小针解（部分）/Xiao Zheng Jie

(Explanation on Small Needle)

所谓易陈者，易言也。难入者，难著于人也。粗守形者，守刺法也。上守神者，守人之血气有余不足，可补泻也。神客者，正邪共会也。神者，正气也。客者，邪气也。在门者，邪循正气之所出入也。未睹其疾者，先知邪正何经之疾也。恶知其原者，先知何经之病，所取

之处也。

The so called “easy to relate” means it is easy to talk about the disease. The so called“hard to enter”means a common man can hardly understand clearly the subtleness of the disease. The so called “the physician of lower level adheres to the outer appearance” means a physician of lower level can only treat according to the routine of pricking. The so called“

the physician of advanced level treats according to the essentials of the disease” means a superior physician can perceive the sthenic or asthenic conditions of the patient to determine the treating of invigorating or purging. The so called “spirit and guest” means the co-existence of the healthy energy and the evil energy in the channel. The so called “spirit” means the

healthy energy, and “guest” means the evil energy. The so called “by the door” means the evil energy comes in and goes out along with the healthy energy through the striae. The so called “missing the disease” means the physician has no idea where the disease is. The so called “ how can the source of the disease be known?” means how can one know to which

channel the disease belongs and with which acupoint should the disease be treated.

刺之微在数迟者，徐疾之意也。粗守关者，守四肢而不知血气正邪之往来也。上守机者，知守气也。机之动，不离其空中者，知气之虚实，用针之徐疾也。空中之机，清净以微者，针以得气，密意守气勿失也。其来不可逢者，气盛不可补也。其往不可追者，气虚不可泻也。不可挂以发者，言气易失也。扣之不发者，言不知补泻之意也，血气巳尽而气[而气不下:“气”似应作“病”]不下也。

The so called “the clue of pricking is in the speed" means it is important to master the fast and slow speed of inserting and drawing the needle. The so called“ the physician of lower level sticks to the joint”means a physician of lower level adheres only to the pricking acupoints on the extremities without knowing the abundant or deficient energy condition, the coming and going of the blood and the healthy energy. The so called “ a superior physician accords with the mechanism of the disease” means a physician of advanced level knows the general rule of the change of the functional activities of vital energy so that he can invigorate or purge properly by pricking. The so called “in treating the different conditions of the vital energy, it can not divorce from invigoration and purging” means one must know first the abundance or deficiency of the energy in the acupoint, then can he apply the therapy of invigoration or purging. The so called “be sure to examine the energy carefully and calmly” means examine the coming and going of the energy carefully after getting the acupuncture feeling so

as not to miss the opportunity of invigorating or purging. The so called “do not oppose diametrically the energy that is coming” means one must not invigorate when the evil energy is overabundant. The so called “do not pursue the energy that is going” means do not purge when the healthy energy is debilitative. The so called “one must not make light of the

acupuncture feeling” means the feeling of acupuncture after pricking can casily fade away. The so called “fails to shoot out as if the arrow is fastened on the bow string” means when one knows not the meaning of invigorating and purging and prick erroneously, it will cause the energy and blood to become exhausting and the discease will not be cured.