Cloth, 286 X 220 mm
671 pages
Published by Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications
Published: 2007
ISBN: 9780951054659

Description:

Lavishly illustrated with tinted drawings

Basic Information:
Since its publication in 1998 this comprehensive text has rapidly become the standard acupuncture point book for students and practitioners throughout the English-speaking world. Detailed exposition of the names, locations, indications and actions of every point, it is characterised by hundreds of beautiful and anatomically exacting illustrations (one for every point), lengthy commentaries on the points, numerous point combinations drawn from classical texts and comprehensive indexes.
Now in its fifth imprint, this text has been continually updated and corrected (go to A Manual of Acupuncture menu to view corrections, new illustrations etc.). The latest (fifth) imprint has an added dust jacket and thumb indentations for ease of referencing the channel chapters. (Reviewed in The Journal of Chinese Medicine issue 56).

Reviews:
"A reviewer should declare his bias at the outset. My heart was won as soon as I read the introduction to A Manual of Acupuncture, which states "with a tradition as lengthy and unique as that of Chinese medicine, it is important first to establish what the tradition actually is, so as to innovate with care and respect". There is no doubt that we in the West are heroic innovators, but surely this should be based on thorough understanding of the fundamental tradition before we begin tinkering.
Well, here is the most complete rendering of the fundamental tradition of Chinese acupuncture point information that I have yet seen in English. A Manual of Acupuncture will certainly become the standard textbook for acupuncture in the Western world, since its comprehensiveness and lucidity beg for translation into the other major European languages. Unlike many textbooks, however, it will not be discarded after exams, for it is also an encyclopaedic reference on channels and points that will be utilised throughout the practising life of the graduate.

Although much of the information is available in Chinese, nowhere is it compiled, collated and as easily retrieved as in this volume, and the discussion of each point function under the 'Commentary' sections are excellent, and can be found nowhere else.

This commentary section is perhaps the most unique aspect to the book, each well-thought out and illuminating, reflecting what a well-educated Chinese specialist in acupuncture may have achieved in the understanding of each point, but only after many years of comparative study of the Classics. Yet here it is, all presented for us, in total, in one spot! Very hard to come by.

The point cards are wonderfully useful, primarily due to their portability. I had a Chinese set during my early studies in Taiwan that eventually became dog-eared through continual residence in, and draggings-forth-from, various pockets. Whether learning the points for the first time, or going over the set to renew old but forgotten acquaintances, the addition of these point cards is a tremendous contribution to acupuncture learning in English.

My only reservations were unworthily selfish. While looking over the very comprehensive contents, I suddenly had a sinking feeling. Horrors! Here were acupuncture point-selection methods I thought were well locked up in my Chinese 'secrets' box, all paraded in naked English for anyone to read! Now my only chance is to improve my needling skills!

The only thing we need now to round out the acupuncture curriculum is a text of equal quality setting forth the extensive literature on acupuncture needling techniques. Gosh, are we never satisfied?"

Steve Clavey.


"The publication of A Manual of Acupuncture is a major event. We have here at last an in-depth, comprehensive and thoroughly researched English-language text on the locations, actions and indications of the points. I confidently predict that this book will rapidly join the small number of well used books which can be found on the shelves of any serious English- speaking practitioner of Chinese medicine, such as Maciocia's Foundations of Chinese Medicine and Bensky and Gamble's Formulas and Strategies.

A Manual of Acupuncture is worthy of such status because of the remarkable wealth of information it contains. This is clearly the result of years of in-depth research into both classical and modern literature, and this is borne out by an examination of the bibliography which includes 68 classical texts and 56 modern texts. These labours have resulted in a huge and remarkably comprehensive piece of work. We are treated for example to four pages of detail on ST-36, a page and a half on DU-4, and even a relatively minor point such as SI-7 merits more than a page of detail.

Accompanying the text are a huge number of remarkably clear illustrations. There is at least one illustration for every point, and some points have as many as three illustrations showing the bony anatomy, the bones plus tendons and muscles, and then the surface anatomy. The crisp and carefully drawn diagrams of the channels are pleasing to the eye and have just the right amount of detail. The illustrations of both points and channels are the best I have seen anywhere. As an additional visual treat, the names of every point and all the channels are accompanied by the Chinese characters in lovely calligraphy.

The book starts with chapters discussing channel theory, point categories, point selection methods, and point location and needling. The latter has a welcome emphasis on safe practice and detailed discussions of pneumothorax and needling close to major organs. The main body of the book then begins. Each channel system is dealt with in turn, starting with the courses and functions of the primary, luo-connecting, divergent and sinew channels.

Following this, each point is dealt with in turn. We are given the name in English, Pinyin and Chinese characters, followed by sections on location and needling. The point location information is concise but clearly the result of much study, discussion and thought, with the aim of producing the most practically useful description possible. The location descriptions are accompanied by helpful extra tips, such as for LU-5 "locate slightly lateral to the tendon rather than immediately next to it". At times the authors have taken quite bold and laudable decisions on point locations. For example, for HE-7 and LU-9 they say "since wrist creases are a superficial and variable anatomical feature, it is better to locate this point in relation to the underlying/nearby pisiform bone". The clarity and authority of the point location information will doubtless be welcomed by students and practitioners alike, but of course there are varying opinions about the locations of some points. An example is LIV-5, which some texts clearly locate over the tibia not behind it, or Anmian, which is sometimes given several different locations. In these cases I would have welcomed more discussion from the authors as to what methodology they followed to settle on the location they have given. Perhaps this will make a separate journal article?

After the point location information comes the point actions and then a detailed list of indications. These are taken mostly from classical texts and have been helpfully arranged into groups of related indications. The indications of the points are of course of immense clinical value. The authors say in their introduction that the attribution of actions to points is mostly a twentieth century practice, but one clearly based on the classical indications. However, I believe they are right to draw our attention to the importance of also studying the indications themselves. As they say "the more indications there are, the easier it is to form an impression of the nature and forte of each point".

Following the indications, for each point there is a lengthy and detailed commentary. These commentaries are one of the book's greatest strengths, and a source of new inspiration for even the most experienced of practitioners. We learn for example that HE-8 is indicated in the classical texts more for lower jiao heat and that upper jiao heat with mental agitation and insomnia is emphasised much more in the indications for P-8 or P-7. We learn that KID-7 is strongly indicated for oedema, for sweating, and for lower jiao damp-heat, but not for impotence. The traditional indications for BL-58 strongly emphasise its use for excess patterns in the upper body. KID-4 firstly reinforces and regulates the relationship between Kidney and Lung, secondly has a strong action on the emotions like many lug-connecting points, and has among its indications "desire to close the door and remain at home". The commentaries on the points are full of references to classical discussions and contain a wealth of detail on pattern differentiation, pathological mechanisms and point combining, so that when studying the uses of a particular point one is also deepening one's understanding of broader topics.

The sections on each individual point conclude with a list of point combinations, again taken mostly from classical sources. The combinations have been well selected in that they make sense to a modern practitioner and they address symptom patterns seen in our clinical practice.

After more than 500 pages of detail on the channels and on each point in turn, including extra points, there are a series of excellent illustrations showing the major points of different areas of the body, from the eye region and the side of the head to the top of the foot. These illustrations are beautifully executed and show the surface anatomy in a realistic way so that one can immediately appreciate the relationships between the points in an area.

The thoroughness and attention to detail continues with a good glossary and excellent indexes. The indications index allows the reader to look up a symptom such as cough and find a wealth of detail, including cough with stubborn phlegm, SI-12, and cough with redness and heat of the face, SJ-6. The general index enables one to find the parts of the text where there are discussions of specific topics, from abdominal masses to window of heaven points.

This is a large book of 667 pages and given the regular use I'm sure it will receive from practitioners it is good to know that it has an attractive cover and is solidly bound. I understand there will also be available a large box of point cards, one for each point, which will have the illustration, location, actions and a precis of the most important uses of the point. These cards should be very useful for students and should also sit nicely in the clinic.

The overall impression is of a book put together throughout with impressive scholarship, loving care and attention to detail. I am sure this will rapidly become a major set text at acupuncture colleges throughout the English-speaking world, and the great quantity and detail of the information mean that it is also an essential text for practitioners."


Richard Blackwell



Contents:

• The channels and collaterals:
  • The functions of the channels
  • The twelve primary channels
  • The twelve divergent channels
  • The eight extraordinary vessels
  • the Penetrating vessel
  • the Girdling vessel
  • the Yang Motility vessel
  • the Yin Motility vessel
  • the Yang Linking vessel
  • the Yin linking vessel
  • The Luo-connecting channels
  • The twelve sinew channels
  • The twelve cutaneous regions
• Point categories
  • The five shu points
  • the jing-well points
  • the ying-spring points
  • the shu-stream points
  • the jing-river points
  • the he-sea points
  • The five phase points
  • The xi-cleft points
  • The yuan-source points
  • The luo-connecting points
  • The back-shu points
  • The front-mu points
  • The hui-meeting points
  • The confluent points of the eight extraordinary channels
  • Ma Dan-yang's heavenly star points
  • The four and six command points
  • The points of the four seas
  • The points of the window of heaven
  • The thirteen ghost points of Sun Si-miao
• The nine needles for returning the yang
• Chart of the meeting points of more than one channel
• Point selection methods
  • Selecting local points
  • Selecting adjacent points
  • Selecting distal points
  • Selecting proximal points
  • Selecting points from below to treat above
  • Selecting points from above to treat below
  • Selecting points from the front to treat the back
  • Selecting points from the centre to treat
  • the extremities
  • Selecting points from one channel to treat
  • its interiorly-exteriorly related channel
  • Selecting points from one pair of the six
  • channels to treat disease of the other
  • Selecting points according to channel
  • connections
  • Cross needling
  • Selecting empirical points
  • The chain and lock point association method
  • Alternating points
  • Point combinations
• Point location and needling
  • Cun measurements
  • Needling
    • depth of needling
    • avoidance of pneumothorax
    • needling the abdomen
    • needling close to major organs
    • illustration of the location of major organs
    • needling close to major blood vessels
    • needling close to major nerves
    • Surface anatomy
    • how to locate and count the ribs
    • how to locate C7
    • how to locate L3 and L5
    • how to locate the sacral foramina
    • how to locate the sternocostal angle
    • palmaris longus
• The Lung channel
• The Large Intestine channel
• The Stomach channel
• The Spleen channel
• The Heart channel
• The Small Intestine channel
• The Bladder channel
• The Kidney channel
• The Pericardium channel
• The Sanjiao channel
• The Gall Bladder channel
• The Liver channel
• The Conception vessel
• The Governing vessel
• Te Extraordinary points
• Body area illustrations:
  
  • major points of the eye region
  • major points of the face
  • major points of the side of the head
  • major points of the top of the head
  • major points of the back of the head
  • major points of the neck region
  • major points of the shoulder region
  • major points of the upper arm
  • major points of the chest
  • major points of the upper abdomen
  • major points of the lower abdomen
  • major points of the upper back
  • major points of the lower back
  • major points of the back (Governing vessel and Bladder channel)
  • major points of the anterior thigh
  • major points of the anterior lower leg
  • major points of the lateral lower leg
  • major points of the medial lower leg
  • points of the lateral foot
  • major points of the medial foot
  • major points of the top of the foot

• Areas reached by the channels
• Appendices
• Chinese dynasties
• Bibliography
• Glossary of terminology
• Indexes
• Point names index
• Point indications index
• General index
• Point numbers index

Price: R1130.00

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