Beautiful Passages from Nei Jing: Needling Heat

The very first chapter of Ling Shu describes the needling method of hot and cold disorders as follows, “刺诸热者， 如以手探汤；刺寒清者， 如人不欲行.”  “When needling heat disorders, needle as though a hand touching [hot] soup; when treating cold disorders, needle like a person that does not want to leave.”  The description of the hand touching the hot soup implies that the doctor, when treating, must insert the needle and then pull the out instantly.  The action of pulling the needle out instantly resembles the instinctual recoil reaction of a person the just touched something very hot.  The rapid removal of the needle creates somewhat of a vent like reaction for the patient.  The skin is pierced and the heat is allowed to escape out of the open hole made by the needle.