The six changes · liu bian

Huang Di said: The six changes of disease — how are they needled? Qi Bo answered: All that are urgent are mostly cold; the slow are mostly hot; the large have much qi and little blood; the small have little blood and qi; the slippery have abundant yang qi with slight heat; the rough have much blood and little qi with slight cold. Therefore for the urgent, insert deeply and retain long; for the slow, insert shallowly and withdraw the needle quickly to remove the heat; for the large, slightly reduce the qi and do not let blood out; for the slippery, withdraw the needle quickly while inserting shallowly, to reduce the yang qi and remove the heat; for the rough, one must hit the vessel and retain the needle long according to its adverse or favorable course. One must first press and follow it, and when the needle is withdrawn press the hole quickly, not letting the blood come out, so as to harmonise the vessel. As for all the small, yin and yang, form and qi are all insufficient: do not take them with the needle, but regulate them with sweet medicine.