)
Syrup of Horehound Compound
Syrup of Calamint
Syrup of Coltsfoot Compound
Anti-Asthmatic Syrup (D'Aquin)
Vinegar of Squill
Oxymel of Squill
Lohoch of Squill
Lohoch of Pine Nuts (Mesue)
Lohoch of Fox Lungs
Lohoch for Asthma
Tincture Against Asthma
Asthma Powder
Restorative of Nicholas (Pleres Arconticon)
Electuary of Orris (Diaireos Salomonis) (Nicholas)
Electuary for Asthma 1
Electuary for Asthma 2
Tragacanth Cooling Powder (Diatragacanth Frigid.)
Antidote Against Asthma
Pills of Agaric (Mesue)
Pills of Hiera with Agaric
Pills to Cleanse the Chest
Hospital Pills to Cleanse the Chest (Unani)
Hiera Pachii
Antidotus Asthmaticus
Electuarium Acharistum (Nicholas)
Athanasia Greater (Nicholas)
Diathamaron Magna (Nichols)
Oil of the Philosophers


Asthma from Phlegm-Heat

Cooling Pearl Powder (Diamargariton Frigidum)
Tragacanth Cooling Powder (Diatragacanth Frigidum)
Haly's Powder
Troches of Camphor (Nicholas)
Pills of Violet (Habbe Banafsha) (Unani)

Sea Buckthorn 5 (Star bu 5) (Tibetan Medicine)


Asthma from Cold

Restorative of Nicholas (Pleres Arconticon)
Comp. Cinnamon Powder (Diacinnamonum) (Mesue)
Electuary of Ginger (Diazingiber) (Nicholas)
Electuary of Horehound (Diaprassium) (Nicholas)
Powder of Three Pepper (Ditrion Pipereon)
Diathamaron Magna (Nichols)
Athanasia Greater (Nicholas)


Asthma from Phlegm

Infusion to Purge Phlegm more Compound
Syrup for Asthma (Wirtzung)
Syrup of Hyssop (Mesue)
Comp. Syrup of Horehound
Anti-Asthmatic Syrup (D'Aquin)
Oxymel
Oxymel of Squill
Lohoch of Squill (Galen)
Asthma Powder (Sennertus)
Electuary for Asthma (Gereonis)
Compound of Turbith (Avicenna)
Powder to Purge Phlegm (Unani)
Pills of Agaric (Avicenna)
Pills to Cleanse the Chest
Pills of Hiera with Agaric
Pills of Violet (Habbe Banafsha) (Unani)
Tincture Against Asthma
Hospital Pills to Cleanse the Chest (Unani)


Asthma, dry Type

Tragacanth Cooling Powder (Diatragacanth Frigidum)
Haly's Powder


Asthma from Deficiency

Decoction to Strengthen the Lungs
Syrup of Hyssop (Mesue)
Syrup for Asthma (Wirtzung)
Tragacanth Cooling Powder (Diatragacanth Frigidum)
Lohoch of Pine Nuts (Mesue)
Lohoch of Fox Lungs
Lohoch for Asthma
Tincture of Honey
Sugar Penids (Diapenidion) (Nicholas)
Electuary for Asthma of Andrezeos
Antidotus Asthmaticus
Diathamaron Magna (Nichols)

Red Coral Bhasma (Kushta Marjun)
Confection of Silk Cocoon and Jujube (Khamira  
  Abresham Shira Unnab Wala)



Asthmatic Distress

Inhale fumes of Datura
Surgeon’s Musked Troches (Alipta Muscata)


TCM Classification

Exterior Wind-Cold
Chills (more severe), with Fever and no sweat, aversion to cold and wind, cough and wheezing, muscle aches, thin white coat on tongue, floating pulse

Ma Huang Tang
Xiao Qing Long Tang


Exterior Wind-Cold with Interior Heat

Chills and Fever, no sweat, body aching, cough, thin coat on tongue, surface pulse that is tight

Ding Chuan Tang
Da Qing Long Tang


Phlegm Obstruction

Fullness in chest, short of breath, coughing up clear phlegm, white or wet tongue coat, slippery pulse

Fu Ling Gui Zhi Gan Cao Da Zao Tang
Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang

Ban Xia Hou Po Tang
Gun Tan Tang


Phlegm-Heat

Cough with yellow phlegm, short of breath, chest fullness, nausea, dark urine, yellow tongue coat, rapid pulse

Qing Qi Hua Tan Wan


Sea Buckthorn 5 (Star bu 5) (Tibetan Medicine)


Lung Heat
Chills, high Fever, Cough, wheezing, with or without sweating, nasal flaring when breathing, thirsty, yellow tongue coat and a rapid pulse

Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang


Sea Buckthorn 5 (Star bu 5) (Tibetan Medicine)


Lung Qi Deficiency
Short of Breath, spontaneous sweating, cough, wheezing, pale with a thin coat, weak pulse

Bu Fei Tang

Yu Ping Feng San
Ren Shen Ge Jie San


Yang Deficiency
Chronic asthma and wheezing, lower back pain, feels the cold, cold extremities, thirsty, difficult or frequent urination


Shen Qi Wan (Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan) (Rehmannia 8)
You Gui Yin
You Gui Wan







Special Formulas:

Pills for Phlegm Asthma
    Pills of Agaric           2 scruples
    Foetid Pills               1 scruple
    Agaric                       0.5 scruple
    Rock Salt                  1 grain
Form 9 pills with Syrup of Licorice. (Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485)


The following are from the Syrian "Book of Medicine", trans. by Wallis Budge, 1913:

DECOCTION FOR ASTHMA & DIFFICULTY BREATHING
    Raisins, stoned
    Fenugreek               equal parts
Decoct in Rain Water. Give a draught from several times daily. 'It gives relief immediately'.


DECOCTION FOR CHRONIC ASTHMA
    Figs
    Rue
    Oregano                    equal parts
Decoct and add Honey.


PILLS FOR ASTHMA AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH (1)
    Sulphur
    Wild Rue seed
    Birthwort
    Wormwood
    Frankincense
    Gum Ammoniac     equal parts
Beat with Vinegar and form pills the size of bean.
Take 3 morning and evening.

PILLS FOR ASTHMA AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH (2)
    Aniseed
    Sulphur                    6 drams each
    Gum Ammoniac
    Castoreum
    Nigella                     4 drams each

Beat with water and form pills the size of bean.
Take 5 morning and evening, taking oxymel after.


ASHES OF MILLIPEDES
'Throw two measures of the insects that collect under the water jars and are called “millIpedes” into a potter's vessel, heat them over the fire, and when they are white rub them down and mix the powder with boiled honey, and administer in the form of a linctus one spoonful fasting'. 

DECOCTION FOR ASTHMA OF ZACHARIA.
    Fig                
    Raisins stoned         10 drams
    Dates                          7 drams
    Celery seed
    Fennel seed
    Maidenhair
    Licorice
    Hyssop
    Horehound
    Fenugreek                 5 drams
Decoct in sufficient water
Take 1 oz. with Honey

DECOCTION FOR ASTHMA FROM CRASS HUMORS OF HAMECH.
    Celery root
    Fennel root
    Anise root                6 aureos*
    Licorice                    4 aureos
    Sweet Almond
    Bitter Almond         4 drams
    Anise
    Hyssop
    Mallow seed           5 drams
    Raisins
    Jujubes                   20 drams
    Figs                           6
*Aureos = 8.18 grams
Decoct in 7 lbs to the third part; give with honey or Sugar Penids.

ELECTUARY FOR ASTHMA.
    Licorice juice
    Violet                       10 drams
    Bitter Almond
    Marshmallow seed
    Tragacanth
    Fennel seed             3 drams
Mix with Mucilage of Psyllium, Linseed and Quince seed and syrup of Violet to form an Electuary.

1. WHEEZING DECOCTION (Ding Chuang Tang)
    Ephedra Ma Huang              3 grams
    Phellodendron Huang Bai  5 grams
    Ginkgo nut                            15 grams
    Green tea                               6 grams
    Sugar                                      to taste
Used for acute attacks of bronchial asthma, including allergy-induced..

2. HAWTHORN AND WALNUT TEA
    Hawthorn (Shan Zha)         50 grams
    Walnut (Hu Tao Ren)         150 grams
Soak the Walnuts, rinse, add water and grind to a paste. Wash then beat the Hawthorn, boil three times in water, discard the fruit and reduce to 1 liter. Add White Sugar (200 grams) and boil to a syrup, then slowly add the Walnut paste while stirring.
  This is good for Lung deficiency Cough and Wheezing.

3. GINSENG AND WALNUT TEA
    Ginseng                                4 grams
    Walnuts                                5 pieces
Decoct. This is good for Wheezing from Lung and Kidney weakness, as seen in the aged or in chronic Asthma.

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