瘻简体瘘

lòu

Fistula · lou

Also rendered: Fistula (this site; the later sense, and the one that fits a sore that will not close) · Lou (transliteration; used when the sequence of cold's consequences is quoted together)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-10-10

At a glance

Pinyin: lòu
Simplified: 瘘
Literal: 瘻 lòu — a fistula, a sore that burrows and will not close (《說文》: 瘻，頸腫也：originally a swelling of the neck; the later sense is the draining sinus). Suwen 3 gets it from cold that has sunk into the vessels and then lingers in the flesh.
Shuowen: **「瘻」讀 lòu，本篇1見**；**从疒婁聲；簡體作瘘**；**《說文》：瘻，頸腫也；後世引申為漏瘡、瘻管**；**本篇一見，與「乃生大僂」同由寒氣從之而生**

In brief

What cold becomes when it sinks into the vessels and stays: a fistula. The sequence in Suwen 3 is exact — opening and closing fail, cold qi follows in, and there is great hunching; sunk into the vessels it becomes fistula; lingering in the flesh it turns the qi of the transport points oppressive, so that what follows is a readiness to fear and to be terrified. Later usage takes 瘻 as the sinus that will not close.

Senses in the classical corpus

The graph 瘻

从疒婁聲；頸腫也，引申為漏瘡、瘻管

陷脉爲瘻 — Suwen 3

How it comes 陷脉

寒氣陷入脉中

陷脉爲瘻 — Suwen 3

Where it lodges 留連肉腠

留連不去，則在肉之分理

陷脉爲瘻，留連肉腠 — Suwen 3

What it does to the transport points 俞氣化薄

俞穴之氣化為薄迫之邪

留連肉腠，俞氣化薄 — Suwen 3

What follows 傳爲善畏，及爲驚駭

邪傳於內，故善畏而驚駭

傳爲善畏，及爲驚駭 — Suwen 3

The company it keeps 乃生大僂

同由寒氣從之而生

開闔不得，寒氣從之，乃生大僂 — Suwen 3

Occurrences in the classics

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

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1 passages

素問·生氣通天論 Suwen 3 · 生氣通天論 Read in context →

陽氣者，精則養神，柔則養筋，開闔不得，寒氣從之，乃生大僂。陷脉爲瘻，留連肉腠，俞氣化薄，傳爲善畏，及爲驚駭。阳气者，精则养神，柔则养筋，开阖不得，寒气从之，乃生大偻。陷脉为瘘，留连肉腠，俞气化薄，传为善畏，及为惊骇。

Yáng qì zhě, jīng zé yǎng shén, róu zé yǎng jīn, kāi hé bù dé, hán qì cóng zhī, nǎi shēng dà lóu. xiàn mài wéi lòu, liú lián ròu còu, shù qì huà bó, chuán wéi shàn wèi, jí wéi jīng hài.

The yang qi in its fineness nourishes the shen, in its suppleness nourishes the sinews. If opening and closing do not accord, the cold qi follows it in and there is great hunching. Sunk into the vessels it becomes fistula; lingering in the flesh and its crevices, the qi of the transport points turns oppressive, and what it transmits is a readiness to fear and to be terrified.

**「瘻」本篇1見**；**讀 lòu，簡體作瘘**；**「俞氣化薄」之俞讀 shù，薄讀 bó**

Compounds built on this term

陷脉爲瘻

xiàn mài wéi lòu

sunk into the vessels it becomes fistula

本篇1見

留連

liú lián

lingering on

本篇2見

俞氣化薄

shù qì huà bó

the qi of the transport points turned oppressive

本篇1見

大僂

dà lóu

great hunching

本篇1見；本站第二二二條

How it has been translated

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

This site	Fistula · lou	the word the tradition settled on, and it carries the burrowing that 瘻 implies
Literal	a swelling of the neck	the Shuowen sense; right for the oldest texts and wrong for this passage
Descriptive	a draining sinus	exact clinically, too narrow for a text that means any sore that will not close

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-10

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