Mind confusion by phlegm refers to symptoms of unconsciousness due to phlegm confusing heart spirit. This syndrome is usually caused by damp turbid substance that hinders qi movement; or by emotional upsets, stagnation of qi, failure of qi to promote fluid flow and accumulation of fluid into phlegm; or by internal disturbance of phlegmatic turbid substance combined with liver wind, leading to confusion of heart spirit by phlegmatic turbid substance.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Mental confusion, even unconsciousness, or mental depression, dull facial expressions, dementia, murmuring, abnormal behavior; or sudden coma, unconsciousness, drooling, sputum rale in the throat; dull complexion, chest oppression, nausea, whitish greasy fur, slippery pulse. Such symptoms are usually seen in craniocerebral infection and depressive schizophrenia, etc.
 
Analysis of symptoms:
Mental confusion and coma are due to phlegmatic turbid substance confusing mind and? disorder of spirit; dementia, mental depression, dull facial expressions, murmuring and abnormal behavior are due to qi stagnation and phlegm coagulation, mixture of phlegm and qi and confusion of spirit; sudden syncope, unconsciousness, drooling and sputum rale in the throat are due to mixture of phlegm with liver wind to hinder heart spirit; dull complexion is due to internal retention of phlegmatic turbid substance, failure of lucid yang to rise and upper movement of turbid qi; chest oppression and vomiting are due to failure of the stomach to descend and adverse flow of gastric qi; whitish greasy tongue fur and slippery pulse are signs of internal exuberance of phlegmatic turbid substance.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
Mental confusion or dementia, sputum rale in the throat and whitish greasy tongue fur that indicate internal exuberance of phlegmatic turbid substance.