Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

[Preface to the Illustrated Manual of the Channels]

In the Gui-mao year of the Dade era 1303 CE, Shao Wenlong, a scholar from Yanling in the Pingjiang Prefecture, wrote this preface. The work begins with two illustrations of the Internal Organs zangfu: the collective name for the solid and hollow organs in Chinese medicine, showing both front and back views. The middle section describes the movement and connections of the three yin and three yang channels of the hands and feet, followed by the flow of the Fourteen Meridians jingluo: the network of pathways through which life-energy, or Qi, flows. Each section includes detailed annotations and is followed by illustrative diagrams. These teachings were passed down in this region; however, it was only after Mr. Dong of Mount Heng carved the printing blocks that the work began to circulate widely among the practitioners of Wumen modern-day Suzhou.

Excerpts from Life-Saving Works, Nineteen Volumes

The first volume takes the essentials from the Classic of Acupuncture. The second volume collects the acupuncture methods of Jiegu Li Gao and Yunqi. Three volumes are dedicated to Mr. Dou’s teachings on the flow of the channels, followed by the Selected Essentials of the Acupuncture Classic. It prioritizes acupuncture techniques to emulate ancient systems. This collection was compiled by Du Sijing during the Yanyou era 1314–1320 CE.

Guide to the Acupuncture Classic

Written by Dou Hanqing also known as Dou Gui of Gufei. It begins with the Ode to the Elusive and Mysterious original: "Biao You Fu," a famous mnemonic poem on acupuncture theory, followed by the finger techniques for the eight specific points and the diagram of the Hezhe Palace. Some parts of this work do not entirely align with the Basic Questions original: "Suwen," the foundational text of Chinese medicine.

Miscellaneous Discourses on Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Categorized and ordered by Jia Guifang of Jian’an. It draws from the Thousand Gold Pieces regarding prohibitions and the "Human Spirit" the belief that the vital spirit resides in different parts of the body depending on the day, as well as the "Treatise on the Separation and Union of

True and Evil" referring to the balance between healthy energy and pathogens. However, it fails to fully capture the subtle depths of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Classic of Supporting Life

Written by Wang Zhizhong (styled Shuya) of Dongjia. He identified three hundred and sixty acupuncture points, tracing them from the top of the head to the ends of the limbs. He organized them into categories, matching specific points to specific diseases. This work is a synthesis of the Bronze Man Manual, the Thousand Gold Pieces, the Bright Hall Classic, and the Secret Essentials from the Outer Tribunal.

Elucidation of the Fourteen Channels, Three Volumes

Transmitted by Hua Shou (styled Baren) of Xuchang. He learned his acupuncture methods from Gao Dongyang of Dongping, mastering the essentials of the "opening and closing" of the channels and the intersections of their flow. Regarding the six extraordinary vessels—the Yin and Yang Link, the Yin and Yang Heel, the Belt, and the Thoroughfare vessels—all have their respective connections. However, it is the Governing and Conception vessels the Du and Ren meridians that wrap around the back and abdomen and possess their own dedicated points. When the other channels are full and overflowing, these two receive the excess. Therefore, they should be discussed alongside the twelve standard meridians. His comprehensive study accounts for six hundred and fifty-seven points, using them to achieve clinical success and exhaust the divine mysteries of medicine.

Classic of Divine Response, Two Volumes

Written by Chen Hui (styled Honggang). He first composed the Book of Slaughtered Images in twelve volumes, but fearing that—