A Research On Acupuncture Taboo Of Huangdi Neijing And Zhenjiu Dacheng

Objective and methods:Acupuncture taboo (AT) is an important part of the acupuncture medicine, so the collation on AT is necessary. The statement about AT in Neijing shows that it has basically formed the theoretical system of AT, and it has a far-reaching influence on the later physicians. Zhenjiu Dacheng enrichs the AT's contents further and is recognized as Neijing's inheritance and development. At present, specific study on AT in Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng has not been found yet. So the paper will collate all the statements on AT scattered in these two books so as to benefit future studies on this topic. The statements on AT in ancient times mostly came from ancient people's clinical practice of acupuncture, and most of them are meaningful for reference to the acupuncture clinic at present. So the studies on the ancient taboos of acupuncture can reduce medical accidents and also are beneficial to the healthy development of acupuncture. Neijing's AT is the origin and Zhenjiu Dachengs is its branch, so the study on AT in both the books is in favor of exploring the historical evolution of AT.Methods for literature study, history study, comparison study and Traditional Chinese Medicine academic study were used comprehensively. In reference to Zhang Jingyue Leij'ing's frame, this paper select the acupuncture classics Neijing as a representative of early ancient acupuncture books; And Zhenjiu Dacheng, which stands for the culmination of Acupuncture, is selected as the late ancient masterpiece and its'statements on AT are arranged according to the classification of Neijingas the paper's latitudes, and classify them into 5 levels and 24 parts as the paper's meridians. So the statements in these two books crisscross in frame and contrast in the periods. Through the method, the paper intends to describe the theoretical framework of AT in the books, and to summarize the ancient taboo comprehensively so as to recognize AT's development with the change of time. Main content of the study and conclusion:The paper is divided into four parts:(A) present research on AT and its trend (B) an overview of AT in Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng (C) 5 levels and 24 parts of the both books. This is the main part of the paper. (D) discussion on AT in Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng.There are about 10 contracupuncture points in Neijing, and most of them are recorded as some contracupuncture area; while the number of contracupuncture points in Zhenjiu Dacheng is up more than 30, and they are recorded as some contracupuncture points rather than some area, which suggests AT statements became more and more specific with the accumulation of acupuncture clinical practices. The discussion in Zhenjiu Dacheng are not as detailed as in Neijing, but extremely precise.As for the depth of acupuncture, Neijing, on the one hand, pays attention to the relations between depth and clinical efficacy; on the other hand, focuses on the relations between depth and safety. However, the depths described in Neijing are obscure, and few points'depths are quantified, while in Zhenjiu Dacheng Kaozhengxuefa, most safety depths of the acupoints are stated, which plays an important role in the development of acupuncture safety.Neijing stated that It is harmful if the retain time is too long or short. While Zhenjiu Dacheng believes that it is appropriate to determine the reinforcing and reducing time according to the doctor's feeling under his finger, which is more practical for clinical application.In Neijing, awareness of sterilization was not strong, while that in Zhenjiu Dacheng was enhanced much. For example, it has stated that the way of selecting needle materials and cooking needles with drugs are used as sterilization.Neijing has taken note of prevention measures on acupuncture accidents. And when acupuncture accidence occurs, Neijing only states when the patient feel uneasy he should be made sit for rest at once, while Zhenjiu Dacheng records more ways to deal with on acupuncture accidents. It recorded a variety of measures to deal with needle faint, and needle breakage, and the external application to prevent the infection of moxibustion scars. When people are in great hunger or famine or other abnormal physiological state, qi in their body would become chaos, so acupuncture can not be applied, otherwise, it is easily to lead faint. Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng, has taken note of the gender and age differences in acupuncture. Men and women, due to the physical characteristics of the structural and physiological differences, some acupuncture treatment can be used to male patients but is not suitable for female patients, especially for pregnant women. As for the baby whose fontanel is not closed, his fontanel region is forbidden to be needled.There would bring forth serious accidents of acupuncture if the diagnosis is not correct, since the patients'conditions and the diseases are complicated and confused. Neijing argues that the doctor of acupuncture should clarify the indications and contraindications of acupuncture, and differentiate the locations and properties of diseases. It should be notified that the principle "taking balance as the treatment goal" can avoid evacuating the vacuity and replenishing the repletion, and over-reinforcing and over-reducing. Compared with the posterior classics of acupuncture, Neijing puts emphasis on the precise differentiation while discussing the contraindications of acupuncture, and regards the errors of differentiations of and syndromes and diseases as an important factor of the untoward effects resulting from acupuncture.Neijing thinks that the movements of qi and blood of human bodies are correlated with the time based on the conceptions of integrated nature and human beings, since human beings are influenced by the nature, the seasons and the climate. Neijing claims that "the nature's AT can not be ignored", and mentions explicitly that the principle of acupuncture "regulating the qi and blood according to the rhythms of nature and time". The contents of temporal AT in Neijing are so fruitful that we can find the AT of four seasons, phases of the moon, particular days represented by Chinese Era (combination of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches), and transitions caused by the day, night and hours. The major contents of temporal AT in Zhenjiu Dacheng can be traced to the source Neijing. The contents of the Yin-yang theory and the Shu-shu (Chinese divinations) studies are so continuously added to those of temporal AT in Neijing that some temporal AT can hardly be understood and reasoned by posterior physicians of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The medical ethics and the medical skills of physicians are so significant for the prevention of accident that they are highlighted in Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng.The taboo of moxibustion is limited to the principles of treatment as far as Neijing is concerned. In contrast, the taboo of moxibustion in Zhenjiu Dacheng is so fruitful that we can find not only contramoxi-points, but also the taboo of moxibustion of locations, quantity of stimulus, time, lighting, body postures, reverse manipulations, posterior regulating, and sequence or orders.The taboo of fire needle is limited to the principles of treatment as far as Neijing is concerned. Fire needles can not be used in the syndrome of heat impediment (bi), not applied to the weak patients either. Zhenjiu Dacheng focuses on some manipulation details of fire needles. Fire needles which are not heating enough can not be applied to the treatment, and fire needles can not be inserted pretty deep either. The contents of venesection and phlebotomy therapy are fruitful in Neijing.The acupuncture and moxibustion taboo are emphasized in Neijingand Zhenjiu Dacheng. the five dimensions of 24 acupuncture taboo parts are an organic whole. Many contents of the acupuncture and moxibustion taboo in Neijing and Zhenjiu Dacheng are so helpful for the clinic medical practice nowadays that the academic research on the acupuncture taboo and moxibustion taboo is furthered by the particular manipulations mentioned by Neijing. In addition, the studies of acupuncture and moxibustion taboo in other aspects mentioned by Neijing are to be strengthened.