I have long been aware of the penalties of making Incomplete Lists for nulling. But only last week did I find the only sources of the DIRTY NEEDLE.

Most auditors are sitting there beating their pcs to death with Mid Ruds every time the needle dirties up. This is a Gross Auditing Error. The auditor who neglects this manifestation of DIRTY NEEDLE is going to wind up with no Item or RS on his or her pc.

With the single exception of the first entrance to a case, when cleaning a needle depends on finding an Item, or Item No. 1, all DIRTY NEEDLES STEM FROM INCOMPLETE LISTS OR MISSED ITEMS.

On even rough cases, the complete listing of the first line that will produce an RS will banish chronically dirty needles. And the dirty needle won’t return until the auditor fails to complete a list.

The best test for a complete list is to nul the first ten items and if a dirty needle shows up at all (which is to say if the Mid Ruds go out) then the list must be added to, the Mid Ruds put in and nulling resumed. DON’T just put Mid Ruds in. You’ll ruin them for the pc, get a protest going and never get anything done.

If the last 6 or 8 Items suddenly collect a necessity to put in Mid Ruds before you can go on, do the same operation: add to the list, then put in the Mid Ruds.

It is timesaving to complete the list. Even if it seems longer to nul a longer list, how can you do it with a Dirty Needle? And you’ll come to nothing anyway.

Sometimes you have to use your judgment and get the Mid Ruds in enough to coax the pc to list more. But the easy way is to list more and then get the Mid Ruds in.

The basic procedure of Assessment is:

1. Determine the line to be listed (the question).
2. Clear the question as needful with the pc.
3. Ask the question often enough to keep the pc going but don’t use it to stop the pc from listing, acknowledge softly if at all while writing Items or Levels.
4. When pc says no more, put in the Mid Ruds and see if the question (a) reacts on the meter. If it does and the reaction is not an ARC break, continue the listing. If an ARC break, clean it up and test again. If the question reacts, continue the listing until pc says no more, get in Mid Ruds and test question.
5. Repeat (d) if question still reacts after listing.
6. Start nulling.
7. If Dirty Needle develops at any stage of nulling, add to list, get in Mid Ruds and continue nulling.
8. Nul down to 3 to 8 Items or Levels in. Tiger Drill each Item or Level in turn. If Dirty Needle develops continue listing, get in Mid Ruds, come down again to 3 to 8 Items or Levels in and start Tiger Drilling.
9. Choose the last Item in. It won’t go out if all the above were done right.

Don’t use Mid Ruds or any part of them as a response to a pc origin. Don’t punish the pc for originating or commenting.

DIRTY NEEDLES mean incomplete lists. They don’t mean anything else.

A dirty needle can be turned on by very lousy CCHs and very lousy 3GAXX. The usual answer is a good Problems Intensive.

However, one good assessment with the right question, listed to a complete list and a Reliable Item will turn off the dirtiest needle in Christendom or China either.

What is a Complete List?

COMPLETE LIST = Any list listed for assessment that does not produce a Dirty Needle while nulling or Tiger Drilling.