其诸阴阳,按其寸口、人迎以调之。(寸口在手,太阴脉也。人迎在头,阳明脉也。太阴行气于三阴,阳明
行气于三阳,故按其寸口、人迎而可以调阴阳也。)切循其经络之凝涩,结而不通者,此于身皆
为痛痹,甚则不行,故凝涩。(切,深也。循,察也。经络为病,身必痛痹,甚则血气不行,故脉道凝涩也。)
凝涩者,致气以温之,血和乃止,其结络者,脉结血不行,决之乃行。(血脉凝涩,气不
至也,故当留针以补,而致其气以温之。致,使之至也。决者,开泄之谓。)气有余于上者,导而下之;
(气有余于上者,病必在上,故当刺其穴之在下者,以导而下之。导,引也。)气不足于上者,推而休之;
(气不足于上者,即刺其在上之穴,仍推其针而休息之。休者,留针以待气也。)其稽留不至者,因而迎之。(
稽留不至,言气至之迟滞者。接之引之,而使其必来也。迎,去声,凡物未来,而迓之使来也。)必明于经
隧,乃能持之。寒与热争者,导而行之;其菀陈血不结者,则而予之。(隧,道也。必明经脉之道路,而后
能执持之也。其有寒热不和者,因其偏而导去之,脉道虽有菀陈,而血不结者,则其势而予治之。
则,度也。予、与同。菀、郁同。)必先明知二十五人,则血气之所在,左右上下,刺约毕也。(凡刺之道,
须明血气,故必知此二十五人之脉理而刺之,大约可以尽矣。)
Regarding various yin-yang imbalances, regulate the body by palpating the Cunkou (Inch Position) and Renying (Jugular Artery) pulses. (The Cunkou pulse is located at the wrist and belongs to the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. The Renying pulse is located at the neck and belongs to the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. The Hand-Taiyin distributes Qi to the three Yin meridians, while the Foot-Yangming distributes Qi to the three Yang meridians; therefore, by palpating the Cunkou and Renying pulses, one can regulate yin and yang.) Palpate deeply and trace along the meridians to identify areas of stagnation, roughness, or obstruction where Qi and Blood are knotted and blocked. These conditions manifest in the body as painful bi-syndrome (painful obstruction syndrome); if severe, circulation ceases entirely, resulting in a stagnant and rough pulse quality. ("Qie" means deep palpation; "Xun" means to inspect or trace. When meridians are diseased, the body inevitably suffers from painful bi-syndrome; when severe, Qi and Blood fail to circulate, causing the vessel channels to become stagnant and rough.) For stagnant and rough pulses, employ methods to induce Qi arrival to warm the channels; once the Blood harmonizes, the condition resolves. For knotted collaterals where vessels are obstructed due to non-circulating Blood, puncture and drain them to restore flow. (Vessel stagnation occurs because Qi fails to arrive; thus, needle retention should be used to tonify and induce Qi arrival for warming. "Zhi" means to cause it to arrive. "Jue" means to open and drain.) If there is an excess of Qi in the upper body, guide it downward. (When Qi is excessive in the upper body, the pathology is necessarily located above; therefore, one should puncture acupoints in the lower body to guide the Qi downward. "Dao" means to guide.) If there is a deficiency of Qi in the upper body, push the needle and retain it. (When Qi is deficient in the upper body, puncture the acupoints located above, continue to manipulate the needle, and allow it to rest. "Xiu" refers to retaining the needle to await the arrival of Qi.) For Qi that lingers and fails to arrive promptly, meet it with the reinforcing technique. ("Jiliu buzhi" describes the sluggish delay in Qi arrival. Intercept and guide it so that it must arrive. "Ying" is pronounced with the falling tone; it means to anticipate and welcome what has not yet come.) One must clearly understand the pathways of the meridian tunnels to master these techniques. In cases where Cold and Heat contend, guide and unblock them; for accumulated stale Blood that has not formed hard knots, treat according to the specific circumstances. ("Sui" means pathway. One must clarify the routes of the meridians before being able to apply these methods effectively. Where Cold and Heat are discordant, follow their bias to guide them away. Although the vessels may contain accumulated stale Blood, if it has not knotted, treat it by assessing its momentum. "Ze" means to measure or judge. "Yu" is synonymous with "give." "Wan" is synonymous with "stagnation.") One must first thoroughly understand the twenty-five constitutions to know the locations of Qi and Blood, their distribution on the left and right, and above and below; only then will the principles of acupuncture be complete. (The way of needling requires clarity regarding Qi and Blood; thus, one must understand the pulse patterns of these twenty-five types of individuals before needling, thereby encompassing the general rules.)