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Bih-Cheng Chen1* Ting-Yu Huang1
1School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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How were the meridians and collaterals discovered? What was the evolution process? These are two questions that have been a mystery in the history of Chinese Medicine. In this study, we explored the answers to these two questions through exploring the literature “Yì fǎ fāng yí lùn [Discourse on Different Therapeutic Treatments]”. From the evidence collated in the researches of literature, archaeological artifacts and modern experiments, we established the following point of discussions: The East may have discovered the Sinew Meridians, Cutaneous Regions through Stone Needle Acupuncture, this was consistent with the contents in the Mawangdui medical books; the discoveries made via the moxibustion method in the North are reflected in the Mawangdui medical books, the meridians system drawn on the wooden acupuncture statue found in the Shuangbaoshan tomb from Han Dynasty as well as the red meridians system drawn on the wooden acupuncture statue found in the Laoguanshan tomb from Han Dynasty. The discoveries made via the Acupuncture methods in the South was reflected in the acupoints and white meridians system drawn on the wooden acupuncture statue found in the Laoguanshan tomb from Han Dynasty as well as the content in the medical literature “The Twelve Meridians”; The Dao Yin [Conduction Exercise] methods (“methods of leading and guiding Qi”) and An Qiao [Massage] methods in the Central were likely to be associated with Sinew Meridians. However, compared with the modern meridian theory, the meridian pathways within the inner body and the connections with the visceral and bowels described by archaeological artifacts were less frequently documented. Modern studies had shown that this part of the meridian pathways was more difficult to induce through Stone needle acupuncture, Acupuncture and moxibustion. It is, therefore, more likely to be discovered by practitioners of the Insight Meditation (Vipassana). In general, the discovery and evolution of the meridians can be summarized as: people in different places had discovered the meridian phenomenon through different therapeutic methods and tools. In the longterm accumulation of the medical experiences, these discoveries had gradually established the current system with the assistance from the practitioners of the Insight Meditation.
Keywords：Meridians and collaterals, Discourse on Different Therapeutic Treatments, Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Stone Needle Acupuncture, Dao Yin Methods, Conduction Exercise
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221.7 从《异法方宜论》谈经络之缘起
