CHOLELITHIASIS BY PRESSING AURICULO ACUPOINTS WITH BALLS

Dong Shaorong, Yang Key!

(The Hospital of Nanjing University)

Enlightened by draining stones via acupuncture, we, from September 1982 to March 1983, had treated nearly 100 cases of cholelithiasis by pressing auriculo-acupoints with balls, combined with administering magnesium sulphate to the patients. The effects of draining stones were notable.

This paper is concerned with the clinical treatment of the first 80 cases who were not deliberately chosen. One or two courses of treatment (each a period of seven days), the effectual rate reached 97.5 per cent and the rate of notable results was 90 per cent.

These patients had been diagnosed as cases of cholelithiasis by using model B ultrasonic wave or radiography of gallbladder before treatment. They received the treatment at the time when symptoms were relaxed. The therapy used by pressing with balls on sixteen selected auriculo-acupoints, such as Gan, Ganguan, Dan, Danguan, Qimen, etc. for 24 hours (pressing alternatively on two ears every day). And about two hours after the pressing started, the patients took 40 c.c. of magnesium sulphate (50%). In most cases, the stones could be drained within 24 hours. With the naked eye, we could see that over 80 per cent of the drained stones assumed the form of silt and sand. Most of them were dark gray, black or brown. Some of them were light yellow, light red, grayish white, etc. There were quite a few times that fairly large stones 1 to 1.5 cm in length appeared. After the treatment, the symptoms of most patients alleviated or disappeared and their appetite improved. In order to verify the reliability of draining stones, some cases were reexamined by means of model B ultrasonic wave after the courses of treatment. The result was positive.

During the treatment there were 37 cases, about 45 per cent, who did not feel well for several minutes to several hours, such as discomfort in abdomen, dizziness, weariness, vomiting, palpitation, shiver, etc. But after the treatment, they could return to normal in 24 hours. Except these, the patients had no other uncomfortable feelings.