Lingshu · Reversal Illness

The text

Reversal headache, the face as if swelling and the heart vexed: take foot yangming and taiyin. Reversal headache, the vessels of the head aching, the heart grieving and apt to weep: look at the arterial vessels of the head that are, against expectation, abundant; needle and let out all the blood, then regulate foot jueyin. Reversal headache, the head heavy and aching as if nailed: drain the five lines on the head, five on each line; first take hand shaoyin, later take foot shaoyin. Reversal headache, the intent apt to forget, press and you do not find it: take the arterial vessels of the head and face, left and right; later take foot taiyin. Reversal headache, the nape aching first, the waist and spine answering: first take heavenly-pillar, later take foot taiyang. Reversal headache, the headache severe, the vessels before and behind the ears surging and hot: drain and let out the blood, later take foot shaoyang. True headache: the head aches severely, the brain aches through; the hands and feet are cold to the joints — death, and there is no treating it. Headache that cannot be taken at the shu: there has been a blow or a fall; malign blood is within. If the flesh is wounded and the pain has not ended, you may needle locally; you must not take it at a distance. Headache that cannot be needled: a great impediment is the malign; if it acts daily, you may make it a little better; you cannot end it. Half the head cold and aching: first take hand shaoyang and yangming, later take foot shaoyang and yangming. Reversal heart-pain, tugging with the back, apt to twitch, as if something from behind had struck the heart, the person stooped: this is kidney heart-pain. First take capital-bone and Kunlun. If after the needle it has not ended, take the burning valley. Reversal heart-pain, the abdomen swollen, the chest full, the heart aching still more: this is stomach heart-pain. Take great-capital and great-white. Reversal heart-pain, the pain as if a awl were needling the heart, the heart-pain severe: this is spleen heart-pain. Take the burning valley and the great ravine. Reversal heart-pain, the color ashen as if dead, the whole day unable to sigh: this is liver heart-pain. Take moving-between and the great rush. Reversal heart-pain, lying as if merely sitting, the heart aching; in the intervals of movement the pain grows worse; the color does not change: this is lung heart-pain. Take fish-border and great-abyss. True heart-pain: the hands and feet clear-cold to the joints, the heart-pain severe; if it issues at dawn, death at dusk; if it issues at dusk, death at dawn. Heart-pain that cannot be needled: within there is an abundant gathering; it cannot be taken at the shu. Worms and jiao-qu in the intestines cannot be taken with the small needle. Pain of the heart and intestines, bursting pain, a swelling that gathers, traveling up and down, the pain having rests, heat in the abdomen, a craving for drink, drool coming out — this is jiao-qu. Gather it with the hand and hold it firm, do not let it move; needle it with the great needle; hold it long; when the worm does not move, then withdraw the needle. Sudden bursting pain of the abdomen. The form is in the upper center. Deafness, hearing nothing: take inside the ear. Ringing in the ear: take the arterial vessel in front of the ear. Ear-pain that cannot be needled: there is pus in the ear, or dry earwax; the ear hears nothing. Deafness: take where the nail of the next finger after the little finger of the hand meets the flesh; first take the hand, later take the foot. Ringing in the ear: take above the nail of the middle finger of the hand; left, take the right; right, take the left; first take the hand, later take the foot. The thigh that cannot be lifted: take it from the side, in the joining of the pivot, with the round-sharp needle; the great needle must not be used. Illness of pouring blood downward: take the crooked spring. Wind impediment soaking and dripping, an illness that cannot be ended: the feet as if walking on ice, at times as if entering hot water; the thigh and shin soaking and dripping; the heart vexed, the head aching; at times vomiting, at times oppressed; after dizziness, sweat comes out; if long, the eyes swim; grief, then joy and fear; short of breath; no happiness — within three years, death.

The line

Reversal headache, the face as if swelling and the heart vexed: take foot yangming and taiyin.

The note

Reversal illness is in the head, in the chest, in accumulations. Reversal is the many faces of qi running backward. First recognize the backward run; then recognize which face it has stopped on.