四时气/Si Shi Qi

(Application of Different Pricking Therapies in Different Seasons)

黄帝问于岐伯曰:夫四时之气，各不同形，百病之起，皆有所生，灸刺之道，何者为定?岐伯答曰:“四时之气，各有所在，灸刺之道，得气穴为定。故春取经血脉分肉之间，甚者深刺之，间者浅刺之;夏取盛经孙络，取分间绝皮肤;秋取经腧，邪在府，取之合;冬取井荥，必深以留之。

Yellow Emperor asked Qibo:"The weathers in the four seasons are different and the diseases affected by the weathers of the various seasons are different, how to set the principle of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating?"Qibo answered:“When the various energies of the four seasons affect a man to have diseases, they are in the different locations of the body, the principle of acupuncture and moxibustion should be set at the standard of getting the acupuncture feeling. Therefore, in spring, it should prick the collateral and the space between the muscles, prick deeply when the disease is severe and prick shallowly when the disease is slight; in summer, prick the Yang channel, minute collateral, or prick the boundary between the muscles, and the pricking should be shallow to penetrate into the skin; in autumn, prick the Shu-points of the various channels, if the disease is in the six hollow organs, prick the He points; in winter, prick the Well points and the Xing points of the various channels, the pricking should be deeper and the retention of the needle should be longer.

温疟汗不出，为五十九痏。风(疒水)肤胀，为五十七[七:《太素》卷二十三《杂刺》并作“九”]痏，取皮肤之血者，尽取之。

"To the warm-type malaria without sweat, there are fifty nine acupoints for treating, to edema caused by wind-evil and to the edema of the skin, there are fifty nine acupoints for pricking, if there are superficial venules on the skin of the abdomen, they should all be pricked.

飧泄，补三阴之[补三阴之，按“补”字误，似应作“取”，“之”是“交”的误字]，上补阴陵泉，皆久留之，热行乃止。

"To lienteric diarrhea, prick the Sanyinjiao point and invigorate the Yinlingquan point by pricking, the retention of the needle must be longer, and stop the pricking after the occurrence of heat under the needle.

转筋于阳治其阳，转筋于阴治其阴，皆卒刺之。

"To the spasm of the muscle on the outer flank, prick the Yang channels on the outer side of the hand and foot, to the spasm of the muscle in the inner flank, prick the inner side of the hand and foot, and both of them should be pricked with heated needle.

徒(疒水)，先取环谷下三寸，以铍针针之，已刺而箫之，而内之，入而复之[之:《甲乙》卷八第四作“出”]，以尽其(疒水)，必坚，[必坚:应作“必急刺之”]来缓则烦悗，来急则安静，间日一刺之，脉尽乃止。饮闭药，方刺之时徒饮之，方饮无食，方食无饮，无食他食百三十五日。

"When the patient has edema, prick the Guanyuan point three inches below the navel with the sword-shaped needle, after pricking, put a bamboo tube on the needle hole to absorb the water, and it should be carried on again and again to remove the water inside, the pricking should be rapid, as slow pricking will cause the patient to become restless and depression, and the rapid pricking will causc calmness of the patient. The pricking should be carried on every other day, and stop the pricking when the water is exhausted. Besides, the patient should take some tonic after the beginning of the pricking. When the patient has taken the tonic, he must avoid food. When he has taken food, he must avoid tonic, he must not take the food which is not beneficial for treating the edema, and this contraindication should be observed for one hundred and thirty five days.

著痹不去，久寒不已，卒取其三里骨为干。肠中不便，取三里，盛泻之，虚补之。

"When the patient has the wet-type arthralgia and has protracted cold-wetness evil, it should prick the bone inside with the heated needle, if the patient has the tibia bi-syndrome and feels uncomfortable in the stomach, prick the Sanli point; apply purge therapy when the evil energy is overabundant, and apply invigorating therapy when the healthy energy is deficient.