Classica Sinica Medica

痺熱 简体 痹热

bì rè

Obstruction heat

Also rendered: Obstruction heat (this site; the two graphs kept in the text's order) · Heat obstruction (where the point is that the obstruction itself has become hot rather than that it produces fever)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
bì rè
Simplified
痹热
Literal
痺熱 bì rè — the name the chapter gives to the last of the six questions it asks about obstruction. Where yang qi is abundant and yin qi scant, the disease qi prevails, yang meets yin, and the result is called obstruction heat: an obstruction that has come out as heat.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：痺，濕病也，从疒畀聲；熱，溫也，从火埶聲。「痺」讀 bì、**本篇38見**；「熱」讀 rè、**本篇4見**——**「或寒或熱」1見、「其熱者」1見、「故爲痺熱」1見**；**「遭」讀 zāo**，**「勝」讀 shèng**。

In brief

In chapter 43 the answer to why some obstructions run cold and some hot is a matter of proportion. Much yang and little yin lets the disease qi prevail; yang meets yin and the disease comes out as heat. The chapter needs a name for it and makes one by putting the two graphs together.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 痺、熱
痺者濕病也，熱者溫也；痺而為熱，故曰痺熱
故爲痺熱 — Suwen 43
2
The proportion 陽氣多，陰氣少
陽有餘而陰不足
其熱者，陽氣多，陰氣少 — Suwen 43
3
What prevails 病氣勝
病氣勝則正氣不敵
病氣勝 — Suwen 43
4
The meeting 陽遭陰
遭讀 zāo，遇也；陽與陰相遇而相爭
陽遭陰 — Suwen 43
5
The contrary case 其寒者，陽氣少，陰氣多
與病相益，故寒
其寒者，陽氣少，陰氣多 — Suwen 43
6
Where it sits in the list 或寒或熱
與痛、不痛、不仁、燥、濕並列
痺或痛，或不痛，或不仁，或寒或熱 — Suwen 43

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
1 passages
Suwen 43 Suwen 43 · 痺論 Read in context →
其熱者，陽氣多，陰氣少，病氣勝，陽遭陰，故爲痺熱。 其热者，阳气多，阴气少，病气胜，阳遭阴，故为痹热。
Qí rè zhě, yáng qì duō, yīn qì shǎo, bìng qì shèng, yáng zāo yīn, gù wéi bì rè.
Where it is hot: yang qi is abundant and yin qi scant, the illness qi prevails, and yang overcomes yin — hence heat in obstruction.
**「其熱者，陽氣多，陰氣少，病氣勝，陽遭陰，故爲痺熱」——**「遭」讀 zāo，**遇也，本篇惟此一見**；「勝」讀 shèng，**本篇「勝」5見，「風氣勝者」「寒氣勝者」「濕氣勝者」「病氣勝」皆讀 shèng**；**上文「其寒者，陽氣少，陰氣多，與病相益，故寒也」與此句對舉**——**寒熱二端，皆歸於陰陽多少**；**下文「其多汗而濡者」則歸於濕**，**「濡」「濡」讀 rú**。

Compounds built on this term

痺熱
bì rè
obstruction heat
本篇答「或寒或熱」之問
陽氣多
yáng qì duō
yang qi abundant
痺熱之由
病氣勝
bìng qì shèng
the disease qi prevailing
陽遭陰而熱
陽遭陰
yáng zāo yīn
yang meeting yin
遭讀 zāo，遇也

How it has been translated

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

This siteobstruction heatthe chapter puts 痺 first because the heat is what the obstruction has become
Unschuldblockage with heathe keeps the two elements separate
Wisemanimpediment heatimpediment for 痺

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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Reading path

Guided routes through the corpus, each built on a handful of chapters and their key terms.

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