Classica Sinica Medica

脉痺 简体 脉痹

mài bì

Vessel obstruction

Also rendered: Vessel obstruction (this site; vessel for 脉, not meridian) · Vessel impediment (where the whole family of 痺 names is rendered with impediment)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
mài bì
Simplified
脉痹
Literal
脉痺 mài bì — the obstruction met in summer. Summer belongs to the vessels, and what it gives is the one among the five that the chapter later describes from the inside: the vessel does not pass through, and in the vessel the blood congeals and does not flow.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：脈，血理分衺行體中者；……俗省作「脉」，本篇作「脉」。痺，濕病也。「脉」讀 mài、**本篇8見**——**「以夏遇此者，爲脉痺」1見、「脉痺不已」1見、「脉不通」1見、「在於脉則血凝而不流」1見、「循脉之分」1見、「入於脉也」2見**；「痺」讀 bì。「**脉痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於心**」——**脉合於心**。

In brief

The obstruction that comes of meeting the three qi in summer. Summer is the season of the vessels and the vessel is matched with the heart, so a vessel obstruction that will not clear and meets evil again goes inward to the heart — and the sign the chapter gives for obstruction lodged in the vessel is that the blood congeals and does not flow.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 脉、痺
脉者血理行於體中者也，痺者濕病也
以夏遇此者，爲脉痺 — Suwen 43
2
Why summer 以夏遇此者
夏氣在脉，故遇之則為脉痺
以夏遇此者，爲脉痺 — Suwen 43
3
Where it goes inward 内舍於心
脉與心合，久而不去則舍於所合
脉痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於心 — Suwen 43
4
What it looks like from inside 脉不通
心痺之狀，煩則心下鼓
心痺者，脉不通 — Suwen 43
5
What it does to the blood 血凝而不流
痺在於脉，則血為之凝
在於脉則血凝而不流 — Suwen 43
6
What enters and what does not 不能入於脉也
衛氣慓疾，不入於脉，故不為痺
衛者，水榖之悍氣也 — Suwen 43

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
2 passages
Suwen 43 Suwen 43 · 痺論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：以冬遇此者，爲骨痺；以春遇此者，爲筋痺；以夏遇此者，爲脉痺；以至陰遇此者，爲肌痺；以秋遇此者，爲皮痺。 歧伯曰：以冬遇此者，为骨痹；以春遇此者，为筋痹；以夏遇此者，为脉痹；以至阴遇此者，为肌痹；以秋遇此者，为皮痹。
Qí bó yuē: yǐ dōng yù cǐ zhě, wéi gǔ bì; yǐ chūn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jīn bì; yǐ xià yù cǐ zhě, wéi mài bì; yǐ zhì yīn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jī bì; yǐ qiū yù cǐ zhě, wéi pí bì.
Qi Bo says: meeting it in winter gives bone obstruction; in spring, sinew obstruction; in summer, vessel obstruction; at ultimate yin — the late summer — flesh obstruction; in autumn, skin obstruction.
**「以夏遇此者，爲脉痺」——**「脉」讀 mài，**《說文》作「脈」，俗省作「脉」，本篇一律作「脉」8見**；**下文「脉痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於心」**；**本篇「血」「血」讀 xuè**，**本站一律讀 xuè**；**「在於脉則血凝而不流」與「心痺者，脉不通」是一病之內外兩面**。
素問·四時刺逆從論 Suwen 64 · 四時刺逆從論 Read in context →
陽明有餘，病脉痺，身時熱；不足，病心痺。 阳明有余，病脉痹，身时热；不足，病心痹。
Yáng míng yǒu yú, bìng mài bì, shēn shí rè; bù zú, bìng xīn bì.
When yang brightness is in surplus the disease is vessel obstruction and the body is hot at times; when it is insufficient, heart obstruction.
「陽明有餘，病脉痺，身時熱」——**陽明主肌肉而有餘則燥勝，脉不行而痺，故身時熱**；**本篇「脉痺」1見**

Compounds built on this term

脉痺
mài bì
vessel obstruction
本篇五痺之一，得之於夏
以夏遇此者
yǐ xià yù cǐ zhě
meeting it in summer
五痺分時之例
内舍於心
nèi shě yú xīn
lodging inward in the heart
脉與心合
血凝而不流
xuè níng ér bù liú
blood congealed and not flowing
痺在於脉之證

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitevessel obstruction脉 is rendered vessel throughout, as on the rest of the site
Unschuldvessel blockagethe same construction
Wisemanvessel impedimentimpediment for 痺

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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