Why do Meridian run as follow? : on Kidney Meridian

These lines of Kidney Meridian give us a strange impression. One is serpentine and the other is spiral line. What does this mean? If the meridian is a blood vessel, these forms are strange. If the meridian is an invisible pipe in which qi(氣) flow, these forms are not strange, however, it is impossible to verify it.

Fig.1

Fig.2

They have same name and same acupuncture points. Why these lines differ from each other? Actually, this answer is simple; this came from a combination between acupuncture points and meridians. (“The Fallacy of Meridians and Acupuncture Points”). In ancient China, the points and the meridians did not be combined together. They were combined with each other probably in or before the era of the Former Han. What happened at the time? Acupuncture points were categorized into 14 meridians, and these points were itemized. When they were itemized, new generation began to think that meridians run in orders of these lists.

Extant one of the oldest Chinese medical book about acupuncture edited in about A.D.259, Zhenjiu-Jiayijing(鍼灸甲乙経) have a list of acupuncture point about Kidney Meridian in this order; Yongquan(涌泉), Rangu(然谷), Taixi(太谿), Dazhong(大鍾), Zhaohai(照海), Shuiquan(水泉), Fuliu(復溜) and so on. This "Fig.1", then, was made according to this description. Acupuncture book written in A.D.1341, Shisijingfahui(十四経発揮) also followed this literature about this order.

 

 

Zhenjiu-Daquan(鍼灸大全) edited in about A.D. 1439 have a list like this order; Yongquan(涌泉), Rangu(然谷), Taixi(太谿), Dazhong(大鍾), Shuiquan(水泉), Zhaohai(照海), Fuliu(復溜) and so on. This is the same with a description in Zhenjiu- Dacheng(鍼灸大成) edited at A.D.1601. Following this order, this "Fig.2" was drawn.

However, this list of acupuncture points does not instruct an order. For example, when there are some cities along a river and then these cities are listed up in a guidebook. If someone see the guidebook without a　map and think that the river near these cities run on the shortest line connecting them, this idea is not correct. Considering the winding Yellow River or the Rhine, that has many tributaries and the delta, a river does not exist by near cities. He has been deluded by The Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness.

These forms of the meridian depend on the literatures to which he refers. Someone did never see the meridian by the naked eye with mysterious power, and recorded it. In ancient times, (old) meridians were blood vessels: And now, there are no contradictions in considering the meridians are blood vessels.

 

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Acupuncture and Meridians: from Ishinpou Japanese old medical book

Ishinpou(医心方) is one of the oldest medical book in Japan written by Yasuyori Tamba (丹波康頼) at A.D. 982. He collected various ancient Chinese medical books and edited this. The contents are medical theories, clinical medicines, pharmacy, acupuncture, moxibustion, pathology, prevention, rigimen etc. He referred acupuncture points in this book; in contrast, he did not emphasize meridians. The meridians he referred is only these pregnant woman’s one.1

Why did he paint these meridians red? There were no pigments except black and red? No, at this age, pigments have many varieties; there are many works of art with much color. Were other inks expensive for writing medical book? No, this book was offered to Enyu Tenno (Emperor of Japan). There were no budgetary reasons. He, probably, thought considerably and concluded that meridians were blood vessels. On the other hand, unborn baby and bronchial tubes are painted red. It is not strange that the baby is red, however, How about this red bronchial tubes. When he had dissected her, he could have recognized that it was not red. If it was a pulmonary artery, this shape might be strange.

In Japan, first medical anatomy was held at A.D.1754 by Touyo Yamawaki(山脇東洋). There was no evidence that Yasuyori anatomized human and wrote this book. Did he just only figure these pictures from character information in Chinese medical books? In any case, circumstantial evidence is not enough for reasoning.

He referred ten meridians here because the gestation period is ten months. He described that these meridians have relation to the months.

1st. Liver-Meridian
2nd. Gallbladder-Meridian
3rd. Pericardium-Meridian
4th. Triple Energizer-Meridian
5th. Spleen-Meridian
6th. Stomach-Meridian
7th. Lung-Meridian
8th. Large Intestine-Meridian
9th. Kidney-Meridian
10th. Bladder-Meridian

You will find that there are no Small Intestine-Meridian and Heart-Meridian here or Kidney-Meridian’s figure is drawn from back on the contrary present most of it is drawn from front. This, however, is not special. Such as Bananhou(万安方) and Ihouruijyu(医方類聚) have the meridian’s figure from back.

These meridians are important and interesting materials for considering present acupuncture and meridians.

Ishinpou.

Bananpou.

Ihouruijyu.

WHO.

1：『医心方』巻第二十二　丹波康頼

2：『蔵志』　山脇東洋