《外台秘要》论灸法

Discussion on moxibustion therapy in Waitai Miyao

《外台秘要》全书40卷,共分1104门(可能部分散失),载方6000余首,每篇首列病候,次叙各家方药,论著详尽,次序分明,主要按内、外、妇、儿、五官、皮肤等临床各科分述,另外还专设灸法篇章,同时还对各种外治法、人工急救法以及疾病护理法等有所阐述,因其所载医方众多、治法多样,故可堪称为一部综合性医学巨著,被誉为中医学鼎盛时期的隋唐继《千金》、《肘后》之外的三部代表性作品之一。本文总结概括了《外台秘要》论灸法的学术思想,并从重灸轻针,唯灸独尊;灸有宜忌,灸有补泻;灸能养生,未病先防;描绘彩图,详释孔穴;旁征博引,指导临床等方面总结了《外台秘要》对灸法的贡献。

Waitai Miyao （ Medical Secrets from the Royal Library） comprises 40 volumes, which is further divided into 1104 chapters （some probably lost）, and describes over 6000 prescriptions. In each article, syndromes are listed at first, followed by description of various prescriptions, all in detail and in order. The contents fall into in- ternal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, and dermatology, as well as moxibustion therapy, and also cover various methods for external treatment, emergency treatment, and nursing care. This book records numerous medical prescriptions and various therapies, so it can be called a comprehensive medical work. Waitai Miyao, Qianjin, and Zhouhou are regarded as three representative medical works in the Sui and Tang dynasties, which are the golden age for traditional Chinese medicine. This paper summarizes the academic thinking of Waitai Miyao about moxibustion therapy, and describes the contribution of Waitai Miyao to moxibustion therapy from the following aspects：valuing moxibustion rather than acupuncture and worshiping moxibustion only; indications and contraindications for moxibustion and reinforcing and reducing effects of moxibustion ; moxibustion a- chieying life nurturing and preventive treatment of disease ; color graphs and detailed description of acupoints ; citing various authorities and guiding clinical practice.