Mai Men Dong Tang 6 Pack

Yes, historically it's one of the formulas herbalists turned to when a cough was dry and tickly and came with the upward rush of Qi that Zhang Zhongjing called counterflow. We can't call it a cough treatment, mind. Had one for over three weeks? Coughing blood, short of breath, chest hurting? Get yourself to the GP quickly.

Traditionally, yes. Autumn belongs to Metal and the Lungs, and it's the season herbalists linked with dryness. Central heating stretches that dry spell right through winter for a lot of us, which is why it's popular then too. In a damp, muggy summer it's usually less relevant, and a practitioner might suggest something else.

Moistening ones. Pears, soup, a bowl of congee, little sips of warm water all day long. That was the sort of thing. Less chilli, less strong coffee, less booze, since they were all meant to dry you out. Rest your voice now and then. Don't let the bedroom get bone dry. Same idea. Smoking is about the least helpful thing for a dry Lung, in any tradition.

It can be, and herbalists often had older people in mind, since Yin and fluids were thought to dwindle with age. It's a gentle, food-like formula with rice and jujube in it. The catch? If you're older you're likelier to be on something that matters here (warfarin, say, or diabetes or blood pressure tablets). Worth a quick word with your pharmacist.

Sixty days at the usual dose. Each of the six bottles holds 60 tablets, and three in the morning plus three in the evening gets you ten days per bottle. It's the same Mai Men Dong Tang as the single bottle, the same six herbs, just enough to see you through a long dry season.