Deficiency of the yin of the lung and kidney

Clinical manifestations : Cough with a small amount of sputum, or with blood - tinged sputum ; dryness of the mouth and throat ; soreness and weakness of the lumbar region and knee joints ; tidal fever, malar flush, night sweating, nocturnal emission ; a red tongue with little coating and a thready, rapid pulse.

Etiology and pathology : This syndrome is often due to prolonged cough which injures the lung, giving rise to insufficiency of the yin fluid, which spreads from the lung to the kidney. It may also result from overstrain and stress, which consumes the kidney yin and thus prevents the kidney yin from nourishing the lung. In either case, deficiency of the yin of both organs results. Insufficiency of the lung yin deprives the lung of moisture, resulting in cough with a small amount of sputum and dryness of the mouth and throat. Deficiency of yin produces endogenous heat eliciting tidal fever, malar flush and night sweating. Injury of the lung vessels by deficiency type heat may produce blood - tinged sputum. Insufficiency of the kidney yin brings on soreness and weakness of the lumbar region and knee joints, and nocturnal emission. A red tongue with little coating and a thready, rapid pulse are both signs of deficiency of yin producing endogenous heat.