Classica Sinica Medica

夏至

xià zhì

Summer solstice · xia zhi

Also rendered: summer solstice (The standard astronomical term; unambiguous) · the arrival of summer (Literal on 至; too vague to be a boundary)

Cosmology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
xià zhì
Simplified
夏至
Literal
夏 xià, summer; 至 zhì, to arrive or the extreme point reached. Together the summer solstice, the day the yang is at its height. Chapter 31 uses it as a pure dividing line: cold damage that develops into heat before that day is warm disease, after it is summerheat disease. The cause is the same on both sides; only the date differs.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：夏，中國之人也，从夊从頁从臼——「夏」讀 xià，本篇二見；至，鳥飛从高下至地也，从一，一猶地也——「至」讀 zhì，本篇二見。**「夏至」讀 xià zhì，本篇二見，皆指二十四節氣之一，不作「夏天到來」之泛語**。「先」讀 xiān；「後」讀 hòu；「日」讀 rì；「者」讀 zhě；「爲」讀 wéi；「病」讀 bìng；「温」讀 wēn——**底本作「温」，不作「溫」，亦不作「瘟」**；「暑」讀 shǔ；「凡」讀 fán。**以節氣分病名，是全篇最後一義，亦後世溫病學說之所祖**。

In brief

The dividing line by which chapter 31 splits one disease into two named diseases. Cold damage that develops into heat is called warm disease if it comes before the summer solstice and summerheat disease if it comes after. Nothing is said about the cause changing — it is one cause, one progression, and two names read off the calendar. This is the chapter’s closing move, and it answers the opening one: heat diseases are all of the class of cold damage, and even when they are divided by season they are still that class.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The division 先夏至日者爲病温，後夏至日者爲病暑
以夏至為界，分温、暑二名
先夏至日者爲病温，後夏至日者爲病暑 — Suwen 31
2
What is divided 凡病傷寒而成温者
所分者是同一傷寒所成之熱病
凡病傷寒而成温者 — Suwen 31
3
The earlier name 病温
夏至前發者為温
先夏至日者爲病温 — Suwen 31
4
The later name 病暑
夏至後發者為暑
後夏至日者爲病暑 — Suwen 31
5
Its treatment 暑當與汗皆出，勿止
暑病當因勢發之，不可止汗
暑當與汗皆出，勿止 — Suwen 31
6
The class both belong to 皆傷寒之類也
温、暑雖分，仍統於傷寒
今夫熱病者，皆傷寒之類也 — Suwen 31

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
2 passages
素問·熱論 Suwen 31 · 熱論 Read in context →
凡病傷寒而成温者，先夏至日者爲病温，後夏至日者爲病暑。 凡病伤寒而成温者，先夏至日者为病温，后夏至日者为病暑。
Fán bìng shāng hán ér chéng wēn zhě, xiān xià zhì rì zhě wéi bìng wēn, hòu xià zhì rì zhě wéi bìng shǔ.
Whenever cold damage develops into warmth: if it comes before the summer solstice it is warm disease, if after the summer solstice it is summerheat disease.
以夏至分温暑。「凡」讀 fán；「病」讀 bìng；「傷」讀 shāng；「寒」讀 hán；「而」讀 ér；「成」讀 chéng；**「温」讀 wēn，本篇二見**——底本作「温」，不作「溫」，亦不作「瘟」；「者」讀 zhě；「先」讀 xiān；「夏」讀 xià；「至」讀 zhì；「日」讀 rì；「爲」讀 wéi；「後」讀 hòu；「暑」讀 shǔ。**「成温」二字宜辨**：非「成於温」，乃「成為温」，言寒鬱久而化為温熱。**此句與開卷「熱病者皆傷寒之類」首尾呼應**：傷寒為其因，温暑為其名，熱病為其總稱。
素問·脉要精微論 Suwen 17 · 脉要精微論 Read in context →
是故冬至四十五日，陽氣微上，陰氣微下；夏至四十五日，陰氣微上，陽氣微下。陰陽有時，與脉爲期，期而相失，知脉所分。分之有期，故知死時。 是故冬至四十五日，阳气微上，阴气微下；夏至四十五日，阴气微上，阳气微下。阴阳有时，与脉为期，期而相失，知脉所分。分之有期，故知死时。
shì gù dōng zhì sì shí wǔ rì, yáng qì wēi shàng, yīn qì wēi xià; xià zhì sì shí wǔ rì, yīn qì wēi shàng, yáng qì wēi xià. yīn yáng yǒu shí, yǔ mài wéi qī, qī ér xiāng shī, zhī mài suǒ fēn. fēn zhī yǒu qī, gù zhī sǐ shí.
Thus for forty-five days after the winter solstice the yang qi rises slightly and the yin qi declines slightly; for forty-five days after the summer solstice the yin qi rises slightly and the yang qi declines slightly. Yin and yang have their seasons and keep appointment with the pulse. When the appointment is missed, one knows where the pulse has diverged; and since the divergence has its own timing, one knows the hour of death.
「夏至四十五日」，夏至四十五日陰氣微上、陽氣微下。冬至、夏至各四十五日為陰陽升降之界。

Compounds built on this term

夏至
xià zhì
summer solstice
本篇二見，温暑之分界
先夏至日
xiān xià zhì rì
before the summer solstice
本篇一見
後夏至日
hòu xià zhì rì
after the summer solstice
本篇一見
四時
sì shí
the four seasons
本站已立目（id 538），與本篇之以節氣分期者可互參

How it has been translated

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

Wiseman & Fengsummer solsticeThey use the standard term, which is right here because the text is using a fixed point in the year as a boundary rather than making a point about the season's character.
Unschuldsummer solsticeUnschuld likewise uses the astronomical term and notes the parallel with later texts that divide by seasonal qi.
This sitesummer solsticeWe keep the standard term. What matters in this line is that the date is fixed and the disease on either side of it is the same disease under two names.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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