Guide to Acupuncture and Moxibustion

A Guide to Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhenjing Zhinan) is a specialized treatise on acupuncture and moxibustion compiled by Dou Mo, a renowned acupuncturist of the Jin-Yuan period (original name Jie, courtesy name Hanqing; later renamed Mo, courtesy name Zisheng). First published in 1295, it is a foundational classic with far-reaching influence in the history of Chinese acupuncture. The book centers on two rhymed fu essays, "Biaoyou Fu of the Needle Classic" and "Fu on the Essentials of Point Selection through Flowing Circulation," which expound acupuncture theory in verse form for easy memorization and clinical reference. It systematically discusses the relationship of needling to meridians, zang-fu organs, qi, and blood; proposes the criterion for obtaining qi, "when qi arrives, the needle feels heavy and tight"; details meridian pathways and the combined use of the five shu points and the eight confluent points; and summarizes the "true-word reinforcing and reducing techniques," standardizing operations such as respiratory reinforcing-reducing, directional reinforcing-reducing, cold-heat reinforcing-reducing, and finger reinforcing-reducing, while also listing acupuncture contraindications and seasonal prohibitions. Appended at the end is "Miscellaneous Discussions on Acupuncture and Moxibustion," covering the location of human spirits within the month, blood branch and blood taboo days, the correspondence of the twelve meridians to the twelve earthly branches, and the method of opening points by flowing circulation. Dou's theories, such as the "eight points of flowing circulation" and "reinforcing and reducing lie in the fingers," were later developed into methods such as the Flying-Teng Eight Methods, and his content was inherited in medical texts including the Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and the Golden Mirror of Medicine. This edition is part of the "Must-Read Series of Classic Medical Texts on Acupuncture and Moxibustion" from China Medical Science Press, edited by Tian Sisheng, in 32-mo paperback, approximately 34,000 characters, suitable as an introductory reader for studying acupuncture classics and clinical reference.