Part I: The Forgotten “channels and collaterals” in most PRC texts

that came much later). This puzzled me,

Path—A North American because Felix Mann’s early text in English on
Style is Born the “meridians of acupuncture” from around
the same time as Van Nghi’s earliest writings
 
was widely available, and listed 59 meridians
(he did not designate the 12 luo anastomosis-
Reflection One: The History of a like pathways from each of the 12 regular
Compromise — The TCM meridian’s luo points to its paired meridian’s
Organization of Acupuncture source point as actual meridians, even
though all texts portrayed this little shunt as
Practice
a dotted line without further mention). The
earliest problem for me with this picture, was
glaring. Where had all the meridians gone?
THE PROBLEM What happened to the jingluo filter that
reduced 71, or 59 meridians to 14? And what
As I began meeting founders and educators were the implications of this for acupuncture
from the other schools of acupuncture practice in North America?
starting in 1982, during their formation of
the National Council of Acupuncture
Schools & Colleges (now CCAOM), I was Correcting for an Error
struck by the absence of what I came to call
the jingluo filter and jingluo pattern As Maciocia states in The Channels of
identification as a way to develop an Acupuncture, “The organs and their relevant
acupuncture treatment plan. Most of the channels form an invisible energetic unit:
other schools focused on teaching the 14 problems of the Internal Organs can effect
meridians (where the two extraordinary the relevant channels, and, conversely,
vessels, du and ren mai were taught not as problems that start by affecting channels can
part of the 8 extraordinary vessel network penetrate the Interior and be transmitted to
with its own treatment applications and the organs (p. 97).” The fact that he starts
strategies, but as landmarks that demarcated this clarification by capitalizing “Internal
the ventral and dorsal midline on the basis of Organs” displaces the total connection
which location of points on the torso could between a meridian and its internal branch,
be taught), and the use of distal antique or which connects to its paired meridian of the
command points combined with front-mu opposite polarity (Lung to Large Intestine
and back-shu points. As I began teaching in etcetera). The role of the internal branches,
several of these other schools, and teachers rooted in the Sea of Blood and Qi, of
from these schools began teaching in mine, I enabling inside (the function of organs,
saw my role in these early days as a translator glands, deep tissue, Blood and Qi) and
of what I perhaps erroneously referred to as outside to communicate is already distorted
French meridian acupuncture in the in Maciocia’s decidedly modern, TCM
tradition of Nguyen Van Nghi, MD. There, interpretation.
one found a comprehensive presentation of
the jingluo filter, with detailed exploration of Dr. Yitian Ni, in her Navigating the Channels,
the 12 “regular meridians”, and their reminds us of the classical functions of the
associated “secondary vessels” (12 divergent, channels and collaterals, namely to: “Integrate
12 transverse luo, 15 longitudinal luo, 12 the whole body” providing a network
tendinomuscular) and the 8 extraordinary connecting Zang and Fu, the interior to the
vessels, comprising 71 jingluo (translated as

  1  
exterior, which “links each part of the body LingShu, can be confusing as they may
to every other part, creating an organic include “some from the relevant organ and
whole; “Circulate the Qi and Blood”, so that sometimes even from other organs.” He cites
“the organs and tissues can be nourished and the case of the main Lung channel, which
lubricated […], their functions can be might have signs and symptoms from: the
regulated, and […] a relative equilibrium of Lung channel (pain in the upper arm, and
normal life activities can be maintained; fullness and distention in the chest); the
“Demonstrate the location of disorders”, such that Lung organ (cough); and the Large Intestine
the pathogenic effect from one organ or part channel (pain in the supraclavicular fossa)
of the body can pass to another area, and which he notes is “related” to the Lung
“meanwhile be reflected on the body surface channel (ibid).
through the channel system: hence in an
attack on the lung regular meridian and What Dr. Ni took as a normal part of the
organ (hand taiyin), the pathogenic factors internal /external and YinYang regulatory
can be transmitted to the paired large function of the main channels, connecting
intestine, “resulting in a tenderness, or other the external Lung channel to its internal
abnormality on the body surface along the Lung organ, and connecting the Lung organ
Lung and Large Intestine Channels (ibid, p. to its paired yang Large Intestine bowel,
1); “Transmit the needling sensation”, which can which itself is connected to its Large
move along the channel system to the Intestine channel, Maciocia decides to
affected area: “When properly applied, this present as “confusing”. His choice of terms is
function regulates and activates the flow of precise, and meant to create this “confusion”:
Qi, balances Yin and Yang, and restores the “sometimes even from other organs” and “is
normal function of the organs and channels related” make it sound curious that Lung and
(ibid).” Large Intestine organ and channel signs and
symptoms would appear together in the
Maciocia goes on to a study of the symptoms classic description of the main channels.
and signs of the twelve main channels (jing
mai) (ibid, pp. 98-106), reminding us that Once having created this confusion, which
channel problems can arise from: an exterior the reader certainly wants cleared up,
invasion of wind, cold or dampness leading Maciocia gives the TCM solution developed
to bi syndromes; overuse or repetitive strain; in the early 1960’s:
or sports and other injuries leading to Qi
stagnation, which of course are the three “Thus channel patterns include some
causes of cutaneous region and muscle symptoms and signs from the organs
channel disorders (the “yang” or wei level of themselves. These can safely be ignored, as
channel invasion). He then adds, almost as for organ problems it is much better to use
an afterthought that, finally “channel the Internal Organ (ZangFu) Pattern
problems can of course spring from Internal- Identification (ibid).” He then proceeds, for
Organ disharmonies (ibid, p. 98).” each main channel, to give the “pure channel
symptoms” and the “organ symptoms” in a
He then moves on to the crux of the problem manner that is incorrect and not in keeping
as I see it, with an “error” that is based on a with the LingShu Chapter 10, as it presents
ZangFu bias which is characteristic of the classical signs and symptoms.
modern TCM acupuncture. He states the
obvious, that ”Channel Pattern Identification This is either because Maciocia does not care
describes the pathological changes occurring to be clear, wishes to confound the
in channels.” He then suggests that these confusion, or, which is entirely possible, is
signs and symptoms, from Chapter 10 of the seriously confused himself.

  2  
 In order to facilitate their completion of
Whatever the case, Maciocia’s discussion of training in the Quebec Institute’s
main channel Pattern Identification is acupuncture program, with the translation
clinically flawed, and underscores the fact help of the Institute’s director of education,
then TCM acupuncture teachings over the Mario Wexu (Oscar’s son, and the author of
past 47 years or so have replaced the a book on ear acupuncture that the Lincoln
differentiation of internal organ symptoms of Detox founders had discovered which lead
main Jingluo patterns with ZangFu pattern them to the Quebec Institute), Mario Wexu
differentiations. was sent to New York City to help these
acupuncture pioneers establish their training
This process extended far beyond the PRC, program as a branch of the Quebec Institute
as it affected the teaching of Main Channel while completing their studies in English
Pattern Identification in the entire English- with Oscar Wexu’s son. Unfortunately, none
speaking world. In North America, as AOM of the French texts used by the Montreal
colleges were obliged to keep up with new school were available in English translation,
TCM texts from PRC, and as the NCCAOM and the only text in English was the Outline
national board examinations were developed of Chinese Acupuncture from the People’s
based on TCM texts in large part, an error, Republic of China.
or a deliberate oversight was built into
jingluo education and practice with wide After listening to the director of the Lincoln
repercussions. Detox school, Mutulu Shakur, and speaking
with the other faculty, Richard Delaney,
Walter Bosque and Wafiya, who were all
drug counselors in the satellite clinic where
Montreal, the South Bronx and the this orientation was held, I approached
Early Days Mutulu and spoke to him in French
mistakenly assuming he studied in French in
In the Spring of 1977 a colleague of mine in Montreal. When he saw that I was fluent and
the human services field invited me to attend in fact had worked as a translator, he asked if
an open house announcing the Lincoln I would translate some materials they had in
Detox School of Acupuncture in the South French which Mario Wexu had stressed were
Bronx. We went and listened to a fascinating very important to add to the teaching
story of Black and Puerto-Rican activists who materials for their new program. As I began
were working as drug counselors at Lincoln translating some articles, I was immediately
hospital. They had heard of ear acupuncture hooked, and the course of my professional
being used to detox addicts in East Asia, and life was altered forever. I became a student in
that news lead them to search for possible the first class.
acupuncture training closer to home. They
learned of the Quebec Institute of When our teachers got the opportunity to go
Acupuncture in Montreal founded by Oscar to the PRC to study acupuncture for the
Wexu, a Romanian physiotherapist who fled summer (of our first year), three of us were
the Nazi invasion and moved to Paris, where put in charge of running the acupuncture
he learned acupuncture. He next made his clinic that they had established. Armed only
way to Montreal where he settled with his with the Chinese text cited above, but already
family. He began practicing acupuncture and trained to needle and palpate for tender
eventually founded the Quebec Institute of acupuncture points, the students staffed this
Acupuncture sometime in the 1960’s. clinic all summer under the legal oversight of
two physicians from Lincoln Hospital who
worked in the hospital’s main detox unit,

  3  
and who had become certified in Black and Puerto-Rican activists and
acupuncture under a Lincoln Hospital militants who were bringing this medicine to
research protocol. These doctors were John one of the poorest and most medically
Lichtenstein (Dr. John) and Mike Smith. underserved neighborhoods in our country.
In that first summer where we treated
Very dissatisfied with the PRC text and its patients with our meager knowledge and
Marxist interpretation of acupuncture and skills (but with the zest of activists ourselves
Chinese medical theory (“primitive Marxist who wanted to make a difference for these
dialectics”), and its lack of any philosophical people), I saw patient after patient react to
insights into the actual logic of acupuncture, the mere stimulation of needles manipulated
I began locating and reading French texts by with my novice skills, saying, when I asked if
Soulie de Morant, Chamfrault and Van Nghi it was too uncomfortable, “that’s alright,
in the original, and texts from England by that’s good, I can feel it, it’s working”.
Felix Mann and Mary Austin. Mann’s Trained as a philosopher, I of course asked
description of the regular meridians and myself WHAT was working, and more
secondary vessels (channels and collaterals), importantly, how did these Black and
which included the extraordinary vessels, Hispanic patients, who had never
fascinated me and provided a far more experienced or even heard of acupuncture
comprehensive and complex system of before, know what to expect, let alone how to
treatment. His descriptions were also very guide us to keep going?
similar in many respects to Chamfrault and
Van Nghi’s texts, whose more philosophical This was a complex and fascinating cultural
and in depth exploration appealed to me event, where a Chinese medical practice old
because of my own doctoral studies in French by 2500 years was being well received by
medical anthropology, especially Michel populations in no way prepared to receive it.
Foucault’s The Birth of the Clinic. In that My conclusion, which came as a distinct gut
text, Foucault studied the radical shift from a instinct, was that what was happening was
view of disease as caused by humours that the something that all human beings are given to
physician would report seeing leave the body know all along. What was these patients were
as layer upon layer of diseased tissue would feeling stemmed from a deep bodily
melt off in certain disorders, to the objective engrained knowledge that lay deeper than
and clinical gaze of the surgeon whose new theories or cultures, and the proof was that
knowledge based on detailed autopsies they knew the feelings as soon as they felt
displaced the older medical view entirely. them: they would share in detail the
Like the cold and calculating focus of the sensations they felt moving down their legs,
surgical knife, “modern” clinical medicine in penetrating deeply other places, causing them
France was established in such a way that to feel relaxed, but also more alert. And they
only what could be observed and touched got better. As we felt for tight (excess) areas to
would be held to be true, and scientific address their pain, discomfort and distress, I
medicine was born. learned to go to exactly the spots where they
felt the discomfort. Sometimes they would
Imagine my excitement when I started have a strange feeling, not pain, like a
reading French and English texts that quoted weakness or a coldness, and I learned to just
the classics of acupuncture, where I read of ask them to locate this on their body, and
evils and Qi and Spirit. Here I was, a North that “bodily-felt sense”, as I later learned to
American white student of acupuncture, call this tacit form of knowledge, the
learning a French language tradition of patient’s knowledge, tied to their experience
acupuncture by way of Montreal, with a of illness and their story of suffering, would
strong Vietnamese influence, studying with guide where I treated in a way much more

  4  
similar to the older, “classical” model of Background on English Language
disease that Foucault portrayed in the above Sources
text, than the sterile cold portrayal of modern
anatomy where the dead, lifeless, body In The Meridians of Acupuncture by Felix
without mind or spirit, replaced the living, Mann, first published in 1964, and as
spirited patients seeking medical care. included in the collection of his early works
published as the Textbook of Acupuncture in
My fascination with acupuncture was sealed 1987 and 1993, the author makes this
in those moments, and I am just as fascinated definitive statement: “The aim of this book is
today at the incongruence of practicing a to describe, in words and pictures, the fifty-
2500 year old medical approach, in a country nine meridians that constitute acupuncture.
far removed from this medicine’s origins, This is the first book in the Western world to
with decidedly North American experiences do so (p. x).”
of how this practice of acupuncture actually
worked. He goes on to state that “[m]ost Chinese
books describe the meridians under the
I was also acutely aware that I was studying a following five headings: main meridians,
medicine in modern interpretations of connecting meridians, muscle meridians, divergent
classical theories, in translation (sometimes meridians, extra meridians. Each of the five
manifold, from Chinese to Vietnamese to groupings is subdivided into about twelve
French to English), and that there was no sections for each category of meridian.”//”In
way I could lay claim, then or now, to any this book I have used the reverse
solid academic certainty about the veracity of classification, having as main headings each
these texts I was reading and translating, or of the twelve organ-meridians: lung, large
of the authenticity of those from the PRC, intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small
whose regime, while serving as a source of intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple
inspiration for Maoist leaning militants in warmer, gallbladder, liver. Each of these
our country, left me not only cold, but twelve sections is subdivided into four
horrified. This was not just a medicine in groups: main meridians, connecting
translation. meridians, muscle meridians, and divergent
meridians (p. x).” He adds the 8 extra
The North American development of meridians next. When Felix Mann discusses
acupuncture was a rediscovery, a reenactment the “organs”, he discusses each in the same
of a medical practice, with French Canadian, manner, as “Cold/Hot and Empty/Full”.
French Vietnamese, English, non-communist
and communist Chinese, Japanese and In her text, Navigating the Channels of
Korean influences that wove their way into Traditional Chinese Medicine, self-published
the fabric of acupuncture in this part of the in1996 by Yitian Ni and Richard
world in this time, making it unlike any Rosenbaum, Dr. Ni uses the same schema as
other. Felix Mann. Her text does not discuss the
organs in terms of Cold/Hot and
Empty/Full symptoms. Dr. Ni’s bibliography
mentions no texts earlier than 1979, and
those in Chinese were all modern editions of
the classical texts on acupuncture, published
by People’s Health Publishing House, Beijing
or Shandong Scientific Publishing House,
from 1979 to 1982. These were editions of

  5  
the Su Wen, the Ling Shu, the Nan Jing, the Mann’s because it gives much more useful
Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, a collection on points clinical information on point selection from
from the Jia Yi Jing, as well as Chinese the classical channel perspective.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion , 1987
edition, Foreign Languages Press, and That notwithstanding, anyone interested in
Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text the history and practice of channel theory is
translated by John O’Connor and Dan required to read Felix Mann’s texts from the
Bensky, Eastland Press, 1981. 1960’s for information that derives from
authoritative texts being written by the
As someone who completed her TCM academies of Chinese medicine of Beijing,
training in the late 1960’s in the PRC, and Nanjing and Shanghai in the early days of the
taught at Colleges of Traditional Chinese formation of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Medicine in Nanjing and Beijing during the in the People’s Republic of China.
1970’s, her training two decades later than
Felix Mann’s own studies in the PRC offer us
a perspective on what happened specifically
to the presentation of the jingluo in the PRC French / Vietnamese Sources
itself over those twenty years.
As a student of the Quebec Institute of
It is therefore very significant that she Acupuncture and its affiliated sites known as
prefaces her text on the channels with these Lincoln Detox School of Acupuncture and
clarifications: “Throughout my teaching the People’s Health Center in the South
career, Channel Theory has been one of my Bronx, New York (affiliated teaching and
great enthusiasms. Over the years, I became a clinical training sites of the Quebec Institute)
specialist in the instruction of Channel from 1977 to 1980, I was required to do a
Theory, which I apply extensively in my translation into English of Nguyen Van
practice. Today, when I re-read the Huang Di Nghi’s Pathogenie et Pathologie Energetique
Nei Jing , the Su Wen and Ling Shu’s en Medicine Traditionnelle Chinoise, which
statements on the value of Channel Theory, I was the foundational textbook of the Quebec
appreciate so much more the truth of its Institute, along with the texts written by
assertions.”// “While teaching in American Claude Larre, Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee
schools of Oriental Medicine I observed that, and Jean Schatz, explicating the classical
in an effort to provide students with sound texts. While I was familiar with, and read
diagnostic and treatment principles, there is a carefully all of Felix Mann’s work, I naively
tendency to emphasize Zang Fu theory. This and erroneously assumed it was Van Nghi’s
satisfactorily addresses the needs of the work that influenced Mann’s, and not the
herbalist, but it subordinates those of the reverse. In fact, Van Nghi cites Mann’s early
acupuncturist (p. vi).” texts, from editions dating from 1972, five
years earlier than Van Nghi’s above-
While it is ironic that Dr. Ni’s only textual mentioned text first appeared in print.
reference on the channels that cites older
Chinese language sources, from the late In my study and translation of Van Nghi’s
1950’s to the early 1960’s is a North work I was very aware of the fact that this was
American translation of a text from the PRC, based heavily on the Vietnamese Trung Y
and while it is unfortunate neither she nor Hoc , but overlooked the other influences
Richard Rosenbaum were familiar with Felix and references that Van Nghi himself cited.
Mann’s much earlier texts covering the same One must assume that Van Nghi knew
channel theory, the Tri-State College of Mann’s work, since he lists Mann’s texts in
Acupuncture has selected her text over

  6  
his own bibliography, and was familiar, of 1958, in its second edition in 1961, served
therefore, with Mann’s claim to have as the foundation upon which Van Nghi
published the first work on channel theory in based his own text. Van Nghi’s text deleted
a western language that covered the entirety the sections on pharmacognosy and herbal
of jingluo theory (all 59 channels and medicine from the training manuals of the
collaterals). Academies of Medicine of Beijing, Shanghai,
NanJing, Canton and Hanoi, grouped
We must therefore take issue with Van together into the Trung Y Hoc, since he was
Nghi’s claim, in his preface to L’energetique aiming his own book at practitioners of
humaine written with A. Chamfrault, (self- acupuncture and massage.
published, Angouleme, 1969) that “With this
work, we are therefore the first to introduce Felix Mann cites the following PRC works
new ideas never before available in the West in his Textbook of Acupuncture,
(p. 11).” While this book with Chamfrault Butterworth/Heinemann, 1987, pp. 627-628:
was written in 1969, the first edition of Felix
Mann’s The Meridians of Acupuncture was • Zhenjiuxue Jiangyi (Lectures in
published in 1964. Acupuncture and Moxibustion
compiled by the Acupuncture
When I studied in Montreal with Van Nghi Research Section of the Shanghai
and travelled in France and read the work by Academy of Chinese Medicine;
Chamfrault and Van Nghi, I always heard published by the Shanghai Scientific
the claim that it was Van Nghi who brought and Technical Publishing House,
the knowledge of the secondary vessels and Shanghai, 1960);
extraordinary vessels, the missing pieces of • Zhongyixue Gailun (A Summary of
the jingluo theory to complement the study Chinese Medicine; compiled by the
of the 12 regular meridians, ren and du mai, Nanjing Academy of Chinese
to the West. Medicine; published by the People’s
Hygiene Publishing House, Beijing,
1959);
Chinese Sources from the late 1950’s • Zhenjiuxue (The Study of
and 1960’s Acupuncture; compiled by the
Acupuncture Research Section of
Whether Chamfrault and Van Nghi were the NanJing Academy of Chinese
familiar with Mann’s work on the jingluo Medicine; published by the Jiangshu
first published in 1964, or whether they in People’s Publishing House, Beijing,
fact never encountered his work until the 1959);
1972 edition cited in Van Nghi’s text from • Chongjian Jibing Zhenjiu Zhilao
1977, one thing is certain. All three authors Bianlan (A General Survey of
refer to texts on the jingluo from the late Common Diseases and Their
1950’s to early 1960’s published in the PRC, Treatment by Acupuncture in
via Vietnam in the Trung Y Hoc (Hanoi Tabular Form; compiled by Beijing
Publishing House) for Van Nghi, and read in School of Chinese Medicine;
their original Chinese in the PRC in the case published by People’s Hygiene
of Mann’s work. While Van Nghi does not Publishing House, Beijing, 1960);
list the name or exact date of the three • Jingluoxue Tushuo (An Illustrated
volume text from the PRC, published by the Survey of Meridians; compiled by
Beijing Academy of Medicine, he does clarify Hiujan and Zhu Ru-Gong assisted
that the Vietnamese translation, with edits, by Wu Shao-de, Wu Guo-zhang and
Zhang Shi-yi; published by Shanghai

  7  
 Scientific and Technical Publishing A Great Discovery with a Twist
House, Shanghai, 1959);
• Zhengiu Dacheng (Summary of It would seem that a very fervent period in
Famous Ancient Works on the study of acupuncture in general, and the
Acupuncture—Ming; by Jang Gi- channels and collaterals specifically, existed
zhou; published by The People’s in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s in the
Hygiene Publishing House, Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Early English
1963); language texts by Felix Mann, and French
• Zhengiu Gefu Hyangie (Selection of texts by Chamfrault and Van Nghi, reference
Songs and Rhymes on Acupuncture these PRC texts, via Vietnam in the case of
with Explanations; by Chen Bi lui the French resources. There is mention in
and Zhen zhuo-ren; published by the Van Nghi, in Mann, and in O’Connor and
People’s Hygiene Publishing House, Bensky’s translation, of three or four volumes
Beijing, 1962); assembled by academies of Chinese medicine
• Zhung guo Jihye Dacidian (The in Beijing, Nan Ching and Shanghai during
Encyclopedia of Chinese Medical this period, that were assembled into one
Science in 4 Volumes); edited by volume.
Shai Kwon (NOTE: there is no date
nor publishing information Imagine my glee when, with the tremendous
provided). sleuth work of the Chinese Medicine Data
Base in Portland Oregon, and the help of
Jonathan Schell, publisher at CMDB, I read
Nguyen Van Nghi cites the following works their translation of the Table of Contents of
from the PRC and Vietnam: Zhongyixue Gailun right before
Thanksgiving, 2010, the second in the list of
• Study of the Nei ching , Center for texts cited above by Felix Mann that served
Jingluo Study; Academy of Medicine; more and more as the basis for jingluo theory
People’s Hygiene Publishing House, and clinical practice in his subsequent
1959; editions of The Meridians of Acupuncture.
• Chinese Medicine; “Study of In comparing this text’s Table of Contents
Acupuncture and the Jingluo”, with Van Nghi’s Pathogenie et Pathologie
Academy of Thien Tay, Vietnam, Energetiques en Medecine Chinoise there
1959; remains no doubt: the Trung Y Hoc from
• Introduction to Chinese Medicine ; Hanoi is a translation of Zhongyixue Gailun
NanJing Academy of Medicine, published in 1959 in the early days of the
People’s Hygiene Publishing House, People’s Republic of China, authored by a
1958; collective from several academies of Chinese
• Acupuncture Systematization of the medicine for the new colleges of TCM that
Jingluo, Duong Ke Cha, People’s were being established.
Hygiene Publishing House, 1959;
• Jingluo and Acupuncture in Chinese Mann clarifies that with this foundational
Medicine; Research Section of the knowledge of meridian theory he was able to
Shanghai Hospital # 1, People’s give a more accurate description of the full
Publishing House, Beijing, 1959. range of regular meridians and secondary
vessels than appeared in his earlier versions,
which were more influenced by Soulie de
Morant and German authors. Van Nghi’s
text last published in 1977 would therefore

  8  
appear to be an edited translation of one of A transitional text in English, The Essentials
these one-volume foundational texts, via the of Chinese Acupuncture, was the basis for
Hanoi edited translation of 1962. Likewise, CAM, and here already the shift from focus
O’Connor and Bensky’s edited translation on jingle pattern identification to Snafu
also seems to be based on a totally revised pattern identification is evident. This text is a
and expanded one-volume version (1974) of a translation into English of a PRC text from
four volume work published by the Shanghai 1964, the Zhongguo Zhenjiuxue Gai Yao.
College of Traditional Medicine in 1962. The English-language text was compiled, and
translated by the Beijing, Shanghai and
These two translations from the exact same NanJing Colleges of Traditional Chinese
time period in the formulation of TCM Medicine and the Institute of the Academy
theory of the jingluo are not of the same of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foreign
PRC one-volume edition. While O’Connor Languages Press, Beijing, PRC, 1980.  
and Bensky’s translation contains only 50  
pages specifically on jingluo theory and
symptoms, Van Nghi’s text contains 200 The Road Not Taken
pages. Mann’s text contains 160 pages
specifically detailing jingluo theory and When I first began teaching in several
jingluo pattern identification. Mann clarified acupuncture schools in North America and
that while the first printing of his first book, Europe, I was always asked to teach this
Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of “French” meridian information and
Healing “owed much to Soulie de Morant, demonstrate its practice. I was always
Hubotter, Chamfrault, Veith and other somewhat confused, as colleagues my age had
authors mentioned in the bibliography. Later read Mann and other English authors
reprints and also the Meridians of influenced by his work, as well as English
Acupuncture were increasingly based on the translations of French works as part of the
Zhongyixue Gailun of the NanJing Academy Occidental Institute of Oriental Medicine,
of Chinese Medicine first published in 1959, which ran a correspondence course in the
and the Zhenjiuxue Jiangyi of the late 1970’s. To me this just seemed to be
Acupuncture Research Section of the meridian (jingluo) acupuncture based on 59
Shanghai Academy of Chinese Medicine first or 71 channels and collaterals (depending on
published in 1960 (pp. ix-x, Textbook of whether one counts the transverse luo
Acupuncture). anastomoses that shunt from one meridian
to its pair as a set of vessels).
Given the fact that foundational texts were
being compiled from 1958-1962 in the PRC, It seems fairly clear that it was during this
usually by Academies of Chinese medicine, time period, when the foundational texts for
how is it that what has come down to us in the new colleges of TCM were being
the English speaking world, namely Chinese finalized, that acupuncture channel theory
Acupuncture and Moxibustion (CAM), and practice was subordinated, to paraphrase
contains so  little jingluo theory, where Yitian Ni in the preface to her own book, to
jingluo pattern identification seems to appear ZangFu theory and pattern identification to
for academic purposes only in a few pages, the benefit of Chinese herbal medicine?
compared to the large discussion of ZangFu
pattern differentiation which is clearly the While this was a road not taken by the PRC
basis for the treatment strategies in the last in establishing its new TCM approach, this
section of the book on treatment of disease. meridian theory and meridian practice made
their ways to English speaking countries as

  9  
well as French speaking ones, including Referring to works in the People’s Republic
French Canada, and hence greatly influenced of China, Dr. Wang laments: “Most modern
the early days of the AOM profession ion acupuncture literature emphasizes what
North America. might be termed ‘experiential points’—
dissertations on which points to use for
The way in which the profession of treating specific diseases. The result is that
Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine was the complex, systemic theoretical models of
developed in the United States starting in classical acupuncture have been reduced to a
1982, with a compromise that considered the shadow medicine that searches for nothing
foundational texts for the schools and for the more than points to treat specific symptoms
national boards to be those few from or or diseases. This approach has not only
based on TCM colleges in the PRC, is dramatically slowed the evolution of the
outside the scope of this book. Suffice it to medicine, it has also served to narrow the
say that the same orthodoxy, inspired by scope of conditions treated with acupuncture
Maoist zeal, that lead to establishment of in many modern hospitals and clinics. // My
only one version of Chinese medicine in the hope is that this work will serve to plant the
PRC surfaced in this country, to the point seeds for the future growth of classical
that texts from English and French authors channel theory in other countries throughout
were relegated to interesting curiosities, but the world. // For those of you reading this
not foundational texts. All colleges had to text, I hope that you will not become trapped
begin to teach TCM, if they hoped to have in the surface of acupuncture therapy,
their students pass NCCAOM national striving only to learn experiential points […].
board examinations. And during the last two Bring the medicine to life by incorporating
decades, English texts on meridian theory the system of channel theory, expand its
and practice have gone out of print (those of applications, and innovate from a place of
Low, Van Buren and Mann), and Van Nghi’s theoretical integrity. The field of acupuncture
texts as well. must continue to develop and expand,
treating the new diseases of the modern era
The push for domination of Chinese while always keeping a firm grasp on the
Medicine practice by the PRC has proven basics (p. xvi).
very strong, in the form of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, and yet it has not totally With the discovery of the text that served as
quelled what I would like to refer to as the the basis for Felix Mann and Nguyen Van
Other Acupuncture, based on jingluo pattern Nghi’s work, and for early North American
differentiation far more than on ZangFu AOM teaching and practice starting in 1964
pattern identification, which characterizes until the mid-1980’s, I hope to clarify in this
TCM acupuncture theory and practice. project that this Other Acupuncture, which
the Tri-State College of Acupuncture has
The English speaking AOM world is in fact been teaching for the last 3 decades, is in fact
witnessing a resurgence of classical channel not a European fantasy, but is grounded
theory in North America. Dr. Wang Ji-Yi solidly in mainland Chinese theory and
states it succinctly: practice as it existed in 1959, right before this
rich and classically inspired practice was
In his preface to Applied Channel Theory reduced to the “shadow medicine” Dr. Wang
with Jason Robertson, Dr. Wang stresses that refers to above.
“channel theory is one of the fundamental
pillars of Chinese Medicine, and is at the I do not believe this is the only way to think
very core of acupuncture (p. xv).” about and practice Classical Chinese
Acupuncture, but I will show that it is most

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definitely a viable, and solidly grounded way
based on centuries of knowledge and clinical
practice in Mainland China before the
Cultural Revolution, which violently shut the
doors to this rich past.

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