《玉篇》 ,充至切,恶也;痉,渠并切,风强病。二字义别。《素问》气厥、五常政
等篇
,及《伤寒》旧本痉皆作 。许叔微《百证歌》以为名异实同,而字仍作 ,不改。成无己
注
伤寒,则直云 字误,亦不改。今本作痉,传写者之故。近代但知痉,无有能知 者。泉案
作为是。古人列病,恒重乎证。 乃痉之总号,痉乃 之一端。观仲景云∶病身热足寒,
头项强急,恶寒,时头热面赤,目脉赤,独头摇,卒口噤,背反张者,痉病也。明此数者,
皆为恶候,故知当作 。若痉字则因劲而起,专指口噤、背反张言,不足以赅余恶。是痉者
证名, 者病名。人体强直,有似劲象,故谓之劲;去力加 即为痉,可逆溯而得也。《巢
源》亦作 ,故得与痫冒混称。痫固小儿之恶候,冒亦产家之恶候,病不同而恶则同,此其
所以混称之欤!《说文》 部无 字,厂部有 字,云碍止也。然则邪气碍止不去,乃见恶
候, 即 之讹。
古之所谓喘,即今之所谓气促。《说文》喘,疾息也。疾息,谓息之疾者。两经多以喘
息对
说,正以喘为疾息,息为平息故也,勿作串说。疾息正今之气促,而又非气短之谓。短气者
,息不必促,而其气不足以息,故不曰短息,而曰短气。气促者,气不必短,而其息不利于
气,
故《脉经》或谓之息促,而后世浑言之,则遂曰气促也。今之所谓喘,即古之所谓上气。郑
注《周礼》上气,逆气也。逆气谓其逆在气,则不仅责在息。人之将死,有张口抬肩而逆气
者此也。浅者不识上气,谬目为喘。由是,今之喘,重于古之喘数倍矣。岂知此喘,乃是气
逆,苟非不治,多有下之而愈者,如咳逆葶苈泻肺汤症,及《外台》备急丸症是也。若疾息
之喘,是肺实所致,宜用宣利,如太阳麻黄汤症是也。古人分别之严,原为治法设,非可苟
焉而已。自二症混,而治法乖矣。
According to the *Yu Pian* (Dictionary of Character Meanings), "chong" (㾦) is pronounced as "chong zhi qie" and means ominous or perilous; "jing" (痉) is pronounced as "qu bing qie" and refers to a disease characterized by stiffness and spasms caused by wind pathogen. The meanings of these two characters are distinct. In chapters such as Qi Jue (Qi Reversal) and Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun (Great Treatise on the Five Regular Administrations) from the *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), as well as in older editions of the *Shang Han Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders), the character for this condition was written as "㾦". Xu Shuwei, in his *Bai Zheng Ge* (Song of Hundred Symptoms), believed that while the names differed, the reality was the same, so he retained the character "㾦" without change. Cheng Wuji, in his commentary on the *Shang Han Lun*, directly stated that "㾦" was a mistaken character but did not correct it. The current version uses "痉", which is due to errors in transcription. Modern people only know the character "痉"; no one can recognize "㾦". Qian Tianlai's research concludes that using "㾦" is correct. In ancient times, when listing diseases, emphasis was placed on symptoms. "㾦" was the general term for this category of illness, whereas "痉" referred to only one aspect of "㾦". Consider Zhang Zhongjing's description: When a patient presents with fever in the body and coldness in the feet, stiffness and rigidity in the head and neck, aversion to cold, occasional heat in the head and redness in the face, congestion of the eye vessels, isolated shaking of the head, sudden lockjaw, and opisthotonos (backward arching of the back), it is called a "㾦 disease". Understanding these manifestations reveals they are all ominous signs; thus, the character should be "㾦". If written as "痉", it derives from "jin" (stiff/strong), specifically referring to lockjaw and opisthotonos, which is insufficient to encompass other ominous symptoms. Therefore, "痉" is a symptom name, while "㾦" is the disease name. The human body becomes stiff, resembling strength or rigidity, hence termed "jin"; removing the power component and adding the "disease" radical (疒) yields "痉", allowing for reverse etymological derivation. The *Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun* (Source Book of Diseases and Syndromes) also writes it as "㾦", allowing it to be conflated with epilepsy (Xian) and fainting/dizziness (Mao). Epilepsy is indeed an ominous condition in children, and Mao is also an ominous condition in postpartum women; although the diseases differ, their ominous nature is the same, which explains why they were conflated. The *Shuo Wen Jie Zi* does not contain "㾦" in the "疒" radical section, but contains "𤸃" in the "Han" radical section, defined as obstructed or stopped. Thus, when pathogenic factors obstruct and stagnate, ominous symptoms appear; "㾦" is a corrupted form of "𤸃".
What was called "chuan" (panting/wheezing) in ancient times corresponds to what is now called "qi cu" (shortness of breath/tachypnea). The *Shuo Wen Jie Zi* defines "chuan" as "ji xi" (rapid breathing). "Ji xi" refers to rapid respiration. Two classic texts often contrast "chuan" and "xi" (breath); this is because "chuan" denotes rapid breathing, while "xi" denotes calm breathing. They should not be read together as a single compound word. Rapid breathing corresponds to modern "qi cu," but it is not equivalent to "duan qi" (shortness of breath/lack of vital energy). In cases of "duan qi," respiration is not necessarily rapid, but there is insufficient Qi to sustain breathing; hence it is called "duan qi" rather than "duan xi." In cases of "qi cu," the Qi volume may not be short, but the respiration is difficult or labored; thus, the *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic) sometimes calls it "xi cu," while later generations generalized it as "qi cu." What is called "chuan" today corresponds to what was called "shang qi" (rebellious Qi ascending) in ancient times. Zheng Xuan’s commentary on the *Zhou Li* (Rites of Zhou) defines "shang qi" as rebellious Qi. Rebellious Qi implies rebellion within the Qi mechanism itself, not merely concerning respiration. For example, near death, some individuals gasp with open mouths and raised shoulders due to rebellious Qi. Superficial scholars do not understand "shang qi" and erroneously label it as "chuan." Consequently, the modern concept of "chuan" is several times more severe than the ancient concept. It must be known that this type of "chuan" is actually Qi rebellion; if not incurable, it can often be cured by purgative methods, such as in cases suitable for Kemi Tingli Xiefei Tang (Cough-reversing Thladiapinia Lung-draining Decoction) or the Beiji Wan (Emergency Pill) case from the *Waitai Miyao*. However, the "chuan" characterized by rapid breathing ("ji xi") is caused by excess in the Lungs and is appropriate for treatment using dispersing and draining methods, such as in Taiyang syndrome cases suitable for Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction). The ancients distinguished these strictly because it was designed to guide therapeutic methods; one cannot be casual about it. Since these two conditions have been conflated, therapeutic methods have become erroneous.