8 Extras

[Guest guest]

Below is a short discussion on the 8 Extraordinary meridians with questions=

 

for practitioners. I am particularly interested to hear from herbalists if=

 

they consciously use an understanding of these in their herb prescriptions=

..

I understand Chip Chace is translating Li Shi Zhen's work on the 8 Extras a=

nd I

can't wait to read it.

This is purely to help me to sort out the clinical relevance on the 8 Extra=

s and

I am happy to post into the archive any compilation of comments I get.

 

The Eight Extraordinary Channels(Vessels)/Eight Extra Meridians

Qijingbamai Ææ¾­°ËÂö [Ææ½›°ËÃ}]

 

 

Dumai ¶½Âö [¶½Ã}] Governor vessel

Renmai ÈÎÂö [ÈÎÃ}] Conception(controller) vessel

Chongmai ³åÂö [ÐnÃ}] Thoroughfare vessel

Daimai ´øÂö [Ž§Ã}] Belt vessel

Yangqiaomai ÑôõÎÂö [ê–ÜEÃ}] Yang heel vessel

Yangweimai ÑôάÂö [ê–¾SÃ}] Yang link vessel

Yinqiaomai ÒõõÎÂö [êŽÜEÃ}] Yin heel vessel

Yinweimai ÒõάÂö [ꎾSÃ}] Yin link vessel

 

In a recent seminar in Sydney Stephen Birch reiterated what he and Kiiko

Matsumoto had said in their book - essentially, the way in which the 8 Ext=

ras

are used in Western acupuncture has no grounding in TCM classical literatur=

e.

According to Birch (and there is no reason to doubt the thoroughness of his=

and

Matsumoto¡¯s translations ) there are a few key functions offered in the

classical literature :

¡¤ They represent a deep system involved in important bodily

functions, such as, the 7 and 8 year cycles that pattern men and women¡¯s l=

ives

and they act like oceans;

¡¤ They are a back-up storage system;

¡¤ They may be related to some deep energy systems like yuan qi;

¡¤ They point to a convenient system of 8 treatment points;

¡¤ They can be treated by particular herbs (Li Shi Zhen, 1570);

¡¤ They bear no relation to other TCM theories/concepts ¨C such as 5

phases(wu xing), 5 transport (shu) points, zang-fu relationships (except th=

e

Dumai to the kidney), interior-exterior relationships, etc.

 

Xu Feng in the Zhen Jiu Da Chuan in 1437 offers, says Birch, the first

correlation between the 8 treatment points and the 8 extraordinary vessels =

 

and pairs them in the way they are familiar to practitioners today.

 

Birch showed that much that is said about 8 Extras (eg. By Maciocia, Ross, =

 

Seem, Low, Pirog, Helms ) has no basis in classical TCM literature and

is/maybe actually an artifact of poor/made up translation by Chamfault & =

Van

Nghi in the 1960s/70s.

 

Since the 1980s many have taken these associations as a contraindication fo=

r

the treatment of the extraordinary vessels or as a precaution about their

uses, none of which can be found in the historical or modern Chinese or

Japanese literatures. [birch, 2004 Handout at Sydney lecture]

 

The test, of course, is what works in clinic. This may, in fact, be only =

a test

of the power of the practitioner¡¯s intention or it may substantiate the

contemporary theories about the 8 Extras (whatever their source).

 

It is my intention to compile a paper on the uses practitioners make of the=

8

Extras in their own clinics. I ask that you take the time to answer the

following questions and return them to me. I will happily acknowledge (or=

not

if you wish) your contribution and provide you a copy of my completed paper=

..

 

1. Do you consciously use 8 Extra treatments?

a. Using herbs?

b. Using acupuncture?

c. Other (eg. Moxa, ion pumping cords)

2. What do you understand an¡®8 Extra treatment¡¯to be?

3. What is your rationale for using an 8 Extra treatment?

4. What presenting signs & symptoms trigger their use?

5. Are there specific pulse indicators which direct you to an 8 Extra

treatment?

6. It is often said try everything else first and then use 8 Extras. Do

you take account of this in your clinic? If so, why?

7. Are 8 Extra treatments usually one-off treatments?

8. Do you approach treatments for males/females using a particular

left/right protocol? What do you understand is the theoretical basis for

this?

9. Can you get access to the ¡®reservoirs¡¯ without ¡®opening¡¯ the 8

Extras?

10. How do you follow up? Or what do you use after an 8 Extra treatment?

11. Do the herbs entering the 8 Extras influence herb prescriptions?

12. Are there dangers/contraindications for using 8 Extras?

13. From whom did you learn about 8 Extras and their treatment? Did any

of your Chinese/Japanese/Korean teachers use them?

14. Can you give brief case examples of successful 8 Extra treatments.

 

Thank you.

 

Forward responses to or send via email:

Sue Cochrane

Traditional Chinese Acupuncture & Herbs

Shop 8 The Hub 45 Wynyard Street

Tumut NSW 2720

Australia

 

Phone: 02-69474404

Email : suecochrane