Classica Sinica Medica

Thief Wind

賊風

Zéi fēng

The question is a good one: why do people who never leave the house fall ill? Qi Bo's answer is a theory of latency. An old injury — dampness lodged in the vessels, blood retained after a fall — waits without symptoms. Then a sudden disturbance of emotion or diet closes the interstices, and when they open again and wind-cold enters, the new evil joins the old and disease appears. What looks like a spontaneous illness is a meeting.The second half takes up the case that has no such history: no exposure, no fear, and yet sudden illness. Here too the cause is inward — a hidden evil plus a movement of liking or loathing that throws the blood and qi into disorder. Because the mechanism is invisible and inaudible, it is mistaken for ghosts.The chapter ends with the shamans, and treats their cures without contempt: they worked because they knew which disease masters which, and where it came from. That is diagnosis, not superstition.

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黃帝曰：夫子言賊風邪氣之傷人也，令人病焉。今有其不離屏蔽，不出室穴之中，卒然病者，非不離賊風邪氣，其故何也？ 黄帝曰：夫子言贼风邪气之伤人也，令人病焉。今有其不离屏蔽，不出室穴之中，卒然病者，非不离贼风邪气，其故何也？
Huáng Dì yuē: fū zǐ yán zéi fēng xié qì zhī shāng rén yě, lìng rén bìng yān. jīn yǒu qí bù lí píng bì, bù chū shì xué zhī zhōng, cù rán bìng zhě, fēi bù lí zéi fēng xié qì, qí gù hé yě?
黄帝说：先生说贼风邪气伤人，会使人得病。现在有人不离开屏障，不出居室洞穴，却突然生病，他并非没有避开贼风邪气，这是什么缘故？
The Emperor said: You say that thief wind and evil qi injure people and make them ill. Yet here is someone who never leaves his screen, never goes out of his chamber or cave, and falls ill all the same. He has certainly not failed to avoid thief wind and evil qi — what is the reason?
歧伯曰：此皆嘗有所傷于濕氣，藏于血脉之中，分肉之間，久留而不去，若有所墮墜，惡血在内而不去，卒然喜怒不節，飲食不適，寒温不時，腠理閉而不通，其開而遇風寒，則血氣凝結，與故邪相襲，則爲寒痺。其有𤍠則汗出，汗出則受風，雖不遇賊風邪氣，必有因加而發焉。 歧伯曰：此皆尝有所伤于湿气，藏于血脉之中，分肉之间，久留而不去，若有所堕坠，恶血在内而不去，卒然喜怒不节，饮食不适，寒温不时，腠理闭而不通，其开而遇风寒，则血气凝结，与故邪相袭，则为寒痹。其有𤍠则汗出，汗出则受风，虽不遇贼风邪气，必有因加而发焉。
Qí Bó yuē: cǐ jiē cháng yǒu suǒ shāng yú shī qì, cáng yú xuè mài zhī zhōng, fēn ròu zhī jiān, jiǔ liú ér bù qù, ruò yǒu suǒ duò zhuì, è xuè zài nèi ér bù qù, cù rán xǐ nù bù jié, yǐn shí bù shì, hán wēn bù shí, còu lǐ bì ér bù tōng, qí kāi ér yù fēng hán, zé xuè qì níng jié, yǔ gù xié xiāng xí, zé wéi hán bì. qí yǒu rè zé hàn chū, hàn chū zé shòu fēng, suī bù yù zéi fēng xié qì, bì yǒu yīn jiā ér fā yān.
岐伯说：这都是曾经被湿气所伤，湿气藏在血脉之中、分肉之间，久久停留不去；或者曾经跌坠，瘀血留在体内不去；又突然喜怒没有节制，饮食不适宜，寒温不合时令，腠理闭塞不通；一旦腠理开泄而遇到风寒，血气就凝结，与新受之邪和旧有之邪相互袭合，就成为寒痹。如果内有热就会出汗，出汗就会受风，即使没有遇到贼风邪气，也一定有外加的因素而发病。
Qi Bo said: Such a person has at some time been injured by dampness, which lodges in the blood vessels and between the flesh and the muscles and stays a long while without leaving; or he has fallen or been crushed, and bad blood remains within and does not go. Then suddenly joy or anger is unregulated, food and drink unsuitable, cold and warmth out of season, and the interstices close and do not open. When they do open and wind-cold is met, blood and qi congeal, the new evil joins the old, and cold block arises. If there is heat within, there is sweating; sweating admits wind. Even without meeting thief wind and evil qi, something must be added for the illness to break out.
黃帝曰：今夫子之所言者，皆病人之所自知也。其毋所遇邪氣，又毋怵惕之所志，卒然而病者，其故何也？唯有因鬼神之事乎？ 黄帝曰：今夫子之所言者，皆病人之所自知也。其毋所遇邪气，又毋怵惕之所志，卒然而病者，其故何也？唯有因鬼神之事乎？
Huáng Dì yuē: jīn fū zǐ zhī suǒ yán zhě, jiē bìng rén zhī suǒ zì zhī yě. qí wú suǒ yù xié qì, yòu wú chù tì zhī suǒ zhì, cù rán ér bìng zhě, qí gù hé yě? wéi yǒu yīn guǐ shén zhī shì hū?
黄帝说：先生所说的这些，都是病人自己所知道的。如果有人没有遇到邪气，也没有恐惧忧虑的心事，却突然生病，这是什么缘故？难道只是因为鬼神作祟吗？
The Emperor said: All you have described is known to the patient himself. But suppose someone has met no evil qi and has no fearful preoccupation, and yet falls ill suddenly — what is the reason? Can it be only a matter of ghosts and spirits?
歧伯曰：此亦有故，邪留而未發，因而志有所惡，及有所慕，血氣内亂，兩氣相摶，其所從來者微，視之不見，聽而不聞，故似鬼神。 歧伯曰：此亦有故，邪留而未发，因而志有所恶，及有所慕，血气内乱，两气相抟，其所从来者微，视之不见，听而不闻，故似鬼神。
Qí Bó yuē: cǐ yì yǒu gù, xié liú ér wèi fā, yīn ér zhì yǒu suǒ wù, jí yǒu suǒ mù, xuè qì nèi luàn, liǎng qì xiāng tuán, qí suǒ cóng lái zhě wēi, shì zhī bù xiàn, tīng ér bù wén, gù shì guǐ shén.
岐伯说：这也是有缘故的。邪气留着而尚未发作，因情志上有所厌恶，或有所倾慕，血气在内紊乱，两种气相搏结，它来的途径很微细，看不见，听不到，所以像是鬼神。
Qi Bo said: This too has its cause. The evil lingers and has not yet broken out; then the will turns to something it loathes, or something it longs for, and blood and qi fall into disorder within. The two qi strike together, and the way by which it comes is so subtle that it cannot be seen or heard. That is why it resembles ghosts and spirits.
黃帝曰：其祝而已者，其故何也？ 黄帝曰：其祝而已者，其故何也？
Huáng Dì yuē: qí zhù ér yǐ zhě, qí gù hé yě?
黄帝说：用祝祷就能治好，这是什么缘故？
The Emperor said: When a curse alone cures it, what is the reason?
歧伯曰：先巫者，因知百病之勝，先知其病之所從生者，可祝而已也。 歧伯曰：先巫者，因知百病之胜，先知其病之所从生者，可祝而已也。
Qí Bó yuē: xiān wū zhě, yīn zhī bǎi bìng zhī shèng, xiān zhī qí bìng zhī suǒ cóng shēng zhě, kě zhù ér yǐ yě.
岐伯说：古时的巫医，因为知道百病相胜的道理，预先知道疾病是从哪里产生的，所以用祝祷就能治好。
Qi Bo said: The shamans of old knew which disease conquers which, and knew beforehand where the disease arose; therefore a curse alone could stop it.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 非不離賊風邪氣非不離賊風邪氣

    非不，雙重否定，謂已避之而非未避。此句承上「不離屏蔽，不出室穴」而言，明其人本無外邪可乘，而病仍自作，故下文以故邪新邪相襲爲說。讀者若作「非離」解，則文義全反。

  2. 其毋所遇邪氣其無所遇邪氣

    毋通無，謂未嘗遇邪。此與上句「毋怵惕之所志」兩毋字並列，皆言其人外無所感、內無所動，而卒然病作，故疑及鬼神。

  3. 又毋怵惕之所志又無怵惕之所志

    怵惕讀 chù tì，恐懼也。志者，心之所存。所志，謂心中所記掛者。此言其人既無外邪，又無驚恐憂思之積，則病之來似無可名，故下文以「其所從來者微」解之。

  4. 兩氣相摶兩氣相摶

    兩氣謂故邪與新感之氣，或謂血氣與邪氣，兩說皆通。摶讀 tuán，聚也、結也，與下文「相襲」互文。相摶則血氣亂，亂則病作，此即前後所言之機。

  5. 先巫者，因知百病之勝先巫者，因知百病之勝

    先巫謂古之巫醫，巫而兼醫者。勝讀 shèng，謂此病爲彼病所勝，即五行相克之序。知其勝，則知其病之所從生，故祝可以已。祝者，咒禁之法，非徒禱於鬼神。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Zéi fēng 賊風 [Thief Wind], Chapter 58. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 28 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/thief-wind/

MLA

"Zéi fēng 賊風 [Thief Wind]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 58, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/thief-wind/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·賊風》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 28 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/thief-wind/。

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