典藏书目

[Prescription Song] Use the Pi needle (Pi Zhen, a flat double-edged surgical knife) to drain pus and remove polyps; the lightness, heaviness, speed, and slowness of insertion depend entirely on the practitioner's mind. If the skin is thin and the needle is inserted too deeply, healthy flesh will be injured; if the flesh is thick and the needle is inserted too shallowly, the pathogenic toxin will remain. For swellings that are high and soft, insert the needle 4-5 fen deep; for hard and swollen areas, insert 6-7 fen deep. For swellings that are flat with no change in skin color, this condition requires insertion to a depth of approximately 1 cun. When toxic lesions occur on the back, abdomen, ribs, or hypochondrium, insert the flat needle obliquely to preserve the body [and avoid damaging internal organs]. To create a large opening, withdraw the needle obliquely; to create a small opening, withdraw it straight out; this method must be followed. In cases of Qi deficiency, tonification should be performed first, followed by needling; once pus is discharged and symptoms recede, the effect is miraculous. It should be used after ten days or half a month, so that the toxin is expelled outward without harming the person. There are also situations where needling is not suitable, such as goiters, winter months, and areas involving bones and tendons.

[Annotation] The Classics state: "Polyps formed by Qi stagnation in carbuncles should be opened and removed with a needle." It also states: "The tip of the Pi needle is sharp like a blade, used to extract large amounts of pus." Hence, Pi needles are used to drain pus and remove polyps. The techniques of lightness, heaviness, speed, and slowness have their own fixed principles, relying on the practitioner's judgment and application, and must not be applied randomly. Generally, inserting too deeply into thin skin damages healthy tissue, while inserting too shallowly into thick flesh prevents the toxin from exiting. Broadly speaking, high and soft swellings are located in the muscle layer, requiring insertion of 4-5 fen; low and hard swellings are located in the tendon and vessel layer, requiring insertion of 6-7 fen; flat swellings with unchanged skin color are attached to the bone, requiring insertion of approximately 1 cun. If toxins arise in areas such as the back, abdomen, ribs, and hypochondrium, oblique insertion is appropriate to prevent penetrating the body membrane. Once the needle penetrates the pus, observe the wound opening where the pus may appear like beads. At this time, to enlarge the opening, withdraw the needle obliquely; to narrow the opening, withdraw it straight out. This is referred to as "counteracting to seize it, following to take it." Subsequently, use a cotton-paper wick dipped in Yuanzhu Ointment to guide the drainage, ensuring the pus gathers evenly. Remove the wick after two to three shi hours. Apply Taiyi Plaster to the wound opening and spread Wulong Bone powder around the periphery. For those with deficient Yuan Qi, tonification must precede needling; once pus is discharged, all symptoms will subside. Furthermore, there is a specific timing for needling; it should not be too early nor too late. Within ten days, if the sore is still hard, use the Pi needle to puncture at the neck area. After half a month, if there is no suppuration or putrefaction, use the Pi needle to puncture three holes in a "pin" character pattern. Do not concern yourself with depth; stop when pain is felt. Then, use the Medicinal Cylinder Extraction Method to draw out the toxin. There are also contraindications for needling, such as goiters, tubercles, areas near tendons at the umbilicus and joints, and during the winter season of storage, all of which are prohibited.