素问·刺要论 Treatise on the Essentials of Needling
黄帝问曰：愿闻刺要。歧伯对曰：病有浮沈，刺有浅深，各至其理，无过其道；过之则内伤，不及则生外壅，壅则邪从之。浅深不得，反为大贼，内动五藏后生大病。故曰：病有在毫毛腠理者，有在皮肤者，有在肌肉者，有在脉者，有在筋者，有在骨者，有在髓者。是故刺毫毛腠理，无伤皮，皮伤则内动肺，肺动则秋病温疟，泝泝然寒栗；刺皮，无伤肉，肉伤则内动脾，脾动则七十二日四季之月，病腹胀烦，不嗜食；刺肉，无伤脉，脉伤则内动心，心动则夏病心痛；刺脉，无伤筋，筋伤则内动肝，肝动则春病热而筋弛；刺筋无伤骨，骨伤则内动肾，肾动则冬病胀腰痛；刺骨，无伤髓，髓伤则销铄，胻酸，体解㑊然不去矣。
Huangdi asked: I wish to hear about the essentials of needling. Qibo replied: Disease has degrees of superficiality and depth, and needling has corresponding degrees of shallowness and depth; each must reach its proper level, and must not exceed its proper path. If the needle exceeds the proper depth, it injures the interior; if it does not reach far enough, it gives rise to blockage on the exterior, and blockage allows evil qi to follow it in. When shallowness and depth are not properly matched, the needling instead becomes a great harm, stirring the five viscera within and afterward giving rise to serious disease. Therefore it is said: disease may lie in the fine hairs and interstices of the skin, or in the skin, or in the muscles and flesh, or in the vessels, or in the sinews, or in the bones, or in the marrow. Therefore, when needling the fine hairs and interstices, one must not injure the skin; if the skin is injured, it stirs the lung within, and when the lung is stirred, in autumn the patient will suffer warm malaria, with shivering and chills. When needling the skin, one must not injure the flesh; if the flesh is injured, it stirs the spleen within, and when the spleen is stirred, on the seventy-second day of each of the four seasons the patient will suffer abdominal distension and vexation, and loss of appetite. When needling the flesh, one must not injure the vessels; if the vessels are injured, it stirs the heart within, and when the heart is stirred, in summer the patient will suffer heart pain. When needling the vessels, one must not injure the sinews; if the sinews are injured, it stirs the liver within, and when the liver is stirred, in spring the patient will suffer fever with slackening of the sinews. When needling the sinews, one must not injure the bones; if the bones are injured, it stirs the kidney within, and when the kidney is stirred, in winter the patient will suffer distension and lower back pain. When needling the bones, one must not injure the marrow; if the marrow is injured, it will melt away, the shins will ache, and the body will become languid and weak, unable to recover.