So far, there have been 361 acupuncture points and about 400 qi acupuncture points.
These acupuncture points play an important role in the clinical practice of acupuncture. However, there is little literature on explaining the meaning of acupuncture point names. The author has learned from this, and the author chooses to discuss it:
The acupuncture point was originally discovered in the form of "pressing it quickly" and "taking pain as a stomach". At that time, the acupuncture points had neither a fixed position, nor a fixed indication, nor did they depart from the original prototype, that is to say, there was no inherent specificity and substantive basis, of course, there could be no name, so it was generally called "A is a point", "Tianying point", "indefinite point" and so on. Subsequently, with the development of acupuncture, the location and performance of acupuncture points were affirmed, and the basis of specificity and substance was affirmed, so the name of acupuncture points gradually appeared. From the fact that the naming of the acupuncture point is mostly based on the theories of yin and yang five elements, visceral qi and blood, etc., the formulation of the name of the acupuncture point may have begun in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and gradually became complete during the Warring States period.
The formulation of the names of the acupuncture points has been made since they were ancient, and few people have been able to explain them clearly one by one. In the medical literature of the past, there are also very few works on the meaning of acupuncture points. What can now be examined and seen is the commentary on the meaning of the names of the fifteen meridian acupuncture points in the ninth volume and fifteen veins of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classics Taisu written by Yang Shangshan of the Sui Dynasty. There is also the book "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classics mingtang" written by Yang Shi, which also explains the fourteen jingjing points. Unfortunately, the survivor of this book is only a volume of ten caves (Inner Shaoyun Gate Cave), and the rest of them have been scattered.
The Tang Dynasty Sun Simiao's "Qianjin Fang" and the Ming Dynasty Zhang Jiebin's "Class Classic" both make a comprehensive account of the meaning of the name of the acupuncture point, such as "all the holes, the name is not in vain, all have a deep meaning".
However, it is not annotated on a case-by-case basis.
After the Tang and Song dynasties, there was little development, until the Qing Dynasty, when Haiyang Cheng ZhiFusheng wrote the book "Medical Solution", which explained the fourteen sutras point by point. However, this book is not widely published, the medical history is rarely recorded, and most of it is collected and treasured by good ancient families. In addition, there are few monographs that interpret the names of acupuncture points.
The ancients named the cave according to a certain method and a certain basis. These methods and bases, if summarized in detail, can be classified as follows:
(1) Method of naming aces
The specificity of the brain acupuncture point is objectively existing, and the ancients first summarized it into a concept according to the specificity of the metaphorical acupuncture point, and then formulated the name of the acupuncture point. There are about four methods:
1. Analogy method: This method is based on the specificity of the acupuncture point, combined with the characteristics of other things in nature, according to the phenomenon and nature of the interconnection between things, the analogy method is used to delineate and describe the acupuncture point to be named, so that the image or function of the acupuncture point is concretely reflected through the name.
The ancients observed the role and influence of meridian qi in the meridians, which are similar to those of flowing water, so they formulated names for the popular phenomenon of water to compare the function of acupuncture points, such as naming the acupuncture points where the meridian qi enters the sea and Ze. For example, the combined acupoint of the hand taiyin measures its long ruler from the mouth of the inch, so it is named "ruze"; the hand sun belongs to the small intestine, and the joint point into which the qi enters is named "Xiaohai". The acupuncture points at the depth of the qi are named yuan and spring. For example, the original acupoint of the hand Taiyin, because the pulse qi is here, is broad and deep, so it is called "Taiyuan"; the kidney of the foot shaoyin is the water meridian, so the acupuncture point that is deeply concentrated in the life is "water spring". The qi passes through the more narrow acupuncture points called grooves. For example, the acupuncture point of the hand Shaoyang is between the three inches and two bones behind the wrist, the wrist belongs to the upper limb, the word "limb" is ancient and "branch", the pulse qi passes through this point, narrow as a ditch, so it is called "branch groove"; and if the foot Shaoyang has an acupuncture point outside the condyle bone, five inches above the knee, the upper wind market, down to the Yang Pass, this cave is centered, and when the pulse qi passes, it is like water traveling in the ditch, quite narrow, so it is called "middle desecration". Through the shallow points of the acupuncture points, the meridian qi is called chi and zhu, such as the "Yang Pond" and "Zhongzhu" on the back of the hand.
Another analogy is used for personnel: the city or the government represents the place where the qi gathers, such as "wind city", that is, this point is the place where the lower limb wind gathers, so the good management of stroke is dry, which is the key point to get rid of the wind; "Zhongfu" is the place where the middle qi house gathers, so it is the meeting of the hands and feet. The Tao and Li represent the places where the meridian qi passes, such as the hand is less yin belongs to the heart, the heart hides the god, and the deification becomes the spirit, so the meridian points that its pulse qi travels are called "spiritual paths"; its access to the network points in the table is named "Tongli". The chamber and the house are metaphorically the places where the qi is retained. For example, "Yi She" and "Zhi Room" are acupuncture points retained by temper and kidney qi. Doors and households are metaphorically referred to places where qi enters and exits, such as the brittle hole where the liver and soul enter and exit are called soul doors; the places where the lungs enter and exit are "Lu Hu". Through the air flow focus on the important places to do the guan, beam, foot Yang Ming in the upper abdomen has two. Acupuncture points, just the important places for the inflow and outflow of stomach qi, are called "closing doors" and "beam doors". The acupuncture points that are retained by the qi and dwell deeply are called the hall or que, such as the place where the mind is retained, there is a "divine hall"; the place where the heart qi gathers is called the "giant que".
There is also a naming method that symbolizes the flesh and bones of the cave where the cave is located: where the bulge is compared to mountains, mausoleums, hills, and ruins; the low depression is compared to streams and valleys. The metaphor of the position of the acupuncture point above is heaven; the metaphor of the position below is the earth. All fall within the scope of this law and are not given as examples.
2. Pictogram method: This method directly describes the shape characteristics of various tissues where the dark hole is located by borrowing the external image of other things to determine the name, and the purpose is to truly record the shape characteristics of the place where the hole is located through the form of naming, giving people a deep impression. The things used as pictograms are: animals, plants... For example, the "Fu Rabbit" cave is named because it has muscle bulges in the place like a rabbit lying down; the name of the "Bamboo" hole is because the two eyebrows are gathered like bamboo leaves; and the "Quyuan" cave is named because the shoulder blades in the place are raised and curved like a wall. Both belong to the naming method of pictograms.
3. Huiyi method: This is based on the physiological, pathological and anatomical characteristics of the acupuncture itself, and through the method of huiyi, it is reflected from the name, and its scope is relatively extensive. For example: the well cave of the hand Yang Ming - Shang Yang, because this cave belongs to Gengjin, gold is Shangsheng, so it is named "Shangyang"; for example, the service is the official of Zhongzheng, the decision is made, the eleven treasures depend on the gall, the decision is to ensure its clarity, the word "Ming" is from the sun from the moon, so the service is named "Sun And Moon".
4. Realistic method: This method records the characteristics and functions of the part, physiology, treatment and other aspects of the acupuncture point, so it gives people the most profound impression. For example, the "shoulder toylate" acupuncture point refers to the acupuncture point at the end of the shoulder hip bone; the "qi sea" records the physiological effect of the sea of life; the "qingming" reflects the ability to treat the unidentified eyes and visions, etc., all of which fall within the scope of this law.
The above four naming methods are often combined. For example, the "ShangQiu" cave is named "Shang" (Huiyifa) because it belongs to gold (foot Taiyin Jingjin Cave), and because it has a bone bulge where it is located, it is named "Qiu" (analogous method). Another example is the "front valley" cave, because it is located before the section of the little finger of the hand, so it is named "front" with the realistic method; and then because the hole is located, the flesh and bones meet, and the depression is like a valley, so it is named "valley" by analogy. These are typical examples.
(2) The basis for naming the acupuncture points
After using the above four naming methods, when formulating the name of the acupuncture point, it is also necessary to grasp some characteristics of the acupuncture point to be named, so that the essence of the acupuncture point can be concretely reflected, so that people can have a clear concept of this acupuncture point. This method of extracting the characteristics of the acupuncture point to formulate the name of the acupuncture point is the most basic condition for the naming of the brain acupuncture point, that is, the basis for the naming of the acupuncture point. The following are the following:
1. Based on the meridian theory: the acupuncture point is the point located on the meridian, and it is also the place where the meridian qi enters and exits, and its role and relationship are most closely related to the meridian theory, so it is also used as the main basis when naming the face point. I would like to explain it in two ways.
(1) Named according to the phenomenon of the popularity of qi: where the name of the acupuncture point is named after the phenomenon of flowing water, it is based on this. For example, the aforementioned sea, ze, pond, nagisa, yuan, spring... wait. There are also the names "Yu" and "Notes", which also refer to the phenomenon of injection through the air flow. As already given an example, here is omitted.
(2) Named according to the characteristics of meridian circulation and rendezvous: for example, the "letter" point of the kidney meridian is because the vein of the kidney meridian intersects from this point to the "three yin intersection" point of the spleen meridian. The spleen belongs to the soil, and is the main believer in the five virtues, so it is named "jiaoxin"; another example is "three yin intercourse", so the acupuncture point is the intersection of the three meridians of foot Taiyin, Yin, and Shaoyin, so it is named; and then the "Yuyu" acupuncture point of the kidney meridian refers to the meaning of the vein of the kidney meridian that goes deep into the incubation membrane. All fall into this category.
2. Based on the theory of the five elements of yin and yang: yin and yang and the five elements can be divided into two narratives:
(1) Named according to the theory of yin and yang: the parts of the human body, the inside is yin, the outside is yang; the abdomen is yin, the back is yang; the foot is yin, the hand is yang... Some acupuncture point names are also based on this. For example, there are "Yin Jiao", "Yin Du" and other acupoints in the abdomen, and "Zhiyang" and "Huiyang" on the back; there are "Yin County", "Yin Ling Spring", "Yin Valley", "Yin Lian" and so on on the inside of the limbs; there are "Yang Guan", "Yang Valley", "Yang Xi", "Yang Ling Spring", "Yang Chi" and so on on the outside of the limbs; these are all clear examples.
(2) Named according to the Five Elements Theory: The Five Elements Theory is used as the basis for naming the brain acupuncture points: based on the five sounds, there are "Shang Yang", "Shang Qiu" (all explained), "Shang Qu" (located in the upper abdomen, when the inner large intestine is transverse, the large intestine is gold for the Shang sound, the hole is at the intestinal curve, so the name Is Shang Qu), "Shao Shang" (B year Yin Jin, Shao Shang First Luck, "Shao Shang" is the well of the lung meridian, belongs to Yi Mu, the lung is Yin Gold, so the well out of the well is named after the first luck), etc.; when based on the five colors, there is "Xia Bai" (the hole is on the inside of the upper arm, Just on both sides of the lungs, the lungs are white, and the cave man is next to it, so the name is Xia Bai); "Fu Bai" (an alias for fu slip, which is the golden cave of the water meridian, jin sheng shui, is the elephant of the golden fu water, golden white, so the name is white); on the basis of the five constants, there is "letter" (solved); based on the five emperors, there are: "Gongsun" "This is the network of the card meridian, the spleen is in the middle earth, and the four sides are added; there is the central Yellow Emperor, the meaning of the four sides, the yellow emperor's surname is Gongsun, so it is the name).
3. Based on the theory of visceral qi and blood: viscera and qi and blood are the basis for the human body to maintain life, and its physiological and pathological impact is also closely related to the acupuncture point, so the ancients also used it as the basis for the naming of the acupuncture point. The breakdowns are as follows:
(1) Named according to the internal organs: the five organs and six houses do not exist in isolation in the human body, and their physiological functions and pathological effects must be organically related to other organs, mental activities, environmental changes, etc. When naming the acupuncture points, the ancients considered the connection between the internal organs and the five bodies (tendons, veins, flesh, fur, and bones), the five gods (soul, god, intention, spirit, and zhi) and other internal organs. Therefore, when using the internal organs to directly name, there are "heart Yu", "liver Yu", "Pai Yu", "Kidney Yu", "Bile Yu", "Stomach Yu", "Sanjiao Yu... wait. When named after the relationship between the five gods and the internal organs, there are "Shindo", "Ludo", "Zhimu", "Yishe", "Soul Gate" (all solved) and so on. When the five bodies are contacted, there is "tendon contraction" (in the lower part of the ninth vertebral node, next to the liver Yu, the main tendon of the liver, and the liver disease is the contracture of the tendon flesh, this point and the liver qi are connected, so the name "tendon contraction") and so on.
(2) Named according to qi and blood: qi and blood are popular in the meridians, and its relationship with the acupuncture point is particularly close, so the relationship between the fetal cavity and the qi and blood is also combined in the name of the acupuncture point. For example, "blood sea" refers to the sea of spleen and blood gathering; "blood chamber" is an alias of "Guan Yuan", so the acupuncture point is the place where the woman stores blood and the abdominal qi enters and exits; another example is "qi chong", that is, it refers to the rush of abdominal qi in and out; the acupoint of kidney qi returning to Hao, named "qi cavity". All are based on qi and blood.
4. Based on the anatomy and location characteristics of the place where the brain acupuncture points are located: the acupuncture points are distributed throughout the body, and with the different parts where they are located, they are also unique in anatomy and location. For example, some acupuncture points are near a certain bone, muscle, and organ; some acupuncture points have special physiological and pathological effects on a certain organ due to the characteristics of the part where they are located; some acupuncture points are in the place where the flesh and bones are plump; and some acupuncture points are in the flesh and bones. According to these characteristics, some acupuncture points are named after the bones in the place, such as "curved bones", "complete bones", "heavenly vertebrae", "giant bones... Etc.; some acupuncture points are named after the organs where they are located, such as "ear gate", "nose quasi", etc.: there are also local names where the acupuncture points are located, such as "Yintang", "perineum" and so on.
5. Based on the physiological, pathological and therapeutic characteristics of acupuncture points: some acupuncture points are named because they have certain physiological functions, such as "water", so the acupuncture point is the watershed of the small intestine to distinguish the turbidity; the name of some yu acupuncture points is influenced by pathology, such as the place where the wind enters and exits, "the wind gate", "the place where the wind enters the middle is called "wind house", etc.; there are also some acupuncture points because there is a special influence on the treatment, and people name it after the therapeutic effect in order to record this characteristic; for example, "Bright" (solved), "bright" (the meaning of making the eyes bright) and so on.
In addition to the above five naming bases, the ancients also used the characteristics of the acupuncture points to combine the relationship between other things in nature as the basis for naming. Its contents include ancient doctrines such as "musical rhythm" and "luck" and some ready-made nouns, which are often found in the names of acupuncture points. For example: "Lü Xian" ("Taixi") refers to the thin and weak person of Lü Sheng, Lü is yin sheng, weak and yin, and the kidney is the yin in the yin, so its original acupuncture is named after Lü Zhixiao, which is the use of musical rhythm; another example, the name of "Shaoshang" is due to luck (detailed earlier); and then "Lie deficiency" is the network of the hand Taiyin, because the lungs are canopy, there is the image of the heavens, and its network is from this point, and the meridian qi is thus the hand Yang Mingjing, and there is also the phenomenon of cracking and missing, so the name of this term is taken by the Huiyi method.
Finally, because the content of the name of the acupuncture point includes the characteristics of the acupuncture itself in terms of anatomy, physiology, pathology, treatment and other aspects, and truly reflects the content of the acupuncture point, it is of scientific significance to study its naming, which can help us understand the objective characteristics of the brittle acupuncture and then apply it to the clinic. At the same time, the ancients extensively quoted various academic ideas of the time when formulating the name of the cave, so the name of the cave can also be studied as a national cultural heritage. Especially in the process of naming, this spontaneous dialectical idea of intrinsic connection between objective things has been fully utilized, so the study of the naming of acupuncture points is also of certain benefit to understanding ancient philosophical thought.
This article briefly discusses the concept of acupuncture point naming. Due to the limitation of space, it is not possible to comprehensively explain the names of each acupuncture point one by one, and at the same time, the acupuncture names that are explained by example are relatively simple and inappropriate.
Press: This article was originally published in the November 1962 issue of the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In view of the significance of the name of the acupuncture point, lu Lao has rarely studied and made a comprehensive explanation since ancient times, so he engaged in the work of sorting out and collecting the meaning of the acupuncture point, accumulated many years of painstaking efforts, and had a deeper understanding of this. The names of the acupuncture points mentioned in this article are only the methods and basis for naming the face points, and the names of the acupuncture points cited, such as Shaoshang, Shangqu, Sun and Moon, Jiaoxin, Gongsun, Fubai, Lü Xie, Lie que, etc., are all deeply difficult to understand, and after being analyzed by Lu Lao, they suddenly came out. Although the text is short and concise, it has certain reference value for studying the meaning of the name of the acupuncture point. The full text is now available.