Chronic cough can be diagnosed after a chest radiograph and other organic lesions have been excluded. Most of the cases are after a cold, especially after a woman’s menstrual period, and are treated with antibiotics and antipyretic fluids, but the cough just won’t go away. This cough is usually serial, with coughing when the throat itches, little or no sputum, inability to smell irritating odors, and intolerance to changes in ambient temperature. This cough is related to allergies and is called variant cough, which is also known as “cold bottom unclear” in Guangdong, and is treated well with Chinese herbal medicine to remove wind and open the lungs.