Suwen · On Contralateral Needling

The text

The Yellow Emperor asked: I have heard of crossed needling and have not yet obtained its intent. What is called crossed needling? Qi Bo answered: When pathogen is a guest in the form, it must first lodge in the skin and hair. If it stays and does not leave, it enters and lodges in the minute vessels. If it stays and does not leave, it enters and lodges in the collateral vessels. If it stays and does not leave, it enters and lodges in the channel vessels, joins inward to the five zang, scatters in the intestines and stomach. Yin and yang are both affected; the five zang are then injured. This is the sequence by which pathogen enters from the skin and hair and reaches its extreme in the five zang. In such a case, treat the channels. Now when pathogen is a guest in the skin and hair, enters and lodges in the minute collaterals, stays and does not leave, is closed and blocked and does not communicate, cannot enter the channels, overflows into the great collaterals, and gives birth to strange illness. When pathogen is a guest in the great collaterals, the left pours into the right, the right pours into the left, above and below, left and right, interfering with the channels, and is spread to the four extremities. Its qi has no constant place; it does not enter the channel shu. This is named crossed needling. The Emperor said: I wish to hear of crossed needling — taking the left for the right, taking the right for the left. How is it? How is it distinguished from great needling? Qi Bo said: When pathogen is a guest in the channels, if the left is abundant the right is ill; if the right is abundant the left is ill. There are also those that shift: the left still aches, and the right vessel is already ill. In such a case you must use great needling. You must strike the channel — not the collateral vessels. Thus in collateral illness, the pain and the channel vessels are in crossed places — therefore it is named crossed needling. The Emperor said: I wish to hear how crossed needling is taken. How is it? Qi Bo said: When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot shaoyin, it makes a person suddenly have heart-pain, sudden swelling, and fullness propping the chest and flanks. If there is no accumulation, needle ahead of the burning bone and let blood out; in the time of a meal it ends. If it does not end, take the left for the right, the right for the left. If the illness has newly arisen, take it and in five days it ends. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of hand shaoyang, it makes a person's throat impeded, the tongue rolled, the mouth dry, the heart vexed, the outer edge of the arm aching, the hand unable to reach the head. Needle above the nail of the next finger after the middle finger of the hand, a leek-leaf from the tip, one mark each. The strong end at once; the old end after a while. Take the left for the right, the right for the left. This new illness ends in a few days. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot jueyin, it makes a person suddenly have shan and sudden pain. Needle where the nail of the big toe of the foot meets the flesh, one mark each. In men it ends at once; in women it ends after a while. Take the left for the right, the right for the left. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot taiyang, it makes a person's head, nape, and shoulders ache. Needle where the nail of the little toe of the foot meets the flesh, one mark each. It ends at once. If it does not end, needle below the outer ankle, three marks. Take the left for the right, the right for the left. In the time of a meal it ends. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of hand yangming, it makes a person's qi full, panting in the chest-center, propping the lowest ribs, heat in the chest-center. Needle above the nail of the next finger after the thumb of the hand, a leek-leaf from the tip, one mark each. Take the left for the right, the right for the left. In the time of a meal it ends. When pathogen is a guest between the arm and the palm, one cannot bend. Needle behind the wrist. First press with the finger where it aches, then needle it. Take the moon's dying and being born as the count: on the first day of the moon's birth, one mark; on the second day, two marks; on the fifteenth day, fifteen marks; on the sixteenth day, fourteen marks. When pathogen is a guest in the vessel of the foot yang qiao, it makes a person's eyes ache, beginning from the inner canthus. Needle about half a cun below the outer ankle, two marks each. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. In the time of walking ten li it ends. When a person has fallen, malign blood stays within; the abdomen is full and swollen; one cannot go before or behind. First drink a freeing medicine. This injures the vessel of jueyin above and the collaterals of shaoyin below. Needle below the inner ankle of the foot, ahead of the burning bone, and let the blood vessels bleed. Needle the arterial vessel on the instep. If it does not end, needle above the three hairs, one mark each. When blood is seen, it ends at once. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. Those given to grief, fright, and unhappiness: needle as in the method above. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of hand yangming, it makes a person deaf, at times not hearing sound. Needle above the nail of the next finger after the thumb of the hand, a leek-leaf from the tip, one mark each. One hears at once. If it does not end, needle where the nail of the middle finger meets the flesh; one hears at once. Those who do not hear at times cannot be needled. Wind born in the ear: also needle it with this count. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. All impediment that comes and goes with no constant place: where it aches between the divided flesh, needle it. Take the moon's dying and being born as the count. Those who use the needle take the abundance and decline of qi as the number of marks. If the needle exceeds the day's number, qi slips away; if it does not reach the day's number, qi is not drained. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. When the illness has ended, stop. If it has not ended, needle again as in the method. On the first day of the moon's birth, one mark; on the second day, two marks, gradually more; on the fifteenth day, fifteen marks; on the sixteenth day, fourteen marks, gradually fewer. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot yangming, it makes a person have a running nose and nosebleed, and the upper teeth cold. Where the nail of the next toe after the middle toe of the foot meets the flesh, one mark each. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot shaoyang, it makes a person's flanks ache, one cannot breathe, one coughs and sweat goes out. Needle where the nail of the next toe after the little toe of the foot meets the flesh, one mark each. The inability to breathe ends at once; the sweat going out stops at once. Those who cough: warm the clothes and food and drink; in one day it ends. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. The illness ends at once. If it does not end, needle again as in the method. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot shaoyin, it makes a person's throat ache, one cannot take food in; without cause one is given to anger, and qi rises and runs above the cardia. Needle the vessel in the center of the sole, three marks each — six needlings in all. It ends at once. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. When the throat swells and one cannot take saliva in, and at times cannot send saliva out: needle ahead of the burning bone; let blood out and it ends at once. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot taiyin, it makes a person's low back ache, pulling the lesser abdomen and controlling the side-loin; one cannot look up and breathe. Needle the unbinding of the waist and sacrum, above the two muscles beside the spine — this is the waist shu. Take the moon's dying and being born as the number of marks. Withdraw the needle and it ends at once. Needle the left for the right, the right for the left. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot taiyang, it makes a person cramped, the back urgent, pulling the flanks and aching. Needle it beginning from the nape, counting the spine-vertebrae flanking the spine. Press quickly; where the hand is answered as if with pain, needle beside it, three marks. It ends at once. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of foot shaoyang, it makes a person stay with pain in the pivot, the thigh unable to be lifted. Needle the center of the pivot with a fine needle. If cold, leave the needle long. Take the moon's dying and being born as the count. It ends at once. In treating the various channels, needle where they pass. If there is no illness there, then use crossed needling. Deafness: needle hand yangming. If it does not end, needle the communicating vessel that emerges in front of the ear. Tooth decay: needle hand yangming. If it does not end, needle the vessel that enters the midst of the tooth; it ends at once. When pathogen is a guest among the five zang, the illness is this: the vessels pull and ache, coming at times and stopping at times. Look at the illness; use crossed needling above the nails of the hands and feet. Look at the vessels; let the blood out. Needle once every other day. If one needling does not end, five needlings end it. Crossed passing that pulls the upper teeth: the teeth and lips are cold and ache. Look at the vessels on the back of the hand that have blood and send it away. The middle toe of foot yangming, above the nail: one mark. The next finger after the thumb of the hand, above the nail: one mark each. It ends at once. Take the left for the right, the right for the left. When pathogen is a guest in the collaterals of hand and foot shaoyin, taiyin, and foot yangming — these five collaterals all meet in the ear, and network above at the left corner. When the five collaterals are all exhausted, they make a person's body-vessels all move, and the form has no knowing. The appearance is like a corpse; some call it corpse-reversal. Needle the inner side of the big toe of the foot, above the nail, a leek-leaf from the tip; then needle the center of the sole; then needle above the nail of the middle toe of the foot, one mark each; then needle the inner side of the thumb of the hand, a leek-leaf from the tip; then needle the heart-governor of the palm and the tip of the sharp bone of shaoyin, one mark each. It ends at once. If it does not end, blow into both ears with a bamboo tube; shave the hair of the left corner, one cun square; roast it and drink it with a cup of good wine; those who cannot drink, pour it in. It ends at once. In all the numbers of needling: first look at the channel vessels; press and follow them; examine vacancy and repletion and regulate them. Those that are not regulated: needle the channels. Those that have pain while the channels are not ill: use crossed needling. Then look at the skin regions for blood collaterals and take them all. This is the number of crossed needling.

The line

Qi Bo said: When pathogen is a guest in the channels, if the left is abundant the right is ill; if the right is abundant the left is ill. There are also those that shift: the left still aches, and the right vessel is already ill. In such a case you must use great needling. You must strike the channel — not the collateral vessels.

The note

When the left is abundant, the right is ill. Crossed needling is to admit that the body is in pairs. The illness is on this side; the road is sometimes on the other.