痹论篇/Bi Lun

(On Bi-disease)

黄帝问日:痹之[《甲乙》“之”作“将”]安生?岐伯对日:风寒湿三气杂[《甲乙》“杂”作“合”]至，合[《甲乙》“合”作“杂”]而为痹也。其风气胜者为行痹，寒气胜者为痛痹，湿气胜者为著痹也。

Yellow Emperor asked:"How does the bi-disease come about?" Qibo answered:" When evil-energies of wind, cold and wetness attack at the same time in mixture, it will combine to become the bi-disease: when it is emphasized on wind, it is called the migratory arthralgia, when it is emphasized on cold, it is called the cold-type arthralgia, when it is emphasized on wetness, it is called the adversive arthralgia."

帝日:其有五者何也?岐伯日:以冬遇此者为骨痹，以春遇此者为筋痹，以夏遇此者为脉痹，以至阴[张琦说:“当作‘季夏’”]遇此者为肌痹，以秋遇此者为皮痹。

Yellow Emperor asked:"Why are the bi-disease divided into five kinds, and what are they?" Qibo said:"When the disease is contracted in winter, it is called the bone bi-syndrome; when it is contracted in spring, it is called the tendinous bi-syndrome; when it is contracted in summer, it is called the channel bi-syndrome; when it is contracted in late sumer, it is called the myalgia; when it is contracted in autumn, it is called the skin itching."

帝日:内舍五藏六府，何气使然?岐伯日:五藏皆有合，病久而不去者，内舍于其合也。故骨痹不已，复感于邪，内舍于肾;筋痹不已，复感于邪，内舍于肝;脉痹不已，复感于邪，内舍于心;肌痹不已，复感于邪，内舍于脾，皮痹不已，复感于邪，内舍于肺。后谓痹者，各以其时重感[《甲乙》“感”上无“重”字]于风寒湿之气也。

Yellow Emperor said: "Some evils of the bi-disease retain in the five solid organs and the six hollow organs, what energy makes it so?" Qibo said:"The five solid organs are corresponding with the tendon, channel, muscle, skin and bone. When the evil retains in the bodily position which is corresponding to a certain viscus and not being removed for a long time, it will cause the related viscus to become debilitating. Thus, when the bone bi-syndrome is protracted, and the evils of wind, cold and wetness are contracted again, the evil-energy will retain in the kidney: when the tendinous bi-disease is protracted and the evils are contracted again, it will retain in the liver; when the channel bi-syndrome is protracted, and the evils are contracted again、 it will retain in the heart: when the myalgia is protracted and the evils are contractecd again, it will retain in the spleen; when the skin itching is protracted and the evils are contracted again, it will retain in the lung. Therefore, the bi-disease is formed in the dominating season by the repeated invasion of the evil-energies of wind, cold and wetness.