An Acupuncture Case History
by
Zhou Zhi Jie

From: Shi Yong Zhen Jiu Yi An Xuan
(An Anthology of Practical Acupuncture Case Histories)

Example #3, Pp.76-78

Feng XX XX, Female, age 18. A student in the Xi An #42 Middle School. She came to the hospital on April 5, 1970 for treatment.

Patient’s Remarks: The father [explained that] the patient would loudly wail, scream, and shout. Sometimes she hit people and broke objects, and several people could not restrain her.

Disease History: From early on the patient had a loner’s personality. She was a reticent person of few words who was exceedingly stubborn, and sensitive about her reputation. Besides studying in school, when she went home she had to help her parents with many household chores, and this affected her studies. For these reasons she had poor grades in three classes as she was preparing for graduation from high school. This caused several classmates to make fun of her, and she felt deeply wronged. When she went home and explained the matter to her parents, she also got a reprimand from them. From that time on her spirits started flagging. She did not care about chores at home, nor pay attention to her parents. She would return home and sit facing the wall, using her finger to pick at the wall. Her father and mother instructed her to do her chores, but she did not move or make a sound. Her parents thought it was her temper and that she wanted to stir up trouble, so they gave her a beating. The following day after school was let out in the afternoon, she went to the home of her paternal aunt. She was suddenly psychologically abnormal, and started wailing, shouting and screaming. She hit people and broke objects, and several people were unable to keep her restrained. At night she did not sleep. Sometimes she would tilt an ear to one side and listen; at sometimes she would yell out the door or window: “I know…, I am not living…, someone is coming to kill me….” She had disordered, illogical speech. Several people forcibly took her to the Xi An Municipality Mental Hospital, and she was diagnosed as having “schizophrenia of the hebephrenic type.” At that time there were no available beds in the hospital, so she was not admitted. She was unable to look at her parents, for if she saw them her crying and trouble-spouting would become more severe. Thus, she was taken back to her aunt’s house. Although she was to be given medication, the patient resisted treatment. Later the aunt tricked her into thinking they were going to visit another house, and brought her to the clinic for treatment.

Investigation: The patient had a tense mental expression, and was very rigid. Her tongue body was red, the fur was yellow. The pulse was string-like and rapid. Her answers to questions were confused and erroneous.

Diagnosis: Mania pattern

Pattern Identification: From repression and depression not extending [[[z]]][?] and anger that was not discharged, liver depression transformed to fire, and the pathogen harassed the spirit-light, which resulted in mania.

Treatment Principle: Resolve depression, drain fire, and quiet the spirit.

Point Selection: Bilateral Shen Men (HT-7), Feng Fu (GV-16), bilateral Ba Chong (M-LE-8), bilateral Da Ling (PC-7), and Bai Hui (GV-20). The above points were used with a strong draining hand technique. The needles were retained for thirty minutes, and moved to obtain qi once every five minutes. After one treatment, the patient slept at night until 7 A.M. the following morning. After waking she asked, “Why am I at my aunt’s house?” Her mind was more lucid, and later she had no disruptive behavior or chaotic speech. Her aunt returned her to her parents house, and she treated them like before she was sick. Her aunt stayed there with her for one day, and there were no other irregular occurrences.

The point combination above was used with even supplementing, even draining technique. The needles were retained for thirty minutes, and were moved every three minutes to obtain the qi. After two more treatments, the patient was in a normal state of mind and had normal speech; her appetite and sleep were like before the disease. Moreover, she was able to handle household chores. The treatment was then consolidated to benefit her future.

Still using the above point combination, supplementing method was applied. The needles were retained for 45 minutes, and moved to obtain qi every five minutes. After two more applications with this method, the patient’s status had no fluctuations; treatments were discontinued and the patient was declared cured. A follow-up investigation one year later showed that the patient had taken up work, and had not developed any more emotional abnormalities.

Comment: When the seven effects are excessive and are not discharged or dissipated, in time there can be transformation to fire, upward harassing of the heart, and abnormal and chaotic spirit-orientation. These are the major components in the formation of mania. Point Shen Men is the stream point of the heart channel, as well as the channel’s source point; it clears the heart and settles fright. Feng Fu is the intersection point of the urinary bladder channel, the governing vessel, and the yang linking vessel; it can clear the brain and quiet the spirit. Bai Hui is the intersection point of the governing vessel with the three yang channels of the hands and feet; it can settle, tranquilize and quiet the spirit. Point Da Ling is the stream point of the pericardium connecting channel; it clears heat and quiets the heart. Ba Chong Points [Eight Surges]: these are bilateral Zhong Chong (PC-9), bilateral Guan Chong (TB-1), bilateral Shao Chong (HT-9), and bilateral Tai Chong (LV-3). Zhong Chong is the well point of the pericardium connecting channel; it clears the heart channel of fire pathogen (evil). Point Guan Chong is the well point of the triple burner channel, and it can drain the triple heater of depressed fire. Point Shao Chong is the well point of the heart channel, and it can clear the heart and open portals. Tai Chong is the source point of the liver channel; it clears the liver and resolves depression.

Zao Rao Mu Deng Yue Wu Qiang

Qin Shu Bu Bi Ma Sheng Yang

Shen Men Feng Fu Bing Ba Chong

Bai Hui Da Ling Shan Ding Kuang