玉版/Yu Ban

(The Plate of Jade)

黄帝日:余以小针为细物也，夫子乃言上合之于天，下合之于地，中合之于人，余以为过针之意矣，愿闻其故。岐伯日:何物大于天[天:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺篇》“天”作“针者”二字]乎?夫大于针者，惟五兵者焉。五兵者，死之备也，非生之具[具:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺篇》作“备也”二字]。且夫人者，天地之镇也，其不[不:是衍文]可不参乎?夫治民者，亦惟针焉。夫针之与五兵，其孰小乎?

Yellow Emperor said to Qibo:"I thought the small needle is only a trifle before, but now you say the functions of the needle can match the heaven above, the earth below and the man in the middle. I think you have overestimated the original meaning of it, and I hope to know your reasons about it." Qibo said:"What can be larger than the needle? There are only the five weapons are larger than the needle, but the weapons are used for slaughtering, they are not used to save the life of man. Since human being is the most precious thing between heaven and earth, why can not the needle match the heaven and earth? As to the affairs concerning the ruling of the people, they can also be induced by the principle of the needle. Under such consideration, when comparing the functions with that of the five weapons, which one do you think will be smaller?"

黄帝日:病之生时，有喜怒不测，饮食不节，阴气不足，阳气有余，背气不行，乃发为痈疽。阴阳[阴阳:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺》“阳”下并有“气”字]不通，两[两黄校本作“而”]热相搏，乃化为脓，小针能取之乎?岐伯日:圣人不能使化者，为之邪不可[不可:孙鼎宜日:“‘不可’二字衍文”]留也。故两军相当，旗帜相望，白刃陈于中野者，此非一日之谋也。能使其民，令行禁止，士卒无白刃之难者，非一日之教也，须臾之[臾之:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺》作“久之方”]得也。夫至使身被痈疽之病，脓血之聚者，不亦离道远乎。夫痈疽之生，脓血之成也，不从天下，不从地出[不从天下，不从地出:《甲乙》卷十一第九下无“不从”八字]，积微之所生也。故圣人自[自:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺》作“之”]治于未有形也，愚者遭其已成也。

Yellow Emperor asked: "In the course of the disease, if the patient is capricious, fails to practise temperance in eating and drinking, his Yin energy in the five solid organs will be insufficient and the Yang energy in the six hollow organs will be having a surplus to cause the impediment of the Ying and Wei energies and the carbuncle will occur. When the Yin and Yang erergies are obstructed, the accumulated heat evil will turn into pus. Can this kind of disease be treated by pricking with the small needle?" Qibo said: "Since the disease has retained inside for a long period, even a sage can not eliminate the evil-energy immediately. It is like two hostile armies facing each other, their banners are manifesting, their weapons are displaying by the soldiers in the field, the disposition can not be schemed in a single day; when the people in a country can observe the law to avoid being killed for doing the unlawful things, it is not a single day for the people to receive the education concerned. When one's body has the carbuncle with pus accumulating, isn't it not far away from following the principle of preserving health and keeping fit? In fact, the carbuncle and the accumulation of pus are formed by the graduate accumulation of the various trifle causes of disease. Therefore, a sage pays attention to the prevention of the disease and treats it when it is not yet visible, but a dull-witted man can only treat after the disease is shaped."

黄帝曰:其已[已:周本人“以”]形，不予遭，脓已成，不予见，为之奈何?岐伯曰:脓已成，十死一生，故圣人弗使已成，而明为良方，著之竹帛使能者踵而传之后世，无有终时者，为其不予遭也。

Yellow Emperor asked: "When the carbuncle has formed, it is not known by common people, and when the suppuration is completed, it is not understood by common people, what can one do about it?" Qibo said: "When the suppuration is completed, ten of the patient will die and only one can survive. So, the sage formulated a very good prescription in the past for treating the disease before the suppuration, it was written on the bamboo slip and the silk for imparting to the talented people and the later generations endlessly. The reason of the sage who did in this way was precisely due to the fact that the common people did not know it."

黄帝曰:其已[其已:《甲乙》卷十一经九下“已”下有“成”字]有脓血而后遭乎[而后遭乎:《甲乙》卷十一第九下无此四字]，不导之[导之:守山阁《校本》注云:“导之”二字衍]以小针治乎?岐伯曰:以小治小者其功小，以大治大者多害[多害:《甲乙》卷十一第九下任务“其功大”。下有“以小治大者多害大”八字]，故其已成脓血[血:《太素》卷二十三《疽痛逆顺刺》无此字]者，其唯砭石铍锋之所取也。

Yellow Emperor asked: "If the carbuncle has formed with pus, can it be treated by the small needle?" Qibo said: "When using a small needle to treat a small site, its effect will be small, when using a large needle to treat a large site, the effect will be large, thus, when the carbuncle is suppurated with pus, it is advisable to apply the stone needle, the sword-shaped needle or the ensiform needle to remove the pus."