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MENTAL MODEL · M3287

Dry Phlegm / Zao Tan

Dry Phlegm / Zao Tan
BehaviorHigh supportOrganizational Behavior
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Updated 2026-08-04

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

A Chinese medicine pattern of phlegm that is scanty, sticky, and hard to cough up, sometimes blood-streaked, with dry mouth and throat, a red tongue, and little moisture. It arises when dryness or heat consumes fluids and the residue thickens into phlegm, so it stands opposite damp phlegm, which is thin and white. Treatment moistens and transforms; drying or warming herbs worsen the condition. In severe cases, such as after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, fluid depletion is pronounced.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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- Dry-glue model: read sticky scanty phlegm as adhesive residue baked onto tissue. - Moistening rule: moisten the lung and transform phlegm, never dry it out further. - Fluid check: address the underlying fluid depletion, not only the phlegm itself.

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Insufficient fluids leave phlegm without the water content needed to move, so it sticks to the airway and resists expulsion. Restoring fluids loosens the residue and lets it clear, which is why moistening rather than drying resolves the pattern.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%87%A5%E7%97%B0ZH · Explicit
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