Classica Sinica Medica

機關 简体 机关

jī guān

The joints

Also rendered: The joints (this site; 機關 read as the working joint) · The mechanism (where the machine image is kept in English too)

Physiology

Reviewed · 2026-09-30

At a glance

Pinyin
jī guān
Simplified
机关
Literal
機關 jī guān — the mechanism and its gate: the pair this chapter reaches for when counterflow inversion in lesser yang locks the body up. The joints will not work; and because they will not work, the lower back cannot carry one about and the nape cannot turn to look behind.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：機，主發謂之機；闗，以木橫持門戶也。「機」讀 jī、**本篇2見**；「關」讀 guān、**本篇2見**；**二字皆在「機關不利」一語中，本篇二見**；**ch44「利機關」亦此二字，謂關節之屈伸**。

In brief

The joints understood as working parts — a mechanism that fires and a gate that opens. Chapter 45 uses it once, in the lesser yang entry, and means all of it: whatever lets the back bend and the nape turn.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 機、關
機者主發之器，關者門戶之鍵
少陽厥逆，機關不利 — Suwen 45
2
Where they are blamed 少陽厥逆
少陽主樞，樞不利則機關為之不利
少陽厥逆 — Suwen 45
3
What follows 腰不可以行，項不可以顧
機關不利，則腰不能行、項不能顧
機關不利者 — Suwen 45
4
What it may turn into 發腸癰，不可治
機關之氣久鬱，發為腸癰則不治
發腸癰，不可治 — Suwen 45
5
The bodies that will not move 腰、項
腰為一身之樞，項為俯仰之關，二者皆聽於機關
項不可以顧 — Suwen 45
6
What this site says elsewhere 利機關
痿論「宗筋主束骨而利機關」言其常，本篇言其不利
機關不利 — 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 →
少陽厥逆，機關不利，機關不利者，腰不可以行，項不可以顧，發腸癰，不可治，驚者死。 少阳厥逆，机关不利，机关不利者，腰不可以行，项不可以顾，发肠痈，不可治，惊者死。
Shào yáng jué nì, jī guān bù lì, jī guān bù lì zhě, yāo bù kě yǐ xíng, xiàng bù kě yǐ gù, fā cháng yōng, bù kě zhì, jīng zhě sǐ.
In counterflow inversion of lesser yang the joints do not work freely; and if the joints do not work freely, the lower back cannot carry one about and the nape cannot turn to look behind. Should it develop into an intestinal abscess, it cannot be treated; one who takes fright dies.
**「少陽厥逆，機關不利」——**「機」讀 jī、**本篇2見**；「關」讀 guān、**本篇2見**；**二字本篇皆在「機關不利」一語，重出一次以申其變**；**下文「腰不可以行，項不可以顧」，即機關不利之狀**。

Compounds built on this term

機關
jī guān
the joints
本篇二見
機關不利
jī guān bù lì
the joints do not work freely
少陽厥逆之診
利機關
lì jī guān
to make the joints work freely
ch44 宗筋之用
項不可以顧
xiàng bù kě yǐ gù
the nape cannot turn to look behind
機關不利之驗

How it has been translated

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

This sitethe joints機關 is rendered the joints, with the working sense of both graphs carried into English
Unschuldthe jointshe takes the pair as the movable place too
Wisemanthe joints機關 is the joint in his system as well

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09-30

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Reading path

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