"Dong Yi Bao Jian" Acupuncture Academic Thinking Research

In the history of Korean medicine,Dongyibaojian played a pivotal role,and it can even be said to be the most important medical classic of Korea.Therefore this book has affected many clinicians for hundreds of years.Dongyibaojian is intimately related with Taoist thought,and in order to prevent disease it emphasized the Taoist health preservation techniques.Editor Xu Jun had a great interest in Taoism,he also had interaction with several masters of internal alchemy,so Taoist internal alchemy thought had a powerful influence on Dongyibaojian.On the other hand,the medical ideas of Dongyibaojian were based on the Nei Jing and also influenced by theories from the Jin and Yuan dynasty,thereby it could establish its own system of medical theory.ObjectiveDongyibaojian is a medical encyclopedia,not an acupuncture book.However,there is much acupuncture content in Dongyibaojian,and those acupuncture theories and prescription also have great clinical value.The amount of acupuncture content in Dongyibaojian is comparable to that of acupuncture classics.It has acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions for 51 kinds of deseases,and even today it is widely used in clinical practice.Since the Taoist internal alchemy thought is the most distinctive features of Dongyibaojian,it is reasonable to assume that the acupuncture and moxibustion content was influenced by the ideas of Taoist internal alchemy.This research is designed to analyze chapters in Dongyibaojian that focus on Taoist content,and to identify a link between Taoist theories and therapeutic methods contained therein.Method(1)Analyze the Jing chapter,Qi chapter,Shen chapter,and identify a link between Taoist theories and therapeutic methods contained therein.(2)Research the therapeutic applications in other chapters that were related to Taoism.(3)Research the characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.Result(1)Dongyibaojian regarded the Dantian as highly important,so it frequently uses the umbilical moxibustion method.The Dantian is an important hub in the practice of internal alchemy.Xu Jun attached great importance to the Dantian.In the chapter of Shenxing,Xu Jun stressed many times the way to train the Dantian.Although Qihai and Guanyuan are intimately related with the Dantian,he considered that the navel to be linked to the Dantian,so he chose umbilical moxibustion methods to treat various diseases,in order to recover Yang Qi and achieve longevity.(2)Dongyibaojian focuses on the Jing Qi Shen,and treats them with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.In the Jing chapter,Xu Jun stressed the principle of preserving semen.By treating points of the Kidney meridian,Ren Mai,Bladder meridian to tonifying kidney and inducing astringency,thereby treating diseases related to semen loss.These therapies combined with Daoyin techniques aim to nourish the essence and promote longevity.In the Qi chapter,Qi training methods are introduced to treat mainly Qi disorders or diseases caused by Qi stagnation.Xu Jun proposes the use of Qihai for any diseases related to Qi.In the Shen chapter,Xu Jun proposes treating Shen primarily through treating the heart.The acupuncture point selection is directly based on the principle that the heart can treat mental disorders according to Nei Jing theory,thereby nourishing the heart and tranquilizing the mind as well as curing Shen disorders and Qi exhaustion.Through the recuperation of Jing,Qi,and Shen,one can achieve an ideal state of health.(3)Dongyibaojian emphasizes the three energetic gates of the back,so it makes good use of moxibustion on the back.The three gateways of the back and the mud ball palace are shown in the diagram of body and organs,which is a reflection of the Taoist internal alchemy thought.The three gateways of the back comprise the path between Dantian and the mud ball palace,and is the basis for extended applications.Through applying moxibustion to the back,the functions of moving primordial Qi from the Dantian to the mud ball palace,tonifying Yang,tonifying Qi,promoting the circulation of Qi,and eliminating stagnation can be achieved,and used to cure various diseases.The treatment of disease with back moxibustion can be divided into five types of syndromes:deficiency syndromes,deficient heat syndromes,phlegm-dampness syndromes,excess syndromes,and blood syndromes.(4)The acupuncture and moxibustion theory in Dongyibaojian is written from a particular point of view:"acupuncture cannot tonify,but moxibustion can";Donibaojian includes methods of selecting the day and time that is ideal to treat the patient with acupuncture based on their detailed location and time;Dongyibaojian does not contain the acupuncture mnemonic songs because Xu Jun attached great importance to the principle of flexibly selecting acupoints according to the state of an illness.Concerning clinical treatment in Dongyibaojian,Zusanli is the most frequently chosen acupuncture point,followed by Hegu,Qihai,Zhongwan,Guanyuan,Sanyinjiao,etc.in decreasing order,which demonstrates the importance placed on the treatment of Qi and digestive organs.In Dongyibaojian,ironing therapy up is used to 60 times,which shows the emphasis that Dongyibaojian places on warming methods.Almost every chapter in Dongyibaojian contains health preservation theory and Daoyin methods,and they were organized into a combined treatment system,which includes herb and acupuncture therapy.ConclusionThe thought of Taoist internal alchemy can be seen by analyzing the acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions in Dongyibaojian.Such features combined with standard medical theory,expand the scope of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.In addition,Taoist thought is primarily concerned with the original essence of human physiology,it enlightens clinicians about how to use acupuncture and moxibustion therapy to treat the root of the problem.