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Chapter 73 states: All Jing-Well points are located where the muscle is shallow and thin, and the Qi is scanty and insufficient for treatment. How should they be needled?
The answer is: All Jing-Well points belong to Wood. Ying-Spring points belong to Fire. Fire is the son of Wood. When it is necessary to needle a Jing-Well point, one should drain its Ying-Spring point. Thus, the classics say that tonification cannot be used as drainage, and drainage cannot be used as tonification; this is what is meant.
All Jing-Well points are located at the tips of the fingers and toes, hence it is said that the muscle is shallow and thin. Qi resides within the muscle. If the muscle is shallow and thin, then the Qi is also weak; hence it is said that the Qi is scanty and insufficient for use. The Jing-Well point belongs to Wood, which is the mother of Fire; the Ying-Spring point belongs to Fire, which is the son of Wood. Therefore, in cases of Liver-Wood excess, one drains its Ying-Spring point; this is the method of "draining the son." If tonification is required, one should tonify its He-Sea point. However, after draining, it cannot be used as tonification; hence it is said that it cannot serve as tonification. Generally, for drainage, one should select the son point; for tonification, one should select the mother point. One must not apply them incorrectly.
Chapter 69 distinguishes the mother-son relationship by differentiating between meridians, whereas this chapter distinguishes it within a single meridian. Although the meanings differ, the underlying principle is the same.
Commentary: Mr. Hua (Shou) stated: A detailed examination of Yue Ren's (Bian Que's) statement reveals that it specifically refers to draining the Jing-Well point. If the Jing-Well point requires tonification, one must tonify its He-Sea point. Hence, he cites the classic saying that "tonification cannot be used as drainage, and drainage cannot be used as tonification," indicating that each has its appropriate application. If tonification and drainage are reversed, the disease will worsen, leading to the danger of "making the excess more excess and the deficiency more deficient" (shí shí xū xū). Can one not be cautious! Otherwise, below the "method of draining the son," there should have been a discussion on the "method of tonifying the mother" above the character "Gu" (therefore), summarized by these two sentences. Otherwise, the textual flow would be disjointed. There may be missing bamboo slips here, and since the original text cannot be verified, we shall leave it for those who know better to supplement.

Chapter 74 states: The classics say that in Spring one needles Jing-Well points, in Summer one needles Ying-Spring points, in Late Summer one needles Shu-Stream points, in Autumn one needles Jing-River points, and in Winter one needles He-Sea points. What does this mean?
The answer is: In Spring, one needles Jing-Well points because the pathogenic factor is in the Liver; in Summer, one needles Ying-Spring points because the pathogenic factor is in the Heart; in Late Summer, one needles Shu-Stream points because the pathogenic factor is in the Spleen; in Autumn, one needles Jing-River points because the pathogenic factor is in the Lungs; in Winter, one needles He-Sea points because the pathogenic factor is in the Kidneys.
In Spring, one needles Jing-Well points because the Jing-Well point belongs to Wood. It is not necessarily that one only needles Jing-Well points in Spring, but rather because the pathogenic factor is in Liver-Wood. The Ying-Spring point belongs to Fire; in Summer, one needles Ying-Spring points because the pathogenic factor is in Heart-Fire. The Shu-Stream point belongs to Earth; in Late Summer, one needles Shu-Stream points because the pathogenic factor is in Spleen-Earth. The Jing-River point belongs to Metal; in Autumn, one needles Jing-River points because the pathogenic factor is in Lung-Metal. The He-Sea point belongs to Water; in Winter, one needles He-Sea points because the pathogenic factor is in Kidney-Water. The original classic text is no longer available. Yue Ren was not far removed from antiquity and could still see ancient medical classics, but they have now perished.
Commentary: The *Ling Shu · Chapter on Dividing One Day into Four Times* states: The Zang organs govern Winter, so in Winter one needles Jing-Well points; colors govern Spring, so in Spring one needles Ying-Spring points; seasons govern Summer, so in Summer one needles Shu-Stream points; sounds govern Late Summer, so in Late Summer one needles Jing-River points; tastes govern Autumn, so in Autumn one needles He-Sea points. These are called the Five Changes, governing the Five Shu points, which is consistent with the above. It seems that the Qi of the Five Zang organs corresponds to the changes of the Five Seasons, and when selecting the Five Shu points, each has its specific governance. Needling a point separated by one position implies transmitting the Qi of the mother through the son. One statement describes the orthodox method of needling, while the other describes the variable method, hence the difference. Additionally, the *Si Shi Qi Pian* (Chapter on Qi of the Four Seasons) states: In Spring, select Jing-River points, between the blood vessels and muscles; if severe, needle deeply; if mild, needle superficially. In Summer, select abundant meridians and collateral vessels, between the muscles, penetrating the skin. In Autumn, select Jing-Shu points; if the pathogen is in the Fu organs, select He-Sea points. In Winter, select Jing-Well and Ying-Spring points, and must needle deeply and retain the needle. This indicates that the Qi of the four seasons resides in different places. Thus, in Spring, one selects meridians between the muscles; in Summer, one selects abundant meridians and collateral vessels, between the muscles and skin. This is because the Qi of Spring and Summer develops from the interior to the exterior. In Autumn, one selects Jing-Shu points; if the pathogen is in the Fu organs, one selects He-Sea points. This reflects the autumn Qi returning from the exterior to the interior. In Winter, one selects Jing-Well and Ying-Spring points and must needle deeply and retain the needle, indicating that winter Qi stores within the interior. The *Ben Shu Pian* (Chapter on Original Transmissions) states: In Spring, select various Ying-Spring points of the collaterals, between the large tendons and muscles; if severe, select deeply; if mild, select superficially. In Summer, select various Shu-Stream points and collateral vessels, upon the muscles and skin. In Autumn, select various He-Sea points, and proceed as in Spring. In Winter, select the divisions of various Jing-Well and Shu-Stream points, hence needle deeply and retain the needle. This describes how Yin and Yang, Qi and Blood, follow the growth, flourishing, harvesting, and storing of the four seasons, moving in and out with varying depth. Since Spring Qi is in the meridians, it is suitable to select collateral vessels. Summer Qi is in the collateral vessels, and Late Summer Qi is in the muscles; thus, it is suitable to select the upper layers of collateral vessels, muscles, and skin. This represents the Qi of Spring and Summer moving from the interior to the exterior. Autumn Qi descends and gathers, so it proceeds as in Spring, generally re-entering from the collateral vessels into the meridians. Winter Qi stores and collects, so one desires deep needling and retention. This is the sequence of entry and exit of the four seasons, the location of human Qi, the abode of pathogens, and the appropriateness of the Five Zang organs corresponding to the five seasons. These two sections differ, yet each contains its own rationale, and there is no need to force them to align.
Why are the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys associated with Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter respectively?
The answer is: Each of the Five Zang organs, when diseased, manifests in five ways. For example, in Liver disease: a green complexion indicates the Liver; a musky odor indicates the Liver; a preference for sour taste indicates the Liver; a tendency to shout indicates the Liver; and a tendency to weep indicates the Liver. Its symptoms are numerous and cannot be fully enumerated. The four seasons have fixed numbers and are all associated with Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The subtlety of needling lies in the finest details (like the tip of an autumn hair).
This passage asks again why the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys are associated with the four seasons. The answer states that when one of the Five Zang organs is diseased, there are five types of pathogens, so one should not be rigid. For instance, in Liver disease: a green complexion indicates the Liver because the Liver governs color. A musky odor indicates the Liver, but internally there may be Heart disease; the Heart governs smell, and when entering the Liver, it manifests as musky. A preference for sour taste indicates the Liver, but internally there may be Spleen disease; the Spleen governs taste, and when entering the Liver, it manifests as sour. A tendency to shout indicates the Liver, but internally there may be Lung disease; the Lungs govern sound, and when entering the Liver, it manifests as shouting. A tendency to weep indicates the Liver, but internally there may be Kidney disease; the Kidneys govern fluids, and when entering the Liver, it manifests as weeping. Taking the Liver as an example, the others can be inferred. This clarifies that the diseases of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs are numerous and not limited to this, but are all unified under the attributes of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, just as the four seasons have fixed numbers and are all associated with Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter. However, the subtlety of needling lies in the finest details, and its variations are infinite. The question asked why the diseases of the Five Zang organs correspond to the four seasons, but the answer only described the symptom patterns. Mr. Hua suspected there might be missing or erroneous text, which is indeed plausible.