Treatment of acute pathologies, opisthotonos, lithograph

Lithograph from Huitu shajing hebi (Illustrated Compendium of Acute Pathologies), published in 1911 (3rd year of the Xuantong reign period of the Qing dynasty). This is a specialised text dealing with shabing - a category of sudden, acute diseases. It contains descriptions of 44 conditions, each accompanied by an illustration. In jiaogong fanzhang sha (sudden acute illness with arched back, opisthotonos) the patient has a stiff neck and back, and the body arches in a backward spasm like a bent bow, as is graphically shown in this engraving. According to the text, the condition is treated by needling locations including tianting (Celestial Courtyard), baihui (Hundred Meetings) and yintang (Hall of Seals), in conjunction with such herbal drugs as may be indicated by the state of the patient's pulse.

Picture title: Sudden acute illness with arched back. Other lettering: Place it behind the tianjin (Celestial Well) bone. Needle tianting (Celestial Courtyard) once. Needle the baihui (Hundred Meetings) point. Needle both elbows. Needle the 'blue sinews' (qingjin) at both knees. Needle yintang (Hall of Seals) in the eyebrows. Needle the 'centre of the lips' (chun zhongyang) once. Needle zhongwan (Middle Cavity) once. Also known as luogongsha.