Biomaterial Database

[Unraveling Mysteries of Correlation Between Meridians and Viscera in Connection Between Upper and Lower, Interior and Exterior of the Human Body]. 2018

Jing-Sheng Zhao

Institute of Acu-moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.

The theory that meridians connect the upper and lower, interior and exterior of the whole human body comes from the clinical experience of acupuncture therapy mainly by choosing the acupoints of 12 regular meridians at the four limbs. During the process of merging the theories of meridians and Zangfu-organs (viscera), the expression of the intrinsic relationship of such connection gradually becomes more and more complicated. Therefore, the study on the correlation between the meridian and viscus should start from the characteristics of the meridian theory itself, and discriminate the "reasonable and unreasonable" components of the related theoretical descriptions in the literature in order to explore the scientific values of this correlation. Based on this viewpoint, the present article makes a brief analysis on this proposition from the following two angles of view: the understan-ding of such proposition and the historical evolution of the meridian theory.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014781	Viscera	Any of the large interior organs in any one of the three great cavities of the body, especially in the abdomen.
D015669	Acupuncture Points	Designated locations along nerves or organ meridians for inserting acupuncture needles.	Acupoints,Acupoint,Acupuncture Point,Point, Acupuncture,Points, Acupuncture
D016740	Meridians	Classical loci in ACUPUNCTURE. They are main and collateral channels, regarded as a network of passages, through which vital energy (Qi) circulates and along which acupoints (ACUPUNCTURE POINTS) are distributed. The meridians are a series of 14 lines upon which more than 400 acupoints are located on the body. (The Pinyin Chinese-English Dictionary, p. 359; Dr. Wu Lancheng, Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing)	Ching Lo,Jing Luo,Jingluo,Luo, Jing
D018594	Human Body	The human being as a non-anatomical and non-zoological entity. The emphasis is on the philosophical or artistic treatment of the human being, and includes lay and social attitudes toward the body in history. (From J. Cassedy, NLM History of Medicine Division)	Body, Human,Human Figure,Body Parts,Body Parts and Fluids,Bodies, Human,Figure, Human,Figures, Human,Human Bodies,Human Figures,Parts, Body