Explanations of Channels and Points Series (2 Vols)

Description

When I began studying Chinese language, one of my goals was to read ancient texts on acupuncture-moxibustion. Once I begin trying to decode some of the old acupuncture and moxibustion texts, I was shocked as to how different they were from modern English books on the points. So much of what I had studied in school was nowhere to be found. This brought me to an existential crisis that I have not fully resolved. If modern texts are correct, were the ancients wrong? Did they lack understanding of points functions and indications? If so, how did acupuncture even survive? Or had the modern texts gone astray? But then why does it seem to work in clinic? I have found that understanding ancient acupuncture is not a matter of digging deeper into what we already ‘know’; it is really a different world. Explanation of the Channels and Points is a great place to enter into that world.

Much of this text originated in Língshū 靈樞 (The Miraculous Pivots) or can be found in earlier books such as Zhēnjiu Dàchéng 針灸大成 (The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion). What makes Explanation of the Channels and Points unique is the commentary given by the author. Old texts tend to pass on earlier information and make statements without explanation. Either the student figures out the whys by pondering the text, or he takes the information based on faith in the experience of earlier generations of physicians. Taking information on faith may have been acceptable for Chinese doctors in the past, but in modern times, we want to know why.

While the reasoning in Yuè Hánzhēn’s explanations often does not follow our modern logic, it is still precious for providing insight into how doctors of the past processed information. Chinese medicine is not just learning a bunch of new facts. It also uses a different type of logic. This book not only elucidates why each point treats specific indications; it gives great insight into the manner of thinking used by famous doctors of the past. In this way, we can learn to be more fluent in Chinese medical thought, which will only assist us in treating patients.

– Lorraine Wilcox, L.Ac., translator of Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor

In this second volume of this very important work, Michael Brown and Allen Tsaur have brought us another piece of the puzzle to understanding channels and points. The importance of point indications has, in some quarters, been undervalued in recent years. The creation of systematised “point functions” in the 1950s has led some to believe that point functions alone, without a thorough study of point indications, is a sufficient basis for point selection. However, the bulk of the last two millenia of our historical acupuncture literature is all about indications. Very few other branches of medicine in the world today have anything approaching this treasure trove of collected clinical expertise, each author drawing from a detailed study of previous works, then adding their own commentary and insights based on their own personal clinical experiences. This is how traditional medicines continue to grow and thrive without losing connection to their roots.

John McDonald, PhD (Author of Acupuncture Point Dynamics)