JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 77 FEBRUARY 2005
The Application of Acupuncture and
Moxibustion in the Jin Gui Yao Lue
(Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber)
by Dr. Qu Fan & Dr. Zhou Jue
Abstract
This article summarises the application of acupuncture
and moxibustion in the rst clinical medical classic in
China, the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Synopsis of Prescriptions of the
Golden Chamber) written in the latter part of the Eastern
Han dynasty (25 to 220 CE), which can be subdivided into
four aspects: 1. moxibustion can be used to restore yang,
2. Acupuncture and moxibustion or medicinal substances
can be used on the base of correct and thorough analysis of
syndromes, 3. Acupuncture can be used to clear shi (excess)
symptoms caused by exogenous pathogens, 4. Moxibustion
should be used with caution for it may exacerbate heat.
Keywords: Jin Gui Yao Lue (Synopsis of Prescriptions of the
Golden Chamber), acupuncture and moxibustion.
Introduction
Acupuncture therapy is a unique treatment that forms part
of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and can function
in regulating qi and blood. The Jin Gui Yao Lue (Synopsis
of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber), the rst clinical
medical classic in China1, attaches great importance to
diagnosing diseases due to internal injury.2 In this great
work, there are some important passages on treatment by
acupuncture and moxibustion.
1. Moxibustion can be used to restore yang
In the chapter On Pulse Syndrome Complex and Treatment
of Nausea and Vomiting, Retching and Diarrhoea, it says
A patient with diarrhoea, cold arms and legs and a hidden
pulse will die if his body does not become warm, his pulse
does not revive, and he still has asthma after treatment with
moxibustion. If the shaoyin pulse is weaker than the palpable
fuyang (tarsal) pulse, it means the patient is recovering.
This passage discusses rst aid treatment for, and the
prognosis of, syncope caused by diarrhoea. If the true yang
is declining, moxibustion should immediately be applied
to treat it so that the original-qi can be nourished, Kidney
qi consolidated and the exhausted yang-qi stimulated.
Moxibustion should be applied at Guanyuan REN-4 and
Qihai REN-6. The prognosis can be judged from the pulse and
symptoms after moxibustion. If the patients arms and legs
are still cold, the pulse does not revive, and they still have
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slight asthma, in most cases the prognosis is unfavourable
because true yang is still decient in the lower body and
original-qi is waning in the upper body. If after treatment
with moxibustion, the wrist pulse remains hidden but the
shaoyin pulse [the artery at the location of Taixi KID-3] is
weaker than that of the fuyang [the artery at the location of
Chongyang ST-42], it means the function of Spleen (earth)
is stronger than that of the Kidney and the yang-qi of the
Spleen and Stomach are recovering, indicating a more
favourable prognosis.
2. Acupuncture and moxibustion or medicinal
substances should be used on the basis of the
correct and thorough analysis of syndromes
In the Jin Gui Yao Lue, different states of illness are treated
with different methods, including acupuncture, moxibustion
and herbal medicines. For example, the chapter On Pulse
Syndrome Complex and Treatment of Blood Paralysis and
Weakness Fatigue says: The disciple asked: What is the
cause of blood arthralgia? The master replied: Persons
who live lives of leisure generally have weak bones and
rich esh and muscle. After working for a short period of
time, they will feel tired and begin to sweat. When they lie
in bed, they will toss and turn frequently. If they are exposed
to a breeze at this time, they will suffer from arthralgia due
to stagnation of blood. The pulse will be feeble (wei) and
hesitant (se) and slender-tense (xiao jin) at the cun [distal]
and guan [middle] positions. Acupuncture can be applied
to stimulate yang. When the tense pulse disappears and the
pulse returns to normal, the patient is recovering.
Blood arthralgia is caused by deciency of qi and blood,
lying or sleeping in the wind or by invasion of wind pathogen
after perspiring during labour. It presents with numbness
of the extremities, joint pain, a slightly uneven pulse and a
slightly tense cubit (proximal) pulse.
To take another example, the chapter On Pulse Syndrome
Complex and Treatment of the Qi Disease Ben Tun says:
If acupuncture with a burning needle is applied following
a sweating treatment and a swollen red nucleus develops
on the site of needle insertion as a consequence of cold evil
invasion at the site [of needling], ben tun [running piglet
qi] will denitely ensue, with qi rushing from the lower
abdomen towards the Heart. The treatment of this condition
 JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 77 FEBRUARY 2005
calls for the application of one unit of moxibustion on each
site of needle insertion and the administration of Gui Zhi Jia
Gui Tang (Cinnamon, Licorice and Ginger Decoction).
Ben tun is characterised by a feeling like gas rushing from
the lower abdomen to the chest, even as far as the heart and
throat, causing agonising sensations. After arising it will
gradually subside. It is usually caused by upward rebellion of
cold Kidney qi, or qi and re rising up the Liver channel.
3. Acupuncture can be used to clear shi (excess)
symptoms caused by exogenous pathogens
The chapter On Pulse Syndrome Complex and Treatment of
Miscellaneous Gynaecological Diseases says: Sometimes a
woman contracts apoplexy with fever and fear of cold at
the onset of menses. If after seven to eight days the fever
subsides, the pulse slows, and the body cools to normal, but
the chest and ribs feel taut and delirium has set in, a fever
has invaded the paogong [uterus]. The excess heat should
be purged by acupuncture applied at Qimen LIV-14.
This is heat of the excess type which occurs when
exogenous pathogenic factors penetrate to the interior of the
body and give rise to symptoms such as high fever, excessive
thirst, constipation, abdominal tenderness and pain, dark
urine, a yellowish dry tongue coating and a rapid pulse.
The treatment depends on the degree of excess heat. The
paogong belongs to the Liver channel. Puncturing Qimen
LIV-14 can clear stagnant heat from the Liver and make the
paogong clean, thus eliminating all the symptoms.
The chapter On Pulse Syndrome Complex and Treatment of
Gynopathy during Pregnancy says: In the seventh month of
pregnancy the taiyin [Spleen] channel nourishes the foetus.
If excess of heart qi occurs as a consequence of contraction
of a shanghan [cold attack] disease, exuberant Heart and
intestinal re will injure the taiyin channel, which in turn
causes injury to the foetus. The symptoms of abdominal
distention, oliguria and heaviness with an oedematous
appearance below the waist should be purged by puncturing
the two points of Laogong P-8 and Guanyuan REN-4 in order
to slightly increase urination and bring about recovery.
If threat to the foetus (a gynaecology term shang tai - 1. Although the Neijing is earlier than the Jin Gui Yao Lue,
which refers to the syndrome endangering the foetus during
pregnancy) occurs during pregnancy, a woman is bound to
suffer from abdominal fullness, dysuria and uncomfortable
feelings of heaviness and stagnation below the waist. These
symptoms are caused by excess of Heart qi which disrupts
the harmony of the Heart and Kidneys and should be treated
by reducing Laogong P-8 and Guanyuan REN-4 so that
urination can return to normal and the disease resolve.
4. Moxibustion should be used with caution for it
may exacerbate heat
The Jin Gui Yao Lue pays much attention to the
contraindications for the application of re moxibustion
(including moxa-stick moxibustion, warm needling, burning
needle technique and so on). As it may increase the heat,
symptoms of the heat type should not be treated with re
moxibustion or the disease may worsen. For example,
the chapter On Pulse Syndrome Complex and Treatment of
Convulsion, Moisture Disease (Rheumatism), and Heatstroke says:
A patient with moisture disease manifesting generalised
vexation and aching may be suitably treated by inducing
sweating with Ma Huang Jia Zhu Tang (Ephedra Decoction
Plus Atractylodes). The doctor should be cautioned against
using the re-attacking method. And A person with
sunstroke of taiyang type may have a fever, fear of cold,
generalised heaviness and pain, a wiry (xian), thin (xi),
hollow (kou) and slow pulse, a shivering sensation after
urination, cold limbs, fever upon slight physical exertion,
gasping, dry front teeth, violent fear of cold when perspiring,
severe fever upon treatment with warm needles and serious
urinary dripping upon frequent purgation.
Conclusion
The Jin Gui Yao Lue, written by Zhang Zhongjing, the eminent
medical scientist of last years of the Easter Han dynasty, is
a section of the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Disease
devoted to discussing the diagnosis of miscellaneous
diseases due to internal injury. As the rst clinical medical
classic in China, the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous
Disease describes treatmzents applied according to the
diagnosis and differentiation of both exogenous disease and
miscellaneous diseases due to internal injury. It establishes
a series of principles for applying treatment and lays the
foundation for the development of clinical medicine by
identifying symptoms with the names of the six channels,
the zangfu, and their interrelation. The Treatise on Febrile and
Miscellaneous Diseases was later re-edited by Wang Shuhe
in the Jin Dynasty into the Treatise on Febrile Disease and the
Jin Gui Yao Lue. Although the portions of the text which
discuss acupuncture and moxibustion are not great, they
can nevertheless offer some useful references to the clinical
practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine who may thus
benet from this great, ancient classical work.
Notes
it is viewed as more of a theoretical classic than a
clinical work.
2. The Shang Han Za Bing Lun (Treatise on Febrile and
Miscellaneous Diseases) was later edited by Wang Shuhe
into two books, the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Febrile
Diseases) and the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Synopsis of Prescriptions
of the Golden Chamber) which is almost entirely devoted
to diseases due to internal injury.
Qu Fan holds a Ph.D. in the eld of Gynaecology in TCM. He now
conducts research into treating CPID (chronic pelvic inammatory
disease) with TCM in Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, China.
Zhou Jue holds a Ph.D. in the eld of Pharmacognosy. She currently
conducts research into the application of serum pharmaco-chemistry
in the eld of TCM at Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, China.
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