• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-50
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• 2017

Objectives : This paper aims to shed light on the change in Korean medicine's anatomical awareness through reviewing the locations and the interrelationship between back acupoints, live, and spleen as revealed in Suwen Xueqixingzhipian. Methods : The locations of the back acupoints described in the Suwen Xueqixingzhipian were compared with the information found in Neijing annotations, Lingsu, and other books on acupuncture, and the location of liver and spleen were compared with the figures of internal organs found in pre-Northern Song Period texts and with Neijing's other chapters. Results : According to Taisu, the acupoint UB18 and UB20 as described in the back acupoints of Suwen Xueqixingzhipian are located left side and right side of human body respectively, and this knowledge derives from an accurate anatomical awareness of the locations of liver and spleen. Although such anatomical awareness found in Taisu, which was published in the Sui Dynasty, was unable to influence the 10th century Oh Dynasty's Yanluozi Neijingtu, it was gradually revised in Northern Song Period's Qixifan Wuzangtu and Cunzhentu through autopsies. However, the Theory of Five Elements which described as seen in the other chapters in Neijing or Tang Dynasty Wang Bing's annotation that liver is located at the left side of human body and spleen at the center exerted an immense influence over the subsequent generations' future doctors. Even though Taisu disappeared in Korea and China at the end of Southern Song period, the accurate anatomical knowledge with regards to the locations of viscera and entrails were passed down through medical texts such as Ming Dynasty's Yixuerumen. Conclusions : Suwen Xueqixingzhipian's awareness on the anatomical locations of liver and spleen only continued until the end of Southern Song period through Taisu. Because of this, it's anatomical awareness did not have a chance to gain much following like the Theory of Five Elements' point of view that were introduced in Wang Bing's annotations.