Leg qì

A disease characterized by numbness, pain, limpness, and in some cases any of a variety of possible signs such as hypertonicity, swelling, redness, or wilting of or heat in the calf, and in advanced stages by abstraction of spirit-mind, heart palpitation, panting, oppression in the chest, nausea and vomiting, and deranged speech. Leg qì arises when externally contracted damp evil and wind toxin or accumulating dampness due to damage by excessive consumption of rich food engenders heat and pours down into the legs. Chest and abdominal signs are attributed to leg qì surging into the heart.

Biomedical correspondence: beriberi (attributed to vitamin B₁ deficiency).

Medicinal therapy: Treat primarily by diffusing congestion and expelling dampness and secondarily by dispelling wind and clearing heat. Formulas such as Cockcrow Powder (鸡鸣散 jī míng sǎn) can be used. Different forms include damp leg qì, dry leg qì, cold-damp leg qì, damp phlegm leg qì, and leg qì surging into the heart.