背俞

bèi shù

The back transport points · bei shu

Also rendered: the back transport points (Keeps 俞 as a point where something passes through) · the back shu points (The transliteration clinicians actually use) · the five back points of the viscera (Says what they are for) · bei shu (Bare transliteration)

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
bèi shù
Simplified
背俞
Literal
背 is the spine-side of the body — 說文 glosses it simply as the back, taken from flesh and the graph for north — and 俞 is read shù here, the place where something is conveyed through. 說文's own gloss for 俞 is a hollowed log used as a boat, and the medical borrowing keeps the idea of a hollow that lets something pass. The chapter does not name points; it tells you how to arrive at them, and the method is measurement rather than listing.
Shuowen
《說文解字》:背,脊也。从肉北聲;俞,空中木為舟也。醫家借俞為腧穴之腧,讀 shù。本篇之目:欲知背俞,先度其兩乳間,中折之……是謂五藏之俞,灸剌之度也。

In brief

The five points on the back, one to each viscus, found by measuring the body against itself: the span between the nipples is folded in half, another straw is cut to half of that, its ends are propped into a triangle, and the triangle is walked down the spine from the great vertebra — lung, heart, liver and spleen (left and right corners of one measure), then kidney. This is the oldest surviving account of how the back transport points were located, and the striking thing about it is that it uses no fixed unit at all: the rule is a proportion of the patient’s own body. The chapter calls the result 灸剌之度, the measure for cautery and puncture.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
Found by measuring, not by naming 欲知背俞
本篇不列穴名,而言其求法
欲知背俞,先度其兩乳間,中折之 — Suwen 24
2
The triangle laid on the spine 齊脊大椎,兩隅在下
一隅在上齊大椎,兩隅在下當肺俞
令其一隅居上,齊脊大椎,兩隅在下 — Suwen 24
3
One measure per viscus 復下一度
肺、心、肝脾、腎,自上而下凡五度
復下一度,心之俞也……復下一度,腎之俞也 — Suwen 24
4
Liver left, spleen right 左角肝之俞也,右角脾之俞也
同度之二角,肝左脾右
復下一度,左角肝之俞也,右角脾之俞也 — Suwen 24
5
The measure for cautery and puncture 灸剌之度也
既得五俞,即為灸刺取穴之法度
是謂五藏之俞,灸剌之度也 — Suwen 24

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
7 passages
素問·血氣形志 Suwen 24 · 血氣形志 Read in context →
欲知背俞,先度其兩乳間,中折之,更以他草度去半已,即以兩隅相拄也,乃舉以度其背,令其一隅居上,齊脊大椎,兩隅在下,當其下隅者,肺之俞也,復下一度,心之俞也,復下一度,左角肝之俞也,右角脾之俞也。復下一度,腎之俞也。是謂五藏之俞,灸剌之度也。 欲知背俞,先度其两乳间,中折之,更以他草度去半已,即以两隅相拄也,乃举以度其背,令其一隅居上,齐脊大椎,两隅在下,当其下隅者,肺之俞也,复下一度,心之俞也,复下一度,左角肝之俞也,右角脾之俞也。复下一度,肾之俞也。是谓五藏之俞,灸刺之度也。
Yù zhī bèi shù, xiān duó qí liǎng rǔ jiān, zhōng zhé zhī, gèng yǐ tā cǎo duó qù bàn yǐ, jí yǐ liǎng yú xiāng zhǔ yě, nǎi jǔ yǐ duó qí bèi, lìng qí yī yú jū shàng, qí jǐ dà zhuī, liǎng yú zài xià, dāng qí xià yú zhě, fèi zhī shù yě, fù xià yī dù, xīn zhī shù yě, fù xià yī dù, zuǒ jiǎo gān zhī shù yě, yòu jiǎo pí zhī shù yě.Fù xià yī dù, shèn zhī shù yě. Shì wèi wǔ zàng zhī shù, jiǔ cì zhī dù yě.
To find the back transport points: first measure the span between the two nipples and fold it in the middle; then take another straw, measure off half of it and stop, and let its two ends prop against each other. Raise it to measure the back, placing one corner at the top, level with the great vertebra of the spine, and the two corners below. What the lower corners fall upon is the transport point of the lung; one measure further down is the transport point of the heart; one measure further down again, the left corner is the transport point of the liver and the right corner that of the spleen. One measure further down again is the transport point of the kidney. These are the transport points of the five viscera, and the measure for cautery and puncture.
本篇記取背俞之法,是現存最早的記載,而其可注意處正在「不列穴名,但言其求法」:先量兩乳之間而中折之,更取他草度去其半,以兩端相拄成三角,舉以度背——一隅在上、齊脊之大椎,兩隅在下而當肺俞;復下一度為心俞,再下一度則左角肝俞、右角脾俞,再下一度為腎俞,凡五度而畢。此法不用固定分寸,全以身長為比例,故篇末稱之為「灸剌之度」。「度」字本篇二讀:量度之度讀 duó,一度之度讀 dù。「俞」讀 shù,本站第十六篇已立「俞」條(id 557),可參。又底本「灸剌」之「剌」(音 là)當為「刺」(cì)之形近字,本篇八見,皆讀 cì。
素問·剌瘧 Suwen 36 · 剌瘧 Read in context →
瘧脉滿大急,剌背俞,用中鍼,傍伍胠俞各一,適肥瘦,出其血也。 疟脉满大急,刺背俞,用中针,傍伍胠俞各一,适肥瘦,出其血也。
Nüè mài mǎn dà jí, cì bèi shù, yòng zhōng zhēn, bàng wǔ qū shù gè yī, shì féi shòu, chū qí xuè yě.
When the malaria pulse is full, large and urgent, needle the back transport points using a medium needle; at the five flank transport points to the side, one needle each, gauged to whether the body is fat or thin, and let the blood out.
「背俞」之目於本站已立(id 766),所收一條為第二十四篇「欲知背俞,先度其兩乳間…」——**以度量求之,是取穴之法**。**本篇「背俞」4見**(第十五段、第十七段二見、第三十二段),**皆不言度量而徑言刺之**,**是本站諸「背俞」引文中唯一言其用之一條**。「瘧」讀 nüè;「脉」讀 mài;「滿」讀 mǎn;「大」讀 dà;「急」讀 jí;「剌」讀 cì;「背」讀 bèi;「俞」讀 shù;「用」讀 yòng;「中」讀 zhōng;「鍼」讀 zhēn;「傍」讀 bàng;「伍」讀 wǔ;「胠」讀 qū;「各」讀 gè;「一」讀 yī;「適」讀 shì;「肥」讀 féi;「瘦」讀 shòu;「出」讀 chū;「其」讀 qí;「血」讀 xuè;「也」讀 yě。**「剌三陽經背俞之血者」八字(第三十二段)最見背俞之分經**:**背俞不止五藏之俞,三陽亦各有其俞**——**與第二十四篇之五藏俞(肺、心、肝、脾、腎)為一廣一狹**:**彼以度量定五俞之位,此以三陽經括其俞而取其血**。**第十五段與第十七段同以「瘧脉滿大急,剌背俞」起而二方並存**:此則「用中鍼,傍伍胠俞各一,適肥瘦」、彼則「用五胠俞、背俞各一,適行至於血」,**同脉而二方,本篇並存之不別**。**又「適肥瘦」三字與第二十篇「必先度其形之肥瘦」同義**:**本篇以「適」言、彼篇以「度」言,皆量其人而為之**。
素問·舉痛論 Suwen 39 · 舉痛論 Read in context →
寒氣客於背俞之脉則脉泣,脉泣則血虚,血虚則痛。 寒气客于背俞之脉则脉涩,脉涩则血虚,血虚则痛。
Hán qì kè yú bèi shù zhī mài zé mài sè, mài sè zé xuè xū, xuè xū zé tòng.
Cold qi lodging in the transport vessels of the back roughens the vessel; roughened, the blood is depleted; depleted, there is pain.
**本篇「背俞」1見**,**在「寒氣客於背俞之脉」一條**。**本站「背俞」(#766)已收第二十四篇「欲知背俞,先度其兩乳間」與第三十六篇「瘧脉滿大急,剌背俞」**;**本篇之背俞則以「其俞注於心」一句,明背俞之脉與心相通**——**故寒客背俞之脉,則心與背相引而痛**。**「脉泣則血虚,血虚則痛」八字,是此一條之病機**:**泣讀 sè,血虛則痛**,**與上文「血少」、下文「血泣」同類**。**下文「按之則熱氣至,熱氣至則痛止矣」與第十一節「得炅則痛立止」同一理**。「虚」讀 xū,**不作「虛」(「虛」)**;「俞」讀 shù,**讀 shù(本站 #557)**;「背」讀 bèi;「注」讀 zhù。
素問·長刺節論 Suwen 55 · 長刺節論 Read in context →
深專者,刺大藏,迫藏刺背,背俞也。 深专者,刺大藏,迫藏刺背,背俞也。
Shēn zhuān zhě, cì dà zàng, pò zàng cì bèi, bèi shù yě.
Where it is deep and drives inward on one spot, needle the great depots. To come close to the depots one needles the back, for the back carries the depot transport points.
「迫藏刺背,「背」讀 bèi「俞」讀 shù也」——**本篇「背俞」1見,讀 bèi shù**;**本目為背之五藏俞;本篇正言其用:寒熱深專者,刺之不在腹而在背,以背為藏氣之會**;「迫」讀 pò、**「迫藏」之迫讀 pò,近也,本篇2見**
素問·氣穴論 Suwen 58 · 氣穴論 Read in context →
藏俞五十穴,府俞七十二穴,熱俞五十九穴,水俞五十七穴,頭上五行,行五,五五二十五穴,中膂兩傍各五,凡十穴,大椎上兩傍各一,凡二穴,目瞳子浮白二穴,兩髀厭分中二穴,犢鼻二穴,耳中多所聞二穴,眉本二穴,完骨二穴,頂中央一穴,枕骨二穴,上關二穴,大迎二穴,下關二穴,天柱二穴,巨虚上下廉四穴,曲牙二穴,天突一穴,天府二穴,天牖二穴,扶突二穴,天窗二穴,肩解二穴,關元一穴,委陽二穴,肩貞二穴,瘖門一穴,齊一穴,胸俞十二穴,背俞二穴,膺俞十二穴,分肉二穴,踝上横二穴,陰陽蹻四穴,水俞在諸分,熱俞在氣穴,寒熱俞在兩骸厭中二穴。 脏俞五十穴,府俞七十二穴,热俞五十九穴,水俞五十七穴,头上五行,行五,五五二十五穴,中膂两傍各五,凡十穴,大椎上两傍各一,凡二穴,目瞳子浮白二穴,两髀厌分中二穴,犊鼻二穴,耳中多所闻二穴,眉本二穴,完骨二穴,顶中央一穴,枕骨二穴,上关二穴,大迎二穴,下关二穴,天柱二穴,巨虚上下廉四穴,曲牙二穴,天突一穴,天府二穴,天牖二穴,扶突二穴,天窗二穴,肩解二穴,关元一穴,委阳二穴,肩贞二穴,喑门一穴,脐一穴,胸俞十二穴,背俞二穴,膺俞十二穴,分肉二穴,踝上横二穴,阴阳蹻四穴,水俞在诸分,热俞在气穴,寒热俞在两骸厌中二穴。
Zàng shù wǔ shí xué, fǔ shù qī shí èr xué, rè shù wǔ shí jiǔ xué, shuǐ shù wǔ shí qī xué, tóu shàng wǔ háng, háng wǔ, wǔ wǔ èr shí wǔ xué, zhōng lǚ liǎng bàng gè wǔ, fán shí xué, dà zhuī shàng liǎng bàng gè yī, fán èr xué, mù tóng zǐ fú bái èr xué, liǎng bì yàn fēn zhōng èr xué, dú bí èr xué, ěr zhōng duō suǒ wén èr xué, méi běn èr xué, wán gǔ èr xué, dǐng zhōng yāng yī xué, zhěn gǔ èr xué, shàng guān èr xué, dà yíng èr xué, xià guān èr xué, tiān zhù èr xué, jù xū shàng xià lián sì xué, qū yá èr xué, tiān tū yī xué, tiān fǔ èr xué, tiān yǒu èr xué, fú tū èr xué, tiān chuāng èr xué, jiān jiě èr xué, guān yuán yī xué, wěi yáng èr xué, jiān zhēn èr xué, yīn mén yī xué, qí yī xué, xiōng shù shí èr xué, bèi shù èr xué, yīng shù shí èr xué, fēn ròu èr xué, huái shàng héng èr xué, yīn yáng qiāo sì xué, shuǐ shù zài zhū fēn, rè shù zài qì xué, hán rè shù zài liǎng hái yàn zhōng èr xué.
Fifty transport points of the viscera; seventy-two of the bowels; fifty-nine points for heat; fifty-seven for water; five rows on the head, five to a row, five fives making twenty-five; five each side at zhōng lǚ, ten in all; one each side above dà zhuī, two in all; two at mù tóng zǐ and fú bái; two in the parting of the two hip seams; two at dú bí; two where hearing is plentiful inside the ear; two at the root of the eyebrow; two at wán gǔ; one at the centre of the crown; two at the occipital bone; two at shàng guān; two at dà yíng; two at xià guān; two at tiān zhù; four at the upper and lower jù xū; two at qū yá; one at tiān tū; two at tiān fǔ; two at tiān yǒu; two at fú tū; two at tiān chuāng; two at jiān jiě; one at guān yuán; two at wěi yáng; two at jiān zhēn; one at yīn mén; one at the navel; twelve chest transports; two back transports; twelve breast transports; two at fēn ròu; two across above the ankle; four of the yin and yang springing vessels. The water points lie among the divisions, the heat points lie among the qi points, and the points for cold and heat are the two in the seams of the two hái.
「藏俞五十穴,府俞七十二穴,熱俞五十九穴,水俞五十七穴,……胸俞十二穴,「背」讀 bèi「俞」讀 shù二穴,膺俞十二穴,分肉二穴,踝上横二穴,陰陽蹻四穴。」——**本篇「背俞」1見,讀 bèi shù**;**穴目之中一名而已,所可注意者在其前後:胸俞十二穴在下,膺俞十二穴在次**;**本目第五十四篇所立:五俞以度背之法量取之**;**本篇之背俞止二穴,與藏俞五十穴相配:一在背之部,一在藏之俞**;「胸」讀 xiōng、**胸俞、背胸之胸讀 xiōng,本篇4見**;「分」讀 fēn、**「水俞在諸分」「分肉二穴」之分並讀 fēn,本篇4見**
素問·骨空論 Suwen 60 · 骨空論 Read in context →
視背俞陷者灸之,舉臂肩上陷者灸之,兩季脅之間灸之,外踝上絶骨之端灸之,足小指次指間灸之,腨下陷脉灸之,外踝後灸之,缺盆骨上切之堅痛如筋者灸之,膺中陷骨間灸之,掌束骨下灸之,齊下關元三寸灸之,毛際動脉灸之,膝下三寸分間灸之,足陽明跗上動脉灸之,巔上一灸之。 视背俞陷者灸之,举臂肩上陷者灸之,两季胁之间灸之,外踝上绝骨之端灸之,足小指次指间灸之,腨下陷脉灸之,外踝后灸之,缺盆骨上切之坚痛如筋者灸之,膺中陷骨间灸之,掌束骨下灸之,脐下关元三寸灸之,毛际动脉灸之,膝下三寸分间灸之,足阳明跗上动脉灸之,巅上一灸之。
Shì bèi shù xiàn zhě jiǔ zhī, jǔ bì jiān shàng xiàn zhě jiǔ zhī, liǎng jì xié zhī jiān jiǔ zhī, wài huái shàng jué gǔ zhī duān jiǔ zhī, zú xiǎo zhǐ cì zhǐ jiān jiǔ zhī, shuàn xià xiàn mài jiǔ zhī, wài huái hòu jiǔ zhī, quē pén gǔ shàng qiè zhī jiān tòng rú jīn zhě jiǔ zhī, yīng zhōng xiàn gǔ jiān jiǔ zhī, zhǎng shù gǔ xià jiǔ zhī, qí xià guān yuán sān cùn jiǔ zhī, máo jì dòng mài jiǔ zhī, xī xià sān cùn fēn jiān jiǔ zhī, zú yáng míng fū shàng dòng mài jiǔ zhī, diān shàng yī jiǔ zhī.
Then look for the depressions at the back transport points and moxa them; moxa the depression on the shoulder when the arm is raised; moxa between the two short ribs; moxa the end of the cut-off bone above the outer ankle; moxa between the little and second toes; moxa the sunken vessel below the calf; moxa behind the outer ankle; moxa where, on the bone of the empty basin, pressure finds something hard and painful like a sinew; moxa between the sunken bones within the chest; moxa below the binding bone of the palm; moxa three inches below the navel at Gate of the Source; moxa the pulsing vessel at the hairline; moxa the space three inches below the knee; moxa the pulsing vessel on the instep of the foot yang brightness; and moxa one place on the crown.
「視「背」讀 bèi「俞」讀 shù陷者灸之」——**背俞者,五藏之俞在背;灸寒熱之法,先視其陷者而後灸**;**「俞」讀 shù,與 id 557 同源而義各有當:此為背之分俞**;**「陷」本篇4見,讀 xiàn:陷者灸之,為取穴之法**
素問·水熱穴論 Suwen 61 · 水熱穴論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:頭上五行,行五者,以越諸陽之熱逆也;大杼、膺俞、缺盆、背俞,此八者,以冩胸中之熱也;氣街、三里、巨虚、上下廉,此八者,以冩胃中之熱也;雲門、髃骨、委中、髓空,此八者,以冩四支之熱也;五藏俞傍五,此十者,以冩五藏之熱也;凡此五十九穴者,皆熱之左右也。 歧伯曰:头上五行,行五者,以越诸阳之热逆也;大杼、膺俞、缺盆、背俞,此八者,以写胸中之热也;气街、三里、巨虚、上下廉,此八者,以写胃中之热也;云门、髃骨、委中、髓空,此八者,以写四支之热也;五藏俞傍五,此十者,以写五藏之热也;凡此五十九穴者,皆热之左右也。
Qí bó yuē: tóu shàng wǔ háng, háng wǔ zhě, yǐ yuè zhū yáng zhī rè nì yě; dà zhù, yīng shù, quē pén, bèi shù, cǐ bā zhě, yǐ xiè xiōng zhōng zhī rè yě; qì jiē, sān lǐ, jù xū, shàng xià lián, cǐ bā zhě, yǐ xiè wèi zhōng zhī rè yě; yún mén, yú gǔ, wěi zhōng, suǐ kōng, cǐ bā zhě, yǐ xiè sì zhī zhī rè yě; wǔ zàng shù bàng wǔ, cǐ shí zhě, yǐ xiè wǔ zàng zhī rè yě; fán cǐ wǔ shí jiǔ xué zhě, jiē rè zhī zuǒ yòu yě.
Qi Bo says: five rows on the head, five points to a row, serve to let out the hot counterflow of all the yang. Great Shuttle, the transport points at the chest, Empty Basin and the back transport points – these eight – drain the heat in the chest. Qi Street, Three Li, the great hollows and the upper and lower border – these eight – drain the heat in the stomach. Cloud Gate, the shoulder bone, the bend in the middle and the marrow opening – these eight – drain the heat of the four limbs. Five beside the transport points of the five depots – these ten – drain the heat of the five depots. All fifty-nine of these points are what stands to either side of the heat.
「「大」讀 dà「杼」讀 zhù、「膺」讀 yīng「俞」讀 shù、「缺」讀 quē「盆」讀 pén、「背」讀 bèi「俞」讀 shù」——**「背俞」本篇1見,在寫胸中之熱八穴之內**;**「杼」讀 zhù,《廣韻》直吕切,本篇1見;今針灸界或讀 shù,二說並存,此从 zhù**;**「膺」讀 yīng,胸也**

Compounds built on this term

五藏之俞
wǔ zàng zhī shù
the transport points of the five viscera
本篇之總目
大椎
dà zhuī
the great vertebra
脊骨第一椎,本篇所據以為上隅之準
俞
shù
transport point
本站第十六篇已立目(id 557)
灸剌
jiǔ cì
cautery and puncture
底本作「剌」,本篇別立目
一度
yī dù
one measure
「度」此讀 dù,與上文「度其」(duó)異讀

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

Wiseman & Fengthe [five] transport [points] on the backThey keep 俞 as transport and supply 'points', which is the standard clinical reading.
Unschuldthe conduits on the backHe renders 俞 as conduit, emphasising passage over location.
This sitethe back transport points俞 is a hollow that lets something through, and that is what a transport point is held to be — a place where the viscus is reachable from the surface. The word 'transport' carries both the passing and the reaching; 'conduit' carries only the first.

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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