TEMPERATURE DETECTING LIQUID CRYSTAL FILM AS A MEANS TO ASSESS SHAOSHANHUO AND TOUTIANLIANG WITH MERIDIAN THERMOGRAMS OF SOME WELL OBSERVED CASES

Liu Shao'an

(Wuhan Third Municipal Hospital, Wu!ian)

"Shaoshanhuo" (mountain burning) and "Toutianliang" (sky cooling) are two traditional, highly effective acupuncture manipulations. The criterion of which is the occurrence of warmness or coldness as a diagnostic reaction. Such reaction may be regional or wandering along meridians or even may spread over to the points Biaoli and Jiaohui and related viscera. These phenomena can be detected by the cholesteric liquid crystal film, because

-the increase or decrease of temperature is able to change the arrangement of the molecular layers or the pitch of the liquid crystals, and to change the scattered light wave too, thus bringing about a colored thermographic pattern. Temperature reaction of such kind proves to be accurate; it helps to observe directly the reaction rate and also the gradually acted area. This method is, therefore, quite valuable for finding out regularities in the warm and cold acupuncture manipulations, for tracing the distribution of meridians and for studying deep visceral connections of points. So far little information has been known about these works both in China and abroad.

From our 56 observations with photographs "Shaoshanhuo" on liquid crystals 97.37% was successful, X2=32.2, P<0.001; "Toutianliang" on liquid crystals 83.30% was successful, X2=22.42, P<0.001. Data are in accordance with those of the skin temperature, Three cases are here briefly reported.

Zeng: suffered from Yang-deficiency and of weak constitution. On his fore arm the liquid crystal film appeared red. When given "Shaoshanhuo" of the first grade at the point Hegu, Zeng showed at the treated area orange color instead of the previous red. With the progress of the manipulation, colors changed from green to blue successively-

Li: suffered from the tooth-gums red and swollen. When covered with liquid crystal film, the point Hegu appeared, blue. After treatment by "Toutianliang", the blue color turned green.

Lin: suffered from "wind" and cold, looking depressed, with headache. When covered with liquid crystal film, the forearm appeared faintly red. But as soon as "Shaoshanhuo" was given to the patient at point Hegu, it was seen on the film a band a green snake, crawling forward together with the force of needling, and finally becoming embedded in the point of meridians.