Classica Sinica Medica

柔痓

róu chì

Soft convulsion · rou chi

Also rendered: Soft convulsion (this site; soft answers 柔 directly) · (róu chì) soft convulsion (keeps the reading, since 痓 is unfamiliar even to specialists)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
róu chì
Simplified
柔痓
Literal
柔痓 róu chì — soft, and 痓. The graph is 痓 , read chì, and it is not 痙 （ jìng): the two are one stroke apart and are constantly confused in the transmitted text. The base text writes 痓 and the site keeps it. 柔 sets it against the rigid kind: a convulsion that yields rather than one that locks. It is produced here when the lung shifts heat into the kidney.
Shuowen
《說文解字》無「痓」字，**「痙」則訓為「彊急也」**——**二字後世相混，而音義有別**：**痓 chì，痙 jìng**。「痓」讀 chì，本篇惟此一見，**不作「痙」（「痙」讀 jìng）**；「柔」讀 róu，本篇惟此一見。**「柔痓」者，柔而不剛之痓，對剛痙而言**；**底本作「痓」，本站照錄，校勘存其形**。

In brief

A yielding convulsion, produced when the lung shifts heat into the kidney. The base text writes 痓 (chì), not 痙 (jìng); the two graphs are routinely confused and the site keeps the base-text form.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What the graphs say 柔痓
柔，柔軟；痓 chì，痙之急者
肺移熱於腎，傳爲柔痓 — Suwen 37
2
Soft, not rigid 柔痓
對剛痙而言，柔則不剛
傳爲柔痓 — Suwen 37
3
The graph in the base text 痓
，讀 chì，不作痙
傳爲柔痓 — Suwen 37
4
Produced by transmitted heat 柔痓
由肺移熱於腎、傳變而成
肺移熱於腎 — Suwen 37
5
One of the 傳 series 傳爲柔痓
與鬲消、虚腸澼同用「傳」字
肺移熱於腎，傳爲柔痓 — Suwen 37
6
Distinguished from 痙 痓
痓 chì，痙 jìng，形近而音義別
傳爲柔痓 — Suwen 37

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 37 Suwen 37 · 氣厥論 Read in context →
肺移熱於腎，傳爲柔痓。 肺移热于肾，传为柔痓。
Fèi yí rè yú shèn, chuán wéi róu chì.
When the lung shifts heat into the kidney, it transmits and becomes soft convulsion.
**「肺移熱於腎，傳爲柔痓」九字，是熱移十變之第四變**。**「柔痓」之「痓」「痓」讀 chì，底本惟此一見**——**不作「痙」（「痙」讀 jìng）**；**「痓」讀 chì、「痙」讀 jìng，形近而音義俱別**，**傳本相混已久，本站照錄底本之形**。**「柔」者，對剛而言**——**後世《金匱》分剛痙、柔痙，其源當出於此**。**熱移十變中，此為第四變**，**其序為脾→肝、肝→心、心→肺、肺→腎，與寒移五變之「腎→脾」相接**。

Compounds built on this term

剛痙
gāng jìng
rigid convulsion
與「柔痓」對舉之語，《金匱要略》有剛痙柔痙之目
柔痙
róu jìng
the later standard form
後世多作「柔痙」，底本作「柔痓」
痓
chì
convulsion
本篇惟此一見，與「痙」形近而別
傳爲
chuán wéi
transmits and becomes
本篇四見之一

How it has been translated

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

This sitesoft convulsionthe base text writes 痓, not 痙; the site keeps the graph and notes the confusion
Unschuld(róu chì) soft spasmspasm for 痓
Wiseman(róu chì) soft tetanytetany imports a modern mechanism the text does not claim

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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