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Eight signs of fright wind

惊风八候 〔驚風八候〕jīng fēng bā hòu

Eight traditionally recognized signs of fright wind are: convulsions, pulling, tremor, grabbing, arching, drawing, piercing, looking. See the list below. Since fright wind patterns vary in their manifestations, the eight signs are not necessarily all present at the same time, e.g., jerking of the limbs sometimes is unaccompanied by rigidity of the body or arched-back rigidity.

Eight Signs of Fright Wind

  • Convulsions (搐 chù): spasmodic flexing of the elbow
  • Pulling (掣 chè): drawing together of the shoulders
  • Tremor (颤 chàn): trembling of the arms and legs
  • Grabbing (搦 nuò): clenching of the fist or alternating tensing and slackening of the fingers
  • Arching (反 fǎn): arching of the back (arched-back rigidity, opisthotonos)
  • Drawing (引 yǐn): stretching backward of the arms as if drawing a bow
  • Piercing (窜 cuàn): forward staring of the eyes
  • Looking (视 shì): squinting and exposure of the whites of the eyes

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