Wu Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Sickness (nì) 痹 Kangxi Strokes: 13 Page 775, Entry 22 Tang Yun (Tang rhyme dictionary) and Jiyun (Jiyun rhyme dictionary) state: Pronounced bi (falling tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen) states: A disease caused by dampness. Zhengzitong (True character mastery) states: The Inner Canon (Neijing) says: When wind, cold, and dampness, these three energies arrive together, they combine to form bi. When wind energy prevails, it is called migratory bi. When cold energy prevails, it is called painful bi. When dampness prevails, it is called fixed bi. Commentary: Wind belongs to the yang within the yin, is good at moving, and changes frequently; things like migrating, injecting, and joint pains are what the common people call flowing fire. When yin-cold energy rides upon the muscles and bones, it congeals and obstructs, thus causing painful bi, which is gout. Fixed bi is heavy and does not move; since dampness transforms from above, the illness resides in the muscles rather than the muscles and bones. There are heart bi, lung bi, liver bi, kidney bi, intestinal bi, and bladder bi. All types of bi become tense when encountering cold and relax when encountering heat. This means that cold causes the muscles to contract, hence the tension. Heat causes the muscles to loosen, hence the relaxation. Master Cheng states: Medical books consider paralysis or numbness of the hands and feet as insensitivity. Investigation: The chapter on ability to bear disease says: Bi causing insensitivity leads to muscle atrophy. Atrophy and bi are divided into two, but the Inner Canon (Neijing) contains both the discourse on bi and the discourse on atrophy. Master Cheng mentions them together because atrophy and bi arrive in succession, and their insensitivity is the same. Huainanzi (Huainanzi): Grain energy causes much bi. Baopuzi (Baopuzi): Calamus and dried ginger stop bi and dampness. Letter of Severing Friendship with Shan Juyuan (Ji Kang yu Shan Juyuan juejiao shu): Sitting stiffly for a time, my limbs became numb and could not move. Commentary: Bi is a disease of dampness. Also, a type of arrow. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), Summer Offices, Officer of Bows and Arrows: Constant arrows and bi arrows are used for shooting at targets. Commentary: Constant arrows are arrows for stable shooting. Bi arrows resemble them; both can be used for shooting at targets. Bi implies being aligned or compared. Also, Jiyun (Jiyun) states: Pronounced bi (falling tone). Jiyun (Jiyun) states: A disease. Originally written as the variant form. Textual research: In Rites of Zhou, Summer Offices, Officer of Bows, the original text for constant arrows and bi arrows used for shooting at targets has been corrected to include the word arrow after Officer of Bows.