Lingshu · The Official Needles

The text

In all the essential of piercing, the official needles are the most subtle. What is fitting to the nine needles: each has that for which it is done; long and short, large and small, each has that to which it is applied. If one does not obtain their use, the illness cannot be moved. If the illness is shallow and the needle is deep, one wounds good flesh within, and the skin becomes abscess. If the illness is deep and the needle is shallow, illness-qi is not drained, and instead there is great pus. If the illness is small and the needle is large, qi is drained too far, and the illness must become harm. If the illness is large and the needle is small, qi is not let out and drained, and this too becomes defeat. If one misses what is fitting to the needle: the large drains; the small does not move. Having spoken their faults, let me speak their applications. Illness in the skin with no constant place: take it with the chisel needle at the place of illness; if the skin is white, do not take it. Illness between the divided flesh: take it with the round needle at the place of illness. Illness in the channel networks, stubborn impediment: take it with the sharp needle. Illness in the vessels, qi little, that should be replenished: take it with the spoon needle at the wells, the ying, and the divided transports. Illness that is great pus: take it with the sword needle. Illness of impediment-qi that bursts forth suddenly: take it with the round-sharp needle. Illness of impediment-qi that aches and will not leave: take it with the fine needle. Illness in the center: take it with the long needle. Illness of water-swelling that cannot open the joints: take it with the great needle. Illness that sits firm in the five zang: take it with the sharp needle; drain at the wells, the ying, and the divided transports; take them by the four seasons. In all, piercing has nine, to answer the nine changes. The first is called transport-piercing. Transport-piercing: pierce the ying and transports of the various channels, and the zang-transports. The second is called far-road piercing. Far-road piercing: the illness is above, take it below; pierce the fu-transports. The third is called channel-piercing. Channel-piercing: pierce the knotted collaterals of the great channels, at the channel-divisions. The fourth is called collateral-piercing. Collateral-piercing: pierce the blood vessels of the small collaterals. The fifth is called division-piercing. Division-piercing: pierce between the divided flesh. The sixth is called great-drain piercing. Great-drain piercing: pierce great pus with the sword needle. The seventh is called hair-piercing. Hair-piercing: pierce floating impediment in the skin. The eighth is called great-piercing. Great-piercing: take the left from the right, the right from the left. The ninth is called quench-piercing. Quench-piercing: pierce with the burnt needle and so take impediment. In all, piercing has twelve joints, to answer the twelve channels. The first is called pair-piercing. Pair-piercing: with the hand point straight at the heart or the back, straight at the place of pain; one pierce in front, one pierce behind, to put heart impediment in order. To pierce this, set the needle to the side. The second is called report-piercing. Report-piercing: pierce pain that has no constant place, traveling above and below; insert straight and do not withdraw the needle; with the left hand follow the place of illness and press it, then withdraw the needle and pierce again. The third is called restore-piercing. Restore-piercing: pierce straight beside it; lift it before and behind to restore a tight sinew — to put sinew impediment in order. The fourth is called even-piercing. Even-piercing: enter straight with one, enter beside with two, to put in order cold qi that is small and deep; some call it triple-piercing. Triple-piercing puts in order impediment-qi that is small and deep. The fifth is called lift-piercing. Lift-piercing: insert one in the center, insert four beside, and keep them floating — to put in order cold qi that is broad and great. The sixth is called straight-point piercing. Straight-point piercing: draw the skin and then pierce it — to put in order cold qi that is shallow. The seventh is called transport-piercing. Transport-piercing: enter straight and withdraw straight; issue the needle sparsely and go deep — to put in order qi that is abundant and hot. The eighth is called short-piercing. Short-piercing: pierce bone impediment; shake it a little and go deeper, bring the needle to the place of bone, and rub the bone above and below. The ninth is called floating-piercing. Floating-piercing: enter beside and keep it floating — to put in order flesh that is tight and cold. The tenth is called yin-piercing. Yin-piercing: pierce left and right alike — to put in order cold-reversal; for cold-reversal in the center, shaoyin behind the ankle. The eleventh is called beside-point piercing. Beside-point piercing: pierce straight and pierce beside, one each — to put in order lingering impediment that has sat long. The twelfth is called assist-piercing. Assist-piercing: enter straight and withdraw straight; issue the needle many times, go shallow, and let blood go out — this is called putting abscess-swelling in order. Where the vessels dwell, deep and not seen: pierce them by inserting the needle faintly and leaving it long, to bring the qi of those hollow vessels. Where the vessels are shallow, do not pierce. Press and cut off the vessel, then pierce it; do not let jing go out — let only pathogenic qi go out. What is called triple-piercing, by which grain-qi goes out: first pierce shallow and cut through the skin, to send out yang pathogen; pierce again and yin pathogen goes out — go a little deeper, cut through the skin and reach the flesh, but do not yet enter between the divided flesh; once entered between the divided flesh, grain-qi goes out. Therefore the method of piercing says: first pierce shallow, to drive out pathogenic qi and bring blood and qi; then pierce deeper, to bring the pathogen of yin qi; last pierce deepest of all, to send down grain-qi — this is what is meant. Therefore those who use the needle, if they do not know the additions of the year, the abundance and decline of qi, the arising of vacant and replete — they cannot be workers. In all, piercing has five, to answer the five zang. The first is called half-piercing. Half-piercing: insert shallow and issue the needle swiftly; do not let the needle wound the flesh; as if pulling a hair — to take the qi of the skin. This is the answering of the lung. The second is called leopard-pattern piercing. Leopard-pattern piercing: needle left and right, before and behind; striking the vessel is the rule — to take the blood of the channel networks. This is the answering of the heart. The third is called pass-piercing. Pass-piercing: pierce straight, left and right, to the end of the sinew — to take sinew impediment; be careful not to let blood go out. This is the answering of the liver. Some call it abyss-piercing; some call it kai-piercing. The fourth is called Hegu-piercing. Hegu-piercing: left and right like a rooster's foot; the needle is between the divided flesh — to take flesh impediment. This is the answering of the spleen. The fifth is called transport-piercing. Transport-piercing: enter straight and withdraw straight; insert deep as far as the bone — to take bone impediment. This is the answering of the kidney.

The line

In all the essential of piercing, the official needles are the most subtle. What is fitting to the nine needles: each has that for which it is done; long and short, large and small, each has that to which it is applied. If one does not obtain their use, the illness cannot be moved.

The note

Official needles: each needle has its office. Long and short, each has that to which it is applied. If one does not obtain their use, the illness cannot be moved — the miss is in the use, not in a needle that has no spirit.