Treatment of acute pathologies, bowel disease, 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. The condition illustrated here is zhichang sha (sudden acute bowel illness), also known as shali (acute dysentery, cholera), terms referring to conditions characterised by diarrhoea developing into acute dysentery. According to the text, the condition is treated by acupuncture at the danzhong (Chest Centre) point, in both armpits and above and below the navel.

Picture title: Zhichang sha (sudden acute bowel illness). Other lettering: Needle the danzhong (Chest Centre) point. Needle once in each armpit. Needle the centre of the lips once. Needle the point one thumb-joint above the navel. Needle one thumb-joint below the navel. Also known as shali (acute dysentery, cholera).