Book/Printed Material Xin kan bu zhu tong ren yu xue zhen jiu tu jing 新刊補註銅人腧穴鍼灸圖經

Title

• Xin kan bu zhu tong ren yu xue zhen jiu tu jing

Other Title

• 新刊補註銅人腧穴鍼灸圖經

Translated Title

• The Newly Illustrated Manual of Acupuncture Points on a Bronze Figure, with Supplemental Annotations

Summary

• This work was compiled by imperial order by Wang Weiyi (987--1067), the Hanlin Academy physician, in 1026 in Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng, Henan Province). Two large stone steles containing the text were also erected so that copies of it could be made. In his preface, Xia Li (985--1051), a high Song official, states that Wang Weiyi made steadfast efforts in compiling the work and consulted both ancient and contemporary sources. To demonstrate his manual visually and not just in words, in 1027 Wang Weiyi had two human-sized bronze figures cast, each figure with organs placed inside. The 354 acupuncture points were marked on the bronze bodies, with mercury infused in them and then sealed with wax. With the increasing use of acupuncture and moxibustion during the Song dynasty, it became necessary to formulate a national standard of meridians and points. This illustrated work, in five juan, was intended as an aid to acupuncture education and practice. It provides the standardized course of the 12 regular meridians, the vessels, and the points along the meridians. It introduces images of the main and collateral channels in hands and feet, instructs how to guard against errors in acupuncture, explains each point along the 12 meridians, and gives various methods according to the four seasons, the five primary elements, and breathing methods. The text often uses a question-and-answer dialogue between the Yellow Emperor and the God of Thunder. Readers in later centuries often referred to this work as Tong ren (Bronze man) or Tong ren jing (Bronze man manual). During the war between the Song and the Jin, one of the bronze figures was lost. The other was taken by the Jurchens and returned only after negotiations between the Song and Jin courts. The book presented here is a Yuan edition, the earliest extant copy, and it is extremely valuable.

Names

• Wang, Weiyi, 987-1067 Author

Created / Published

• [Place of publication not identified] : [Publisher not identified], [1280 to 1365]

Headings

• -  China
• -  1000 to 1067
• -  Acupuncture points

Notes

• -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
• -  "Only preface and partial text of juan 1 are included in the WDL presentation."--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
• -  Original resource extent: 5 juan, 5 volumes : illustrations ; 18.1 x 11.6 centimeters.
• -  Original resource at: National Central Library.
• -  Content in Chinese.
• -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
• -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

• 1 online resource.

Source Collection

• Chinese Books, Manuscripts, Maps, and Prints

Digital Id

• https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/wdl.11421

Library of Congress Control Number

• 2021666401

Online Format

• compressed data
• pdf
• image

LCCN Permalink

• https://lccn.loc.gov/2021666401

Additional Metadata Formats

• MARCXML Record
• MODS Record
• Dublin Core Record

IIIF Presentation Manifest

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