8 Mind confusion by phlegm
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 behaviour; 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 behaviour 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.
