Classica Sinica Medica

On Pain

論痛

Lùn tòng

A short chapter on tolerance, and its argument is deliberately unheroic. Whether a person flinches under the needle is not a matter of courage but of build: strong bone, slack sinew, relaxed flesh and thick skin endure pain, and a dark complexion with fine bones endures moxa. The reverse follows, and firm flesh with thin skin endures neither.The same logic is then extended from pain to poison and from poison to disease. A thick stomach, a dark complexion, large bones and full flesh tolerate toxic drugs; thin bone with a thin stomach tolerates nothing. Recovery follows the same grain — of two people hurt at once, the hotter recovers and the colder does not.What the chapter offers is a rule of thumb for prognosis and dosage, stated in the plain terms of physique rather than of will.

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黃帝問于少俞曰：筋骨之强弱，肌肉之堅脆，皮膚之厚薄，腠理之疏密，各不同，其于鍼石火爇之痛何如？腸胃之厚薄堅脆亦不等，其於毒藥何如？願盡聞之。 黄帝问于少俞曰：筋骨之强弱，肌肉之坚脆，皮肤之厚薄，腠理之疏密，各不同，其于针石火𦶟之痛何如？肠胃之厚薄坚脆亦不等，其于毒药何如？愿尽闻之。
Huáng Dì wèn yú shào yú yuē: jīn gǔ zhī qiáng ruò, jī ròu zhī jiān cuì, pí fū zhī hòu bó, còu lǐ zhī shū mì, gè bù tóng, qí yú zhēn shí huǒ ruò zhī tòng hé rú? cháng wèi zhī hòu bó jiān cuì yì bù děng, qí yú dú yào hé rú? yuàn jìn wén zhī.
黄帝问少俞说：筋骨的强弱、肌肉的坚脆、皮肤的厚薄、腠理的疏密各不相同，它们对于针刺和艾火烧灼所引起的疼痛，反应怎样？肠胃的厚薄坚脆也不相等，对于毒药的耐受又怎样？我希望全部听到。
The Yellow Emperor asked Shao Yu: The strength or weakness of sinew and bone, the firmness or brittleness of flesh, the thickness or thinness of skin, the looseness or density of the interstices all differ from person to person. How do they respond to the pain of needle and moxa? And since the stomach and intestines also differ in thickness and firmness, how do they respond to toxic drugs? I should like to hear it all.
少俞曰：人之骨强、筋弱、肉緩、皮膚厚者耐痛，其于鍼石之痛，火爇亦然。 少俞曰：人之骨强、筋弱、肉缓、皮肤厚者耐痛，其于针石之痛，火𦶟亦然。
shào yú yuē: rén zhī gǔ qiáng, jīn ruò, ròu huǎn, pí fū hòu zhě nài tòng, qí yú zhēn shí zhī tòng, huǒ ruò yì rán.
少俞说：人的骨骼强壮、筋不紧束、肌肉舒缓、皮肤厚实的，能够忍耐疼痛；对于针刺的疼痛是这样，对于艾火烧灼也是这样。
Shao Yu said: One whose bones are strong, whose sinews are not taut, whose flesh is relaxed and whose skin is thick endures pain — both the pain of the needle and that of moxa.
黃帝曰：其耐火爇者，何以知之？ 黄帝曰：其耐火𦶟者，何以知之？
Huáng Dì yuē: qí nài huǒ ruò zhě, hé yǐ zhī zhī?
黄帝说：能够耐受艾火烧灼，凭什么知道呢？
The Emperor said: How does one know who can endure moxa?
少俞答曰：加以黑色而美骨者，耐火爇。 少俞答曰：加以黑色而美骨者，耐火𦶟。
shào yú dá yuē: jiā yǐ hēi sè ér měi gǔ zhě, nài huǒ ruò.
少俞回答说：再加上皮肤色黑、骨骼壮美的，就能耐受艾火烧灼。
Shao Yu answered: Add a dark complexion and fine bones, and such a person endures moxa.
黃帝曰：其不耐鍼石之痛者，何以知之？ 黄帝曰：其不耐针石之痛者，何以知之？
Huáng Dì yuē: qí bù nài zhēn shí zhī tòng zhě, hé yǐ zhī zhī?
黄帝说：不能耐受针刺疼痛的，凭什么知道呢？
The Emperor said: How does one know who cannot endure the pain of the needle?
少俞曰：堅肉薄皮者，不耐鍼石之痛，于火爇亦然。 少俞曰：坚肉薄皮者，不耐针石之痛，于火𦶟亦然。
shào yú yuē: jiān ròu bó pí zhě, bù nài zhēn shí zhī tòng, yú huǒ ruò yì rán.
少俞说：肌肉坚实而皮肤薄的人，不能耐受针刺的疼痛；对于艾火烧灼，也是这样。
Shao Yu said: One whose flesh is firm and skin thin cannot endure the pain of the needle, nor that of moxa either.
黃帝曰：人之病，或同時而傷，或易已，或難已，其故何如？ 黄帝曰：人之病，或同时而伤，或易已，或难已，其故何如？
Huáng Dì yuē: rén zhī bìng, huò tóng shí ér shāng, huò yì yǐ, huò nán yǐ, qí gù hé rú?
黄帝说：人患病，有的同时受伤，有的容易痊愈，有的难以痊愈，这是什么缘故？
The Emperor said: Of people who fall ill, some are injured at the same time and yet some recover easily while others do not. What is the reason?
少俞曰：同時而傷，其身多𤍠者易已，多寒者難已。 少俞曰：同时而伤，其身多𤍠者易已，多寒者难已。
shào yú yuē: tóng shí ér shāng, qí shēn duō rè zhě yì yǐ, duō hán zhě nán yǐ.
少俞说：一同受伤的人，身体多热的容易痊愈，多寒的难以痊愈。
Shao Yu said: Of those injured at the same time, the one whose body is hot recovers easily; the one whose body is cold does not.
黃帝曰：人之勝毒，何以知之？ 黄帝曰：人之胜毒，何以知之？
Huáng Dì yuē: rén zhī shèng dú, hé yǐ zhī zhī?
黄帝说：人耐受毒药的能力，凭什么知道呢？
The Emperor said: How does one know a person’s tolerance of toxic drugs?
少俞曰：胃厚色黑，大骨及肥者，皆勝毒。故骨瘦而薄胃者，皆不勝毒也。 少俞曰：胃厚色黑，大骨及肥者，皆胜毒。故骨瘦而薄胃者，皆不胜毒也。
shào yú yuē: wèi hòu sè hēi, dà gǔ jí féi zhě, jiē shèng dú. gù gǔ shòu ér bó wèi zhě, jiē bù shèng dú yě.
少俞说：胃厚、色黑、骨骼粗大以及肌肉丰满的，都能耐受毒药。所以骨瘦而胃薄的，都不能耐受毒药。
Shao Yu said: A thick stomach, a dark complexion, large bones and full flesh — such a person tolerates poison. One whose bones are thin and whose stomach is thin tolerates none of it.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 其於毒藥何如其于毒藥何如

    一篇之内于、於並見：上文「其于鍼石之痛」作于，此句作於，下「于火爇亦然」又作于。二字古通用，底本既兩存，各仍其舊，不強爲畫一，亦不以此定版本之先後。

  2. 火爇亦然火焫亦然

    爇讀 ruò，燒也，從艸從熱省，謂以艾火灼之。通行本或作焫，焫亦燒也，二字音義並同。本篇鍼石與火爇對舉，一爲刺，一爲灸，皆外治之法。

  3. 加以黑色而美骨者加以黑色而美骨者

    美骨謂骨相壯實而不脆薄，非以形貌言美。色黑者腎氣厚，美骨者骨幹強，二者合，故耐灸。此與下「堅肉薄皮者」相對，一厚一薄，而耐痛與否分焉。

  4. 大骨及肥者，皆勝毒大骨及肥者，皆勝毒

    大骨謂骨幹粗大，肥謂肌肉豐厚，與上「胃厚色黑」同爲形質之厚者。勝讀 shèng，任也、堪也，謂能承受毒藥之力。下文「不勝毒」反之，皆就體質言，非藥性之峻緩。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Lùn tòng 論痛 [On Pain], Chapter 53. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 29 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/on-pain/

MLA

"Lùn tòng 論痛 [On Pain]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 53, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/on-pain/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·論痛》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 29 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/on-pain/。

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