Regulation of the lung is a therapeutic method used to regulate pulmonary qi by means of dispersion, cleansing and descent, eliminate pathogenic factors in the lung by clearing away heat and resolving phlegm as well as nourish pulmonary qi and yin to restore the physiological functions of the lung to govern qi and respiration. The method of regulating the lung is often used in coordination with the methods of resolving phlegm and stopping cough to ease asthma, applicable to the treatment of infantile common cold, cough, asthmatic cough due to pneumonia and asthma.

1．Dispersing Lung to Relieve Exterior 

This method is used to treat failure of the pulmonary qi to disperse. It can be further divided into relieving the exterior and dispersing the lung with acrid and warm drugs, relieving the exterior and dispersing the lung with acrid and cool drugs, and relieving the exterior and dispersing the lung with acrid and cold drugs according to the etiological differences.

(1) Relieving the exterior and dispersing the lung with acrid and warm drugs:

This method is used treat wind and cold attack of the lung marked by fever, aversion to cold, anhidrosis, stuffy nose, running nose, cough, thin whitish sputum, itching throat, no thirst, slight reddish tongue, thin whitish fur, and floating-tense pulse, etc.. 

The commonly-used medicinal herbs are Mahuang (Herba Ephedrae), Guizhi ( Ramulus Cinnamomi), Xixin (Herba Asari ), Zisuye ( Folium Perilae), Jingjie (Herba Schizonepetae), Fangfeng (Radix Ledebouriellae ), Congbai ( Bulbus Allii Fistulosi ), Dandouchi ( Semen Sojaem Praeparatum ), Xingren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum ) and Baiqian (Rhizoma cynanchi   Stauntonii).  etc.. The prescriptions used are San'ao Decoction, Congchi Decoction and Xingsu Powder.

(2) Relieving the exterior and dispersing the lung with acrid and cool drugs:

This method is used to treat wind and heat attack of the lung marked by serious fever, light aversion to cold or aversion to wind, sweating, stuffy nose with thick nasal discharge, cough, grayish white or slightly yellowish sticky thick sputum, red throat, dry mouth and slight thirst, reddish tongue, thin yellowish fur and floating-fast pulse, etc.. 

The commonly used medicinal herbs are Jinyinhua (Flos Lonicerae), Lianqiao (Fructus Forsythiae), Sangye (Folium Mori), Juhua (Flos Chrysanthemi), Chantui (Periostracum Cicadae), Bohe (Herba Menthae ), Niubangzi ( Fructus Arctii), Qianhu (Radix Peucedani), Xingren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum) and Jiegeng ( Retinervus Citri Reticulatae Fructus ) , etc.. The prescriptions used are Yinqiao Powder(Powder of Lonicera and Forsythia) and Sangju Decoction (Decoction of Mulberry leaf and Chrysanthemum).

(3) Relieving the heat and dispersing the lung with acrid and cold drugs:

This method is used to treat serious syndrome of the lung blocked by wind and heat marked by fever, frequent cough, dyspnea with flapping of ala nasi, sputum rale in the throat, sticky and yellowish sputum, dysphoria, thirst, reddish tongue, yellowish and slightly greasy fur, floating-fast-slippery pulse. 

The medicinal herbs commonly used are Mahuang (Herba Ephedrae) , Xingren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum) , Shengshigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Sbenggancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae), Sangye (Folium Mori), Daqingye (Folium Isatidis), Gualoupi (Pericarpium Trichosanthis ), Pipaye (Folium Eriobotryae), and Sangbaipi (Cortex Mori Radicis), etc.. The prescription used is Maxing Shigan Decoction.

This method is used to treat accumulation of phlegm and heat in the lung marked by fever, frequent cough, dyspnea with flapping of ala nasi, sputum rale in the  throat, sticky and yellowish sputum, dysphoria, thirst,dry stool, yellowish urine, reddish tongue, yellowish  greasy fur, taut-slippery or slippery-fast pulse. 

The commonly used medicinal herbs are Shengshigao (Gypsum Fibrosum ), Sangbaipi (Cortex Mori Radicis), Digupi (Cortex Hyperici Japonici), Huangqin (Radix Scutellariae), Yuxingcao (Herba Houttuyniae), Jinyinhua (Flos Lonicerae ) and huzhang ( Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati) for clearing away heat in the lung; Zhebeimu (Bulbus Fritillarae Thunbergii), Fabanxia (prepared Rhizoma Pinelliae), Gualoupi (Pericarpium Trichosanthis), Daigesan (powder of Indigo Naturalis and Gecko) and Tianzhuhuang (Concretio Silicea Bambusae) for resolving heat phlegm; Zhimahuang (prepared Herba Ephedrae) and Xingren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum) for relieving stagnant pulmonary qi. 

The prescriptions Used are Wuhu Decoction, Xiebai Powder (Powder for Purging the Lung), Qingjin Huatan Decoction (Decoction for Clearing away Heat in the Lung and Resolving Phlegm) and Dingchuan Decoction (Decoction for Stopping Asthma). If stagnation of the lung and asthma due to sputum are serious, Tinglizi (Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae) and Laifuzi (Semen Raphani) for purging the lung are added, as used in the prescriptions like Tingli Dazao Xiefei Decoction (Decoction of Lepidium Seed and Jujube for Removing Phlegm from the Lung) and Tingli Powder (lepidium Seed Powder).

3. Warm Lung to Descend Adverse Flow of Qi  

This method is used to treat retention of cold phlegm in the lung marked by cough, asthma, thin whitish or frothy sputum, sputum rale in the throat, inability to lie on bed due to serious asthma, no thirst, pale tongue, whitish slippery fur and taut-slippery pulse, etc.. 

The commonly used medicinal herbs are Mahuang (Herba Ephedrae ), Guizhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi), Ganjiang (Rhizoma Zingiberis) and Xixin (Herba Asari ) for warming the lung to dispel cold; Banxia (Rhizoma Pinelliae), Houpo (Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis), Suzi (Fructus Perillae), Xingren (Semen Armeniacae Amarum), Baiqian (Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii), Baijiezi ( Semen Sinapis Albae ) , xuanfuhua ( Flos Inulae ) and Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae )  for resolving phlegm to stop asthma. The prescriptions used are Xiaoqinglong Decoction, Suzi Jiangqi Decoction (Decoction of Perilla Seed for Descending Qi) and Shegan Mahuang Decoction.

4. Strengthen Lung with Tonification  

This therapeutic method, further divided into the methods of nourishing pulmonary qi and replenishing yin to moisten the lung, is used to treat the deficiency syndrome of the lung     

(1) Nourishing pulmonary qi 

This therapeutic method is used to treat deficiency syndrome of pulmonary qi marked by pale complexion, short breath, no desire to speak, weak voice, dispirited lassitude, or weak cough worsened after movement, or spontaneous sweating, aversion to wind, susceptibility to cold, pale tongue with thin fur as well as thin-weak pulse. 

(2) Replenishing yin to moisten the lung  

This therapeutic method is used to treat deficiency syndrome of pulmonary yin marked by cough without sputum, dry mouth and throat, emaciation, hectic fever, night sweating, flushed complexion, reddish and dry tongue with patched fur as well as thin-fast pulse.