Zhenfang Liuji: Kaimeng Ji of DOU's Biaoyoufu (annotated by WU Kun) was written by WU Kun. In WU's annotation of Biaoyoufu, based on the elucidation of DOU's acupuncture thoughts, it embodies WU's acupuncture thoughts, including the importance of the spleen and stomach, treatment by both acupuncture and herbal medicines on the root cause of disease, as well as the mind regulation with acupuncture. Besides, it displays the characteristics of acupuncture techniques and the experience in diagnosis and treatment, e.g. "eight methods of acupuncture prescriptions", "five categories of acupuncture prescriptions", "two chi and two cun" in meridian diagnosis, as well as cataractopiesis with golden needle, reflecting the distinctive and high clinical value.
Meridians

Dr. KIM Bonghan in North Korea in 1963 proclaimed that he discovered the physical structure of the acupoints and meridian systems which were corresponding to the Bonghan Corpuscles and Bonghan Ducts. The original discovery could not be replicated by other international researchers; therefore, it was neglected as a pseudoscience for years. This paper reviewed the relevant literatures which were published in the past 40 years, stated the findings published by Satoru Fujiwara A and Kwang-sup SOH and his colleagues. This paper also presented the perspective in meridian research after the Bonghan theory was proposed.
Humans ; Meridians

OBJECTIVETo study the basic law of circulation of channels and collaterals.

METHODSInherit and develop ripe experiences of predecessors based on The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic and other classic medical books.

CONCLUSIONCirculation of channels and collaterals has the eight laws, including naming law, distribution law, converging law, exterior-interior association law, beginning-ending running law, meridian-qi bidirectional circulation law, zang- and fu-organ pathway liaison law, and liaison law of connecting with trunks and sense organs.

OBJECTIVETo approach to the intrinsic mechanism of meridian regulation.

METHODSSummarize and analyze the results of the author's studies and the development of other studies about life regulating and meridian at home and abroad.

CONCLUSIONThe regulating mechanism of meridians has two levels. The macroscopic regulation center is the brain, and the microscopic regulation base is the energy and informational current that depends on electromagnetic and chemical oscillation mainly. The meridian regulation is the process of the energy and informational system communicating and implicating with the material system. Neuroendocrine is the link of communicating and implicating, and Ca2+ oscillation frequencies exert intermediary function between the two systems.

OBJECTIVETo expound the relationship between meridians and the human two information systems, material system and energy system.

METHODSSummarize and analyze the results of experimental and other studies.

CONCLUSIONThe carrier of the meridian is human material system. The nerve, body fluid, microcirculation and chemical factors take part in meridian circulation, and it must depend on the energy information system which works mainly at the form of electromagnetic and chemical oscillation with functions of physiological regulation and pathological repair. Oscillation parameters include various signals of regulating development and physiologic activities, and coordinate functions of organs and tissues. The meridians have the "quantum" characteristics, material particles coexist and exchange each other with electromagnetic and chemical oscillation characteristic.

The author reviewed the book of by , and put forth some evaluations, believing that the book has 4 extraordinary perspectives, clear definition for theory, clinical thinking angle, integrating narrative, and discipline structure maintaining. In addition, the values, trends andmethods of theory research were also proposed in this book review.
Humans ; Meridians

OBJECTIVETo probe into the original meanings of manifestation and root cause, root and knot, Genliu infusion, Benshu, pathway of qi, four sea, Guan-He Shu and other classical channel theories.

METHODSBased on Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic) and other classical literatures, combined with medical books in bamboo slip and the silk and opinions of annotation experts of successive dynasties, deeply analyze and study.

RESULTSClassical channel theories are involved in some theories of channel structures, with 3 original meanings: expounding the origin, the end and running of channels, expounding bi-directional running of channel-qi, and expounding the affinity relation of six channels, six qi, six zang-organs and six fu-organs.

CONCLUSIONClassical channel theories stress emphasize concentric running of channels, and concentric arrangement of channel acupoints, bi-directional running of channel-qi, and each affinity of six channels.

OBJECTIVETo define the concept of meridian theory.

METHODSCharacteristics of meridian theory were systematically analyzed by the comparison of differences of doctrine and theory concepts and according to practicality, abstraction and logicality of scientific theory.

RESULTSMeridians have various characteristics of scientific theory, so it should be a scientific theory.

CONCLUSIONMeridians are not a doctrine, but is a scientific theory. That the meridians are defined as scientific theory is of important practical significance for studies of meridian essence and standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion, and innovation of theoretical system of acupuncture and moxibustion.

In this paper, I tried to investigate the origin of Jingmai through examination of some important hypotheses brought up by modern scholars and introduce new hypothesis. Hypotheses about the origin of Jingmai that have been investigated in this paper are as follows. 1) Hypothesis by Joseph Needham and Kano Yoshimitsu that Jingmai is originated from hydraulic engineering or twelve rivers. 2) Hypothesis by some chinese scholars like Zhou yimou that Jingmai is originated from subjective experience of the Neishi daoist experience. 3) Hypothesis by Yamada Keiji that Jingmai is originated from moxibustion supported by shamanism. 4) Hypothesis by Li jianmin that Jingmai is originated from Daoyinshu one of the body-cultivation techniques. Hypothesis 1) has the problem of the fallacy of circular argument. I can drag the opposite resolution from the same basis used by Kano Yoshimitsu. There is the problem of misreading in the hypothesis 2). The words quoted by Zhou yimou are not related to the twelve Jingmai but Qijingbamai. Yamada Keiji and Li jianmin presuppose that at first Mai was just blood vessel. Then they follow each way as mentioned above. I agree their opinion that at the beginning Mai was just blood vessel. But I think that Mai was affected by the schema of shamanism. Mai as the vessel that not only blood but Qi go through is conceived by the schema of shamanism, I think.
*Meridians ; Qi ; Yin-Yang

The retrospective method of literatures was adopted and the epistemology of network thinking was integrated with the methodology of network analytic techniques so that the researches of meridian and collateral could be conducted in the new view of complex networks. The results indicate that meridian and collateral could be regarded as the complex networks composed of acupoints and meridians. The thinking and the methods of network analysis are ongoing to be applied to the paradigm of the analysis on meridian and collateral and it is expected that the paradigm could generate profound impacts on understanding the substance of meridian and collateral as well as on guiding clinical practice.
Collateral Circulation ; Humans ; Meridians