凡用针。当先明骨节。骨节既定。然后分别经络所在。度以身寸。以明孔穴。为施刺灸
观病在或浅或深。若在皮毛。若在血脉。是动者治其气。所生病者治其血。浮络之血在筋者以
燔针劫刺之。有余则泻。不足则补。不盛不虚。以经取之。治之大体也。然身骨本之数。三
百六十有五以应一期之日。骨节所在。大小长短。广狭浓薄。或隐或显。有势无势。有体
无体。有液无液。皆有定体。实刺法之先务也。内经俱载。但有骨穴去处。其骨度之说。徒
有其名。未载其法。至于三百六十五之数。因亦泯然。使用针之人。妄意 穴。不知骨节本
原。徒为针灸。未得其法。枉伤肌肉。良可惜也。今摭自古医经。有骨度之数。析骨之论。凡
三百六十五骨之法。以此论骨骼。其庶几矣。故着于篇。以冠针法之首云。
古有离合真邪云者。盖圣人欲其真邪相离。而勿合之谓也。若邪入于真。则真受其蠹。
而不遂其纯一之真。真之不遂。则其所为真也。罹害有不可言者。其被乎邪。则邪窃其柄。而
肆其横逆。邪之既横。则其邪为患。复可胜言哉。呜呼。真邪之不可合也如此。胡为真。胡
为邪。真之为言也。天理流行。赋与万物。得以为生者皆真也。圣人保之。如持盈满。邪之
为言也。天地间非四时五行之正气。而差臻迭至者。皆邪也。圣人避之。犹避矢石。其防微
杜渐之严。如是者渊乎旨哉。盖真立则邪退。邪厉则真残。邪固可除。真尤宜养。养之之道
无须异求。但饮食男女。节之以限。风寒暑湿。御之以时。复能实慈恕以爱人。虚中怀而
应物。念虑必为之方。举止必为之敬。如斯内外交养周备。则吾之生。不求生而生。无期寿
而寿矣。不然，摄养或少不严。则六邪乘隙竞入。诸疾交生。众害并作。则吾生之真。所与
存者有几。故圣人忧之。为揆度权衡机宜所在。示之以克邪之方。使屏之如雪污。拔刺而无
遗者以此。古人有云。植德务滋。除恶务尽。亦此意也。然去邪之方。经所具存。再拜遗铨
敬为节录。
凡是使用针刺治疗时，应当首先明确骨节的位置。骨节位置确定后，然后分别辨别经络的所在之处。通过度量身体上的“寸”（同身寸），来明确穴位的具体位置，从而施行针刺和艾灸。
观察病邪是在浅层还是深层。如果病在皮毛，如果在血脉，对于“是动病”（因经气变动而发生的疾病）要治其气；对于“所生病”（由气血病变引发的具体病症）要治其血。浮络中的瘀血如果在筋脉处，就用燔针（烧红的针）进行劫刺。实证用泻法，虚证用补法。如果不盛不虚，则从本经取穴治疗。这是治疗的总体原则。
然而，人体骨骼总数共有三百六十五个，以对应一年三百六十五天。骨骼所在的位置，大小、长短、宽窄、厚薄，有的隐蔽，有的显露，有的有势态，有的无势态，有的有形质，有的无形质，有的有液，有的无液，都有固定的形态。这确实是针刺疗法的首要任务。《内经》中都有记载，但只有骨穴的位置，关于骨度的说法，徒有其名，没有记载具体的测量方法。至于三百六十五这个数字，也因此模糊不清。导致使用针刺的人，随意猜测穴位，不知道骨骼的根本来源，只是盲目地进行针灸，没有得到正确的方法，白白损伤肌肉，实在可惜。现在搜集自古医经中有骨度数量的内容，分析骨骼的论述，凡涉及三百六十五骨的方法，以此论述骨骼，大概就差不多了。所以写在这篇里，作为针刺方法的首章。
古代有关于“离合真邪”的说法，大概是圣人希望真气与邪气分离，而不让它们相合的意思。如果邪气侵入真气，那么真气就会受到损害，而不能保持其纯粹的一体之真。真气不能保持纯粹，那么它所表现出的“真”，遭受的危害就有不可言说的了。邪气被真气所容纳，就会窃取主导权，肆意横行霸道。邪气既然横行，那么它造成的祸患，又怎么可以说得尽呢？唉，真气和邪气不可以相合竟然到了这种地步。什么是真？什么是邪？所谓的“真”，是指天理流行，赋予万物，得以生存的都是真。圣人保护它，就像捧着满盈的水杯一样小心。所谓的“邪”，是指天地间不是四时五行正气的，而是偏差错杂交替到来的，都是邪。圣人躲避它，就像躲避箭矢石头一样。防范细微、杜绝渐变的严谨程度，像这样深远而旨意奥妙啊。大概真确立则邪退却，邪猛烈则真残损。邪气固然可以去除，真气尤其应该养护。养护的方法无须另外寻求，只要饮食男女，加以节制和限制；风寒暑湿，按时令来防御；又能以慈爱宽恕之心爱人，内心虚空中正而应对事物，念头思虑必定合乎规矩，举止行为必定保持恭敬。像这样内外共同修养周全完备，那么我的生命，不刻意求生而自然能生，不期望长寿而自然长寿了。不然的话，摄生保养稍微不够严谨，那么六淫邪气就会乘虚而入竞相侵袭，各种疾病交错产生，众多危害同时发作，那么我生命中真正的东西，还剩下多少呢？所以圣人对此感到忧虑，为了权衡衡量机宜所在，示给人克制邪气的方法，使排除邪气像雪洗污垢、拔除刺芒一样不留遗患，就是基于这个原因。古人说：培养德行务必使其滋长，根除恶行务必彻底。也是这个意思。然而祛除邪气的方法，经典中都已具备，再次拜谢遗留的诠解，恭敬地节录下来。
Whenever acupuncture is employed, one must first clarify the locations of bone joints. Once the bone joints are determined, one then distinguishes the courses of the meridians. By measuring using "body inches" (cun, a proportional measurement based on the patient's body), the acupoints are identified for the application of needle and moxibustion therapies.
Observe whether the disease is superficial or deep. If it lies in the skin and hair, or in the blood vessels: for "Shi Dong" diseases (disorders arising from the movement of meridian Qi), treat the Qi; for "Suo Sheng" diseases (conditions resulting from pathological changes in Qi and Blood), treat the Blood. For stagnant blood in the superficial collaterals located at the tendons, use burning needles (Fan Zhen) for rapid puncture. Apply the reducing method for excess conditions and the tonifying method for deficiency conditions. For conditions that are neither excess nor deficiency, select points from the affected meridian itself. This constitutes the general principle of treatment.
However, the total number of bones in the human body is three hundred and sixty-five, corresponding to the days of a year. The locations of these bones vary in size, length, width, and thickness; some are concealed, others exposed; some have distinct postures, others do not; some have form, others do not; some contain fluid, others do not. All possess fixed structures. This knowledge is indeed a primary prerequisite for acupuncture techniques. Although recorded in the *Neijing* (Inner Canon), only the locations of bone-associated acupoints are listed, while the specific methods for determining bone measurements remain unnamed. Consequently, the significance of the three hundred and sixty-five figure has become obscure. As a result, practitioners often guess at acupoint locations arbitrarily, ignorant of the origins of bone structures, performing acupuncture blindly without mastering the correct methods, thereby needlessly injuring muscles—a truly regrettable situation. Herein, I have collected data on bone measurements from ancient medical classics and analyzed discussions on skeletal structure. Regarding the methods involving three hundred and sixty-five bones, this treatise on skeletal anatomy should suffice. Therefore, it is written here as the opening chapter of acupuncture methods.
The ancients spoke of "Separating True from Evil" (Li He Zhen Xie). This implies that the Sage wished for True Qi (Zhen Qi) and Pathogenic Factors (Xie Qi) to remain separate and not merge. If pathogenic factors invade True Qi, the latter suffers damage and loses its pure integrity. When True Qi is compromised, the harm inflicted upon its manifestation is indescribable. If True Qi harbors pathogens, the pathogens seize control and act recklessly. Once pathogens run rampant, the disasters they cause are beyond enumeration. Alas, the incompatibility of True Qi and Pathogens is thus profound. What is True? What is Evil? "True" refers to the flowing Heavenly Principle endowed upon all things, enabling life. The Sage protects it with extreme caution, like holding a vessel filled to the brim. "Evil" refers to anything in the world that deviates from the regular Qi of the Four Seasons and Five Elements, manifesting as irregular and alternating disturbances. The Sage avoids it as one would avoid arrows and stones. The strictness of preventing subtle beginnings and stopping gradual progression is so profound and significant. Generally, when True is established, Evil recedes; when Evil is fierce, True is depleted. While Evil can be eliminated, True requires particular nourishment. The method for nourishing it requires no special search: merely regulate diet and sexual activity with limits; defend against Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, and Dampness according to the seasons; cultivate compassion and forgiveness towards others; maintain an empty and upright heart to respond to external matters; ensure thoughts and reflections adhere to propriety, and actions and demeanor remain respectful. Through such comprehensive internal and external cultivation, life will naturally sustain itself without seeking longevity, and longevity will naturally be achieved without expectation. Otherwise, if health preservation is not rigorous enough, the Six Evils (pathogenic factors) will exploit weaknesses and invade competitively, various diseases will arise simultaneously, and multiple harms will occur together. In such cases, how much of one's True essence remains? Thus, the Sages were concerned. To weigh and measure the appropriate timing and methods, they provided ways to overcome pathogens, aiming to expel them as thoroughly as washing dirt with snow or removing thorns without leaving remnants. The ancients said: "Cultivate virtue diligently to let it flourish; eradicate evil completely." This conveys the same meaning. However, the methods for eliminating pathogens are already contained in the Classics. With gratitude for the preserved explanations, I respectfully excerpt them.