《黄帝内经·灵枢·病传》
外邪侵入各脏腑发生的疾病，如果按照上述五行相克的规律传变，则都有特定的死亡时间，不能运用针刺方法治疗。如果间隔一脏，或者间隔二脏、三脏、四脏传变的，才能够运用针刺方法治疗。
诸病以次相传，如是者，皆有死期，不可刺也；间一脏及二、三、四脏者，乃可刺也。
Diseases caused by external evils that invade various internal organs will have a specific time of death if they spread according to the above law of the five elements counteracting each other, and they cannot be treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture can only be used for diseases that spread with an interval of one, two, three, or four organs.