[Comprehension and explanation of meridians and collaterals theory in the background of the spread of western medicine into the East in the Ming and Qing Dynasties]

Author: Li SY.
Affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China. bjsuyun2004@sina.com
Conference/Journal: Zhongguo Zhen Jiu.
Date published: 2010 Jun
Other: Volume ID: 30 , Issue ID: 6 , Pages: 517-9 , Special Notes: [Article in Chinese] , Word Count: 125


In the background of the spread of western medicine into the East in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Chinese doctors who had accepted western medicine referred to western medical knowledge and began to use the methods of anatomical observation and demonstrating to explain the objective structure of meridians and collaterals. They tried to adopt the artery and vessel explaining the shape of meridian and the blood circle and pulmonary respiration explaining the circulation of Ying-Wei. When the anatomy structures could not perfectly equal to meridians and collaterals, some doctors put forward the gasification feature of meridian to explain the reason. These results suggest that there are difference between meridians and collaterals and pure anatomy concepts, which serves as significant reference and edification for later generations.