Classica Sinica Medica

轉失氣 简体 转失气

zhuǎn shī qì

Passing wind · zhuan shi qi

Also rendered: Passing wind (This site) · Turning of qi (Literal) · Passing flatus (Clinical)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-10-31

At a glance

Pinyin
zhuǎn shī qì
Simplified
转失气
Literal
轉 zhuǎn is to turn, to move round; 失 shī is commonly read as 矢, an arrow, and 矢氣 is the old physician's word for wind passed from the bowel; 氣 qì is breath, gas. The phrase therefore says that gas has moved and been passed — the audible, movable sign by which the chapter tests whether dry stool is truly knotted in the abdomen.
Shuowen
**《說文》：「轉，運也。」「失，縱也。」** 失氣即矢氣，古以「矢」名糞，「矢氣」謂糞氣下泄。**六至十篇五見，俱在第八篇**（行526 三見、行534 二見）。**此爲診法，非症狀**：不大便六七日而恐有燥屎，先少與小承氣湯探之——湯入腹中轉失氣者，燥屎已成，可攻；不轉失氣者，但初頭鞕後必溏，不可攻。**與「噯氣」「噦」之别**：噯噦從上出，轉失氣從下出，一上一下，虛實迥別。

In brief

The passing of wind from the bowel, used in the yang brightness chapter as a test rather than a symptom. When there has been no stool for six or seven days and dry stool is feared, the physician gives a small dose of minor qi-settling decoction and waits: if gas moves and is passed, dry stool has formed and the purge may proceed; if nothing passes, the stool is only hard at the head and will turn loose behind, and to purge would produce distension and inability to eat. The same sign governs the repeat dose — wind passed, give another pint; no wind, give no more — and when the next day brings no stool and the pulse turns faint and rough, the interior is vacuous and the case is hard to treat. It is the chapter’s one experimental method, and it turns on a movement of gas.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
燥屎可攻之驗 轉失氣者，此有燥屎
不大便六七日，恐有燥屎，少與小承氣湯；湯入而腹中轉失氣，是燥屎已成，乃可攻之
No stool for six or seven days and dry stool suspected: give a little minor qi-settling decoction. If wind turns and passes in the belly, dry stool has formed and the purge may go forward.
湯入腹中，轉失氣者，此有燥屎，乃可攻之。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八
2
初鞕後溏不可攻 若不轉失氣者
服湯而不轉失氣，是但初頭鞕而後必溏，未成燥屎；攻之必脹滿不能食，故不可攻
If no wind passes after the decoction, the stool is hard only at the head and will be loose behind; dry stool has not formed. To purge would bring distension and loss of appetite, so it must not be done.
若不轉失氣者，此但初頭鞕，後必溏，不可攻之，攻之必脹滿不能食也。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八
3
更服之準 腹中轉失氣者，更服一升
讝語潮熱脉滑疾，與小承氣一升；腹中轉失氣則更服一升，不轉則勿更與，以恐傷裏
Raving, tide-like fever and a slippery rapid pulse: give a pint of minor qi-settling. If wind passes, give one more pint; if it does not, give no more, lest the interior be injured.
腹中轉失氣者，更服一升；若不轉失氣，勿更與之。 — 辨陽明病脉證并治第八

Occurrences in the classics

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

Display
2 passages
辨陽明病脉證并治第八·辨陽明病脉證并治第八 Read in context →
陽明病，潮熱，大便微鞕者，可與大承氣湯，不鞕者，不與之。若不大便六七日，恐有燥屎，欲知之法，少與小承氣湯。湯入腹中，轉失氣者，此有燥屎，乃可攻之。若不轉失氣者，此但初頭鞕，後必溏，不可攻之，攻之必脹滿不能食也。欲飲水者，與水則噦，其後發熱者，必大便復鞕而少也，以小承氣湯和之。不轉失氣者，慎不可攻也。 阳明病，潮热，大便微硬者，可与大承气汤，不硬者，不与之。若不大便六七日，恐有燥屎，欲知之法，少与小承气汤。汤入腹中，转失气者，此有燥屎，乃可攻之。若不转失气者，此但初头硬，后必溏，不可攻之，攻之必胀满不能食也。欲饮水者，与水则哕，其后发热者，必大便复硬而少也，以小承气汤和之。不转失气者，慎不可攻也。
yáng míng bìng cháo rè dà biàn wēi yìng zhě kě yǔ dà chéng qì tāng bù yìng zhě bù yǔ zhī ruò bù dà biàn liù qī rì kǒng yǒu zào shǐ yù zhī zhī fǎ shǎo yǔ xiǎo chéng qì tāng tāng rù fù zhōng zhuǎn shī qì zhě cǐ yǒu zào shǐ nǎi kě gōng zhī ruò bù zhuǎn shī qì zhě cǐ dàn chū tóu yìng hòu bì táng bù kě gōng zhī gōng zhī bì zhàng mǎn bù néng shí yě yù yǐn shuǐ zhě yǔ shuǐ zé yuě qí hòu fā rè zhě bì dà biàn fù yìng ér shào yě yǐ xiǎo chéng qì tāng hé zhī bù zhuǎn shī qì zhě shèn bù kě gōng yě
In yangming disease with tidal fever and slightly hard stool, Major Qi-Ordering Decoction may be given; if the stool is not hard, it is not given. If there has been no stool for six or seven days and dry dung is feared, the way to find out is to give a little Minor Qi-Ordering Decoction. If after it enters the abdomen gas passes down, there is dry dung and it may be attacked. If no gas passes, only the first part is hard and the rest will be loose; it must not be attacked, for attacking brings fullness and inability to eat. If the patient wants water, giving it causes retching; if fever comes afterwards, the stool will be hard again and scanty, and Minor Qi-Ordering Decoction harmonises it. When no gas passes, it must by no means be attacked.
以轉失氣與否定燥屎之有無，是全書唯一的試探法，最宜細玩。
辨陽明病脉證并治第八·辨陽明病脉證并治第八 Read in context →
陽明病，讝語，發潮熱，脉滑而疾者，小承氣湯主之，因與承氣湯一升。腹中轉失氣者，更服一升；若不轉失氣，勿更與之。明日不大便，脉反微澀者，裏虚也，爲難治，不可更與承氣湯也。 阳明病，讝语，发潮热，脉滑而疾者，小承气汤主之，因与承气汤一升。腹中转失气者，更服一升；若不转失气，勿更与之。明日不大便，脉反微涩者，里虚也，为难治，不可更与承气汤也。
yáng míng bìng zhān yǔ fā cháo rè mài huá ér jí zhě xiǎo chéng qì tāng zhǔ zhī yīn yǔ chéng qì tāng yī shēng fù zhōng zhuǎn shī qì zhě gèng fú yī shēng ruò bù zhuǎn shī qì wù gèng yǔ zhī míng rì bù dà biàn mài fǎn wēi sè zhě lǐ xū yě wéi nán zhì bù kě gèng yǔ chéng qì tāng yě
In yangming disease with delirious speech, tidal fever, and a slippery, rapid pulse, Minor Qi-Ordering Decoction governs it, and one sheng of it is given. If gas passes in the abdomen, another sheng is given; if not, no more. If there is no stool the next day and the pulse turns faint and rough, the interior is empty, the case is hard to treat, and Qi-Ordering Decoction must not be given again.
一升再一升，皆以轉失氣爲進退；次日脉微澀，則裏虚而不可再與。

Compounds built on this term

轉失氣
zhuǎn shī qì
passing wind
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
矢氣
shǐ qì
wind from the bowel
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
燥屎
zào shǐ
dry stool
辨陽明病脉證并治第八
小承氣湯
xiǎo chéng qì tāng
minor qi-settling decoction
辨陽明病脉證并治第八

How it has been translated

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

This sitepassing windkeeps the plain sense and the test
Literalturning of lost qiexact, and opaque
Clinicalpassing flatusunambiguous, but coarse for a classical page

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-31

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