Comparative Guts

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Treatment points for moxibustion, venesection, and surgery

20th century reproduction of 17th century CE painting. Held in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.

This painting depicts the anterior view for the three types of external therapy treatment points: moxibustion, venesection, and surgical puncture. Moxibustion points are vermillion numbers and lines, venesection points are blue lines with black numbers, and surgical puncture points are golden lines with azure numbers. Moxibustion is particularly indicated for gut conditions, such as indigestion; metabolic syndromes; poor metabolic capacity; abnormal growths including benign and malignant tumors; colic; neurovascular conditions; and edema conditions. Nineteen vermillion points on the abdomen represent these key gut-related points. Since venesection is indicated primarily for hot disorders, and the gut is overall a cold-natured organ, only a few bloodletting points are used for gut-related conditions, such as acute intestinal infection and liver, gallbladder, and blood compounded conditions. Among surgical points related to the gut are left and right lateral azure points on upper abdomen; and small and large intestinal points on both ankles and foot arches. Tawni Tidwell