中文摘要：

目的：给出证候要素痰饮的确认依据。方法：依托中医症状病机数据库,筛选能且仅能用痰饮作出直接解释的症状临床特征。结果：（咳、吐）痰、（喉间）痰鸣是痰饮的特异性症状临床特征。结论：证候要素的确认依据是其具有特异性的症状临床特征,病机解释是建立证候要素与症状临床特征的理论依据。痰饮的发病部位在肺胃,痰饮可能是指呼吸道和消化道黏膜的分泌物。痰饮具有特异性的症状临床特征,是证候要素,任何一个症状临床特征的出现都可直接诊断为痰饮。

英文摘要：

Objective： to find out the specific symptom characteristicsfor the syndrome element of Phlegm. Methods： Based on the symptom-pathogenesis database of traditional Chinese medicine, screening the symptom characteristics that their pathogenesis can and only can be directly explained by the syndrome element of phlegm. Result： （coughout, vomit） phlegm, gurgling with sputum are the specific symptom characteristics of the syndrome element of phlegm. Conclusions ：The evidences that can confirm a syndrome element is that the syndrome element has specific symptom characteristics. Pathogenesis explanation is the theoretical basisthat can confirm the specific relationship between a syndrome element and its symptom characteristics. The pathogenic locations of phlegm are generally in lung and stomach. Phlegm may refer to the secretion from the mucosa of respiratory and digestive tract. The phlegm has specific symptom characteristics, therefore, it is a syndrome element. The appearance of any symptom characteristics mentioned above can be diagnosed as syndrome element of phlegm directly.