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When dampness accumulates in the body for a long time, it transforms into thick phlegm, which then escalates to phlegm-dampness.
If a person has excessive phlegm, there are both external and internal causes. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a good explanation: the spleen is the source of phlegm production.
This begins with the function of the spleen and stomach. The food we consume undergoes initial digestion in the stomach before entering the spleen, which acts as a transit station. The spleen separates useful nutrients from waste, transporting the nutrients to the heart and lungs for further processing into qi and blood, while the waste is sent to the intestines for excretion.
How does phlegm-dampness arise? Firstly, it can be due to overeating, leading to the spleen and stomach being unable to function properly; secondly, it can occur when the spleen and stomach are damaged, reducing their transport capacity.
In summary, spleen and stomach deficiency is the fundamental cause of phlegm-dampness, so the most essential way to eliminate phlegm-dampness is to strengthen the spleen.
How can one tell if there is phlegm-dampness in the body? TCM has a practical method: observing the tongue coating, as it accurately reflects the function and state of the digestive system. A greasy tongue coating indicates the presence of phlegm-dampness in the body.
If you notice that your tongue coating is greasy, even if there are no immediate other symptoms, but you continue to drink alcohol and consume greasy, sweet, or sticky foods, you will soon experience a loss of appetite, bad breath, headaches, and a feeling of heaviness in the body, as if wrapped in a wet cloth.
At this time, taking a small amount of Er Chen Wan (Er Chen Pill) can help prevent further issues, especially in this era of abundant food.
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Er Chen Wan is a modern formulation of Er Chen Tang (Er Chen Decoction), which originated from the Song Dynasty’s “Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang” and has been in use for nearly a thousand years. The formula is simple, consisting of Ban Xia (Pinellia ternata), Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel), Fu Ling (Poria), and Gan Cao (licorice). These four herbs can work wonders, quickly eliminating phlegm-dampness from the body.
Although this formula is primarily for resolving phlegm and aiding digestion, many treatments for various unusual and serious diseases have been developed based on it.
Here, the term “unusual diseases” does not refer to rare diseases caused by phlegm, but rather to many common ailments that are perplexing and resistant to treatment. It turns out that phlegm is the culprit; once the phlegm is resolved, these ailments can heal spontaneously.
For example, a person suffering from chronic dry mouth may have taken numerous yin-nourishing medications without improvement, and in fact, their condition worsened. Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that they had a history of snoring, which explained the situation. When snoring occurs, nasal breathing is obstructed, leading to mouth breathing and excessive loss of moisture in the throat, resulting in dry mouth.
At this point, resolving the phlegm brings relief; as the phlegm decreases, breathing becomes smoother, snoring ceases, and naturally, the mouth is no longer dry. This illustrates that dry mouth is a symptom, while phlegm is the root cause; removing the root eliminates the symptom.
Some difficult and complicated conditions are also caused by phlegm, such as epilepsy. The mechanism of epilepsy is that there is a mass of white phlegm accumulating deep in the brain, which can grow larger due to anger, consumption of cold foods, and various sticky foods, eventually pressing on the brain nerves and causing abnormal neuronal impulses, leading to seizures. Therefore, if that cold phlegm can be resolved and expelled, the problem is solved.
Individuals with heavy phlegm-dampness may also suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and even high uric acid levels.
Thus, on a smaller scale, Er Chen Tang can act as a “cleaner” for the body, clearing phlegm-dampness and stagnation from the gastrointestinal tract, and on a larger scale, it can treat unusual and serious diseases.
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The composition of Er Chen Tang: 15 grams of Ban Xia, 15 grams of Chen Pi, 9 grams of Fu Ling, and 5 grams of Zhi Gan Cao (honey-fried licorice).
Ban Xia is a remarkable herb; it is a powerful phlegm-resolving agent and is commonly used in many phlegm-reducing formulas. Ban Xia is warm and can transform phlegm-dampness; it also descends qi, possessing a strong force that can push phlegm-dampness out of the body.
Phlegm-dampness in the body is akin to grease sticking to bowls and chopsticks; Ban Xia acts like a cleaner. Once it enters the body, the phlegm turbidity dissolves, just as a cleaner dissolves grease in a bowl.
As mentioned earlier, spleen and stomach deficiency is the fundamental cause of phlegm-dampness, so the most essential way to eliminate phlegm-dampness is to strengthen the spleen.
To strengthen the spleen, we use Chen Pi and Gan Cao.
Chen Pi has a particularly fragrant aroma, which differs from the fragrance of perfumes or the smell of cooking. This aroma serves to awaken the spleen, revitalizing the sluggish spleen and stomach, enabling them to work more efficiently.
Gan Cao has a sweet taste, yellow color, and round shape, embodying the characteristics of the earth. Due to this characteristic, Gan Cao can stabilize the middle earth, which corresponds to the qi of the spleen and stomach. Since all things arise from the earth and return to it, it can nourish the spleen. Zhang Zhongjing favored using Zhi Gan Cao to nourish the spleen, as a nourished spleen can work more effectively.
Why is Fu Ling included?
Phlegm gradually forms on the basis of dampness, meaning that dampness precedes phlegm. If we eliminate dampness, phlegm will naturally decrease.
Fu Ling has a mild flavor; when you brew Fu Ling in water, it may seem tasteless, but once ingested, it can help expel hidden dampness from the body’s organs and meridians through urination.
Er Chen Tang is the ancestor of phlegm-resolving formulas, capable of eliminating phlegm turbidity from head to toe, akin to greasy smoke. If you have cold phlegm, which is clear and thin, you can add 6 grams of Gan Jiang (dried ginger); if you have hot phlegm, which is yellow and sticky, you can add 6 grams of Huang Lian (Coptis) or 30 grams of Zhu Ru (bamboo shavings).
In this era of nutritional excess and excessive phlegm-dampness, Er Chen Tang is truly needed to relieve the burden on the spleen and stomach.
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