Classica Sinica Medica

熱厥 简体 热厥

rè jué

Heat inversion

Also rendered: Heat inversion (this site; matched to cold inversion) · Heat reversal (the rendering used where 厥 is taken as reversal)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09-30

At a glance

Pinyin
rè jué
Simplified
热厥
Literal
熱厥 rè jué — the other half: yin qi declines below and the sole burns. The chapter explains both the direction and the cause. The direction first, because yang qi rises at the outer side of the five toes while the yin vessels gather beneath the foot and collect in the sole; so when yang prevails it is the sole that is hot. The cause afterwards, and it is wine.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：熱，溫也，从火埶聲。「熱」讀 rè、**本篇15見**；「厥」讀 jué、**篇題之字**；**「必起於足下者」——熱自足下起，以陽氣集於足下、聚於足心故也**；**慓悍之酒氣，為本篇熱厥之因**。

In brief

Inversion of the hot kind: yin fails below, yang qi prevails alone, and the heat begins beneath the foot. The chapter’s account of the cause is one of its best-known passages — repeated drunkenness, or entering the chamber on a full belly, so that the qi of the wine and the qi of the grain press together in the spleen and heat flourishes within, with hot urine as the outward sign.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 熱、厥
陰氣衰於下則熱，足下為之熱
則爲熱厥 — Suwen 45
2
Where it starts 足下
陽氣集於足下、聚於足心，故足下熱
故陽氣勝，則足下熱也 — Suwen 45
3
The road in 酒入於胃，絡脉滿而經脉虚
酒氣慓悍，絡滿經虚，脾無以為胃行其津液
酒入於胃 — Suwen 45
4
The conduct behind it 此人必數醉，若飽以入房
數醉飽食而入房，氣聚脾中不得散
此人必數醉 — Suwen 45
5
How the heat is made 酒氣與榖氣相薄，熱盛於中
兩氣相迫於中，故熱徧於身而溺赤
酒氣與榖氣相薄 — Suwen 45
6
How it ends 陽氣獨勝，故手足爲之熱也
腎氣有衰而陽氣獨勝，手足為之熱
故手足爲之熱也 — Suwen 45

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 45 Suwen 45 · 厥論 Read in context →
帝曰：熱厥之爲熱也，必起於足下者，何也？ 帝曰：热厥之为热也，必起于足下者，何也？
Dì yuē: rè jué zhī wéi rè yě, bì qǐ yú zú xià zhě, hé yě?
The Emperor asks: in heat inversion the heat always begins beneath the foot — why is that?
**「帝曰：熱厥之爲熱也」——**「熱」讀 rè、**本篇15見**；**問語先问其位：必起於足下**；「徧」讀 biàn，**下文「故熱徧於身」之徧，「遍」之古字，本篇惟此一見**。

Compounds built on this term

熱厥
rè jué
heat inversion
本篇答語之首所分
酒氣與榖氣相薄
jiǔ qì yǔ gǔ qì xiāng bó
the qi of wine and the qi of grain press together
熱盛於中之由
熱徧於身
rè biàn yú shēn
the heat spreads over the body
徧讀 biàn，同「遍」
陽氣獨勝
yáng qì dú shèng
yang qi prevails alone
腎氣有衰之果

How it has been translated

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

This siteheat inversion熱厥 is set against 寒厥, so the two halves of the chapter's first answer read together
Unschuldheat inversionhe keeps the pairing intact
Wisemanheat reversal熱厥 is heat reversal in his system

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09-30

Search the glossary

Reading path

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

See all reading paths