Dryness-eliminating formulas resolve dryness or dampen dryness by enriching yin. They are classified into:

     1. External dryness syndrome - Caused by pathogenic dryness attack

a) Warm dryness (Wen Zao): more frequent in early autumn. Apply fresh, moisturizing herbs to moderately resolve dryness

b) Cold dryness (Liang Zao): more in late autumn. Apply warm, moisturizing herbs to moderately resolve cold dryness.

   2. Internal dryness syndrome - affects the internal organs due to exhaustion of organic liquid or Jin fluid and the therapeutic principle of nourishing the Yin and moistening the dryness.

   Dryness-eliminating formulas are composed of slimy herbs. They can promote dampness and hinder the flow of Qi. We must be cautious in patients who suffer from mucus and dampness due to the weakness of the spleen. Knowing how to consider the situation as a whole to resolve the dryness.

1.EXTERNAL DRYING SYNDROME

​   Moderately moistening formulas are applied to treat external dryness syndrome.

a) Xing Su San - Silk cool dryness and tones the jin ye and reduces coughing. Moderately resolves cold dryness using a moist and warm method, transforms mucus and stops coughing. Treats disease caused by cold dryness characterized by fear of cold and absence  of sweating, slight headache, cough with fluid sputum, nasal stuffiness and dry throat.

Tongue: thin white coating

pulse: tense

   Treats epidemic flu, dry cold attack. This formula should not be used on patients with dry heat.

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b) Sang Xing Tang  - Silk warm dryness, tones the lung's jin ye and stops coughing. Moderately resolves warm dryness, moistens the lung and stops coughing. Treats lung aggression due to lukewarm dryness with manifestations of  heat throughout the body, headache, dry mouth and dryness in the throat and nasal passages, dry cough without phlegm.

Tongue: Red with thin coating, white and dry.

Pulse: Fast and shallow.

   Treats mild syndrome by warm dryness of the external pathogen. Treats upper respiratory tract infection.

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c) Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang  - Eliminates dryness and moistens the lung. Treats lung injury and double damage to qi and yin caused by warm dryness, manifestations of headache and heat throughout the body, dry cough without phlegm, dry throat and nasal passages, anxiety associated with dry mouth, shortness of breath and breathing panting, discomfort of fullness in the chest region  diaphragmatic.

Tongue: dry and lightly coated.

Pulse: fiery, false and fast.

   Treats low sputum cough during early-stage pneumonia, asthma, and peribronchitis, or any dry heat lung injury syndrome injury and double qi and yin damage.

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​​ 2. INTERNAL DRYNESS SYNDROME

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   The yin nourishing and moistening dryness formulas are applied to treat internal dryness syndrome due to exhaustion of the Jin fluid of the Zang Fu (organs and viscera).

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a) Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang o Detoxify poison and clear throat, nourish blood and lung yin. Treats diphtheria with a white greasy coating around the throat; the passage of the sore and swollen throat; the patient may have fever, dryness of the nasal passages and lips, cough, dyspnoea, light wheezing, a rapid and weak pulse or a thin and rapid pulse.

   The present formula is used to treat acute tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis and chronic peribronchitis when it is yin insufficiency syndrome associated with dry heat.

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b) Bai He Gu Jing Tang  - Nourishes yin and moistens the lung, transforms mucus and stops coughing. Treats Fei Shen's yin void syndrome (lung and kidney) internal heat due to yin insufficiency, with manifestations of coughing with sputum mixed with blood, painful dryness in the throat, heat in the centers of the palm and sole , night sweat associated with osteopyrexia.

Tongue: red with scarcity of coating

Pulse: Fine and fast.

   Yin-insufficiency syndrome of the lung and kidney, which directs false fire upwards causing coughing with sputum mixed with blood.

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c) Mai Men Dong Tang - Nourishes the yin of the lung and stomach, reverses reflux and adjusts the center.

   1. Pulmonary yin insufficiency with manifestations of coughing with regurgitation with difficulty in expectorating phlegm or coughing with drool discharge, dry mouth and throat, heat in the center of the soles and soles.

Tongue: red and little coating

Pulse: empty and fast.

    2. Stomach yin insufficiency with manifestation of regurgitation or vomiting, dry mouth and throat.

Tongue: red and little coating.

Pulse: empty and fast.

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d) Zeng Ye Tang - Nourishes yin and eliminates heat, moistens dryness and facilitates defecation. Used to treat febrile illness syndrome  in Yang Ming channel with symptoms of arrest  belly due to lack of Jin-Ye, deep and weak pulse.

  Works to nourish  o in and eliminate heat, moisten dryness and facilitate defecation. If the problem of constipation cannot be solved, Da Huang and Mang Xiao should be added, thus the formula is renamed Zeng Ye Cheng Qi Tang .

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