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Location Guides: |
Front Mu of the Bladder
Master Tung's Bowel Nest Twenty-Three
Meeting point for all leg Yin Sinew Meridians (Yuen, 2003, The Sinew Meridians: NESA)
Binding point of the foot Yangming, foot Taiyin and foot Jueyin Sinews
Meeting of Conception Vessel with Spleen, Liver, Kidney, Bladder Divergent, Kidney Divergent, Gall Bladder Divergent and Liver Divergent
On the midline of the lower abdomen, 4 cun inferior to the umbilicus and 1 cun superior to the pubic symphysis.
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun
Deep insertion will penetrate a full bladder which should therefore be emptied before treatment. No deep needling in pregnancy, or perpendicular needling in advanced pregnancy.
"It is needled to a depth of two cun and retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Benefits the Bladder, regulates Qi transformation and drains Damp-heat
Drains Dampness and treats leucorrhoea
Benefits the uterus and regulates menstruation
Dispels stagnation and benefits the Lower Jiao
Fortifies the Kidneys
Superficial Innervation: Ilioinguinal nerve (L1)
Dermatome Segment: S4
One of the most damaging strikes to the genital area as it will also affect the Spleen, Liver and Kidneys. Immediately, the recipient will fall down with Qi disruption, blood will probably flow from the penis and he will probably die if medical attention is not sought. Long term issues can include sterility and cancer of the genital region (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).
Trigrams: Kan (Water) below, Kun (Earth) above.
Danger within, receptivity without — the peril of conflict is contained by the yielding ground of the people. This is the army: danger organised and disciplined within a receptive structure.
Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Zhen (Thunder). Lines 3-4-5 form Kun (Earth). Beneath the army, there is thunder (movement, arousal) and earth (ground, support). The hidden message: the army is movement grounded in the people. Without the earth, the thunder is just noise.
Judgement:
貞，丈人，吉無咎。
Augury. A seasoned man is auspicious, no trouble.
Moxa is especially useful here, but seek an experienced practitioner for a good result without complication.
Overall: The army is dangerous (Kan), but it is contained within the people (Kun). The general is the single yang line that gives shape to the mass. If directed by a seasoned general, the army is a force for order, the treatment can be effective. Without these, it is a mob.
Lines:
| Line | Yin/Yang | Image | Literal Translation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yin | 師出以律，否臧凶 | The army sets out to the sound of pitch-pipes. Without discipline, inauspicious. | Pitch-pipes 律 were used to issue commands to the army. Discipline 臧 refers to the submissive obedience of a slave. Therefore the treatment must be strong in the beginning to reinforce the Wei Qi, or the Xie Qi will be victorious and invade the Bladder. |
| 2 | Yang | 在師中，吉無咎，王三鋼命 | Being in the midst of the army is auspicious, no trouble. The king gives three commands. | Working closely with a seasoned professional to reverse the attachment of Xie Qi at this point is beneficial. You must use any of the three modalities required: moxa, needles or bleeding. |
| 3 | Yin | 師或舆尸，凶 | The army may carry corpses. Inauspicious. | The point is not holding, the Wei Qi will soon fail and the Xie Qi will attack the Bladder. |
| 4 | Yin | 師左次，無咎 | The army is stationed to the left. No trouble. | The left is considered an unfavourable position, implying a retreat, the Xie Qi is winning but it can be rescued by switching attention from the point to fortifying with other points or methods, hence no trouble. |
| 5 | Yin | 田有禽，利執言，無咎。長子帅師，弟子舆尸，貞凶 | The field has prey. It is favourable to interrogate captives. No trouble. The eldest son leads the army; the younger son carries corpses. Augury is inauspicious. | The Xie Qi must be hunted down ruthlessly before it penetrates deeper. This requires guidance from an experienced practitioner. Inexperience may lead to defeat. Moxa is not appropriate now. More aggressive treatment is required. |
| 6 | Yin | 大君有命，開國承家，小人勿用 | A great prince has a mandate to establish a state and a lineage. Do not use petty men. | The war is over and the damage is done. The survivors can rebuild, but it must be a healthier lifestyle than before if it is to endure. |
Image:
地中有水，師。君子以容民畜眾。
Water within the earth: Shi. Thus the gentleman nourishes the people and accumulates the masses.
The image is of water hidden within the earth — the army is hidden within the people. The gentleman does not parade his forces. He nourishes (容, rong) the people and accumulates (畜, xu) the masses. The army is not separate from society; it is the organized strength of society itself.
Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Jingmen GB-25.
Inverted into ䷇ (Taixi Kid-3 or Feiyang Bl-58).
Opposed by ䷌ (Xinshu Bl-15 or Xiaochangshu Bl-27).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Translations are my own, assisted by DSeek and compared to Richard Rutt's interpretion (2002).
Important point for the genitourinary system.
In Tung lineage acupuncture the Bowel Nest 23 (Fu Chao Er Shi San) are a group of points located in a line at 1 cun intervals between Ren-2 and Ren-10. An additional eight points on either side form a 4x5 grid at the levels of Ren-9 to Ren-5, also at 1 cun intervals. Ren-8, on the navel, is not included.
They are pricked using Tung's method in local disorders of pain, stagnation and heat in the abdomen such as uteritis, nephritis, umbilical area pain, enteritis, appendicitis and intestinal cancers (McCann, 2014, Pricking the Vessels).
In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)
The Front Mu points make likely locations for application of leeches to reduce fevers according to François Broussais' (1772-1838) philosophy who believed in placing them over the diseased organs to reduce inflammation (Greenstone, 2010, The history of bloodletting, BCMJ, Vol. 52, No. 1, Pp 12-14).
In the Qabalah this would be a good candidate for the location of Yesod, the Foundation. Farrow, (2007, The Psychology of the Body) does not give a precise point translation for this sephiroth but describes it as sitting "in the bowl of the pelvis" making the lower Ren points a reasonable estimate.
Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.
For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here
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