Acupuncture and moxibustion are two distinctive fields of traditional Chinese medicine that have no known parallel in the West. Acupuncture treats diseases by puncturing certain points on the body called acupoints with long metal needles and inducing stimulation by various manipulation methods. Moxibustion involves the slow burning of moxa or other materials to heat or steam the diseased area or acupoints. To achieve the desired therapeutic effect the significance of locating acupoints accurately cannot be overemphasized.

Dr.Yang Jiasan, associate professor and head of the Acupuncture Department at Dongzhimen Hospital, has been both a teacher and a clinician for decades. Through practice as well as study of acupuncture literature both ancient and modem, he has developed a method of locating points that those lacking knowledge of traditional Chinese medical theory find easy to grasp because it uses modem anatomical landmarks as much as possible. Its efficiency has been appreciated by students as well as patients of acupuncture treatment.

PREFACE

Acupuncture and moxibustion has a history of several thousand years in treating diseases by the Chinese people.

To locate the points properly is the key step in acupuncture therapy, it is a significant in obtaining a satisfactory therapeutic effect. Therefore, it is of prime importance for those who learn acupuncture to have a thorough training in the basic skill of locating points.

Dr. Yang Jiasan, associate professor and head of the Acupuncture Department of Dongzhimen Hospital, has been engaged both in clinical and teaching work for several decades. He has a deep understanding of the classical and modern books on acupuncture. After a long study and repeated practice, he has developed a method of locating points, known as "Locating points by dividing the body and the channels into parts and according to anatomical landmarks."

Professor Yang's experience of locating points is taking anatomical landmarks for criterion as much as possible. Points of several channels adjacent to one another are grouped together according to different areas of the body. Such way to locate points is simple and easy to understand. Being concise and practical, it is very suitable both for teaching and clinical work.

Dr. Geng Enguang and Zhou Jiangchuan give assistance to author in writing the book. Thank them for their help.