Ancient Literature Research On Moxibustion Health And Taboos

Objective:The aim of this research was to verify definition and actual meaning of ancient and modern moxibustion health preservation,and to comb indications and contraindications of moxibustion health preservation for preventing diseases,strengthening the body and restoring deficiency and promoting longevity in special chapters or monographs from ancient acupuncture and moxibustion books,and to its explore clinical application law and advantages and disadvantages,in order to provide theoretical reference for healthy academic and industrial development of modern moxibustion health preservation.Methods:Concrete issue of ancient moxibustion health preservation were verified and analyzed by the methods of philology and statistics and combination of multi-subject knowledge of science of health maintenance of traditional Chinese medicine,acupuncture and history.Names about preventive moxibustion or acupuncture were retrieved in the Zhonghua Yidian eBook series to verify the relationship between ancient preventive moxibustion and moxibustion health preservation.For the sake of convenience in researching and truthfully reflecting using moxibustion for health preservation of the ancients,40 acupuncture treatises named as "Jiufa" or "jiuli" or "Zhenjiumen" or "Zhenjiupian" or "Jiujing",wrote from the pre-qin to the qing dynasty were selected.Chapters referred to moxibustion health preservation and related contraindications that was retrieved by using "ai" and "jiu" as key words,were looked through page by page to summarize relevant indications,commonly used acupuncture points and contraindications,and to calculate related common syndromes,acupuncture points,quantity and efficacy of moxibustion,and forbidden points,syndromes and mistaken types of moxibustion and its reasons,which further being discussed.Results:1.Application of moxibustion health preservation should be conducted according to climate,locality and individual and treatment based on syndrome differentiation,In particular,which meant moxibustion health preservation should be done according to different circumstances such like seasons and weather conditions,or different geographical conditions such as local conditions and phenological characteristics,or different populations such as young and old,and congenital constitution,etc.There were 34 chapters referred to moxibustion in the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor,including 16 chapters in miraculous pivot and 18 chapters in plain questions,which has recorded six kinds of syndromes such like cold syndrome,collapse of middle Qi,diseases developed in the meridian,deficiency of meridians and deficiency of both yin and yang and wind syndrome that suit for moxibustion.Zhang zhongjing has described the method of moxibustion for the treatment of shaoyin or Jueyin disease with sank pulse and syncope in the subvention of the veins,in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases(NO.292,NO.304,NO.325,NO.343,NO.349 and NO.362).There were 12 terms from 6 ancient medical books from the Sui to tang dynasty that recorded syndromes can be treated by moxibustion health preservation,mainly including the infectious diseases,wind syndrome,barbiers,stroke,carbuncle-abscess and deficiency syndrome,moxibustion the Zusanli point when older than thirty and moxibustion suitable for children and old man.There were 27 terms from 12 ancient medical books from the Song,Jin and Yuan dynasty that recorded syndromes can be treated by moxibustion health preservation,mainly including the wind syndrome,cold syndrome,consumptive disease,barbiers,stroke(2),carbuncle-abscess,sorrow and grief of the heart and somnolence,descending qi need to moxibustion the Zusanli point and moxibustion methods for longevity.There were 37 terms from 14 ancient medical books from the Ming and Qing dynasty that recorded syndromes can be treated by moxibustion health preservation,mainly including consumptive disease,barbiers,stroke,carbuncle-abscess,infectious diseases,exterior cold syndrome,syndromes can moxibustion,infantile malnutrition,Wulao Qishang,emaciation in the summer,hemorrhoids and fistula and moxibustion methods for longevity.2.Acupuncture points were cormmonly used in moxibustion.A total of 40 special chapters referred to ancient moxibustion that was retrieved by using "Xu""Lao" and "Wulao","Qishang"and"Leishou" as key words,to summarize 25 points usually used for moxibustion health preservation,which were as follows according to frequency arrangement Gaohuangyu,Zusanli,Qihai,Shenshu,Hunhu,Zhizheng,Guanyuan and Yixi.According to body regions,distribution of common moxibustion acupoints were as followed:abdomen,back,waist and lower limbs.According to meridians and collaterals,distribution of common moxibustion acupoints were as followed:Pangguang meridian,Ren meridian,Stomach meridian and Kidney meridian.Moxibustion quantity was arranged according to moxibustion frequency:three times(14),one hundred to two and three hundreds times,five times and seven times,and moxibustion times depend on age.3.Indications and contraindications of moxibustion.There were 57points forbidden moxibustion excavated out from ancient medical records.Forbidden moxibustion area included points around cephalic and cervical vessel and the eye,or around joints and major nerves and blood vessels of chest and back,abdomen of the pregnant woman and four limbs.There were only 5 forbidden moxibustion points verified in modern clinical practice,contained Touwei,Yamen,Renying,Sizhukong and Chengqi.There were 28 terms referred to syndromes forbidden moxibustion recorded in ancient dynasties,which contained 5 kinds of diseases wrote in the in the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor that were reversal cold limbs,dyspneal hypochondrium mass,bounding pulse or deficient pulse manifestation of Renying and Cunkou and toxic pathogens remained in chest and hypochondrium.Zhang zhongjing has described 2 kinds of syndromes forbidden moxibustion in the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases(NO.115,NO.116)referred to contraindications and deteriorated syndromes after mistaken moxibustion sucha as heat syndrome,deficiency of yin,convulsive disease with post-moxibustion sore and drunk.There were 13 terms from 6 ancient medical books from the Sui to tang dynasty that recorded syndromes cannot be treated by moxibustion,which included diseases forbidden moxibustion(including over moxibustion,syndromes forbidden moxibustion of febrile Diseases,miasma,cholera,suffered dispersion-thirst disease over 100 days),forbidden moxibustion in pregnant women,forbidden in children(infantile feverish perspiration,avoid acupuncture and moxibustion as much as possible,infantile stomach heat,avoiding moxibustion after the beginning of summer,forbidden preventive acupuncture and preventive moxibustion in children),and forbidden moxibustion by making fire of pine,cypress,bamboo,orange,elm,hawthorn,mulberry and jujube,and forbidden moxibustion after drunk.There were 11 terms from 12 ancient medical books from the Song,Jin and Yuan dynasty that recorded contraindications of moxibustion,including syndromes can be treated by moxibustion(over moxibustion,syndromes forbidden moxibustion of febrile Diseases,suffered dispersion-thirst disease over 100 days,carbuncle-abscess,avoiding moxibustion in consumptive disease during hot summer),forbidden moxibustion in pregnant women,forbidden in children(avoid acupuncture and moxibustion as much as possible,forbidden preventive acupuncture and preventive moxibustion in children,infantile syndrome of extreme heat causing wind,rubella causing blurred vision),excessive moxibustion in convulsion due to high fever would cause headache in elder people.There were 13 terms from 14 ancient medical books from the Ming and Qing dynasty that recorded syndromes can be treated by moxibustion(heat syndrome,over moxibustion,syndromes forbidden moxibustion of febrile Diseases,moxibustion in summer would demonstrate the opposite effect,cough can be treated by moxibustion in canicular days),forbidden in children(forbidden preventive acupuncture and preventive moxibustion in children,fontanel is not completely closed,moxibustion the Zusanli point would harm the eyes),over moxibustion(forbidden moxibustion the Bijiaoxue,over moxibustion cuasing post-moxibustion sore and serious diseases,excessive moxibustion in convulsion due to high fever would cause headache in elder people,the head cannot get excessive moxibustion and moxibustion forbidden in people free from diseases).Conclusions:Moxibustion therapy has indeed effect on preventing disease,strengthening the body and restoring deficiency,and prolonging life,but it should be applied based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,according to the principle of treatment based on syndrome differentiation and abidance by triple pathogens,and closely connecting with clinical practice.There was no special treatise on moxibustion health preservation in ancient medical books,but there a lot of records about application of moxibustion in preventing disease,strengthening health and prolonging life which mainly attached to related chapters of moxibustion in the treatment of diseases."Preventive Moxibustion" in ancient medical books cannot be equal to health moxibustion or moxibustion health preservation in current.While according to the results of the textual research,"Preventive Moxibustion" not only has the meaning of pre-moxibustion before illness but also refer to incorrect unnecessary moxibustion,Although "Preventive Moxibustion" were just not available in the treatment of neonatal convulsive diseases and cholera,but the ancient physicians has emphasized that preventive moxibustion should be abandoned by considering its effectiveness and safety.This study has analyzed relationship between moxibustion and the statement of "if keeping health,Zusanli(ST3 6)frequently being given moxibustion" and analyze its source and clinical significance based on philology and medical principles,which found out that it came out of the book Suosuilu(Trivial Details of Traditional Chinese Medicine)written in early Southern Song Dynasty,which was originally designed for preventing and curing wind diseases.The moxibustion on ST36 is to diffuse and unblock qi and blood of zang-fu organs,but is not to give festering moxibustion.If the statement to be explained as repeated festering moxibustion,it was an misunderstanding of Yubaizhuang moxibution recorded in Beijiqianjinyaofang(Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies)and Bao moxibution recorded in Zhenj iuzishengj ing(Classic of Nourishing Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion)used only in the condition of excessive yang deficiency.Acupressure,frottage and lavipeditum can be selected as healthcare methods of ST36.Considering safety,some mild moxibustion therapies were recommended,such as suspended moxibustion and sandwiched moxibustion,in patients with obvious cold symptoms.Aimed at the statement of necessarily forming "post-moxibustion sore" would work of ancient people,this study has done the textual research on the source of medical knowledge.The statement was early recorded in Wuwei medical bamboo slips of Han Dynasty and Synopsis of Golden Chamber written in Han Dynasty which was originally regarded as the boils by the fire from moxa cone.And the post-moxibustion sores have been perceived as the sign of the moxibustion of resolving pus since Zhenjiu Jiayijing has the records of purulent infection on moxibustion sore resulted by hot straw sandals in Jin dynasty.With proper selection of syndrome differentiation and acupoints,the moxibustion of resolving pus can take effect on the basic of sufficient qi and blood,correct acupoint selection,enough quantitative moxibustion to form the post-moxibustion sore;otherwise the moxibustion couldn't work and produce bad symptoms with the reason of excessive moxibustion,incorrect acupoint selection,violating the evils or improper nursing.So the safety and efficacy of post-moxibustion sore has been questioned by the later physicians,whom advocated abandoning wood fire and setting points forbidden to apply moxibustion aimed at preventing the harm of post-moxibustion sore.The moxibustion sensation of "Arrival of Qi" has been proved as the sign of moxibustion effects in clinic.Therefore,post-moxibustion sore has been not the sign of moxibustion effects.Grasping the thermal characteristics of moxibustion,moxibustion has its specific appropriate syndromes and contraindications of moxibustion.The statement of "health preservation is based on no harm",warned that health preservation of moxibustion was need to avoid the injury caused by moxibustion.Therefore,forbidden moxibustion points,pulses and syndromes,and times and climate recorded in the ancient medical books were warnings from the reverse side of health preservation of moxibustion,in case of healthy people carrying out moxibustion to preserve one's health did not follow the principle of syndrome differentiation and triple pathogens in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),causing bad syndromes and disadvantages due to abused or false moxibustion.Through collating the ancient documents of moxibustion systematically,the correct concept and method of health preservation can be carried forward with strengthening the safety of moxibustion and applying moxibustion based on syndrome differentiation.It is helpful to establish a set of standard of moxibustion with Chinese characteristics and practical significance to provide literature and theoretical reference.