阴中有阴。阳中有阳。审知阴阳。刺之有方。得病所始。刺之有理。谨度病端。与时相
应。
内合于五脏六腑。外合于筋骨皮肤。是故内有阴阳外亦有阴阳。在内者。五脏为阴。六腑为
阳。在外者。筋骨为阴。皮肤为阳。故曰病在阴之阴者(阴病在阴分)刺阴之荥输。(如手太
阴经鱼际大渊也)病在阳之阳者。(阳病在阳分)刺阳之合(如手阳明经曲池也)病在阳之阴者
。(阳病在阴分。)刺阴之经。(如手太阴经经渠。其气正盛。即阴中之阳也)病在阴之阳者。
(阴病在阳分)刺络脉。(如手阳明偏历也)故曰病在阳者。名曰风。病在阴者。名曰痹病阴阳
俱病。命曰风痹。病有形而不痛者。阳之类也。(病浅在外。)无形而痛者阴之类也。(病深
在内。)无形而痛者。其阳完(固也)而阴伤之也。急治其阴。无攻其阳。有形而不痛者。其
阴完而阳伤之也。急治其阳。无攻其阴。(凡表里虚实其治皆然)阴阳俱动。(表里皆病)乍有
形。乍无形。(往来不常)加以烦心。命曰阴胜其阳。(阴病甚于阳也。)此谓不表不里。其形
不久。(若求其在表。而里亦病求其在里。而表亦病。此以阴阳并伤故曰不表不里治之为难
。形将不久矣。)风寒伤形。忧恐忿怒伤气。气伤脏。乃病脏。寒伤形。乃应形。风伤筋脉
。筋脉乃应。此形气内外之相应也 病九日者。三刺而已。病一月者。十刺而已。多少远近
以此哀之。久痹不去身者。视其血络。尽出其血。
刺营者出血。刺卫者出气。刺寒痹者内热。(寒痹之留于经者。刺后使内热也)营之生病
也。
寒热少气血上下行。卫之生病也。气痛时来时去。怫忾(音凯)贲响。(肠胃雷鸣。)风寒客于
肠胃之中寒痹之为病也。留而不去。时痛而皮不仁。
刺布衣者。以火淬之。刺大人者。以药熨之。(此明上文刺寒痹者内 之法)
阴中有阴，阳中有阳。若能审慎辨别阴阳，针刺治疗便有了法度。得知疾病发生的起始部位，针刺就有了依据。谨慎地考察疾病的开端，使其与天时变化相适应。
人体内部与五脏六腑相合，外部与筋骨皮肤相合。因此，内部有阴阳，外部也有阴阳。在内部的，五脏属阴，六腑属阳；在外部的，筋骨属阴，皮肤属阳。所以说，病在“阴中之阴”（即阴分中的阴位），应刺阴经的荥穴和输穴（例如手太阴肺经的鱼际穴、大渊穴）；病在“阳中之阳”（即阳分中的阳位），应刺阳经的合穴（例如手阳明大肠经的曲池穴）；病在“阳中之阴”（即阳分中的阴位），应刺阴经的经穴（例如手太阴肺经的经渠穴，此处经气正盛，属于阴中之阳）；病在“阴中之阳”（即阴分中的阳位），应刺络脉（例如手阳明大肠经的偏历穴）。所以说，病在阳分的，称为风病；病在阴分的，称为痹病；阴阳都患病的，称为风痹。
病症表现为有形但无痛感的，属于阳类（因为病位浅表，在外部）；无形但疼痛的，属于阴类（因为病位深在，在内部）。无形而疼痛的，说明阳气完好而阴气受损，应当紧急治疗阴分，不要攻伐阳气；有形但不痛的，说明阴气完好而阳气受损，应当紧急治疗阳分，不要攻伐阴气。（凡是涉及表里虚实的病症，治疗原则都是如此）。如果阴阳之气都出现异常波动（表示表里都患病），症状时而显现时而消失（往来无常），再加上心烦意乱，这叫做阴胜过阳（阴病重于阳病）。这种情况被称为“不表不里”，患者的寿命不会长久。（如果试图从表证治疗，里证也同时发病；试图从里证治疗，表证也同时发病。这是因为阴阳都受到了损伤，所以称为不表不里，治疗起来非常困难，形体将难以保全。）
风寒邪气伤害形体，忧恐忿怒等情绪伤害气机。气机受伤则累及脏腑，从而形成脏病；寒邪伤害形体，则相应地影响形体表现；风邪伤害筋脉，筋脉就会相应受病。这是形体与气机内外相应的道理。
患病九天的，针刺三次即可痊愈；患病一个月的，针刺十次即可痊愈。针刺的次数多少、疗程远近，都以此类推计算。对于久痹之邪滞留身体不去的情况，要观察其血络，将其血液全部放出。
针刺营分，目的是放出血液；针刺卫分，目的是调出气机；针刺寒痹，目的是使体内产生热感（对于停留在经脉中的寒痹，针刺后要使体内产生热感以驱散寒邪）。营分发生病变，会出现寒热交替、气血不足以及上下运行的异常；卫分发生病变，会出现气痛时来时去、胸膈满闷、肠胃雷鸣等现象。风寒客居于肠胃之中，导致寒痹的形成。寒痹留滞不去，时常疼痛且皮肤麻木不仁。
对于平民百姓（布衣），用火针淬刺的方法治疗；对于达官贵人（大人），用药熨的方法治疗。（这里阐明了上文所说的“刺寒痹者内热”的具体方法）。
Yin contains Yin, and Yang contains Yang. If one can carefully discern Yin and Yang, there will be a method for acupuncture. Knowing where the disease originated provides principles for needling. One must cautiously assess the onset of the illness and align it with the timing of seasonal changes.
Internally, the body harmonizes with the Zang-Fu organs; externally, it harmonizes with the sinews, bones, skin, and flesh. Therefore, there is Yin and Yang internally, and there is also Yin and Yang externally. Internally, the Five Zang organs are Yin, and the Six Fu organs are Yang. Externally, the sinews and bones are Yin, and the skin and flesh are Yang. Thus, it is said that when the disease is in "Yin within Yin" (Yin pathology located in the Yin aspect), one should needle the Ying-Spring and Shu-Stream points of the Yin meridians (such as Yuji [LU10] and Dayuan [LU4] of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian). When the disease is in "Yang within Yang" (Yang pathology located in the Yang aspect), one should needle the He-Sea points of the Yang meridians (such as Quchi [LI11] of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian). When the disease is in "Yang within Yin" (Yang pathology located in the Yin aspect), one should needle the Jing-River points of the Yin meridians (such as Jingqu [LU8] of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian, where the Qi is vigorous, representing Yang within Yin). When the disease is in "Yin within Yang" (Yin pathology located in the Yang aspect), one should needle the collateral vessels (such as Pianli [LI6] of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian). Thus, it is said that diseases in the Yang aspect are named Feng (Wind); diseases in the Yin aspect are named Bi (Obstruction); diseases affecting both Yin and Yang are named Feng-Bi.
If the disease presents with visible form but no pain, it belongs to the Yang category (the disease is shallow and external). If it presents with no visible form but with pain, it belongs to the Yin category (the disease is deep and internal). In cases of formless pain, the Yang Qi is intact while the Yin Qi is injured; therefore, urgently treat the Yin and do not attack the Yang. In cases of visible form without pain, the Yin Qi is intact while the Yang Qi is injured; therefore, urgently treat the Yang and do not attack the Yin. (This principle applies to all treatments involving exterior-interior and deficiency-excess patterns.) If both Yin and Yang Qi are disturbed (indicating both exterior and interior are diseased), symptoms appear intermittently and irregularly, accompanied by vexation and heart distress, this is called "Yin prevailing over Yang" (Yin pathology is more severe than Yang pathology). This condition is termed "neither exterior nor interior," and the patient's life will be short. (If one seeks to treat the exterior, the interior is also diseased; if one seeks to treat the interior, the exterior is also diseased. Because both Yin and Yang are damaged, it is called neither exterior nor interior, making treatment difficult, and the physical form will soon perish.)
Cold and Wind pathogens injure the physical form; worry, fear, anger, and resentment injure the Qi. Injury to Qi leads to injury of the Zang organs, resulting in Zang disease. Cold injuring the form corresponds to injury of the form. Wind injuring the sinews and vessels corresponds to injury of the sinews and vessels. This demonstrates the correspondence between form and Qi, inside and outside.
For a disease lasting nine days, three needleings will suffice. For a disease lasting one month, ten needleings will suffice. The number of needleings and the duration of treatment are calculated based on this ratio. For chronic Bi syndrome that persists in the body, observe the blood collaterals and drain the blood completely.
Needling the Ying (Nutrient) level aims to release blood; needling the Wei (Defensive) level aims to release Qi; needling Cold-Bi aims to generate internal heat (for Cold-Bi lingering in the meridians, needling should induce internal heat). Diseases of the Ying level manifest as alternating cold and fever, deficiency of Qi and Blood, and abnormal movement of Qi up and down. Diseases of the Wei level manifest as migratory pain, chest oppression, and borborygmus (rumbling in the intestines). When Cold and Wind pathogens lodge in the intestines and stomach, Cold-Bi arises. If Cold-Bi lingers and does not depart, it causes periodic pain and numbness of the skin.
For commoners ("cloth-clad"), treat with fire-needle cauterization. For nobles ("great persons"), treat with herbal compresses. (This clarifies the methods mentioned above for generating internal heat when treating Cold-Bi.)