Xian

At a glance

Pinyin

xián

Simplified

痫

Literal

癇 xián — the fit. Chapter 48 puts it in the mouth of a pulse, twice running and both times in the same breath as 瘛 and 筋攣: a heart pulse full and large gives 癇瘛筋攣, and so does a liver pulse small and tight. The point is that two opposite pulses are said to produce the same three signs, which is the chapter's way of saying that the pulse here is a verdict rather than a description.

Shuowen

《說文解字》無「癇」字，後起从疒閒聲。「癇」讀 xián、**本篇三見**（癇瘛二、癇厥一）；「攣」讀 luán、**本篇二見，皆與癇瘛連言**。