Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is a clinically common and difficult disease. Chinese medicine believes that "sputum evil" or "drinking evil" has been in the key position in the disease"s incidence, the evolution, treatment and prognosis. There are great differences between "phlegm" or "fluid " in terms of source, formation mechanism and clinical performance. In the treatment of COPD, "phlegm" "fluid " treatment, or a single treatment for one of them is not comprehensive. Clinical observation and literature research show that according to the etiological classification of COPD, it belongs to the syndrome types of "drinking" disease such as wind, water (cold) and hot drinks, and to the syndrome types of "phlegm" disease such as wind, cold, heat, dampness and dry phlegm. "Fluid" and "phlegm" can be distinguished mainly from the source, formation mechanism, pulse, tongue, saliva, sputum, color and syndrome, among which the slippery and astringent pulse is the most critical point. Different treatments established according to the difference between phlegm and fluid retention can significantly improve the curative effect of COPD.