Dr Vivien Shaw V.Shaw@hull.ac.uk
Academic Visitor
Was acupuncture developed by Han Dynasty Chinese anatomists?
Shaw, Vivien; Mclennan, Amy K
Authors
Amy K Mclennan
Abstract
Anatomical dissection has begun to reveal striking similarities between gross anatomical structures and the system of nomenclature used in traditional Chinese acupuncture. This paper argues that acupuncture point nomenclature is rooted in systematic anatomical investigation of cadaveric specimens, and that acupuncture points and meridians are purposefully named to reflect observable physical form. Two types of evidence are compared: observations of physical structures based on anatomical dissection, and translation and analysis of original Chinese texts. Evidence is contextualized through in-depth practical understanding of acupuncture. Points designated as [Chinese character] tian (heavenly/superior), [Chinese character] xia (below/inferior), [Chinese character] liao (bone-hole), [Chinese character] fei (flying), [Chinese character] wei (bend), and [Chinese character] xi (mountain stream/ravine) are investigated. These acupuncture point names: (a) specify position; (b) reflect function and/or form; (c) indicate homologous structures; (d) mark unusual structures; and/or (e) describe the physical appearance of a deep (dissected) structure by likening it to a homologous everyday object. Results raise intriguing possibilities for developing an understanding of acupuncture points and meridians firmly based in the material and functional anatomy of the human body. Such an understanding has the potential to open new fields of thought about functional anatomy. It also has implications for future investigations into the mechanisms of acupuncture, and gives some insights into the possible origins of this iconic area of Chinese medicine.
Citation
Shaw, V., & Mclennan, A. K. (2016). Was acupuncture developed by Han Dynasty Chinese anatomists?. Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 299(5), 643-659. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23325
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Dec 23, 2015 |
Online Publication Date | Feb 9, 2016 |
Publication Date | 2016-05 |
Deposit Date | Oct 22, 2021 |
Journal | Anatomical record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology |
Print ISSN | 1932-8486 |
Publisher | Wiley |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 299 |
Issue | 5 |
Pages | 643-659 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23325 |
Keywords | Acupuncture; Gross anatomy; Chinese medicine; History of anatomy; Anatomical nomenclature; Acupuncture point nomenclature |
Public URL | https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3858383 |
You might also like
BBC News World Service. The Evidence: Putting the Mouth Back Into the Body
(2023)
Digital Artefact
ACU-Track: The Acupuncture Research Podcast. Episode #6 - What are the Acupuncture Channels?
(2022)
Digital Artefact
Anatomy in Ancient China: How Acupuncture Meridians Were First Identified
(2021)
Journal Article
The vertebral artery blood supply to the brain and its relationship with cognition across the taxonomic classes: Mammalia and Aves
(2021)
Presentation / Conference
Downloadable Citations
About Repository@Hull
Administrator e-mail: repository@hull.ac.uk
This application uses the following open-source libraries:
SheetJS Community Edition
Apache License Version 2.0 (http://www.apache.org/licenses/)
PDF.js
Apache License Version 2.0 (http://www.apache.org/licenses/)
Font Awesome
SIL OFL 1.1 (http://scripts.sil.org/OFL)
MIT License (http://opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.html)
CC BY 3.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Powered by Worktribe © 2024
Advanced Search